A/N: I wrote this sometime last year after I had finished reading World War Z. This part of Todd Wainio's story really interested me. I tried to retell the story in a more intimate way. I don't know if I succeeded or not.
During the war winter grew longer and colder. It was snowing the day I lost my partner. I remember what she said to me that morning before we continued our mission. She gave me a cocky smirk, and as she was holstering her gun she said, "Try to keep up with me, Tiger." "Tiger", I hated that nickname. Reminded me too much of the "Flies." I never told her, though. We all needed to have a certain level of human familiarity. Figured I'd let her keep that.
During the winter we didn't have to worry about Zack. Of course we'd have to go back and take care of them after the temp drops. But for those several months out of the year we didn't have to worry about it. It's the ferals you have to look out for. Feral dogs were easier to deal with. You could predict their movements. It's the Flies that got you. F-Lions they're called. They were hunters. They waited, observed you, and then when they have you right where they want you they attack.
She had a run in with a feral the day she died. We were scouting the area. She went into a dilapidated building, told me to wait outside and guard the perimeter. I heard the howl of an F-Hound. I called for her to come back. The feral lunged at her. I remember her shouting to me, "Stay there! I got this!" I watched as she hit the dog with the butt of her rifle, then aimed and fired. I don't know if she hit it or not, because almost directly after she made the shot the reverberation of the gun shot must have shook the foundation, and made the roof cave in on top of her. I watched it all happen. Sometimes I can close my eyes and see it happening again in slow motion.
Out of everything that I saw in the war, this was the most devastating. She and I . . . we were close. We never did anything about it, though. I guess we thought that would make it "official." I guess we thought it would make it easier in case something happened to one of us. It didn't work.
[He exhales a long breath as he stares into the distance.]
She was a special one.