𝙵𝙻𝙴𝚂𝙷 𝙰𝙽𝙳 𝙱𝙾𝙽𝙴 | 𝚃. 𝙾𝚃𝚃𝙾 𐂃

Chapter 28

Jake agreed, "the road west is all wasteland, we need drive at least 10 klicks from our camp to be sure. We take one- two trucks." An infected did a little woozy shuffle before snapping its jaws at Jake. Pushing it back roughly, Jake slashed through half its head, severing the top part of the skull. He catches his breath, machete in his hand, lightly panting with exhaustion. "I'll do it."

Cristine nodded and opened her mouth to volunteer, "I'll come with-"

"Cristine!" Tearing her eyes away from Jake and twisting her neck to look at the person that called for her. Surprised, Alicia and her family ran across the dirt towards them.

"What happened?" Madison asked, eyes taking in the scene of incoming infected with surprise.

"No time. Jake and I are going to lead part of them away with the trucks," Cristine answered.

Alicia shook her head, face red from the heat and running and blurted out. "You can't. Kathy's bleeding."

"What!? What happened?"

"Stress. This- I don't know for sure, but we need to operate," Alicia explained.

"You two go. Nick and I will stay to help the others," Madison urged the two.

-

All the ways this could go wrong come flooding in when Cristine laid eyes on the pale looking Kathy with her husband at one side and Hailey at the other side, wiping the woman's sweaty face. It was like her mind send her body a blank signal. It grew when she watched Alicia's mouth move, but the words sounded so hollow inside her ears and it felt like walking through quicksand every step she made it closer to what she'd been dreading deep down. The warm sweat on her flushed skin felt uncomfortable and Cristine unconsciously squared her shoulders as Jack spotted her and quickly crossed the distance, eyes frantic and almost begging when she stepped inside the tent.

"Cristine- we- we don't know what's happening. Kathy is in pain and then she started bleeding. Please- please do something." She ignored the way his large hand painfully squeezed the bones of her shoulders. "You have to save my baby girl, please." Cristine tried to stay calm when she heard Jack's frantic pleas and noted his misty eyes. But when she opened her mouth, the words stuck in her throat.