Fire In Our Bones (NovaHD)

Chapter 10

Everything was dark, but Aleks could barely make out voices. They seemed to be coming from a long ways away. He thought he heard his name; that voice...it sounded familiar, but Aleks couldn't think who it was. He was tempted to sink back into obliviousness, but something about the voice was tugging at him. He became aware that his eyes were closed and that was why he could only see blackness, but he couldn't bring himself to open them. He was much too tired. Aleks could feel himself drifting away until a sharp jolt brought everything rushing back, and pain along with it. God, his head was on fire.

Aleks groaned. The voice exclaimed, "Aleks!"

He groaned again, struggling to open his eyes. He tried to remember where he was and what had happened but he couldn't. He couldn't even remember who the voice belonged to. But it sounded so familiar...

"J..Jordan?" he coughed.

"No. No Aleks, it's me."

He finally got one eye open a sliver. A blurry face was hovering over him, glistening dark eyes staring at him.

James. Of course.

"James," he murmured. "James."

The name spread through him like a warm, comforting liquid. Aleks closed his eyes again, relieved.

"Aleks, no, stay awake. Stay awake, please!"

"But 'm tired," he slurred, opening his eyes anyway. He could see James clearer now. He looked scared. That made Aleks nervous. "Where are we?"

"In Cooper's car," James said, not taking his eyes off Aleks. Aleks realized that they were indeed in the back of a moving car. And then he realized that his head hurt. A lot.

"My head, James..." he groaned, clutching his throbbing temple. James quickly grabbed his hands and gently moved them away.

"I know Aleksandr. Don't touch it, you're bandaged up. You'll be ok as long as you don't sleep."

It didn't feel ok and Aleks told James so.

"I know," he said again. "I'm sorry..." he trailed off looking distraught. Aleks felt bad for bringing it up. He was getting more and more sleepy and he didn't want to talk anymore. But James didn't want him to sleep, so Aleks tried to distract himself. He tried to remember what had happened.

Bits and pieces were floating around in his head. Aleks recalled arriving in the town, fighting zombies, yelling, but it was all mixed up and disjointed. He remembered being up high, surrounded by zombies, backing up with a gun in his shaking hands...a gun that he...

Aleks gasped suddenly and struggled to sit up. James' hands and his throbbing head stopped him quickly and he groaned in frustration.

"Aleks, what the hell?" James demanded, carefully pushing him back until he was lying down again. Aleks struggled weakly against his grasp.

"My...my gun. James, where is it? My gun, James."

"What's going on?" he heard Cooper ask. "What's that about his gun?"

"I..." James started, but Aleks cut him off.

"My gun, it fell. I dropped it. Do you have it? James please tell me you have it."

"Of course I don't have it. That stupid gun was the least of my worries," James snapped.

Aleks' heart dropped. He stopped struggling and fell limp again.

"Fuck," he breathed.

He had had that gun since the beginning of this whole thing. Kevin had given it to him. Aleks still wasn't sure exactly why, but it had gotten him through some terrible situations and had been an anchor through dark times. He wasn't thinking straight to begin with, but the loss of that anchor had him reeling.