We all whirl and I feel my heart leaping with terror at my worst fears being realised. 

Then I see him and my jaw drops. Despite the limp slowing his movement, it's Paul. Looking absolutely exhausted, but alive.

The rope ladder swings into my shoulder as it is hastily dropped and Sarah scrambles down the steps, baby Ivan in her arms. Her face is stained with tears and eyes swollen from the time she has spent mourning him already. "Paul," Her strangled cry is somewhere between a sob and scream.

He catches her in his arms, legs nearly buckling under the weight and surprise. 

Polly is trying desperately to follow her down, calling out for her Daddy in the most heartbreakingly sad little voice. I move to climb up and get her myself but Karina leans out and begins to patiently talk her through climbing down. When she is just beyond halfway, Dec reaches out to lift her down the rest and we watch the family reunited.

If I thought I was emotional before it is nothing compared to the feelings now. Tears are running unchecked down my cheeks. 

"I can't believe you're still alive." The words spill out of my mouth before I can stop them and Paul looks at me over his wife's shoulder, a tired smile curling his lips.

"Me neither if I am honest," He admits, "I had pretty much resigned myself to just trying to get them as far away as possible. They were faster than I expected them to be and I managed to hide when they heard screams in the distance and started to follow them."

He shakes his head and I do too, hardly able to believe his luck.

"What happened to your leg?" I ask, gesturing to the one he is not favouring with concern.

"Ah nothing. I caught it on some dirty old fence when I was trying to hide." He laughs.

"Did you do good hide and seek Daddy?" Polly asks, gazing up at him adoringly.

"Oh I was the best baby girl. Your Daddy is the hiding champion of the world right now."

"The whole world?" She gasps as he picks her up.

I smile at how happy they all look together. 

"Not to break up this delightful little moment, but if you all want to come in, we can try to get some rest." Toby calls from the door. 

He looks like the last hours have aged him significantly and I rush forward to pull him into a hug, "I'm so glad you're ok."

"Of course I am you daft mare. I'm not the lunatic offering myself up to the zombies." He nods at Paul, "I was sure he was a goner."

I glance back at Dec who is helping all the kids down from the treehouse, "So did we. It's a god damn miracle."

As we usher everybody inside and struggle to find places for each person to sleep, the mood is so upbeat. Our survival of this first day has been a testament to our strength as a group and I feel impossibly proud of everyone around me.

We shore up our defences. Blocking doors and covering windows. There's a brief kerfuffle as they try to decide whether someone should keep watch for danger, before they decide that we should all sleep with weapons at hand. Each potential entrance to the house has an adult nearby to watch it and listen out for things as they sleep.

Dec and I end up on the sofa nearest the front door. Him sat up, with his legs on a foot stool and head laid across the back of the sofa. I'm leaning sideways, legs tucked up underneath me and my head resting on his soft chest. I lay there and listen as his breathing evens out into sleep. The steady rhythm of his heart beats against my ear until it lulls me into a deep sleep. 

---------

As soon as I wake up, I realise something is wrong. Instead of being cuddled against Dec, my cheek is pressed to a cushion that is still slightly warm.

I blink slowly in confusion as I take in the room which is definitely not my bedroom. My brain attempts to remind me of the events that led to me finding myself here, as I stretch and sit up. The kids, still in their scout uniforms, are sprawled on the air bed, clearly still completely exhausted and out of it after the day we had yesterday.

Around the edge of our makeshift window coverings I can see hints of daylight that tell me I slept far longer than expected. 

A murmur of voices just up the stairs catches my attention and I tiptoe through the sleeping children to see where it is coming from. Dec and Toby are at the top of the stairs wearing matching looks of concern. 

They fall silent when they spot me padding up to join them, and I stop just two steps away,  "What's wrong?"

They exchange a look, "Paul doesn't look well." Dec admits after a moment.

"Like about to eat my face off not well, or man flu not well?" I attempt to clarify.

Dec shrugs, "They're saying they think it's an infection from where he caught his legs on the gate but-" He leaves that unspoken hanging in the air.

"Well shit." I whisper, and then clap my hand over my mouth, "Sorry Toby."  

"Don't be silly lass, if there were ever a shitty situation worthy of a swear word, I would say it would be this." He chuckles.

The door next to them opens and Sarah looks out, "He needs antibiotics or something." She whispers somewhat desperately.

Round her hip I can see him laid in the middle of the bed. His face looks almost grey and there is a sheen of sweat on his skin. 

Polly is sat at his side, her solemn little face, fixated on her Dad's.

"We will go and get antibiotic." I promise her.

"We will?" Dec says in surprise.

"There's a pharmacy in the high street, surely they will have something suitable." I say briskly.

"Thank you, oh thank god." Sarah breathes and I feel a bolt of guilt which I push down quickly.

"Why don't we get Polly and Ivan downstairs with the other children so he can get some rest." I suggest.

"Good idea, yes." She doesn't take much convincing as she rushes back into the room, "You hear that my love. They're going to get you some medicine, you'll be on your feet in no time." She promises. 

Paul lets out a small groaning noise, but doesn't give any outward sign that he can hear anything around him. Sarah picks up Ivan from a blanket by the chest of drawers and tugs Polly out by the hand. 

"Come on Polly Poppet, Daddy needs his rest." She says brightly and they make their way round us and down the stairs.

"Now what?" Dec asks.

"Now we head to the pharmacy and see if there are any antibiotics or treatments we can try. Surely someone  much have some idea of what can help by now."  I reply with conviction I definitely don't feel.

"What about him?" Dec nods his head towards Paul.

"I'll sit with him." Toby says adjusting his belt to reveal a holster and gun.

"You think you can do it if he turns?" Dec sounds surprised.

"I won't really have much choice when you think about it." Toby gives a hollow laugh and I reach out to give him a reassuring pat on his arm.

He sends me a sad smile and then looks into the room, "Damn, I really was rooting for their happy ending."

"We all were." Dec whispers.

"We should go. Now, before everyone is awake and hopefully we can get back before...I mean in time, to help, you know." I sigh, "Just try to keep them away from him as much as possible, we still don't really understand how this spreads. Although in all honesty, if it's airborne they will already be infected anyway." I shrug and try not to feel utterly miserable for having missed the signs last night.

"We couldn't have known." Toby reassures me this time and we smile ruefully at each other before he moves into the room and settles into a chair near the door.

Dec turns and starts heading down the stairs and I follow him quickly. We retrieve our weapons silently and make our way for the door. I can't meet Sarah's eye as she smiles and chats to Polly in the kitchen. I don't really understand how she isn't seeing what the rest of us are.

The morning is cool and the air smells fresh. Not the sort of bright morning you expect for the end of the world.

"I don't understand how she's not understanding what's going on." Dec echoes my thoughts as we head down the dirt path that leads back to the village.

"I don't think she wants to see it," I shrug, "I probably wouldn't want to either if it were me and you."

"Yeah, but she's got the kids to think of." He shakes his head.

"Maybe that's the problem? She's thinking of the kids and can't imagine looking after them on her own, so her brain is forcing her to pretend that he's ok and she's ok and everything is going to be alright if she just keeps ignoring what is going on in front of her." I point out.

Dec makes a noise of agreement. It makes sense really. Then he stops and I take a couple more paces before he speaks, "So wait, if we all really know what's going on, what's the point of us risking our lives like this?"

"Because," I explain, "there's still a chance there might be something we can do to help. I wish I did more last night so I'm not resting until I'm sure we've done every damn thing we can to help him now."

Dec nods and begins walking again. "Besides, it might be good to stock up on some medications for emergencies. I don't think they're going to be easy to source for much longer." I add.

"Shit, that's a point. We should try to get some of Uncle Toby's arthritis medication and things like that was well." Dec finally starts to pick up some speed as he realises he's onboard with the plan.

At the top of the road we can clearly see the path of devastation left by the herd from yesterday. Dark reddish brown stains are smeared across the road like some sort of vulgar piece of modern art. Art usually has a meaning behind it though. Something that people all see slightly differently. All I can see from this, all it tells me, is that something or someone wasn't quite as lucky as we were.

As we approach the first bank of houses I hear a metallic click and before I can register what it is, Dec is in front of me, gun raised and pointing at the man balancing his shotgun on the garden fence.

"Ah sorry, didn't realise you were breathers." He says quickly lowering it and shooting us a smile.

"Breathers?" Dec asks, still not fully lowering his own.

"You know, not the stinking undead bastards. You're live ones." He laughs.

I feel like the disgust I am feeling is clearly displayed on my face.

"I know," He said completely misunderstanding the cause of my expression, "Don't worry, we killed most of them and took the rest to Doc."

"Who's Doc?" Dec asks and I feel a horrible feeling in my stomach. 

"The Doctor at Springfield Clinic. He researching 'em see."

Something about the way he is behaving and describing the research tells me that's it's not an ethical study they're carrying out.

We don't speak for a moment, "So where are you heading?" The man asks eventually.

"Just to fetch some basic supplies." I say quickly.

The man shakes his head, "Not sure how much luck you'll have, but I suppose I'll be able to tell by if you pass me again later." He laughs.

It's an unpleasant sound. Reedy and shrill, like nails on a chalkboard. "Thanks." I mutter and we hurry on passed him.

It isn't until we've fully rounded the corner that I relax a little. "Do you think he was telling the truth with what he was hinting at?"

"That they're torturing the zombies? Yeah, I pretty sure they are." Dec says solemnly.

"We have to do something." 

"What can we do? We've got our own problems right now. Maybe we save this one for when we've dealt with the stuff putting our lot in danger first?"

I get a warm fuzzy feeling when he describes everyone as "our lot". Sort of like our family. A very strange little family. One that truly puts the fun in dysfunctional.

Despite all my feelings about wanting to help them and save the trapped zombies, he has a point and as we come out onto the high street, I realise the horrible man might have had one as well.

Most of the shops have been ransacked. Windows smashed and displays and shelving tugged out onto the path.

The pharmacy is attached to the doctors surgery and it is actually one of the only ones that looks like it has survived the night mostly unscathed.

The shutters are still down on the front and peeking through them, it looks mostly in order on the inside as well. Dec leads me round the side of the building as we hope to find another way in. Hopefully one slightly less secured.

When we come to a door I smile victoriously before I hear snarls and clicks and my smile drops as my eyes search for the infected. 

My eyes fall on a small glass window, low to the ground and letting light into some sort of basement. It's not enough light to really see by, but I lean in anyway so try to see what is in there.

"Well well well, who do we have here then boys." Chuckles a dark voice with a heavy cockney accent behind us.