Free Running Away - A Post-Apocalyptic Novel (The Ravaged Land Series Book 4) by Kellee L. Greene

back inside the garage, they were all staring at me. They didn’t look thrilled when they saw me standing there with a single cup. I shrugged, “It was all that was left.”
    I handed it to Penn who held the cup while Dean and Carter tried to carefully fill it with water. They had trouble pouring the water at first. It all spilled out around the cup until they figured out how to manage the large jug. We all looked at the filled cup as if it was sacred.
    “Go get Sienna and Alice,” Penn said as he lifted the cup and placed it against his lips. He closed his eyes as he slowly drank the water. His slow sips quickly turned into big gulps and in seconds he had the cup back on the garage floor waiting to be refilled. Dean and Carter worked to fill it, spilling less this time than they had the first time.
    I was grinning from ear to ear as I practically danced back inside the house to get Sienna and Alice. They weren’t in the kitchen so I went towards the living room calling out for them.
    “We’re in here,” Sienna said as I turned the corner. Alice was laying down on the sofa hugging her knees loosely up towards her chest. Sienna was sitting on the floor with her legs crossed looking down at her fingers. She looked up at me, “I wish we had some medicine for her.”
    “Me too, but we did find water,” I said, but my smile faded. Alice started coughing, and I watched her body jerk forward with each one. She didn’t bother to cover her mouth. It seemed as though she didn’t have the energy, or maybe she had just forgotten. “I’ll get her some water.”
    I dashed back out to the garage and I could tell by the looks on their faces that they’d all already had taken their turn at the drinking cup. Penn handed me the full cup, and I was about to take it to Alice when I stopped and drank from the uncontaminated cup.
    “Alice needs water,” I said taking a small break, “but we can’t share a cup… can we? I mean we shouldn’t, right?”
    Penn glanced at Carter as if he might have the answer. Carter shrugged, “I’ve been around her this long and still haven’t caught the cold.”
    “Yes,” Dean said, and I knew he was thinking about Sienna’s well-being. “Bring Sienna a drink first, then come back for more. Maybe we can find something in here we can use for Alice.”
    The boys started looking around the garage and I left to bring Sienna her water. I told Alice I’d bring hers next. She blinked weakly at me and I was pretty sure she knew why she would be drinking last.
    When I went back out to the garage, they had found and cleaned out an old coffee mug. It was filled and ready for me to bring to Alice. I rushed it back inside and helped her drink.
    “I just need to catch up on rest, and then I’ll be fine,” she said giving up the fight to keep her eyes open.
    “Ok,” I said and set the mug down on the floor next to the sofa. They boys were noisily hauling the water jug inside, but their racket didn’t seem to bother her in the least.
    After we each had a drink from the canned soup and a candy bar, we took turns looking through the upstairs closet for anything that we could change into. I exchanged my shirt for a clean one, but there weren’t any pants that would fit me so I had to keep the stiff, itchy pair I’d worn for far too long.
    “We should probably all stay upstairs,” Penn said as he walked from window to window scanning the area for anything out of the ordinary. “I think it’ll be safer.”
    “But she’s asleep,” Carter said and I could tell he didn’t want to disturb her. She needed her rest.
    “Can you carry her? It’ll be safer up there for all of us,” Penn said without looking away from the front window.
    Carter didn’t answer but bent down and scooped her up off of the bed and headed upstairs. I followed as Penn and Dean went through the downstairs checking to make sure all the doors and windows were locked. After a few minutes I heard them stomping up the steps.