Zero

Chapter 34

Two chapters in one day! What, what! :] Hope you like it! 

Chapter 34

"We have to stop," Someone says for the fourth or fifth time, but I'm not listening. I can hardly hear anything. It's late, the stars are about as bright as they're going to get and we've been walking at least four hours. But we're still hours away. Eight or nine, at least.

Everyone has kept up and until a couple miles ago, no one complained. Now they all think we need to sleep for the night and pick up in the morning. But I don't know that Braces has time to wait for us to sleep.

"Talk some sense into her," someone, I think Bryan whispers behind me.

Hunter, who has evidently been elected as spokesperson for the group, likely because he's the only one who has a chance of actually getting me to stop, picks up his pace until he's next to me. My shoulder brushes his arm as walk in silence for a few hundred yards before he speaks.

"You've been awake since before dawn."

"I can't stop." I'm not sure if I actually say the words or if I just think them.

"You can barely stay upright."

"What if we're too late?"

"Sweetheart," he pauses like he doesn't want to say what he's about to. "We could already be too late."

My feet stop moving. I look at Hunter and in that moment I hate him. I hate him for saying that. I hate him because I know he's right. Braces was in bad shape when we left and that was a few days ago. I shake my head.

"We got the antibiotics. He's going to be fine."

"If you don't stop for a little while, you aren't going to make it to him at all." He says when I start to walk again. "Zero, you can't walk for another eight hours."

"Fine," I mutter. "A couple hours."

The three collapse to the ground where they are when they hear me. Each settles in, nestling up against a tree to sleep. Hunter does the same, and pulls me into his lap. I settle into his chest. One hand comes up and idly strokes my hair, massaging my scalp. I lean into him letting my eyes close.

"Someone needs to stay up, keep watch."

Just because we haven't seen any creeps in the last few miles doesn't mean they aren't here. They're always around.

"I will. You sleep."

"What about you?"

"I got some sleep earlier today in the room."

I can't tell whether or not he's lying, but either way, I trust him to stay alert. I can't pull my eyes back open anyway. So I let myself focus on his hand running through my hair and the other wrapped around my waist as I fall asleep.

"Zero." The whisper in my ear is somewhere between dream and reality. Only when it's repeated several more times do my eyelids flutter open to the morning sunlight. It's still dim, there's just barely enough light to rid the sky of stars.

I sit up, rubbing my eyes. "You let me sleep too long."

He ignores me.

"Your friend would have been smart to pack a bag with some water," he mentions as we stand.

"Why do you say it like that?"

"What?"

"Your friend," I mimic his deep voice. "I don't even know him."