Flip This Zombie - Jesse Petersen [60]
But I wouldn’t call it living.
As for Kevin… well, he represented a world I couldn’t yet see. A future world where maybe zombies wouldn’t exist anymore. Where maybe there was hope of getting back to what we had all lost. It was all very shadowy and unclear so far, this world he painted for me. And terrifying because I had no idea what would happen if we managed to get ourselves to that new reality.
But that thing, that ideal this man represented… it was hope.
“I-I want to believe that what you say could happen… is possible,” I admitted, trying hard not to look at David from the corner of my eye.
It didn’t work. I saw the betrayal on his face. The pain that I would take some other man’s side over his. My heart hurt as much as my head as I dipped my chin and stopped looking at him.
“Then will you stay?” Kevin pressed. “Can I depend on you to keep helping me?”
I looked up. This was it, my last chance to back out. My last chance to keep things status quo. Only I knew I would regret that choice. Especially if somewhere down the road Kevin did find that cure. I would always regret not taking a stand to save this world.
I nodded. “Yes. I want to continue helping you.”
Dave sucked in a breath beside me and I finally forced myself to look at him straight on. I owed him that much. I wished I hadn’t. Beneath the bruises, his face was pale, his eyes almost dead as he stared at me.
I reached for him, but he backed out of my reach.
“Please,” I whispered. “Please stay and help me.”
He shook his head. “No way, Sarah.” His voice was as soft as my own. “I’m not going to help him bring down this world. And I’m certainly not going to watch him bring you down with it.”
“Dave?” I said, the sound almost not carrying.
He didn’t answer. He just turned on his heel and left the room without looking back. Without saying another word.
“David?” I called again. “David!”
But he was gone.
* * *
I guess on some level I thought he would come back. I mean, so he left, but he was a hothead. I figured he would drive around that afternoon (although I hadn’t really thought about the fact that he had no vehicle now that our van was toast) and maybe even go into camp for the night. But then he’d cool off. He’d come back.
But he didn’t. As I watched the sun rise on the monitors in Kevin’s lab, there was no David on them. Not even a hint of him or where he was or what he was doing or if he’d ever bother to return.
I blinked to keep tears from falling and looked around. I was on my own for the first time since the outbreak. Really for the first time in years before that. Even at our worst, Dave had always been there. I hadn’t ever been truly alone.
Until now.
Behind me, I heard a door open. I turned to watch The Kid enter the viewing room. He glared at me in accusation. It kind of reminded me of my own dirty looks for my mom when she and my dad got divorced when I was just a little younger than the boy before me.
“Is he back?” The Kid demanded without preamble or explanation of his question.
I shook my head. “No. Not yet.”
I looked at him. He was clean, at least. Even his clothes were new, so I guess Dr. Barnes had gone all out and found each of us something to wear (or maybe from the stock here in the lab). Dave’s set sat untouched on the chair in my room. Accusing me as much as The Kid’s expression.
“How’s your arm?” I asked, motioning to his wrapped wrist.
He moved it a little and cringed slightly. “Sore,” he admitted. “But I’ll get over it.”
I turned back to the monitors, my thoughts back to David. “Yeah, me too.”
“So he’s not returned, eh?”
This time it was Kevin’s voice at the door and I turned once again to face him. He was holding a tray, but from my angle I could tell what was on it.
“No, I’m afraid not,” I said softly.
“It’s too bad, but I suppose each of us has to make a choice