Fragile Hearts [DANGEROUS FELLOWS]

⚠️THIRTY-THREE: WELCOME TO THE SAFE ZONE⚠️

Your warm welcome to the highly-anticipated Safe Zone was a wall of armed soldiers, all of them holding gigantic and lethal looking guns.

You felt your blood turn to ice as one of them raised their weapon, pointing it right at Lawrence.

"Halt," the man said in a gruff voice. Lawrence obeyed, coming to a stop, and holding out his arm for everyone else to do the same.

The soldiers were all lined up against a huge gate, made up of thick boards and wire fences and finished across the top with barbed wire that buzzed with electricity.

"Bet you could fry a hotdog on that thing," Zion muttered, forcing a laugh from you, which stuck in your throat as one of the soldiers gave you a sharp look.

There was a door in the middle of it, a steel door that was slightly rusted and looked like it had come straight from a war. The first soldier who had spoken to Lawrence said some code words you didn't understand into a walkie-talkie, and shortly after a woman came through the door, blue gloves on her hands and a surgical mask over her nose and mouth. A man also followed behind her, holding a clipboard.

She beckoned for Lawrence to step up, taking a small flashlight and shining it into his eyes.

"Looks intense," Zion said as she continued to examine him, and you could tell he was nervous. And it took you a minute to realize it wasn't for himself, but for Eugene.

"Clear," the woman said in a muffled voice, waving you forward. You went up to her, your stomach turning as she flashed the light in your eyes. Then she asked you to open your mouth, checking it as well, before lastly looking over your hands and fingers.

"Clear," she said again, and you blew out a breath of relief, joining Lawrence by the man with the clipboard. He was young, probably mid-twenties, with bright, cheerful eyes. He was like an actor straight from a zombie movie.

And as attractive as one, too.

"Name?" he asked you, pen in hand.

"(Y/n)," you told him quietly, and you couldn't help but to feel a little shy. It had been a while since you'd been around any other people except your friends. Not to mention his dazzling smile made you nervous.

"It fits you nicely," he said, scribbling it down. "Where are you coming from?"

"From the high school near the edge of the city," you said.

"All the way over there?" he asked in surprise. "Man, I guess you should never underestimate a girl who's cute."

You couldn't stop the blush that rushed to your cheeks.

"And what does this have to do with taking our names?" Lawrence interjected, suddenly right at your side.

The man put his hands up with a chuckle. "Relax, no need to be so feisty," he said. "I'm just trying to be friendly."

"Friendly," Lawrence scoffed under his breath. It seemed he didn't like this man one bit.

"Hold on," came the woman's muffled voice from behind you, different from her usual "clear." You turned around quickly, your heart dropping as you saw her examining Eugene. She was looking into his eyes intently, and his legs were shaking so hard you thought he would fold over right there.

"What's wrong?" you asked nervously, hurrying over to them.

"He's definitely got something bad," the woman said. "Was he bitten?"

You shook your head, watching worriedly as she took a walkie talkie off of her belt.

"We have one male here, ill. We'll keep him in holding," she said into it, and a voice replied, too staticky for you to hear. She tucked it back and then put a hand on your shoulder reassuringly.