Where are you going?

Chapter 14

Colby's POV

"So, Colby, do you have any idea where the friend of yours is?" she asked while cleaning everything she probably was going to use. The hospital didn't smell great, but then again, I never really think hospitals were great. "You know, I would like to believe I do, but to be real, I have no fucking clue". I was being honest with her because I didn't see any harm in telling her, I mean, I was practically trusting her with my life the way I just laid on the hospital bed and let her stich me up. And It was sad and frustrating that I had no clue where Sam was, but I knew he was still alive, he had to be. I honestly just wanted to get this over with and maybe sleep a little. I thought about how amazing of a sleep I could get in this bed while taking of my shirt to look at the wound. "Then where do you know him from, tell me about him.". She was sterilizing when she started asking, but she turned around now and looked instantly at me. I saw her eyes went over my body, over my tattoos and over the wound. "I met him in Kansas actually, yeah, we met in band-camp. Damn haven't said that in a long time.". Her eyes then went straight to mine and she kept them there when she asked to know more. I felt her touch when she started taking the bandage off, and a weird tension was in the room while she was examining the wound. She was so precise and concentrated while she also seemed generally interested in what I had to say about Sam. Her arm was on my thigh for support, and honestly, I didn't mind that at all. She honestly made me feel better about everything even though everything seemed so very dark and full of terror. Her warm brown eyes met mine when she was done and had the bullet beside her. The wound was stitched up, but I felt nothing in the action. It hurt now though, a lot, but she then grabbed some water and a sandwich I suppose she had from the car. "Thanks. Is it bad." I asked after grabbing the food and taking a bite. "No, you were lucky you know. The bullet almost just scratched you and ended up not being deep in at all.". even her words made me feel more confident at this point and I felt a good feeling about this. I trusted her in way now, I hope she did as well. "How did it happen? If you don't mind telling me of course.". I knew she would have to ask that, but I never thought about how to answer her. I honestly didn't want anything to do with what happened or what I saw. I just wanted far away from home and find Sam. "Just a long story, ya know.". I looked away to find my shirt laying on the floor and at my sandwich again. She felt uncomfortable for a minute but brushed it off. I didn't want her to feel uncomfortable around me, but that question just wasn't a favorite of mine. "I understand. We should probably go back to the car, so you can lay there. We're not safe out here.". She looked away now as well and cleaned herself by the sink. When she came back, she handed me my t-shirt and helped me with taking it on. Her cool fingers brushed my skin a couple of times, but I don't think she noticed. Her eyes were still so clear to me and full of the many brown nuances I noticed the first time I met her. "Colby, I'm sorry I asked about it, it's not in my pla...". "It's fine, I'm thankful for your help, seriously." I said before she could go on.

I was now in the car, leaned back in the seat trying to get some sleep but her presence made me wanna be awake, like I wanted to know if she was okay. I wanted to keep talking to her, and not like when we talked when she was distracting me from the pain at the hospital but a real conversation. I felt her eyes at me after she parked the car. I only fell asleep as soon as I knew she was and then I actually slept pretty well, or at least for a while. I still remembered the party and the many screams, the blood and the creatures creeping up. It was scary to think about and I was awake when it was around 7 am. I looked around for a second to realize this was reality. I guess I already had adapted to all of this, but I still didn't know the outcome and it scared me to death. Julia was still asleep when I woke up and she seemed unbothered. She was laying on her side towards me, and I could see her relaxed face, Her beautiful features, and her dark hair. Her breathing was so slow, and she looked so innocent right there. Her skin was tan yet looked so fragile, and I almost wanted to touch it, like it was some sort of shining thing. She was a shining thing though, and I still didn't know how she had the balls to trust me, but I made sure she could. I couldn't stop looking at her and I brought my hand up to her, to brush some hair away from her face. I guess it was an excuse to feel her cold skin. I was worried she was getting sick, but maybe it was me who was warm from the operation of the wound. I stopped looking after that and went back to the dogs to check on them. While I walked them and fed them, I never left the thought of Julia. I couldn't stop thinking about what happened after I left her at the motel, or what could've happened to her if I didn't come. I would say, she was pretty strong herself but that son of a bitch who tried to... you know, I just would never let that happen to her. Like, I could see that she seemed fine, but she also seemed to be ignoring what happened. Good thing was, that she didn't have any bruises and she is sleeping safely in the car just a few feet away from me. I didn't even notice I constantly was thinking about her og how she felt, I guess i was used to meet different types of girls than her. She was more real than all the others. That left me to look at the dogs again and look at Kiwi again. That dog reminded me of something, or of someone. It was right on the tip of my tongue when I heard Julia's voice from the car. Her voice seemed so scared but she wasn't awake when I was by her side. I had opened the door to see her. The dogs were now in the backseats again and they noticed too. She didn't look the same as when I woke up, and she looked terrified of something I couldn't control. I touched her forehead, but she didn't seem warm, the opposite actually. I grabbed her hand and shoulder to shake them but she didn't wake up. She whimpered a little and her voice rang through me. Her voice was so beautiful but this voice didn't seem happy at all. I needed to get myself together, because she was stronger than what I was talking about, and it almost sounded like I was concerned about her, which I shouldn't be. I shouldn't even care about her like that, I barely even knew her. "Julia, wake up! Julia, it's just a bad dream! Julia!". I was shaking her until her eyes slowly opened and I saw them again. She honestly looked so young and confused when I met her eyes and she looked at me. I was concentrating on her, and I didn't even realize I was so close to her with my hands touching her, and It felt like the tension would explode I didn't stop. And so I broke the touch and moved back while handing her some water. She looked scared for a moment and stressed out but I guess the water helped a lot. Her rose lips met the tip of the bottle and swallowed the cold water. I saw how her eyes lit up, but then they were at my own and found out I had been starring. "Fucking Christ, should I be concerned about your staring problem, Kansas boy?". It was funny when she called me that, people who find out I'm from Kansas will also begin to call me that. "naah, don't worry. should I be concerned about you starring at half-sleeping people though?" I answered back, and she had the reaction I was looking for. Her eyes were kept into my own and her entire body froze for a second before she started to think of a comeback. I noticed the sweat and how worn out she was from that bad dream. "You know, I was just making sure you weren't dying from what I put in your sandwich.". I laughed at that, mostly because she looked so cocky while saying that but I also saw her look like she knew what I was talking about, and she thought I was asleep the whole time. I liked this girl, didn't care if I couldn't trust her, because I honestly had no choice. I went back to shotgun and settled down while letting her drink some more water to relax. I went back towards Shaely and Kiwi who seemed entertained. I stroked Shaely and felt her slow breathing while asking talking to Julia, but she didn't want to talk about the dream though. "Wow, she seems to like you. You're lucky, she's is not comfortable with most people. Have you walked both!?" She sounded surprised but also kinda scared, but I showed her that everything went fine while she was sleeping.". "Cool. Stealing my dogs and leaving me to die. Did you put something in the water as well?". "Relax, we only went like 10 feet away from the car and I had an eye over you, to make sure you weren't getting eaten by the zombies.". that sounded weird and very unrealistic and she realized that as well, but I did mean it. I don't even know what to call them anymore, and I'm tired of ignoring them. "oh, and you say I stare at sleeping people.". "Shut up.". She smiled at me before steeping outside of the car and walking away from it. She was still wearing the black pair of jeans and a black hoodie but it was covered in mud and blood, which I saw she didn't mind. Maybe we needed to find somewhere safer and perhaps some proper clothes and a shower. Her long har almost reached the top of her butt and her sleeves were a little too long for her. I noticed she wasn't wearing any shoes and saw the shoes laying by the speed pedal. It looked like she was freezing from the way her shoulders went up and she wrapped her arms around herself. I saw her thinking in quietness and looking around for a second before looking back at me, who was walking towards her now. "So, what's the plan, Colby?". I thought about that for a second and remembered what I was thinking about this morning. "I don't know.". "You told me people were going crazy downtown, what did you mean by that?". I really hoped she wouldn't ask, mostly because I didn't want her to be freaked out. She was looking into the distant while leaning her back against the car, and so I did the same even though I was sitting on it more than leaning on to it. "Yeah, I mean police isn't coming, Julia. And so gangs and shit are taking over. I mean, probably good people too, but I don't trust anyone.". I first realized what I had just said when Julia looked concerned back at me. "Do you trust me?". Her voice was shaky and her eyes were a little heavier at that point. "Yeah, I do. I just don't trust anyone else.". "This is so crazy, Colby. It's horrible and scary, but I'm glad I met you. I don't know what would happen to me if... if you didn't come back yesterday at the motel.". I didn't know she was hinting to yesterday, but I was happy that she was opening up a little. "Hey, I'm happy I met you too. I mean... thank you for everything, with the wound and so.". "Colby, we can't just live in this car until we drive by Sam or Violette, and we are running out of food and water. I really wanna look after a place to stay and maybe a visit to a store or something.". I understood her, but it was risky for us to drive downtown. I still remembered the groups of people destroying everything in their way and nobody doing anything. I looked away for a moment and tried to figure out the plan. "I'm driving, and we can look for something private before stopping by a store of some sort.". "Good, but I need to check your wound before we leave, I need to know how it's going.". she walked back in the car and grabbed some gloves and sterilizing pads. "Of course, but then we're leaving."

It happened faster then I thought, and I was surprised by how it was looking. She said it was gonna take months for it to be 100% healed but the stiches weren't needed after a couple of weeks. It hurt but not as bad anymore, guess our conversation while I was driving helped me a lot, and it was interesting to hear about her life. I noticed sudden topics had their effects on her, and how New York was a long way from here, but she always felt at home with Shaely. Apparently, her parents were both doctors and were the reason she went to medical school after high school, but she was also secretly dancing a lot of the time and now she was in LA to pursue that dream of hers. I noticed how she looked away and down when talking about her parents but also how her face lit up when talking about Shaely, Violette and their trip to LA. "They should be happy for you, that you're pursuing your dream.". I looked at her for a second before turning my attention on the road again. "Yeah, I guess.". She was looking down and seemed sad for a second before she grabbed Kiwi and cuddled with him. Something weird came to my mind, a memory even, but I brushed it off because that couldn't be true. She literally just arrived in LA and only knew Violette. Yeah, besides, I couldn't think more about it when I pulled into the parking lot of target. People were here, but they seemed fine, even though they were all wearing gloves and masks and looked concerning around. Julia looked different at it than me, and almost jumped when seeing where we were. It looked like people were acting normal and actual paying for the stuff, and maybe I just saw one side of LA by the motel and perhaps I could go in there with Julia. I grabbed the loaded gun and hid it under my shirt on my back before stepping out of the car. I was thinking this situation through once more. I mean, I couldn't leave the car alone with Julia and the dogs, and I couldn't let Julia walk in alone, and I guess a stolen car is better than losing her. Wait, what? Colby, wtf are you talking about, I was thinking like Julia meant something to me. No, Julia is helping me out and I'm helping her, I guess the chemistry is just on point as well, but that doesn't mean i should let any feelings run over this weird situation. Maybe, she has a boyfriend, yeah, probably. My mind was running through all the emotions hitting me all the sudden, but Julia noticed luckily before it was killing me. "Are you coming or not?". She was ready and standing between a couple of parked cars in front of us with the sun light booming her face. "Yeah, sorry.". "Colby, I believe you about the gangs controlling the downtown, but this isn't that. People seem pretty normal.". "I know, but still. Just be aware." I was looking around for any danger, but I only found screaming kids and annoyed parents unlocking their family cars filled with more crying kids. I then felt someone touching my shoulder gently and looked at Julia's hand trying to comfort me. She succeeded, because the shaking I didn't even notices was happening disappeared and my breathing became slower when I felt her gently touch and the look in her eyes. "Don't worry, we just need some food and water."