Warm Heart
Chapter 2

'I can' take this much longer' Ellis tough while he rubbed the sweat from his forehead. His whole body hurt like hell. His head hurt. His throat hurt every time he swallowed. But he couldn't stop! They needed to go to the safe room before it was dark. If he was going to complain now, he will be a burden to the others. 'No! I Can do this! Jus a little longer' he let out a cough, that he was trying to hold. He pulled Nicks jacked, that he still had, more around him. 'Please, don' let them heard that'

The other three survivors were walking much further than the mechanic. They didn't hear the coughing but knew something was wrong with him. He was starting to slow down, was out of breath faster than he normally was, didn't react as fast as he did normally. It all happened after he felled in the water. Rochelle asked him many times if he was okay. But Ellis just smiled and said he was okay. When Coach was asking he did same. Even Nick asked him once. But Ellis just said he was fine.

Nick stopped and look back to see Ellis struggle to keep up with them. "Jesus" he mumbles and turned back to the other two. "Ro. Coach. Wait a second I'm going to get the hick" he walked to the mechanic. What is wrong with him! Is he hurt? Was he infected? I couldn't be the last one. They mere immune for it. Jesus why does he even care! More important when did he started to care?

Coach and Rochelle stopped when they heard the gambler and turned around to see that he was already going to Ellis.

"Sins when does he care about the young'in?" Coach said while sit down on a rock, but still looking around for zombies.

"This is better than that Nick is a asshole to him" Rochelle answered and sit on a other rock.

Ellis tried to hide a cough again, but it didn't work. He started to cough louder and his throat started to hurt more than ever! He couldn't take it any longer! He started to sweat again and this time he pulled off his cap to rubbed it away from head. Damn it was hot.

"Overalls, you okay?" Nick asked when he heard the other cough.

Ellis looked up surprised. He didn't saw the older man coming to him. He was even more surprised it was Nick that came to him. But he couldn't let him see that he was starting to get sick. So he smiled his usual smile. "I'm okay Nick. Don' need to worry about t"

"I'm not stupid, Ellis" Nick said sighing annoyed. "I heard you coughing. I see you sweat, even it's not that hot. You are getting slower. So I know that there is something wrong"

"There's nothin Nick" he wanted to walk past the gambler, but Nick grabbed his arm. "We have to go further"

Nick, growled a little annoyed and pulled the hick a little closer. He put his hand on the hicks forehead and his eyes wide in shock. "Jesus! Ellis, you fucking burning!"

Ellis pulled Nick's hand from his forehead and smiled a little. "I'm okay Nick" his head started to hurt more and he started to get dizzy. 'No! Not now Nick is here' he tough in panic. "Let' just-" he take one step, when his head started to spin, his breath stocked in his throat and he started to see black spots. He stumbled a little and started to lose his balance.

Nick react fasted when he saw the boy started lose his balance. He put his arms around Ellis so that he didn't fall on the ground. He lays him down on the ground, holding his head in his lap. "Shit! Coach! Ro! Ellis fainted!"

Rochelle and Coach, jumped up when they heard Nick yelling and run to him. When they saw Ellis laying on the floor they both started to worry about the youngest one.

"What happened?" Rochelle asked while she kneeled down next to Ellis.

"I think he's sick" Nick answered. "When I felt his forehead, he was burning like hell!"

Rochelle put her own hand on Ellis forehead and her eyes widen. "This must had happen because he fell in that water!"

"We need to get him to safe room" Coach said while he shoot a zombie. "Those suns of bitches, know when someone is weak"

"I'll carry him" Nick said while he put his arm under the hicks legs and pulled him bridal style. The hell was he doing?1 Why was he so worried about him. He looked at Ellis' face and his heart sinks a little when he saw the painful expression on his face. Why didn't he fucking say that he was getting sick! Why didn't he notice it faster!

"We should go then" Rochelle said while she picked up her shot gun and walked as last.

Nick pulled Ellis a little closer and couldn't to smile a little when the boys head fell on his shoulder, and snuggled against it. "Yeah, let's get going"

"RUN FASTER!" Coach yelled while a Tank was chasing them four a couple of minutes now. He turned around and shoot at the Tank.

Rochelle started to shoot to. "NICK! GET ELLIS OUT OF HERE!"

Nick, who still hold Ellis in his arms, looked from the safe room to his teammates. If he goes to the safe room, he wouldn't made it in time to help Ro and Coach. More zombies were coming their way, and they couldn't kill the Tank and the zombies. Fuck!

"NICK!"

Nick broke from his tough. "FUCK!" he turned around and sprinted to the safe room as fast as he could. But before he went in room he turned around and looked at the other two survivors. "ROCHELLE! COACH!"

"GO!" Coach yelled while he and Rochelle run into the woods while the Tank and zombies chase them. "WE'RE GETTING BACK!" and then they were out of sign.

Nick turned around and went into the room. He laid Ellis down on a sleeping bag. He runs back to the door and closed it. He barricade it with some stuff in the room and sit down next to the boy. He hold his head in his hands. "Fuck!" he stroke with his hands throw his hair. "FUCK!"

Ellis heard the yell and he opened his eyes slowly. His head still hurts like hell and he shivers. He looked next to him and saw Nick. He tried to move but he couldn't. "N… Nick"

Nick looked at the boy and his eyes met with chocolate brown ones . He let out a sigh of relive. "Jesus, Overalls! You give me a fucking heart attack when you fainted" he put his hand on the hicks forehead. "You still burning"

Ellis swallowed and close his eyes when Nick touch his head. His hand were so cold, it felt good. He opened his eyes again and looked around him, for as far as he could see. "W-where are Coach and Ro?"

Nick let out a big sigh and pinched the bridge of his nose. "They run somewhere else, when we were chased by a Tank"

Ellis eyes widened. "T-they are gone?"

"I don't know if they are dead, Ellis" Nick answered while he pulled back his hand, that he was holding a little too long on the boys forehead. "They told me that I had to bring you to the safe room, because you are sick. They said that they were coming back"

Ellis felt the tears burn in his eyes and he started to feel guilty. It was his fold. If he didn't get sick this wouldn't happen. Again, it was all his fold. He let out a sob when a tear run down his cheek.

Nick looked up when he heard the sob. "Hey, why are you crying?" he asked gently while he rubbed a tear from his cheek. Okay, this shocked him more than he was losing a card game. Why was he so gentle with the hick? He hate's him! Or at least that is what he is saying to his self.

"I-it's my… fold" Ellis sobbed while he looked at Nick. "I-if I didn' fell in the w-water, Ro and Coach"

"Ellis listen to me. I'm only going to say this once" Nick says while pulled the boy in a sitting position and pulled him in an embrace. "It's not your fold! An Jockey was riding you, you didn't know where you were going" He started to rubbed Ellis back to calm him. "It could have happen to anyone of us. Don't blame yourself, Overalls"

Ellis hide his face in Nicks neck while grabbed the blue dress shirt tightly in his hands. The tears were streaming down his face. Even if Nick is right, he couldn't stop feeling guilty. "I-I'm sorry"

Nick tightens his grip around the boy and whispers words of comfort. He felt so confused. One moment: he was annoyed with that stupid hick. And the next moment: he only want to hold him close. Just like now. What was about Ellis that is starting to change him? He annoyed by himself that he didn't know the answer!

A few minutes later he could feel Ellis relax against him and saw that he was asleep. Normally he would lay the hick down and would walked outside to search for Rochelle and Coach. But he didn't want to lay Ellis down. He just want to hold him. "Shit" he hissed between his teeth and stroke his hand again with his free hand. He looked down at Ellis and then at the door. He could get some sleep. Maybe Ro and Coach will be back in the morning. At least he hoped so. He moved a little to get comfortable and lay his head on that of Ellis, a little annoyed because of the cap that was still on the hicks had. He closed his eyes and hold Ellis as close as possible.

To be continued…