I should've moved the body into the trees at least.
Too late now. Especially with my leg, and I wasn't about ask either of the women to move it. They were holding it together surprisingly well despite everything. Although I knew Elena was struggling with what she'd done.
Taking a life wasn't something that was supposed to be easy.
"The water has cleared at least," Ivy stated as she checked the still running tap water after dumping the cans on the counter. "Dunno if I want to drink it, but it's better than nothing. Can't kill me, right?" She glanced back at Elena and me, and I shrugged, instantly regretting the movement as pain lanced through my leg.
She cupped her hands to have a gulp, while Elena draped a blanket over me before shaking her head.
"I think we should move to one of the bedrooms. Dust off a bed and just huddle there. None of us are dressed for the cold," she said as she glanced down at her bare feet. Her robewas doing little to keep her warm, nor was the nightgown underneath.
"Ah yes, all three of us, jammed in one bed," Ivy snickered as she wiped her hands on her shirt. "At least he's too injured to do anything. No round two for you two."
Elena snorted, shaking her head as she gathered up the remaining two blankets and headed down the hall.
"She's keeping it together well, you both are," I murmured once I was sure she was out of earshot.
"We have to, can't go falling apart right now," Ivy said quietly, a shadow falling over her eyes. "She's strong."
"You both are, clearly."
"I dunno if I could've pulled the trigger. I can talk a lot of smack… but…" Ivy shook her head as she focused her attention on the canned fruits and vegetables. "Are you actually hungry? You're not going to die on us during the night are you?"
"I'll try to have something. Let's go with fruit. You both should eat something too. As for dying, I'm not going to tap out just yet. Still gotta get you both safe," I said as the rain started up outside, the thunder rolling in. It was a slow, steady patter against the broken windows, but I knew it would grow into something more torrential before we knew it. I could feel it in the air.
"That's not your job, y'know? To keep us safe," Ivy shot back.
"It was my ties that got you into this mess."
"No, we did that ourselves." Elena appeared in the doorway. "Sticking our noses where they didn't belong. Ivy wouldn't have been near that guy if it weren't for me."
"I chose that club, Lena?—"
"I brought us here."
"Both of you, stop. It doesn't matter anymore, we're alive, that's all that matters," I grunted, not wanting to listen to them bicker out of guilt.
"Fine, but this rain, this house, this canned shit, this is apocalyptic crap," Ivy muttered as she gathered up the cans. "I couldn't even find a can opener. Guess we'll be battling our way into these cans. Least we can reuse them as cups if we can get them open."
Elena nodded before coming over to check on me.
"You okay to move? Let's set up in the bedroom, it'll be a bit warmer there."
I doubted that, but I let her help me up, keeping the scratchy blanket draped around my shoulders as she helped me hobble into the room.
"I didn't trust the mattress in the other room, and the window was smashed. Not to mention the mold patch on the ceiling…" Elena trailed off as she helped me to the floor in the slightly cleaner room.
At least the window wasn't broken in here. That would keep out the worst of the wind and rain.
It didn't take us long before all three of us were huddled under the blankets, stomachs somewhat satiated with canned fruits. I'd shown Elena how to open the cans with the scissors from the first aid kit, and we'd used them carefully as cups for water. Elena had had the brighter idea to open the window and catch clean water from the rain, which Ivy had grumbled about.
I was grateful for Elena's warmth beside me. In just my briefs, the chill was setting in.
I couldn't suppress the shiver, and Elna instantly pressed closer into my side.
"Ivy, we need to keep him warm, he's lost a lot of blood."
"Yeah, I know. I hoped we'd find some olf clothes or something downstairs. Should've stripped Alfeo's pants or something before the rain started," Ivy said thoughtfully. "Hindsight 20/20."
