Even with her hair still damp, Brinley was so exhausted she could barely keep her eyes open. She crawled straight into Sally's bed and collapsed beside her.
The smell radiating off Sally was almost unbearable, though, to be fair, Brinley didn't smell much better. Since they only had access to freezing water, none of them had taken a proper shower in days.
Sally was already dead asleep, snoring loudly. The noise grated on Brinley's last nerve, keeping her awake despite her bone-deep exhaustion. Furious, she shoved the older woman. The snoring hitched and quieted down slightly.
Brinley had just drifted into a hazy half-sleep when—*splash!*—a basin of freezing water was dumped directly onto her face.
Brinley jolted violently, an icy thrill of shock ripping through her. She bolted upright, a high-pitched scream tearing from her throat. "Ah! Ahhhh!"
Caught in the crossfire, Sally shot up in bed, drenched and bewildered.
Standing over them was Darleen, an empty basin in her hands.
Brinley's temper exploded. "What the hell are you doing?! Are you insane?!" she shrieked. She was already physically broken; Darleen's relentless bullying was pushing her over the edge of sanity.
Sally, wiping cold water from her eyes, glared darkly at Darleen. "Mrs. Yelchin, we're all in the same boat now. Tormenting us doesn't do you any favors!" The daytime chores required all four of them. If Darleen made them sick, the workload would double for the rest of them.
"Who's in the same boat as you?!" Darleen spat viciously. "She's the tramp who murdered my Faraday! You think I'm in the same boat as her? Are you joking?!"

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