EAT THE RICH [TWD]

༻30༺

BROOKLYN POV

Lights felt brighter than usual as I open my eyes. The world is blurrier than I remember.

"Brooke?"

A breath escapes my lips in a gasp. I close my eyes tightly and try opening them again.

This time, there's a faintly blurry Jihyun in my vision.

"Hey.. You.. You with me?" he asks.

My arm reaches for him.

"Careful. You lost a lot of blood and-"

I push myself up and bring Jihyun's lips to mine.

My right arm goes to reach around his neck, but I never feel the whole contact.

I just stay still and kiss Jihyun for a few seconds. He is the one that finally pulls away and rests his forehead on mine.

"You're a badass, you know that?" he asks.

I look down at my arm and try to wiggle my fingers. But, my arm wasn't there. There was no hand. Just a stump covered in gauze.

I shove that aside when I see the blood. Blood. Gunshots. Pamela.

"Where's Judith?" I ask.

Jihyun smiles a bit and scoffs in disbelief. "You're asking where Jude is? Now?"

"Is she okay?" I slur, sitting up straighter. "Where is she?"

Jihyun rests his arm around my back to keep me stable. I look to the bed beside me. There was a body with a blanket covering it. By the amount of blood and area, I could see that the person's leg had been cut off, but they didn't make it.

I scan the room more and spot Carol, then Daryl. Finally, my eyes land on Judith. She was asleep in a bed across the room from me. There was gauze on her shoulder, but it looked like she lost a lot of blood.

"Do you know your blood type?" Carol asks. "We can do a transfusion."

I rest my head tiredly against Jihyun's shoulder.

"AB.. positive.." I breathe out, exhausted and strung out. "Same as my mom."

"She can receive from anyone, let's go," Carol says.

She unhooks a bunch of medical stuff and holds her hand out. I try to put my hand in hers, but remember there was nothing there. Jihyun eases my left hand outward then rolls up his sleeve.

I hardly comprehended what he was doing. My eyes close just for a second. But, it was clearly longer than that as I open them again to see blood running from Jihyun's arm into mine through a tube.

He sits on the edge of the bed. My head plops back onto his shoulder and I close my eyes as I try to catch my breath from doing nothing.

Everything was moving so fast around me.

I hear something about Mercer being found and kids being safe.

Something about a breech. Walkers.

Glass shatters.

When it was time to leave, I was able to hold my head up on my own. Jihyun helped me to my feet and we stumble out of the clinic. Judith was still unconscious on a gurney that everyone pushed down the halls. 

I came to a little more in the truck. Jihyun reassured me that I could sleep it off. So, I bundled up against him and fell back asleep.

The next time I woke up, I saw Tomi. I smile softly and huff a laugh.

"Well, there you are," Tomi says. "You just come up in here like I haven't seen you in months or something. How are you, stranger?"

"Armless," I answer. "But, alive."

"Well, I administered from pain medicine and cleaned your wound. You'll be just fine."

I turn my head and look to Jihyun. He was sitting in a chair beside my bed. His head was resting on my thigh as he slept.

"Mercer got you all into the estates," Tomi explains. "Everyone's safe."

"Judith?" I wonder.

"She was talking to Daryl and Carol last I saw."

I sigh out in relief and relax against the bed.

"Their quick thinking saved your life," Tomi notes.

I felt reenergized. I wasn't in pain anymore, either. I swear I could still feel myself wiggling my fingers, though.

Pamela sent me away because she was certain the group would get me killed. Instead, she was the one that nearly killed me. Another blind rage washes over me as I remember that Judith was shot.

The group saved me. I was nearly shot and Judith saved me. Then, I was bit and Jihyun and Carol saved me. Pamela was wrong.

I look down at Jihyun again. He saved my life and put his own at risk. So did Judith. This group was my family now. I had to repay them for keeping me safe, protecting me, and saving me.

I would do the same for them, no matter the cost.

𝒶𝓊𝓉𝒽𝑜𝓇 𝓇𝒶𝓂𝒷𝓁𝑒𝓈--

THEIR FIRST KISS AOEKFNALKFSM

also

brooklyn: where's judith

jihyun: brooke you got bit

brooklyn: yeah but judith