The two sick men looked at each other then burst into loud, uncontrollable laughter that shook the entire room.
All the pressure they had bottled up over the past week finally exploded, like the laughter of madmen.
Vivian collapsed onto the floor, laughing until he was shaking all over.
Kayen threw himself back against the big sofa, staring up at the ceiling.
They laughed like they never had before two unlucky men who had never liked each other, now trapped in the same fate after saving one another from an unbelievable situation.
Kayen threw himself back against the big sofa, staring up at the ceiling.
They laughed like they never had before two unlucky men who had never liked each other, now trapped in the same fate after saving one another from an unbelievable situation.
"Hahaha… hahaha…"
The two sick men looked at each other then burst into loud, uncontrollable laughter that shook the entire room.
All the pressure they had bottled up over the past week finally exploded, like the laughter of madmen. Vivian collapsed onto the floor, laughing until he was shaking all over.
Was this destiny… or cruel karma?
Their exhausted gazes drifted toward each other, seeing the other's image reflected deep inside their eyes, before both broke into wide smiles.
Just moments ago, the pain had driven them to thoughts of ending their own lives afraid the infection would spread to others…
Everything had felt dark and hopeless. But the instant they saw each other again, all the irritation, all the mutual dislike in the world, quietly faded away.
A faint warmth began to grow whenever they were close.
Something gentle spread through their hearts. The tightness in their chests slowly eased, their breathing coming easier.
Wham!
A large hand grabbed a cushion and hurled it straight into Vivian's slender face in pure spite.
The one who got hit only laughed harder laughing at the misfortune he never caused, at the fate he earned just for helping someone else.
Thud!
Vivian threw the cushion right back at the broad man, forgetting that just moments ago he barely had the strength to walk.
And for reasons no one could explain, the two of them started grabbing pillows and throwing them at each other, chasing each other around the wide room no different from a pair of children.
"Hey!!"
Thud!
The figure rushing in stumbled and slammed the pillow onto the smaller body falling on top of them perfectly onto the sofa.
"Vivian, are you feeling like me? Out of nowhere, you've got all this energy. Just a while ago,
I could barely lift a glass of water, and now look at me chasing you around and hitting you with a pillow!"
The tall man grinned as he shifted slightly from the smaller body and spoke.
"Yeah… true. Before I came here, I was throwing up, struggling to breathe. But now… I can breathe just fine." Vivian's bright, sparkling eyes reflected his actual relief.
"I've got one more question… I saw yours, mine's the same. Look."
Whish!
His sharp eyes dropped down to the center of the pile they'd landed on.
Vivian followed his gaze. The rigid, heated part of him pressed against the other, twitching as if alive.
"Let me see your leg.
Vivian's slender leg was lifted and draped over the older man's shoulder, exposing the bite mark. He froze a little the man nearly ten years older calmly holding his ankle like it was nothing.
"Looks the same… kinda decayed, but on the outside, we haven't really changed. Maybe a little worn, but definitely not like the others infected."
Kayen showed no disgust, even running his large hand gently around the edges of the wound, making the owner of the smooth leg blush.
"Uncle… I feel… weird… it's…" Vivian squinted, trying to voice what he felt, but Kayen kept talking without looking at the changing expression. "Yeah! I had Will, the researcher, check the clothes with the saliva and blood from that ghostly thing that bit us.
He said it might be the 'father' of the zombie virus."
Kayen's sharp eyes dropped to the bite mark on Vivian's leg, his large hand lightly brushing the calf.
"What do you mean, 'father' ?"
Vivian's shock at the words was stronger than the sensation of the gentle touch on his wound.
"I mean the first one that was created. And it exists to reproduce… to spread itself."
Kayen's dark, piercing eyes met Vivian's glossy ones as he swallowed, a hungry gleam in his gaze.
"Really, Uncle? I thought this virus came through the air?" Vivian asked, still skeptical, having some understanding of viruses.
"The stuff everyone else got is airborne. But the one we encountered… isn't. Are you really that dumb, drawing the short straw into a special ops unit?"
"So… what do you do with that… uh… prominent part?"
Vivian's gaze involuntarily dropped, catching sight of the fearsome rod-like thing in the middle of the older man's body, like a staff he carried between his legs.
"Take care of it myself.
I'm a high-ranking officer, there's not a single woman in the unit, so who else am I supposed to do it with? And anyway… if anyone knew that getting bitten makes you act weird, I'd be the one dissected for research. Why are you asking?"
Vivian's pale, thin hands flew up to cover his face, embarrassed and anxious.
"Damn… is that a cock or a traffic light? Hahaha!" Kayen laughed at the younger man's wildly imaginative thoughts.
The figure rushing in stumbled and slammed the pillow onto the smaller body falling on top of them perfectly onto the sofa.
"Vivian, are you feeling like me? Out of nowhere, you've got all this energy. Just a while ago, I could barely lift a glass of water, and now look at me chasing you around and hitting you with a pillow!" The tall man grinned as he shifted slightly from the smaller body and spoke.
"Yeah… true. Before I came here, I was throwing up, struggling to breathe.
But now… I can breathe just fine." Vivian's bright, sparkling eyes reflected his actual relief.
"I've got one more question… I saw yours, mine's the same. Look."
Whish!
His sharp eyes dropped down to the center of the pile they'd landed on. Vivian followed his gaze. The rigid, heated part of him pressed against the other, twitching as if alive.
"Let me see your leg."
Vivian's slender leg was lifted and draped over the older man's shoulder, exposing the bite mark.
He froze unknown the man nearly ten years older calmly holding his ankle like it was nothing.
"Looks the same… kinda decayed, but on the outside, we haven't really changed. Maybe a little worn, but definitely not like the others infected."
Kayen showed no disgust, even running his large hand gently around the edges of the wound, making the owner of the smooth leg blush.
"Uncle… I feel… weird… it's…"
Vivian squinted, trying to voice what he felt, but Cayenne kept talking without looking at the changing expression.
"Yeah! I had Will, the researcher, check the clothes with the saliva and blood from that ghostly thing that bit us. He said it might be the 'father' of the zombie virus."
Kayen's sharp eyes dropped to the bite mark on Vivian's leg, his large hand lightly brushing the calf.
"What do you mean, 'father' ?"
Vivian's shock at the words was stronger than the sensation of the gentle touch on his wound.
"I mean the first one that was created. And it exists to reproduce… to spread itself."
Kayen's dark, piercing eyes met Vivian's glossy ones as he swallowed, a hungry gleam in his gaze.
"Really, Uncle? I thought this virus came through the air?" Vivian asked, still skeptical, having some understanding of viruses.
"The stuff everyone else got is airborne. But the one we encountered… isn't. Are you really that dumb, drawing the short straw into a special ops unit?"
"So… what do you do with that… uh… prominent part?"
Vivian's gaze involuntarily dropped, catching sight of the fearsome rod-like thing in the middle of the older man's body, like a staff he carried between his legs.
"Take care of it myself.
I'm a high-ranking officer; there's not a single woman in the unit, so who else am I supposed to do it with?
And anyway…
if anyone knew that getting bitten
The arrogant, power-obsessed leader smiled widely like a regular person for the first time. Vivian felt as if he had died and gone to heaven he never imagined seeing this face on someone like Cayenne.
"Why can you smile so broadly… when you usually scowl like a monkey's butt all the time? I'm seriously stressed, Uncle.
We… might have some kind of infection. Can you check me? See if anything's changed?"
Vivian stood up, making the large hand that had been stroking his leg drop onto the sofa.
Kayen's sharp eyes traced the outline of Vivian's lips, still enjoying the feel of the smooth leg, and then, without thinking, he blurted out.
"Take off your clothes. I'll check."