Natalie walked down the concrete steps and into the school yard where everyone was sitting. 

Natalie seemed to notice some people were missing because she soon asked, “Where is everyone?”

“Noah, Griffin, and Jackson went out to go exploring and see if they found any more survivors,” Mateo answered.

Natalie slapped her forehead with her hand in aggravation. 

“What time will they be back?” Natalie asked, sounding annoyed.

“Sunset,” Cora said.

“They better be,” Natalie grunted.

“I’m worried. I have a bad feeling. I always have bad feelings, but this one is the worst,” Cora said, worriedly.

“I do too,” Jay said, looking worried.

“Same,” Eli said.

“If they aren’t back by sunset, Eli and Mateo…,” Natalie began. “Can you guys go look for them?”

Eli and Mateo nodded.

“Awesome. Thank you,” Natalie said, slightly feeling a little relieved.

Noah, Griffin, and Jackson found an old burnt hospital building and went inside.

“Let’s split up and look for survivors that way. You guys remember our help signal right?” Noah said.

Griffin and Jackson nodded.

“Ok. Good. I’ll meet you guys at the entrance in twenty minutes,” Noah said, looking down at his watch. He then set a timer on his watch as did Jackson and Griffin on their watches.

Griffin took the bottom floor while Jackson took the middle floor. Noah took the top floor.

Noah went up the emergency stairs all the way to the third floor, the last floor, and began looking in every room.

A little while later, Noah found the last room on the third floor and opened the door. Inside it was dark and the atmosphere seemed gloomy. Noah noticed a body laying on the ground and cautiously walked up to the body.

On the floor lay what looked like a teenage girl with so much dried blood in her hair that Noah couldn’t tell what her real hair color was. She wore a black shirt with the top soaked in dried blood and ripped leggings. The girl seemed as if she was breathing, but very small and shallow breaths.

Noah then took his fingers to his mouth and whistled very loud.

A few minutes later, Griffin and Jackson ran into the room and saw the girl on the ground.

“Help me with her. She’s still breathing,” Noah said, bending down to try to pick her up.

Jackson and Griffin did the same and helped Noah pick her up.

“Let’s go back to Natalie. She’ll know what to do,” Jackson suggested.

“That’s exactly what I was thinking,” Noah said with a nod.

Griffin nodded in agreement.

At sunset, Griffin, Noah, Jackson, and the girl made it to the school and walked inside the gate. The gate closed with a loud bang behind them.

“There you guys are…,” Jay began. “Oh my! What happened?!”

Jay ran over to them.

“We found her like this,” Jackson said.

“Bring her up to Natalie. Quick!” Jay said.

Griffin, Noah, and Jackson brought the girl up the concrete stairs and into the nurse’s office. Natalie was seated down in a chair next to Oliver patting his forehead with a wet rag.

“Natalie, we got a situation,” Jay said, getting Natalie’s attention.

Natalie turned around and dropped the rag on the floor. She rushed over and ordered them to lay the girl on the clear nurse’s desk. Natalie then checked the girl’s pulse.

“She still has a pulse. It’s just really slow,” Natalie said. “I need some help bringing her to the bathtub in the back.”

Jackson nodded and picked the girl up in his arms princess style. He brought the girl  into a bathroom with a toilet, bathtub, and sink. Jackson placed the girl down carefully in the bathtub, resting her head on his arm. He didn’t move or move his arm as Natalie turned on the water and began rinsing her off.

The blood rinsed off her clothes turning the water tomato red as it flowed right down into the drain. Natalie then rinsed her hair and head. The blood washed out of her hair revealing that she had bleach blonde hair.

Natalie turned off the water and instructed Jackson to take her out and wrap a towel around her.

The girl groaned in pain and moved a little.

Jackson stared at the girl as she moved in his arms as he wrapped the towel around her.

Hey eyelids started fluttering and she opened her eyes to reveal two beautiful light baby blue eyes. The girl looked scared and in shock as she stared at Jackson.

“Wh…wh…where…am…I?” The girl said, trying to speak. She seemed to barely have enough energy to ask a simple question.

“Don’t worry. We aren’t going to hurt you. I’m Jackson,” Jackson said, comfortingly.

The girl’s eyes seemed to soften a little bit.

“What’s your name?” Jackson asked her.

“I…is…Isabella,” The girl said, trying to speak.

“Ok, Bella Natalie and I are going to take good care of you ok,” Jackson said.

Isabella gave a tiny nod.

After Natalie and Jackson finished fixing her up. Jackson laid her out on top of the nurse’s desk. The desk had multiple blankets and pillows for added comfort.

“Are you comfortable?” Jackson asked.

“Yes. Thank you,” Isabella said, already sounding better.

“If you don’t mind me asking…what exactly happened?” Jackson asked.

“I was just in the hospital waiting for my sister to come back when these people came in and asked me where I kept my supplies. I told them that I didn’t know what they were talking about. I thought I was messing with them so they tried to beat the answers out of me. After I still didn’t tell them they…just…,” Isabella said, shaking. “They left me there.”

Tears began falling down Isabella’s cheeks after she finished talking.

Jackson wiped them away with his hand.

"It's okay. We are going to help you," Jackson said, comfortingly.

Isabella gave a weak smile. 

"Why don't you get some rest and I will come check on you later?" Jackson suggested. 

Isabella nodded.

Jackson then removed his hand from her face and walked out of the nurse’s office with Natalie, leaving Isabella alone with Oliver.

Isabella turned her head to Oliver and said, “I’m Isabella. What’s your name?”

“Ah...liver…Oliver,” Oliver said, struggling to speak.

“If you don’t mind me asking, are you ok?” Isabella asked, concerned.

“I’ll be ok. I’m just almost eighteen and the virus is starting to attack me,” Oliver said, sadly.

“I’m sorry,” Isabella said, feeling bad for asking.

“It’s ok. It wasn’t your fault. I knew it was coming anyway,” Oliver said, closing his eyes.

“That’s so sad,” Isabella said. “My parents and brother all died from the virus. It was one of the saddest days of my life. As soon as the virus got to them, they only lived for about a week.”

“I’m sorry. I know how you feel. My parents died because of the virus too. The only family I have left is my little sister, Georgia,” Oliver said.

Outside of the nurse’s office, everyone was inside the school gym. The school room had lots of sleeping bags, blankets and pillows on the floor.

“We should go to bed,” Jay said. “We have had a long day.”

Jay then lay down on a green camo patterned sleeping bag with a white pillow and green blanket. She pulled the blanket over her body and laid her head on the pillow. Everyone else did the same and closed their eyes.

In the morning, Georgia went into the nurse’s office to check on Oliver.

“How are you doing? Are you feeling any better?” Georgia asked.

“I’m going ok. I feel like I’m not getting any better, but not worse,” Oliver said in a hoarse voice. He then coughed, spitting up blood on his lips and cheeks.

Georgia took a tissue and wiped away the blood with a sad look on her face.

Jackson then walked in the room.

“Good morning!” Jackson said in a cheerful voice.

“Morning,” Georgia said, throwing away the bloodied tissue.

Jackson walked over to Isabella. Isabella was still sound asleep.

“She’s still asleep,” Georgia said.

Jackson sat down in a seat next to Isabella and said, “I figured.”

“Why are you checking on her?” Georgia asked. “I don’t mean that in a rude way, but you barely even know her.”

“I don’t know. I just trust her and she reminds me of someone from my past,” Jackson said.

“Let me guess…she reminds you of…Anne?” Georgia guessed.

“Yeah…,” Jackson said, looking off into space with a sad look on his face.

“You know you’ve never told us the story of you and Anne,” Georgia said. “Did you two date or something?”

“Anne and I were childhood best friends. I started liking her in the sixth grade…I think. I confessed to her in eighth grade and then we started dating. We dated all the way until the plague started. That’s when her parents and mine started getting sick. Anne was really close to her parents and told me constantly that she couldn’t live without them. A little while later, her parents died and she was so overcome with grief she…she…killed herself. She left me a note saying that she wishes that I find happiness and that she was sorry that she couldn’t be there for me,” Jackson said.

“Wow. I’m so sorry that happened to you Jackson,” Georgia said, sincerely.

“It’s ok. I should've seen it coming,” Jackson said. “For the longest time, I blamed myself for what happened to her. I thought it was my fault.”

“Jackson, It wasn’t your fault. You didn’t do anything wrong,” Georgia said, comfortingly.

“Thanks, Georgia. I know that now,” Jackson said. “I just miss her a lot. It’s like a piece of me is missing and I can’t ever get it back.” Jackson lifted his hands to his face, covering his eyes.

Georgia looked at Jackson with sympathy in her eyes.

Suddenly, Isabella placed her hand on Jackson’s arm, startling him.

“I’m sorry that happened to you,” Isabella said, meaning every word she said.

Jackson took his hands off his eyes and cupped them over Isabella’s hand.

“It’s ok. It’s all in the past,” Jackson said. “How are you feeling?”

“Like I had the best night’s sleep in a long time,” Isabella confessed, slightly blushing as Jackson held her hand in his.

“Good. Do you want to try to get up?” Jackson said.

Isabella nodded and Jackson rushed over to her side. He put one of his arms behind her back to support her and the other holding her hand for extra support. She grabbed his hand in hers and slowly sat up.

“Can I try to stand?” Isabella asked.

“If you feel up to it,” Jackson said.

“I do,” Isabella said.

Isabella took her hand from Jackson and pushed her arms on the desk, stretching them. She then slowly let one foot fall to the floor and then the other. Isabella then pushed herself completely off the desk and put her arms out to try and balance.

“Hey, it’s ok. I got you,” Jackson said, keeping one of his arms behind her back and his free arm out for her to grab.

“I haven’t stood up in awhile,” Isabella confessed.

“When was the last time you stood?” Jackson asked, intrigued to know what happened.

“I’m not sure. I don’t remember. Maybe…when the people came to see if I had supplies,” Isabella confessed.

Isabella took a step and then slipped and fell backwards, making Jackson slip fall on top of her.

“Ouch,” Isabella said, rubbing the back of her forehead with her eyes closed. She opened her eyes to see Jackson on top of her staring at her.

Jackson and Isabella stared at each for a moment and then Jackson got off and held his hand out for Isabella. Isabella took it and got up.

“Sorry,” Isabella and Jackson quickly apologized in unison.

“It’s ok,” Isabella said. “It was my fault. I brought you down with me.”

“It’s ok. You haven’t walked in awhile,” Jackson said, rubbing the back of his neck.

“Can I try to walk some more?” Isabella asked.

“Um…are you sure you want to keep trying?” Jackson asked.

“Yes. I’m positive,” Isabella said with a nod.

Isabella then began walking to the door with Jackson’s arm behind her. He followed her all the way to the stairs.

Isabella took a step down the stairs.

“Whoa! Are you sure you want to walk down the stairs right now?” Jackson said, concerned for Isabella’s safety.

“I’m sure,” Isabella nodded.

“Oo…kay,” Jackson said, unsurely.

Isabella walked down the stairs one step at a time all the way to the gate at the front of the school.

“It feels so nice out here,” Isabella said, taking a deep breath.

“It does,” Jackson agreed, taking a deep breath.

“Thanks, Jack,” Isabella said, looking at Jackson.

“Jack?” Jackson repeated.

“Oh sorry,” Isabella said.

“It’s ok. I actually like the nickname you gave me,” Jackson said. “Bella.”

Isabella blushed.

“I hope it’s ok. I gave you a nickname too,” Jackson said with a smile.

“It’s ok. I like Bella,” Isabella said with a smile.

“Good,” Jackson said.

Isabella then looked sad as she stared out the school gates.

“What’s wrong?” Jackson asked, looking concerned.

“I’m just thinking about my sister. I miss her ssssoooo much,” Isabella let out with a giant sigh. “I hope she’s ok.”

“I’m sure she is. The way you talk about her, you make it seem like she’s a really strong person,” Jackson said, sincerely.

“She is,” Isabella said with a small smile.