Zombies Vs Aliens: Respawn

Chapter 15

"Okay, what's wrong with you?"

The question seized my attention from its meandering path. Unfortunately, turning my head to answer Fred resulted in overlooking the gaping pothole in the road. The crumbling rock gave at the edges, sending me toward a painful face plant. J.D. caught me an inch from kissing asphalt, hauling me upright. I wasn't too unsteady to miss the exchanged glance over my head between the two idiots.

"Maybe we should stop. We've been going without a break for a while now." J.D. was scanning my face, his expression identical to when Wolf Girl was bitten in the sewers.

"A rest, wouldn't be a bad idea, get our bearings." Fred hedged. Oh hell no, I knew it was bad news if they agreed on something.

"We not even halfway there, we can keep going, I'm fine." Silence reigned for a full minute before Fred jumped in front of me.

"You came out of the woods with a bloody nose and the artist formerly known as Bert. I think you actually are paler than last night, and you haven't responded to a single question until just now. Li, you are not okay!"

That drew me up short. They were talking to me and I didn't notice? I knew I was preoccupied imagining nightmare scenarios for our missing human but I couldn't believe I was that out of it.

Faraway screams tickled the back of my mind.

"Li!" Fred yelled in my face. His hands were on my shoulders. I shook him off in reflex.

"I know! I know something's off, but Wolf Girl is still out there. She needs us!" I hung my head, tapping my remaining skinless digits against my palm. I couldn't afford to worry about this new development now, or what it could mean. "One crisis at a time," I finished softly, studying the deep pothole by my feet. Man, that one was a tire eater.

Fred gave a helpless shrug, looking to J.D. for guidance.

"You won't be any help to her if you can't keep yourself together," J.D. interjected in a reasonable rumble. "No matter what happens, Wolf Girl will land on her feet. You should take a bit of rest while you can."

"You don't know that," I snapped, "Every minute we spend here arguing those bitches could be hurting her, or worse." I shut my eyes, squeezing them tight against the surge of images playing out in my head. Some of them did not star our missing feral child. What was going on with me?

"I know we kept you from walking off the road twice." J.D. muttered, as if he was reluctant to reveal the information to me.

Oh gods. What if...I shook myself, rubbing my arms, unable to give shape to the horrifying thought. The tenuous train of my thoughts was temporarily derailed by a pair of sinewy arms, lifting me up by my knees and mid back. I fell against the incredibly odd texture of Bert's chest, as he secured me in a 'new bride' carry and waltzed pass two bewildered faces.

"Did he just..." J.D. hissed.

"Like bloody prince charming." Fred answered. A beat passed before he stage whispered, "Should we stop him?"

"Do you really want to?"

"Well at least she's letting him carry her."

"I can still hear you two," I said, surprisingly relaxed in Bert's hold. I patted his chest. "I promise we'll find them both."

Bert grunted, keeping his pace while the other two followed. Truth be told, I had no idea what kind of bond Bert and Ernie actually had, but it kept them together when they were gibbering corpses so it had to be a strong one. I knew I was not in the best of shape when I couldn't argue with him for carrying me. My head was a mass of shifting sand, full of faceless screams and incoherent whispers. I could use a good cry right about now, blubbery and snotty, and afterward I would feel ten times better. My eyes remained open and dry, staring at the wavering pavement. The thought snuck up on me.