GTAG Chapter 74: Hello, Mister Dragon
When Colette's fever finally broke, Hank felt relieved.
It meant the little girl might not turn into a zombie after all.
But beneath his relief was fear—fear that her body would undergo the same changes as his, and that she would eventually become a monster.
For a moment, he even wished Colette would never wake up. If she kept on sleeping, she'd be spared from that fate.
Hours later, she stirred awake.
Hearing a voice by her side, Colette instinctively turned her head and saw Hank, his face hidden deep beneath a hood.
But his disguise was incomplete. His hands on the steering wheel were bare—scaly claws tipped with sharp nails. Any child with eyes could see them.
Colette stared blankly at the figure driving beside her. Tears welled, but she pressed her hands over her eyes, refusing to let them fall.
"Thank you for saving me. My name is Colette."
"It's… it's fine. As long as you don't blame me."
"Blame you?"
Colette didn't understand his words. But then she tilted her head curiously.
"You still haven't told me your name."
"…"
Hank kept silent.
When she had spoken her name, he remembered who she was.
That base only had a few dozen people. After living together for so long, even without much contact, everyone knew one another.
And with the name came the memory of Colette's mother.
A mother and child trying to survive alone—it was nearly impossible without the protection of a man. Her mother had… relationships with several in the base. In truth, most women there survived this way. No one judged. It was simply life.
But Hank knew one thing for certain. Colette's mother was one of the women he had slept with.
Back then, such things were joked about among the men. Now, he felt nothing but shame.
How was he supposed to face her child?
If there had been another person or even a beast nearby, the situation wouldn't feel half as unbearable.
"Mister, I remember I was burning with fever. Was it you who saved me?"
Seeing he still wouldn't give his name, Colette didn't mind. She glanced around at the barren land beyond the jungle. The sight held no interest, so she turned back to him, searching for words.
"Ah? Mm. Yes. That's right."
Hank nodded, repeating the same few answers no matter what she asked.
It left Colette speechless.
The car fell into silence.
Hank focused on driving.
Colette, quiet at first, began to think about the details she had missed before.
"Mister, you're amazing! All those zombies—you killed them. I saw the bodies, none left whole. You must be really strong!"
She looked at him with open admiration.
"Yes. My strength is great."
Hank nodded. But then, without thinking, he added,
"Among them was your mother. Doesn't that bother you?"
"…?"
The moment the words left his mouth, regret seared him. He wanted to slap himself.
"It's fine. That wasn't my mother anymore."
Her father had turned into a zombie, battering down their door until his head was stuck in the frame. Her mother had killed him.
On that day, her mother taught her: once someone became a zombie, they were no longer family.
They were only monsters.
Even if her own mother turned, she would have to kill her without hesitation.
Colette had remembered that lesson ever since, though deep inside she doubted she could truly carry it out.
At the same time, Hank realized he might have revealed too much.
Not just because of his claws—he hadn't even noticed they were visible.
But because slaughtering so many zombies was something no normal human could achieve.
"You… aren't afraid of me?"
"Mister, are you the dragon who kidnaps princesses?"
Her sudden question stunned him.
He looked at her in confusion.
And that was when Colette finally saw his face.
Her body trembled. Even prepared as she was, seeing his appearance directly shook her. Hank's features were truly monstrous.
Yet Colette gathered her courage and met his eyes.
"Hello, Mister Dragon. My name is Colette. I'm not a princess. But may I know your name?"
Again she asked.
Hank jerked his head away, so fast that a few strands of hair flew past her, lost in the rushing wind.
"You… aren't afraid of me?"
"Mister Dragon won't hurt me. So why should I be afraid?"
His eyes stung. Blinking hard, he rasped out, "My name is Hank."
"Nice to meet you, Mister Hank."
"…"
He said nothing more. He simply didn't know what to say.
And Colette didn't press further. She was already digesting the weight behind that name.
The base had so few people. Everyone's name was known.
And Hank had often come to her house. Every time, her mother sent her out to play.
She had been young, but not too young to understand.
Now, Colette felt the same awkwardness settle in.
After a long silence, Hank finally spoke.
"I'm sorry."
"Hm?"
Colette blinked in confusion.
"When you were infected with the zombie virus… to save you, I fed you my own blood."
"???"
Her eyes went blank.
Only after a few seconds did she piece it together. She glanced down at her injured elbow, where the wound was already closing, itchy as it healed unnaturally fast.
"It's okay. Mister Hank saved me from turning into a zombie. For that, I'm grateful."
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