Save yourself, I'll hold them back...for now

I'll Let You Down

So this was it, I was in a group. I hadn't intended to join but it would have been rude to reject the offer. Maybe I'd just do my usual of come for the supplies then leave a.s.a.p.

We'd been walking for perhaps an hour or so before we reached a small area that I'd assume was their camp. It was made up of a few circus tents, it was quiet though quite obvious that it was a bigger group than I had originally thought. The group I had met by accident were out scouting for supplies for the rest of their group rather than just looking for supplies for themselves.

Mikey and Ray walked off into one of the tents, and James into another, Bob wandering off in general leaving me with Gerard. He seemed like a nice person, I was about to speak but was stopped as someone shouted over "Hey Gee, you're back!" Interesting nickname there. It was a young woman with black hair, she hugged Gerard while I stood awkwardly staring at my feet because it's always super awkward in my mind to look at people when they hug. I mean they could think you're weird for watching or get offended. Who knows, I just don't like it.

I think at that point Gerard noticed my awkwardness, he pulled away from the hug and looked at me. "Frank, this is Lindsey. She brought me and Mikey to the group a long while back." He turned his attention to her, "this is Frank. We found him..well he found us. He fell on me." She just looked at me, I was once again being judged, I didn't think I was that odd. She smiled a little before turning back to Gerard, "cool. Anyyyway, I'm glad you guys made it back okay. I gotta go on check on Bert, he's getting worse. I don't think he's gonna last much longer." At that point she walked off into the tent Mikey and Ray had entered only a short time before. 

Gerard's expression had seemed to have become a look of worry. "Are you okay?" I asked him, he forced a smile onto his face nodding before grabbing my arm and dragging me off to one of the many tents. This tent was smaller than the others, filled by a few camping beds with a small table in the centre covered in random objects. He sat down on one of the beds, moving three or four sketchbooks onto the floor before patting the bed next to him. "Sit down," I did as told.

"So Frank, tell me more about yourself. Like what did you do before all this? Were you in a group before? Anything at all." I started messing with my hands thinking of which parts to explain. I didn't want to mention certain things because I was not one to crave sympathy though other than the negatives there was not really that much to speak of. "Well erm I used to be in a punk rock band. I played the guitar..." He grinned like a little kid being shown a puppy, oh man I love dogs. I want a dog. At some point I shall find a dog and nobody will be able to stop me from keeping it. Anyyyway.. "I'd never really joined a group. Not my kinda thing in all honesty. Too much responsibility." Gerard didn't care about that, he was still grinning as before "what bands you like Frankie?" I looked down, my mom used to call me that I shook off the thought. "Like Black Flag, Misfits, Against Me! The Smiths.. Stuff like that.." He seemed so excited to learn about all of this, "so you like Morrissey?" I nodded, "that's rad Frank! So do I." I smiled, maybe this group thing wouldn't be too bad.

This was the moment I noticed Gerard was staring at me with heart eyes, oh god had he just decided to develop a crush on me? Oh man, like dude I ain't gay if that's what you're thinking. I wasn't gonna tell him that though, not right now. He was too happy and smiley, I didn't want to ruin his mood. Could get me kicked out too. Don't want that to happen, I'd quite like to sleep. Speaking of sleep, I was tired. Very tired, so tired that I yawned in fact causing Gerard to let out a small giggle. "Sleepy?" I just nodded, he nodded also "thought so. You can sleep on this bed, we'll try find you your own at some point. But for now you can have mine" at that he got up. "Thank you." I was too tired to refuse his bed so I moved so laying down, drifting off rather quickly.

I don't know what Gerard did while I slept, whether he sat watching me or went off to do something, perhaps he went to see that Bert dude, perhaps I'll never know. I'm also unsure how well I slept, if I had a nightmare I do not remember. What I do remember was the factor of waking up to be surrounded by both familiar and unfamiliar faces. I was being shook awake by Mikey.

"Frank..yo- Frank are you okay..?" I was confused, I looked between each of the faces in front of me. Mikey was there, Bob was there, all the others were not familiar to me. I tried to sit up a little but was unable, what had happened? "What's going on?" This was a question for anyone in the room, I could feel the gaze of each of those in the room burning through me.

Gerard burst into the room, pushing past everyone. "Leave him alone, you don't all need to stand staring at him. It ain't gonna do anything." At that, many of those who had been stood around the bed left the tent. "Please, someone explain the situation?" I noticed Mikey bite his lip, Bob began to speak "you must have had a nightmare or something cause dude you were freaking. You were shouting, lashing out, sweating like mad. You were gonna attract biters. We had to do something." "Right."

I tried to sit up again, but once again I failed feeling a sharp pain in my side, whimpering as to not make too much of a sound. "Frank you're bleeding.." I moved my hand to where the pain had been. I looked at my hand, it was now covered in blood. Fuck. Had I been bitten or something? Wait..no, I had forgotten to remove the small knife I had hidden below my shirt earlier when I had decided to sleep. I moved the thin blanket off of me, the knife still piercing my side. I pulled it away, dropping it onto the floor and closing my eyes tight.

The next thing I knew I was in a different tent, a mass of bandages wrapped around me.

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So that's another chapter, I apologise if it's shitty and that its rather short but I just wanted to do a quick update.