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Crane finally had day off, no fighting, no helping, just lying in bed, he was really happy about it, becouse he felt kinda sick. Headache and cough weren’t helpful in work, he would say.
But his happiness did not last long. From walkie-talkie, witch lay on cupboard, Crane heard Brecken’s voice. Really angry voice to be clear. -“Crane! My ofice. Now.” He groaned with dissapointed. Why can he have one day off, one fucking day. But no, something always needs to happend. He straggle to get up, but finaly went up to Brecken’s ofice.
When Crane walk in, he got hit with mortuary atmosphere. Brecken was sitting next to his desk with arms crossed, and angry look, while Rahim who Crane didn’t expect to see, sat at chair next to bookshelf, also with angry face. Brecken immediately stand up after seeing Crane, hitting his desk. Crane shuddered. -“Can you pleace take him…” He point at Rahim. -“…before i kill him with my bare hands.” Well Crane liked Rahim, but he wasn’t in mood to babysit him. In the other hand, he haven’t saw Brecken that pissed since long time, so he wasn’t gonna risk his own head. -“Where..” Crane started but his boss didn’t let him finish. -“I don’t care where, just outside the tower. Now. And don’t let him die, because then Jade would kill us both.” Rahim only ‘hmpf'ed at Brecken, stood up and walk towards Crane. Crane sighed, it’s gonna be long afternoon.
Without a word Crane went to his room for a map, boy of course was following him, well good enough he listent to Brecken.
Crane needed to find mission or something that, one don’t kill them both, two his hurting head will handle it. Probably an only option was going to cliffs to find lavender, well he needed it anywhy. -“We’re going, follow.” Crane headed stright to exit, but he glanced over his shoulder to see if Rahim was following him. Supricely he does.
In half way to cliffs Rahim finally spoke, -“Hey… Crane, do you want to know what happend that Brecken is so pissed?” Without stopping Crane said. -“No Rahim, I don’t”. Rahim just crossed his arms with grumpy look. -“Fine.”
He really wasn’t in mood to know what this two idiots did, now he was trying really hard to forget about hurting head.
They finally arived, Rahim looked around and stand next to Crane. -“Sooo, what are we gonna do here? Fight?” Boy happily asked. -“No. No fight, i can’t let you get killed in stupid way, we’re going to collect lavender, and that’s it.” Rahim groaned. -“Whaaaat, it’s so boring… Can’t we do something more exciting? Pleasee?” He made puppy eyes, but Crane didn’t even react. -“No.” Rahim snored at him. -“Fine, I will go alo-”. Crane turn with anger. -“If you move your ass from here i will brake your legs okay?” Rahim shut his mouth immediately. Well Crane overdid it, he didn’t want to sound agressive but he couldn’t control yourself with this fucking headache. -“I… sorry… just don’t go anywhere without me.”
After long time they got good amound of lavender, but bad news was that sunset was really near. They, needed to get out of here to nearest safe zone, now. -“Rahim?” he yelled at boy to come to him. -“Something happed?” Crane shake his head. -“No, but we need to go to safe house, like, now. Sunset is near, we will be in troube if we stay here longer.” -“Ohh..” Older man took lead and they went in the direction set by him.
After a few minutes of hiking they encountered a problem, big problem. Namely a road full of zombies. -“Can we fight them?You are good at it.” Rahim whispered, to Crane from where they were hideing. He could, but in the state he was, possibly a fever, he didn’t have much strength, but he didn’t say it out loud.
-“There is too me…watch out!!!”, out of corner of his eye he saw jumping Viral right behind Rahim. Luckly he was faster, he push Rahim out of viral jump trajectory, and at the last moment he covered himself with his arm, into which the infected bit his teeth. He yelled in pain. Fuck, he managed to wiggle his arm out, and immedinetly grabs Rahim’s to pull him up. Fuck, Fuck- Biters on road definitly heard him yelling. Yeah, they are, zombie groans could have been heard everywhere.
-“Rahim, we need to move, hurry.” His arm was dripping with blood, but he didn’t care, he had to get them out of it. Rahim probably had some kind of shock, because at first he didn’t move. He pressed one of his weapons into his hands, and pulled out his. -“Follow me, please, i will protect you.” Rahim nooded.
They run, and he managed to get the boy on the truck. -“That way is safe zone Rahim! Run! I will keep them busy!” He also wanted to jump on truck but two Virals grabed his leg and he fell off. -“Crane!” Rahim not gonna let man die no, he couldn’t. He jump off and hit infected with gas tube Crane gave him. -“I will not leave you alone to die!”, He noticed Crane’s heavily gasping look. But before he said anything older man jump right in front of him. Rahim saw only the green slush smashing against his back, Crane groaned, ignoring it, he grabbed boy by the hand and sprinted ahead, hitting the zombies in front of them with his weapon. His vison was dizzy, his fever, got worst he could feel it, but there was no time.
He menaged to drag Rahim to safe zone.
Boy closed the gate. -“We safe!” he turn to man, just to see him hardly gasping. -“Crane? Crane! Are you okay??” Rahin ran to him and grab his shoulders. He staggered forward to put his head on his shoulder. -“Crane?”
-“I’m.. Okay..” saying this Crane passed out in Rahim’s arms. -“CRANE!”
Rahim barely dragged him to sleeping bag, Crane after all, was bigger and heavier than he was. Crane had high fever, and torn arm from which blood was still dripping, this strange goo from splitting zombie, it got dirty all over his back. Rahim took off his shawl and wrapped tightly around Crane’s arm to stop the bleeding, it’s all he could do now.
-“Please don’t die.” His one hand went to Cranes cheek and other to walkie-talkie. -“Lena? Please answer!” Lena immedinetly answered. -“What happend Rahim? Aren’t you with Crane?” He indeed was, kinda. -“I’m! But we have a problem… He have high fever, he passed out on me! And he lost a lot of blood, after fight. We bearly made to safe house, what can i do to help him?” Rahim haven’t been so worried in years.
Lena explained to him what to do to help Crane, he did it quickly. Now he was hugging older man under a blanket to keep him warm, hopping it will help.
Rahim felt asleep.
Crane slowly oppened his eyes, to see Rahim snuggling to him under blanket. He looked at his arm, bandaged. He quietly laught even with hurting head. Rahim also slowly woke up, when he saw that Crane is not asleep, he throw his arms at his neck in happines. -“Crane! You didn’t die! I was so worried! Why don’t you said earlyer you were sick?!” He muffled yourself into Crane. Man hugged him back. -“I’m sorry Rahim, thank you for helping me.” Rahim smiled. -“I should thank you, without you i would be dead, you risked your life to help me.” Crane cupped his cheeks. -“But we are okey now right? We should go back to tower, mabye Brecken won’t kill you”
Crane kissed his forehead. -“What i have with you kid, only problems.” Man laughed at Rahim’s red face.
-“C'mon, we going to appease Brecken.”
Brecken didn’t kill them.