Decaying Hearts

Dying Embers

Carrie's eyes widened in horror seeing the state of the battered, catatonic man being dragged into camp by Issac and Jacob behind me. "What the... Who is that?" Carrie nearly shouted, standing from her lawn chair.

"Someone who learned the hard way to not mess with the Fallen Angels," Issac quipped breathlessly.

"Put him down in John's camper, that's where all the medical supplies are," Carrie directed. Her voice was shaky and uneven.

Carrie was the only one out of us that had any medical experience. Seeing as she was a nurse until her mid thirties when she changed career paths to become a realtor. She would be this man's only hope for survival.

I abstained from moving any further not wanting to overcrowd the camper while Carrie attempted to save the man. My eyes watched Carrie follow closely behind Issac and Jacob into the camper. "What the fuck!" Jerry boomed from within it's white walls followed by everyone inside yelling something at him.

My gaze stuck on the white camper door that Carrie had anxiously slammed."What is happening?" Lexi's fearful voice cracked from behind me. She must have been in their camper. I'm grateful she didn't see the state that man is in. "Is it Isaac or Jacob," she cried out, her voice almost breaking.

I spun around, seeing Lexi's face twisted with worry, her eyes glistening with tears threatening to fall.

"No, everything is okay. We found someone who needed help," I honestly answered, nodding my head reassuringly. I pulled her into a tight hug, which she quickly reciprocated. Inside the camper, tense clamorous voices bounced around its walls.

"You all are fine?" She sniffed into my shoulder. Her hot tears falling onto my skin.

"Yes, we all are okay," I soothingly rubbed my hand over her back.

"Everyone except Jacob, get out!" Carrie yelled inside the camper.

I turned back, releasing Lexi from my hold as everyone started piling out of the camper. Exasperated and concerned expressions haunting their faces. Isaac's eyes met with mine, holding an uneasy emotion. Various patches of splattered blood had transferred onto Isaac's gray shirt from dragging the man.

John ran his hand over his face, trying to process the entire situation. Jerry angrily paced behind Isaac and John. His eyes zipping between us all, likely mentally conjuring up the next asshole thing that would slip from his thin lips. 

"What the hell happened out there?" John interrogated, his gaze drifting between Isaac and I.

Lexi clutched my hand, hearing Carrie let loose a slew of profanities from inside the camper. I gave her a small reassuring squeeze in response. 

"Fallen Angels," Was all Isaac released, his hand running down his neck.

"Are they setting up base at the outpost?" John's eyes were full of worry, his neck craning towards Issac desperate for answers.

"No. Didn't seem like it anyway," Isaac answered.

"Who is that man?" John pressed further.

"He was unconscious by the time we got to him," Isaac  shrugged, slightly shaking his head.

"You brought a stranger back to camp. How stupid are you?" Jerry uproariously sneered, halting his pacing behind John. "For all we know he's with them," Jerry thundered again.

"You don't do shit for camp, so why don't you just shut the fuck up," Isaac snapped, angrily shaking his head, his lips forming a snarl.

Lexi winced at the shouting, tears were once again falling down her fair skin. "Hey it's okay," I whispered to her.

"Okay everyone take a breather," John patted his hands in the air between Isaac and Jerry who were sending each other death glares. "Everyone just... take a seat."

I kept Lexi's hand in mine as we took a seat. The hostile atmosphere supplementing the already stressful situation. Issac looked like he wanted to murder Jerry, his chest was harshly rising and falling. He shook his head before reluctantly taking a seat next to me, far from Jerry who sat at the opposite end  of the circle of chairs.

We sat in silence around the dead fire, my gaze stuck on the dying embers of the once large flame. We were waiting for Carrie and Jacob to exit the camper. Carrie and Jacob's muffled voices could occasionally be heard, but I couldn't make out what they were saying.  Issac's eyes would occasionally check up on me. Lexi had retreated back into her camper, needing time alone.

Carrie walked down the camper steps, pulling off her bloody latex gloves. An exhausted look clung to her features. Jacob followed behind her, the man's dried blood had already stained his hands, from when he plugged the wound with a bandage back at the outpost.

Carrie wiped a loose curl from her face, releasing a heavy sigh. "He's alive, but he's lost a lot of blood," her voice was quiet while she told us the news. Jacob's head hung low, his eyes stuck on the grass in front of his feet. "I don't have extremely high hopes he will pull through," her voice almost a whisper now.

"Great so we used what little medical supplies we have on a man who isn't even going to survive... Amazing job you three," Jerry huffed, crossing his arms while seated in the chair.

"Do you ever just shut the fuck up? Or must you say every asshole thing that pops into your brain," Isaac furiously stood up, speaking through gritted teeth.

I grabbed Isaac's forearm preventing him from making his way over to Jerry.

"Issac, please just go to your camper," John sighed, his fingers pressing against his temples.

Isaac shook his head before storming off into our camper. I glanced at Jacob who wore a very dejected expression, his eyes still glued to the ground. He probably has the biggest heart out of any of us here. Things like this hit him even harder than it did the rest of us. Even if it was just a stranger.

I turned towards the camper, going after Isaac. I closed the door behind me, standing in the doorway. Taking a second to assess the situation. Isaac sat at the table, holding his head in his hands.

"Are you okay?" I slipped into the opposite side of the booth style table.

"He's getting on my last nerve," He huffed, dropping his hands to the table.

"I think he could irritate the infected enough into killing themselves just to get away from him, if given the chance," I joked trying to lighten his mood.

He just stared at me through his thick dark eyelashes.

I placed my hand over his that rested on the table, "I know it's hard, but you can't let him get to you. It's what he does, he enjoys getting under people's skin."

He nodded, firmly grasping my hand.

"Maybe I should have been the one to tell you to not get in a screaming match with him," I softly smiled.

He shook his head, a half hearted smile forming on his lips.

"We'll be okay, and Jerry... Jerry will just be Jerry," I lightly squeezed his hand.

I don't know why but as soon as the camper door opened I quickly snatched my hand away from Isaac's. Jacob's tired eyes landed on us.

"We did all we could," I reassuringly said to him.

"And that still won't likely be enough," Jacob uttered, moving towards his bunk.

"We can't save everyone," I reminded him. That was a phrase I've had to repeat in my own head in the past.

"I'm going to sleep, wake me up when he dies,. I'll dig his grave," Jacob huffed, plopping down on his white sheets. While Jacob had a big heart, he was prone to pessimism when situations turned sour.