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had to close the store then open the next day which makes going home hardly worth it.  They’re not supposed to do that, it’s illegal.  An employee must have eight hours off between shifts.  That’s… clearly stated in the employee handbook,” Sam said.  He continued to fidget with the hotplate. 
    Nicole sighed.  Now that she had a minute to assess, it became clear to her that Sam had not dealt with current events in what could be termed a psychologically healthy way.  She knew she had bigger problems than Sam’s maladaptation to present circumstances, however. 
    “We can move the pallet back for a minute if we need to get to the garden area.  It would probably be good to take a look at the chain link anyhow, see how it’s holding up,” Nicole said. 
    Sam stared at the wall, then looked over at her.  “Fine,” he said.  Nicole stepped aside and let him pass.
    This time, Sam did help her.  They moved the pallet away from the last set of glass doors and turned them on.  With the building sealed up, the clamoring sound of the Dead, the moaning, scratching, and banging, was kept to a dull roar.  As Sam and Nicole left the store and entered the greenhouse area, the sound was almost deafening.  A new element assaulted Nicole's senses as well.  The smell of death and decay permeated the air as hundreds of the Dead surrounded the store.  Nicole grabbed her stomach and wanted to wretch. 
    Sam looked at her.  “You gonna be alright?” he asked. 
    Nicole tried to hold on.  “The smell doesn’t bother you?” she asked incredulously. 
    Sam walked away.  “What smell?” he asked. 
    Nicole went to the fences.  Three sides of chain link fence caged in a large area against the side of the store.  The greenhouse area consisted of Fruit trees, plants, bushes, landscaping items and pallet after pallet of dirt and mulch.  Along all three sides of the fence, the Dead tried to push and squeeze themselves in.  Though not as concentrated here as at the front, they were still two deep on almost every side.  As they sensed Nicole and Sam, their clamoring intensified and their moaning chorus reached a new crescendo. 
    Nicole rushed over to Sam.  “We should grab whatever we are going to need and get out of here fast.  This fence won’t last,” Nicole said. 
    As she approached Sam, she saw what he had done.  Rows of Cattle troughs and other containers were set up in rows.  They were filled with dirt and in them grew various vegetables.  Empty seed packets were strewn all over the ground.  Further down were trees: peach, and apple, bearing fruit.  Sam grabbed a plastic bucket and began to gather his crop.  Nicole stared then began to help. 
    “Grab as much as you can.  I don’t know how long we are going to have to stay in there,” she said.  Not finding a bucket, she grabbed one of the trees, which were still in their planters and began to drag it back to the door. 
    Fifteen minutes later, Nicole and Sam had a good supply of the fruits and vegetables piled up in the back, along with several of the trees.  For her efforts, Nicole felt even more winded than before, and was now covered in dirt and sweat.  Sam went into the caged office and began to chop up some vegetables.  Feeling grimy, Nicole tried to wipe some of the dirt off her. 
    “A shower would be nice about now,” she said under her breath. 
    “Around the corner,” Sam said.  Nicole looked up in surprise. 
    “Really?” she asked.
    Going around to the back of the office, Nicole saw that Sam had made a makeshift shower.  A one-piece shower kit sat over a drain in the floor.  A shower curtain rod rested across the top, the curtain pulled to one side.  Hanging over the top in the back was a handheld shower head connected to a garden hose that ran down and along the floor.  The other end of the hose was connected to one of the nozzles on a dual spicket over by a floor scrubber.  A second hose ran from the other nozzle