I got a review requesting another Jake. So, here it is.

Jake

Two days have passed since Jake rescued the newborn, Adam, from being taken by the stranger in the woods. In his hurry to escape the undead, he had luckily come across a cabin surrounded by military vehicles. Having gone inside to seek help, he was met with the reanimated corpses of the soldiers who were there before. With no place else to go, the outside being swarmed with Walkers, and the first level of the cabin containing Walkers, he retreated to the second level, which was isolated due to the destruction of the stairs.

Once upstairs, he cleared the second level, making sure no Walkers or other hostiles were there. Instead of finding Walkers, he was amazed to see a large stockpile of supplies; food, water, guns, ammo, gasoline, medical supplies, and a myriad of other useful supplies. Since his entering the home, he had systematically killed all the Walkers on the lower level, and had regained access to the first level.

For now, Jake stayed upstairs, tending to the newborn, making sure he was fed and changed, clean and healthy. The baby's mother, whose name Jake did not know, had collected enough baby supplies to last at least a month, a month in a half if Jake rationed the supplies.

Jake was now in the supply room, cataloging everything he had stumbled across while Adam was sleeping in the next room. So far he had counted over 100 cans of food, 62 bottles of water, both unopened and refilled, and six bags of medical supplies, including bandages, tape, stitching tools, even antibiotics.

Jake finished counting the last of the antibiotics; altogether, he had twenty-seven different regimens, from weak to powerful. He next went over to the jugs of gasoline, and sat down in front of them. There were seven in all. He had not yet seen how much gas there was in the jugs, but hoped there was plenty. He grabbed the jug closest to him, finding it to be empty. He sighed in annoyance, putting it behind him.

Reaching for the next jug, he was glad to see that it was heavy, full to the top. He opened the top, and smelled the inside of it. It wreaked of gasoline. He closed the jug, and wrote down how much was in the jug, and pushed it to the side. He grabbed the next jug; this one wasn't as full as the other, but still had a good amount, at least 3/4 of the way full. He opened it, to see if the contents were really gasoline. He took a sniff; it was gasoline.

Jake remembered back a few months. After he lost his brother, Jake had found a car, but had needed gasoline to drive it. He risked his life to acquire a jug that someone had dropped in the street. Imagine his surprise when he tried filling up the car, only to find water, not gasoline, pouring out the jug. He ended up abandoning the car and losing the water.

After checking the sixth jug, this one also containing gasoline, he went to check the seventh. He stopped when he heard the baby crying.

Jake stood up and exited the room. He headed to the room he and the baby had been staying in, finding him crying on the crouch. He went to Adam, picking him up as carefully as possible. He knew how to take care of a crying baby; he had help raise his baby brother, bathing him, changing him, feeding him. He knew how to take care of baby.

Jake remembered his older brother, and wondered if he was still alive. He hoped he was. Maybe he was traveling, like him, just trying to survive. He wanted to say to himself that his older brother was alive, that they would meet one day in the future, be reunited, but he didn't. Partially because he didn't believe it would happen. Partially because he didn't want to sound cheesy.

Even if he did find him, he didn't know if he could face him. He was supposed to protect their baby brother, and he failed. Part of him never wanted to see him again, so he wouldn't have to look him in the eyes. Tell him how he failed.

Pushing his brothers out of his mind, Jake walked over to the baby bag he had taken from Adam's mother. It was a good thing she had that bag; while the supplies that Jake stumbled upon were a godsend for him, they wouldn't do much good for a newborn baby. There was no formula, no diapers, no wipes. Nothing for babies.

He picked it up and brought it to the couch. He sat down, and began rummaging through the bag with his free hand. He took out a baby bottle, one the newborn started on, but had not yet finished. He brought the nipple to Adam's mouth, who immediately began suckling.

Jake watched as Adam drank from the bottle. He could feel a tear rolling down his cheek as he remembered feeding his baby brother. He could feel his hands began to shake from thinking about it. "You know," Jake said softly, "I had baby brother. He's gone now. In a better place, I think."

Adam didn't respond, though Jake didn't expect him to. "My father died about ten years ago. I was thirteen then. My mother died five years ago. March 31st, 2006. Died giving birth to-" Jake stopped. He tried saying his brothers name again, but found himself unable to do so.

Jake felt the bottle being pushed away, and looked down at Adam. The bottle was empty, Adam probably annoyed at sucking and not getting anything.

Jake put the bottle aside and lifted the baby to his shoulder. He began patting his back. As he patted him, he wondered why he couldn't say his baby brother's name. He tried to remember when he last said his name. It was the day he died.

He heard Adam burp, then gently rocked him back and forth. He wanted him to fall asleep, so he could get back to work finding out what he had. For now, he rocked the baby gently. He recalled a lullaby he would sing to his brother, in order to help him get to sleep.

"Hush little baby, don't you fear."
"You have your big brother right here."
"I will protect you, here on out."
"Now please, be quiet and don't pout."

When he finished singing, he looked at Adam, finding him to be fast asleep. Jake smiled, and stood up. He placed the sleeping baby back on the couch, then backed away silently. He felt another tear rolling down his cheek, and wiped it away. He walked out of the room, the smile fading away.

Jake walked back to the supply room, and sat back down in front of the jugs of gas. He looked at his book. 188 gallons. That's how much gasoline he had. He grabbed the last jug. This one was full as well. He opened the top, and took a sniff. It was gasoline. It was strange. For some reason, he expected to find water in that last jug.

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