Those Who Survive

It Will Still Be Okay

"Here they come." Jack takes a step back, raising his knife, poised to attack.

"Let me take the forefront," Mark demands, "Their bites won't turn me."

"Won't matter if they take your throat out," Jack grunts, "Don't be careless."

Mark nods and takes the more offensive position, "Still.. You have to be more careful than I do."

Jack frowns, but says nothing. The pack gets to them and Mark reacts first, driving his knife into the eye of the closest infected. He rips the knife out and Jack steps in, taking down the second. Mark holds one at arm's length by its shirt as it tries to bite his face, and he grabs the hair of one trying to go for Jack. Jack kills another one coming for him before turning and driving his blade into the skull of the one Mark's holding by the hair.

Mark has a free hand, but not fast enough as the infected he's been holding manages to pull Mark closer and sink its teeth into his shoulder. Mark screams and slams his knife into the side of its head as hard as he can. It takes two tries, one from Mark and one from Jack it finally dies, releasing him. Mark swears, turning back towards Jack in time for Jack to yell as the last infected barrels into him, knocking him to the ground.

Mark drops down, quickly shoving his hand between the infected and Jack, trying to pull it off his friend by the head. The infected bites down on Mark's hand and he cries out, pulling it back enough for Jack to finish it off. He tosses the dead body to the side and Jack's the first on his feet. He pulls Mark up and they run towards the road as a few more infected reach the trees where the pack had come from.

"Are you okay?" Mark asks, breathless as they run along the road.

"I'm fine," Jack huffs, glaring at Mark, "What you did was stupid reckless, I told you to be careful!"

Mark frowns, "And I told you it's safer if they bite me, because I won't turn. I saved your life, just say thank you!"

"I told you not to risk yourself like that!" Jack groans, "Why don't you listen to me?!"

"When did I not?" Mark scoffs, "I don't get why you're mad at me, we're both still alive! Wasn't that the goal?!"

"You're smart, but sometimes you're an idiot, you know that?" Jack shakes his head, "If that infected you were playing keep-away with had gotten you any closer, you'd be dead right now! That's my point, I told you not to risk yourself like that for that exact reason!"

"But I'm alive," Mark counters, looking at him, "And so are you. That is what matters. I was being careful, but I was also using my immunity to our advantage. Sure, if you had gotten bitten, my blood could have saved you, but I'd rather keep you bite free for as long as possible, Sean."

Jack frowns, but he says nothing else, and they fall into comfortable silence as they run for dear life, trying to catch up to their friends as quick as possible. Jack looks back at Mark, at the bite on his shoulder. It went clean through his thin windbreaker. They'll definitely need more warm clothing if they want to survive the winter on the road, which is what they might have to do.

He looks to Mark's bitten hand, it's bleeding, but otherwise doesn't look too bad. Mark catches him looking and he grins, "Don't worry, I'll patch myself up once we get back to the others."

Jack smiles softly back, but his eyes are sad, "You'll run out of luck at some point, you know. You can't keep being so reckless."

Mark nods, "Yeah, well, I'mma use it while I've got it."