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Her father had always kept a large sum of weapons in the house, most of them left out in the open. So from a young age, the sight of them never surprised her.
But these were different. The sheer amount was almost shocking—far more than he'd ever let show in the past.
She took it all in, her brain cataloging each and every one.
Then slowly, she pulled her eyes away, scanning the rest of the cramped space.
In one corner, white tiles lined a few feet of ground, running up the two adjacent walls. At the top, a small shower head jutted out, with a pipe running up into the ceiling, and another running down to some type of pump beside a nozzle. She reached forward, pressing down on the pump a handful of times, then turned the nozzle.
A low bubbling groan came from the pipe in the ceiling. Then, after a few seconds, a small stream of cold water trickled from the shower head, splattering out on her hand.
She made a mental note to check the pipe above ground at some point.
Another cough forced its way out, and she remembered what she really needed to look for in the bunker.
If her father had stashed medicine down there, he most likely would've kept it somewhere hidden, back there with the weapons. He would’ve wanted the most valuable items as far back from the entrance as possible.
She shined her light on the plastic bins lining the wall on the left and stepped up to the first one, biting the rubber flashlight handle between her teeth.
She cracked the lid off the first container.
Heaps of ammunition. Not surprising.
She dropped the lid and went to the next container, popping it open.
More ammunition. Again, not surprising.
She almost didn’t even check the last one, expecting to find more of the same, but she decided to look inside just for good measure.
She cracked the lid open, only half paying attention, then stopped.
Medical supplies.
She reached down, pushing aside a large white medical kit to see the vials and bottles strewn about beneath. She pushed them around, scanning the names until she stopped at one.
Penicillin.
A fresh wave of relief filled her chest. At least her most urgent issue would be dealt with.
She set that vial on top of the medical kit, then continued searching.
An array of basics, including antibiotics, filled the rest of the bin. But within moments, she had her second answer.
No asthma medication.
She wasn’t exactly surprised that her father hadn’t thought of her or planned for her to have been down there. But still, a small, distant pang of disappointment ticked in her chest.
Another cough came out, breaking her from her thoughts.
That problem could be handled later. For now, she had other matters to take care of.
She set the lid back on top of the container and made her way back out into the main area, then went to the stairs.
“Hey,” she called out, her voice raspy and weak in a way that grated against her bones. “You can come down.”
***
Saff tied off the last stitch, wincing at the pull of her inflamed skin. Her side was red and swollen with infection that would soon decrease as the shot of penicillin worked its magic.
