Surviving the Undead Book 2

Chapter 6

"Callahan, what the bloody hell were you thinking?" Jax scolds as the three of us head over to the 'Undead' to burn them in a mass fire.

"What?" I reply, trying to pretend to not know what he is talking about, and I know I am failing miserably at this.

"Do not 'what' me, Callahan Michael Thompson," Jax scolds, grabbing one of the 'Undead's' by the pant leg as Wade and I do the same with the remaining two. "You were reckless by coming down out here with us instead of giving us backup with Marra from your patrol spot."

I decide not to reply, and silently wait for Wade or Jax to light the 'Undead' on fire. Yes, I know what I did was stupid, and I should have stayed in my spot. While Wade and Jax are talking in low voices, and watch the decaying bodies burn, I hear twigs snapping about ten feet behind me. Instantly turning around while grabbing an arrow from the quiver strapped on my back, and notching it into the bow. Letting the arrow loose, hitting an 'Undead' in the heart, and it drops to the ground.

Jax and Wade snap their heads to where the 'Undead' dropped with wide eyes. Four others approach from the woods, and they attack as I take another arrow, notching it in the bow. When these four are taken down, we throw these onto the roaring fire. As I grab the last 'Undead', searing pain rips through my right shoulder, causing me to drop my bow to the ground. Whirling around, I come face to face with an 'Undead' that is grinning the best it can at me with its jaw hanging on, barely by the right side of its face.

Pulling my knife from the seeth on my left hip, I thrust my entire body forward, stabbing the knife into its heart. The 'Undead' drops backwards with a thud onto the ground. Grabbing my bloody knife, wiping it off on the bottom of my shirt before sliding it back into the holder. Gripping my searing shoulder, my breathing ragged as I stand upright. Trying to keep the contents of my stomach in place while starring down at the last of 'Undead,' I hope.

I flinch when a large hand lands on my left shoulder. Turning my head slightly because this motion is horribly painful. I see both Wade and Jax behind me, but Jax is the one with his hand on me, and both of them are scowling down at the Zombie I just killed.

"Let Wade take the corpse while I look at the wound," Jax gently states while turning me away from the corpse to look at my left shoulder while I face the fire.

"I am fine, Jax," I mumble, my voice thick with pain and tears as the realization hits me that I could have just died, and I could have left Finnegan without any living blood relatives.

Jax does not verbally reply, he just sighs softly as he pokes around the wound. Hissing in pain, and moving away instantly with a low growl.

"Do not growl at me, Callahan," Jax snaps, and I know he is as freaked out as I am.

"Sorry," I mutter before bile rises in my throat, and I turn away from him to empty the contents of my stomach onto the ground near the fire.

"Come on, let's get your shoulder taken care of," Wade states, stopping any further argument between Jax and me.

"Okay," I murmur, wiping my mouth free of the contents of my stomach with my shirt sleeve.

The three of us head back to the gate, and head inside with Wade shutting the gate behind us. Kade, Finnegan, and Maria are in front of us before we are even ten feet inside the safety of the fence.

"Come with me, and I will take care of your wound," Maria states softly, briefly glancing at my scared little brother.

"Finnegan, look at me, bubs," I gently request, getting down on my left knee carefully in front of him while holding my arm to my chest.

When he brings his wide, blue eyes to mine, I gently continue; "I promise I am okay, and will be fine. The wound is not that bad, and I told you that I will never leave you alone, and I did that, right? I came back to you even though I got hurt."

He slowly nods, chewing on his right thumbnail, and I give him a tiny smile as I carefully get back onto my feet. Nodding at Maria, I follow beside her, and I am not surprised when Finnegan and Kade come along, too.

"Sit on the table with your back facing the outside edge, Callahan," Maria requests while gesturing toward a table by the wall.

Carefully sitting on the table with my feet dangling off, I decide to sit criss-cross, so I am comfortable while Maria gathers whatever she will need to take care of the wound. Kade and Finn are leaning with their backs against the wall opposite of us with their arms crossed over their chests. Maria returns a few minutes later with latex gloves, a sewing needle, black thread, bandages, sponges, a bowl of water, and what looks to be some sort of antiseptic.

"Kade, will you please help Callahan remove his shirt?" she calls over to him.

Kade pushes himself off the wall with a deep frown etched over his facial features which I do not like on him because of me. I wonder if he is angry with me? I honestly would not blame him if he is. He quickly glances at my eyes before looking away, and I swear I see pain in his eyes.

"I can do this myself if you are too angry with me to do this. I understand if you are angry with me," I mumble, pulling my left arm free of the material after pulling off the arrow quiver, and placing this on the table next to me.

"We can discuss how I am feeling later," he mumbles, reaching over to grab the hem of my shirt, and pulling the shirt over my head, and carefully pulling my right arm from the shirt.