It was something she'd never grown out of, the nasty habit Rae had of listening to things that people said and taking them to heart. So, naturally, when people were hollering at Eli to let her go, she took those words to heart and started to feel like, maybe it was the best thing he could do. To release her and let her sink down into the ocean. She didn't want to die, she wanted to live to fight for as long as she could and beat this thing; she wanted to see Eli be reunited with his brother. There were way too many things she wanted out of life to just let that zombie pull her underwater.
In that way, on its own, Eli's refusal to let her go would have been enough to renew her. But along with that she had her father's determination to help, and Aaron and Miriam helping too, and Rae knew that she couldn't let go. This right here was her family and she couldn't leave them alone.
She heard the hustle around her, Eli asking Sara, the other immune, how long until they got to Liberty Island. Rae heard Sara's answer and then turned her head to look up at Eli again. "Guess this makes us about even now, huh?" she responded, smiling as best she could.
It was about then that the cold started to set in, though. She'd been cold before; running around outside at all times of year did that to a person anyway. But this was a cold that she literally felt down to her bones. To the point that while normally, Eli's suggestion of changing into dry clothes would have instantly been at least thought over before she agreed, Rae found herself agreeing immediately. "Y-yeah, okay. I need my bag…" she added, watching as Aaron gathered it for her.
Rae wasn't shy about changing clothes. Not usually, anyway. She'd taken her clothing off with far less reason than this every night for two years. Besides that, she knew that getting into a dry, warm change of clothes would keep her alive through this. So she shouldn't have been nervous or self-conscious. But coupled with the embarrassment she felt about the scene that had just taken place and the fact that half of these people had just suggested that she be left to die? All of a sudden she was a little bit nervous and self conscious. Not to mention the fact that Eli was there. Which was a silly reason to be self-conscious, but she'd need help. Her shoulder was wrenched and her leg was sore, but she didn't trust anyone else to help her.
She was oddly grateful that the current condition of her body didn't allow the flush on her cheeks to show too clearly as she looked up at him, but she was sure that it was plain as day in her expression.