Chapter 36: Toy

Disclaimer: I do not own Left 4 Dead 1 or 2

Once Ellis was up and active, they set out, Ark taking his usual stance to sniff out various items, Sion walking behind him. Since their weaponry had taken a hit from the crash and were practically useless or missing, they were stuck using the weapons that they could find, which sad to say, wasn't much.

" At least these backwater people out here knew to stock extra ammunition for their shotguns..." Nick grumbled, reloading the shotgun he found, Rochelle sighing.

" For once, I'm in agreement with Nick." Rochelle said, stepping over a body. " This place is... creeping me out. I'm grateful for the extra ammunition."

Matthew let out a soft noise, walking with his head down, gingerly stepping around bodies. " Hey, zombies aren't on the ground unless they're dead, keep your head up." Nick said to him, Matthew lifting his head softly.

" M' sorry, it's jus' that I knew most of these people..." he said softly, watching a common get gunned down. " It hurts t' see them all like this, knowing that I'm the only one out of all of them who knows who I am."

Rochelle let out a soft noise, gently touching Matthew's shoulder. ' I'm sorry, Matthew... this must have been a wonderful place before the infection came here."

Matthew gave her a gentle smile, nodding. " It was... but we gotta keep moving." he said, wiping at his face before moving on. Ark couldn't help but admire Matthew's strong will, if he had seen infected versions of Zoey and the others... he would be bawling his head off trying to get them to respond to him. Turning to focus back on the situation, he made a noise and broke off from the trail, having smelled alcohol. It wasn't like he was expecting to find Francis at the end of it, but past experience told him that any alcohol bottles can be used to make Molotovs.

Creeping into a house, he stepped past a torn up body to find a already prepared Molotov, tilting his head curiously before picking it up, finding a few other discarded alcohol bottles, bringing them back. Coach looked pleased with his find, but it still left him wondering where on earth the Molotov had come from in the first place.

He decided to let it go for now, focusing on the task at hand, sitting in a crouching position as Coach examined the ferry system. " Well, it's on the other side... we'll have to bring it over here." The bigger man said, sighing.

" Why is it never on the side we NEED it on?" Nick snapped, glaring at the ferry on the other side as if his current hatred of it would make it move. " I swear, every time we need to move something or call something to us, it's somewhere we DON'T need it to be! Someone clearly gets off on fucking with us like this."

Rochelle put her hands on her hips. " If your griping was energy, the ferry would have been here and back a dozen times and you'd still have enough energy left to face a Tank."

" What can I say, it keeps going and going and going..." Nick bounced back quickly, Coach covering his face and groaning again, Matthew walking over to the lever and pulling it with a little effort, everyone looking at him when the sound rose to a noticeable level and the horde cried out.

" What? We gotta get across anyhow, might as well get it over with." Matthew said, gearing up to fight.

" Man's gotta point, let's get this show on the road!" Coach said, turning to face the horde while Nick gave the Spitter a death glare.

Once the horde had been mopped up, having extra hands made the fight easier, the group stumbled on their newest dilemma. With the size of their group, it would be hard to fit everyone on at once. " Well if this isn't a fine..." Sion began, looking at the small ferry. " I'm not starting a damn horde again to make two trips..."

Matthew thought on it. " I know how Ark can get across..." he said, pointing at the top of the ferry. " 'bout halfway there, he can leap on top and then leap to the other shore. S' better than trying to leap the whole thing."

" That's all well and good, but how are you and I going to get across?" Sion said, pointing across the river. " Smokers and Spitters aren't exactly renowned for their jumping talents."

" Maybe you could use your tongue somehow?" Matthew asked. " Snag a branch on the other side and leap across?"

" Physics and gravity say otherwise, I'd be treading water, and who knows what's in there." Sion said, opening his mouth and letting his tongue come out a bit. " Besides, some of the branches over there don't look stable."

" If we all stand or sit on the benches, we could fit more people..." Ellis interjected into the conversation. " It was meant to take small tours across the river, so we could manage it... dunno on how much weight the rickety thing could hold though..."

Matthew looked at Ellis, smiling. " It's okay, we'll manage. You guys take it across and then send it back, we'll be fine. Besides, we just mopped up some... ain't like these guys respawn for a repeat appearance."

Coach nodded, getting on the ferry, Ellis laying on the bench. " We'll send it back across, just be careful until it comes back."

Rochelle and Nick boarded as well, Chad looking hesitant before getting on as well, the ferry taking them across slowly. Ark stayed put, not wanting to snap a cable or something by leaping onto the ferry, watching the group as they went across.

" Think they'll send it back for us?" He asked, looking up at Sion, who nodded.

" I trust Coach to keep his word." Sion said, squinting his eyes. " We have to trust each other, it's the only way for humans and us infected to build any sort of bond."

" I get what y' two are sayin, but could ya do it in English please?" Matthew asked, cleaning one ear out. " I can't really speak all that infected mumbo-jumbo."

Sion nodded softly. " We'll try to speak normal, okay?" he said softly.

Matthew jumped slightly as the ferry came back, creaking slowly as it progressed towards them, all three infected silently getting on the ferry. Once they got across, Ellis cheerfully greeted them, Sion managing a smile.

" Let's hurry along." Coach said, gesturing to the walkways. " Make sure everyone watches their step."

" You should go last Coach..." Nick said, walking past him. " You know, make sure everyone's safe by making sure the rear is guarded. Not to mention if the walkway falls, we'll already be across." he added at the end, Coach letting out a disapproving snort.

" Shouldn't the ass be guarding the rear? After all, it's the same?" Sion said with a cocky grin, Nick shooting him a nasty glare while Ellis and Ark snickered together.

" Actually, can we rest for a while in that last house?" Matthew said suddenly, pointing out a nearby home. " It's gonna rain soon, and those walkways aren't stable when they're wet."

Coach had been about to ask why, but seeing Matthew's face made him sigh. " Alright, we'll camp in there until the rain get's light or it stops. No reason to put ourselves in further danger." he finally agreed. Upon reaching the house, everyone filed in, Matthew going into the back room and then leaving, mumbling faintly about going to rest outside.

"What is he, bipolar? Wanted to go inside to avoid the rain, going back outside like an indecisive mutt that doesn't know if he wants in or out?" Nick asked, looking around. " And to top it off, why is he going right back outside? He was so damn eager to get in here... " He seemed to run out of steam for arguing, instead walking off to go search for supplies inside the house.

Rochelle shrugged. " I don't know, he took a similar hit to me in the helicopter, perhaps his headache hasn't gone away? " she offered just to try and soothe Nick, Ellis getting up and grabbing his shotgun.

" Well, we've all got our reasons, but I'm gonna keep him company while he rests, k?" Ellis said, going outside, moving quickly to go look for him. "Ain't no point in getting snagged for stupid reasons."

" Enjoy your redneck bonding." Nick said dryly, turning back to cleaning out his pistols, having found nothing of interest. Sion and Ark just exchanged glances and sat there in silence, watching the scenery as Ellis searched for Matthew outside.

" Do you think something happened?" Ark asked Sion quietly. " Matthew was pale when he left..."

Sion gently patted Ark's head. " Sometimes... things need to be done that you can't let anyone else see." he said, casting a glance at the furthest room, gently extending his tongue, snaring the doorknob and closing the door.

" Matthew!" Ellis called, trying to be quiet. " Matthew, where are ya? Christ, don't tell me ya got snagged when nobody was lookin..." he said, searching the nearby area. He tensed up when he heard sniffling and crying, his mind instantly screaming Witch before collecting itself. The sobs and hiccups sounded deeper, more masculine. " I ain't never heard of no male Witch..." Ellis mumbled, creeping around the side of the other house that was nearby, having stopped in it to search for Matthew. There was a crouched form beside the house, another sob escaping it, along with the sounds of scratching, the mechanic tensing with a sharp gasp, afraid that whatever was there had heard him.

Fear tore through Ellis's nerves almost instantly, if it was a Witch, he could avoid it by running away right now, but curiosity got the better of him and he had to take a look. Damn his inquisitive nature sometimes. It took him all but two seconds to realize it was Matthew, moving forward a bit before stopping, watching Matthew's shoulders shake. " Matt?" he asked softly, mentally smacking himself for being scared in the first place. " Matthew?"

Matthew stopped quaking, turning around slightly to look at Ellis, his face tear stained. " Oh... h-hi..." he said, wiping his face.

" If ya needed to cry, you didn't have to run all the way out here..." Ellis said, stopping when he saw that Matthew's hands were caked in fresh dirt. " Whatcha doing out here anyways?" he asked.

Matthew said nothing, stepping aside slowly, revealing a small hole that had been dug by hand, hanging his head. " Ya trying to dig a grave?" Ellis asked, Matthew nodding slowly. " It's such a small grave, what are you trying to bury..." Ellis's words died in his throat when Matthew reached into the nearby bushes and pulled out a once new teddy bear, holding it delicately in his clawed hands. A bit of blood stained the bear's left eye, and the words printed on it's once white belly read " It's a Boy!" in a delicate cursive, the bear holding a torn picture of an ultrasound.

Matthew's hands and voice shook as he spoke. " ….t-the family in that house... t-they were so nice to me an m' brother all the time...They were waiting... she was due about now..." the Spitter's voice died as more tears spilled from his eyes. " N-never stood a chance..."

Ellis looked up at Matthew, watching the man cry. Such a close-knit neighborhood... gone in an instant because of the infection, not even the littlest was spared. Yet, here was Matthew, a carrier of the disease that tore his whole world from him. To be able to smile, even when everything you knew and loved was gone... even the strongest of men would break eventually. And then, there were those who never got a chance...

" I... I can't bury them all..." Matthew finally said, breaking the silence. " This is all I can do... all I can do..." he hated being seen like this, he knew he was more emotional than his brother, but that family had been so kind to the both of them... it had been their second home. He could remember spending days in the house, helping to cook and clean since the family living there was kind enough to help out when they themselves were having problems. Seeing the picture had given him joy in the beginning, now it left a scalding pit in his stomach and a hole in his heart that refused to heal.

Ellis took off his cap, laying it on the ground beside the house, wordlessly pointing at the hole that had been dug. Thankfully, Matthew seemed to understand and placed the stuffed toy in the hole, the mechanic kneeling to help cover the toy with dirt. Clawed hands, ridden with the infection, human hands, tainted with the blood of those killed... both worked effortlessly to cover the toy, belonging to one of the infection's smallest victims. Once it was over, Matthew slumped against the side of the house, still sniffling and curling in on himself, Ellis looking up at the sky, watching a droplet fall from the cloudy sky onto the small mound.

The rain that followed came from several sources, all flowing onto the earth below.

"Dare I ask why you two were out in the rain?" Nick said, one eyebrow raised slowly as Ellis came in, wringing his cap out. Rochelle immediately came to Ellis's side, offering one of the towels that she had found in a box, giving another to Matthew, who was still sporting a terminally depressed look.

" Found a path along the walkway's that's pretty sturdy!" Ellis chirped, toweling off his hair. " It's a bit winding, but as long as we stay dry, right?"

" Which you two clearly didn't do." Sion said, getting up and taking Ellis's shotgun from him, wiping it down with his sleeve. " So... how does the weather look outside? Rain going to let up soon?"

Matthew nodded. " This is one of the smaller rainstorms... should be gone within two hours." he said, wiping his face off and then giving them a cheery smile, attempting to return to his usual sunny mood.

Coach made a noise. " Guess we can let those two sleep in a bit more." he said, gesturing over to Ark and Chad, both curled up in the corners, out cold. Sion nodded softly, handing Ellis's gun back to him and settling back against the wall. Nick seemed to have little or no interest in interacting with them at the moment, and was relaxing in the corner of the room, laying on one side with his arm tucked underneath his head. Judging by the lack of noise coming from his direction though, he was either half-asleep, or not paying them any attention.

Sion sighed and gently nudged Ark with his shoe. " C'mon, Lazy. Up and at 'em." he said blankly, nudging Ark until the hunter sleepily batted at his shoe with a claw. " It's your turn for watch." he finished, Ark groaning and getting to his feet, stretching to try and shake some of the sleep from his body. After about three minutes of stretching, he stumbled over to where Sion was, the smoker chuckling softly and redirecting Ark to the safehouse door.

Ark mumbled faintly and made his way over to the door, not entirely awake just yet, Rochelle gently elbowing Ellis and gesturing to the half-asleep Hunter. " Braaaainnns." she said in a low moan, Ellis chuckling alongside her as Ark oozed his way up the door to take watch.

" Damnit, landed in the water again!" a sharp curse sounded out after a particularly loud splash was heard, a few snickers wafting through the air as well.

" Try not walking on the areas with mud, yes?" a second voice blankly said, the tone holding amusement as well as disdain.

" Shut up you, the only reason we're here is because of that damned tank and his buddies." the first voice barked, an annoyed tone in his voice.

" That is not my concern." the second voice droned.

" Why you-" the first voice geared up for a slew of insults, a younger and decidedly feminine voice cut in before it happened.

" Guys! Let's not fight, okay?"

" …... I hate swamps." the first voice grumbled, defeated.

End Chapter 36

Bit of a nowhere chapter, really, but I wanted to convey that while they are all managing to survive in their own way, there are many who didn't make it. Or in some cases, never had a chance. It also gave me a chance to help build on bonding in their own ways, while Nick just continues to be an ass. Sorry for Ark not being really active in the chapter, he'll get back into the swing of things asap.

On other related news, I now have a tumblr set up for both Ark, Sion, Desert, and Matthew. My sister does all the artwork that I hope to post soon, you can find their profile link on my profile. I also now have left 4 dead 2 on Steam, come play with me, I'm ChibiHunterArk on the computer or Gamertwins002 on the xbox live. I don't bite~...

Ciao~