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I nodded.
“Come on,” she said, leading the way.Her typical swagger was missing, and her steps slowed at each hall intersection.
She was moving like she did when we checked a house for infected.But I knew that wasn’t what she was doing.Not on base.She was watching out for our own.But why?We were all on the same side in this, weren’t we?Get Molev to Irwin, and find a cure.Who wouldn’t want that?
We made it to the latrine without incident.
“We’re in here, Molev,” Roland said, nodding toward the door marked for men.
Molev looked at me and held my gaze.
“Are your goals still aligned with mine, Andie?”he asked.His perception of the situation humbled me and made me feel a little sad for him.
“They are.”
He grunted and disappeared into the bathroom.Roni didn’t ask me what that was about as she followed me into ours, and I didn’t ask her what was really going on.On a base like this, we usually didn’t partner up to go to the bathroom.I chose not to worry about it, though.She or Patrick would tell me soon enough.Until then, my priority was getting Molev back on his feet.Metaphorically speaking, since he was already walking around.
Molev and Roland were waiting in the hall when we emerged.
“If we’re lucky, there will be something hot and ready in the mess hall,” I said.“If not, we can grab some MREs.”
“Oh, I’ll make sure he gets lucky tonight,” Roni said with a smirk thrown over her shoulder.
I could smell the food before we turned the corner, and my stomach growled loudly.
“What is that?”I inhaled deeply, trying to pin the scent as my mouth watered.“It smells like backyard grilling.”
“Close,” Roni said.“Hamburgers and brats.”
The cook behind the counter stared at Molev as we approached.
“I think you’re going to like these,” I said to Molev.“They should taste a bit like spam.”
I made up a hot dog for myself, adding a bit of ketchup, then took a bite right there in line.
“It’s good just like that,” I said.“But you can skip the bun and condiments and just go straight for the meat.”
“I’ve been trying,” Roni said under her breath.
The cook frowned, showing his confusion as his gaze continued to bounce between us.Molev glanced at Roni before his gaze locked with mine again.
I took a tray and held it out to the cook.“Six dogs.Six brats.Two buns.Add some of those beans and a few hushpuppies.”
Molev took his loaded tray and followed me to the table.Roland and Roni joined us with food of their own.As I’d guessed, Molev preferred the meat without the buns.He tried one hushpuppy and didn’t touch the rest.But he downed the water Roni kept fetching for him.
“The medic wants to see you when you’re done,” she said when he finally declined her offer for more.
“Why?”he asked.
“To check the stitches.”Her gaze flicked to me, though, and I knew there was more to it.
“We need to talk to Patrick first,” I said.“Any idea where we might find him?”
“His bunk,” Roni said.“He hit it three hours ago.Said to wake him after you’ve seen the medic.”
“Okay.Medic it is then,” I said.
The medic was sitting in his office, handwriting in a notebook when we arrived.He looked up at us and immediately set his pen aside.
