Left 2 Die
Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5 Part 6 Part 7 Part 8 Part 9
I missed a part last night while posting. Sorry for the inconvenience!!!
Left 2 Die
Part 1
Luke kept his cell phone with him even now. Even months after the collapse of the modern world he always had his phone pressed tightly in his pocket. He hoped that the bars would return. That some sort of signal would be reestablished, and that he would hear Noah’s voice one more time. It was probably the only thing that kept him trudging along interstates hoping to reach Texas. More than a month after he had made that promise he again patted the cell phone in his pocket like you would a lucky rabbit’s foot. It gave him strength to try and reach the monument he saw in the distance. Luke had seen the St. Louis Arch from far away, but he was reluctant to enter the city.
Closed in spaces meant your back was to the wall, meant you could get cornered and torn apart. But most of all, the cities had higher concentrations of the Infected. Like nests, they would gather around in darkened and abandoned buildings during the day to sleep. But that didn’t mean they were out of commission. If you woke up one it wouldn’t be long before half of the city was up: angry, groggy and, hungry. No. Cities were dangerous places no matter what time of day it was. Even if they weren’t around during the day there were the ones that took to the streets in the daylight. They weren’t as fierce as the ones who roamed in packs at night so they were called easy targets and retarded. Survivors were obligated to shoot them dead on sight. Luke didn’t know what made them any different from the rest, but they were far more unsettling. They would attack only if they felt threatened. Otherwise they would wander around aimlessly looking for god knows what. It was disconcerting to say the least.
Another shot of pain throbbed from his bleeding arm. He dropped to one knee the pain blinding. He tried to tighten the makeshift tourniquet but it was hard enough with one hand, the pain just made it harder to even focus. It was midday and he hadn’t seen a soul since he had left the small gun shop that morning, but he wasn’t sure how much longer his luck would hold out. He had to reach a safe haven, before the gunshot wound in his arm killed him or worse yet left him easy prey for those monsters. He had bandaged and disinfected his arm as best he could with alcohol but from the pain he could tell something was wrong. He was on the verge of passing out. Staggering a bit, he finally stood back up. He held his pistol tightly in his right hand, trying not to think of the throbbing, or the fever he might be enduring. He began his slow crawl again, navigating the car strewn interstate. Even after so much time had passed the interstates were still packed with abandoned cars over long stretches, and certainly around cities.
Decidedly, it made his journey all the harder and nearly impossible in his current state. In a hazy stupor, he tried thinking of something else, to try and divert the pain. The first thing that came to mind as his awkward footsteps made him stumble into a car with a ‘thwack’, was how much he missed the hum of life. The world had shifted and now the night was full of all sorts of sickening noises, while during the day it all stopped. Everything was either dead quiet or ear popping loud. And he hated it.
But the silence of the day had its advantages. His ears twitched. Something was coming. It couldn’t have been on the elevated interstate so he looked over the edge, to the street way’s that twisted below. Far away on a less crowded service road he saw a motorcycle coming by him fast. Feeling weak and ready to collapse he used the last bit of his energy to make as much commotion as he could. Waving his good arm, and shouting he tried to gain the person’s attention. The cyclist approached slowing to a stop. As his vision started to blur he could just make out the man look up, past the glare of the sun, at him. Luke was relieved; he shouted one last unintelligible plea before collapsing back onto asphalt.
The sky was a blurred light, the sun shining directly in his eyes. He tried to turn away from the glare but couldn’t, so he closed his eyes instead, and waited. And waited. And waited. As the pain seemed to engulf and numb him he had begun to accept the death that was eminent. Something blocked the sun, so he strained to open his eyes. He wished he had just kept his eyes closed as he stared at the barrel of a gun.
A critical voice asked from far above him. “Are you infected?” Luke tried desperately to shake his head, but his body was taking longer to respond to his commands. He tried to speak but only a wispy breath was released for his effort, and instead he mouthed the word no. But the gun was not removed. He felt the cool tip pressed firmly against his temple and the voice asked, “How do I know you’re not lying?” Luke angrily rolled his eyes.
Taking a deep breath he tried to respond. “I’ve already been shot once, please don’t do it to me again.” His voice didn’t sound like his own, but it seemed to have conveyed what he wanted, because immediately the man put the gun aside. Even without the weapon in his face, Luke could not see the man well. His sight was going dark. He felt a pull at his wounded arm the pain from the un-bandaging far worse than anything he could remember. That was it. He finally lost consciousness.
~
He regained consciousness for small amounts of time before passing out again. In those hazy moments of near-waking he caught glimpses of his rescuer, and their location. It looked like a small apartment, in different states of disarray from what he could see. Every time he woke up, he would see the dirty apartment steadily get cleaner. The few times he actually saw the man, his vision was blurry and all he caught was shaggy, tarnished, rusty hair. And even if Luke could not coherently string together a thought, the man would speak to him. His voice was comforting. It had been a long while since he had company, maybe it was the same for this man.
After what felt like the hundredth time he had opened his eyes, this time he could focus, thanks to the sun’s bright rays coming in through the window. His arm was snugly wrapped in fresh bandages, and the pain was enough to manage. Raising his head from his resting place on a couch he took a tentative scan of the immediate area, but he was alone. He felt his heart constrict painfully. He could be all alone once again and the notion made him feel like the last man on Earth. Shaking his head brusquely he let those emotions fade away. He needed to assess the situation, or at the very least get to a weapon. He found getting to his feet was particularly difficult. Using the coffee table, he positioned his good arm to try and stabilize himself. He was not strong enough, and down he went. He was on his knees feeling quite pathetic but not ready to give up. Hauling himself into a standing position, Luke stood still trying to assure he wouldn’t fall. The world spun a bit in front of his eyes but soon that passed, and he felt normal for a fraction of a second. When it passed he was suddenly extremely thirsty. He examined the room again.
Everything was completely silent and still. He was probably the only thing alive for miles, and the daylight shone brightly. It was probably close to noon. He took small steps to a sink located in the small kitchenette. There were no cups, only a bowl so he filled it tentatively and drank the refreshing water. He was tired again. It was as if that small walk had taxed his body beyond use. He slowly lowered himself onto the tiled ground and rested against the cabinet. A chill sank deep into his bones. A combination of sitting in the shadow on a freezing floor seemed to decrease his body temperature rapidly. There was no way he could take care of himself in this state. He heard the door jiggle open, and heavy footsteps signaled someone’s arrival. His stomach flipped and his heart raced. The footsteps stopped.
The voice he had heard throughout the haze worriedly called, “Mr. Snyder?” The man walked back to the front door and looked out, before Luke called from under the sink. “Over here.” He saw the man come around the island that separated the kitchen and the living room, looking irritated.
“What the hell do you think you’re doing? Are you stupid?” Luke didn’t like being insulted but didn’t protest when he was effortlessly lifted up off the frozen ground.
“I’m sorry. I was thirsty.” The man dropped him onto the couch, but did not remain. He started taking out cans and packages of food from some bags he evidently had brought back to the apartment with him.
“Why didn’t you wait for me to come back?” He quickly found what he had been looking for and handed him a bottle of water. Luke didn’t immediately reach for it. Just the presence of another human being calmed that irrational feeling of utter loneliness in Luke but there was something in the back of his mind. Luke wasn’t scared even though his instincts told him all strangers were suspect. He searched the man’s face instead. Something about him lit up the room, like the brightness in his pale eyes. He finally took the bottle after a couple of tense seconds breaking the trance they had been in. He put the bottle between his legs, opening it with his good arm, the other still prickling with pain.
He sighed finally responding sheepishly. “I didn’t think you would come back.” He took a long drink while silence took over the room.
The other man slowed his hurried motions, crinkling brown bags filling the sudden silence. He looked at look, and responded, condescension in his voice, “That’s silly. I saved you didn’t I?” Luke was still drinking the water. Determined to finish it in one go. The man found something else to say to avoid listening to Luke’s gulping. “I would advise you don’t drink the tap water, unless absolutely necessary. And even then boil it. Who knows what’s been treating the water in abandoned treatment plants. The bacteria will most likely cause a fever worse than what you experienced, before killing you.”
Luke put the bottle down on the coffee table. The empty bottle twirled uneasily before falling empty to its side. Luke’s contended sigh expressed more than any words could as he barely remembered tasting anything so sweet. His body was slowly returning to equilibrium after what felt like weeks and feeling more like himself he cheekily asked the man, “What are you, a doctor?”
“My reputation precedes me, I suppose?”
“Wow. That was lucky of me. I happened to collapse in the presence of a doctor.” The man smugly smiled, eyeing him curiously. “By the way how do you know my name?” The man pulled a wallet out, Luke’s wallet.
“I looked through your stuff.” Luke frowned as it was chucked back at him.
“This is private.” He said, while he looked to see if anything had gone missing.
The other man chuckled. “So is this apartment and look at us just using it all without the owner’s permission.”
“Yeah well, this place is abandoned.”
“And so were you.” Luke got a sudden nauseous feeling. It was ridiculous but Luke felt like the man wasn’t looking at him. Instead maybe he could see what Luke was running from.
He narrowed his eyes. “Are you saying you’re going to use me?”
He smiled mischievously, before responding, “Maybe,”
Something must have shown on his face because the man continued. “Calm down Mr. Snyder. I did take the Hippocratic Oath.” Luke looked away becoming increasingly nervous, an ugly thought crossing his mind. You knew to shot zombies, but when it came to people it was harder to know if you should pull the trigger. He was suddenly quite aware he was unarmed, and even if he did need to defend himself, he was in no shape to do so now. He became very defensive.
“And you are?”
“Dr. Reid Oliver, world renowned neurosurgeon. Not that it matters that much anymore. How are you feeling, by the way?” The man seemed to snap into a more professional mode. He quickly took up Luke’s wrist, shaking his own to get a better view of his watch.
“I’m still a little thirsty.”
“You’re shivering slightly.” He stated and dropped the hand, moving hurriedly behind the couch. He produced a musty cover from somewhere and dropped it onto Luke. Moving back to the bags he produced another water bottle. Tossing it onto the couch, he continued digging around, soon taking out a thermometer. Pouring something onto it, he shook it and popped it abruptly into Luke’s mouth. He gave Luke a critical look, and questioned, “Anything else?”
“I’m a little weak.”
“That’s normal.” He nodded turning away to finish taking things out of bags. Luke expected for him to continue talking, but after a couple of minutes had passed, it seemed the doctor was done conversing. Luke was about to say something when the thermometer beeped and the doctor quickly took it, without even a look towards his patient.
“Hmm,” He put it back in his bag, before returning to what he was doing on the coffee table.
“What is it?”
“Still a little high, but nothing to worry about. You just need to drink more liquids and eat something. With that he opened a can of peaches and sat on the opposite couch beginning to slurp them down in a somewhat disgusting manner. Luke couldn’t look away. The doctor met his gaze mid gobble, and extended the can.
“Want some?”
Luke just picked up the new water bottle and shook his head. The doctor didn’t seem to care about the weird look Luke was giving him, and just continued eating, his slender fingers hungrily searching for lone peach stragglers at the bottom of the can. There was not much to do but stare. The sun in his eyes made the room, the objects, hazy as he squinted slightly. The doctor sat in the shadow. He was muted. His clothes were dark: a brown leather jacket over a maroon shirt, and almost black jeans. And his body seemed subdued as well. He almost completely sank into the couch, his feet resting on the coffee table. Luke was all nerves while it seemed the doctor’s only concern was the food at hand. His eyes were bright, but the puffy skin, tinted darker than the surrounding skin, plainly showed the man was probably exhausted. Yet he had gathered the energy to scarf down the canned fruit. His lips glistened as he haphazardly shoved the food in his mouth. Something about watching the doctor suddenly did make him hungry.
“Alright,” he sighed. Reid was sucking on his fingers as he questioned what his companion was referring to. “Pass me one of those.” He was handed an open can that was a little sticky from where the man’s fingers had held it. “So where are we exactly?”
“An apartment complex not far from where I found you.”
“We’re still close to the city?” His eyes widened and his heart seemed to beat just a bit faster.
“I thought it was crucial to get you somewhere stable. I’m sorry I didn’t stop and check the real estate market.”
“But are we safe?”
“You’ve been out for two days and you’re fine; aren’t you?”
For some reason Luke felt he had slept for less than that. The time loss seemed disjointed in his mind. “Two days?” He questioned, but the doctor didn’t feel the need to repeat himself. “When will I be better?” The doctor again seemed like he wasn’t going to respond but did after wiping his hands on his clothes, sighing. He didn’t seem amused with Luke’s enthusiasm. “You just woke up. Give it some time.”
Luke pulled the musty cover close to him, his hand reaching immediately to his pocket. But as it darted around he only felt the fabric of his jeans. He panicked. “No.” He pulled the covers off and looked around frantically.
“Well if you don’t give it time you’ll just hinder your recovery more.” Luke felt a stinging pain in his arm and winced not wanting to explain himself to this man.
“No, that’s not what I meant. My phone it’s gone!” The doctor leaned forward pulling something from his own jacket.
“You mean this?” Luke’s eyes widened and he madly jumped for it. The doctor instinctively pulled back as Luke collapsed, sending cans flying off of the coffee table.
“Stop it you’re going to hurt yourself.” Luke recoiled as a shooting pain emanated from his arm. “What’s the matter with you? It’s not like you missed a call.” The doctor tried to get Luke back onto the couch, but Luke was furious.
He grabbed Reid by the collar demanding his phone. “Just please give it back!”
“If you calm down I will, dammit!” Luke let himself be repositioned on the couch, and so the doctor tossed the phone at him. He half-muttered to himself, “That’s just my luck. I get stuck with the crazy blond. Hell, I would have settled for the dumb blond!” He turned on his patient. “What next? Are you going to start talking to it? Because I swear I’ll leave. I’m a doctor not a psychotherapist.”
“You don’t understand. Just shut up!” The doctor eyed him curiously. Luke just held the phone in a tight fist. “Is there anything else you took off of me?”
“You ungrateful son of a bitch. I didn’t have to pull you off that overpass?” Reid went around one of the couches and picked up the backpack Luke had been carrying with him. He chucked it harshly at Luke’s feet. “Look through it if you really think I was stealing from you.” Luke clutched his bag, but didn’t unzip it. He wanted to trust him.
“How did you get my phone?”
“How else do you think? It fell out of your pocket so I picked it up.”
“Why were you carrying it around?”
“I get it. You can’t trust me and I can’t trust you! But I would think after I saved you from being zombie fodder, pulled you from the brink of death, and even got you a new battery for that piece of crap you might give me a little gratitude. Just like you’re giving me the third degree I was rooting through your things to find out who I am sleeping in the same room with; alright? Ask me your questions, but hold the scathing indignation for someone who deserves it.” The reverberations lingered, hanging off the walls from the force that had delivered them. The doctor cursed and walked to the door. He placed a wood plank on what looked like makeshift hooks, essentially barring the door. When he turned back Luke turned away, afraid those fiery eyes would burn him alive.
He looked to the phone in his hand instead. He noticed the time showed faintly. He had kept it off to preserve the lonely bar that had begun blinking its last breaths, but now his heart fluttered to see it responsive. Delicately flipping it open the screen lit up to reveal the wallpaper he had been reluctant to change. Two happy people captured in blissful paradise. He shut it immediately. The combination of past happiness and present pain too much to bear, and it caused his stomach to churn painfully.
“I am thankful. I don’t know what I would have done if I’d woken up alone again. Thank you, Dr. Oliver.” He tucked the phone back into his pocket before finally taking a glance back at the man. Dr. Oliver had that smug look on his face again.
“You’re welcome. You should eat and get more rest.” Reid pulled out a map and shut himself away. No amount of prodding seemed to engage the man anymore so Luke did as he was told. He went through the peaches in record time before Reid tossed him something more filling. A full stomach allowed him to rest even with the sun in his eyes.
It was much later, after a restless sleep that he was startled awake by the moaning he had come to fear. Breathing heavily he scrambled around in a daze. Something cold and clammy came over his mouth. Luke couldn’t help but struggle even more. He was tangled in the covers and in his effort to release himself he fell onto the floor. Somebody crawled on top of him holding him still and all he could think of in the dark was that this was the end. The person whispered softly, “It’s just me. Shut up!” There was another moan from far outside and Luke shook with fear.
“Mr. Snyder!” He stilled trying to find the doctor’s face in the dark, but his figure was a black shadow. “Can I take my hand off your mouth now?” Luke nodded still shaking a little. The doctor moved his hand from Luke’s mouth and instead took his hand firmly. He lifted Luke up onto the couch where they both fell into the couch letting their hands remain locked. Luke couldn’t help himself. He hadn’t felt the comforting pressure in a long time and he had to take what he could get. He threw himself into the shape next to him. His good arm easily wound itself around a thin waist, his head rested firmly against the man’s chest, and his shaking melted swiftly into the other person’s stead fast demeanor.
Reid didn’t have time to react. “What are you doing?” Luke could hear the restrained shout amongst the whispered and confused words. He whispered back, “I’m scared”.
“Well don’t be!” The man tried in vain to pull himself out of the embrace, clearly uncomfortable, but Luke’s hold was ironclad.
“Those sounds,” Luke hushed as more moans and shuffling sounded from beyond the walls. “Are we safe?” Reid was still adjusting himself trying to get the younger man to release his hold. He finally grabbed Luke by the shoulders and pulled him back, trying to look directly in his eyes, but the dark was absolute.
“We just need to be quiet. I’ve ensured the door can’t be easily opened. You just need to shut it!” The hair on Luke’s arms petrified as a shriek sounded outside the door. Whatever was out there threw itself at the door. It rattled uncertainly on its own hinges.
Luke swiftly changed into survivor mode. His life was in danger and he wasn’t going to just sit and wait for death. He released the doctor and moved toward the back of the couch. He had seen the doctor pull multiple things from back there and he was sure his gun would be there too. He heard the doctor shuffle around in the dark, not as sure of where he was stepping as Luke was. The doctor was afraid even if he tried to hide it with anger.
“What are you doing,” Luke almost didn’t hear him, but soon he felt the man fall to the ground next to him. As he groped in the dark he felt the butt of a much bigger weapon. He immediately took it in his hands knowing full well this was much better than the pistol he had been carrying.
“We’re going to defend ourselves.”
“You shouldn’t even be up!”
The door squealed as more monsters piled themselves onto it. They had been found out, even if the doctor tried to deny it.
“I’m suddenly feeling a lot better. Must be the zombies at our door! Here take your gun. They’re going to bust through that door eventually. One board is not going to hold them.” He placed the automatic in Reid’s shaking hands and immediately knew something was wrong. He couldn’t see in the darkened room but he had a sinking feeling about their situation.
“You use it!” The hinges creaked painfully indicating they were going to bust through it soon.
“Are you crazy? I’ve never fired this kind of weapon in my life.”
“But you have fired weapons before! This should be the same right!” Luke’s stomach dropped out as he realized something about his companion.
“You’ve never fired a gun before?” It wasn’t necessarily a question because the bile in the back of his throat seemed to have confirmed his theory.
“I’m a doctor, not an NRA member!” The gun was thrust back onto him and before he could even respond the door collapsed. He quickly handed his pistol to the other man as he adjusted the gun in his hands.
“Just point and shoot!” He followed his own advice and yelled as he pulled the trigger. Nothing happened. Bodies fell into the room scrambling over each other. “The gun won’t shoot.” Reid rushed his hand over the gun pulling something on the front as a man stumbled upright inside the room.
“Try now!” Luke pulled again and he felt himself be propelled back at the force of bullets leaving the gun. The rounds that were unleashed had taken out the few who had disentangled themselves from the mass that had been held up in the frame of the door. They went down, but continued to moan and claw at the two men. Both survivors scrambled back against the couches. Luke couldn’t do this with one hand. So he forced the pain in the upper part of his arm out of his mind and clutched it with both hands.
With pale light from the moon he expertly aimed for the heads. Luke could now see the doctor’s trembling hands pointing the gun but failing to shoot. It was his first time. Luke had been the same. The nasty sound of blood splattering against the walls fazed him no more than the idea that he was taking human lives. But they weren’t human anymore. He had to believe that and continue. Reid had probably not gotten past this crucial part of becoming a true survivor. He had failed to shoot once and Luke was ready to pummel the man as his heart felt on the verge of a heart attack.
“How the hell have you survived this whole time?” The doorway had been clogged with dead and writhing zombies. But more were trying to inch their way through, crawling over their slain brothers in an attempt to rip apart these feisty morsels. Luke got up and shot the ones in the immediate doorway. Not afraid of the dying ones in the pile he easily stepped over them. The doctor was quiet and hung back with the gun clutched closely to his chest.
Luke still angry leaned back into the doorway, “And who the hell leaves the safety on during a zombie apocalypse!” He turned back to look at his surrounding not letting the doctor respond, even if he did have a retort for that. They were on the second floor of an apartment complex. He looked over the railing into the parking lot and saw more zombies rushing to the stairs that lead to where he was. He shouted back into the apartment.
“I have more magazines in my backpack. Put them into your pocket and bring out any ammo you might have for this automatic.” Luke had practiced enough with his father’s rifle to easily take out the zombies climbing the stairs across the complex. Reid stumbled out handing him a big magazine he had to place in the hem of his jeans because it wouldn’t fit in his pocket. He felt the doctor pull at his jacket.
“What are you doing?” There was a syringe held between his teeth and Luke pulled away harshly.
“Do you want that arm of yours to hurt? I am offering to numb the pain.” Luke stilled as an answer. The hands that had been shaking on a gun were steady for a patient. He was a doctor first and everything else second it seemed.
“Thanks, Dr. Oliver.” The doctor looked over the rail for the first time to look at what they were facing. More zombies had been attracted to the sound of gunfire, and they were gaining access to the second floor from ways Luke could not anticipate. They were coming from both ends of the hallway and Reid still didn’t have his gun out. “I need you to please get over this irrational fear and help me!”
“Irrational? This isn’t irrational it’s ridiculous, it’s unfathomable, it’s inhuman and it’s….” He didn’t get to finish his though as Luke shot clean over his shoulder. The zombie that had been inching towards Reid’s turned back, fell heavily onto the concrete.
“GET OVER IT! And watch your back!”
He had no more time to argue. They were encroaching fast and if Reid would not help he needed to do double the work. He turned around and started mowing down as many as he could see. Man in the red, down; running woman, down; gothic teenager, down; purple muumuu grandma, down. His line of vision was clear for the moment. He was about to turn around when he felt Reid’s back to his, and he suddenly heard the ricochet from a bullet. He looked over his shoulder to watch as Reid awkwardly held his shaking hands up and missed shot after shot. It wasn’t until a zombie was four feet away did he hit it successfully. Luke couldn’t help but roll his eyes. Double-checking that his back was clear, he swung the gun over his shoulder by its strap before grabbing Reid over his shoulder.
“Stop that!”
“Obviously, you need a quick lesson. Later I’ll teach you more, but for now just follow my lead.”
The man grumbled angrily, “Who says we’re going to be in each other’s company for much longer?” Luke just jabbed the man with his elbow, before palming Reid’s hands, to help aim the gun. “The top of the gun helps aim. Never hesitate to shoot.” One, two, three, four down with one shot each. A zombie came zigzagging. Reid’s hands tried to follow but Luke knew better. Forcing Reid’s hands to still, he waited until the zombie came into his aim. One shot stalled him and the second caused him to fall over the rail. The area was clear. As they stood breathing harshly Luke laid his head on Reid’s shoulder the adrenaline running out and his body wanting nothing more than rest.
“That’s as far as I think I can go.”Luke leaned on the doctor far more than he had anticipated. Reid snatched him from collapsing.
“While the coast is clear we need to find another room that we can hide in until morning. Come on.” Luke threw his arm around the man and they rushed down the hallway. They stumbled into one of the only unlocked apartments. While Luke held himself against the door, Reid made a general sweep of the rooms. He came back a bit flustered, but with triumphant.
“This one has a bed.” He laid Luke in the musty smelling bedroom before running off. Locks sounded off as they were clicked shut and Luke even heard something heavy being moved. A silently grim Reid returned sitting on the edge of the bed shuddering. “I think we’re good.” He was shaking enough for the bed to quiver along with him. Luke had been in the same position before. Knew that Reid probably felt like more of a monster than the zombies outside, but at the same time he must feel relieved. He was still breathing, still alive and that was enough. Luke wanted to talk to him, say something to comfort him, but it was hard to not sound dismissive. He tried though.
“Are you ok?
“Just peachy,” Reid murmured into his hands. Luke tried again.
“Do you need a hug?”
“Is that supposed to be funny?”
“I’m serious.”
“So am I. Is that supposed to be a joke; because, I can’t take very much more at the moment.” The doctor had tried to be menacing. Had tried to yell, but he was slowly breaking down mentally, and he had sounded like he was pleading with Luke to stop. “Just get some rest Mr. Snyder. You’ll need it.”
Luke remembered the dark circles under the man’s eyes. Had he stayed up nursing Luke back to health and not slept at all? Tormented by the sounds of the roaming dead right outside the door, and knowing if they broke in he would be helpless. Luke could barely see in this endless dark, but he could feel the indentation in the bed. He touched Reid’s shaking hand. It was cold and clammy. Closing his fingers over it he pulled the man farther into the bed. He thought there would be protesting, and general grumpiness like before, but no. Reid allowed himself to be repositioned. Luke put the man’s back to his chest and pulled him into an embrace, holding him tight, until the shudders stopped completely.
“I’ll keep watch tonight. Just sleep.”
“You are an idiot.” The doctor muttered in a voice that was already succumbing to sleep. Luke tried to stay awake but the rhythmic sound of his companion’s breathing was a hard lullaby to ignore. He fell asleep at once.
I missed a part last night while posting. Sorry for the inconvenience!!!
Left 2 Die
Part 1
Luke kept his cell phone with him even now. Even months after the collapse of the modern world he always had his phone pressed tightly in his pocket. He hoped that the bars would return. That some sort of signal would be reestablished, and that he would hear Noah’s voice one more time. It was probably the only thing that kept him trudging along interstates hoping to reach Texas. More than a month after he had made that promise he again patted the cell phone in his pocket like you would a lucky rabbit’s foot. It gave him strength to try and reach the monument he saw in the distance. Luke had seen the St. Louis Arch from far away, but he was reluctant to enter the city.
Closed in spaces meant your back was to the wall, meant you could get cornered and torn apart. But most of all, the cities had higher concentrations of the Infected. Like nests, they would gather around in darkened and abandoned buildings during the day to sleep. But that didn’t mean they were out of commission. If you woke up one it wouldn’t be long before half of the city was up: angry, groggy and, hungry. No. Cities were dangerous places no matter what time of day it was. Even if they weren’t around during the day there were the ones that took to the streets in the daylight. They weren’t as fierce as the ones who roamed in packs at night so they were called easy targets and retarded. Survivors were obligated to shoot them dead on sight. Luke didn’t know what made them any different from the rest, but they were far more unsettling. They would attack only if they felt threatened. Otherwise they would wander around aimlessly looking for god knows what. It was disconcerting to say the least.
Another shot of pain throbbed from his bleeding arm. He dropped to one knee the pain blinding. He tried to tighten the makeshift tourniquet but it was hard enough with one hand, the pain just made it harder to even focus. It was midday and he hadn’t seen a soul since he had left the small gun shop that morning, but he wasn’t sure how much longer his luck would hold out. He had to reach a safe haven, before the gunshot wound in his arm killed him or worse yet left him easy prey for those monsters. He had bandaged and disinfected his arm as best he could with alcohol but from the pain he could tell something was wrong. He was on the verge of passing out. Staggering a bit, he finally stood back up. He held his pistol tightly in his right hand, trying not to think of the throbbing, or the fever he might be enduring. He began his slow crawl again, navigating the car strewn interstate. Even after so much time had passed the interstates were still packed with abandoned cars over long stretches, and certainly around cities.
Decidedly, it made his journey all the harder and nearly impossible in his current state. In a hazy stupor, he tried thinking of something else, to try and divert the pain. The first thing that came to mind as his awkward footsteps made him stumble into a car with a ‘thwack’, was how much he missed the hum of life. The world had shifted and now the night was full of all sorts of sickening noises, while during the day it all stopped. Everything was either dead quiet or ear popping loud. And he hated it.
But the silence of the day had its advantages. His ears twitched. Something was coming. It couldn’t have been on the elevated interstate so he looked over the edge, to the street way’s that twisted below. Far away on a less crowded service road he saw a motorcycle coming by him fast. Feeling weak and ready to collapse he used the last bit of his energy to make as much commotion as he could. Waving his good arm, and shouting he tried to gain the person’s attention. The cyclist approached slowing to a stop. As his vision started to blur he could just make out the man look up, past the glare of the sun, at him. Luke was relieved; he shouted one last unintelligible plea before collapsing back onto asphalt.
The sky was a blurred light, the sun shining directly in his eyes. He tried to turn away from the glare but couldn’t, so he closed his eyes instead, and waited. And waited. And waited. As the pain seemed to engulf and numb him he had begun to accept the death that was eminent. Something blocked the sun, so he strained to open his eyes. He wished he had just kept his eyes closed as he stared at the barrel of a gun.
A critical voice asked from far above him. “Are you infected?” Luke tried desperately to shake his head, but his body was taking longer to respond to his commands. He tried to speak but only a wispy breath was released for his effort, and instead he mouthed the word no. But the gun was not removed. He felt the cool tip pressed firmly against his temple and the voice asked, “How do I know you’re not lying?” Luke angrily rolled his eyes.
Taking a deep breath he tried to respond. “I’ve already been shot once, please don’t do it to me again.” His voice didn’t sound like his own, but it seemed to have conveyed what he wanted, because immediately the man put the gun aside. Even without the weapon in his face, Luke could not see the man well. His sight was going dark. He felt a pull at his wounded arm the pain from the un-bandaging far worse than anything he could remember. That was it. He finally lost consciousness.
~
He regained consciousness for small amounts of time before passing out again. In those hazy moments of near-waking he caught glimpses of his rescuer, and their location. It looked like a small apartment, in different states of disarray from what he could see. Every time he woke up, he would see the dirty apartment steadily get cleaner. The few times he actually saw the man, his vision was blurry and all he caught was shaggy, tarnished, rusty hair. And even if Luke could not coherently string together a thought, the man would speak to him. His voice was comforting. It had been a long while since he had company, maybe it was the same for this man.
After what felt like the hundredth time he had opened his eyes, this time he could focus, thanks to the sun’s bright rays coming in through the window. His arm was snugly wrapped in fresh bandages, and the pain was enough to manage. Raising his head from his resting place on a couch he took a tentative scan of the immediate area, but he was alone. He felt his heart constrict painfully. He could be all alone once again and the notion made him feel like the last man on Earth. Shaking his head brusquely he let those emotions fade away. He needed to assess the situation, or at the very least get to a weapon. He found getting to his feet was particularly difficult. Using the coffee table, he positioned his good arm to try and stabilize himself. He was not strong enough, and down he went. He was on his knees feeling quite pathetic but not ready to give up. Hauling himself into a standing position, Luke stood still trying to assure he wouldn’t fall. The world spun a bit in front of his eyes but soon that passed, and he felt normal for a fraction of a second. When it passed he was suddenly extremely thirsty. He examined the room again.
Everything was completely silent and still. He was probably the only thing alive for miles, and the daylight shone brightly. It was probably close to noon. He took small steps to a sink located in the small kitchenette. There were no cups, only a bowl so he filled it tentatively and drank the refreshing water. He was tired again. It was as if that small walk had taxed his body beyond use. He slowly lowered himself onto the tiled ground and rested against the cabinet. A chill sank deep into his bones. A combination of sitting in the shadow on a freezing floor seemed to decrease his body temperature rapidly. There was no way he could take care of himself in this state. He heard the door jiggle open, and heavy footsteps signaled someone’s arrival. His stomach flipped and his heart raced. The footsteps stopped.
The voice he had heard throughout the haze worriedly called, “Mr. Snyder?” The man walked back to the front door and looked out, before Luke called from under the sink. “Over here.” He saw the man come around the island that separated the kitchen and the living room, looking irritated.
“What the hell do you think you’re doing? Are you stupid?” Luke didn’t like being insulted but didn’t protest when he was effortlessly lifted up off the frozen ground.
“I’m sorry. I was thirsty.” The man dropped him onto the couch, but did not remain. He started taking out cans and packages of food from some bags he evidently had brought back to the apartment with him.
“Why didn’t you wait for me to come back?” He quickly found what he had been looking for and handed him a bottle of water. Luke didn’t immediately reach for it. Just the presence of another human being calmed that irrational feeling of utter loneliness in Luke but there was something in the back of his mind. Luke wasn’t scared even though his instincts told him all strangers were suspect. He searched the man’s face instead. Something about him lit up the room, like the brightness in his pale eyes. He finally took the bottle after a couple of tense seconds breaking the trance they had been in. He put the bottle between his legs, opening it with his good arm, the other still prickling with pain.
He sighed finally responding sheepishly. “I didn’t think you would come back.” He took a long drink while silence took over the room.
The other man slowed his hurried motions, crinkling brown bags filling the sudden silence. He looked at look, and responded, condescension in his voice, “That’s silly. I saved you didn’t I?” Luke was still drinking the water. Determined to finish it in one go. The man found something else to say to avoid listening to Luke’s gulping. “I would advise you don’t drink the tap water, unless absolutely necessary. And even then boil it. Who knows what’s been treating the water in abandoned treatment plants. The bacteria will most likely cause a fever worse than what you experienced, before killing you.”
Luke put the bottle down on the coffee table. The empty bottle twirled uneasily before falling empty to its side. Luke’s contended sigh expressed more than any words could as he barely remembered tasting anything so sweet. His body was slowly returning to equilibrium after what felt like weeks and feeling more like himself he cheekily asked the man, “What are you, a doctor?”
“My reputation precedes me, I suppose?”
“Wow. That was lucky of me. I happened to collapse in the presence of a doctor.” The man smugly smiled, eyeing him curiously. “By the way how do you know my name?” The man pulled a wallet out, Luke’s wallet.
“I looked through your stuff.” Luke frowned as it was chucked back at him.
“This is private.” He said, while he looked to see if anything had gone missing.
The other man chuckled. “So is this apartment and look at us just using it all without the owner’s permission.”
“Yeah well, this place is abandoned.”
“And so were you.” Luke got a sudden nauseous feeling. It was ridiculous but Luke felt like the man wasn’t looking at him. Instead maybe he could see what Luke was running from.
He narrowed his eyes. “Are you saying you’re going to use me?”
He smiled mischievously, before responding, “Maybe,”
Something must have shown on his face because the man continued. “Calm down Mr. Snyder. I did take the Hippocratic Oath.” Luke looked away becoming increasingly nervous, an ugly thought crossing his mind. You knew to shot zombies, but when it came to people it was harder to know if you should pull the trigger. He was suddenly quite aware he was unarmed, and even if he did need to defend himself, he was in no shape to do so now. He became very defensive.
“And you are?”
“Dr. Reid Oliver, world renowned neurosurgeon. Not that it matters that much anymore. How are you feeling, by the way?” The man seemed to snap into a more professional mode. He quickly took up Luke’s wrist, shaking his own to get a better view of his watch.
“I’m still a little thirsty.”
“You’re shivering slightly.” He stated and dropped the hand, moving hurriedly behind the couch. He produced a musty cover from somewhere and dropped it onto Luke. Moving back to the bags he produced another water bottle. Tossing it onto the couch, he continued digging around, soon taking out a thermometer. Pouring something onto it, he shook it and popped it abruptly into Luke’s mouth. He gave Luke a critical look, and questioned, “Anything else?”
“I’m a little weak.”
“That’s normal.” He nodded turning away to finish taking things out of bags. Luke expected for him to continue talking, but after a couple of minutes had passed, it seemed the doctor was done conversing. Luke was about to say something when the thermometer beeped and the doctor quickly took it, without even a look towards his patient.
“Hmm,” He put it back in his bag, before returning to what he was doing on the coffee table.
“What is it?”
“Still a little high, but nothing to worry about. You just need to drink more liquids and eat something. With that he opened a can of peaches and sat on the opposite couch beginning to slurp them down in a somewhat disgusting manner. Luke couldn’t look away. The doctor met his gaze mid gobble, and extended the can.
“Want some?”
Luke just picked up the new water bottle and shook his head. The doctor didn’t seem to care about the weird look Luke was giving him, and just continued eating, his slender fingers hungrily searching for lone peach stragglers at the bottom of the can. There was not much to do but stare. The sun in his eyes made the room, the objects, hazy as he squinted slightly. The doctor sat in the shadow. He was muted. His clothes were dark: a brown leather jacket over a maroon shirt, and almost black jeans. And his body seemed subdued as well. He almost completely sank into the couch, his feet resting on the coffee table. Luke was all nerves while it seemed the doctor’s only concern was the food at hand. His eyes were bright, but the puffy skin, tinted darker than the surrounding skin, plainly showed the man was probably exhausted. Yet he had gathered the energy to scarf down the canned fruit. His lips glistened as he haphazardly shoved the food in his mouth. Something about watching the doctor suddenly did make him hungry.
“Alright,” he sighed. Reid was sucking on his fingers as he questioned what his companion was referring to. “Pass me one of those.” He was handed an open can that was a little sticky from where the man’s fingers had held it. “So where are we exactly?”
“An apartment complex not far from where I found you.”
“We’re still close to the city?” His eyes widened and his heart seemed to beat just a bit faster.
“I thought it was crucial to get you somewhere stable. I’m sorry I didn’t stop and check the real estate market.”
“But are we safe?”
“You’ve been out for two days and you’re fine; aren’t you?”
For some reason Luke felt he had slept for less than that. The time loss seemed disjointed in his mind. “Two days?” He questioned, but the doctor didn’t feel the need to repeat himself. “When will I be better?” The doctor again seemed like he wasn’t going to respond but did after wiping his hands on his clothes, sighing. He didn’t seem amused with Luke’s enthusiasm. “You just woke up. Give it some time.”
Luke pulled the musty cover close to him, his hand reaching immediately to his pocket. But as it darted around he only felt the fabric of his jeans. He panicked. “No.” He pulled the covers off and looked around frantically.
“Well if you don’t give it time you’ll just hinder your recovery more.” Luke felt a stinging pain in his arm and winced not wanting to explain himself to this man.
“No, that’s not what I meant. My phone it’s gone!” The doctor leaned forward pulling something from his own jacket.
“You mean this?” Luke’s eyes widened and he madly jumped for it. The doctor instinctively pulled back as Luke collapsed, sending cans flying off of the coffee table.
“Stop it you’re going to hurt yourself.” Luke recoiled as a shooting pain emanated from his arm. “What’s the matter with you? It’s not like you missed a call.” The doctor tried to get Luke back onto the couch, but Luke was furious.
He grabbed Reid by the collar demanding his phone. “Just please give it back!”
“If you calm down I will, dammit!” Luke let himself be repositioned on the couch, and so the doctor tossed the phone at him. He half-muttered to himself, “That’s just my luck. I get stuck with the crazy blond. Hell, I would have settled for the dumb blond!” He turned on his patient. “What next? Are you going to start talking to it? Because I swear I’ll leave. I’m a doctor not a psychotherapist.”
“You don’t understand. Just shut up!” The doctor eyed him curiously. Luke just held the phone in a tight fist. “Is there anything else you took off of me?”
“You ungrateful son of a bitch. I didn’t have to pull you off that overpass?” Reid went around one of the couches and picked up the backpack Luke had been carrying with him. He chucked it harshly at Luke’s feet. “Look through it if you really think I was stealing from you.” Luke clutched his bag, but didn’t unzip it. He wanted to trust him.
“How did you get my phone?”
“How else do you think? It fell out of your pocket so I picked it up.”
“Why were you carrying it around?”
“I get it. You can’t trust me and I can’t trust you! But I would think after I saved you from being zombie fodder, pulled you from the brink of death, and even got you a new battery for that piece of crap you might give me a little gratitude. Just like you’re giving me the third degree I was rooting through your things to find out who I am sleeping in the same room with; alright? Ask me your questions, but hold the scathing indignation for someone who deserves it.” The reverberations lingered, hanging off the walls from the force that had delivered them. The doctor cursed and walked to the door. He placed a wood plank on what looked like makeshift hooks, essentially barring the door. When he turned back Luke turned away, afraid those fiery eyes would burn him alive.
He looked to the phone in his hand instead. He noticed the time showed faintly. He had kept it off to preserve the lonely bar that had begun blinking its last breaths, but now his heart fluttered to see it responsive. Delicately flipping it open the screen lit up to reveal the wallpaper he had been reluctant to change. Two happy people captured in blissful paradise. He shut it immediately. The combination of past happiness and present pain too much to bear, and it caused his stomach to churn painfully.
“I am thankful. I don’t know what I would have done if I’d woken up alone again. Thank you, Dr. Oliver.” He tucked the phone back into his pocket before finally taking a glance back at the man. Dr. Oliver had that smug look on his face again.
“You’re welcome. You should eat and get more rest.” Reid pulled out a map and shut himself away. No amount of prodding seemed to engage the man anymore so Luke did as he was told. He went through the peaches in record time before Reid tossed him something more filling. A full stomach allowed him to rest even with the sun in his eyes.
It was much later, after a restless sleep that he was startled awake by the moaning he had come to fear. Breathing heavily he scrambled around in a daze. Something cold and clammy came over his mouth. Luke couldn’t help but struggle even more. He was tangled in the covers and in his effort to release himself he fell onto the floor. Somebody crawled on top of him holding him still and all he could think of in the dark was that this was the end. The person whispered softly, “It’s just me. Shut up!” There was another moan from far outside and Luke shook with fear.
“Mr. Snyder!” He stilled trying to find the doctor’s face in the dark, but his figure was a black shadow. “Can I take my hand off your mouth now?” Luke nodded still shaking a little. The doctor moved his hand from Luke’s mouth and instead took his hand firmly. He lifted Luke up onto the couch where they both fell into the couch letting their hands remain locked. Luke couldn’t help himself. He hadn’t felt the comforting pressure in a long time and he had to take what he could get. He threw himself into the shape next to him. His good arm easily wound itself around a thin waist, his head rested firmly against the man’s chest, and his shaking melted swiftly into the other person’s stead fast demeanor.
Reid didn’t have time to react. “What are you doing?” Luke could hear the restrained shout amongst the whispered and confused words. He whispered back, “I’m scared”.
“Well don’t be!” The man tried in vain to pull himself out of the embrace, clearly uncomfortable, but Luke’s hold was ironclad.
“Those sounds,” Luke hushed as more moans and shuffling sounded from beyond the walls. “Are we safe?” Reid was still adjusting himself trying to get the younger man to release his hold. He finally grabbed Luke by the shoulders and pulled him back, trying to look directly in his eyes, but the dark was absolute.
“We just need to be quiet. I’ve ensured the door can’t be easily opened. You just need to shut it!” The hair on Luke’s arms petrified as a shriek sounded outside the door. Whatever was out there threw itself at the door. It rattled uncertainly on its own hinges.
Luke swiftly changed into survivor mode. His life was in danger and he wasn’t going to just sit and wait for death. He released the doctor and moved toward the back of the couch. He had seen the doctor pull multiple things from back there and he was sure his gun would be there too. He heard the doctor shuffle around in the dark, not as sure of where he was stepping as Luke was. The doctor was afraid even if he tried to hide it with anger.
“What are you doing,” Luke almost didn’t hear him, but soon he felt the man fall to the ground next to him. As he groped in the dark he felt the butt of a much bigger weapon. He immediately took it in his hands knowing full well this was much better than the pistol he had been carrying.
“We’re going to defend ourselves.”
“You shouldn’t even be up!”
The door squealed as more monsters piled themselves onto it. They had been found out, even if the doctor tried to deny it.
“I’m suddenly feeling a lot better. Must be the zombies at our door! Here take your gun. They’re going to bust through that door eventually. One board is not going to hold them.” He placed the automatic in Reid’s shaking hands and immediately knew something was wrong. He couldn’t see in the darkened room but he had a sinking feeling about their situation.
“You use it!” The hinges creaked painfully indicating they were going to bust through it soon.
“Are you crazy? I’ve never fired this kind of weapon in my life.”
“But you have fired weapons before! This should be the same right!” Luke’s stomach dropped out as he realized something about his companion.
“You’ve never fired a gun before?” It wasn’t necessarily a question because the bile in the back of his throat seemed to have confirmed his theory.
“I’m a doctor, not an NRA member!” The gun was thrust back onto him and before he could even respond the door collapsed. He quickly handed his pistol to the other man as he adjusted the gun in his hands.
“Just point and shoot!” He followed his own advice and yelled as he pulled the trigger. Nothing happened. Bodies fell into the room scrambling over each other. “The gun won’t shoot.” Reid rushed his hand over the gun pulling something on the front as a man stumbled upright inside the room.
“Try now!” Luke pulled again and he felt himself be propelled back at the force of bullets leaving the gun. The rounds that were unleashed had taken out the few who had disentangled themselves from the mass that had been held up in the frame of the door. They went down, but continued to moan and claw at the two men. Both survivors scrambled back against the couches. Luke couldn’t do this with one hand. So he forced the pain in the upper part of his arm out of his mind and clutched it with both hands.
With pale light from the moon he expertly aimed for the heads. Luke could now see the doctor’s trembling hands pointing the gun but failing to shoot. It was his first time. Luke had been the same. The nasty sound of blood splattering against the walls fazed him no more than the idea that he was taking human lives. But they weren’t human anymore. He had to believe that and continue. Reid had probably not gotten past this crucial part of becoming a true survivor. He had failed to shoot once and Luke was ready to pummel the man as his heart felt on the verge of a heart attack.
“How the hell have you survived this whole time?” The doorway had been clogged with dead and writhing zombies. But more were trying to inch their way through, crawling over their slain brothers in an attempt to rip apart these feisty morsels. Luke got up and shot the ones in the immediate doorway. Not afraid of the dying ones in the pile he easily stepped over them. The doctor was quiet and hung back with the gun clutched closely to his chest.
Luke still angry leaned back into the doorway, “And who the hell leaves the safety on during a zombie apocalypse!” He turned back to look at his surrounding not letting the doctor respond, even if he did have a retort for that. They were on the second floor of an apartment complex. He looked over the railing into the parking lot and saw more zombies rushing to the stairs that lead to where he was. He shouted back into the apartment.
“I have more magazines in my backpack. Put them into your pocket and bring out any ammo you might have for this automatic.” Luke had practiced enough with his father’s rifle to easily take out the zombies climbing the stairs across the complex. Reid stumbled out handing him a big magazine he had to place in the hem of his jeans because it wouldn’t fit in his pocket. He felt the doctor pull at his jacket.
“What are you doing?” There was a syringe held between his teeth and Luke pulled away harshly.
“Do you want that arm of yours to hurt? I am offering to numb the pain.” Luke stilled as an answer. The hands that had been shaking on a gun were steady for a patient. He was a doctor first and everything else second it seemed.
“Thanks, Dr. Oliver.” The doctor looked over the rail for the first time to look at what they were facing. More zombies had been attracted to the sound of gunfire, and they were gaining access to the second floor from ways Luke could not anticipate. They were coming from both ends of the hallway and Reid still didn’t have his gun out. “I need you to please get over this irrational fear and help me!”
“Irrational? This isn’t irrational it’s ridiculous, it’s unfathomable, it’s inhuman and it’s….” He didn’t get to finish his though as Luke shot clean over his shoulder. The zombie that had been inching towards Reid’s turned back, fell heavily onto the concrete.
“GET OVER IT! And watch your back!”
He had no more time to argue. They were encroaching fast and if Reid would not help he needed to do double the work. He turned around and started mowing down as many as he could see. Man in the red, down; running woman, down; gothic teenager, down; purple muumuu grandma, down. His line of vision was clear for the moment. He was about to turn around when he felt Reid’s back to his, and he suddenly heard the ricochet from a bullet. He looked over his shoulder to watch as Reid awkwardly held his shaking hands up and missed shot after shot. It wasn’t until a zombie was four feet away did he hit it successfully. Luke couldn’t help but roll his eyes. Double-checking that his back was clear, he swung the gun over his shoulder by its strap before grabbing Reid over his shoulder.
“Stop that!”
“Obviously, you need a quick lesson. Later I’ll teach you more, but for now just follow my lead.”
The man grumbled angrily, “Who says we’re going to be in each other’s company for much longer?” Luke just jabbed the man with his elbow, before palming Reid’s hands, to help aim the gun. “The top of the gun helps aim. Never hesitate to shoot.” One, two, three, four down with one shot each. A zombie came zigzagging. Reid’s hands tried to follow but Luke knew better. Forcing Reid’s hands to still, he waited until the zombie came into his aim. One shot stalled him and the second caused him to fall over the rail. The area was clear. As they stood breathing harshly Luke laid his head on Reid’s shoulder the adrenaline running out and his body wanting nothing more than rest.
“That’s as far as I think I can go.”Luke leaned on the doctor far more than he had anticipated. Reid snatched him from collapsing.
“While the coast is clear we need to find another room that we can hide in until morning. Come on.” Luke threw his arm around the man and they rushed down the hallway. They stumbled into one of the only unlocked apartments. While Luke held himself against the door, Reid made a general sweep of the rooms. He came back a bit flustered, but with triumphant.
“This one has a bed.” He laid Luke in the musty smelling bedroom before running off. Locks sounded off as they were clicked shut and Luke even heard something heavy being moved. A silently grim Reid returned sitting on the edge of the bed shuddering. “I think we’re good.” He was shaking enough for the bed to quiver along with him. Luke had been in the same position before. Knew that Reid probably felt like more of a monster than the zombies outside, but at the same time he must feel relieved. He was still breathing, still alive and that was enough. Luke wanted to talk to him, say something to comfort him, but it was hard to not sound dismissive. He tried though.
“Are you ok?
“Just peachy,” Reid murmured into his hands. Luke tried again.
“Do you need a hug?”
“Is that supposed to be funny?”
“I’m serious.”
“So am I. Is that supposed to be a joke; because, I can’t take very much more at the moment.” The doctor had tried to be menacing. Had tried to yell, but he was slowly breaking down mentally, and he had sounded like he was pleading with Luke to stop. “Just get some rest Mr. Snyder. You’ll need it.”
Luke remembered the dark circles under the man’s eyes. Had he stayed up nursing Luke back to health and not slept at all? Tormented by the sounds of the roaming dead right outside the door, and knowing if they broke in he would be helpless. Luke could barely see in this endless dark, but he could feel the indentation in the bed. He touched Reid’s shaking hand. It was cold and clammy. Closing his fingers over it he pulled the man farther into the bed. He thought there would be protesting, and general grumpiness like before, but no. Reid allowed himself to be repositioned. Luke put the man’s back to his chest and pulled him into an embrace, holding him tight, until the shudders stopped completely.
“I’ll keep watch tonight. Just sleep.”
“You are an idiot.” The doctor muttered in a voice that was already succumbing to sleep. Luke tried to stay awake but the rhythmic sound of his companion’s breathing was a hard lullaby to ignore. He fell asleep at once.