Time to Survive

What Are You, Her Mother?

  Chris POV

I was pretty sure she was out before she heard what I said, her heavenly eyes closed and her breathing steady. She'd had a rough day today, and I'd taken advantage of her kindness.

I hadnt even thought about the fact she'd been having female issues, that it might not be safe to have sex. I hadnt thought about the fact most of her body was black and blue from crashing through a window and being attacked.

I hadnt thought about any of it.

I'd just wanted to forget, and she had let me use her for that.

I sighed into her hair.

I was such a piece of shit.

I don't think she even realized what she'd said during her highest moment, that almost intelligible gasp against my lips as her mind had clouded over.

Fucking hell.

I was pretty sure I hadn't heard her wrong, anyway.

Kelsey shifted against my chest, her arms snuggling closer around me in sleep, clinging almost.

She was never leaving my sight again.

Every time we separated, every time, something bad happened to her.

Well not anymore.

When we scavenged, we went together.

When we rode in the cars, together.

From here on out, we would do things together.

No matter how much that annoyed her.

she shuffled again, a disgruntled look on her face as she rolled away from me, no doubt searching for a cool place to sleep.

It was hot up here, stuffy, and us being together hadn't made it any better.

I sighed, slowly rolling away from her to the edge of the bed, glancing at the windows.

It looked late outside, nothing but pitch blackness.

I gave Kelsey another glance, then rose to my feet, fumbling to pull my shirt back over my shoulders. I left the room as quietly as I could, making sure to keep my gaze on the stairs, noticing all the destruction covering them, a path closest to the banister cleared.

I sighed.

I'd just snapped.

I couldn't handle anymore.

And now I felt like a complete jackass.

I wasn't the only one grieving.

I glanced around as I made it to the first floor, seeing Ricky passed out on the sheeted couch in the room to the right. I turned left, heading for the useless kitchen area and finding Kuza sitting at the table, his hands wrapped around a mug of amber liquid.

He glanced up as I stepped inside.

"Feeling better?" he grunted at me.

"Yeah, you?"

"In a few more minutes," he mumbled, downing what was left in the mug and pouring more. "Then I will."

I snorted, sitting down across from. I shook my head when he offered me the bottle.

"I don't drink, remember?'

"Now would be a good time to change your mind."

I just shook my head.

I didn't need anything that was going to make it worse.

He shrugged, and then abandoned the glass to chug what remained in the bottle, leaning back in the chair as he tilted the bottle high.

Had he drank the entire thing?

"We need to leave in the morning," I said after a moment, clenching my hands on the table. "This place doesn't have anything to offer."

"Yeah. Guess we need to just try to hit the smaller towns again, right?"

I winced. "We need to do something."

Our supplies were at the minimum right now.

"Welp, I'm glad Kelsey was at least able to calm you down," Kuza hiccuped as he popped his chin in his hand. "I didn't know if she could or not."

"She's Kelsey," I grunted, shrugging. "She can do anything."

"I know," he sighed, looking disappointed when he realized the bottle was empty. "She's awesome."

That she was.

My eyes flicked upward to where I'd left her in bed.

I really hoped I hadn't hurt her.

She was the last person I wanted to give pain too.

"Oh, I gotta tell you about Ryan," Kuza waved his hand in the air. "We got a problem."

We did?

"What do you mean?"

I stiffened as Kuza explained what Kelsey had told him earlier, how she didn't think Ryan Remembered and didn't want anyone saying a word to him. How he had attacked her and almost ripped her throat open.

Ryan wasn't safe anymore.

How the fuck had he escalated so quickly?

"I figure it was her blood," Kuza informed me, searching for more booze beneath the sink. "Since we're immune, I think we smell a little different to the deaders. They like it more, I guess. Lucky us, right?"

He sat back on his heels, holding a half - empty bottle of scotch.

Where the hell was he finding all this alcohol in a damned museum?

I didn't say anything as he sat back down, twisting off the lid and pouring it into his mug.

"So we're gonna have to watch Ryan," I ran my hands down my face. "Great. Another thing to worry about."

"Seems like it."

Fucking great.

I ran my fingers through my hair.

"So, is Kelsey okay?"

"What? Yeah she's fine. Sleeping."

"Ahuh. Are you positive?"

I frowned at him.

"Yeah. Why?"

"Because you know she's not supposed to be having sex," Kuza eyed me from across the table, and I felt my face flush. "She could bleed out again."

"She's fine."

"This time," he muttered, looking annoyed. "But you guys shouldn't have fucked and you know it. Whose idea was it anyway, huh? She could have gotten hurt ---."

"Jesus, Kuza, what are you, her mother?" I scoffed, tempted to wrench the bottle out of his hand and drink it myself. "Shes fucking fine. No injuries occurred."

"That we can see, anyway."

I glared at him.

He didn't seem to mind, just took another long sip from his glass.

"How are the others?" I asked after a moment, and he grimaced, slowly letting his bottle rest on the table.

"We're all fucked up, man," he muttered after a moment. "Ryan won't leave the room upstairs, Ricky passed out on the couch. You basically had a mental breakdown." He waved his hand. "Kelsey seems to be the only one who hasn't lost it so far. I think she wants too, though, I saw it in her eyes earlier. She's just got a good poker face." He suddenly hiccuped again.

That she did.

I ran my bandaged hands down my face with a sigh, and just shook his head.

"We'll burn Devin in the morning," I said after a moment, thinking. "And then we're getting the hell out of San Francisco. Maybe we can try north, yknow? Keep going up to where its cold."

"Ah, so the deaders wont be as fast," Kuza bobbed his head agreeingly. "Smart move. Just like the Walking Dead game thingy."

What the hell was he talking about?

I had just thought we would have better luck.

"Sure, Kuza."