Until the world falls apart - Fear The Walking Dead

IX- Race against death

One, two, three, one, two, three, four, six, one...

I struggled to stay conscious, the pain clouding my mind.

-"Bella, stay with me! Hang on, don't close your eyes!" he exclaimed, his voice filled with terror and distress.

My vision was becoming increasingly blurry. I felt the warmth of blood flowing from my wound, struggling to stay connected to reality.

I was in pain and losing a lot of blood, feeling my strength dwindling slowly.

Troy rushed to me to pull me out of danger; I could still hear echoes of gunfire, but I felt myself slipping into darkness.

-"Stay with me, Bella! Hang on, I'll get you out of here!" he shouted, trying to contain his growing fear.

Despite being aware of the severity of my injury, I struggled to keep my eyes open, but the pain and loss of blood plunged me into a state of increasing weakness and confusion.

-"Troy, it hurts..." I murmured weakly, my breath becoming irregular as I started losing consciousness.

"I know, Bella, I'm here, it's going to be okay, we're going home," he replied, panicked.

Troy, in a state of panic, did his best to tend to me despite the rush and stress. He tried to stem the bleeding, aware of the urgency of the situation.

Realizing they couldn't stay there any longer, Troy acted quickly. He helped me into the car with the others, striving to stop the bleeding. I heard what sounded like sobs, probably from my mother; she must have been terrified. I didn't want to put them through this. I was going to die, I knew it. The bullet had pierced me, and I was losing too much blood. I was cold, and that wasn't a good sign. My limbs were becoming painful, and my vision increasingly blurred; the world was spinning too fast for me.

-"Hold on, Bella. We're almost there," he said, his voice trembling, while trying to keep pressure on the wound.

"Mhmm..."

I felt Troy's support and determination, which reassured me despite the critical situation. He wrapped his arms around me, holding me firmly against him while still containing the wound. His heart was racing, but he remained focused on the urgency of the situation. The cold faded a little, replaced by Troy's warmth; he held me as if he were afraid of losing me, as if I were about to disappear forever, and he was holding onto me.

The journey to the ranch unfolded in palpable tension, every moment counting as my life hung in the balance. Troy, dedicated to my protection, remained calm despite internal panic, trying to provide all the support and stability possible.

Troy, hands trembling while trying to maintain pressure on the wound, looked at me with deep anguish.

"Stay with me, Bella. Keep your eyes open," he said, his voice trembling, panic evident in his eyes. "You can't die, not you."

I was exhausted, my strength leaving me, but I heard his voice. He kept talking to me to keep me awake; he wouldn't let anyone take me, not even death, and that reassured me in a way. All this time, I thought I hated him for what he was, what he represented, and what he had done, but today at this precise moment, he held me in his arms, and I didn't want to be anywhere else. His warmth became my warmth, and his strength became my strength; he allowed me to cling to something, to fight and struggle against the darkness. I wouldn't leave this world without having fought to the end.

-"I'll... try," I murmured weakly, fighting against exhaustion.

"You're strong, Bella. You have to fight, for all of us," my mother's voice, filled with emotions.