The Last Dose

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During a zombie-clearing mission, I was infected with the virus while protecting my squad.

My girlfriend, Luna, the team captain, cited the need to avoid any appearance of favoritism and gave the only antidote to another squad member who'd been infected after sneaking out.

Her eyes were red as she promised me, "Jax, trust me. I will find another antidote for you within the three-day incubation period."

I nodded, fighting back the fire searing through my veins.

The next day, she actually returned with another dose.

But just a second before the needle was to enter my arm, Cole, a team member who had never once set foot outside the camp, suddenly frowned.

"Luna, my head... it hurts so much. I'm so scared... What if I'm infected?"

In front of everyone, Luna didn't hesitate. She handed the antidote to Cole.

"Cole is one of my people. If something happens to him, it's my failure as a captain."

"Jax, you're my second-in-command, and you're my boyfriend. I have to remain impartial."

I saw the flicker of triumph in Cole's eyes and the unyielding set of Luna's jaw, and a bitter laugh escaped my lips.

Impartial?

Fine. She would soon learn that without me, she was nothing.

1.

When Luna handed the antidote to Cole, she didn't even glance at me.

"Cole, you take this first."

Her voice was as casual as if she were handing him a bottle of water.

Cole took the vial, a smugness he couldn't hide flashing in his eyes.

Luna then passed me a small bottle of cloudy, transparent liquid.

She avoided my gaze. "A suppressant. It'll buy you some more time."

That cheap suppressant was useless for an infection as advanced as mine.

My voice was calm.

"You know this won't work on me."

Luna's eyes darted away, her brow furrowing.

"Jax, don't be difficult. Cole's constitution is weak. If he's really infected..."

I cut her off with a cold laugh.

"He hasn't been on a single mission since he joined the team, and he doesn't have a scratch on him. How could he possibly be infected?"

Luna's voice rose.

"That's just what you can see on the surface!"

"You know the virus has a three-day incubation period! As captain, I am responsible for every single member of this team!"

"You're my boyfriend, and you're the vice-captain. If I give the antidote to you instead of him, what will the others think of me? How am I supposed to lead this team? I have to avoid any appearance of favoritism!"

The same excuse again.

The grey, vein-like patterns on my right arm were slowly creeping toward my shoulder, the burning sensation under my skin growing more intense by the second.

I stared at her, took a deep breath.

"So, my life is less important than your reputation? And you think you can just fob me off with a useless suppressant?"

Luna's expression faltered.

"What are you saying? I promise you, I'll go to the West District research lab tomorrow. I will bring back an antidote!"

"Can't you just trust me one more time?"

Before the apocalypse, back at the military academy, Luna and I were the perfect partners.

She commanded, I charged. She made the plans, I executed the details.

Everyone said we were made for each other.

On graduation day, she stood on the training grounds and told me:

"Jax, for the rest of your life, you can trust me completely."

When the world ended, I helped her build this survivor squad, willingly taking the backseat.

I gave her all the credit and took all the risks.

In three years, this team grew from seven people to over forty. She became the revered Captain Luna.

And what did I get for it?

Endless excuses about favoritism, endless promises of "next time."

If my powers hadn't vanished when the virus took hold, making me nothing but zombie food outside these walls, I would never have pinned my hopes on her finding a cure for me.

A deep weariness settled over me. "This isn't the first time you've made a promise."

She grabbed my hand, her eyes pleading.

"This time is for real!"

"Just like every mission before, when you trusted me with your back. Jax, trust me one last time."

I looked at the hand that had once held mine tight through hails of gunfire and heard myself say:

"Fine. One last time."

Luna let out a breath of relief.

"Go back and rest. I'll arrange the personnel and route for tomorrow. Everything will be okay."

I turned and walked away without looking back.

The moment I was out the door, I heard Cole's hushed voice.

"Luna, he was so scary just now. Do you think he's already..."

Luna's voice was soothing. "Don't be afraid. He's fine for now."

Back in the quarantine room, I leaned against the wall and slid to the floor.

The fire in my right arm was intensifying.

This was the second day of my infection.

According to the typical progression, I should be starting to show signs of muscle stiffening and sensory decay.

But I wasn't.

Apart from the heat and occasional stabbing pains, my mind was unnaturally clear.

Stranger still, I could feel something inside me beginning to awaken.

From the distant ruins, the roars of zombies echoed, one after another.

This wasn't the sound of a small pack.

Without my powers reinforcing the camp's outer defenses, they wouldn't hold for long.

I clenched my fists, my nails digging into my palms.

Tomorrow is the third day.

Luna, this is the last chance I'm giving you.

2.

Just as dawn broke, I stormed out of the quarantine room.

The gray veins had already crawled halfway across my shoulder.

Overnight, the stench of rot in the air seemed to have grown thicker.

I could feel the zombies on the perimeter closing in. Without my combat strength, it was only a matter of time before the camp fell.

The door to Luna's room was slightly ajar.

I pushed it open.

And froze.

Luna was curled up on the simple cot, and Cole was lying beside her, both of them under the same blanket.

Cole's hand was resting on Luna's waist. She was nestled against his chest, sleeping soundly.

My mind went blank for three seconds.

Then it exploded.

"Luna!"

I roared her name, lunging into the room, yanking Cole up by his collar, and smashing my fist into his face.

Cole screamed and tumbled off the bed, blood gushing from his nose.

Luna jolted awake. Seeing the scene before her, her face went white. "Jax! What are you doing?!"

I pointed a trembling finger at Cole. "What am I doing?"

"You're asking me what the hell I'm doing?! Luna, look at what you're doing!"

Cole scrambled up, clutching his face and hiding behind Luna.

"I... I just... I suddenly had infection symptoms last night. I was scared, so I came to talk to the captain about the antidote..."

I laughed, a harsh, humorless sound. "And you needed to do that in the same bed? While holding my girlfriend?"

Luna stepped in front of Cole, her eyes filled with a flash of panic, but mostly, with anger.

"Jax, that's enough! Cole really was showing early signs of infection last night. Is it wrong for me, as his captain, to look after a team member?"

"We didn't do anything!"

I stared at her disheveled collar. "Luna, do you take me for an idiot?"

Her voice suddenly shot up.

"Look at yourself! You're suspicious, impulsive, violent! Do you even remember that you're the vice-captain?!"

I was stunned.

I remembered a time before the fall, in the academy's infirmary. I had a 102-degree fever from an old injury flared up by intense training.

Luna skipped a whole afternoon of classes to sit by my bed, changing the cloth on my forehead, feeding me water, and eventually falling asleep with her head on the edge of my mattress.

When she woke up, she'd said:

"Jax, if you dare die before I do, I'll chase you to hell and beat you back to life."

Back then, her eyes held concern, a genuine fear of losing me.

And now?

She looked at me, and her eyes were ice.

"Today's mission is critical. I don't have time to argue with you. Cole, get ready to move out."

Cole nodded immediately, wiping the blood from his nose as he walked out. As he passed me, he shot me a look of pure provocation.

I grabbed Luna's wrist. "You're taking him?"

Luna wrenched her arm free. "He knows the terrain in the West District."

"Jax, looking at you now, how can I possibly trust you with the team?"

"You wait here in the camp. I'll bring the antidote back."

She gathered her gear and left without a backward glance.

I stood there in the empty room, staring at the cot, at the blanket that still held the warmth of two bodies.

The power inside me surged violently. The gray veins instantly spread across my chest.

My skin felt like it was about to split open, the burning sensation threatening to consume me.

But I held it back.

I clenched my fists, my nails digging so deep into my palms that blood dripped between my fingers.

Luna, you chose him again.

Then this is where we end.

I staggered back to my room, leaning against the wall and gasping for air.

I was certain now. This infection was not normal.

The sound of an engine starting up came from outside.

I went to the window and saw three modified off-road vehicles drive out of the camp gate.

Luna was in the passenger seat of the lead vehicle. Cole was sitting in the back, right behind her.

He leaned forward, saying something to her, and Luna smiled. A relaxed, unguarded smile.

I hadn't seen her smile like that in a very long time.

The convoy disappeared beyond the ruins.

I closed my eyes.

Luna, if you're not back by sunset today, you will regret the choice you made.

3.

I waited through the burning pain until nightfall.

I heard people whispering, saying they'd seen signs of an unusually large zombie horde on the move.

And all I could do was watch, and wait, and hope Luna would return with the antidote.

The sun dipped below the horizon. The camp flickered to life with a few scattered emergency lights.

Finally, the roar of engines echoed from the distance.

Three vehicles. Not one was missing.

My heart hammered against my ribs.

She was back.

I scrambled downstairs and ran to the center of the camp.

The car doors opened. Luna was the first one out, followed by the others. Cole was the last.

My eyes were glued to their hands.

Luna's were empty. Cole's were empty.

The team started unloading a few supply crates, but there was no sign of an antidote case.

My breath caught in my throat.

"Where is it? The antidote?"

My voice was a raw, hoarse whisper.

The camp fell silent.

Luna's gaze flickered, then she looked away.

"The antidote... We... we found it."

My heart leaped.

She bit her lip.

"But on the way back, we ran into a horde. Cole was scratched while he was protecting the supply truck."

"It was an emergency. I had to give the antidote to him first."

I looked at Cole.

He immediately held up his bandaged hand, his expression full of guilt.

"Vice-captain, I'm sorry. I really didn't mean for it to happen..."

"Which hand?" I asked.

Cole froze. "Wha-what?"

I took a step closer. "How deep is the wound? How much did it bleed?"

"Have you shown any signs of infection?"

Cole's eyes darted nervously to Luna.

Luna stepped between us. "Jax! He's already injured. Why are you interrogating him like this?"

I tore open my collar, revealing the gray veins that now covered my chest.

"Luna, look at me. At best, I have until midnight."

"And your 'injured' team member, Cole, is speaking with a strong voice and clear eyes. You call that infected?"

A few of the other team members looked down.

One of them, Rico, muttered under his breath, "Actually, Cole could have easily dodged it..."

"Rico!" Luna snapped, cutting him off.

But it was too late.

I understood everything.

Cole did it on purpose.

And Luna had given the antidote to him. In front of the whole team, she had chosen Cole. Again.

"Luna," I said softly, "for him, you've abandoned me. Again."

Her face went pale. "I didn't abandon you! I just..."

I laughed, the sound hollow, the exhaustion in my voice overriding the anger.

"You just had to be responsible for every team member? You had to avoid showing favoritism?"

"Or is it just that you stopped loving me a long time ago?"

Her mouth opened, but no words came out.

Cole grabbed her arm, his voice on the verge of tears.

"Luna, does the vice-captain not believe me? I really was infected, look..."

He made a show of trying to unwrap his bandage.

Luna stopped him. "Don't!"

Then she turned to me, her eyes filled with disappointment.

"Jax, you're disappointing me. Cole is part of this team. He was hurt. Is it wrong for me to save him?"

"Do I have to let him die just to make you happy?"

"You're right. You did the right thing. A captain should be fair and just."

Luna stared at me, stunned.

I watched her shield Cole, saw the triumphant smirk Cole shot me from behind her, and saw the pity and avoidance in the eyes of the others.

The power inside me began to surge.

But I held on.

I spoke again, my voice flat and dead.

"So, now that this 'team member' is about to turn, how does the captain plan to take responsibility for me?"

The silence was deafening.

Everyone's eyes were on Luna.

Her face paled and flushed, and finally, she gritted her teeth.

"I'll keep looking. There's another lab in the North District..."

"There's no time," I cut her off.

She fell silent.

Cole spoke up, his voice just loud enough for everyone to hear.

"Luna, he's too dangerous like this. What if he suddenly turns..."

Luna's body went rigid.

I looked into her eyes, the eyes that had once been filled with so much love for me, and now saw only conflict and hesitation.

The power inside me slammed against its cage.

This time, I could barely contain it.

4.

"Jax."

Luna finally spoke, her voice strained.

She straightened her spine. "You're the vice-captain. You know the rules."

"An infected person must leave the camp before they turn, or... be dealt with personally by the captain."

Dealt with personally.

The words were spoken so lightly, yet they plunged into my heart like four knives.

The team members around us grew restless. Some looked away, unable to watch. Some took a silent step back. A few had their hands on their weapons.

Cole pressed closer to Luna, whispering, "Luna, you have to think of the whole team... The way he is now, what if he really does turn all of a sudden..."

"Shut up," I snarled at him.

Cole flinched and ducked further behind Luna.

She took a deep breath.

"I'm giving you a choice. One, leave now."

"Two," her hand moved to the dagger at her hip, "I'll help you."

Help me die.

I looked at the hand gripping the dagger, the same hand that had held mine as we walked through the academy's tree-lined paths, the hand that had clung to mine on the first night of the apocalypse, refusing to let go.

Now, it wanted to end my life.

The power inside me churned madly. The gray veins crawled across the left side of my face.

I took a deep breath. The pain kept me ruthlessly focused.

"I choose one. I'll leave." My voice was so calm it surprised even me.

Luna visibly relaxed.

But Cole spoke up again, louder this time.

"Luna, we can't just let him go! His gear, his suppliesthey belong to the team! What if he gets taken by zombies with all that equipment..."

Luna frowned. "Cole! That's enough!"

Cole raised his voice. "I'm just speaking the truth!"

"He's not the vice-captain anymore, he's an infected! Why should team resources be wasted on an infected?"

A few of the others exchanged glances. Some nodded, some shook their heads.

Just then, a short, piercing scream cut through the night from the camp's perimeter.

Everyone whipped their heads toward the sound in alarm.

Luna immediately sent a few members to investigate.

Then, she looked at me, her expression a tangle of emotions. She struggled to speak.

"Jax, your gear... you have to leave it behind."

I laughed.

I laughed until tears pricked my eyes.

I nodded. "Fine. It's all yours."

I started to strip off my gear.

The tactical vest, the combat knife, the backpack, the food, the water.

With each item, I threw it onto the ground.

The clatter of metal was jarring in the silence.

Luna turned her head, unable to watch.

Cole's eyes, however, lit up, staring at the pile of equipment like a starving wolf eyeing a piece of meat.

When I was done, I was left with nothing but the simple combat fatigues on my back.

"Is that enough?" I asked.

Luna's lips trembled. She couldn't speak.

Cole eagerly cut in. "Yes, that's enough! Luna, hurry, make him leave!"

Luna finally looked at me, something flickering in her eyes.

"Jax, I'm sorry, but I had to..."

"Don't say it," I interrupted. "As of today, we're even."

"Luna, you'd better figure out how to hold this camp together, and protect your people, without me!"

Her body jolted.

I didn't look at her, or anyone else, again. I turned and walked towards the camp gate.

The gray veins now covered half my face. The power inside was a raging storm, threatening to tear me apart.

Every step felt like walking on knives, but I walked straight, and I didn't look back.

Behind me, I heard Cole's excited voice.

"Luna, we can redistribute all this gear..."

Followed by Luna's choked command: "Shut up!"

I walked out of the camp and into a section of ruins I had scouted days ago, a place that was relatively safe.

The power inside me finally broke free, exploding outward.

An agony unlike anything I had ever known shot through every inch of my body, as if my bones were being shattered and reformed.

I collapsed to the ground, curling into a ball.

The gray patterns writhed beneath my skin, which cracked, bled, scabbed over, and split open again in a horrifying cycle.

The roars of zombies grew closer.

But I couldn't move.

My consciousness was fading, my body was on fire.

Luna, Cole, I thought, I'll be waiting for the day you come begging.

And then, I was consumed by darkness.