Page 27 of The Last of Love

“This is going to hurt,” Fleur whispered, her voice cracking as she looked into Lena’s eyes. “But I need you to stay with me, okay? I need you to fight. Don’t go anywhere.”

Lena’s gaze met hers, and for a moment, there was a flicker of recognition, a spark of the woman Fleur knew.

Fleur swallowed hard, her vision blurring with tears as she injected the serum into Lena’s arm, right above the bite. Lena winced, her body tensing, and Fleur held her, her arms wrapping around her as if she could shield her from the pain. “It’s okay,”she whispered, her lips brushing against Lena’s temple. “You’re going to be okay. I’m right here. I’m going to save you.”

Lena’s breathing slowed, her eyes squeezing shut as the serum worked its way through her system. Fleur could feel her trembling, her muscles twitching beneath her touch. It was agonizing to watch, to see Lena in pain and know there was so little she could do. But she had to believe this would work, that it would buy them the time they needed.

Minutes felt like hours, and Fleur held Lena through it all, whispering words of comfort, her fingers stroking her hair. Slowly, the trembling began to subside, Lena’s breathing evened out, and the tension in her body eased. Fleur pulled back slightly, her eyes scanning Lena’s face, searching for any sign of change. The serum must’ve been useful for something, otherwise why would they keep it in their supplies?

Lena opened her eyes, and Fleur’s breath caught in her throat. The cloudiness was still there, but it seemed less pronounced, the darkness held at bay for now. Lena blinked, her gaze focusing on Fleur, her lips curving into a weak smile. “You did it,” she whispered, her voice hoarse.

Fleur let out a shaky breath, a sob of relief escaping her lips as she nodded. “We’re not out of this yet,” she said, her voice trembling. “But we’ve bought some time. Just stay with me, okay?”

Lena nodded, her eyes closing for a moment, her body leaning into Fleur’s. They weren’t safe yet, and the infection was still there, lurking beneath the surface. But for now, Lena was here, she was alive. And Fleur would do whatever it took to keep her that way.

Fleur glanced around the room, her mind already working on their next move. They couldn’t stay here, not with the risk of more men coming, or worse, more of the dead. They needed toget out, to find somewhere safe where Fleur could continue to help Lena. She looked down at Lena, her heart swelling.

“Can you stand?” Fleur asked, her voice soft as she brushed a strand of hair away from Lena’s face. Lena opened her eyes, nodding slowly. Fleur helped her to her feet, her arm wrapped tightly around her waist to support her. Lena swayed for a moment, her legs unsteady, but she leaned into Fleur, her eyes meeting hers.

“My leg, it’s… bad, but I can try,” Lena whispered, her voice filled with a quiet strength. Despite everything, Lena was still fighting, still holding on. Fleur nodded, relief spreading across her face.

“I’ll take a closer look when we’re someplace safer,” Fleur said, her voice steadying. “We’ve got this.”

With Lena leaning against her, Fleur led them toward the exit door. The building seemed ghostly quiet.

She reached for the door and pushed it open, the cool evening air washing over them, a stark contrast to the stifling atmosphere inside. She took a deep breath, her eyes scanning the darkness. There were no immediate signs of danger, and Fleur felt a flicker of hope. They still had a chance. A chance to escape, to survive. She noticed another one of Dr. Walt’s men slumped on the floor, half eaten.

“The dead got him. Just like they got me,” Lena said quietly as she pointed to another backpack left at the side of his body in the struggle.

“I’ll take a look.” Fleur moved slowly toward the bag, opening it up to examine the contents.

There was a small notebook with a scribbled map inside. She scanned the map for clues in the location names.

HQ Walt

Camp Zone A

Lurker Pit B

Ohio Research Main

Fleur gasped as she traced her fingers over the words. There it was! The lab she had been searching for.

Lena grunted and nodded as she leaned against the wall, unable to take her own weight.

“Hang in there, Lena,” Fleur whispered, casting a glance back at her.

She rustled through the bag more and felt something cold, metallic.

Keys.

Car keys.

“Fuck, yes! You motherfuckers are good for something at least.” She grabbed the keys and started looking around as she pressed the unlock button.

Eventually she saw a flash from a car on the other side of the street. She looked at Lena, who managed a thumbs-up sign, and put her arm around her to help her to the car.

The journey through the deserted streets was difficult. The dead were lurking around, but they kept to the safety of the vehicle. Fleur grabbed the map drawing and followed it as best as she could in the dimly lit evening.

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