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into and out of Woodside. It had taken nearly a
month to remove three of the iron fence’s bars and fashion a
swinging door from a section that could be secured in place when
not in use. Dominic didn’t regret the time spent creating it. The
escape hatch kept him fed and supplied. He refused to accept any of
the stores collected for the survivors’ communal use and went out
three times a week to search for whatever he needed and to hunt
small animals for fresh meat. He could and did fend for
himself.
    He glanced at Remy as he held the swinging
door open and saw the look of appreciation and admiration in her
eyes. “Wow, did you make this, Dom?” she asked, stepping forward
and sticking her head through to look out. He felt a flutter of
warmth in his chest at her nickname for him, and he watched as she
gazed out into the wooded area beyond the fence, a small smile on
her face. “I’m impressed. This is awesome.”
    “You said you were tired of the same people.
I figured you were also probably tired of the same sights,” Dominic
said. “So I thought I’d take you out with me while I grab some
supplies. There are a few things I need to dig up.”
    Remy grinned, stepped toward him, and threw
her arms around his neck. “Oh my God, Dom, thank you!” she
exclaimed, squeezing him tightly, her body pressed fully against
his in unselfconscious joy. He hesitated and then slid one arm
around her slender waist and gave her a light squeeze before
stepping back from her embrace. The hug had left a warm feeling in
his chest, and he felt lighter than he had in a long time.
    “This is our secret, okay?” he added,
sliding through the gap and holding a hand out for her. She slipped
her hand into his and ducked through. “Don’t tell anybody I did
this. Brandt would probably run me out on a rail if he found out I
took you out without permission.”
    “Not a word.”

Chapter 5
     
    By the time Ethan and Kimberly reached the bottom of
the medical house’s stairs, Ethan’s legs and hips were aching, and
he was beginning to wonder if he was up to dealing with so much
exertion. He’d been holed up in the same room, with only the bare
necessities of movement, for months, and just getting up and going
down the stairs was more than he’d done in a long time. Despite the
ache, he was proud of himself for toughing it out and making it
this far. There was an easy chair near the center of the living
room, maybe ten feet to his left; he longed to sit in it for a few
minutes, to rest and catch his breath, maybe massage the deep aches
in his legs. But he knew the moment he proposed sitting down,
Kimberly would decide that he’d had enough exercise for one day and
would get Isaac or Brandt to haul him back upstairs to bed, and
they would probably carry him like an invalid all the way. He had a
burning desire to avoid that humiliation at all costs. So tough it
out, he would.
    Downstairs was much darker than the second
floor, he noticed as he tried to get his first look at the medical
house’s living room. His eyes flickered to the windows; the ones
that he could see from the bottom of the staircase were boarded
over, secured against invasion. He raised an eyebrow and glanced at
Kimberly, who stood beside him with her hand resting lightly
against his elbow. “What’s with the windows?” he asked. “I thought
you said Woodside was secure.”
    “It is secure,” Kimberly said. “We’re just
taking precautions. Nothing to worry about. The infected haven’t
gotten past the walls yet.”
    “Yeah, well, it’s the ‘yet’ that has me
always worried, no matter the situation.” He ran his fingers
through his blond and newly trimmed hair before using the banister
to push himself away from the staircase. His knees wobbled, but he
managed to keep his footing and motioned to the front door. “Maybe
you can show me around the community, give me the grand tour?” he
suggested.
    “I think that can be arranged,” Kimberly
agreed. She