Heartbeat [Zarry] [Zombie AU]

Chapter Twenty

HARRY.

I wearily blink my eyes open as I come to, the musty smell of wet earth and leaves the first thing my senses register, the soft sound of water flowing in the distance, and wetness down my back. And then comes excruciating pain at the back of my head. 

Bringing my hand up to the back of my head, I slowly lift myself up, leaves and foliage sliding off my body, and a small stream flowing under. I bring my hand when I feel something warm on my fingers, and realise it's blood mixed with mud. I take in my surroundings with lidded eyes, and slowly it all rushes back to me.

I was carrying an unconscious Zayn who got knocked during the fight, running through the forest from Boneys. I had slipped and slid into a ravine, which thankfully must not have been too deep, I realise, as I look up, the late afternoon sunlight peeking through from above.

Shit, Z! 

"Z!" I call out, casting my eyes around the narrow ravine, as  I scramble to pull myself up on my legs. I stand up on the uneven surface, branches crunching under my boots as I sway from the spell of dizziness, clutching my head.

I blink my eyes to clear my vision, wiping mud off my face, still calling out Z's name, my voice echoing off the walls of the ravine. Z and I had fallen through together, so he must be around here somewhere, still unconscious.

Oh, god! My heart beating faster, I stumble around, but I stop calling Z's name, in fear that the Boneys will hear if they are still lurking above. I cast a gaze above, realising that the ground is at least seven to eight feet above, and its going to be hard for me to get out, especially with an unconscious Z. 

I continue my search, and heart lurches as I finally spot Z sprawled in the far corner of a turn in the ravine. I give a cry of relief as I stumble over to him, hovering over his body. I crouch down and asssess his face; he was still very much out cold.

"Hey, hey, Z. Wake up, babe," I say urgently, patting his cheek. I realised with a start that there was no way I can tell it he is alive, he has no pulse or heartbeat.

A few minutes pass, and I keep trying everything to wake Z up. I splash his face with the water from the stream, wipe off the mud from his face, but nothing.

About half an hour or more pass and Z is still unconscious. I was starting to lose hope now.

"Z, oh god, wake up, please" I sob, carding my fingers through his hair. He can't be gone like this, he just can't. 

He saved my life so many times, I just can't let him go like this. Z doesn't deserve this. He is such a good person. He is compassionate, he struggles to be human. He is brave, all of the other zombies look up to him. Hell, he basically saved the whole damn apocalypse. 

And he showed me, that anyone can struggle to be better, anyone can change.

No, no. "Fuck no! You won't leave me! Wake up Z!" I cry, cradling his face in my hands, but he stays limb, showing no signs of life. I wait with baited breath, but nothing happens.

I sob brokenly, leaning my forehead against Z's, my tears wetting his cheeks as well. 

I'm crying for a zombie, a corpse. But Z is not just any corpse. We have went through so much together, he has showed me there's more to life than just living, and even though he is not human, he is the closest thing to a human I have seen.

He saved my life countless of times, he saved me too many times to count, just because he felt like it.

And now, just imagining the possibility of Z being gone after we've been through so much, is physically hurting my heart and making me cry helplessly.