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Maddie frowned. She was exhausted, but she couldn't imagine how Saff felt, traveling with her injuries.
"Are you sure we have to?"
"Yeah," Saff muttered. "We'll have to backtrack this road a mile or so, then take the turn and go around."
"Should we take a break first?" Maddie asked. Although what she really meant was 'shouldyoutake a break first'.
"No," Saff answered, standing from the crouched position, and pulling Maddie up with her. "We don't have time."
Maddie knew it was a futile effort to argue with her on that. So instead, she nodded and pulled her cane back out in front of her, following as Saff turned them in the opposite direction.
It was probably a mental thing, but for some reason, the walk back down the road felt much more exhausting. But, to Saff’scredit, she pulled them along steadily with renewed energy. Maddie wondered if her annoyance at having to go a longer way boosted her adrenaline. Hopefully, it did.
It wasn't until another two hours passed that she felt her really begin to slow down. So much so that she wondered if Saff would finally ask for a break.
Maddie's feet were beginning to move faster than hers, and on more than one occasion, it felt like she was the one pulling them along rather than the other way around.
Then, finally, when she was almost about to ask once more if Saff needed to sit down, she stopped them.
"What is it?" Maddie asked, desperately hoping that it wasn't another horde of infected people.
"River," Saff answered, and even her voice sounded weak and slow in a way that set Maddie on edge.
"Can we go around it?" she asked.
Saff paused for a few moments before answering. "Doesn't look like it."
Maddie frowned. "So, what? We have to cross it?"
Saff was quiet for a few seconds. "Yeah, but I can't see how deep it is." She cleared her throat. "Can you swim? If you have to."
"Yes," Maddie answered confidently.
Saff went quiet again. Then finally she exhaled and began walking.
They moved for another minute or so before Maddie began to hear rushing water, drowning out the surrounding sounds of nature.
"You should stand behind me for this," Saff muttered. "I'm gonna feel the ground with a stick in front of us to see how deep it gets."
Maddie nodded.
She felt Saff adjusting her backpack, then she stepped forward. Maddie listened to the splashing sound of Saff stepping into the water, then she followed.
With the second step, her foot plunged into ice-cold river water, and she froze for a second in shock. It reminded her of winters at the lake, when the water was so cold, one touch was enough to suck the air from her lungs.
Two more steps, and the cold seeped up her pant legs to her knees.
"How far is it across?" she asked, one hand gripping Saff's arm, while the other gripped the thick fabric on her back.
"Maybe thirty feet," Saff called back to her over the rushing water.
A few more steps, and the water rose to her waist. She sucked in a sharp breath as it touched her stomach. The current was much stronger, and she could feel the water growing rough.
Maddie strengthened her grip on Saff's back, the icy water splashing up onto her hands. As she stepped, the smooth bottom turned to large jagged rocks beneath her feet that shifted with each step.
They took a few more slow, precise steps, then she removed one hand, reaching down to adjust the strap of her backpack.
But right as her fingers touched the strap, Saff dropped.