Chapter 8: Unstable Instability (1/4)
Abigail Anderson:
"Mm!" A grunt of pain escaped her lips. "Careful..."
"Shut up and stop moving." Mel replied coldly as she examined her eyes with a small flashlight.
"Is she gonna be okay?" Owen asked his girlfriend.
"It's the third time that you ask that and the answer is still the same." Mel spoke in annoyance as she made Abby's eyeball follow the light.
Everything was foggy and confusing to Abby for a lot of reasons. At one moment, she was getting beaten to a pulp by a fat guy named Geralt, the next moment, she was inside of a house in the middle of the night surrounded by a bunch of people that she never saw before.
"What was happening to Leah and who the hell are those people?" Abby asked since nobody told her anything. They just dragged her to a room and Mel began to inspect her to check the damage.
"She..." Owen scratched his head , not really knowing how to respond.
"Stop fucking moving, so I can get this over with and go check on the others." Mel told her angrily as she was visibly in a hurry to get that examination over with.
Abby realized that something was wrong with Mel.
"Done." Mel unceremoniously stood up and said. "That fat guy apparently was careful not to swing too hard and only hit you in specific places not to cause any severe damage." She told her. "I was mostly worried about brain damage but you seem okay."
"That's it?" Abby was surprised.
"No, you probably have some fractures in your bones but there is no way to properly check without an X-ray and the bruises you got have a considerable risk of blood clots ." Mel bluntly informed her, with Owen looking at her in deep concern.. "So I suggest you stay in bed for a while and avoid any movements since we don't have the proper medical equipment to treat it." Mel, however, showed little concern for her and immediately turned her back to leave the room.
"What exactly is your problem?" Against her better judgment, Abby ended up asking her that.
"Abb-" Owen tried to speak but he was interrupted by Mel, who angrily turned around and approached Abby.
"My problem?!" Mel yelled at her. "Nick and Jordan are dead!" The medic revealed to her in pure rage.
Justifiable, Abby widened her eyes in shock and immediately looked at Owen, who just looked away with a sad face.
"Manny was shot! Nora was burned by a Molotov cocktail! AND LEAH WAS FUCKING BITTEN!" Mel screamed on the top of her lungs in complete distraught. "AND IT WAS ALL YOUR DAMN FAULT!" Before pointing her finger on her face.
"Mel, come on, ta-" Owen touched her shoulder and attempted to calm Mel down.
But Mel pushed his hand away and said. "She was the one convinced everyone into coming along to this wild goose chase because of something she heard from some guys that used to be Fireflies that none of us even knew!" Directing her anger at Owen now. "It's the middle of the fucking winter and we are miles away from our home based on something that she heard from a bunch strangers!" Owen looked down as he had no counter argument for that. "ALL OF THIS, JUST TO FIND A GUY THAT IS ALREADY DEAD!" She shoved Owen after yelling that last part loudly.
Abby heard that last part loud and clear. "What did you say?"
Mel looked back at her with an expression of pure anger on her face. "Seriously?!" She approached her and stood face to face with her. "Even now, that's all that you care about?!"
"Mel..." Owen tried to speak. Only to be shut by Mel giving him an angry glare.
"I'm done," She lifted her hands up and declared. "You tell her." Before turning her back and leaving the room, shutting the door hard on her way out.
...
...
...
An awkward silence was left inside that room as Owen stood there, touching his face in visible frustration. Despite wanting to know what happened while she was unconscious, there was just something that she needed to know more than anything.
"How do you know?" Despite processing the information, she needed to know if it was true.
"Because those people that were with us when you woke up..." Owen answered the question. "They are his family."
"What?!" Abby asked in surprise.
"His brother, sister-in-law... And I think one of them is his daughter." Owen explained.
Abby was incredibly confused, not exactly understanding the situation that they were in. "Owen, what the hell is going o-ssss..." She tried to ask , but then she accidentally made a sudden move that made all of her torso hurt pretty badly.
"Hey," Owen immediately ran to check on her. "Take it easy." Before gently pushing her to lay down.
"Dammit..." Just any movement made her body hurt like hell, making her worry about how much damage was done. "Just tell me, what happened." She demanded anyway, because she needed to know.
"The place that we were heading to, Jackson City, was attacked." Owen began to explain as he made Abby lay down. "Basically a group that calls themselves Normandies killed everyone and torched the entire place to the ground."
"How do you know?" They couldn't really trust people's words, so she was hoping that they had proof.
"We saw... Some video footage. " Owen revealed to her. "I can show you later if you want, but I don't really recommend it." By the face he made, she could tell that whatever this footage was, it wasn't pretty.
"Okay..., But how do you know if he's really dead?" A part of her still didn't want to believe that he was really dead, so she needed confirmation.
"We saw his grave and honestly, I can tell that his family is grieving ." Owen responded with a sad face.
No way... This can't be right... I was going to kill him. Abby didn't know how to react to that. All this years searching, all this years training and preparing myself to get justice for my father's murder... It was all for nothing, this can't be true... The woman put her hands on her face as her thoughts were all over the place.
"After we were taken, Jordan and Leah bumped into Miller's family and friends." Owen decided to continue. "They were able to escape Jackson and were taking refuge inside a house that was not very far from our camp, pure coincidence, believe it or not." It did sound too much of a coincidence for her taste. "Jordan managed to convince two of them into helping him rescue us." He sat on the edge of the bed. "It was thanks to two guys, Jesse and Fox Boy, that we ended up surviving."
"Fox what?" Abby didn't understand what she just heard.
"There is a kid that wears a mask with them and his name apparently is Fox Boy." Owen explained. "He's... Kind of a weirdo but he single handedly took most of those guys down."
"What the hell are you saying?" Abby didn't really believe him. "There were more than twenty heavily armed guys there." Because the number of men taking them was just too high.
"That's my point." Owen insisted.
Abby still didn't believe him. But that wasn't important right now. "Is it true?" She asked the awful question. "Is Nick and Jordan really dead?" Despite being afraid of the answer.
Owen looked away and touched his face. "That guy that beat you... Geralt... " Abby grinded her teeth at the mention of him, because the sound of his laughing still echoed in her head. "He... Practically unloaded an SMG on Nick." He was clearly having difficulty saying it, rubbing his eyes as he did.
"Dammit!" Abby yelled angrily and wanted to punch the wall, but her body hurted too much. "What happened to that bastard?!"
Owen sighed. "He... Grabbed Mel and tried to use her as a hostage, but she managed to break free and..." He paused for a second. "Fox Boy, Jesse and I gunned him down with our pistols."
"Good." Abby was only mad with the fact that she didn't get to kill him herself. "Fuck..."
"Jordan... We were... Running away from a massive horde of Runners that were chasing us." Owen stood up again and folded his arms. "We managed to reach this little town that had big walls that could shield us, but the entrance was blocked and we all had to get in through a hole next to the entrance." Then he sighed deeply. "But we were so desperate to get in that we forgot that Jordan and Leah were the most injured so they ended being the last ones to go through" It was obvious that he was feeling extremely guilty for that and Abby agreed that they should despite being unconscious herself, they should have let the most wounded ones go in first. "Leah got bitten on her way in and the Runners grabbed Jordan's legs while he was half way through it."
"Ahh..." A small grunt escaped Abby's lips because she had already imagined what happened afterwards. "What about Leah?" Since they just said that she was bitten.
"She wants to wait." Owen answered while looking at the floor.
"Are you fucking kidding me?!" Abby genuinely didn't like that . "She needs to be out down before she turns or el-" She tried to argue but was immediately shut down..
"It's her choice, not yours." Owen was quick to state that. "Least we can do is respect it, Abby."
Abby sighed in deep annoyance with her friend's stupidity. They had too many bad experiences with people wanting to "wait" until they turned and the fact that it was Leah just made it worse. It was better to just end it now and avoid more trouble later. She saw way too many people turning and that was just not something she wanted for Leah, so it would be better to just finish her off even if she wants to wait. "Where the hell are we anyway?" She decided to change the subject since speaking would be a waste of time.
"In a ghost town located a few miles away from our camp." Owen answered. "There was a massive horde of Runners chasing us and we had to get inside to hide. "
"Where is the horde now?" Abby was immediately worried about that. Despite being unconscious, she remembered that there was a weird absence of infected in the area and suddenly a horde showed up that was very odd.
"It's probably still outside." Owen didn't seem sure. "But we are safe inside for now, we just have to wait until the horde goes away."
"Wait until the horde goes away?" Abby didn't like that, at all. "Is this seriously what we are doing?"
"Well, we don't have any better ideas, especially with our cars being outside." Owen was quick to rebuff, while giving her a terrible piece of information.
"Are we trapped in here?" Abby asked the important question.
Owen sighed. "Pretty much." Before responding.
"Shit..." That was bad, really bad.
"There is a big wall surrounding the town, so we should be safe for now." Owen reassured her.
His words didn't really do anything to reassure her at all.
Owen sighed again before grabbing a bottle from a drawer that was beside the bed and offering it to her. She accepted because she was very thirsty. "Listen..." He sat on the edge of the bed again and touched her shoulder. "It's finally over." Before declaring that. "Joel Miller is dead, so we can move forward and let it go."
Abby only gulped down her water. Not really knowing how to reply to that. Despite the fact that she should be happy that he was dead and that he paid for what he did to her father. A part of her couldn't swallow the fact that it wasn't her that took his life. All those years training, searching, festering her anger and resentment. Only for him to be killed by someone else.
She didn't know how to react to that. Ever since they left Seattle, all she could think about was what she was going to do when she finally caught the bastard. How would she hurt him for what she did to her dad. It got to the point where that was all that she thought about it. But now, she doesn't know how to deal with this. This was supposed to be the moment where she would finally get justice for her father, that was all that she cared about, only for it to have it taken away from her.
Because of that, she only became angrier.
"Abby?" Owen called her as she was deep in thought.
"Just... Leave me alone." Abby ordered her ex-boyfriend in a low voice.
Owen simply looked at her with a sad expression. But ended up complying to her request. So he stood up from the bed and walked towards the door. "I'll...'" He touched the door knob. "Come back later to check on you." That was the last thing he said before opening the door and walking out.
Leaving her completely alone with her thoughts. All she could do was lay on the bed and stare at the dirty ceiling. With a single thought occupying her mind.
What now?
Ellie Williams:
"That's a big bruise..." Ellie commented as she checked the massive bruise on Jesse's face.
Jesse didn't respond, because she couldn't hear it yet. However, he moved his head to the left. With Ellie doing the same and getting the very unpleasant sight of the unconscious Albino Weirdo. The reason why it was unpleasant was because his head was laying on Dina's lap.
After he poured that strange liquid on Leah's bite mark, causing her to scream on the top of her lungs, seemingly agonizing in pain. Manny, justifiably, ended up pushing him away from her and causing him to hit the back of his head on the wall, which knocked him out cold. At the same time, the other girl that was unconscious finally woke up. With Owen and Mel carrying her to a room upstairs.
"Where did Tommy and Maria go?" Dina asked Ellie.
"They went to check the other houses for supplies." The ones they had on the cars were out of reach at the moment.
"AAAAAAHHHH!" Suddenly, another scream was heard by them.
"Just what the fuck did he put on her bite?" Ellie asked despite the fact that none of them really knew.
"Wish I knew, but..." Dina looked down at the unconscious Fox Boy. Who seemed to be sleeping peacefully on her lap despite the fact that he got knocked out cold.
Suddenly, someone walked in. It was the pregnant girl, Mel. "Hi." She greeted them.
"Hey." Ellie greeted her.
Dina waved at her.
Jesse barely acknowledges her, as he is pressing a cold pack in his bruised face.
"How is your friend?" Dina asked her.
"She'll survive." Mel spoke in a relatively apathetic tone. "Where is everyone else?" She asked since it was only them there.
"Your friends took that girl that was bitten outside." Dina responded. Because they had no idea what Fox Boy poured on her bite and they were afraid that she was going to turn into some kind of new infected.
"Just..." Mel rubbed her eyes. "What the hell did he put in her bite mark?!"
"Fuck if we know." Ellie responded. "Everything that happens with that guy is unpredictable."
Dina sighed. "We're gonna have to wait until he wakes up to know..." She didn't seem concerned with what he did. "Whatever it was, I don't think it was supposed to cause her any harm." She clearly believed that.
"So, her agonizing on the floor doesn't qualify as harm?" Ellie asked sarcastically, which earned her a frown from Dina.
Mel sighed before approaching Dina and Fox Boy. "What did he say his injuries were?" The medic asked the girl.
"Internal bleeding from being shot by a... Sponge grenade?" Dina describes it. "And he might have cracked ribs from being hit by a Bloader."
"Mind if I take a look?" Mel asked .
"No, go on." Dina permitted.
Mel then proceeded to open Fox Boy's coat. Then she slowly lifted his sweater. "Jesus!" Only to be startled by the sight of his torso once his sweater was all the way up. "What-" She was about to ask about it, but Dina interrupted her.
"Those psychos with the masks did it." Dina bluntly responded.
"Seriously?" Mel asked in disbelief as she inspected the high number of scars in his torso.
"He used to be one of them." Ellie decided to add.
"But he isn't anymore." Dina clarified.
"Okay..." Mel didn't seem to know what to make of it, so she simply focused on the examination. She pressed his ribs gently with her hand before saying. "No way to know for certain without a proper X-ray, but from what I can tell, at least one of his ribs was cracked."
"Great..." Dina spoke sarcastically.
Mel then proceeded to examine his stomach. "Is he an albino?" She asked, despite the fact that his pale skin made it obvious.
"Yeah." Dina confirmed.
"Ummm... Has he... Been eating properly?" Mel asked them, because Fox Boy was way too thin, having an almost emaciated appearance that was only highlighted by his skin and scars.
"As properly as you can in a situation like this." Dina responded as she ran her fingers through his wavy hair.
Mel then began to inspect his stomach. They could actually see the wound that was caused by the sponge grenade. She touched lightly and inspected up close. "It is possible that he might have gastrointestinal bleeding, but there is no way to confirm it without testing.."
Dina sighed in relief. "Can we do something about it if he actually has it?"
"Gastrointestinal bleeding often stops on its own, but if it doesn't, treatment depends on where the bleed is from. Mel explained. " In many cases, bleeding can be treated with medicine or a procedure during a test." And they didn't have the means for either. "Do you know his blood type?"
"AB Negative." Dina responded right away.
"How the fuck to do you know that?" Ellie was quick to ask.
"Because I asked." Dina responded just as quickly.
"That's a pretty rare blood type." Mel seemed surprised by the Albino Weirdo's blood type.
"Is he in trouble then?" Dina asked her in concern.
"No..." Mel reassured her. "He can receive it from most negative blood types."
Suddenly, Owen descended from the stairs as well. Noticing what was happening and asking. "Is he gonna be okay?" He asked in concern.
"It depends on you." Mel spoke while continuing to inspect the unconscious boy.
"What?" Owen asked in confusion.
"He may need a blood transfusion depending on the quantity that he lost and you're the only one that can actually donate some." Mel bluntly told him.
"What's your blood type?" Dina asked him in curiosity.
"B Negative." He responded. "Ummm... If he does need some, I don't mind donating but..." He scratched his head before asking. "Do we even have the equipment for it."
"No." Mel acknowledges that fact. "But there must be a medical facility or something in this place, so..."
"Tommy and Maria went out to check, so they might find one." Ellie revealed it to them.
"Alright then." Mel then moved her head to look at Fox Boy's head, his disturbing mask to be more precise. "Ummm... I need to ask, why the mask?"
"The Normandies have a thing for masks by the looks of it." Ellie was the one that answered.
"He said that they put the mask on his face and told him to never take it off." Dina added. "I actually think he should get rid of it but he seems to be more comfortable with it." By the looks of it, Dina dislikes the mask just as much as Ellie, but she respects his desire to continue to wear it.
"Where is everyone?" Owen asked them.
"Outside." Ellie told them.
"What did he pour on Leah's bite?" Then he asked the same question that everyone else had.
"No idea." Ellie answered.
"We're gonna have to wait until he wakes up to ask." Dina pointed out the obvious. "Courtesy of your friend with the ugly beard."
Mel chuckled. "Yeah, I told him to shave that thing off a thousand times because it makes him look like a hobo, but some of the girls back home are into that by the looks of it."
"You're kidding?" Dina seemed shocked by that.
"You'll be surprised." Owen was quick to confirm it
Fox Boy:
A fog engulfed the entire area, making it difficult to actually see his path. The Albino Boy could only continue to walk down the stairway that led to the area below.
I need to get home. The boy told himself as he reached the bottom of the stairs.
Upon reaching it however, he came across an odd sight that made him a little confused. "Huh?" A few steps away from him, there was a group of kids that seemed to be slightly older than him, they were all throwing rocks at something.
Taking two steps forward , he was able to see it.
There was a man, a middle aged man with fair skin and a bald head. He was naked and his entire body was hanging on a fence, being held by barbed wire that was wrapped around his entire body, with blood dripping from his body, covering the ground.
He watched as the kids continued to throw rocks at the man, but then he decided to just turn and leave since he was late. So he walked down the alley in order to reach one of the main streets. Stepping out of the alley, he ended up in a very busy street. With several of it's citizens walking around, minding their own business.
Moving his gaze to the left, he saw that there were some cars driving down the street, cars that were in perfect condition. But then he turned towards the opposite direction and continued to move forward. Passing by the citizens that pay no attention to him at all, all of them seemed to be fixated on their own business.
After walking for a considerable amount of time, the boy eventually reached his destination. As soon as he did, a noticeable sound was heard by him.
The sound of the bells of a clocktower being rang right behind him. Turning around he saw the large tower from a distance, with the sound practically echoing throughout the city.
I don't like that sound. The Albino Boy thought, since he always felt strange when he heard those bells.
So he turned around and entered the building. The place was clean and smelled nice, with colorful decorations all around it. But he ignored it and made his way to where he was supposed to go. Climbing a staircase that was right besides the entrance and going all the way to the last floor.
Upon reaching it, he turned around the corner to the left and walked all the way to the end. Eventually reaching a red door that was partially painted black.
He pulled out a key from his pocket and unlocked the door. However, after passing through the door and closing it behind him.
Someone grabbed him and pushed him against the door. "WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN?!"
The one that pushed him against the door was a thin and pale young woman with short brown hair in a pixie cut. She was wearing a blue blouse and a long gray skirt.
"Hi Misery." The boy waved happily at her .
The woman was his brother's girlfriend, Misery. "How many times did I tell you to not leave the apartment!" Misery yelled as she grabbed his arm and squeezed them tightly.
"Twenty-on-." He tried to answer her question.
"You can't! You can't! You can't!" But she began to shake him violently. "YOU HEAR ME!" Before yelling at him some more.
The boy was about to reply to her. But before he could, someone grabbed her by the arm and pulled her away.
The person that pulled her, was a tall, broad-shouldered and very handsome young man with long and wavy blond hair that fell down his shoulder plates. He was wearing black cargo pants and a orange sleeveless T-shirt that exposed his muscular arms.
"Quit you damn yelling!" He yelled at her.
"Hi Wolfgang." The boy waved happily at him. Since that young man was his older brother, Wolfgang.
"I told you to stay out until night, why did you come back?" Wolfgang asked him with a frown on his face.
"A man told me to get home before it gets dark." The boy replied. "Should I walk out and wait until it gets dark?"
"NO!" Misery yelled before yanking her arm away from Wolfgang. "No, no, no, no." She immediately grabbed him again and said. "Just go wash up and let's eat dinner together." Then she forcefully removed his coat and scarf.
"Okay." The Albino Boy immediately did what Misery said and went to the bathroom to wash himself.
But as he was about to walk past his brother, he grabbed him by the hair. "If I tell you to do something, you do as I fucking say, you understand!" He yelled at him while pulling his hair, hard.
"Yes." But the boy simply reacted casually to it.
Wolfgang then pushed him into the corridor, with him stumbling and almost falling on the floor. "Good, now go wash up." Before kicking him in the butt to make him move.
The boy just compiled and moved towards the bathroom. Upon entering, the first thing that the boy came across was a broken mirror that broke when his brother punched it. But he ignored it and simply approached the sink, where he washed his very pale face with cold water.
Once he washed himself up, the boy exited the bathroom and stepped on the living room. The living room was considerably decorated with a nice blue carpet on the floor, old french paintings hanging on the walls, vintage furniture and old electronics.
His brother was sitting on top of a nice and comfortable looking chair. Smoking a cigarette while watching an old recording on a television of what appeared to be cage fighting, where two shirtless men were swinging wild punches at one another.
Misery was in the kitchen, cooking something for them to eat.
The Albino Boy could only move towards the window as he waited for dinner to be ready. Looking outside and watching the whole city from above. The first thing that came to mind was the fact that he could see at least one Faceless standing on top of the roof of each building holding a sniper rifle.
From afar, he could see several helicopters flying past the city.
The streets below were very crowded and there was a considerable amount of vehicles there.
The thing that stood out the most , was the giant tower that was located in the middle of the city, which was where the Supreme Leader resides.
The little boy looked through the window for an unspecified amount of time.
Until.
"Dinner is ready." Misery told him.
The boy then left the window and immediately made his way to the kitchen, where there was a small dining table that only had two chairs on. Misery immediately grabbed a plate and took it to his brother, who was still watching the Television. Putting on top of a small tv tray before turning her back on him.
Once she was checked in the kitchen, she made another plate, this time for him.
The dinner was steak and eggs with warm milk. She placed the plate in front of him right away, and sat beside him. But she didn't put on a plate for herself, she just sat there, watching him eat.
"Where did you go today?" Misery asked him. There was something strange in the way she asked alongside the way she was staring at him.
"I went to that building where the old arcade machines are." The boy responded while eating his food with his eyes fixated on the food. "I was playing Mortal Kombat with an older boy that cursed a lot."
"Is that all?" She asked again.
"Yes." He went straight home after the arcade because the man in charge told him to get home before it gets dark.
"Hm..." Misery just continues to stare at him for some reason.
After eating a bit more, he felt full, so he put his fork down and prepared to stand up.
However.
Misery immediately grabbed his arm. "What is this?!"
"What?" The boy asked in confusion.
"You never leave food behind, why do you only eat half?!" Her grip on his arm became tighter.
"Oh, it's because I ate something in the arcade af-GAH!" Before the boy could finish.
"I told you to not eat anything other than what I make for you!" Misery forcefully shoved both her middle finger and index finger into his mouth and down his throat. Causing the boy to actually vomit all over her.
As the albino boy coughed in front of her after being forcefully induced to vomit. "Hmm... What a mess, but now you can finish your meal properly." She spoke with a smile despite the fact that her clothes were covered in his vomit.
...
...
...
"Eat it, now." She ordered him with a tone of voice that didn't match her smiling face.
The boy decided to comply, despite the fact that the smell of vomit made him very uncomfortable. Especially with the fact that Misery just sat there with her outfit completely covered in his vomit, staring at him as he forced himself to eat.
His brother didn't react to any of it, he just sat there eating his food while watching a man slam another into a mat on TV.
"It might be enough to get by until that horde leaves." Maria spoke.
"Might?" Ellie asked in concern.
"Yeah, might." Tommy confirms it. "We don't know how long it will take for that horde to leave."
"Is there any food?" Dina asked. "I'm starving."
"Hmmm..." After hearing everyone's voices. Fox Boy ended up opening his eyes. Why did I remember that? That was a pretty unremarkable day, so he really doesn't understand why he was dreaming about it.
"Hey." Dina noticed that he was awake right after he sat up.
"Hi Dina." The masked boy waved happily at the pretty girl that was sitting right besides him.
"Are you feeling okay?" Dina asked him.
"My torso really hurts, specifically my stomach and rib cage." Fox Boy was certain that he had gastrointestinal bleeding and one or two cracked ribs.
Before Dina could say anything else, Maria stepped forward. "Hi Maria."
"Fox Boy... What the hell was that liquid that you poured on that girl?" Maria asked him right away.
"An antimycotic agent meant to eliminate all traces of the Cordyceps from the human body." The Albino Boy bluntly responded to the woman and everyone responded by looking at one another with very strange facial expressions that Fox Boy didn't know how to identify.
Ellie was the first one to speak after that. "Okay, now you are bullshitting us!" Before angrily yelling at him.
"No, that would be disgusting." Having a bull defecate on them would be quite deplorable.
"Fox Boy... Are you telling us that Normandies have a cure for the Cordyceps? " Dina asked him in disbelief.
"No, there is no cure." Fox Boy responded.
"You just said there was!" Ellie yelled again.
"It's simply a drug that treats and prevents fungal infections by killing or stopping the growth of fungi." Fox Boy clarified. "Once it reaches your brain, there is no going back."
"So, basically if you apply it to someone who was bitten, they can survive?" Tommy asked him after approaching him and standing beside Maria.
"Yes, although it depends on the spot where the bite is located and the time in between." Fox Boy explained. "Leah was bitten in the abdomen, which meant that she had approximately two to three hours to apply it before it was too late." Fox Boy didn't know whether Leah was going to survive or not since two hours and forty-seven minutes had passed since she was bitten by that stage one infected.
"Come on, you guys seriously believe this shit?" Ellie asked them with an angry expression.
Dina, Tommy and Maria gave Ellie a look that seemed to make her even angrier. Jesse was still sitting on the corner, waiting for his hearing to return completely.
"Where is that girl again?" Dina asked them.
"I think they went to another house to wait for her to turn." Tommy pointed out.
"Oh..." Fox Boy, after hearing that, forced himself to stand up despite the pain that he was feeling.
"Where are you going?" Dina asked him as she also stood up from the floor.
"I don't know whether Leah is going to survive or not since I may have been too late to give her the antimycotic agent." Fox Boy explained. "If she is still alive, I would like to apologize for the pain I caused." Since the application of the antimycotic agent is similar to acid being poured into your body.
After speaking, he decided to walk past everyone with a bit of difficulty but not the same as he was before getting knocked out..
"Hey, wait up." Dina called him before standing up and following him from behind.
"Hey?" Ellie did the same right after.
Tommy and Maria were the next, with Tommy signalling Jesse to follow despite his visible discomfort.
Fox Boy exited the house and stepped outside with the snow falling on his head. It seemed like dawn already, which indicated that he was unconscious for several hours, but Fox Boy didn't care, he simply looked around and noticed someone standing in front of a window in the house in front of the one he was in. So the Albino Boy slowly moved towards it to see. He could hear steps coming from behind him, which was the others following him. It took basically thirty-eight steps for him to reach the house and once he was in front of the door.
He Knock knock-knock knock knock... knock knock! on it.
A small pause occured, before someone opened. "Hi Owen." With Owen opening the door.
"It's you." Owen seemed a bit confused.
"Yes, it's me." Fox Boy confirmed despite not knowing why he asked. "Is Leah dead?"
"What?" Owen seemed surprised by that question. "No!"
"Hi Mel." Then Mel appeared behind him and saw him there.
"Hey, are you okay?" Mel asked him as she moved past Owen and inspected him.
"No, my abdomen really hurts, I'm very thirsty and-" He tried to take a deep breath. "Shortness of breath, by the looks of it."
Mel and Owen only gave him strange looks before looking at everyone that was behind him.
"You'll get used to it." Dina was the only one that spoke.
Maria then stepped forward. "Did your friend turn into a Runner?" And asked that right away.
"No," Mel revealed to them. "I mean... She should have, it has been several hours already." People who have been infected will enter this stage within two days or less depending on where they were bitten. In Leah's case, considering her injuries and the spot that she was bitten, she should turn in less than a day.
"Oh, I'm relieved." Fox Boy really was. "That means that it wasn't too late."
"Too late for wha-" Mel tried to ask.
Fox Boy just walked past her and Owen. Upon walking inside, he realized that that the home was way more decorated than the other house. Step into a serene oasis with this beautifully designed living room that effortlessly blends comfort and style. The centerpiece is a sumptuous, oversized sectional sofa upholstered in a soft, muted gray fabric, inviting you to sink in and unwind. Fluffy throw pillows in pastel hues add a pop of color, while a cozy knitted blanket drapes casually over the armrest. A sleek coffee table made of reclaimed wood sits atop a plush area rug with subtle geometric patterns, providing both functionality and warmth to the space. Flanking the sofa are modern accent chairs with elegant lines and a touch of metallic accents, creating a perfect balance of contemporary charm. Natural light pours in through large, floor-to-ceiling windows adorned with sheer, flowing curtains, illuminating the room and highlighting the curated artwork on the walls. A gallery wall showcases a mix of framed prints and personal photographs, adding character and a personal touch. In one corner, a stylish bookshelf filled with an eclectic collection of books and decorative items invites leisurely browsing. A serene indoor plant adds a fresh, vibrant touch to the space, while a chic floor lamp casts a warm glow for those cozy evenings in.
I like it, it reminds him of my old home. Fox Boy thought.
"What the hell?" Someone said,
"Hi Manny." It was Manny, who was sitting on a chair with his leg on top of another chair.
"What are you doing here?" Nora, who was standing near the fireplace, asked him.
"I came to apologize for the pain I caused and check if the antimycotic agent that I applied on Leah worked." Fox Boy answered right away. Moving his head to the right, he noticed that Leah was laying on the couch. Wide awake, as she moved her head to look at him. "Hi Leah."
"What the fuck did you put on it?" The girl asked right away before lifting her shirt up, to the point where he saw that she was wearing a blue bra.
Ellie Williams:
"Holy shit..." It was Ellie's immediate reaction when she saw the bite mark on Leah's belly. Because her bite looks nearly identical to what hers used to look like. With Ellie gripping her arm in response to it.
"Oh, that means that the antimycotic agent worked." Hearing that made her look at the Albino Weirdo with a look of pure disbelief.
Q and A:
The storm of chaos had finally passed. It is good to give the team some rest. After reading, I feel tired. instead of the characters in the story
-Holy shit, Normandy, is there a vaccine to cure the infected?
-Will Leah survive? It's considered good because in the game she dies but we haven't played the game yet.
-Dina is wanted and Foxboy must use all his power to protect her.
-Group of muscular girls who are crazy about steroids Finally got a role, even if it was a supporting role.
Good morning, and in case I don't see ya, good afternoon, good evening, and good night!
That was the intention.
Not a vaccine, since you don't actually use vaccines to treat fungal infections. They have a antimycotic agent that keeps people from turning.
Yes, and she will play a important role later.
He would sacrifice life and limb for her.
Yup.
Same.
I love it
I'm happy to hear it.
Obrigado pelo capítulo incrível, Autor-San!
De nada.
The trouble with Jester is over... for now at least and hopefully the groups can finally get some breathing room. Wonder what vial that Fox Boy poured on Leah's wound, I hope it doesn't turn her into infected because the last thing the groups need is tension which would get worse now that Abby is awake.
Danger has passed for now, and Abby gets to wake up right after it was over. She wakes up and finds out what happened to her friends, Nick and Jordan being dead and Leah being bit among other things that happened. Her revenge against Joel denied thanks to Reaper, and now all of her friends are against her now... except maybe Owen, he always had a weak spot for her.
Now the question is... what does the group do now?
Yeah. No, it actually kept her from turning into one. Partially.
Weak spot... That's an understatement.
That will be decided in the next chapter.
I swear Fox Boy better get a massive thank you next chapter
Seriously Dina is definitely the only person that really appreciates him also if what Fox injected does what I think it will do Manny better get down on his knees when he says sorry
Even if it's twisted I do like the idea that all the other masked ones want to help out Fox
Oh and Abby is awake joy
More like looks of deep confusion.
Yeah and I doubt it.
Kind of.
Yeah...
Awesome.
AWERSOME!
Another good chapter
Bien hecho ️
Mucho gusto!