The Testing (The Testing, #1)

Cia discovers the oasis has been destroyed. Tomas is alive but unconscious. He’s been impaled by an inch-thick branch. Cia removes the branch and uses the medical kit and strips of cloth to clean the wound. It’s too big to sew closed, so Cia heats a metal bottle opener over the fire and uses it to cauterize and seal the wound. They kiss.

They decide to travel to the stream; it will be painful for Tomas to walk, but there is a chance the sound of the explosion will draw others and they could be attacked. Cia uses her water kit to test and purify the water of the biological agents she finds in it. They sleep and wake without seeing other candidates. Tomas says he believes the fences marking the testing area will draw very close together at some stages, forcing the candidates to interact with each other.

Tomas suggests that he likes Cia and did not kiss her out of gratitude. They continue walking, stopping to gather edible plants. At a cluster of buildings, they search and find enough parts to make two bicycles for quicker travel. Cia shoots several opossums, which they clean and cook for dinner.