New York; One year ago.
"What is that?"
"It's a swan."
Jessi laughed. It was the first genuine sound of happiness Vange had heard from her sister in a long while.
"Why does it look like a half-baked cookie, then?"
"Because it's unfinished. The other wing is for you to complete." Vange paused. "When you get better."
Jessi's smile faded a little, and she drew her blanket more tightly across chest.
"I w-won't."
"You will. I talked to the doctors today. They told me you've gotten better since they put you on the new meds." Vange said, running a gentle hand along her sister's hair. A few tufts of auburn stuck to her fingers as she withdrew them.
"Evangeline?" Jessi spoke, her voice softer than Vange had ever heard it be.
"Yes, darling."
"Don't lie to me. I'm dying."
New York; Present Time.
Vange clutched the wheel of the APC, trying to decide whether or not she should drive it into the main streets. She knew there would be manglers, and the cons far outweighed her chance of survival. She turned off the engine, and grimaced when it died with a loud whir.
"Great. So much for trying to stay quiet."
She scooted over to the passenger seat and settled back, trying to find a comfortable position to sleep in. She had been driving the whole day, keeping to the back-alleys, and yet only made it as far as ten blocks from her previous rest point. Being careful and unnoticeable was always helpful (which wasn't so easy with the APC).
She dug around in the glove compartment for the half-eaten snickers bar, and tore off the wrapper. She realized as she took the first bite that she was running out of food. There didn't seem to be a store or a pharmacy in the locality, so she figured she'd retire for the night and go scouting for supplies the next morning.
After double checking the doors and the hood, she crawled into the backseat and went to sleep.