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Katie held up her hand "Okay, obviously, you’re being a total girl right now Just out with it, Travis"
"I don’t want to lose you to those things Or to soay Yeah, I’ you back from some stuff until you’re okay You did break down the other night; you did get the shit beat out of you Sorry if I shouldn’t be so protective, but I ht as well tell you…"
Katie didn’t want to hear his next words She quickly hugged hihtly and kissed hi brother I need to work To keep busy"
Travis blushed a little "Yeah, well" He see her the truth they were both avoiding
"Uh huh No worries" Katie said briskly and deftly avoided looking at him Instead she looked toward the new entrance and watched the gates open and close in short jerkybetter, but more complicated, aren’t they?"
"It’s the way of life," Travis decided He put an arave her a little squeeze "Let’s get so," Katie joked
"Yeah, I hear it’s Dinty Moore beef stew night!"
"Yunon, I miss you so"
"Hah
Katie laughed and they walked down to join the others for dinner
3 Prolanced up from her meal of Dinty Moore beef stew and freshly baked cornbread to see a very pale and pensive Jenni sit down across froed and used her spoon to poke apart the bits of beef in her stew
"Jenni?"
"It’s just not fair, you know? It’s not fair that this thing splits up families
It’s not fair that my kids are dead It’s not fair that your wife is dead Why can’t entire faether? Why can’t they justhard?" Jenni finished her rant and shoved a bunch of stew in her mouth and chewed furiously
Katie blinked, then slid her hand across the table to gently pat Jenni’s free hand It rested on the table in a tight fist "What happened?"
Jenni shoved ry and not focused on anything or anyone in particular
Katie looked toward the entrance to the dining roo e girl and young boy
"You rescued a fairl…zoot there" Jenni stabbed a potato with her spoon until it was otten there in tiht now"
"But you did save so," Katie said softly
"Is it? Really?" Jenni covered her face with one hand "Katie, the only thing I even feel a little good about is that I killed thearound How fucked up is that?"
"Honestly, I understand I wish…I wish I had had the strength to kill the thing that was Lydia so she wouldn’t be out there right noish it with all ave that family at least that much," Katie responded in a soft, tortured voice
Jenni lowered her head, nodding slightly "I e had put Mikey and Benji to peace Lloyd…fuck hihed wearily and shoveled htfully, then waved her spoon around in the air, and said around her food, "It fucking sucks when death is a gift"
Katie ran her fingertips over her forehead lightly, then leaned forward to look at Jenni straight on "I’ that Lydia is out there Lately, it’s alrip Katie’s hand tightly "I’m sorry, Katie I didn’t realize Of course it’s eating you up"
Katie leaned her chin on one hand and just sighed "Proive me an out"
Jenni nodded vehemently "I will I promise I will And you will do the same for me"
Katie held Jenni’s slie, isn’t it? The vow to kill each other has suddenly beco you it’s a fucked up world!" Jenni shoveled o of Jenni’s hand slowly and nodded Her gaze traveled to Travis, as sitting across the roo with Mike and Juan "Yeah, It is Can you excuse me?"
"Uh, sure You okay?"
"No, not really, but I think that’s normal," Katie answered with a small smile
"Yeah, tell me about it"
Katie slid to her feet and carried her dish and glass over to the big plastic bins set up for the dirty dishes It was looking pretty lad her kitchen detail had been the night before when it had been just sandwiches and salad
Moving down the hallway, she sought out the room where all the library books had been set up It had formerly been the record room, but now served its purpose as a small-condensed library As she suspected, Jason was seated at the table, his food congealing beside hih a book on chemical warfare