"Jaxon. So you were alive after all." Sam shot up from his seat and crossed the short distance in two steps. He pulled Jaxon into a rough embrace, then stepped back and gave his shoulder a hard pat.
"I barely survived that night," Jaxon said, the memory of those horrible encounters still making his chest tighten. "What about you guys? I didn't see you at the survivor gathering earlier. I honestly thought you didn't make it."
Sam let out a short breath. "That's what I wanted to say to you. You told us about the train evacuation, and when we didn't see you, we thought you died out there." He shook his head, then smiled. "Guess we got transferred earlier and missed you."
"I'm glad you made it," Jaxon said, meaning it.
He turned slightly and gestured behind him. "Oh, right. These are my friends. The people I've been surviving with. Haris, Bong-gu, and…"
