The tentsion in the room was thick. Half the group was ready to bolt if Joakim turned right then and there, the other half ready with their weapons to defend. The only one brave enough to get close to the sick gamer was Zoey, who patted his back while he shook underneath blankets the redhead insisted he have. His forehead was burning, but Joakim insisted he was freezing.
Joakim nor Zoey slept a wink that night. Zoey volunteered to be guard to watch Joakim, her weapon ready in her hands but not from any intruders. Lewis had given her warnings when everything was thrown into choas because of Joakim. It was dangerous to keep a bitten member with them; she knew this well. But she wasn't ready to say goodbye yet.
A few hours after everyone had fallen asleep, Joakim seemed to get worse. Zoey saw him stir, so she patted his back, awakening him. He looked around in confusion.
"W-where are we?" Joakim asked, breathing heavily. "I-It's so dark...."
"We're in an office building," Zoey said, tears gathering in her eyes. "It's okay, Rythian. Everything will be fine."
Joakim nodded at her, but didn't go to sleep. His fever had gone up, and he kept repeating questions. His arms and legs would twitch every now and then, and he said that he couldn't feel certain places, such as where his wound was. It had all gone numb. He eventually fell asleep, although it didn't look quite peaceful with the sweat dripping from his forehead and the occasional twitch.
Zoey didn't once fall asleep. Even when Joakim seemed stable for a moment, she didn't close her eyes. She wasn't even tired. The shock of this situation, her best friend dying, was enough to make her awake for years.
The morning light that seeped into the building's windows told her it was morning. She slowly got everyone up and awake, and tried to force Joakim to eat. He kept forgetting where they were, and sometimes even forgot her and others' names. It was disturbing, and it shook her to the core. The jerky movements his arms and legs would do every now and then just added to the morbidness.
Lewis passed out food for everyone, and then looked over the supplies. They were running dangerously low on food and water, considering they lost a few precious bags of supplies back at the bar. Joakim did a wonderful thing though, sacrificing himself for the health of others. It was a heroic thing, and Lewis couldn't help let him mind wander to the others. The others who they had lost, who had died in front of them. It hurt. A lot.
Taking a deep breath and pushing back tears, Lewis began packing up the supplies.
"We're going to need to leave soon. Our supplies are running low," Lewis announced. "We're going to need to move on. But first," His eyes wandered to Joakim and Zoey. "Is he going to be able to make it?"
Zoey looked at Joakim, which noticed had gotten a lot more paler through the night. She hooked her arm with his, and started to help him up. Not even an inch off the ground, Joakim's knees buckled underneath him and he fell to the ground with a groan.
"Come on, Rythian," Zoey said urgently. "You need to get up. We're leaving now."
Joakim didn't respond. Zoey pressed her ear up against his chest and heard his heartbeat..... faintly. It had slowed considerably. His breathing had slowed, too.
"Rythian," She said loudly, making him open his eyes slightly. "Can you feel anything?"
He looked at her with slight confusion as he shook his head. His eyes closed again, but he didn't stop breathing.
"Rythian," Zoey said sternly. "Get up. Get up now, Rythian. You're fine, you will be. Get up!" She shook his shoulder, which only made the other groan and his head shift slightly.
