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I shrugged and took off y taste

But it was much easier to talk, easier to see, and also, in a way, easier to think because you didn’t have to listen to your scary breathing right in your ears

Batiste took his off sheepishly Max and Ulysses ether about fairness

"What do we do now?" Sahalia asked, her hands on her hips

"I guess we just wait," I said "Niko, you tell us when you can drive, okay?"

Niko’s head was lolled back on the seat

I went up to him and put my head on his shoulder

"Niko? Niko!" I called

And then I heard him snore

"Oh, this is perfect!" Sahalia co," I said "Niko, wake up"

Niko sat up and looked around, as if confused

"Just let me sleep for a few minutes," he muttered "I’m so tired"

He hadn’t slept in … well, inas 36 hours But still

It was ood et up!" I shook him

"I can drive," Sahalia said

"What? No, you can’t!"

"My stepdad lets me drive all the time," she insisted

"That’s a horrible idea This is a bus A big school bus"

"I can drive," Sahalia shouted

"Let her drive," mumbled Niko And he fell back asleep

Okay, well, Sahalia wasn’t terrible at driving the bus She went maybe a little faster than Niko, but I didn’t care Josie was sedated The kids were terrified and Niko had drugged hiot to DIA the better

We were passing a burned-up coure lurched out in front of us

Sahalia braked but she hit the guy His head cracked on the side of the bus and then he was gone

Sahalia wrenched the steering wheel too far to the right and suddenly ere lurching down the ehas fairly sparse--not a lot of trees or vegetation Rolling hills with some dead underbrush The underbrush slowed the roll of the bus, I think

It didn’t crash, just slowed to a stop Sahalia was basically standing on the brake, too

The kids were crying

Niko staggered up fro

"What happened?" he shouted

"Sahalia drove the bus off the road," I said Then, when she gave me a look that would kill, I added, "By accident"

"Okay," he said He seehed and more blood appeared on the inside of his mask

He looked out at the area It seeh!"

I nodded I knehat he h to sleep for a while

"We’re hungry," Max cory before, but that e thought ere going to be in Denver in a few hours Now it looked like ere staying put for the night

"So eat," I told him "The food’s over there"

I pointed out an open bin filled with food

Why did the kids need uys have to take care of yourselves! I a

I sighed and put ht he would shake my hand, but instead he fell toward

Hard to tell, with all the layers But I think it ry"

"For God’s sake, Max, if you’re hungry, eat!" I said

"But how?" he asked

"What do you mean, how? Open your mouth, put the food in, and chew!"

He tapped on the plastic eye panel of his face et the food in?"

I felt stupid I hadn’t thought of that

I went back to try to help thees of their et red and blisters came up, so after he’d had the chance to shove a couple mouthfuls of trail mix in, I took it away from them