Chapter Text
Sprinting through the parking lot on a hot summer night was never something the group of four wanted to do, especially inebriated. They had been celebrating another night alive with a few bottles they'd managed to snatch from an abandoned vendor, as well as deciding to camp out in a gas station that was, for the most part, completely collapsed; except for the small part in the back where the car wash and propane tanks were located. Drinking, staying warm, and having a good time was all that was on their minds, and they were all out of heat. Due to the building being half collapsed, there was no ventilated warmth; so Killer decided to start a small fire. They were planning on staying there for the night, but the heat in a small enclosed space mixing with the propane tanks that were located a few metres away caused an explosion that injured Nightmare and Killer, who were closest to the blast.
Now, the four ran from the blazing building as fast as they could. Nightmare had suffered 3rd degree burns on the right side of their face and body along with Killer who had managed to escape with only a gash on his right forearm. Being supported by a clearly hammered Dust also wasn't the best case scenario. The flames from the building were beginning to attract many infected beings, specifically runners. The group had identified runners as fast infected beings, usually having been deer or goat monsters before the infection spread. They didn't have a lot of information on the different types of infected monsters, but they knew these ones and trackers were incredibly dangerous. That wasn't on their minds though, what was on their minds was getting to their parked jeep as fast as possible to escape the oncoming horde that was nearly upon them, as well as treating their friends' wounds.
The team successfully got to the jeep and Killer hopped into the driver's seat despite his injury. No seatbelts were worn as they sped off into the night.
“Shit-! We got any gauze up there?” Dust shouted as Cross dug through the duffel bag that carried all the medical equipment.
“No gauze, uhh… you wanna try flushing it out?” Cross responded, pointing to a duffel bag at Dust's feet.
“Alright, alright…” He muttered, reaching for the duffel bag and cracking open a bottle of water before beginning to drench it onto Nightmare's wounds; receiving a scream in the process.
“I know Night, I know… just hold on…” The other cooed as they slowly stopped screaming and began to go almost limp. The driver, meanwhile, continued to speed and swerve all over the road.
“Holy shit- Killz, slow the fuck down!” Cross shouted as he continued trying to bandage the other's bloodied forearm, but he didn't listen.
“I know what I’m doing, I’m not that dr-”
Before Killer could even finish his sentence, the jeep hit a massive pothole that caught the tire and sent them flying into the ditch.
The jeep landed on its side. Killer and Cross flew out of the front seats and landed just a few feet away. It was a miracle they weren't dead. Dust and Nightmare were in the back, with Dust having been tossed to the side while Nightmare was knocked out via seat to the skull. Cross saw a quickly approaching horde and knew they all had to get out of there, fast.
“Guys, we gotta go.” Cross said as he started to pull Killer away.
“Nights still in there! We can't just leave them!” He shouted back, tugging against Cross. Dust attempted to move Nightmare, but with how their body was wedged, he wouldn’t be able to get them out in time. With a regretful look, he threw a blanket over their body and ran out of the jeep to help Cross push Killer back.
“No! NO! NIGHT!” He screamed as the other two pulled him away.
“We’ll come back in the morning! We can't stay here!” Dust yelled as they finally overpowered the now sobbing Killer and ran off to hide in a few nearby trees. They knew it would be safer to risk Nightmare’s life than all of theirs… He just hoped there weren't any trackers that would get to them before they did.
When Nightmare woke up a few hours later, they were exhausted and aching all over. It took them a minute to realize where they were, and by extension; what had happened. After taking a few minutes to register what was going on, they got up and pushed the door open very slowly; taking a peek outside before climbing out of the vehicle. They hit the ground with a thump and a wince. Their burns were still open wounds and the water he remembered Dust dousing him with definitely hadn't helped. It was still dark out, and the only thing they had managed to grab was the duffel bag with canned food and two bottles of water; given the duffel bag with the medical supplies had been wedged beneath the glovebox and was irretrievable in their condition. They looked around in an attempt to find anyone else but saw they had been left behind. In their hungover and slightly delirious state, they decided the best course of action was to start wandering down the paved road in hopes that they’d find someone before they croaked.