“Justin.”

Joey pulled at his sleeve, trying to draw his attention away from the curtained window.

“Justin,” he said again. “I need your rations.”

Justin turned toward him and Joey had a brief glimpse of his haunted eyes before he lowered them and nodded. “One minute.”

Joey sighed and went back into the kitchen where a standard issue pot boiled substandard water on the stove. Lance followed him in with his rations and dumped them into the pot before he settled his arms around Joey’s waist.

“He okay?” Lance asked.

Joey shook his head.

“You okay?”

Joey shook his head again.

Lance ran one small, warm hand up Joey’s chest, up and down in a mellow, soothing motion. “Tell me.”

“They killed someone today.”

Lance didn’t say anything, just pressed a damp kiss to the material covering Joey’s shoulder.

“He was just standing there. Like we used to be able to do…” he trailed off. “It doesn’t make sense.”

Justin brought his ration into the kitchen and dumped it in along with Joey’s and Lance’s. “Nothing makes sense anymore,” he said, his voice rough and shaky.

Lance turned his head into Joey’s neck and sighed.

Justin insisted on setting a place for JC. Lance stared at his empty place throughout dinner.

“Do you think he…” Lance jerked his head towards JC’s spot. “Do you think he’s coming back?”

Justin nodded vigorously but Joey wouldn’t meet his eyes.

“I don’t know,” he said. “I just don’t know.”