The Nation 03

Bear swallowed hard, the lump in his throat making it difficult to speak. He felt a familiar knot of guilt tighten in his chest, a constant companion these past few months. His gaze drifted towards Cammy, who sat silently in the corner, her usual vibrant spirit dimmed by the gravity of the situation. He wished, desperately, he could tell her how much he cared, how much her presence had come to mean to him, but the unspoken words remained trapped, tangled in a web of fear and uncertainty. The revelation she had shared just days ago still echoed in his ears, a dissonant chord in the symphony of their survival.

The meager supply of scavenged food lay in a corner, a stark reminder of their precarious existence. A half-eaten can of dubious stew, a handful of dried berries, a few scraps of jerky – it was barely enough to sustain them for a day, let alone provide the nourishment Winston desperately needed to fight off his illness. The relentless pressure of survival weighed heavily on Bear, the responsibility for their well-being a crushing burden he carried silently.