Life's Destruction

Chapter 3 - Atasha♡

-Scarlett

We're finally here, back at my home. I don't have much stuff since I wasn't expecting to find any other survivors.

I watch her take a look around, and i take off all the thick layers of clothing I put on earlier. I place them all on the chair as silence fills up the air around us.
"Let's get you patched up."
"Hmm?"
She turns to me, and I feel bad for putting a gag on her, but it's for safety precautions.

I walk to the bathroom and take the first aid kit before walking back at her, sitting on the couch comfortably in the living room.

She looks up at me, and I smile as I raise up the first-aid kit to show her.

I take a small chair and place it in front of her as I start to open up the kit, and I pull her legs closer to me.

I look up at her and meet her gaze, obviously confused, and want to say something.

I get up and take the gag and gloves off of her, placing it on a small basin placed on the table right behind me. "You didn't have any interaction with the zombies, am I right?"
"Just once or thrice, but it was a month ago."
"Alright, you're safe, and you definitely need a bath. Let's go after you take a rest, okay? I know a place. The water is running, but I don't really recommend using it since who even knows what reeks in the water tanks."
"Where do you take baths then?"
"The near waterfalls."
"Oh, aren't there zombies there?"
"I have a shortcut to that falls, and I go there every day. Never have I ever encountered a horde, maybe just 1 or 2 zombies. I'll keep watch."

I smile at her and check her legs for any sign of scratches, bites, or any injuries. All clear.

I gently pull her arms towards me, and what I see fills my body with pity. Fresh cuts. Fresh cuts fill both her wrists and up to her arm. She quickly pulls away from me, and I sigh.
"Don't worry, I'll just cover these so you won't get any infection, okay?"

I look up at her, and she stares at me from head to toe.
"Who are you?"
"Scarlett. You?"
"Just call me Atasha."
"As in Natasha?"
"Just Atasha. Why are you doing this?"

I sigh before answering, "You're the first survivor I've seen since last month. I thought no one else but me were still alive. So, to me, you're a miracle."

She stares at me and slowly moves her arms towards me.

I pour some contents of this chemical that's meant to clean wounds and slowly and cautiously runs it through her wounds. She finches a bit, and I continue, being more gentle this time.

Then I put some Povidone-iodine on her wounds, and once I'm done, I carefully inspect her body.

Her skin looks so pale, and her neck has a purple-ish bruise around, gripping onto her skin like a permanent choker. It saddens me to think about what she was doing earlier. Her hair was cut short, flat, and soft. It fits her perfectly. Her face was kind of round, but it just fits her. Her eyes were light brown and lifeless, her lips dry and chapped.

I take the backpack I brought earlier and take out a bottle of mineral water, and hand it to her with a smile.

"Let's talk later. For now, what you need to do is hydrate and rest, okay? I'll lead you to your room upstairs."

She nods and gets up from the couch with her water bottle. I get up from the chair and lead her upstairs, and open the room.

"This room is meant for isolation, but it'll do enough for you for the meantime."

She nods and goes inside, dusting the bed and sat down.

"That's the bathroom," I point to the bathroom.
"Just call me whenever you need something, okay?"

She nods at me and lays down the bed, I lean against the doorframe as she slowly drifts to sleep.

Once she's asleep, I close the door gently behind me and go down.

I take out my map and review everything, making sure it's all correct.

"Well, now there's something to motivate me to keep going."