The Damage Has Been Done (Markiplier)

Chapter 10: Is Mark Infected?

Tom's POV.

"Mark!? Mark, hey! Wake up buddy!" Mark had passed out. He'd been doing that a lot at the moment. He lost a lot of blood from that wound in his arm. Luckily, we all made it to the last story of the building before he did pass out.

I had to help Mark most of the way up here. He was having trouble keeping his eyes open and walking straight. I only hoped he'd be okay. Molly and Mandy did a good job with cleaning and wrapping his arm up. It killed me to see him be so out of it, fighting off the infection from the monster that slashed him open. It had hit him on the underside of his forearm, hitting so very close to veins that were crucial to his survival. I couldn't believe Jack tossed him into the hotel unprepared like that! Mark told him no! But he just made him run in there, catching as much attention as possible toward himself. This is his fault. All of this chaos with my little brother is because of Jack.

"Mark? C'mon, you gotta stay awake for me."

"Hm?" Mark said drowsily. He was waking up.

"Hey. You need to stay awake for me. I can't let you sleep until we're sure that infection isn't going to hurt you."

"Why? It's dark out, and I'm tired. My arm hurts a lot and I just want to sleep Tom," he slurred.

"I can't let you right now bud."

"But we're leaving in the morning. Starting our way to Chicago. T-to find that doctor."

"We aren't leaving tomorrow. You can't be running around with that gash in your arm. You're in no place to do anything. We're staying for another day or two. Until you're better."

"No," he protested, trying to sit upright against the wall. That obviously hurt him. "Dammit."

"Don't put pressure on it then dork."

"Not funny. Seriously Tom, I can't be the reason everyone is put back. I can go to Chicago, trust me."

"No Mark. None of us are leaving this spot for the next couple days. Not with you hurt. Wade, Bob, Elise, Trace, Devin, Molly, Mandy and even Chloe, all agree on it. You can't make us change our minds. We're staying. Finding that doctor, that's gonna have to wait a while. Cincinnati is where we need to be for the time being."

Mark protested over and over, making me stand my ground every time. Everyone but Molly and Wade were sleeping. It was almost eleven at night and even I was tired. Molly, Wade and I had stayed awake for Mark, trying to get him to stay up with us. No one was sure what was happening while he was out, so we couldn't see how the infection was affecting him. We all three just took turns trying to wake him up, I was able to, thankfully. But that didn't mean he was fine. And he wasn't.

"Tom, do you hear them out there?" Mark asked.

"Who?"

"The infected. Can you hear them?"

"I can't, no."

"The first stage of turning: advanced hearing," Jack added. I guess he woke up.

"He's not infected, you bastard," Molly told him coldly.

"Hey Markiplier, can you hear the snoring in the back room?" Jack asked. Mark closed his eyes and nodded slightly.

"How do you know the people back there are snoring?" I asked. Mark couldn't be infected.

"I was just back there. You didn't see me walk over here? I understand it's dark, but still. Trace and Devin are snoring away, though it's not loud enough for you or I to hear. Your baby brother on the other hand, he can. How's his eyesight?"

"He wears glasses."

"I know, I noticed. With them on, can you see clearly?" Mark shook his head no. He can't be infected though... Not him. Anyone but my brother.

"B-But it's dark. So, that doesn't mean anything. Does it Tom?" Mark asked. I told him no.

"He's infected. He'll be one of them soon, I'm sure of it. You should've let me kill him when I had the shot. I can't believe you're letting your little brother go through the entire transformation of becoming one of the infected. You're fucking sick, you know that? Neglecting your little brother. Are you sure he even wants this? Does he want to live through all this crazy ass apocalypse insanity?" I shook my head no. "Well kid, why didn't you protest my attempt to kill you? Did you want to die?" Please no.

"I-I couldn't, I didn't know what, I-I don't know..."

"Mark?" Was he admitting he wanted to die right in front of me?

"I'm sorry. But even if I didn't want to die, I couldn't move. I was stuck. I couldn't feel my own hands touching the carpet I was on. I couldn't even hold a crowbar in my hand. Tom, I don't want to be one of those things... What if Jack's right? W-what if I am becoming one of those things?" Mark said as he tried to blink back tears in his eyes. "I didn't know what I wanted then. I knew I wanted to live. I knew it. I didn't want to be one of those things! Tom, you have to believe me!"

"Hey," Wade butted in. "You're done talking now. Quit scaring Mark with that bullshit." Wade was standing directly behind Jack, scaring him when he began to talk. "Mark's not infected. His hearing has always been better than the rest of us. He trains himself to listen for small sounds in the horror games he plays. His eyesight is messed up because it's almost pitch black in here and he just woke up. You're the one who wants him to die! Even I can hear those goddamn infected things down on the street! I can hear the snoring, I haven't been touched by one of those things. Or anyone's wounds that came into contact with them. He's fine and you're dumb ass is just trying to scare him."

"I'm only stating the facts."

"Your 'facts' are bullshit," Molly snapped, walking over to the four of us who were by the broken window. "You're just someone who wants Mark out of your way. Why are you suddenly being so mean to him? Are you realizing that we all are against you now? I still don't understand why you didn't just take the crowbar and kill the stupid thing yourself instead of shoving Mark in there with it."

"I'm not one to be warm towards those who're infected. Not my cup of tea, thanks."

"I-I'm not fucking infected, you prick," Mark stuttered. "Wade and Molly are right. You just want me out of your way. You don't want to deal with another person in your group of survivors. Even Stacy is being nice to me now. Ever since you tried to kill me. You shoved me in the lobby of this forsaken place with that monster in high hopes I'd die, huh? Well I've got news for you Jack: I won't be the one dying. You are. That's my promise to you."

I didn't know what Mark meant by that. Neither did Wade or Molly. We kind of looked at him, confused, as he stared down Jack. Was Mark going to kill him? That'd be insane. Mark's never wished any sort of literal harm to anyone, ever. I just need to keep a close eye on him incase this infection gets to him. It won't, I'm sure, I know it. Jack's stupid to assume that Mark's going to be one of those things. A complete idiot. It'll never happen as long as I'm here to stop it from happening. He's my brother, my only family left. And I'm not losing him to someone else's mistake.

(A/N. New chapter! Yeah buddy! This is the second chapter I've uploaded today! Thanks for dealing with the crazy updates! You all are awesome for that! Thank you for the support and love in the comments and votes you give me! I seriously enjoy writing this new story and I'm planning on writing a lot more in this. There's no crazy fighting or anything this chapter. And it's a little short, but, it's something! You guys are super awesome! Stay awesome for me! And until the next part, Buh~Bye!!! ~Melynda! Aka Luxor.)