Survive - Zalfie (BOOK 1)

10. Poppy

Chapter 10 - Poppy

I woke with a start. Jim and I were still alone in the woods. Apparently I had fallen asleep on his lap. I shot up and looked at him. He was awake.

"Are you alright?" he asked me concerned.

"Yeah," I mumbled. "Just nightmares." I rubbed my eyes, getting the sleep away. I figured it was evening as the forest was a lot darker than it was before.

"You can sleep some more if you want," he said kindly. I smiled at him thankfully and laid my head back on his lap. He stroked my hair gently. I remembered how Alfie used to do that when we were cuddling in the sofa. I sighed trying not to think too much about him. It made me sad.

"Can you sing me a lullaby?" I asked him jokingly.

"If you want to attract a horde of dead cats, I will," he chuckled. I sat up again looking him in the eyes.

"See, if you really want you can be nice to people," I commented. His smile faded as I said that.

"It's not that simple, Zo," he told me. "With you it's so easy but when I think of Megan or Thomas I feel this anger inside me. I don't trust them."

"I understand that but what about Po-"

"Thank god I found you," I suddenly heard to the left of us. I turned my head and saw Megan. I could feel Jim stiffen up beside me. "I've already found Poppy and Thomas, but Poppy is not okay. She's asked for you Zoe, please come now!"

I got to my feet quickly and I hurried after Megan who was already on her way back. Jim followed me closely.

When I came to the place where Thomas and Poppy were I saw how serious the situation was. Thomas was feeling her pulse. It seemed like Poppy had just passed out. I lowered myself next to Poppy who was lying on the ground.

"What happened?" I asked to no one in particular. I hated seeing someone I cared so much about like this.

"Right after we got away from those things she collapsed," Thomas explained while he was examining Poppy. "She threw up all over me, I had to throw away my lab coat." It was then that I noticed that he indeed wasn't wearing that coat anymore. He was in a pair of jeans and a light blue shirt. He looked fit. Zoe, this is not the moment.

"She passed out seconds before you arrived, but she's still breathing, which is good," Thomas concluded.

I stroked Poppy's cheek gently but pulled my hand away quickly. "She's so cold," I mumbled.

Thomas' eyes met mine, a shiver went down my spine. What's wrong with me?

"That's what worries me the most," he told me. Our eyes still looking intensely at each other. "Her temperature is almost not liveable anymore. I don't understand. I've never seen anything like this."

I gasped as Poppy's muscles started contracting rapidly.

"What's happening?" Jim shouted from behind me.

"Do something!" I yelled at Thomas.

"Stand back," Thomas commanded. Jim grabbed my arm and pulled me away from Poppy who was still moving unnaturally. "It looks she's having a seizure. Has she been diagnosed wi-"

"No!" I cut him off. "Do something!"

"We just have to wait until it stops," Thomas informed us but I wasn't pleased with that answer. "And make sure she doesn't hurt herself."

I hid my face in Jim's chest. I couldn't see this. I started to cry. What if Poppy died? She's the only family member Alfie had left.

After a minute Poppy had stopped moving and was back to consciousness. I wanted to run towards her but Jim was still holding me tight so I couldn't move away.

"Poppy, do you know where you are?" Thomas asked her.

"Who are you?" she questioned. Her eyes seemed to be looking at nothing.

"I'm a doctor. Now look at my finger and follow it with your eyes," his demanding voice told her. She did as she was told. I felt really nauseous. What would we have done without Thomas, I thought to myself. I saw Thomas shaking his head which made me really nervous.

"Poppy, I want you to count from one to ten," he told her.

"What kind of stupid-" Jim started but I planted my elbow in his stomach. I didn't want him to interrupt Thomas.

After a whole more number of tasks Poppy had to do Thomas allowed me to come closer to her. She didn't seem like herself at all. I gulped at the thought that she might not be okay after all.

"What's that?" Megan all of a sudden said, pointing at something on Poppy's leg. Thomas stretched his arm to roll op Poppy's trousers. There was a huge blue greenish thing on her leg. It looked horrible.

"It looks like a bite," Thomas said after studying it for a little while.

"Oh my god!" I yelled out. "That's probably what she wanted to tell me before we were surrounded by zombies!"

"Did one of those things bite her?" Jim questioned.

"I think so," Thomas said.

"Sean..." Poppy said. We all turned our heads to her. "Sean... Sean..." She repeated his name several times.

"Should we tell her?" Megan asked. Pity was written all over her face.

"No," Thomas said. "You can't say anything that might upset her."

"Will she be alright?" I asked Thomas. I saw him slowly shake his head and I got tears in my eyes at once.

"She'll turn into one of... them," Thomas said. My heart broke.

"Is there anything we can do?"

"Kill her," Thomas said coldly.