Author's Note: Yup, more Pandemic. They're pretty much all the same story, one right after another. Put them together and the entire thing's like eighteen pages... More language, though not necessarily as much.

Again, words between the tild marks ( ~ ) are memories, because there are no italics!

The boy led the three down a largely deserted street toward the small, wooded mountain town of Angel’s Camp, Kendra at his side chattering casually and easily with him, trying to draw more information about the town and the problem, and really, about the boy himself. When he’d blurted out that there was a small group of Infected near his home in response to Aurelie’s query on exactly what kind of help he needed, there had been mixed reactions. He already knew the three were Medics, those who tracked down and destroyed infected victims of the Pandemic. After all, Robert had met the boy by shooting one down, and the boy hoped they would be able to get rid of the few nearby. Robert and Aurelie had been all for it, or rather, Robert had been all for it. Aurelie hadn’t really cared one way or the other as long as Kendra was kept safe.

Surprisingly enough, it had been Kendra who voiced the only objections to the idea, though she quickly countered herself and now seemed perfectly fine with the situation. Aurelie kept one eye trained on her though. Just to be safe. The boy might profess gratitude for their help, but it wouldn’t be long before the now natural distrust of Medics returned to his mind. In fact, Aurelie could already see tiny hints of it, though only around her or Robert. Mostly her. But then, she was used to such reactions, and they never fazed her.

“So your council thinks there are three Infected near Angel’s Camp?” Kendra’s voice cut gently through Aurelie’s dark musings, and since it was worthwhile information, the woman listened in.

The boy nodded enthusiastically, his hair flying with every movement. “Th-that’s what they th-th-think,” he said, gulping. “It…it’s scary.” His voice dropped to a whisper, revealing just how very young he still was in a world that no longer allowed for youth. A long-buried part of Aurelie – a part forgotten – stirred.

~~“Mama! Mama, where are you?” A cry, sobbing, high but sweet, yet tinged with the bitter, coppery tang of near hysterical fear, rising above the white, static noise of battle. “Mama!”~~

Aurelie shook her head violently. The flashes came often today, but she didn’t remember any of them. They all looked familiar, felt familiar…and once again, her thoughts were interrupted by voices.

“Ben!”

“Ma!” The boy – Ben – gave Kendra a glance then scampered forward to be engulfed in his mother’s ample embrace. “I-I-It’s okay, Ma, I f-found Medics!” he stammered out to her after pushing back from her arms. “They s-said they’d h-help us!”

The reaction was the same as it always was. Hope and gratitude and awe mixed with complete and abject fear and distrust. Eventually the fear always won, no matter how grateful the people were to the Medic. The crowd had drawn closer in the last few moments, and similar expressions crossed their faces. Some had even gasped and quickly covered their mouths; a slight flush of embarrassment coloring their cheeks while others shrank back an instinctive step.

“You’ll really clean them up?” asked a member of the crowd, probably voicing the thoughts of the entire community. Aurelie snorted and crossed her arms over her chest once more.

“Why the hell else would we have traveled all the way over here?” There was almost a biting edge to her question. Robert snickered into his palm, attempting to disguise the amusement as a cough. Kendra shot them both a semi-horrified look.

“Aurelie!” she hissed before turning to face the crowd once more. “Yes, we’re here to quarantine the area.”

“I’m here to quarantine the place. You and the idiot are going to stay here,” Aurelie said, her hard tone daring Kendra to argue. Either Kendra was much feistier this time than usual, or she missed the warning signs because she opened her mouth to do just that. Aurelie cut her off before she could even finish inhaling.

“It’s only three of the damn things, Kendra. Don’t give me any guff about it; I’m quarantining them. You and Robert are going to resupply and rest. Got it?” That flinty gaze was hardly ever leveled at Kendra, and that very fact helped shock her into silence, which was exactly what Aurelie had been angling for. Robert, damn him, had caught on immediately to her thought, and flashed her a grin before laying a hand on Kendra’s shoulder.

“C’mon, K.D.,” he said, tugging gently. “It’s not like the place needs to be completely disinfected. We’ll let Aurelie have her party, and we can pick up some pretty things for her to wear, okay?”

“Like hell you will!” The glare coming from those thunderous orbs could have set a lesser man on fire. Kendra only giggled as Robert sent Aurelie back a grin as wide and innocent as one would presume a saint’s to be. But it relaxed Kendra enough to nod her assent to her twin, and she caught the quick flash of relief that crossed the other woman’s face, followed by an even briefer glimpse of affection. Kendra’s smile grew then, and though she still worried (she always would), she would be okay letting her sister go off alone.

“Be careful,” Kendra whispered, her own affection softening her features. Aurelie gave her a quick, cocksure smirk before turning toward the people of Angel’s camp.

“Direction?” she demanded without preamble. After extracting the general location of the Infected, as well as several more thoughts on how many there were, she set out. Her loose curls swung against the dark fabric of her doctor’s coat, skirting about the rifle slung across her back like a curtain, revealing careful flashes of the weapon. And then she was gone, out of sight, passed behind a copse of trees. Kendra turned back to Robert, looking up at the blonde man who was gazing after her sister in a way she knew so very well. After all, she felt a similar emotion whenever she thought of Aurelie as well. Kendra sent a silent prayer to God that the woman she and Robert loved would return safely to them both, then squared her shoulders and faced the townspeople once more.