I want to comfort Bree but the guilt I feel over causing her so much pain holds me back. Luckily, Charlie comes over and hugs Bree close. She cries into his shoulder. Penelope goes over to her as well. I leave the three of them to it and walk over to the rest of the gang.

Ryan is slumped in a sitting position against a rock, cradling his dislocated arm.

“Want me to pop it back into place?” I say.

“Want is a strong word,” he says, wryly. “But yeah.”

I position myself, holding him by the top of the arm with one hand and holding the shoulder with the other. Then I yank. There’s a huge crunching noise as the bone pops back into its socket. Ryan cries out, causing Jack to run over and start licking him.

“It’s okay,” he says through gritted teeth as he pats the dog’s head. “I’m okay, boy.”

Ben comes over to my side.

“Remember when you did that to my broken nose?” he says.

I do. It feels like a million years ago, in a whole different world. Up north, the effects of nuclear war have turned the place to ice, making the winters harsh and unforgiving. But down here in the south, there’s been a different effect. Winters have been all but banished. There is perpetual, blistering sunshine. And we’re all suffering because of it. Dehydrated, sunburned, sweating.

Despite my grossness, I can’t help but throw my arms around Ben. The last time we spoke properly we were arguing. Now we’re both still here. Both still alive. We hold each other for a long time.

“Brooke?” Ryan says, breaking up my and Ben’s moment.

I let my arms fall from Ben and turn to look at him. I can’t help but feel angry. Ryan almost left Ben to die. It will take me a while before I can forgive him.

“I think we’d better try hunting,” he says. “The kids are starving.”

I move away from Ben and look around. “Hunt where?” I say. “There’s nowhere around for miles.”

“There are birds,” he says. Then he tips his eyes down. “Vultures.”

I know what that means. That somewhere nearby, the vultures are picking on the bones of dead people, other survivors who’ve lost their battle to the harsh desert landscape. As much as it revolts me, Ryan’s right to bring them up as a source of food.

“Okay,” I say. “Let’s go.”

We leave Molly and Ben to set up a fire so we can roast whatever we come back with, and Ryan and I trudge out into the desert together.