A/N: Bonus scene! Was gonna be short but my typing said otherwise... I feel like I butchered this... but I've never really wrote someone... turning before. So hey, practice for me! This is completely original as its my idea of what happened in the time between Barney dropping his crossbow to the time the group finds him... turned.
Again, its not a shipping fic. Just designed to be weird. I mean come on, someone's turning into a zombie... thought processes aren't gonna be sharp and normal. But if you want to think of it as a shipping moment... then go ahead. Just know I didn't write it that way but I guess it could be seen as it. XD
Anyway, enjoy! :D
(I actually forgot to post this here. It was written the next day after I wrote the first one. lol Anyway, its something to let you guys have something read until I finish I guess a request moment from the series.)
Edit: Did some editing to clean it up a bit more.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
He coughed, his throat raw from screaming, it hurt to breathe but he had to... it was so hard too feed his lungs with air. When would it stop? Pain sliced and clawed through him, making him feel like he was being torn apart, yanked around in the hands of Walkers fighting over his body. And he burned, barely registering that was the odd sensation he felt earlier, a slow burn that seemed to boil his organs.
"Goat..." he moaned weakly, eye barely open as he missed being with his best friend dearly, "Go-" He didn't finish, pain hitting him hard once more by taking a blow torch to his organs, wrenching his back to bend in a painful angle. He screamed, which then turned into a gurgled mess as bile rose and his mind went blank a second time.
The next time the Avatar became aware of himself, he was on his hands and knees, heaving the last of his meal onto the plush red carpet beneath him. He coughed harshly, trying to clear the way for his lungs to intake what little air he could gather, before blinking bleary at the mess he made. Blood was mixed into it and fear clutched him at the thought of him dying. He shook his head, clearing the thoughts from his mind. No, no he can't think that way. He had to get to Sky and Jess and- His heart skipped a beat in terror in thinking of them.
They don't know about Ross!
They had no idea what was happening to him and the narwhal could be heading their way with some false story to tell them! Barney gritted his teeth at the thought. He had to get to them first and warn them. Ross can't be allowed near them. He forced himself to his feet, nearly caving in again as a wave of weakness swept over him, but he ignored it, he'll have time to rest later. Right now, he had to get to Sky and Jess.
To his surprise, the pain had eased but the burning was still there, low and slow but still there. That was fine by him as he staggered over to a counter and used it as support to walked unevenly out of the room. He had to beat Ross to the bunker room, the White House was huge and there was no telling where his friends were at the moment. Perhaps that would be enough to cause Ross to get lost and if Barney was lucky, he'll get to them before the mad doctor did.
He had a lot of walking to do...
......
Barney didn't know how long he had been stumbling along in search of his friends. He had blacked out twice more before and had found himself in a different part of the area. He hoped he was going the right way still yet at this point he had no idea but he couldn't give up. He squinted against the darkness of the hallway he was in, with the lights broken it was hard to tell if it was still the same night or was morning by now. His sense of time had long since vanished in the fog of his mind, his head hurt probably from the fever he was getting or from the pain he had been in for who knows how long. Either way, it made it difficult to think outside of his goal of getting to his best friend.
"Goaţ..̴.̵"̨ The purple dino called out in hopes of being heard, not yet realizing his voice came out raspy, almost a growl. Barney didn't have the energy to try to call out to Jess as he stumbled along the wall, leaning heavily against it and just slid his body across. It made walking so much easier, the only hazard being of falling into an open doorway if he drifted off. He paused and cocked his head, regretting it as his headache intensified from the movement but ignored it as best he could as he tried to listen. As far as he knew, the Avatar had been lucky for not coming across a Walker at all, even the times between his blackouts. Which he was more than glad for, he already knew something was wrong with him, he didn't need a bite to add to the mix. And truth be told if he was to be attacked right now, he wouldn't have the strength to defend himself. "҉Go͠a͘t..."
Barney quirked a brow, now having an inkling that something was wrong with his voice but the fog made it difficult to think more on it. It was odd... was that really his-? The thought skittered away as he felt the burning of his insides increase, he hissed out his breath as he picked up the pace, stumbling more along the wall to try to get as much distance as possible. There was a burning in his head too, making it harder for him to see where he was going.
The dino closed his eyes as he felt the oncoming heat of the blow torch again, hitting him hard and fast; crying out in agony as he crumpled against the wall, sliding down to sit heavily on the floor as his body went ridged, twisting and turning of its own accord. He cried and howled, incapable to do anything else but take it as pain tightened its grip to the point of crushing him in its jaws. It felt like it went on forever but the wave only lasted for a few short minutes before dropping the Avatar harshly against the floor like a rag doll. Barney felt drained, so sore from his body being forced to turn one way or another, locking up because of the agony. He was pretty sure he tore at least a couple of muscles from those attacks but with pain pinging about everywhere he couldn't exactly tell where. A little rest couldn't hurt right?
Besides, he wouldn't be able to move any faster now, the fog pressing closer to him... His body refused to obey, protesting at the thought of moving. Rest sounded nice though, just close his eyes for moment then he'll keep going. But he had to... find Sky... warn him...
His aching and broken body whispered the temptation to him. 'Just a little rest...'
Just...
a little...
rest...
.....
Barney awoke to the smell of peaches. Canned peaches.
What.. doing..?
Sky...
Goat...
The dinosaur tried hard to piece together his thoughts... or what was left of them, he had trouble remembering but the important thing still stuck with him. Find Sky. Find Goat. His best friend. Had to find him. He staggered to his feet, hardly aware that the pain was gone and so was the burning... but he was aware of being a little hungry. No, no time for that... find Sky... eat later... find Sky eat later. But first... where would he go? A sweet smell wafted to him and he inhaled.
Canned peaches again.
A fragmented memory bubbled, hearing Sky mention he loved canned peaches. Oh... that was right... Sky loved peaches... so he should smell like them right? Yeah, that made sense...
Barney turned in the direction of where the peachy smell was strongest and slightly frowned. Odd, he couldn't see very well now, hazy at best. Oh well, he'll just follow his nose. Sky couldn't hide from him now anyway. He staggered down the hall, moving away from his support, it was fine... he didn't need it anymore. He could manage being on his feet, off balance and awkward but at least steady enough so he wouldn't fall completely on his face. Or so he hoped.
......
The Avatar paused in a different hallway and sniffed the air, this one smelled of peaches... so Sky spent some time here but he couldn't see him nor hear him nearby. Maybe he was in the wrong part of the house? Frustrated, Barney trudged ahead, no harm in checking at least right? Maybe he was taking a nap?
He was about to turn a corner down into another hall when he heard the sound of footsteps. Lots of them. Voices too but... they were muddled at best and didn't quite stick on his mind. Maybe they knew of where Sky was? He hoped so as he headed toward the sounds in hopes of getting help. Wonder if they had food too, he was awfully hungry. A deep growl rumbled through him at the thought. Was that his stomach? Odd, it sounded a little throaty though. He didn't think on it much, he was really hungry and that's all he needed to know. His thoughts scattered again and lost interest in the noise. They probably didn't know anything. He was about to turn away when he heard another voice... one he did recognize. One that brought focus to his hazy mind.
Sky.
He found him!
He had to warn him... but he so hungry...
The smell of canned peaches grew stronger and he moved faster (not much but enough) towards the scent, both looking forward to it and irritated that he spent so much time looking for Sky; and the idiot was stuffing his face full of peaches...
The deep growl came again.
Hungry... he was so hungry...
Find Sky...
Eat later...
Another growl.
Find Sky...
Eat later...
His thoughts scattered again, scowling to himself as he heard the footsteps come closer, heard Sky among them... the scent of peaches mouth watering...
Find... what?
Eat..?
He lost his train of thought.
Hunger beat at him, peaches would help stop it, can't think when hungry...
Now that he thought about it as the fruity scent thickened the air in the hall. Barney's mouth watered at the thought of chugging down a can of the fruit now. He could practically taste the sweet flavor. Sky smelled like canned peaches...
Would he taste like peaches too?
That's an odd thought... Why would he..? He shook himself off. What was he doing again?
Find Sky...
Hunger snarled for attention, slapping the thought aside. How was his hunger bar? He was starving but he couldn't see the little icons that measured his hunger. It didn't matter. He knew he needed to eat now as his thoughts turned into a garbled mess, no longer coming together as well as before. Just his mantra remained with him as hunger clawed at his belly.
Find Sky.
Eat later.
The voices were much closer, the smell of fruit overwhelming. They were going to come down this hall. He should stay here and wait for them. So there he stood in the shadows of the darkened corridor, growling softly but kept mostly silent. Waited until he saw the group run around the corner at a dead run. Sky was up front, the scent of peaches flooded the hall.
Barney's eye gleamed brightly as he eyed his best friend. His mantra changed, the words whispering to him as he watched Sky call out to the others and they paused, staring into the dark where he stood. Barney growled as he moved forward, his steps heavy and loud despite the lush carpet beneath his boots.
Found Sky.
Eat now.
"͢G҉òO͝oĄt́...͡"