Zanvis: Apocalypse AU *COMPLETED*

Chapter Seven

     It had been three days since Zane had to give Travis the painkillers. Travis looked a little better, but he said he felt dizzy while walking, so Zane told him to sit down. Aphmau and Aaron had slowly become part of their group, and had even helped Zane fight off a few walkers near their base.
     Zane learned that Aphmau was kind and caring, while Aaron was serious and just as caring.
     Although Travis said he was feeling better, Zane couldn't help but worry.
     Zane, Aphmau, and Aaron were returning from a quick look around the town. They were greeted with silence instead of the usual 'welcome back' by Travis. Zane guessed he had gone to sleep.
     "Okay. If you two are hungry, get something out of the break room." They both nodded and walked over to the room where they kept all of their supplies. Zane headed to the 'bed room'  and opened the door.
      "Travis?" He asked quietly, not wanting to wake him if he was asleep.
     He was greeted with a muffled groan. Zane ran over to him and sat down, looking at him. He looked pale and more tired than ever.
    "Travis? Hey, you okay?" He asked, gently grabbing his hand.
     Travis didn't respond, but it was obvious he was awake. He was sitting up, but his eyes were closed.
     "Travis?!"
     "I'm... i'm fine..." Travis said through gritted teeth. "My arm's... bothering... me... that's all..." His voice was quiet, and it sounded like he was having some trouble breathing.
     "T-Travis, please t-tell me you're g-going to be o-okay." Zane stuttered.
     Travis didn't answer. Zane felt sadness swamp over him, and a little bit of anger that such a small arm injury could be hurting him this much.
     "I-i'm going to t-take a look at y-your arm."
     "I'm... fine..... really...."
     "No you're not!" Zane felt tears forming in his eyes. "You're sick and your arm could be seriously hurt!"
     Zane reached for the sleeve on Travis's injured arm, but Travis's grabbed his wrist.
     "Don't... touch it.... it makes... it.... hurt... worse..."
      "I-i'm sorry." Zane kept going anyway. He pulled down the top of Travis's shirt. "I-I don't s-see any bruising.... T-take off your sh-shirt. I need a b-better look."
     "No..."
     "T-Travis, you have t-to listen to me! I c-can help y-your arm!"
      "No... you can't..." Travis said quietly. Zane saw how reluctantly he grabbed the bottom of his shirt, and how slowly he pulled the shirt over his head, leaving the shirt hanging over his injured arm. Zane blushed but shook his head.
     Not the time.
     Zane looked at him. "Take the shirt off completely." He felt slightly more confident somehow.
     Travis covered his own face with one of his hands and shook the shirt off of his arm.
     Zane looked at his shoulder, but his eyes slowly traveled down his arm to the area between his elbow and his wrist.
     There, right in the middle, was a bite.
     Zane stopped breathing.
     This... this can't be.. happening...
     "Tr-Travis....." Zane said, shock making him too numb to say anything else.
      "It's... it's okay... Zane... i'll be fine... see how far... i've gotten...?" Travis smiled weakly at him.
     "T-Travis... no...." Tears rolled down Zane's face as he stared at the horrible bite on Travis's arm. It looked infected.
"Wh-when.... did... th-this happen..?"
      "It happened.. when I told you.. I hurt my arm... while saving.. the girl.."
     "Why didn't you tell me?!" Zane sobbed.
     "I didn't want you to worry..."
     Zane studied Travis. He was pale and looked terrible.
     I should have known!!! That isn't a normal sickness!!
     "Th-this whole time y-you were dying, and t-turning into o-one of th-them..."
     Tears rolled down his face like waterfall.
     Travis placed a hand on Zane's face. "You'll be.. okay.. you have them now.." He smiled.
     "Wh-what?! N-no! Y-you're my g-group!! N-not them!!"
      Zane put his own hand over Travis's on his face. "Hey... don't be too sad... you have so much supplies.. and you're safe here..."
     "I d-don't care about the supplies... I don't care about b-being safe... I care about you... D-don't leave m-me! P-please!!"
      "Hey... remember when... we kissed.. for the first.. time..?"
      Zane nodded, sadness keeping him silent.
     "And how... you blushed... while we were looking out the window... but you didn't understand why?"
     Zane kept nodding, his tears blurring his vision. He was aware that Aphmau and Aaron were watching from the doorway.
     "Zane..." Travis said, his voice low.
     "Y-ye-yes?"
     "When I die-"
     "Y-you aren't g-going to d-die!! W-we'll g-go find a c-cure!!"
      "You and I both know I can't survive this... and we both know i'm turning as we speak..."
      Zane just kept sobbing.
      "When I die... I want you to shoot me... or stab me.. or something to keep me from coming back as one of them..."
     "I-I c-can't d-do th-that!!" Zane cried.
     "You have to... the base won't be safe with me in it..."
    "S-stop talking l-like that-"
    "Zane."
     "Wh-what..?" Zane looked at his dull green eyes that still seemed to sparkle.
      "I realize... I never got to tell you something..."
     "What? Wh-what is it?"
      "Zane.. I... I love you."
      "I-I love you t-too!" Zane said quickly. Travis leaned back against the wall. "W-wait T-Travis no!!"
     Travis was still alive, but his breathing was heavy and he was extremely pale.
      Zane sat beside him, sobbing, and looked down. Travis slowly grabbed Zane's hand, trying to comfort him. Zane stared numbly at the ground.
     
     Zane sat with Travis for a long time until his breathing stopped entirely.
     Zane stared at Travis's still body, grief overtaking him.
      This... this can't be r-real... i'll wake up... any second... and Travis will be fine... and this will all have been a dream... everything... the apocalypse... the walkers...
      Zane felt himself falling asleep. Crying so much and having this much grief was making him exhausted.
    
      There was a loud snarl beside him. Zane snapped awake, and turned sharply, freezing when he saw Travis looking dead and barely recognizable.
     "T-Travis!" Zane backed away from him, but Travis growled and crawled after him.
     Aphmau and Aaron rushed over. "That's not Travis! That's a walker now!" Aaron said, pulling out his knife.
     "N-No! D-don't hurt him!!"
     "He's already dead, and that isn't him!"
      Zane could only watch and sob as Aaron pushed 'Travis' to the ground and stabbed him in the back of the head.

     (A/N: The end. Tell me what you think!)