The sun hung high in the sky, bringing warmth to an otherwise cold autumn afternoon. Every tree had already shed its dead leaves, their brittle remains rustling along the streets whenever the wind passed through. Cold as it already was, the air continued to grow harsher.
Winter was approaching fast.
The group marched onward.
They had been walking for nearly forty minutes and were finally nearing the mall.
At the back of the line, Zane suddenly stumbled.
The pain and exhaustion he had been suppressing finally caught up with him.
He collapsed onto one knee before falling to the ground completely.
The rope around Drew's waist tightened, abruptly stopping him, which in turn brought the rest of the group to a halt.
"What's going on?" Drew complained. "Pick up the pace."
He turned around.
"Huh?"
Anna and Quin also looked back.
"Zane!"
The two of them rushed over.
"Don't worry," Zane muttered as he forced himself to raise his head.
"I just slipped."
"I can keep going."
Even as he spoke, his entire body trembled.
Anna knelt beside him.
His skin had become unnaturally pale.
Sweat soaked his face and clothes.
The makeshift bandage around his arm had turned completely red from blood.
"You liar," she snapped.
Zane slowly pushed himself onto his knees.
"Regardless..."
"We have to keep going."
"There's no point turning back now."
"He's right," Quin agreed, slipping Zane's good arm over his own shoulder to help him stand.
"We'll just have to find something to properly treat him once we get there."
He motioned for Drew.
"Give me a hand."
Drew reluctantly moved over and supported Zane by his injured side.
Blood immediately began dripping onto Drew's shoulder.
When he noticed, he grimaced in disgust before shifting farther away, supporting Zane with as little contact as possible.
Together they continued walking.
High above them...
A lone figure watched from a distant rooftop.
Eventually, they arrived at the shopping mall.
Anna stepped through the shattered glass entrance and looked around.
Just like everywhere else...
It had already been picked clean.
A few scattered items remained here and there, but anything truly valuable had long since disappeared.
She let out a frustrated sigh.
The others removed their blindfolds and looked around as well.
"This place is huge..."
"And even this has already been cleared out."
She clicked her tongue.
"Nowhere is safe from those bastards."
"So it seems," Zane sighed before suddenly breaking into a violent coughing fit.
Quin quickly steadied him after Drew let go.
"Are you alright?"
The answer was obvious.
Still, he asked anyway.
"Hang in there."
He turned to Anna.
"I'm heading to the medical wing to find something to treat Zane."
He looked between Anna and Drew.
"You two split up and search for supplies."
"We'll rendezvous back here in two hours."
"Okay."
Anna waved without looking back.
"Stay safe."
She had already begun walking deeper into the mall.
Drew wandered off in another direction.
He pulled off his bloodstained shirt before tossing it onto the floor.
"Damn..."
"Looks like I'm finding myself a new shirt."
"Come on."
Quin adjusted Zane's weight.
"Let's get moving."
He suddenly realised Zane had gone completely limp.
He looked down.
Zane had passed out.
"This is bad..."
Without wasting another second, Quin lifted him onto his back before rushing toward a faded map mounted beside the entrance.
Most of it had been scratched apart, almost as though someone had deliberately tried to destroy it.
Who would do that...?
And why?
Despite the damage, he managed to locate the infirmary.
Then he ran.
The medical wing had been left surprisingly untouched.
Looks like those mongrels didn't find medicine useful.
Quin laid Zane on one of the beds before quickly searching through the cabinets.
He gathered alcohol, bandages, cotton, needles, thread, and anything else that looked useful.
Returning to the bedside, he carefully removed the blood-soaked cloth around Zane's arm.
He cleaned the wound with alcohol.
Using a needle and thread, he stitched the torn flesh shut before wrapping it in clean cotton and securing it with a proper bandage. all while his hands were trembling this as his first time doing something like this after all.
When he finished, he paused.
Zane's breathing had become shallow.
His face had lost almost all colour.
He's lost too much blood...
At this rate...
Quin gently tapped his face.
"Zane."
No response.
He shook him harder.
Still nothing.
Without thinking, he poured some of the alcohol over him.
The sudden cold made Zane flinch, his eyes barely opening.
"What's your blood type?"
Quin asked urgently.
No answer.
He grabbed Zane's shoulders.
"What's your blood type?"
"Tell me!"
"What blood type are you?"
The words slowly reached Zane.
Blood type...
He searched his fading memories.
Someone had asked him that once.
"A..."
he managed to whisper.
Then he lost consciousness again.
"A?"
Quin frowned.
"A what?"
Silence.
"Damn..."
He ran a hand through his hair.
He only said A...
Not which one.
I'm A negative...
I don't even know how to check his.
He looked back at Zane.
His breathing had become even weaker.
If I don't do something...
He's going to die.
Quin took a deep breath.
Then made his decision.
Searching the room again, he found a transfusion tube with two syringes attached.
He connected one end to Zane.
The other...
To himself.
"It's now or never."
He slowly opened the valve.
Blood began flowing through the tube.
From him.
Into Zane.
He remembered reading somewhere that it could take around thirty minutes before the body reacted to incompatible blood.
So he waited.
Watching.
Every few moments he checked for signs that something had gone wrong.
Thirty minutes passed.
Nothing happened.
Quin finally released a long breath.
"...Thank goodness."
The accumulated exhaustion finally caught up with him.
Resting against the nearby table, he slowly drifted to sleep.
About an hour later...
Zane opened his eyes.
His arm had been properly bandaged.
A syringe was still connected to his hand.
Nearby, Quin slept with his head resting against the table.
"...Really?"
Zane murmured to himself.
He reached over and lightly tapped Quin's shoulder.
Quin slowly stirred awake.
"Huh..."
"You're awake."
Zane looked down at his arm.
"Were you the one who did all this?"
"How's your arm?"
Quin asked instead.
"It feels fine."
Zane looked back at him.
"Why did you do this?"
"Because you were going to die."
Quin answered as though it were obvious.
"Even so..."
"You even gave me your blood."
"Was that really..."
He couldn't finish the sentence.
"It was only a little blood."
Quin smiled.
"Don't worry about it."
Then one of his trademark exaggerated grins spread across his face.
"Besides..."
"I guess that makes us blood brothers now."
He extended his hand.
Zane stared for a moment.
Then...
A faint smile appeared on his own face.
"I guess it does."
He accepted the handshake.
For a brief moment...
Warmth existed amidst the cruelty of their world.
Eventually, Zane looked back down at the tube still connecting them.
"So..."
"What about this?"
"You sure you don't need it anymore?"
Quin asked.
"I'm sure."
The two removed the tubes.
Quin watched the remaining blood drip from the tubing onto the floor.
He quietly sighed.
Lucky that didn't kill you.
"What was that?"
Zane asked.
"Huh?"
"Oh..."
Quin quickly looked away.
"Nothing."
"I just said it's about time for the rendezvous."
"The rendezvous?"
"The mall entrance."
"Ah."
Zane stood up.
"I'm sorry I wasted so much time."
"Don't worry about it."
Quin picked up a black duffel bag from the corner of the room.
"We'll grab a few medical supplies on the way."
"Then let's head back."
The two filled the bag with whatever essentials they could carry before leaving the infirmary together.