Last Alarm
Chapter 14
"Crossroads" Part Four
Takashi stared in horror as he watched the American desperately fighting against what seemed like an entire army of THEM on the bridge as they quickly closed in on him, leaving the man nowhere to run. Takashi could see that it was now far too late to even try to attempt a rescue. There was no doubt in his mind at all that now the man was doomed, and that he and Saeko would never be able to get there in time before the horde of Infected finally overwhelmed him and he would disappear underneath a wave of THEM and be torn to pieces.
Saeko however, refused to quit her desperate race to try to rescue the American despite Takashi's loud cries for her to stop. Takashi already knew in his heart that the man would be dead before they even got close to the bridge, but Saeko seemed not to care that the situation was indeed hopeless, and only ignored him and ran even faster, leaving him behind.
Cursing under his breath, and knowing that he very well couldn't leave Saeko to continue on all by herself, no matter how suicidal the attempt would be for the both of them, Takashi sped up until once again, the bike was alongside her.
"Saeko! Get on!" Takashi yelled as he pulled up next to her.
Only then did Saeko stop running, and jump on the bike. And as Takashi felt her grabbing his waist as he throttled up, he suddenly heard Saeko suck in her breath.
"NO!" She gasped, as Takashi quickly looked up at the American on the bridge who had by now apparently run out of ammunition and had climbed over the railing, and was now precariously hanging off the side of the bridge with nowhere else to go.
Suddenly, the American looked directly at them, his lips moving, as if he were speaking to them, words that neither one of the teens could hear over the loud rush of the river. And then as some of THEM began to clutch at his clothing, he let go of the railing and plunged straight into the rushing water, forty feet below.
And vanished.
Saeko screamed as the river seemed to just literally swallow up the man as he fell, and then Takashi felt her lay her head on his back, as she began to cry uncontrollably.
Takashi winced at Saeko's anguished cry, and felt his own heart being torn at the sight of their friend falling to his death. The man had risked his life to save theirs when the gang had attacked and gained the upper hand, despite his and Rei's attempts at a rescue. And despite the danger of the Infected all around him, he had fired his rifle and had neutralized the threat and sent their attackers running.
"He had to know that the shots would attract THEM to him." Takashi thought as he stared at the spot where the man had disappeared. "And he took the shot anyway, knowing he was doomed as soon as he did it."
"And we couldn't do anything to help him when he needed US." Takashi thought, as he slammed his fist on top of the fuel tank in frustration.
"But there might still be a chance he survived the fall." Takashi thought suddenly, a small glimmer of hope surfacing.
"And if there was a chance he HAD survived, then I have to at least try and help him if it's still possible." Takashi thought.
"Saeko! Hang on!" Takashi yelled as he hit the throttle and the bike flew forward as they sped towards the bridge.
"Takashi, he's gone!" Saeko said, in obvious despair.
"Don't give up yet Saeko! He might still be alive!" Takashi yelled over the scream of the motorcycle engine.
Saeko gripped Takashi's waist as they sped towards the bottom of the bridge and then passed underneath it scanning the surface of the water, frantically searching for any sign of the American on the surface.
"DO YOU SEE HIM?!" Takashi yelled over the whine of the motorcycle engine as they passed underneath the bridge and then slowed down once they had reached the other side, so they could scan the water's surface.
"NO! I DON'T!" Saeko yelled in response. " HE MIGHT HAVE BEEN SWEPT FURTHER DOWNSTREAM! PLEASE KEEP GOING TAKASHI! HURRY!" Saeko yelled, her voice sounding all the more desperate, almost as if she were panicking, Takashi thought grimly.
For as long as he had known her, Saeko had always been cool, calm, and collected in the presence of everyone at school, and as far as he could remember, Saeko had NEVER displayed such signs of anxiety before for ANY reason.
As they sped along the road searching intensely over the surface of the rushing river and spotting no sign whatsoever of the American, Takashi was beginning to seriously doubt that there was any chance of finding the man alive after all. And any lingering hopes that they were going to find him, alive or dead, began to seriously wane once they reached the next bridge over a mile away.
After scanning the waters there, Takashi's hunch that the search was now becoming hopeless were all but confirmed, as with each passing minute, the man's hopes for survival decreased. Despite his doubts, Takashi drove the bike onwards to the next bridge two miles away, with the same results.
"He couldn't have been swept down this far." Takashi thought, as they searched for any sign of the American and found nothing. "The river is not flowing THAT swiftly. We need to circle back around; we may have just missed something."
"WHY ARE YOU STOPPING?!" Saeko yelled undoubtedly panicking now, as Takashi slowed and then stopped the bike underneath the third bridge.
"Saeko! Calm down! No way he could have traveled this far! We need to double back and check again! Takashi yelled, trying to calm her down. "He might have made it to the other side of the river, back the way we came!"
"She's really beginning to come unglued." He thought as he turned the bike around. "This really isn't like her at all."
"But, you don't know that for sure!" Saeko began to protest, as Takashi increased speed, and they began heading back upriver. The pressure of her grip around his waist increased also as they sped along.
"TRUST ME, SAEKO!" He yelled.
"But." She said, her voice sounding extremely dejected.
"SAEKO, JUST KEEP LOOKING! WE'LL FIND HIM!" Takashi yelled over the roar of the bike engine as they raced alongside the road. Takashi honestly didn't have any faith in his own words however, and was merely trying to keeps Saeko's spirits up as it seemed that she was extremely distraught over the American's death more so than everyone else.
But as each minute passed, the chances that the American had not drowned decreased even more, and in his heart Takashi now truly believed that the man was already dead.
"THERE! OVER THERE! TAKASHI, LOOK!" Saeko yelled suddenly, and began pointing over his shoulder at a shape being tossed about on the surface of the water that seemed to be hung up on one of the pillars underneath the second bridge they had passed earlier.
Takashi stared at the object that seemed to be bobbing up and down from all the turbulence being churned up by the force of the water hitting the support pillar. From this distance he couldn't tell WHAT it was, being buffeted by the water.
But if it was the American underneath the surface, then It looked like he had been swept along by the current after his plunge off the first bridge, and then somehow had managed to get hung up on one of the support pillars underneath the second bridge downstream from where he had fallen. Fortunately for him, it was one of the pillars closest to shore that he was hung up on, and it was possible that they might be able to reach him if it wasn't already too late.
"IS IT HIM?!" Takashi yelled as he sped up again.
"I CAN'T TELL! Saeko said, her voice beginning to crack a little as her grip got even tighter on his waist. "HURRY TAKASHI, HURRY! She yelled, as he throttled up.
"She's REALLY scared now." Takashi thought. And as if to take away any measure of doubt about Saeko's beginning to come unhinged, she started to yell again, and her voice was unmistakably panicked now.
"TAKASHI, HURRY! PLEASE! HE'S DROWNING!" She screamed.
Takashi pegged the needle in the red as they flew towards the bridge. And as they finally approached the bottom of the bridge near where the American's body was hung up, he slowed as they came closer. And as he approached could now definitely see that what was bobbing in the turbulence was indeed the top of the American's tan-colored pack, being buffeted by the turbulence of the water hitting the pillar. All Takashi could see though was the pack itself, which meant the man must be underneath the waves, and might be unconscious and drowning if he wasn't dead already.
Before he could bring the bike to a complete stop however, Saeko jumped off of the bike, tossing her bokken aside and was undoubtedly about to try to run down the small embankment towards the water. Takashi sensing what she had planned to do, grabbed her, trying to keep her from running down into the river in her panicked state and trying to rescue the man by herself, and risk getting washed away as well.
His clumsy attempt at stopping her only succeeded in knocking her off balance, and she fell to the ground. Takashi then immediately jumped off the bike and letting it crash to the ground, dove for her as she struggled to get up and flattened her as she struggled against him.
"Saeko! STOP! " Takashi yelled as she tried to get off the ground.
"GET OFF ME!" Saeko screamed.
"DAMMIT SAEKO, STOP IT! YOU'RE GOING TO GET YOURSELF KILLED! IT'S MUCH TOO FAR TO DO IT BY YOURSELF! WAIT, DAMMIT!" Takashi yelled as he hung on to Saeko as she struggled against him, in complete panic now.
"LET ME GO! LET ME GO! TAKASHI! HE'S DYING! PLEASE! Saeko screamed crying hysterically, as Takashi roughly yanked her up to her feet and then shook her.
"SAEKO, SNAP OUT OF IT!" He yelled as he shook her trying to snap her out of her panic.
Saeko looked at him, eyes streaming with tears as he tried to reason with her." If she doesn't snap out of it." Takashi thought, "We're ALL going to die right here and now."
"I CAN'T HELP HIM WITHOUT YOU SAEKO! I NEED YOU TO CALM DOWN, AND HELP ME, ALLRIGHT?!" Takashi yelled as Saeko finally seemed to have regained some of her composure and nodded her head, as tears still fell from her face.
"He's too far away for only one of us to rescue him! So when we get in the water I'll need to hold on to you! Just grab my hand and then reach for him! BE CAREFUL! The waters very swift, so reach out, grab him and I'll pull you both in. GOT IT?" Takashi yelled, hoping that Saeko had regained enough control to help with the rescue effort before the American really DID drown.
Saeko nodded her head and grabbed his hand as they walked into the freezing water almost up to their waist, 30 feet from shore. With Takashi acting as an anchor, Saeko held on to him with one hand and tried to reach out with the other, attempting to grab one of the straps hanging on the bobbing pack and then pull the man in.
They were still too far away, however.
"KOMURO! Saeko yelled, her voice no longer panicked, but still very much afraid. "We need to get closer! We're still too far away from him!
"The water's too swift Saeko!" Takashi protested over the roar of the river. He could feel the current pushing against them so strongly now, that if they moved any further THEY would be swept away in the rushing waters too.
"PLEASE, JUST A LITTLE BIT MORE TAKASHI!" Saeko yelled, digging her feet into the mud, pushing away from Takashi and forcing him further into the water.
"DAMMIT, SAEKO! YOU'RE GOING TO GET US KILLED TOO! STOP IT!" Takashi yelled beginning to panic himself, as his feet began to slip on the soft mud and he felt the strength of the current lifting him as they moved further into the water up to his chest now. He was now VERY seriously afraid that Saeko's efforts to save the man were going to end up in ALL of them being washed away and drowned as he struggled against her.
"SAEKO, STOP!" He screamed in panic, as she made one last desperate lunge that nearly made him lose his balance.
Saeko reached the pack on her desperate lunge and by some miracle, managed to wrap her fingers closed over one of the straps and desperately held on. She then turned towards Takashi and yelled. "I HAVE HIM, TAKASHI! PULL!"
Takashi turned around and began the difficult task of pulling all three of them back to shore, slipping a bit on the slippery bottom at first, but somehow managed to stay upright and then gave a powerful heave, feeling resistance at first from whatever the man was hung up on.
But then as he and Saeko both pulled with all their remaining strength, Takashi finally felt the man pull free, and he then began pulling Saeko and the American away from the river's strong current as he dragged them all to shore.
But as soon as they reached shallow water Takashi felt that something was wrong, and the moment he walked out of the water and onto the shoreline, he then heard Saeko cry out in anguish once more. And as he looked back at her, his heart dropped at seeing what had upset Saeko so much as she fell to the ground, still hanging on to one of the straps of the pack.
Takashi dropped to his knees right beside her and held Saeko in his arms as she wept bitterly.
It was only his pack that they had found, and nothing more.
Takashi continued to hold Saeko in his arms as she wept uncontrollably, and the drops that fell from his face now were no longer just water from the river, as his own eyes began to burn from the loss of their friend.
"OJI-SAAAAAANNN!" Saeko's anguished cry echoed loudly underneath the bridge and over the roar of the river, as the water itself kept flowing past, washing away all traces of their friend.
And all hope as well.
"Can you see them?" Saya asked Rei, as everyone looked down the road past the bridge where the two teens had stopped to search for the American. And after apparently not finding him there, they had sped off and traveled further up the road searching for the man downstream.
"No, they're too far away." Rei replied, growing more worried as each minute passed.
"Everyone, if you don't mind, I'd like for us to move down the road a little further away from here please." Shizuka said, as she bent down to grab her shoe and then began to walk towards them, limping slightly.
"Sensei, what's wrong with your foot?" Rei asked slightly alarmed, as she suddenly noticed the large Band-Aid on the nurse's right foot. Between all that had happened between the fight with the street gang and the spectacle of watching the American fighting for his life and then leaping off the bridge, Rei had not noticed that the nurse had been injured until now.
"Oh, it's allright, it's just a blister from walking on these shoes for so long after we left the bus this morning." Shizuka replied.
"Does it still hurt?" Saya asked, concerned about the nurse aggravating her injury further by attempting to walk again. "Maybe we should just wait here till they get back."
"It doesn't hurt so badly without the shoe being on, and I just want to move up the road a little bit." Shizuka said, motioning them forward a little urgently, it seemed.
"Why?" Rei asked, still puzzled.
"I think it would be safer to get away from this area and truthfully, I really want to just get away from these bodies." Shizuka said, looking Rei in the eye.
Rei looked around at the four bodies lying on the ground and nodded her head. Between the chances of the gang members coming back for some payback, and the creepiness of sitting there amongst four dead bodies, being anywhere else but here was beginning to sound like a good idea after all.
"You're right sensei, let's leave NOW." Rei agreed.
"Just a minute." Saya interrupted as they had turned to leave. "You know, we really need to search these bodies first, and see if we can find anything on them that we can use." She said, a scowl on her face as she looked over the figures lying still on the ground.
Kouta looked over at the bodies and nodded his head. "Takagi-san is right; there might be something on them that we can use, like a knife or some small weapon, perhaps."
"I told you to call me Saya, baka." Saya said grouchily.
"Well, who wants to search them then?" Rei asked frowning and shaking her head at the other two teens.
She had already searched the bodies of two police officers during the night earlier, and had scavenged the revolver that Takashi had been using. But she really didn't want to go through that ordeal again and have to search these people.
She doubted there would be anything useful on their person anyway, other than street drugs or other drug paraphernalia, if anything. And an accidental needle stick from a dirty needle while searching in someone's pocket was none too appealing either.
There were no immediate volunteers in response to Rei's question.
Saya sighed and then gave up. It really was a good idea, but not one she was eager to carry out either.
"Forget it." She grumbled. "Let's just grab whatever weapons we can find and move on before those jerks come back."
The idea that the street gang would return despite four of their number lying dead on the ground had not occurred to any of them until Shizuka had mentioned it. And with that possibility in mind, they were now more anxious than ever to distance themselves from this section of the road.
Kouta immediately pulled his revolver out from his belt and holding it in both hands, scanned the area around them and in the direction the street gang had fled, keeping a sharp eye out in case they were attempting to return.
"Make it quick." He said, the tone of his voice deadly serious.
Saya rolled her eyes and wanted to tell him off for having the nerve to give her orders, but let it go.
"Fatty's right, we need to move NOW." She thought, and then quickly picked up the machete dropped by the man the American had shot twice. She grabbed it trying hard not to look into the dead man's eyes that were half-closed, seemingly to be staring at her.
Unlike what is pictured in all the movies where a person is killed and the actor playing dead has his eyes and mouth closed to simulate death, the real truth is, when a person dies, all muscle action ceases and all muscles and joints relax. And so the Hollywood myth where an actor whose character has died and has his eyes and mouth closed or can have his eyes closed dramatically by another actor is pure fantasy.
The true face of death is a haunting mask where the eyes cloud over, and seem to stare blankly into space while the jaw muscles relax and the mouth drops open in mute protest. And no amount of pushing the eyelids closed or closing the jaw will change anything.
Saya shivered at the image of the dead man staring at her as she grabbed the machete and then picked up the tire iron as she quickly moved back to where the rest had gathered, as Kouta covered them.
"What do we do with all these extra weapons?" Rei asked, as she held up a bat, chain, and a couple knives that the gang had dropped during their hasty retreat.
"Throw them in the river." Kouta replied, not taking his eyes off the road behind them. "I don't want to leave anything behind that those people or someone else can use against us later."
"That fat otaku shows good sense every now and then." Saya thought, as she threw the tire iron into the river and then wielded her machete.
Rei had already retrieved her spear after throwing away the chain into the river. She then held up the bat and the two knives that were left.
"Anyone want one of these?" She asked, looking at the rest of the group.
"I'll take a knife." Kouta said, as Rei handed one over to him and threw the other into the river with a splash.
"I'll take the bat." Shizuka said reaching for it.
"Are you sure, sensei?" Rei asked a little wary, as she handed the bat over. It seemed quite unusual that the quiet, gentle nurse would be asking for a weapon, even after everything that had just happened.
"Hai." Shizuka replied as she tested it out, although NOT using it as a weapon like Rei had thought, but instead she began using the bat as a cane, supporting her weight while she walked.
Rei looked at her and was about to protest that the intended purpose for keeping the bat was so it could be used as a weapon, but then shook her head, and then moved up to walk alongside her as they all started walking down the road with Kouta watching their rear as they moved.
"Sensei, I wanted to ask you, why did all of you leave the bus? Did something happen?" Rei asked, still puzzled as to why everyone was here on foot instead of riding in the mini-bus.
"That psycho Shido is WHAT happened." Saya snorted in disgust, before Shizuka could answer. "After you two bailed out, he went all cult leader on us and even tried to sneak up on Jimu-san and kill him in the middle of the night. Then he tried to force Marikawa to stay with them against her will. We left before he and his bunch started thinking about making human sacrifices."
"SHIDO?!" Rei said aloud. She knew the man was devious and capable of doing almost anything. But being capable of brainwashing, kidnapping, and MURDER? Rei was extremely grateful that she and Takashi had left the bus before things had gotten that bad.
"So how long have all of you been on foot?" Rei asked .
"We left over six hours ago now." Shizuka replied. "My foot began to hurt really bad awhile ago, and we stopped to rest for a moment. Jimu put a bandage on my foot and then left. We've been here for the past hour or so."
"That's another thing I've been meaning to ask you, WHY did he leave all of you alone unguarded by yourselves. And WHAT was he doing on the bridge ALONE in the first place?" Rei asked confused.
"Jimu_" Shizuka began, and then hesitated for a moment, before continuing.
"Jimu went to see if he could find a car that we could use to drive around in, and he also wanted to see if we could cross the bridge there to the other side." she said gesturing at the bridge.
"ALONE?! With all of THEM moving around up there?" Rei said shocked. From all the Infected that she could see moving on the bridge, even a blind person could tell such an attempt would have been suicidal.
"Well, you actually couldn't see anything moving up there at first." Shizuka explained and then thought for a moment. "But when he finally arrived up there, SURELY he MUST have seen them then." She thought.
As if she were reading her thoughts, Saya spoke up then. "He couldn't have seen them from down here when he left. But he HAD to have seen them when he arrived."
"So why didn't he turn back, once he saw all of THEM moving around up there?" Rei asked, looking at Saya, a puzzled look on her face.
"I don't know." Saya said frowning. "Unless he thought we could make it to the other side by sneaking past THEM."
"That's an awfully big risk." Rei said, wrinkling her brow. "Why would he think that was even worth trying?"
"Because he thought like the rest of us that you and Komuro would already be waiting for us on the other side." Kouta said, his voice low, as if he were carefully choosing his words as he spoke. "And he wanted to get to the both of you as soon as possible. Just like the rest of us did."
"That still doesn't make sense." Rei said. "Even if that were the case, why risk taking such a dangerous route, when all of you could have tried another route downstream."
"Because I believe, he must not have been able to find a car." Saya said aloud." And he didn't want Marikawa-sensei to have to walk on her foot more than she had to. He must have been looking for something else we could use as transportation. And if that didn't work, logically he would have tried to see if at least we could get across without being detected by THEM."
"And if there was no way to get across then he said he would have then tried to get her some shoes as a last resort because the shoe's she's wearing aren't made for walking." Saya said, her eyebrows frowning as she pondered over the possible reasons for the American's actions.
Shizuka lowered her head, embarrassed at hearing Saya talk about her injury and the possible explanation as to why the American had put his life at risk on such a dangerous task. It was then that Shizuka began to feel a wave of guilt wash over her as she began to truly believe in her heart that she had been the whole cause of all this trouble.
"Gomen nasai." She said quietly.
Rei cast a nasty look over towards Saya as the teen suddenly realized just how thoughtless her words must have sounded.
"Eh? Gomen nasai, sensei. I didn't mean it THAT way. It's not your fault, really. I'm sorry." Saya said.
"No, you're right. He WAS worried about me and my having to walk too far. I'm sorry, but I need to sit down." Shizuka said sadly as she limped to the railing and sat down.
They had walked about 200 feet away from the spot where they had left the bodies still lying on the empty road, and Shizuka wanted to rest her aching foot that was now beginning to bother her again.
"Sensei, are you all right?" Rei asked, worried.
"I'm fine Miyamoto-san." Shizuka replied." My foot still hurts a bit, that's all."
"That's not what I mean." Rei asked, looking at the nurse concerned that Saya's thoughtless remark may have caused irreparable harm.
"I'm fine, really." Shizuka replied smiling slightly. "It really is just that my foot aches a bit."
"Please rest then Sensei." Kouta said, as he still faced the road behind them. "We'll protect you."
"I know you will, Kouta-chan." Shizuka said, smiling at him as well.
"My, he's gotten so brave and confident in such a short time. Yesterday he acted like such a scared little boy. Now look at him." Shizuka thought. "He's really beginning to act like a man."
"They've been gone a long time." Rei said, beginning to grow worried after they had rested for a few minutes. "Do you think they've found him yet?"
"I don't know." Shizuka said worried as well. "He might have floated far downstream and they're still trying to get to him."
Shizuka however, was only trying to encourage the others not to worry. In her heart, there was little doubt that the man had indeed drowned, and she was steeling herself for the moment when the horrible truth was finally revealed.
Shizuka knew that when it was finally confirmed that the American had indeed drowned, then she would then have the sad task of trying to comfort the young people around her. After all that had happened, they would be sure to have a hard time struggling with the death of the American whom all of them had viewed as a friend, and whom all of them tragically witnessed dying before their very eyes.
Shizuka was especially concerned for Saeko, who had become quite emotionally attached to the man, and whose death would definitely hit her hardest of them all.
"Don't worry everyone." Kouta said, the tone of his voice sounding extremely confident in his words."Men like him are trained to survive anything. He'll be all right."
Rei nodded her head, but she was still worried nonetheless, and not just about the American.
"Takashi." She said forlornly.
Takashi held Saeko for a long while as she silently wept after finally having to face the harsh reality that the American had died after all.
Takashi let her grieve for a while longer, knowing there was nothing else that could be done. But as the hour grew late, Takashi became concerned by the fact that they were still not out of danger yet, and they truly could not afford to grieve over the loss of their guardian and friend any longer.
The man's death had seemed to affect Saeko very deeply, but as painful as it was, Takahashi realized that he had no choice but to get them moving again back to their friends and get all of them to safety before nightfall.
"Saeko." Takashi said gently." I'm sorry, but he's gone. And we need to get back to the others. They might still be in danger."
Saeko had stopped crying, and was staring blankly out over the water, and not speaking.
"Saeko, please." Takashi said, keeping his voice gentle so as not to upset her.
"I understand Komuro-kun." she said quietly, although her voice still sounded so very sad.
"Please go ahead and ride back to the others. Marikawa-sensei has a blister on her foot that's causing her pain, and she can't walk very far right now. If you could go back and give her a ride over here. I'll wait here and watch Jimu-san's belonging's till you return."
Takashi frowned and shook his head. "I can't do that, Saeko. It's too dangerous to leave you here by yourself."
"I'll be all right." Saeko said smiling as she looked at him. "There's no cause for worry. Please, go get Shizuka-san and bring her here. I'll wait here until you return. I'd like to be alone for a little while."
"Saeko_." Takashi began to protest.
"DAMMIT TAKASHI,WILL YOU JUST GO!" Saeko yelled suddenly, turning her face away from him. "I don't want you here! I want to be alone, and I need you to go. NOW PLEASE, JUST LEAVE!"
Takashi was shocked at Saeko's sudden burst of anger, and took a step back. And then regaining his composure, he looked at her again, realizing that she was not really angry at him, but merely having a hard time dealing with her grief.
"No, Saeko." He said, calmly. "I can't do that, and if you were in my place, I don't believe you would leave me alone in such a dangerous place either, no matter how much I wanted to be left alone."
"Go away, Komuro-kun." Saeko said, her voice becoming hardened. " If you wish us to remain friends, leave now."
"I do wish to remain friends Busujima-sempai, but I would not be a friend if I left you here alone, Saeko." Takashi said. "And so then as I AM your friend, I WON'T leave you."
"And Jimu-san wouldn't want me to leave you alone either." Takashi said, walking towards her. "He would never want anything to happen to you, and he wouldn't want any of us to leave you all alone when you need us most."
Saeko continued to look away from him and stare out over the water, trying to hide her face as the tears continued to fall.
"We both need to get back to the others Saeko." Takashi said gently, trying not to arouse her anger again. "Jimu-san asked us to take care of the others if something ever happened to him, and I can't do it alone. Please, come back with me."
"You are quite capable of taking care of them Takashi-san." Saeko said, turning around to face him finally. "I'm not quite feeling up to it right now."
"I know you're not, and I know you miss him Saeko-san." Takashi said, still trying to coax her back. "But I can't do this alone, and I really need your help.
Saeko said nothing, as she stared at the pack still lying half out of the water.
"Saeko. Please. I NEED YOU." Takashi said, holding out his hand.
Saeko looked at him as he spoke and with tears filling her eyes, she fell into his arms as he held her close.
"Komuro-kun, arigato gozaimasu." She said under her breath as he held her.
After a few moments Saeko let go of him and wiped her eyes and face.
"Thank you Komuro-kun." She said smiling. "I think I'll be all right now."
Are you sure?" Takashi asked, concern still etched on his face.
"I'm as well as can be expected." She replied, the sadness in her eyes still very evident. "But your right, we need to get back to the others quickly. BOTH of us."
'Shall we go then?" Takashi said smiling, holding out his hand to her.
"Hai." Saeko replied, taking his hand and smiling as well.
Takashi took her hand and started to walk up the embankment back towards the bike, when Saeko pulled back gently on his hand.
"Komuro-kun." Saeko said and then hesitated a moment, before she continued.
"We need to take Jimu-san's pack with us. He said that we should take it if something ever happened to him because there were things we might need in it to aid us in our survival, and we really should take it back with us. I really don't want to leave it here for someone else to steal."
Takashi nodded. "You're right. How heavy is it though? It seems too bulky to carry on the bike."
"It's very heavy. Especially now that it's all wet." Saeko replied. "Please help me with it."
Takashi and Saeko took a look at the pack and washed off some of the mud that was on it as well as the mud on themselves. They then tried to lift the heavy pack and were able to carry it out of the water and place it onto the road.
But it was obvious by the weight and the bulk of it that there was no way Saeko could carry it on her shoulders and ride on the bike as well. The pack weighed more than she did.
"PHEW! What does he have in this thing? We can't take it this way." Takashi grumbled.
Not answering, Saeko knelt on the ground and began removing the cover that draped over the rifle stock, pulling the heavy sniper rifle out of the pack after she removed the cover.
"Komuro-kun, please hold this." Saeko said, handing him the heavy rifle.
Takashi gingerly reached out for the rifle and nearly dropped it when Saeko passed it to him. He had never handled a gun before other than the revolver that Rei had scavenged from the dead policeman last night. Takashi was not very comfortable handling guns, and the revolver Rei had given him last night had felt so heavy and clumsy for him to begin with.
But the American's sniper rifle was far heavier, and the size and weight of it intimidated him at first. He got a better grip on it and hefted it while Saeko began to rummage through the pack.
"What are you doing?" Takashi asked curiously, as he watched her.
"Jimu-san, said there was extra ammunition in this pack for his weapons. Perhaps I can find the ammunition needed for that rifle that you are holding." Saeko replied as she unzipped a compartment and found a few clothes bundled tightly in a clear plastic bag, and then zipped it back up and searched another compartment.
"Do you know how to use it?" Takashi asked watching her.
"No, but I believe Hirano-kun might be able to,….." She said, as she unzipped a compartment and then stopped talking suddenly.
Saeko said nothing for a moment, which began to scare Takashi as she seemed to be struggling with her emotions again as a pained look fell upon her face.
"Saeko-san, what's wrong?" Takashi asked growing worried when she didn't reply.
Saeko did not answer him. Instead she reached into the compartment she had just unzipped and pulled something out of the pack and held it in both her hands. She then lowered her head as tears began to fall from her eyes once more.
"Saeko-san, what is it?!" Takashi repeated, alarmed at her reaction.
Takashi walked over and held Saeko as she once again broke down crying and let the object she was holding fall to the ground. Takashi held Saeko as she wept bitterly, and then he stared at the object that was now lying on the ground, and wondered what great significance the object had that would cause Saeko to react this way.
"What is something like THAT doing in his pack anyway?" He thought puzzled, as he stared at the curious contents in the clear plastic bag that seemed so out of place in the pack of a soldier.
Takashi could only shake his head in confusion at the sight of the pair of women's sneakers lying on the ground.
Among the small group of four still resting on the railing up the road, unaware of the tragedy unfolding downstream, only one among them had accepted the fact that the American was indeed gone. But she said nothing, knowing that saying anything would only further shatter everyone's spirits all the more and only serve to discourage them further, no matter how hopeless the odds were that the man was still alive.
"He didn't survive that fall." Saya thought to herself. "And if he did, that river is so swift; I doubt he could keep from drowning still wearing that big backpack he was always carrying around."
The sound of a motorcycle engine approaching broke Saya's thoughts, as she and everyone else looked down the road and saw the familiar face of Takashi and Saeko riding towards them.
"Takashi!" Rei said, her face lighting up at seeing him as she breathed a sigh of relief.
'Komuro-kun!" Saya and Shizuka said aloud, as Kouta turned to watch as they approached.
"Do you think they found him? Is he riding on the bike with them?" Kouta asked as he turned around again and looked back up the road behind them, still keeping watch.
"I'm not sure, I don't see him." Rei said as the riders continued to approach from a half mile away.
"Baka." Saya said, annoyed at Kouta. "Do you honestly think that little bike is big enough to carry all three of them?"
"Saya-chan, be nice." Shizuka scolded the teen as she looked towards the two riders that were approaching. Takashi was operating the bike of course, and Saeko was riding behind him, her hands around his waist leaning against him as they rode towards the group.
But there was something else, Shizuka noted, as the two teens approached. Sticking out from behind Saeko's shoulder, the barrel of a rifle protruded attached to a sling that Saeko wore over her shoulder. And before she could even see the grim looks on the two teen's faces, Shizuka already knew.
The American was dead.
"Oh, no." Shizuka thought, as the full reality of the loss hit her.
And as the two riders grimly pulled up, the rest of the teens finally felt it as well.
Everyone was silent at first as Takashi brought the bike to a stop and shut the engine off, as Saeko got off the bike. The two teens were drenched and covered in mud, but that didn't stop Shizuka from embracing Saeko as she walked towards them, Saeko's eyes not looking up at her.
"Gomen nasai, Saeko-chan." Shizuka said holding her. "I'm so sorry."
Saeko returned the embrace and nodded her head. She had cried herself out before she and Takashi had hopped on the bike for the sad, lonely ride back to the others. Now she was trying to be strong for the sake of her friends around her, as well as trying to deal with her own grief as well.
"Thank you for your concern, sensei. But I'm all right, really." Saeko replied looking at her and giving a thin smile. "He died trying to help us, and I'm proud of him for what he did. But our priority now is to move to a safer place before nightfall."
" Komuro-kun is going to give you a ride to where we found Jimu's pack in the meantime. The rest of us are going to walk over there and meet up with you, and then try to find a place to seek shelter for the night."
Rei walked up to Takashi and spoke quietly to him, trying to be discreet since the rest were clearly very broken up about the American's death. Even Saya and Kouta were holding each other and crying, which surprised Rei since they had done nothing but bicker since she met them.
"What happened?" Rei asked.
"I'll explain later." Takashi said quietly. "Right now, it's not safe here, and we need to get everyone away from here and fast, just in case those freaks come back."
"Saeko." Takashi said, turning toward her.
Saeko turned her head and seeing the look on his face, nodded her head.
"Our grief for Jimu-san will have to wait everyone. Right now we need to leave this area in case our previous visitors decide to come back." Saeko said, her voice even, and in control.
"Marikawa-sensei." Saeko said looking at the nurse.
"Hai?" Shizuka replied.
"Komuro-kun is going to give you a ride on the motorcycle to where we found Jimu-san's pack. The rest of us will walk and join you both shortly."
"Hai." Shizuka acknowledged, grateful to not have to walk on her sore foot anymore as she moved towards the bike.
"Hirano-kun." Saeko said, a she unslung the American's sniper rifle from her shoulder and held it in both hands looking directly at Kouta as he still held Saya in his arms.
"Do you know how to use this?" Saeko asked, as Kouta detached himself from Saya and took it from Saeko.
"Yes, I do." Kouta said quietly, as he cycled the bolt, ejecting the spent cartridge and then checked the chamber and pulled out the remaining rounds.
"Only two shots left." Kouta said matter-of-factly.
"There were five boxes of these." Saeko said pulling a box of ammo for the rifle from a pocket in her skirt, and passed it to Kouta. "We wanted to bring the whole pack but it was much too heavy, so I brought this one box only. When we get up to the bridge, we can get the rest."
"Thank you." Kouta said, not looking up at her as he accepted the box of ammo and opened it. He then took out six cartridges and loaded the rounds into the rifle and cycled the bolt, loading a round into the chamber.
He then opened the scope caps on both ends of the large riflescope and peered through it, and seeing no damage to the lenses, lowered the rifle and then nodded to Saeko that he was ready.
Takashi could see the dramatic change that the man's death had on everyone, and he had been worried that everyone might be too shattered emotionally to deal with the situation. But he was grateful to see that not only was everyone dealing with their grief admirably, but they were also working together as a team just like they had before.
"Everyone." Takashi began, as everyone turned to look at him. "Jimu-san was good friend. And I know it's hard for all of you right now. But please stay focused."
"We are not out of danger yet, and we cannot afford to let our guard down, so stay sharp. We're headed for the second bridge up the road. Once there we'll grab everything from Jimu-san's pack that we can use and then find someplace safe to stay the night. Agreed?"
Everyone nodded their heads at his words and Takashi then looked at Kouta.
" Kouta, let me have your pistol please." Takashi said, holding out his hand.
Kouta immediately took the revolver from his belt and handed it over to Takashi. "There's only three shots left." He said as he took it from him.
"That's all right; I have a couple left in my pocket." Takashi replied breaking open the cylinder and ejecting the two spent cases and then loaded two more before slapping the cylinder back in place. Takashi then looked out over everyone and motioned to Shizuka to follow him.
"We'll be waiting for you at the next bridge everyone, Saeko knows the way. If you run into trouble, fire a shot, we'll come back. I'll do the same if we run into trouble. OK?"
Everyone nodded in acknowledgement and began to gather their weapons in preparation for moving out.
"Be safe everyone." Takashi said as he throttled up. "See you soon."
Takashi looked over everyone one last time and then nodded towards everyone as he sped off with Shizuka hanging on to him.
"I was wrong." Shizuka thought as they sped down the road. "It's not just Kouta-chan who has changed. All of them have grown up so much since yesterday."
"Jimu-san." Shizuka thought to herself as she closed her eyes. "You'd be so proud."
Everyone watched them as they speed off down the road, no one saying a word as they disappeared into the distance until finally, Saeko broke the spell.
"Allright everyone, time to go." Saeko said as she looked over everyone. " I'll lead the way, Miyamoto-san, please walk behind me. Takagi-san? Please walk in front of Hirano-kun as before and Hirano-kun? Please watch our rear."
"YES Ma'am!" Kouta said with a little too much enthusiasm at Saeko's order.
"She means for you to watch the area behind us as we're walking you jack-ass!" Saya yelled, noticing the goofy look on Kouta's face.
"Hai." Kouta said watching the road behind them, scanning the area quickly by peering through the riflescope, and seeing nothing, lowered the rifle. "All clear behind us."
"Good, let's go then." Saeko said, smiling slightly.
Kouta was in full combat mode now, and Saeko was relieved that even amidst all this tragedy, Kouta was proving to be extremely dependable in this very difficult situation.
Saeko led the sad procession towards the second bridge, all of them extremely quiet as they passed underneath the first bridge where the American had made his fatal leap.
Each of them were greatly saddened by the memory of the friend they had lost trying to help them as they passed underneath the bridge, and then each of them also bristled at the sound of the Infected moving around above their heads on the bridge, the sound of their moans echoing over the water and infuriating them one and all.
There wasn't one among them that wasn't tempted to go and kill every Infected person moving about on the bridge as they passed underneath.
It didn't take long for the small group to reach the bridge where Takashi and Shizuka sat waiting for them to arrive as the sun was beginning to set. Both parties happy to see the other safe, yet both still very much feeling the same sense of loss they had earlier, which made the otherwise happy reunion bittersweet.
As they approached each other Shizuka stood up and hugged Rei, Saeko, and Saya as Kouta shook hands with Takashi. Takashi then returned the revolver to Kouta despite the other teen's protests and then looked up at everyone as they gathered around him, each of them mindful of the pack that the American used to wear lying nearby. A stark reminder of the person that had been amongst them, and was now gone.
"I don't know what happened since Miyamoto-san and I left the bus yesterday." Takashi began. "But I know that despite being a stranger to our land, Jimu-san took it upon himself to watch over us even though he didn't have to. And even though I still don't know anything about him, I know that he cared enough about all of us to want to help us get home to our families."
" And I also know now that he meant a lot to the rest of you.' Takashi said looking at Saeko and Saya as Shizuka held them in her arms. "And I wish we could have helped him somehow, like he helped us."
"But he's gone, and now we have to help ourselves." Takashi said, staring at the ground a moment before he continued speaking. "Jimu-san asked Busujima-sempai and I to take the lead and get all of us home if something ever happened to him. And that's what we are going to do."
"But for right now, we need to take a break and rest a moment." Takashi said, looking up at them again. "Then we are going to take whatever we can from Jimu-san's pack and then find a safe place to spend the night. Any questions?"
Each member of the group shook their heads at his question, and then each of them went and found a small spot to rest before they went back on the move again.
Rei walked over to Takashi and as she approached, he could tell by the look on her face that she was clearly concerned about something.
"What is it?" He asked, as she approached him.
"You didn't answer my question a while ago Takashi." Rei said, frowning. "What happened after you and Busujima-sempai left? You were gone so long I was beginning to worry."
Takashi sighed. "We went down the road for a couple of miles and passed two bridges without seeing anything. I doubled back and we saw something in the water that we thought might be him."
"It wasn't." Takashi said looking at her. "It was only his pack. We grabbed the rifle and a box of ammo and were going to bring this for Marikawa-sensei." Takashi said, reaching into the pack and then holding up the bag with the women's sneakers. "But we left them here until I could bring Marikawa-sensei back. But when I got her back here, I forgot all about them until now."
"Where did you get THOSE?" Rei asked puzzled.
"I didn't. Saeko says she believes Jimu-san scavenged these, trying to get some decent shoes for Marikawa-san to wear, so she could walk more comfortably because of her injured foot. We found them inside the pack."
"Saeko?" Rei asked, slightly irritated that Takashi and Saeko now seemed to be on a first name basis so quickly.
Both of them turned suddenly as they heard a loud gasp come from behind them.
The sound had come from Shizuka who had spotted the shoes in Takashi's hand and suddenly realized whom the shoes were meant for.
Shizuka had resolved herself to be strong for the teens, knowing that the death of their friend would be very difficult for them to deal with, especially the way he had died.
She was especially trying to be a source of strength and comfort for Saeko, whom she feared would be the most affected by the man's death. The sight of seeing the shoes in Takashi's hands however and the sudden realization of who they were meant for and the horrible price paid for them, caught her completely off guard. And once again, a wave of guilt began to wash over her.
Takashi lifted the bag, and looked at Shizuka who stared at them blankly.
" Ano," He began, almost apologetically. "I believe Jimu-san got these for you sensei, so you could be able to walk despite your injury. We found them in his pack after we pulled it out of the river."
Takashi stepped forward and tried to hand the bag to Shizuka, who then shrank back from it, her eyes wide.
"NO. Please, take them away." Shizuka said, her eyes beginning to tear.
"Eh?" Takashi and Rei said, both of them confused by the nurse's reaction.
"PLEASE, take them away, Komuro-chan." Shizuka said, as tears fell down her face. " Please just take them away." she said.
"Sensei, Jimu-san got them so you could walk more comfortably so your injury could get better." Takashi said, still confused by the nurses reaction to seeing the shoes. The nurse's reaction was confusing to everyone watching her, all of them not comprehending as to why she was acting as if she had seen a ghost.
"Shizuka-san, what's wrong?" Saeko said, also confused and starting to worry now at the nurse's reaction. "Is there something wrong with the shoes?"
Shizuka looked at Saeko tearfully for a moment and then cast her gaze back at the clear plastic bag in Takashi's hands and wanted to tear it out of his hands and tear the contents apart and throw it all in the river and scream and yell in rage and anguish at the tragedy and the cruel irony of how the simple thing being held in his hands had cost a dear friend his life.
"GET THEM AWAY FROM ME!" Shizuka screamed as she quickly caught herself and clamped her hands over her mouth and began to weep uncontrollably as her knees began to buckle.
Horrified, everyone rushed forward to grab her before she could fall. Saya and Saeko quickly grabbing her before she fell, and then easing her to the ground as she continued to weep for no apparent reason.
"SENSEI, WHAT'S WRONG?!" Saeko asked, extremely alarmed by the nurse's near collapse.
"I'm sorry Saeko-chan." The nurse said between sobs." I didn't mean for this to happen. I didn't want this. I'm so sorry. Please forgive me Saeko-chan!" Shizuka said letting her words trail off in a long bitter wail.
"SENSEI. What are you talking about!" Saeko asked, thoroughly confused at Shizuka's words and her emotional breakdown. "It wasn't your fault."
"YES IT WAS!" Shizuka wailed loudly. "He went out there all ALONE to find a car and to get shoes FOR ME! He did all that because of a STUPID blister on my foot, because I was too dumb to wear anything but these STUPID THINGS!" Shizuka said as she suddenly tore off her own shoes and threw them out into the road.
"He went OUT THERE because of ME!" Shizuka said crying.
"He got those shoes BECAUSE OF ME! HE DIED BECAUSE OF ME!" She cried as she grabbed Saeko and held her tight.
"I'm so sorry Saeko-chan. I'm so sorry." Shizuka said as she held Saeko and cried on her shoulder. "Please forgive me."
Saeko held the poor woman, completely racked with guilt and spoke to her softly, trying to help ease her pain.
"Sensei, it's NOT your fault." She said soothingly.
"No. It isn't." Takashi said, interrupting. "It isn't your fault Marikawa-sensei that any of this happened. It's not your fault that you and the others had to leave the safety of the bus, and walk for miles from Shido and THEM. And it's not your fault Jimu-san died trying to help, not just for you, but for ALL of us."
"I would have done the same. If I had been here." Takashi said, as he stared at the ground. "It's my fault, not yours Sensei."
"Takashi!" Rei said, horrified at his remark. "How can you say that? You weren't even here when all this happened. How could it be your fault?"
"Because I WASN'T here when I should have been!" Takashi answered angrily. "Jimu-san was a foreigner! He wasn't from here! We're not his fellow countrymen, his friends, neighbor's, or even family! He had NO obligation to help any of us! And even so, he took it upon himself to take care of us, and DIED because of it!"
"But he shouldn't have, because I'M the one who is responsible for all of you! I SHOULD have been here to help him and not be off elsewhere running around, while he went off and did what was really my responsibility." Takashi said, his voice trailing off.
"He's dead because of me, not you Marikawa-san."
"That's stupid." Saya said, frowning. "No one is to blame here, and you shouldn't feel guilty because of what happened either, Komuro-san. All of you should quit blaming yourselves, it's not true, and it's not helping."
"Besides, the only reason you weren't here was because Miyamoto-san left the bus, and you ran after her and got trapped. It's not your fault Komuro-kun." Saya said matter-of-factly.
Rei couldn't help but notice that Saya had TWICE mentioned before about her leaving the others behind already, and that could only mean one thing, Rei thought.
"So what are you implying Takagi-san, that it's my fault then?" Reid said hotly.
"I didn't say that!" Saya replied, Rei's comment catching her completely off guard. She hadn't meant anything personal by mentioning Rei's sudden departure from the group. However, now that Rei seemed intent on being so defensive about it, Saya couldn't help but feel a little put off by the other girl's attitude.
"But that's what you meant, didn't you?" Rei said, angrily balling her fists.
"No, that's NOT what I meant." Saya replied angrily. "But if you're going to get so pissy about it, then YEAH, maybe all of this IS your fault! Maybe if you hadn't thrown a tantrum like a SPOILED LITTLE GIRL, and run off crying like you did, maybe Komuro-kun wouldn't have to have been separated from the rest of us because of you, and then Jimu-san wouldn't have had to go off by himself because there wasn't anyone else to back him up!"
"YOU CAN'T BLAME ME FOR THAT!" Rei shrieked. "YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT SHIDO DID TO ME BEFORE!"
"OH YEAH? WELL WHAT ABOUT WHAT HE COULD HAVE DONE TO US!" Saya shot back. "He tried to kill Jimu-san in his sleep! He even tried to force Marikawa-sensei to stay with him against her will! And who knows WHAT he would have done to the rest of us given enough time?"
"Guys! Calm down!" Takashi hissed as the noise from the two girl's angry voices began to rise in volume.
His warning was completely ignored though as the bell for the next round had rung and both of the girls' came out swinging.
" IF YOU WERE SO DAMNED WORRIED ABOUT HOW DANGEROUS SHIDO WAS, WHY THE HELL DID YOU LEAVE US HANGING WITHOUT EVEN GIVING US A WARNING OF WHAT HE WAS CAPABLE OF?!" Saya shouted accusingly.
"I DIDN'T KNOW THAT WOULD HAPPEN!" Rei yelled, feeling cornered by Saya's words. "HOW WAS I SUPPOSED TO KNOW HE WOULD GO CRAZY LIKE THAT?!"
"WELL OF COURSE YOU WOULDN'T KNOW! HOW COULD YOU, WHEN YOU DECIDE TO BAIL OUT ON YOUR FRIENDS AND LEAVE THEM TO ROT BECAUSE ALL YOU CAN THINK OF IS YOURSELF!" Saya screamed angrily.
"THAT'S NOT TRUE!" Rei screamed back, and then stepped forward angrily. "I CAME TO HELP YOU WHEN YOU WERE ATTACKED, YOU UNGRATEFUL LITTLE BITCH!"
"A LOT OF GOOD THAT DID! " Saya retorted. "YOU KNOCKED A COUPLE OF PEOPLE DOWN AND THEN GOT YOUR ASS KICKED, AND THE MAN THAT HAD TO SAVE YOUR SORRY ASS IS DEAD, BECAUSE OF YOU!"
Rei completely lost her cool then, and dropping her spear and screaming angrily, ran directly at Saya with her fist raised, trying to punch her in the mouth.
She was held back by Takashi who had quickly grabbed her by the waist and then lifted her off the ground as she kicked and screamed at Saya, who was now also being restrained by Kouta and Saeko who were having a tough time trying to keep her from pummeling Rei as well.
"EVERYONE PLEASE STOP IT!" Shizuka yelled, trying to keep the two teens from killing one another.
"Geez, I leave you kids alone for a few minutes and you're already trying to kill each other." A familiar voice said from somewhere above them.
Everyone's heads turned sharply at the sound of the voice coming from behind them as they saw the familiar figure of the man they had thought dead, move down from the top of the small hill and then walk on the road underneath the bridge towards them.
His face was scratched, his clothes still damp and torn, and there was dried blood on his clothes, but by some miracle, it was him, still very much alive.
"JIMU!" Saeko yelled as she let go of Saya and ran towards the man's outstretched arms and began crying again, as he held her.
"Hey, sweetie." The American said, holding Saeko tightly as she sobbed on his chest.
The fight forgotten, everyone was astounded to see the man they all had thought dead, still very much alive and standing before them.
Shizuka started to really cry then at the sight of seeing Saeko being embraced by the man she had feared lost, relieved that the horrible tragedy that they had all believed had befallen the man had turned out to not be the case after all.
The American seemed not to notice them for a few moments as he held Saeko in his arms. And then he turned towards the rest of the group and smiled weakly at them, obviously beaten and tired from his near death ordeal.
"Hey guys.''He said, looking up at all of them. "Everyone all righ_"
"SMACK!"
Before he could finish, everyone flinched as Saeko suddenly pulled away from the man's embrace and slapped him hard across the face, causing him to stumble back from the force of the blow that sounded very much like a gunshot.
"BAKAAAA!" Saeko screamed as she stood staring at him absolutely furious, as tears streamed down her face, while the American stood there looking at her in surprise, and everyone else stared in shock.
"Ara?" Shizuka said, completely confused.