These Different Times (Nick Clark FF)

44.

While Luciana was being taken care of, I was sitting on table beside her and Jake was looking at my ankle.

"It's just a sprain," I shrugged, "I'm fine."

"Bet it hurt though."

"I guess," I agreed, "But I kinda think I'm acting like a little bitch considering what Luciana went through."

Nick came over carrying a towel and once Jake moved out of the way, he wordlessly started wiping my face; my forehead mostly to get rid of Steven's blood.

His face was stern as he wiped and he kept looking around to see if any of them were coming near us but they kept their distance.

"Hey," I whispered, placing my hand on his cheek, "Are you okay?"

"Mom says we're leaving as soon as they've got Luciana patched up." he answered, ignoring me, "They're giving us a truck, food and supplies."

"Nick," I repeated, making him look down at me this time, "Talk to me, babe."

He nodded to where his mom was talking to Jake, "I don't like this. Don't like how she can be talking to them so easily when knowing what they were going to do to us."

I wrapped my arms around his torso, pulling him closer and a few seconds later, I felt him rest his chin on top of my head.

"I thought we were going to die down there," he whispered, "I was so scared that I wasn't going to be able to protect you."

"I thought I was going to see you get bit," I replied honestly, "That I wasn't going to be able to do anything about it." 

"But look what happened," Alicia said, a grin on her face as she came over to us, "Your baby sister saved your life. Again." 

Nick rolled his eyes but gave her another tight hug, releasing her when we heard gunshots coming from inside the compound and I immediately hopped off of the table I was on. 

"Nick, Alicia, Taylor?" Madison yells, "We gotta go. We've got company!" 

"We gotta grab Lucy," I said quietly but Nick caught my arm.

 "No. Get to the helicopter. Me and Alicia, we'll get her." he promised, "Get yourself safe. Go." 

I was hesitant but when he gently pushed me in the direction of his mom, I nodded, picking up the closest thing I could use as a weapon, which was some random sharp medical tool. 

There were hundreds, if not thousands of infected, most likely the ones that were down in the sewers with the three of us and they were coming from everywhere. 

The compound was compromised. 

"Taylor," Maddie yelled and I hit one of them with my...spike, "Go."

I started fighting my way through them, clearing a path to the helicopter for the rest of them to follow me and despite my ankle, I was making some good progress. 

I turned when I heard Alicia shout for Travis and I could see her struggling to help get Luciana to safety and I quickly started going back towards them, reaching them easily and I threw her arm around my shoulder. 

"I got her," Travis said, appearing from behind me, gently lifting her from the ground, "I got her."

I instinctively turned to look for Nick, seeing him slowly getting surrounded by the infected. "Nick!" I yelled, continuing to battle through the surges to get to him, stopping just in time before I could smack him over the head too. 

"Dammit, Taylor." he huffed, tugging me close to him as we continued to fight, "I told you to get yourself out." 

"How many times do I have to tell you," I hissed, "We're are in all of this together. I wouldn't leave you." 

They kept coming; droves of them, which was causing us to back up and looking over my shoulder, I could see that we were running out of unoccupied space. 

Nick grabbed my hand, making me stop fighting and look up at him and he shook his head. 

He was giving up. 

"Nick-" I tried to say but then he's kissing me. His hands are on my face, holding me to him and mine are on his arms. It's a desperate kiss; one that he seems to be putting all he's got, into and as much as I don't want to admit it, it feels like he's saying goodbye. 

"Nick," I whispered again when he broke away from me but he gave me a couple more quick kisses before pulling me into his arms. 

"Get down!" 

It was a voice we didn't recognise but I wasted no time in pulling Nick down onto the ground with me, my eyes closing at the sound of more rapid gunfire. 

I could hear the bodies dropping to the floor and I held Nick's hand tightly, just waiting for it all to stop. 

"Nick!" 

We both looked up when his mom called his name, seeing that it was the men from the compound, the man with the damaged eye, Troy,  who had saved our lives. 

"Come on!" he yelled, jerking his head, "We gotta go!" 

Madison looked between him and us and Nick shook his head when she climbed into the bed of the truck with him. 

The sound of the helicopter starting up had us looking over at it, seeing it rise into the air before heading in the direction of wherever it was going. 

"Nick!" Maddie snapped, "Get in. We don't have time." 

I made the decision for us, grabbing Nick's hand again and dragged him towards the vehicle, which made him snap out of it and his hands were on my waist to help me climb in. 

He fell down on top of me, my ankle to be specific, which made me yelp and he quickly apologised with another soft kiss. 

We watched the helicopter fly over us, Travis peering down at Maddie from the open door and I crawled so I was sitting against one of the sides of the truck bed, glaring at Troy. 

"We'll meet them there!" he yelled over the sound of the whirring blades and the engine, "We're all going to the same place." 

"Which is where?" I asked, making him look at me with a smirk. 

"The Ranch. It's safe there. You'll be safe there." 

I scoffed, crossing my arms and looked away from him. I'd believe that when I saw it.