The Changed Ones

Thirteen

Throughout the day, Sean began developing more symptoms. From a regular cough, to vomiting, to vomiting some more blood, the group immediately tried to help with medication, but nothing would work, he would just throw it all back up. It was the same ordeal when eating food.

Lucy went over to Jackie, who was beginning to get emotional as she knew what she was going to say.

"We've done all that we can..." Lucy explained. "The only thing we can do now is... Just hope for a miracle."
"There will be no miracle..." Jackie choked as she looked over at Sean, who was sleeping.
"Are you sure you don't want to leave yet?" She asked.
"I want to wait until the right time." Jackie answered.

Lucy then left her alone again. Jackie looked over at Sean, his skin was beginning to turn pale. She felt his forehead, there was no warmth. It was turning cold.

Sean must've felt her touch his forehead because he woke up. But he looked weaker than he did before.

"H-Hey..." Sean moaned.
"Hi Sean..." Jackie smiled at him, holding back tears.

Sean laid his head back against the wall.

"I feel really dizzy..." Sean moaned.
"I-I know..." Jackie nodded. "Y-You don't feel really warm anymore."
"I can feel everything shutting down on me." Sean admitted. "It hurts."

Tears suddenly began falling down Jackie's face. Hearing that Sean was in pain and hearing him say that he was basically dying was very overwhelming.

Everybody else gathered around in the area where Sean and Jackie were, as if they knew what was going to happen to him.

"I-I'm sorry Sean... We tried everything we could!" Jackie cried.
"Don't be sorry..." Sean moaned. "None of this is your fault. I just hope all of you guys can get out of here."
"It would be a lot better if you were with us." Jackie said.
"I'll be there with you, believe me." Sean moaned, smiling the best he could through the pain he was in.

Sean then slowly went into the pocket of his hoodie and pulled out a gun. Jackie's eyes widened.

"You know what you have to do next..." Sean whispered in her ear.
"I-I can't do it... Not yet." Jackie said.
"It's now or never..." Sean told her. "If you don't do it, I'm going to turn into one of those things, and I'll attack and do harm to you. I don't want to have to do that."

Jackie was thinking about it. As much as she didn't want to kill Sean, she also didn't want to see him turn into a zombie and go on a rampage trying to kill anybody else.

Jackie then thrusted her arms around Sean, sobbing uncontrollably, tears running down her cheeks like a fountain.

"I'm sorry I have to do this to you." Jackie cried.
"Don't be..." Sean said.
"I'm going to miss you so much..." She cried.
"Just know I'll always be with you in spirit." Sean responded.

Jackie then looked at Sean's living face one last time, giving him one last kiss before taking the gun from his hand. She then stood up and aimed the gun at his head. Her hands shaking uncontrollably, her heart racing as if it were going to explode. She stayed this way for a minute.

Finally, she put her finger on the trigger and she closed her eyes tightly.

Then, she fired.

She then lost all the feeling to her legs and fell over, sobbing uncontrollably. Marzia and Dayna were there to catch her. They both comforted her.

"Jackie..." Dayna choked, trying not to get emotional. "You did the right thing. The suffering is over."
"No..." Jackie cried. "It just began..."

Marzia and Dayna looked at each other, knowing that she was talking about herself. As Marzia looked around, she noticed flowers surrounding the indoor castle. She looked down at Jackie.

"There are some beautiful flowers hanging around that castle over there." Marzia told Jackie. "Maybe we can get them and put them around Sean's body?"

Jackie didn't say anything, she only nodded. The three of them went over to the castle, gathering up as many flowers as they could. Then, they went back over to Sean and surrounded his body with flowers, even putting some in his hand.

Jackie sat down next to his body, giving him a kiss on the cheek and laying her head on his shoulder, tears continuing to stroll down her cheeks.

"Jackie..." Lucy began, breaking the silence from the group. "I don't mean to be rude... But we should get going soon. Because eventually, his body will begin to decompose, and that's something the zombies are attracted to."
"I just wish we can bury him somewhere..." Jackie choked.
"I know... I do too..." Lucy agreed.

Jackie was silent for a moment.

"I don't want to go..." Jackie said. "Not yet..."

She thought Lucy would get mad at her but instead she walked away. Eventually, Jackie found herself closing her eyes and drifting off into a sleep.
---
Jackie opened her eyes. She was in an open field, surrounded by a field of flowers, she then looked in front of her, Sean was standing right there. They embraced each other tightly.

"I told you I was happy..." Sean smiled.
"I guess I can believe that now..." Jackie said.
"Now you know not to worry..." Sean continued. "I am at a better place, and we will always be together, even if I am not there."

Jackie nodded, letting out another tear. Sean then leaned in and kissed her forehead.
---
Jackie was suddenly woken up by Lily. She looked around, realizing she had fallen asleep next to Sean.

"Jackie... I'm sorry to say this, but we have to go." Lily said.

Jackie hesitated, but then she thought about the quick dream she had, and then stood up. She then took one last look at Sean.

"I love you..." She whispered to him.

Then, she left and met up with the rest of the group downstairs.

Sean was now nothing but a distant memory, seen only in her dreams.