It was not long before the group's exhaustion finally caught up with Kiana and Dempsey. After half an hour or so, their overzealous energies waned before being replaced with the weight of overwhelming fatigue. Takeo and Primis had been sitting quietly as they listened to the pair's shrill laughter echo and reverberate through the hollowed facility. Then, the very same laughter fell silent.
Takeo and Primis took note of the sudden absence of laughter with caution. Instinctively, they were poised to pounce - should their suspicious be roused further. But, the aching of their muscles and heavily weighing eyelids caused them to remain planted where they were.
The silence continued. Both men looked at each other apprehensively as they felt unsure how to proceed. There was still no sign of the undead; whose onslaughts were always proceeded by the chilling wails and roars of the reanimated soldiers. And Samantha and Dr Maxis were still eerily absent. Both men's minds began to race and they tried to reason and explain the cause of the silence.
Then, Kiana and Dempsey finally dragged themselves back towards Takeo and Primis - anxiously waiting by the campfire. Once they were both back in sight after rounding the corner; the dark circles under Kiana and Dempsey's eyes were enough to convey their exhaustion to the other two. Everyone else had been running on fumes but they had now completely decimated any energy reserves they once had.
"Yeah... that wasn't a good idea..." Kiana admitted before grabbing onto Dempsey and resting her full weight on him.
"Aw man! I'm gonna pass out..." Dempsey joined in as he struggled to hold both of them up.
"Must. Sleep... Must. Pass. Out. Too..." Kiana slurred groggily - almost like Nikolai after a few vodkas.
She continued to latch on to Dempsey for dear life as they managed to shuffle over to Takeo and Primis. Primis sat quietly watching the spectacle unfold - unsure what to do. Truthfully, he wanted to jump to his feet and take Kiana in his arms but he opted to restrain such thoughts from manifesting into reality. It was clear Dempsey had the situation under control - regardless of his exhaustion. He was a marine after all!
Kiana eventually approached and stood before Primis. She then detached from Dempsey and crashed down next to the German doctor. And like a true doctor, Primis eyed her condition with worry and concern. He immediately held her wrist in his large hand before placing his fingers over her pulse.
"Jour pulse is much too fast..." Primis remarked sternly.
"Oh don't be daft! It is always ridiculously fast -- even when I've just woken up!" Kiana explained through a grimace.
"Nein, I vant jou to rest -- bitte..." Primis asked gently - conveying to her his deep care and concern for her.
As the pair remained preoccupied in their conversation; Dempsey then dragged himself over to where he usually slept by the fire and plopped down next to Takeo.
"A wise warrior knows when to rest..." Takeo mumbled to Dempsey.
"Yeah yeah, Tak. I know I overdid it!" Dempsey replied with a little annoyance in his voice. Takeo always liked to be right.
"Hrmph", Takeo grunted with a nod.
"Ugh -- *belch* -- *hiccup* -- excuse me", a voice slurred and mumbled.
Everyone looked around to see a drunken Nikolai stagger over towards the group. As he did so; he placed a hand over his forehead as his face twisted with pain.
"Ay, I have terrible headache..." Nikolai slurred.
"You're just drunk, Nik!" Dempsey laughed loudly.
"Ahh, Dempsey keep it down!" Nikolai winced in pain.
The drunk Russian continued to stagger over before sitting down next to Takeo - who drew him a look of disgust.
"Baka!" Takeo murmured.
"Oh, come on Takeo! I'm too tired for this!" Nikolai stammered as he turned to look at the annoyed Japanese man.
Both men glared at each other before Dempsey intervened.
"Ya know, Nik! You missed a hell of a lot of action!" Dempsey smiled playfully.
"Eh? What happened?" Nikolai replied confusedly.
"Wow, you mean you really don't know?" Dempsey remarked in disbelief.
"Dempsey, I am much too tired for your games right now..." Nikolai slurred exhaustedly.
"Alright, Nik. I'll just tell ya..." Dempsey began.
Primis watched the exchange between the two men before he felt Kiana cosy up beside him. She had curled herself up in a ball next to him before trying to siphon away some of his bodyheat.
"Gosh, you're always so warm", Kiana whispered as she closed her eyes to rest.
"Ja, und jou are alvays freezing!" Primis responded worriedly.
"Ugh, I know! I hate being cold. I must be part reptile or something because I always need to steal heat from external sources", the small sleepy woman replied as she began to slur her words towards the end.
"Ja, me too, I hate zhe cold", Primis whispered as he lay down close beside Kiana.
But he had meant such more in that statement. There was a greater meaning beneath the simple statement. Kiana was too fatigued to be able to properly register the nuances of the conversation; but, for Primis, it felt good just being able to announce how he felt without having to put on a front all the time.
Primis immediately began thinking about his life as he held Kiana tightly and buried his face in her hair. It truly comforted him having someone show him affection. And it was obvious he had feelings for Kiana but he never dared try to develop things further. A large part of him worried that he would ruin what he had and lose the bond they shared.
So, he contented himself with the current situation. It was far from unsatisfactory but Primis still felt the desire to be closer. For so long, he had craved the attention and affection of the opposite sex yet here he was - and he still wanted more.
"Nein, Edvard. Zhis is more zhan enough. Jou still have much vork to do! Zhere are far more important matters to see to!" Primis reminded himself mentally.
Since the trenches of France, Primis had become shackled with a great deal of responsibility. A great weight had been placed on his shoulders which, so far, he had refused to buckle beneath. But every so often, the sheer urgency of the situation would weaken the strong foundations he had tried so desperately to maintain.
Back home, Primis had endured so much in his thirty-three years of existence. Yet, in the face of each ensuing adversity - he always prevailed a stronger person. But now, the constant fighting to survive was beginning to take it's toll. The mental scars he carried within him were no longer enough to sustain his morale and remind him of his unwavering strength.
A tear began to fall down Primis' face as his eyes begun to sting. The strong muscles in his arms tensed beneath his skin as he pressed himself closer to Kiana for comfort. He tried desperately to will the tears to cease - crying always made him feel weak.
"You are nothing!" A distant but familiar voice called out.
"Yeah, your dad wasn't even a scientist!" Another voice jeered.
"Hahahahahaha! What a loser!" A crowded blend of voices jeered mockingly in Primis' mind.
"You think you're better than everybody but you're just..." Another voice began.
"... A LIAR!" The crowd joined in.
"Teddy is a liar!" They continued as their laughter pieced his soul.
"N-nein! But it is true!" Primis called out in the darkness of his mind.
"I'm not a liar!" He pleaded to the voices.
These voices were familiar but time seemed to have obscured their identity. Primis tried to mentally remove the shroud he had placed over these memories and resurrect them for inspection.
Then, one memory revealed itself with startling intensity in his mind....
End of part twenty-three...