After the End by Bonnie Dee

them all. "This isn't a pajama party. The last thing we want to do is draw attention. In fact, you should probably douse the light and get some sleep. Ari, I'll take first watch and I'll wake you later."
    It was the most Lila had heard from Dr. Morgenstern since their ordeal began. His fatherly tone served to quell both Ronnie and Derrick. The girl flounced onto her side, dragging the covers over her head. Sounds of sniffling came from beneath the butterfly patterned sleeping bag. Derrick muttered under his breath but settled down.
    Mrs. Scheider turned off her reading light and marked her place in her book then went to her cot. Lila's mind was buzzing and she was sure she wouldn't be able to sleep. Ari seemed relieved to take orders for a change. He turned the lamp as low as it would go then stretched out on top of his sleeping bag cushioned by an air mattress.
    Lila felt him breathing in the dark beside her. She glanced over, but it was too shadowy to make out more than his general shape. Still she was very aware of his presence. Her body responded to it with a primitive pull. Their two bedrolls were side by side and she longed to shift closer until they were touching. She wouldn't mind if he rolled over and put his arms around her in his sleep. Wasn't that the way every road trip romantic comedy went? But this was hardly a comedy and in horror movies usually one of the protagonists ended up dead.
    All the horrific images of the day tumbled through her mind as she lay alone in the dark, adrenaline still zinging through her veins. Tears spilled from her eyes, trickling down her cheeks and into her ears. She impatiently rubbed her face dry. She didn't want to disturb the others by sniffling like Ronnie, and she was too tired to drag herself to the back room of the store for some privacy.
    "Are you okay?" Ari's voice floated through the air.
    "Yeah," she croaked. "I'm fine."
    "We'll find a way out of the city tomorrow somehow," he promised.
    "Sure." But she didn't feel confident things would be any better in the outside world. She wondered how her parents were doing, and her friends and Doyle. He'd sounded terrified when she'd talked to him on the phone. Was he even still alive? She'd give anything to be with people she loved instead of this group of strangers. But on the other hand, she felt safer with Ari than she would have with Doyle, who tended to talk all around a decision before finally making it. The situation they were in didn't leave room for second guessing or wavering. She felt surprisingly close to Ari even though she didn't know much about him at all.
    "Before we go to the marina I want to stop by St. Andrews and try to find my mom," Ari said.
    She didn't know how to respond. Everyone wanted to locate their relatives, but the hospital seemed like the last place they should go after what Doyle had described. "I don't think that's such a good idea," she said gently. "From what my ex said, it's zombie central there. As harsh as it seems, I don't believe we can run around the city checking on everyone's family. We need to get our group someplace safe."
    Ari didn't say anything for a few minutes and she was afraid she'd pissed him off. Lila reached out and touched his arm. "I'm sorry, but that's what I think. All we can do is pray and hope our loved ones make it someplace safe, too."
    He exhaled. "You're right. My mom might not even be at the hospital anymore. She could be anywhere. But to cut her loose like that feels so wrong. It's been the two of us ever since my dad left years ago. I've always looked out for her."
    Lila slid her hand down his arm to hold his hand. "I get it."
    His voice lowered to a whisper so soft she could scarcely hear it. "I wish I could go where I want and didn't have to worry about all these people, you know? I don't know how they got to be my responsibility. I'm no leader."
    Lila turned to stare at his profile in the dark. Was he kidding? "Yes you are."
    He shook his head. "I don't know what