***

Indistinguishable sounds echoed through Alex’s ears. He groaned. His fingers reached for the point on his forehead where he expected to find his skull split in half, but all he felt was a tender spot just below his hairline. The voices grew louder, until one familiar one came in loud and clear.

“You’re an idiot,” Warren said.

“Then I guess it’s lucky I live with the community’s doctor,” Alex said, cradling his head. Alex’s limbs fumbled, seemingly disconnected from his brain’s ability to control them. He managed to push himself to a sitting position on the edge of the bed, where his feet found the floor. The room seemed to be lopsided, constantly leaning left, then right at a moment’s notice. “Meeko. Where is he?” Aside from Warren, there were a few other members of the community in his room. Harper’s wife, Alice, was one of the first to approach him.

“I don’t know how it happened, Alex. Since we can’t live together, I can’t watch his rations. You know how he gets!” Alice said.

The others started crowding around Alex, spilling their concerns and worries, only adding to the thumping in his head. Their voices blended together in one piercing cry. He felt himself grow hot. His right shoulder burned with heat. The voices reached a crescendo until he finally stood up and screamed.

“ENOUGH!”

The room silenced. Alex gripped his shoulder, trying to extinguish the imaginary flames licking his skin. He was sweating uncontrollably, and his breathing became sporadic. The faces looking at him had changed from fear of the sentries to a fear of him.

“All right, everybody,” Warren said. “Alex needs to rest.”

Warren ushered everyone out of the room. The only noticeable difference in their absence that Alex could tell was the quiet void that replaced them. Once everyone was out, Warren returned to the edge of Alex’s bed.

“Why don’t you ever let me take a look at your shoulder?” Warren asked.

“There’s nothing wrong with it.”

“You say that, but I see you picking at it non-stop when you don’t think anyone’s looking.”

“It’s fine.”

“You’re an idiot.”

“Yeah, you said that already.”

“Oh, so it seems like your memory isn’t damaged, which is good to know, because that way you’ll remember that it’s illegal to attack a sentry!” Warren punched Alex’s leg to accentuate the point. “You’re lucky a blow to the head was all they gave you.”

Alex reached for his boots and began to clumsily put them on. “I need to get Meeko. Which farm camp did they take him to?” Alex asked.

“Don’t do this to yourself,” Warren answered.

The blinding, sharp pain in Alex’s head was replaced by his rage. He wrenched Warren’s collar in his fist and gritted his teeth. “Which farm camp?”

“I don’t know specifically which one, but they headed toward Topeka.”