The Utah State Capitol stood like a tombstone over the city.

“Can’t believe this used to be a bustling place,” Laila muttered, her eyes glued to the road ahead.

“Focus,” Jimbo said from the back, his voice strained with urgency. “We need to find help for Zero.”

“Right,” Tommy said, forcing the image of Zero’s pale face from his mind.

“Damn, look at those barricades,” Micky said, pointing at a cluster of makeshift walls. Zombies clawed at them, desperate to sink their teeth into anything that moved.

“Looks like they’ve got this place locked down,” Jimbo said. “Those dead-heads are trapped in there.”

“Least we know where not to go,” Laila said, her voice flat.

“Rox,” Tommy said through the radio. “Keep your eyes peeled for any signs of life.”

“Roger that,” Roxy said, tinny but clear. “Priority is finding a doctor for Zero.”

“Or someone who knows what they’re doing.”

“Let’s just hope they’ll help us,” Laila said.

“Then we make them.” Jimbo punched the back of Tommy’s seat. “We don’t have time for this crap.”

“Easy, man,” Micky said, placing a hand on Jimbo’s shoulder. “We’ll figure it out.”

“Damn right, we will,” Tommy said.

Laila eased off the accelerator, the van’s engine growling in protest.

Tommy squinted through the dusty windshield, taking in the makeshift walls and fences that dissected Salt Lake City into a patchwork of safe zones.

“Looks like we’ve got some local militias staking their claims,” Laila said, pointing to a group of armed individuals guarding one of the barricades.

“Best to steer clear,” Tommy said, his hand drifting towards his baseball bat. The last thing they needed was a run-in with territorial nutjobs.

Laila swung the van onto a side street, avoiding the barricaded zones.

“Y’know,” Micky said from the backseat, “it’s times like these I wish we were playing a charity gig for doctors. Would’ve been handy to have a few on our side right about now.”

“Charity gigs don’t pay the bills,” Tommy said. “And they sure as hell wouldn’t have prepared us for this.”

“Enough,” Jimbo snapped. “We need to stay focused. Zero’s counting on us.”

“Right,” Tommy said. “Let’s not forget why we’re here.”

“Crap,” Laila said. “We got company.” She pointed at a horde of zombies ambling aimlessly near an abandoned shopping area.

“Steady now,” Tommy said.

Laila shot him a glare and her foot eased off the gas, the van inching forward slowly.

“Still looking for that last-minute bargain, are they?” Micky said.

Tommy picked up the radio. “Rox, you see these dead-heads?”

“Yep. We see them. What’s the plan?”

“We’ll need to head deeper into the city.”

“Guess it’s worth a shot.”

Tommy hesitated for a few seconds before responding. “We’ve got to be careful how we approach. They’re not exactly rolling out the welcome mat.”

“Better a standoffish ally than a friendly enemy.”

“True enough.” Tommy let out a sigh and rifled through the glovebox. He pulled out a roadmap. “Alright, let’s try this route.” His finger traced a jagged line on the worn map. “It might not be the quickest way, but it looks like we’ll have plenty of escape routes if things get…” His voice trailed off.

“Thanks for this, guys,” Zero’s voice crackled through the radio. “I owe you big time.”

“Save the thanks for when we find a doctor,” Tommy said as Laila shifted gears and steered the van onto the new path.

As the vans rumbled down the deserted streets, they passed landmarks that once stood proud and bustling.

“Never thought I’d see the day when a bloody zombie outbreak would turn an entire city into a ghost town,” Micky said.

“Focus on the mission, yeah?” Jimbo said. “A doctor could be down any of these streets.”

“Jimbo’s right,” Laila said. “We can’t afford any distractions.”

“Look at it this way,” Micky said. “At least we don’t have to worry about traffic jams anymore.”

“Silver linings, eh?” Laila made a tight smile that never reached her eyes. Her fingers tightened around the steering wheel.

The vans neared Temple Square, the once grand centrepiece of Salt Lake City, now a fortress.

Laila manoeuvred the van closer to the barricade, eyeing the guards as they clutched their weapons and watched the approaching convoy with obvious suspicion. “This doesn’t look promising.”

Tommy sniffed. “Got that right.”

“I think they’re Mormons,” Jimbo said.

“Is that a good thing?” Laila asked.

Jimbo shrugged. “Maybe. Aren’t they, like, Christians, or something? Could work in our favour.”

Tommy frowned. “I thought you said they were Mormons?”

“Yeah. But…” Jimbo waved a hand. “I don’t know. Maybe they’re charitable.”

Tommy eyed the guards, the weapons, and shook his head. “Maybe.”

Laila muttered under her breath, slowing the van to a crawl.

“Hey,” Micky said. “At least they haven’t shot us yet, yeah?”

Tommy clicked the radio. “Alright, everyone. Let’s see if we can parley with these…Jimbo says they’re Mormons. They’ve got to have some sympathy for Zero’s situation.”

“Or they’ll shoot us on sight,” Zero said.

“Cheers for the vote of confidence.” Tommy rolled his eyes. But deep down, he knew Zero had a point.

As they approached, one of the guards raised a hand, signalling for them to stop. Laila obliged, bringing the van to a standstill several metres from the barricade. The other vans followed suit, their engines idling.

“Here goes nothing.”

“Good luck.” Laila said, giving him a nod.

Tommy formed a tight smile. He stepped out of the van, hands raised above his head to show he was unarmed. “Hey. We need medical help.”

One of the guards, a burly man with a thick beard, narrowed his eyes, maintaining a cautious distance, his rifle aimed squarely at Tommy’s chest. “What’s your faith?”

“Faith?” Tommy hesitated, caught off-guard by the question. He licked his dry lips, weighing his options. “Not Mormon, if that’s what you’re asking.”

“Non-Mormons aren’t welcome in our safe zone.” the guard said, his voice firm and unwavering. “Quorum policy.”

“Please,” Roxy called from behind Tommy, stepping forward. “Our friend’s been shot. He’s dying. We just need help.”

The guard shook his head. “Sorry, miss. Them’s the rules. You’ll have to try your luck elsewhere.”

“Elsewhere?” Tommy’s nostrils flared. “Where elsewhere? I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but the world’s gone to crap out there.””

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“I really am sorry.”

Tommy went to speak then stopped himself. Arguing would be futile. Instead, he swallowed the hot surge of anger that threatened to overwhelm him, his jaw clenched tight. “Alright then.” He spat on the ground. “Go screw yourself.”

Roxy glowered at the man. “Asshole.”

“You watch your language, miss. You hear?”

“Go to hell.” She spun on her heels and stormed off.

Tommy marched back to the van, heaving himself inside. “Let’s get moving.”

“What happened?” Laila asked.

“They only help their own.”

“Selfish pricks,” Jimbo said.

“Yep. But what can we do?”

The vans slowly turned around under the watchful eyes of the guards.

“Can you believe those bastards?” Roxy said through the radio. “They’d let someone die just ‘cause they’re not bloody Mormons!”

“Roxy,” Tommy said. “Getting pissed ain’t gonna help Zero. We’ll find another way.”

Jimbo snorted. “Another way? In case you haven’t noticed, it’s slim pickings out here.”

“Have a little faith,” Laila said, fixing her gaze on the road ahead.

Jimbo let out a bitter laugh. “Don’t talk to me about faith, dude. Their faith’s what might kill Zero.”

“No,” Tommy said. “We’ve made it this far, haven’t we? We’ll find someone. We have to.”

“Damn right, we will,” Micky said.

A part of Tommy wanted to scream, to rage against the cold apathy that had taken root in their fellow survivors. But instead, he focused on the task at hand, scanning the buildings for any signs of a doctor’s office, a hospital, damn, even a veterinarian. “There’s gotta be somewhere else we can try.”

“Maybe we should head back towards those less fortified parts,” Jimbo said, peering over Laila’s shoulder. “Could be riskier, but we don’t have much choice.”

Tommy hesitated, his gaze flitting between the map and the road ahead. Sweat soaked his brow as he weighed the options. “Agreed. We’re not leaving this place without help for Zero.”

“Hey.” Nix’s voice came through the radio. “Zero’s in a bad way. We need a doctor now!”

“Got it,” Tommy said. “We’re trying.”

The vans lurched forward, engines growling as they wound their way through Salt Lake City’s abandoned streets.

“Turn left up here.” Tommy gestured ahead.

“Hope it’s not crawling with dead-heads,” Micky said.

“Or trigger-happy robbers,” Jimbo said. “At least the undead don’t shoot back.”

The buildings around them bore scars of struggle and decay, with broken windows and abandoned cars lining the streets.

Tommy’s thoughts strayed to Niamh and Sean back in Philadelphia. He wished he could be there now, keeping them safe.

The Salt Lake Public Library came into view.

“Remember when we used to skip school and hang out at Parkway Library?” Laila said. “Feels like a lifetime ago.”

“Yeah,” Tommy said. “What was that series you were into?”

“Which one?”

“I don’t know. Some massive fantasy books you could use to squash small animals with.”

Laila smiled. “You’ll have to be more specific. I tore through a ton of fantasy in those days. Wheel of Time. Belgariad. Wizard of Earthsea. I need to start reading again when we get back to Philly. Could do with some escapism.”

“Watch that pothole,” Micky said.

“Thanks.” She pulled up to the intersection. “Which way?”

“Stick to the backstreets,” Tommy said.

The van veered down the narrow alleyway. Every groan of the suspension and distant rattle sent shivers across Tommy’s flesh.

The walkie-talkie crackled to life. A pained groan from Zero seeped through the static, tightening Tommy’s chest.

“Here, gimme that,” Micky said, snatching the radio from Tommy’s grasp. “Hey, Zero, man. We’ll find help soon, yeah? Just hang in there.”

Tommy’s eyes darted left and right, scanning for any signs of a medical facility, for robbers, for the undead.

A loud pop came from behind them.

Roxy’s van screeched, lurching to the roadside.

Laila slowed the van and glanced in the rearview mirror.

“Zero needs help,” Micky said, clutching the walkie-talkie. “We can’t afford delays.”

“Alright, let’s just keep it together,” Tommy said, trying to steady his racing thoughts. He took the radio from Micky’s hand. “Rox, you alright?”

“I’ve got a flat.”

“You got a spare?”

“I think so.”

“Hang tight, we’ll sort this out.”

“Thanks, Tommy.”

“Let’s make this quick, yeah?” Micky said.

It took all Tommy had not to glare at Micky. He considered the shotgun and then his baseball bat, opting for the bat. He stepped from the van and scanned his surroundings. The desolate streets seemed to close in on them, their decaying buildings casting long shadows along the asphalt.

“Tommy.” Laila joined him outside and inclined her head. “We need to hurry. There could be zombies around the next corner.”

“Right.” Tommy nodded. “Let’s get the spare on and get moving. Keep watch while we change it.”

“Got it.”

Tommy strode over to the Minks’ van as Roxy moved the jack into position and began to lift the wheel.

“You need help with that?”

Roxy blinked at him. “You think I don’t know how to change a tyre?”

Tommy raised a hand. “Just offering to help.”

“I can do it myself.” She knelt at the wheel with a wrench.

“I know you can. You need us to keep watch.”

She nodded. “Thanks.”

Tommy stood guard, sweat beading on his forehead as he kept an eye on the surrounding streets.

Time slowed to a crawl, each second stretching as Roxy fought to replace the tyre. They couldn’t afford to lose any more ground.

“Come on.” Tommy gritted his teeth. “You’ve got this.”

With one final grunt, Roxy secured the spare into place and hefted the old tyre back into the van. “Alright.” Roxy wiped her hands. “Let’s go.”

“Agreed.” Tommy climbed back into the passenger seat.

The engine roared to life, and they continued their desperate search.

Laila glanced at him. “Which way?”

"Keep going straight."

The low groans of the undead echoed around them, mingling with the muted sound of the engines.

"Left here." Tommy pointed as they approached a crossroads. He wasn't sure if they were heading in the right direction, but they couldn't afford to sit still.

Laila swerved hard, narrowly avoiding a ragged zombie that stumbled into their path. "That was close."

"Too close." Tommy watched the figure retreat through the side mirror.

"Wait," Micky said, leaning forward. "I think I saw something."

"Where?" Tommy asked.

"Back there. Looked like…I dunno, a medical sign or something."

Laila through the van into reverse and backed up.

As they approached the crumbling building, Tommy squinted at the faded letters on the sign. "Doctor Marlowe."

“What do you reckon?" Laila asked.

“It says it’s a doctors,” Micky said.

"Looks more like a fortress," Laila said.

Tommy looked the building up and down. “We should check it out.”

“You think they’re still there?”

"Only one way to find out." Taking a deep breath, he got out.

He strode over to the main entrance and rapped on the door.

A metallic clang echoed from within, followed by the creak of heavy bolts.

Roxy and Nix joined Tommy’s side as the door swung open, revealing a gaunt figure with wild hair and a stained lab coat, a pistol in his right hand. "What do you want?"

"Help." Tommy gestured behind him. "Our friend's been shot."

"Shot, you say?"

“You think you can help?”

“Depends on his condition.”

“I don’t think it’s too serious yet, but the bullet’s still in there.”

“Let me see him.”

Tommy led the man over to Anarchy’s Child’s van and opened the door.

The man clambered inside and closed himself in with Zero.

“What’s he doing?” Nix asked.

“Examining him, I hope.”

After a few minutes, the door opened and the man stepped down.

“What’s the verdict, doc?” Nix asked.

“I can treat him.”

Nix sighed. “Oh, thanks, man.”

The man’s eyes flicked over the group, his gaze lingering on their battered vans. "I'll need something in return."

"Name your price," Nix said.

The man rubbed his chin. "One of your vans.”

"Are you mad?" Roxy said. "We need those to survive."

The man shrugged. "Take it or leave it."

Roxy frowned. "We don’t even know if he’s a real doctor."

The man raised his chin. “I can assure you I am.”

"Zero's life is on the line," Nix said. “If we need to trade a van, we need to trade a van. He’d do the same for you.”

“How about something else?” Tommy asked. "We've got food, medical supplies, water, weapons—"

"Plenty of that," the man cut him off with a dismissive wave. "No, it's the van or nothing."

"Zero doesn't stand a chance without help," Nix said.

Tommy sighed, running a hand through his matted hair. "Fine.” He turned back to the man. "You'll have your van."

Roxy whirled on him. "No! We can’t…"

"Sorry, Rox." Tommy met her gaze. "There's no other way."

“He can have ours.” Nix handed over the keys. “Just take care of her, she’s been through a lot.”

“One condition,” Tommy said.

The man tilted his head. “Looks to me like we’ve already made an agreement.”

“No. If you back out, or Zero doesn’t make it, we’re taking the van back.”

“I can assure you, I have no plans on backing out, but there’s always a risk with any surgical procedure.” The man shrugged and tossed the keys back to Nix. “But you’re welcome to try your luck elsewhere.”

Nix looked down at the keys and handed them back. “You need to help him.”

“Is that so?” The man glanced up and down the street and moved back towards his door.

“Fine. We’ll do it.”

"Deal." He caught the keys in mid-air.

“But if you try any funny business, I'll rip your bloody head off myself."

"Charming. Now, if we're done with the pleasantries, I have a patient to attend to."

The sterile smell of antiseptic hung heavy in the air. Tommy leaned against the wall next to the others, watching as the doctor worked on Zero.

The doctor's hands moved deftly, his eyes hidden behind thick-rimmed glasses. He prodded the gunshot wound, causing Zero to groan in pain.

Tommy clenched his fists. He knew he had little choice but to trust this man, but that didn't make it any easier. “How long’s this going to take, doc? We want to be out of the city before dark.”

"Patience, my boy. Good things come to those who wait." He turned his attention back to Zero.

"Got it!" The doctor held up the blood-stained bullet between his gloved fingers and grinned. "I daresay our friend here is quite lucky."

"Can I keep that?" Zero asked, his face pale and sweaty.

"I don’t see why not." The doctor placed the bullet onto Zero's outstretched palm. "Consider it a souvenir."

"Thanks."

"Get some rest," the doctor said, stepping back from the operating table. "You'll need your strength for the days ahead."

"Days?" Roxy asked. "How long do you think he'll be laid up?"

"Hard to say." The doctor snapped off his gloves and wiped his hands clean. "But a gunshot wound isn't something to take lightly."

"Right." Tommy sighed, running a hand through his hair. "We'll deal with it. We always do."

The sun dipped below the horizon, casting a muted glow over the city.

Tommy climbed into the driver's seat and flexed his fingers. "Alright, let's get moving."

As Laila, Micky, and Jimbo piled into the van, Roxy helped Zero into hers.

"Tommy," Roxy called out from the Minks' van. "You sure about this?"

"Didn't have much of a choice, did we?" He gripped the steering wheel tight. "Zero needed help."

"Right." Her gaze lingered on him for a moment longer before she disappeared into the van.

As they pulled away from the clinic, the sense of vulnerability gnawed at Tommy. They were down a van, making them easier targets in an unforgiving world.

"Never thought I'd miss that rusty death trap.” Jimbo sighed, glancing back at where their former van now sat as payment.

"Listen, guys." Tommy wound up the window, his voice strained. "We had to do what was best for everyone. I know it's hard, but—”

"Tommy," Laila cut in. “We get it. You and Nix did what you thought was right.”

“Let’s hope it doesn’t bite us in the ass." He slammed his hands on the steering wheel. “And it should have been Roxy’s van.”

Laila frowned. “I don’t understand.”

“They don’t have a spare tyre now.”

"Still better than letting Zero die," Micky said.

"Damn straight," Jimbo said.

"Philly's still a long way off." Tommy said, his eyes scanning the road ahead. "We'll have to be smart about this. No more deals with shady doctors."

"Hey," Micky said. "Zero's alive, isn't he? Let's focus on that for now."

"Right." Tommy took a deep breath. "One day at a time."