The Immune

chapter 7 - Ash

" Do you think we should get out" I whispered
We sat still, waiting, as zombies past us by. It had been twenty or so minutes since we had seen on heard one.
" Just keep quiet.I'll get brooke" he said
We edged our way out from under the car and kneeled, listening for any sounds.
I pulled the pistol out from the back of my pants,flicking off the safety. Will didn't look surprised, seemingly okay with me having a weapon.
He began to drag Brookes still form out from underneath the car. She let out a whine of pain, but remained unconscious. We listened, nothing seemed to be moving.
Will passed his backpack to me, and began to pull brookes body over his shoulder.
"We're heading into were those tall building are" pointing to the east, " there's a map. Our focus for now is to get out of this zone and find somewhere secure" he whispered. He adjusted his gun so that with one hand he settled brookes body, and the other, if desperate, he could shoot.

We slowly exited the parking lot, edging our way behind cover as we walked up the road. The zombies had been drawn to a fire further to the west, afew blocks over. Black smoke could be seen billowing into the sky. It would attract zombies from all around.
I could feel Will's worry for his brother, his panicked and grief. It was too early to start mourning, too much hope.
We managed afew blocks. Brookes weight was taking its toll on will. The cut on my forehead, from the fall; which I thought had stopped bleeding, had reopened, making blood drip down my face.
"This place seems pretty good" he whispered, leading the way through an overgrown garden.
"I'll do it," I said, referring to me checking the space for zombies.
He gave me a slight nod, a confirmation I wasn't expecting, but willingly took.
The small house had been ransacked, tables overturned, cabinets empty. The two bedroom house was secure, with all doors and windows closed when I ushered Will inside.
"There's a little attic that is pretty easily defendable" I said, indicating up the rickety flight of stairs.
"Perfect," he said,surveying the small space,"no windows, means we can use a candle."
He set Brooke down on a pile of clothes, feeling her forehead. The young woman had lost most of her colour, and was sweating feverishly.
"Is she alright?"
" She needs medicine. But she also needs surgery to clean and dress the wound" his face strained in concentration as he unwound the bandage. The cuts on her thigh were deep. The bloody mess, oozed a little bit of pus, it had a strange odour.
" dammit. It's infected."
" what can we do? Out here?"
" I'm going to go look for medicine. Antibiotics, panadol. Anything."
I nodded, if she was to make it to the safepoint, maybe a doctor could help.
Will gave me a long look,
" Can I trust you to look after her whilst I'm gone?", he looked into my eyes, and I felt disconcerted. He was looking for something, wanting to trust me. I couldn't seem to respond, caught like a deer in the headlights. He seemed to find his answer in my gaze though. Nodding his head,
" I'll be back" he stood, taking his backpack and gun.
The phrase made me let out a giggle.
"Okay Arnie, see you soon"
"What?" a genuinely confused expression on his face.
" Didn't you ever watch terminator as a kid?"
"I don't really remember movies"
" Well, it was an end of the world movie. They believed machines would take over."
" Huh," he said, " hard to believe machines could do much at all these days. No where near the technological powers of before."
" It was a different world"
" It was. I'll see ya" he said, as he began walking down the stairs, exiting out into the dangerous world.
--
" Allison,no! where!", Brookes whimpers snapped me out of my dozing. She was having dreams, hallucinations. Her skin was mottled and sweaty, her body twisting in her sleep.
" Don't, don't!" her voice was getting louder.
I moved quickly,settling a gentle hand on her forehead. I cooed and murmured to her. She slowly drifted into consciousness.
" It hurts so much allison." she said, her eyes wandering
" Will is getting you some medicine Brooke. It'll make you better."
"Why do you have blood all over you. Are you dead?"
I remembered the cut on my forehead. I must look like monster.
" No, I just hurt myself. It's okay"
" I don't want anything to happen to my sister. not you, after all that happened" her voice grew slurred and she slipped back asleep.
I let out a sigh.
I grabbed the full canteen of water, using some to wash the dried blood off my face. It stung the cut just bellow my hairline, its length only a couple of inches long.
I sat back next to Brooke, listening to the thunder approaching,The light tap of rain.
I could leave right now.
I could.
I could save myself. I could live. I could formulate a plan to break my brothers out of prison....
I could live by myself. Be on the run for the rest of my life.
I could die trying to break my brothers out, and not even get to see them.
The more I thought about it. The more I knew there was no other way.
I couldn't leave Brooke to die. Will would die trying to get her to the safe zone by himself. They would both die.
I heard the sound of the door opening to the attic, and steps approaching. I scrambled for my gun, holding it ready just in case.
Will's wet mop of hair appeared, whilst he climbed the stairs. At least it was him.
I nervously looked him over for bites or cuts. He was alittle sweaty and out of breath, but other than that he looked alright.
"Thank god. I was almost worried " I said, giving him a slight smile.
" Thank god I didn't have to return to Carrie here"
"I thought you said you didn't watch movies?"
" Ever picked up at book? Stephen King. Make some time."
He unzipped his back pack. Revealing fresh gauze, antiseptic wipes, a few small bottle of pills and afew cans.
He picked up a can, held it to his ear, and shook it.
" here, sounds like peaches" I caught it quickly, peeling off the lid hungrily. I realised I hadn't eaten all day.
" close. Corn", anything would do though.
I sat watching as he again unbandaged Brookes leg. He set about examining the wound, cleaning it out.
" you look like you know what you're doing."
" I have alittle medical training. My father was a doctor. The thing is. I'm pretty sure the infection is under the skin. Something infectious or unclean is literally burried under her skin from the accident. Even if I could get it out, I'd probably only do more damage but opening up the wound to other pathogens. The infection would still continue anyway." he let out a frustrated sigh, wrapping her leg with the new gauze.
"Let me look at that cut on your forehead"
He said shifting close.
" It's alright, it stopped bleeding."
He grabbed my face, keeping me still. His hands reached up to closer examine the cut,cradling my forehead.
He gently wiped the cut with the antiseptic wipe, making it sting.
" sorry," he murmered as I cringed away from the stinging pain.
"You won't need any stiches. But it will leave a faint scar. Jeremy had one like that. On his Cheekbone" his eyes grew dark, he let go of my face and shifted back. Silence followed. I didnt really know what to say.
" Why didn't you leave. I left you here. You could have gone." he said, seemingly changing conversation. His tone was curious.
" I stayed for the same reason you're upset. Family. I'm staying, so I can be with my brothers. After all, there isn't much left of us now"
He nodded his head, quiet.
" I'm sorry about Lily. But your dad. You know he-"
" You don't know my dad. Don't you pretend what he was doing was bad"
" He kidnapped you. Took you away. Your family may have the cure to this hell we live in!" his voice passionate.
" In this hell the real monsters are not those that lurk in the night, but are the men that plot and conspire and use this world to their advantage."
" You'll let the human race die out because you think they deserve this? Because of a half baked conspiracy theory?"
" I don't want to die for those who are evil, to conquer."
"What do you mean conquer? You wouldnt have to die. Nobody needs to die" he was starting to get confused.
" Do you know how my mother died."
" There was a complication during routine testing."
" lies. You are being spoon fed your information. They don't want you to know. They murdered my mother. Their research failed. She was dying anyway. Their tests reacted negatively with her bodies immune system. She was wasting away on their operating table. So they carved her up. Took the parts they wanted. Then they turned their murderous hands on my family. People inside knew it was wrong. How do you think we escaped the heavily guarded facility" I watched his expression morph from disbelief to cold realisation.
" The world isn't what I think it is. But Will, the world most certainly isn't the place you believe it to be."
We sat in silence, me attempting to calm my beating heart.
He watched me in the candle light, doing that thing where he seems to be reading my soul or something.
" And you're still going back?"
" All I have is my family." his expression was unreadable, but by the looks of it,he had made up his mind about me.