Echoes of Desolation [ TGC ; APOCALYPSE AU ]

10. Oh please don't die on me now.

The heavy clang of the shelter door echoed through the mist-shrouded city, a jarring intrusion into the oppressive silence. Larry, heart pounding a frantic rhythm against his ribs, drew a shaky breath. This was it. No turning back.

He glanced at Yumi, his childhood friend, his eyes seeking reassurance. Yumi, ever the stoic one, gave him a curt nod, a silent promise to be ready. Isaac and Nick, faces grim under their makeshift gas masks, hefted their crude weapons - pipes and sharpened scrap metal, a mockery of the firearms they once knew.

"Alright, remember the plan," Isaac said, his voice muffled by the mask. "Larry creates the diversion, then injects the sedative when Tanner's distracted. Nick and I will do our best to restrain him."

Larry swallowed, his throat dry. "What if the sedative doesn't work?"

"We'll improvise," Nick replied, his voice gruff but steady. "Just focus on getting that jab in."

With a final shared look, they stepped out into the mist. Visibility was limited, the world a swirling grey canvas punctuated by the hulking, skeletal remains of buildings. The silence was broken only by their ragged breaths and the scrape of metal against concrete. The city held its breath, anticipating the coming confrontation.

Suddenly, a guttural roar ripped through the air, sending shivers down Larry's spine. The air crackled with a raw energy that made the hairs on his arms stand on end. There, lumbering through the mist, was Tanner. But Tanner as they knew him was gone.

In his place stood a hulking monstrosity twisted by the disease. Muscle rippled beneath taut, sickly green skin. His once familiar eyes glowed with a malevolent red light, his form radiating an aura of primal rage. Fear threatened to consume Larry, but he forced himself forward.

"There he is!" Nick yelled, pointing. "Larry, remember the plan!"

With a practiced toss, Isaac launched a canister at Tanner's feet. It exploded in a burst of acrid smoke, engulfing the creature in a coughing fit. The smoke billowed, obscuring the monstrosity from view.

"Now!" Larry yelled, charging forward through the choking cloud. Adrenaline surged through him, masking the terror gnawing at his insides. He had to be quick.

Nick, a blur of movement, launched himself at Tanner, attempting to distract the beast. "Hey ugly!" he bellowed, swinging his pipe wildly. "Over here!"

Tanner roared, swatting Nick aside with a backhand that sent him sprawling. The sound of Nick's pained cry spurred Isaac into action. Heaving a rusted pipe above his head, he lunged for the creature's leg.

"Stay down!" Isaac yelled, connecting with a resounding clang.

The impact seemed to momentarily stun Tanner. The creature roared in pain, distracted long enough for Larry to reach its side. With a desperate lunge, he plunged the injector into the pulsating flesh of its arm.

A tense silence followed. Tanner froze, the red glow in his eyes flickering with confusion. Then, with a heavy thud that sent shockwaves through the ground, the monstrous form collapsed, unconscious, into the swirling mist.

Larry stumbled back, the injector clattering to the ground. Relief flooded through him in a dizzying wave. They had done it. They had subdued Tanner. But with the relief came a fresh wave of trepidation.

He knelt beside the unconscious form, his hand hovering hesitantly over its chest. The monstrous transformation was gone, replaced by a pale imitation of his friend. Larry felt a pang of sorrow, a reminder of what the infection had stolen.

"Is he dead?" Yumi's voice, strained and worried, broke the silence.

Larry shook his head, relieved. "No, he's unconscious. The sedative worked."

Nick, groaning in pain, picked himself up. "Thank goodness. For a second there, I thought I was a goner."

Isaac knelt beside Larry, eyeing the unconscious Tanner with a mixture of hope and unease. "What now?" he asked.

Larry looked towards Yumi, who was already rushing back towards the shelter. "We need to get him back before the sedative wears off. Maybe then, we can figure out how to... how to save him."

The journey back was fraught with nervous tension. They carried the unconscious Tanner, his monstrous form now strangely inert, back to the shelter. The mist seemed to cling to them, a silent witness to their desperate gamble.

As they secured Tanner to a makeshift cot, Yumi began examining him with a grim expression. "His vitals are stable, but... something's not right. The infection is still there, but it seems to be... fighting with itself."

Larry's head spun. Yumi's words hung in the air, heavy and confusing. Fighting itself? Did that mean there was a chance? A sliver of hope flickered within him, fragile but persistent.

Days turned into a blur of activity. They monitored Tanner's condition constantly, tending to his basic needs while Yumi poured over salvaged medical journals, searching for any information that could help. Isaac and Nick maintained a perimeter around the shelter, their faces etched with concern.

One morning, Larry awoke to a different sound - a low, rhythmic rasp coming from Tanner's cot. He rushed over, his heart pounding. Tanner's eyes fluttered open, a sliver of confusion giving way to recognition.

"Larry?" His voice was weak, a mere rasp.

Larry choked back a sob, relief washing over him in a tidal wave. "Tanner! You're awake!"

A ghost of a smile played on Tanner's lips. "What... what happened?"

Larry explained everything, the infection, their desperate escape, and the gamble they took to save him. Tanner listened intently, his red-rimmed eyes reflecting a mix of pain and gratitude.

As Larry finished, a wave of exhaustion washed over Tanner. His eyes drooped, his breathing becoming shallow. Panic seized Larry.

"Tanner? No! Stay awake!"

Yumi rushed over, her brow furrowed. "He's pushing his body too hard. The infection took a toll, and the sedative is still having an effect."

Yumi quickly prepped a rehydrating solution, administering it through a makeshift IV. Tanner's breathing eased slightly, but his eyes remained closed.

"He'll be okay," Yumi said gently, placing a hand on Larry's shoulder. "The fight seems to be... stabilizing. But it will take time for him to fully recover."

Larry nodded, a wave of exhaustion crashing down on him. He hadn't realized how much tension he had been holding in until that moment. He sank to a chair beside Tanner's cot, his eyes blurring with fatigue.

Despite Yumi's reassurance, a sliver of fear remained. The infection's fight with itself remained an unknown variable. But as he watched Tanner's chest rise and fall with each shallow breath, a wave of peace washed over him. His friend was alive, and that was all that mattered, for now.

Just as sleep began to claim him, a weak voice cut through the silence.

"Thanks, Larry." Tanner's voice was barely a whisper, but the gratitude in it resonated deeply.

Larry offered a weak smile. "Anytime, buddy. Now get some rest."

With a small sigh, Tanner closed his eyes, his breathing finally falling into a steady rhythm. Larry allowed himself to succumb to sleep.