Alone

Surprise

For three days Dan just kept trying to do stuff for me, I didn't argue with him about it, however I also didn't let him do it.
Dan was acting weirder and weirder, somehow.

My skin had pretty much healed and I had felt entirely better, but something had plagued me for the past few days and I think it's time I talked to him about it... Well more so to just let him know...

I had been practicing cooking and made four grilled cheese sandwiches for dinner and put two on each plate.

I knocked on Dan's door hoping he was here.
"Just come in!" He called.

I walked into the dark room with no lights, only the tv illuminating the room. Dan was propped up against the headboard with his legs crossed at the ankles at the foot of the bed in his sock feet watching a movie.

"I brought grilled cheese." I said timidly.

"Oh thank you!" He said in surprise and delight. He patted the other side of his bed and sat down in it in the same way he had been before handing him the food.

"Mm it's good, nice job." He chewed the sandwich.

"Do you want to watch this with me? I just started it." he offered.

"Actually, I came to talk to you for a second." And with that he picked up the remote by his thigh and immediately paused it.

"Go ahead." He urged. I felt nervous.

"I was thinking..." I paused letting my nerves get the better of me.

"About...?" He asked

"Other people."

"Oh." Something about this once syllable noise seemed disappointed.

"I just want to know if anyone else is out there." I was hoping he would understand.

"Look Amelia, if someone else is out there, they'll find us." His tone was trying to sound reassuring.

"What if they don't? I want to look."

"But everything we need is right here, and what if they come here while we're out looking for them?" He asked.

"Good point." I said "You stay here."

"Orrrr both of us could just stay here."

"Dan." I sighed. "I can't."

"Why do you want to find someone else so bad?"

"Why don't you?" I asked.

"I would if I thought they were out there, I really would. I feel like if you went you'd be putting yourself at risk again for nothing."

"Don't bring up the desert thing please. That was just stupid of me."

"Do you know how easy it is to accidentally get yourself into another one of those situations?"

"It won't be now that I know not to." I argued.

"I can't stop you" He finally said "But I wish you wouldn't."

"You must still look at me like a child that needs protecting or something." I began to get upset.

"No. I look at you as my only way of not being alone, I look at you as someone I need, someone I care about. I know you'd most likely live, but what if you just never come back? I know you'd search as long as it takes, and that scares me because I don't know when you'd come back or if you ever would." He admitted.

"I'll be back, Dan. I wouldn't leave you forever." I assured him.

"How long?" He asked quietly.