The Both Of Us | Zelink X The Last Of Us

Chapter Thirty-Six

Zelda's pov

I open my last can of peaches, being careful to not cut myself. Link has been slipping in and out of consciousness, barely drinking water let alone eating. His shivering isn't a good sign either. I've bundled him in both our blankets, tucking them around his body but his teeth still chatter.

"Link," I say quietly, my voice hoarse from crying most of the night. It's what I've been doing every night instead of sleeping.

He only shivers and I lift his head a little, spooning a sip of the syrup into his mouth. He swallows it and I spoon feed him until he passes out again. I eat half the can, saving the rest for later. I'm not sure how long we'll be stuck here and I need to conserve our food for the rest of the trip.

I gently tug the blankets down. The blood in his shirt has turned brown by now. There's still some stuck under my nails, staining them brown and black.

I wet another cloth with alcohol and gently dab it over his stitches. It doesn't look good. The skin is red, swollen, and tender. Infection. His body shivers and tenses up as I clean the wound. It's warm to the touch. I pull his shirt back down and clean his bite next. It's healing. At least it's not infected as well. Then there's the fact he didn't turn into an infected. He really is immune and I can't think of a reason why or how. I'm just grateful that he is.

I try to give him some water and I'm only able to wet his lips. He's not doing well at all, leaving me in a constant state of panic from the fear of waking up to find him not breathing anymore.

I arm myself with a few of his knives and my gun, the same gun I tried to kill him with almost a week ago. I don't want to leave him but I have to. I have to find antibiotics. I checked the houses in the neighborhood when he first got a fever, finding nothing but torn furniture and a couple skeletons. I'm going to try to find the town today. There has to be something somewhere.

"I'll be back," I whisper and kiss his forehead. He's burning up. I tuck his rifle under his blankets but I doubt he'd be able to use it if he had to.

I feed the horse a mixture of oats, dried apples, and raisins. I've been rationing his food too, causing him to be a little grumpy. He's smart though and he understands the situation. At least I like to think he does.

I lead him out, closing the garage door behind us and I mount him, patting his neck as I grab the reins.

"Good boy," I soothe him. He snorts in response and I pat him again. "I know, I don't like this either."

It snows heavier the longer I'm outside. I have a hat and gloves along with a jacket and coat but the cold still cuts through my layers. If Link didn't need it, I'd take his coat too. My gloves soak up the snow, turning them into ice packs that freeze my fingers. My nose runs too and I wipe it away every few minutes with my sleeve. It's nothing compared to how Link feels right now. I'm almost glad he's sleeping through it all. I hate to think about it but if he does die, he'll pass in his sleep. I'd rather that than him in pain.

I see the outline of buildings through the white and I urge my horse forward. I almost cry tears of joy when I see a pharmacy sign. He just needs to hang on a little longer.

It becomes apparent as I get closer that this is a small town, probably one of those places where everyone knew each other. It seems I ended up downtown. A downtown consisting of a single street. I tie the horse up to a post outside and raise my gun before entering the pharmacy. My only priority is Link. If I don't get back safely, he has no chance.

I move quietly, looking down each ransacked aisle. When it's clear, I go to the back behind the counter and grab every bottle I see. Empty. My heart sinks as I pick up empty bottle after empty bottle. I finally pick up one that has a few pills. It's a painkiller. Not what I need but I take it anyway. It could be useful.