GLOWING (Joel Miller)

10 | The Infected

I hung back as Joel opened the nearest window. Everyone squeezed though, but I didn't move. I squatted down beside the dead Clicker, patting it down. My hands paused when I felt something in the chest pocket. Glancing over at the window, I could see Joel, Tess and Ellie outside on the roof. They paid me no mind so I proceeded to unzip the pocket.

Reaching inside, my fingers closed around something small and round. I pulled it out and held it up for inspection. It was a small metal disc—not unlike a coin—but the shape that was pressed into the centre of it was what intrigued me. I recognised it; I mean, I should have. It was exactly the same as the one in my own chest pocket.

"Fuckin' hell..." I muttered under my breath as I turned the Firefly pendant over in my hand. When I flipped it over to the back, my heart sank. The name read: Andrew Coleman 000323. I sighed, my eyes lowering to to the brutally disfigured body in front of me.I knew Andrew. He had gone missing about a year ago on patrol. Now I knew what had happened.

 "Jenna?"

I looked up at the window, to see Tees poking her head through. She was by herself now; Joel and Ellie must have wandered ahead. "You coming?"

"Yep." I quickly shoved the pendant into my bag and placed my hand on Andrew's chest. I held it there for a moment, before pushing myself to my feet and heading over to Tess. Tess moved out of the way, standing up on shaky legs. "Hey." I reached out to steady her, placing a hand on her upper arm. "You sure you're okay to keep going?"

Tess nodded, pulling her arm from my grip. "I'm fine." She limped away, quickly crossing a wooden plank that had been suspended between the museum and the next building. I could see Joel and Ellie on the other side so I quickly followed after her. "Come on," Tess urged, walking straight past Ellie and Joel and climbing down the rickety old ladder that hung off the side of the roof. "Let's get there before it's dark."

I narrowed my eyes suspiciously as Tess groaned in pain, the second she put her weight on the ladder. Ellie followed after her, so I took the open spot next to Joel. "She seems out of it," I observed, nodding in the direction Tess had just been. "Is she okay?"

"Mhm," Joel grunted, side-eyeing me as I stared out over the city. "Twisted ankle."

I sighed, turning to glance at Joel as he gestured for me to go down the ladder  first. "I told her to take a break but she wouldn't listen." I placed my hands on the top rung and swung myself onto the ladder, looking up at Joel. "She seems in a real rush to get there."

"That's Tess." Joel shrugged indifferently. "I'll make sure she rests after we drop you off."

I nodded. "Okay."

***

The Capital Building was in our view. I walked quickly to catch up with Tess, who was racing ahead as if she was on a time crunch. I didn't get too close though; I hung back a little with Ellie, who was adjusting a bandage around her arm.

"How are you going?" I asked her quietly as Joel's footsteps became louder behind us.  "I bet that was a lot..."

Ellie shrugged. "I thought being infected was just going crazy." She looked down at the ground. "I didn't realise that would happen."

"I takes a while," I explained, my gaze on Tess as she powered ahead. "About a year or so before you turn into a Clicker."  I reached over, adjusting the bandage on her arm so she would stop fiddling with it. "That's if you survive that long."

Ellie nodded. "I can't believe I was prepared to wait it out."

I let out a sympathetic sigh. She was so young to be going through all of this. When I finished with the bandage I gently clapped her upper arm. "You didn't know what to expect," I assured her, letting my hand linger on her shoulder. "Most people turn because they're too afraid to end it, but you..." I didn't know how to continue. Was it brave that she didn't put a bullet through her skull, or was it cowardly? I shot her another smile, before dropping my hand. "You were probably just alone and scared. What else could you have done?"