LOGINNicole told Zeph about the ferry ride. "I traded a bottle of heart pills for three extra rooms and six months of free rent."With everyone living so close together, keeping a low profile wasn't easy. All three of them were healthy and well-fed, and people were already noticing, even though they had only been there a few days.Most just looked at them with envy, but there was no way to know who might be planning something.Living among active-duty military personnel in Area B2 would hopefully save them a lot of trouble.They decided to move right away, before anything could complicate the arrangements. With four of them squeezed into a room barely over 100 square feet, there was hardly room to turn around.Nicole wasn't about to pass up a chance to make them all more comfortable.Zeph shook his head, smiling. "You came through for me again."Nicole gave him a playful glare. "As long as you appreciate it. You're doing all the housework from now on."He knew exactly how to keep
Yorwick still had relatively few survivors, and construction was ongoing. There were plenty of rooms available.Before Nicole could change her mind, Dale added, "Area B4 is decent enough, but as more people move in, you're bound to have problems with the neighbors. How about B2? That's where the military personnel stay. Most of them are out on missions or at work all day, so it'll be quieter."Nicole accepted without hesitation. "Sounds good."They both came away pleased with the deal.Dale, however, wasn't quite finished. "Do you have any other medicine? We could make this a regular arrangement."Nicole closed her eyes to rest. "Don't count on it."There would be other chances to talk business, and a crowded ferry wasn't the place for it. Dale left it at that and returned to his seat, tucking the bottle into Finn's pocket.Finn turned to Nicole and nodded his thanks. She returned his nod with a smile.Nicole had plenty of heart medication, but giving it away or letting people
Dale frantically searched Finn Rogers's pockets and pulled out a medicine bottle. It was empty.Finn was already out of medication."Does anyone have heart medication?" Dale shouted. "Anything for a heart attack?"Even as he asked, he knew how unlikely it was. Ten years into the disasters, hardly anyone had medicine left.The officers began calling out in alarm. "Turn the ferry around! We need to get him to the hospital!"Finn, the base's Chief of Staff, tried to stop them, struggling for breath. "I'm fine. Just need...a minute. The hospital's out of medicine, too. Don't trouble them. We've got important work to do today."He ran out of medication a while ago, but never told anyone.Finn insisted they keep going, but the others weren't willing to risk his life.Nicole watched him struggle to breathe. He looked about Arthur's age.After a brief hesitation, she stood. "I have some."When she prepared Arthur's heart medication, she kept a few bottles for emergencies. She reach
Dale turned to Nicole. "We're planning to open a hospital here, but we lost so many medical workers that we're struggling to staff it. Would you consider working with us?"Nicole didn't expect a job offer quite so soon.Dale was Zeph's boss, though, and she wanted to let him down gently. "Do you have any medicine?""Just a few emergency supplies, but we've already started growing medicinal herbs. It'll take time, but we'll get there."Nicole chose her words carefully. "You need medicine to treat people, and I barely started my training. I was still taking introductory courses, so I didn't get much practical experience. With supplies so low, you don't need someone like me wasting them because she doesn't know what she's doing."Dale took the hint. She wasn't interested in working at the hospital.He didn't know how capable she really was, and pushing wouldn't help. There was still time for her to change her mind.Besides, all he could do was recommend her. She would have to pas
The object in Nicole's pocket pushed against the fabric, outlining a shape that looked an awful lot like a gun.Everyone quickly found somewhere else to look. No one was about to bother her now.Anyone who managed to stay well-fed these days probably wasn't someone to mess with. Trying to take advantage of them could get a person killed.The ferry made good time, reaching Platform A ten minutes before Zeph's shift started. He went straight to the administrative office to check in.One look at his boss made Nicole realize Zeph had told her a blatant lie. The man standing in front of them was definitely not a woman.He came from the eastern military base's administrative department and appeared to be in his forties or fifties. Though thin, he stood with the straight-backed posture of a career military man.He didn't seem like the type to hire a man just for his looks.Nicole fully intended to bring this up with Zeph once they got home.Zeph led her over to his supervisor without
Zeph continued, "Our country gives us a place to call home, but we can't just sit back and expect everyone else to take care of us. What happens if the government can't keep things running anymore? We all have to help rebuild. Yorwyn will only get stronger if every survivor does their part."Poppy nodded seriously. "Yeah, I understand.""But if work gets stressful or something's bothering you, don't keep it to yourself. We're family, and you can tell us anything. Nicole and I will help you work through it."Their talk left Poppy even more sure of her decision. "I can do this job. I know I can."Raising a kid took work. Once Poppy and both dogs were asleep, Zeph leaned over and whispered in Nicole's ear. "I'm gonna look for a job tomorrow. I need to set a good example for Poppy. If I spend all day sitting around, she'll think she can, too."Nicole gave him a kiss for following his own advice. "That's my man. I'm proud of you."She was happy to let him go out and work, but she pl
After paying the deposit, Nicole drove straight to the largest outdoor gear store downtown.The outdoor gear market was fiercely competitive. The store was in full clearance mode, shutting down with brutal discounts. Some items were marked down to 20% of the original price.Perfect timing.Nicole
Nicole didn't hesitate. She blocked Edward right away.Less than a minute later, her phone rang again. It was an unfamiliar number.She didn't need to guess; this was Edward's classmate or one of his friends.Given a second chance at life, Nicole had zero interest in being taken for a fool. She w
Nicole never expected the new resident of 1801 to be the same young man who had helped her at the courier station.He looked mildly surprised, too. He nodded once at her, then went back to work.Up close, he was striking in a cold, sharp way. He was tall and lean, with broad shoulders and clean li
"Ah!"Nicole Floyd jolted upright in bed, gasping. Sweat streamed down her forehead, her eyes unfocused and hollow.The sight in front of her cut through the haze in her mind.This was her old apartment, the one from before the apocalypse.Ding, ding…Text alerts kept chiming. She grabbed her p







