Those Who Survive

Normality Is a Privilege Long Lost

What's this? A surprise update? Just a little gift so you'll go easy on me if I don't have updates ready next time I'm able to use the internet. Hope you enjoy, and please leave feedback, I'd love to know your thoughts.

...

Mark and Felix come back into the house and it's quiet. Nate's sitting on the couch in the living room by himself. Felix glances at Mark, "I'm going to check on Jack."

"Okay," Mark nods, "I'll get started on some dinner."

Felix nods back and walks off towards Jack's room. Mark walks over to Nate and smiles, "Wanna help me with dinner?"

Nate looks up and smiles softly back, "Sure."

He's sweating, and he grunts softly as he pushes himself to his feet. Mark moves to help him up, but he waves him back. Mark leads him to the kitchen, "You sure you're doing okay?"

Nate nods, wiping the sweat from his face, "I'm fine."

Mark frowns lightly, turning to him and pressing a hand to his forehead, "Nate, you're burning up."

His expression turns worried as Nate shakes his head. He pushes Mark's hand away, "I'm fine, Mark, really."

"You're not." Mark states, "It's cold in here and you're sweating, Nate. There's something wrong, are you getting sick?"

"I'm not infected," Nate grits his teeth, swaying lightly on his feet.

"That's not what I said," Mark sighs, leading Nate back towards the living room, "You need to sit down, I'll get Ken to take a look at you."

"No, I-I.." Nate groans, suddenly collapsing. Mark gasps and catches him, dragging him over to the couch. He lies him down on it, looking around. He's alone, so he turns and quickly crosses into Stephanie's room. She's awake and sitting in bed with Oliver in her hands. She smiles at Mark as Ken turns to him. Mark smiles softly back at her before his expression falls and he brings his attention back to Ken, "We have a problem."

Ken's eyes narrow lightly, "What is it?"

"Nate's sick, he's running a fever." Mark replies, "He collapsed just now, so I have him lying on the couch."

"Is he infected?" Ken asks, leaving the room.

"I don't know," Mark frowns, following him, "I don't think so."

Ken kneels by the couch and Nate looks at him through heavy lids, his breathing heavy. Ken frowns, looking him over. 

"I don't see any bites," he says.

"Wasn't bitten," Nate states, "I'm not infected."

"Could you have caught it some other way?" Ken asks.

"I don't think he's infected," Mark says, "Maybe it's just the gunshot wound acting up."

Ken nods, "Very well could be, but I had to ask."

"It's the wound," Nate grits his teeth, "Hurts like hell.."

"Have you been cleaning it regularly?" Ken asks.

"Not since you did it for me.." Nate winces.

Ken sighs, "That would do it. It's probably infected,"

He looks back at Mark, "Get the antibiotics from Jack, and get the first aid kit from the bathroom, too. I'm going to need to clean and redress his wound."

Mark nods, jogging over and entering Jack's room. He and Felix look over at him curiously.

"Where's the antibiotics you guys brought back?" Mark asks.

Jack frowns, pointing to his closet, "Top shelf, why?"

"Nate's wound is infected," Mark replies, going over and searching the shelves, "Can one of you get the first aid kit?"

"On it," Felix nods, running out of the room.

Jack steps off the bed, standing, "Is Nate going to be okay?"

"Probably," Mark sighs, "I hope."

He steps back, the small box of antibiotics in hand. Jack follows him out of the room and they meet Felix and Ken in the living room. Ken's already working on cleaning the wound and Felix is holding Nate down as he thrashes lightly from the pain. Mark brings the box over and they all spend the next hour helping Ken clean and dress Nate's wound. Nate's passed out by this point and Ken sighs, standing once it's all done. He turns back to the others, "He should be alright now, as long as he keeps it clean from here on out until it fully heals."

"Nate's going to be okay?" Stephanie's soft voice surprises them as she's standing in her bedroom doorway.

Everyone turns to her and Ken smiles, "He'll be okay."

She smiles in relief, "That's good."

"Glad to see you up and on your feet," Felix grins, "These guys were worried sick about you."

"And you weren't?" Jack chuckles.

"Course not," Felix laughs, "I fear nothing. I knew she'd be okay."

They all share a laugh and then Mark and Jack work on dinner while Felix goes back out to work on the fence a little more and Ken stays with Stephanie to help with Oliver since she just woke up a few hours prior. The rest of the night is quiet after that for the most part. Everyone settles in to bed, Ken bunks with Nate to make sure he sleeps through the night well and Felix sits in the living room, taking watch for the night. The fence they've been trying to build is terrible, none of them really know what they're doing with it, but they're trying.

He's worried it won't hold, even if they do manage to finish it. He could see the shadows in the trees when he was out by himself earlier. The infected are moving closer and closer with each passing day. It won't take long for the infected to notice them at this rate, and that worries him a lot. He knows no one wants to leave here, not after everything they've put into making this their home and everyone they've lost on the way to making life seem normal again.

All semblance of a world they all know doesn't exist, but they don't want to admit it. He's voiced his fears to Mark, but he's just about sure it's time to tell the others, too. He can see they won't be safe here for too much longer, especially with little Oliver now, and they have to leave soon if they don't want a repeat of what happened at Mary-Jane's house. And this house doesn't have a basement that they can unlock once they lock it. They'd be trapped, waiting to die, or killed by the infected that come to eat them. 

He sighs, running a hand through his hair, "I'll tell them everything in the morning."