It had always been difficult for Rae to suppress worry, but she was doing it then. It took every bit of self-control that she had not to turn around and look for her parents in the crowd, but when her mother told her to keep her eyes focused forward, that was exactly what she would do. It was rare for Mary-Ellen to take such a forceful, commandeering tone, so when she did, Rae knew that it was time to get down to business… not that the panic and pandemonium around her wasn't enough of a hint.
She did her best to stay focused with the worry about her parents gnawing at the back of her mind, the impending danger pushing her further into focus. Eli and was doing his best to motivate everyone, and Rae used that as motivation to snap herself out of it and help. "C'mon, everyone, we're almost there!" she said, gently leading a couple nearby people to the door.
Between the fracas to get outside and the horrendous sound of the infected that had breached the area getting their long awaited meals, Rae was desperately trying to tune all outside distractions out and not lose their group in the ever-growing fray.
Snapping herself back into it, she glanced around for some way, any way to be sure that they all got out safely. Out of the corner of her eye, she spotted a large hole in the nearby wall that had previously housed a window. It was easily large enough to fit one of them at a time and ensure that they got out and got a spot on one of the buses. "Eli!" she called, grabbing his arm and turning Aaron and Miriam's attention as well. "Shortcut! Get the others and let's go…"
Shoving her way through the bedlam, Rae cleared a somewhat easier path for her friends (and the couple of others that her declaration had attracted) and when they got to the small clearing before the window, she made one more quick scan of the crowd, desperately searching for either of her parents.
But when there was nothing, her attention turned back to the task at hand, shoving the worry to the back of her mind until later. "Let's go. I'll head out first and them out as we go," she told the three of them, before turning around to crawl out the window and immediately getting to work clearing everything out.
She didn't get far; she fired a couple of shots and took out at least three infected within range, when she heard a familiar voice from not too far away.
"Rae?" her father called, hurrying toward her from the crowded exit. "What're you all doing over here?"
Rae's eyes widened, focus momentarily drawn away from the task at hand. "Dad!" her voice mirrored her surprise (but gratitude) at the assistance, as her father started shooting at infected in her place. "Where were you? Mom went looking for you and-"
Andreas shook his head and directed her to the window. "Not now. Get them out here and we'll talk when all of us are on the bus."
Turning around to help Miriam out of the window, she chanced a quick look inside to see if her mother was anywhere near the exit. But, of course, she wasn't. "C'mon!" she held her arm out for either Eli or Aaron (or whoever was next in line) to grab.