Lara felt like she was dying. Or she was- she didn't know.

Her life felt like a dream.

She remembered walking along the roads to Plymouth with Roth, the despair she felt as the first year passed with no sign of rescue, and the relief as Jonah wrapped her in a bear hug.

She remembered how nervous she was when Amanda first kissed her, the warmth of the campfire as Roth wished her a 'Happy Birthday' in their second year, and panic as they climbed a fence to escape from a horde of biters.

The last bits felt so real. Sam's broad smile after they first made love. A talk with Roth late one night by a lake…and then his body, and the bodies of her friends and two children lying around her, a gun in her hand.

The last thing she remembered were soft lips against her own, and then…a whisper in her ear, "I love you, Lara. I won't leave you."

She opened her eyes.

Her breathing was slow, and air wheezed into her lungs slowly. Everything either hurt or was sore, but the worst pain was at the tips of her right fingers and along her left side. It felt like something was dissolving her flesh there - a constant churning and burning pain.

Lara tried to sit up. She put a hand against the floor and pushed herself up slowly. Her head suddenly gained ten pounds and she huffed, trying to stabilize herself.

"Holy shit."

Lara blinked and looked in the direction of the voice. A man and a woman were sitting on a sofa and looking at her, shocked.

"Emma?" she rasped. "Jake?" It looked like them. Her vision was adjusting to the light. Where was she anyways?

"Holy shit," Emma repeated. She rushed over and knelt down next to her. "You're actually awake! How are you feeling?"

"Like death," she croaked. She lifted her arm to rub her face but found that it stopped half way. She looked down at her hand and saw that she was handcuffed to the nearby radiator. Lara didn't have enough energy to wonder. She looked back at Emma. "Do you have water?"

Emma stopped scrutinising her. "Oh yeah, of course." She stood and walked back to the couch. "You should go get Sam," she said to her brother.

Lara sat up straighter. "Sam?" she asked. "Where is she? What happened?"

The nurse returned with a bottle of water and held it to her lips. Lara drank from it gratefully and felt relief as it washed over her parched throat. "Thank you," she muttered, her voice clearer.

"Sam's just outside," Emma explained, producing a small key from her pocket. She began fiddling with her handcuffs. "We ran into you guys after you just escaped the university. You'd passed out, and Sam told us what happened. Jake carried you as we're heading to the safe zone. We thought for sure you were going to turn which is why…" she unlocked the cuffs and Lara rubbed her wrist. "…Yeah. But now that you're awake…"

"Lara!"

Lara looked up as Sam ran into the room. Her eyes were wide, her mouth slightly agape as her black hair dropped down to her shoulders. She ran over and tackled her with a fierce hug that knocked the breath out of her.

"Oh my god!" Sam muttered. She buried her face in her shoulder and Lara felt tears on her skin. "I thought you were gone. Holy crap Lara."

The hug hurt her more than she could take. "Sam," she rasped. "You're hurting me."

Sam let go of her instantly. "Shit! I'm so sorry!" she said quickly.

Lara pulled her back in for a gentler hug. "It's okay," she said. She closed her eyes, content to fall back into a slumber like this.

Sam wrapped her arms around her neck. "I thought you were going to turn," she muttered.

Lara had thought the same thing a few days ago. She couldn't believe it. "Me too."

"How are you alive?" Emma asked. "Didn't this 'Mathias' give you the virus?"

Sam pulled away and stroked her cheek. Lara smiled back at her for a moment before turning to Emma. "I don't know," she answered. "He said it was a weakened version of the virus, I think. And then he said something about antibodies. I'm not sure what he meant."

Emma frowned. "Then has he done it?" she asked. "If your body was able to fight off the virus, did Mathias find a vaccine?"

"Only one way to find out," Jake said.

"That's not happening," Sam said firmly. She squeezed her hand protectively.

Jake pressed his lips together. "I didn't mean we try it, Sam."

Emma sighed. "God, if you really are immune now, this could change everything."

"All we know is that I'm still alive," Lara breathed. "I don't know if I'm completely immune to the virus, and I don't want to find out."

Emma nodded. "Now that you're awake, we need to continue to the safe zone. I've done my best, but you need surgery, and fast."

Lara looked down at her side. She could feel that it had been bandaged, and probably treated, but it was still so painful. It was probably infected as well, and without surgery, she probably wouldn't survive.

"Do you know where the safe zone is?" she asked, looking up at Emma and Jake.

Emma and Jake exchanged a look. "As a matter of fact, we've already been there," Emma said. "There's no room. We were turned away and that's how we ran into you again."

"What?" The exclamation made her cough. Sam rubbed her back comfortingly. "Then how do you know they'll help us?"

"We need to try," Sam said. She was staring at the ground. "We don't have any other choice." There seemed to be more she wanted to say but she remained silent.

Lara nodded. "Okay," she said. "I might need your help though."

Sam put an arm around her and helped her stand. Her legs were weak and her head instantly felt a hundred times heavier. She sagged against Sam. "I'm sorry," she said. She eventually managed to stand on her own two feet after a minute of laboured breathing.

Sam smiled at her sadly, her eyes shining slightly. "It's okay, Lara."

"We're close to the safe zone," Emma said. "We were just taking a short break."

Lara pressed her hand against her side and grimaced. She took several deep breaths, trying to ignore the pain. "Let's go," she said.

"I'm sorry," Sam said.

Lara blinked awake from her daze and looked over at her. "What?" She immediately coughed, the motion causing her whole body more pain. Lara groaned and pressed a hand to her forehead.

Sam watched her sadly. "I couldn't kill you," she explained. "I mean, it's a good thing that I didn't, but I just couldn't…"

Lara couldn't see why she was so upset. Her brain was floating, and she had a hard enough time concentrating on walking let alone having a conversation. "It's okay, Sam."

"You were out for three days, Lara," she said. "You were barely conscious and getting worse by the hour. You were shivering even though I wrapped you in so many blankets and I could barely keep you hydrated. I thought you were going to turn."

Lara looked down at her feet as she walked. She felt guilty for putting Sam through this - she must have been scared out of her mind. But she still carried her all this way, she still kept her safe, even when it would have been easier to leave her.

"I'm grateful for what you've done for me," she muttered. "I'm not sure why you feel upset."

"I don't know…" Sam shrugged. "I feel like I failed you. You looked like you were in so much pain and I couldn't put you out of your misery. When you woke up, I was outside, trying to work up the nerve to do what needed to be done. Emma and Jake offered to do it but it didn't feel right. I know it turned out well but still…"

"Don't beat yourself up about this, Sam," Lara huffed. "You have a good heart, that's why you couldn't do it." She coughed into her hand and started feeling dizzy. The words she was about to say slipped from her mind but then flickered back. "And that's why I fell in love with you."

Sam beamed at her and Lara smiled back. Seeing her like this, even if it was her last day - it made her heart elate. "I love you too," Sam said.

Pain suddenly spiked up her left side and she cried out, stumbling. Sam caught her before she fell. "Shit! What's wrong?" she asked desperately.

Lara tried to stand straighter but found that her side was too painful. Her vision started to blur and she had to concentrate hard to stay awake. "I don't feel well…" she mumbled.

Sam slung her arm around her shoulder and held onto her tightly. "We're almost there, Lara," she said. Lara could hear the fear in her voice. "Just hang on."

Emma glanced back at them, her brow furrowed. "It's just about another hour," she said. "Just focus, Lara."

Focusing was all she could do to not pass out now. She had no energy in her limbs and she was leaning more and more against Sam with every step. Sam kept talking about something - probably in an attempt to keep her awake - but it only registered as background noise in Lara's mind. Breathing hurt, and so her breaths became shallower and shallower.

She didn't know how long she stayed in this horrible haze, but eventually someone said, "There! Up ahead!"

Lara struggled to lift her head as her eyes fluttered open. The light smarted her eyes and she wanted to go to sleep again.

Emma's voice was right next to her ear. "She's not doing so well," she said. Cold fingers touched her forehead.

"Hey," Someone jostled her. "Lara, come on! Wake up."

"I'm awake," she mumbled. She opened her eyes again and squinted at the scene before her.

There was a giant wall in front of them, made up of shipping containers stacked on each other and wooden planks. The middle section in front of them had several containers stacked in a rectangular shape with a strange vacancy in the middle. Lara could see the wall extended for a long way to their left and right, ending on their left at where the docks met the sea. She guessed that the safe zone encompassed the whole dock area, and a bit of the land around it.

"Hey!" Jake's voice boomed across the the surrounding area. "Beth! We need help here!"

Someone stood up in a small booth on the second layer of the shipping containers. It looked like a woman, and she looked down at them. "Back again?" Beth shouted. "We already gave you supplies!"

"We're not here for that," Jake continued. "We have someone that's injured. She needs surgery. I know you guys can help her."

"Please!" Sam shouted. Her voice rang in her ears. "Help her!"

Beth turned her gaze to Lara. Lara stared back, trying her best to stay upright.

Beth sighed. "I'm sorry, but we don't have enough room for you all," she said.

"Then just take Lara!" Sam cried. "Please, you need to help her."

Beth hesitated. "We really don't have enough room."

"Please!" Sam insisted. "It's just one person! You need to help her!"

Indecision flickered across Beth's face until it finally crumpled in resignation. "I…need to ask," she said. "Hold on."

Lara furrowed her brow and looked at Sam. She wasn't going to go in there whilst Sam stayed out here in danger. "Sam-"

"Shut up," Sam interrupted. "You need this."

"I'm not going in there without you," Lara said.

Sam looked at her, frowning. "You need surgery, Lara," she said. "If they let you in, you need to go. I don't want to be the reason you die."

Lara stared at her. Her jaw was set, her eyes shone with unshed tears, yet she still looked determined. She had never seen her like this before.

"Benjamin says okay," Beth called out. "We'll take only Lara. We have a surgeon here who can help."

Sam breathed a sigh of relief whilst dread filled Lara's heart. "Please hurry!" Sam called out.

"It's not that easy," Beth said. "Once we do this for her. She needs to pay us back. She'll owe us her life."

"Fine!" Sam growled. "Just come get her, quick!"

"Sam, no," Lara protested. It took all her strength but she managed to push herself off Sam and turn to face her. She couldn't lose her again. "I'm not leaving you," she growled.

"Please don't make this harder than it already is," Sam begged, eyes downcast. "You need the surgery Lara. You'll die without it."

Lara clenched her jaw. She knew she should go. Her body was in so much pain she could barely function and heading into this safe zone was her only chance of survival. Yet she didn't want to leave Sam out here, not when she had just got her back.

Sam finally looked up at her. She was crying now, her cheeks wet with tears. "I don't want you to go either," she whispered. "But I spent the last two days thinking that you were going to turn." She looked away, biting the tremble in her lip.

"I already lost you once, Lara," she said, "I don't want to lose you again… so please, just go."

The doors to the bottom most shipping container opened. Two people pushed the doors aside and then approached them cautiously, both holding rifles. One of them looked at Lara closely whilst the other watched the others nervously. "We're here to take you inside," he said. "You should come quickly."

Lara looked back at Sam. She could feel her own tears spilling down her cheeks. "I'll come back for you," she said, her voice cracking. "I promise."

Sam smiled through her tears. "I know you will." She took something out of her pocket and handed it to her. It was a Polaroid of the two of them in a zip lock bag, taken what felt like years ago. She didn't know Sam even had this.

"Don't forget me, okay?" Sam joked half-heartedly. She leaned forward and kissed her one last time.

Lara closed her eyes, trying to memorize this moment; the taste of salt on her lips, the feeling of Sam's fingers against her cheek, and the warmth of her forehead against hers.

"I love you," Sam murmured.

Lara stroked her cheek with her thumb, trying to keep her breathing steady. "I love you too." She stroked her cheek for a moment longer then turned to Emma and Jake. They were standing there somewhat awkwardly, watching them. "Take care of her," she said. "Please."

Emma nodded somberly. "I'll do my best," she said.

Jake met her eyes and nodded.

Lara took a deep breath and nodded at the man who had spoken to her. The man walked over to her and slung the rifle around his back. He then slung Lara's arm over his shoulder and helped her walk towards the safe zone. Her body was in so much pain, but she forced herself to continue.

"I'll be here!" Sam called out. Lara glanced over her shoulder and saw that she was watching her go. "Just follow the signs."

I'll find you, Lara thought. I promise.

THE END

Thank you all for reading this story and leaving such kind reviews! It was a joy to write and I hope you enjoyed this journey as well. Thank you eternally to CosmicGunslinger for editing this every week, he is a legend.

The title of this chapter comes from Armin van Buuren's, 'This is What it Feels Like'.

Epilogue is coming soon, and until then, Reckreator out.