The twins tensed when they noticed Jaxon and Natasha, fear flashing across their faces. But it quickly faded when they realized the two were human.
"Are they your children?" Jaxon asked in a low voice as he approached.
"Do I look that old to you?" Elena replied with a weak chuckle.
"Relatives?"
"No." She shook her head.
Jaxon looked at the twins again. There was no resemblance at all.
’Survivors she picked up, maybe.’
When Jaxon moved to help Elena up, his hands froze. He saw blood soaking into her right leg.
Behind him, Natasha saw it too and had the urge to point her pistol at her, but she forced herself not to do it in front of the kids. Still, she had it ready to fire.
Seeing their reactions, Elena smiled faintly. "Despite your looks, you’re both cautious. That’s good, combined with your skills, you have a good chance of surviving."
"We know. And don’t you dare say those next words," Natasha replied, turning slightly toward the twins. "Last wishes and such..."
Elena laughed softly, understanding what she ant. " You think I’m dying? It’s not a bite. I hurt myself while running."
Natasha did not lower her guard. "How can you be sure?" she asked, glancing at the zombie bodies on the ground.
The tension continued to rise. Jaxon stayed silent, watching Elena closely for any sign of change. Then a small, shaky voice broke the silence.
"Excuse , big brother and sister. it’s not a wound from them," Jannah spoke up.
"Sister Elena isn’t infected," Hiromi added quickly. She pointed to a nearby fence. Its sharp barbs were stained with fresh blood. "She got hurt there."
"I jumped over it while running," Elena said calmly.
Jaxon looked again at her wound. It didn’t seem to be a bite nor a scratch. With the proof in front of him, he finally relaxed a little.
"Why didn’t you just say so earlier?" Natasha muttered.
"I wanted to see how you’d react," Elena replied with a light tone.
"That’s enough," Jaxon said. "It’s not safe here. Let’s find a shelter first."
"Good call. I like you, young man," Elena said.
Jaxon ignored her remarks. He helped her to her feet and let her lean on his shoulder. Natasha took the twins’ hands, one on each side, as they moved out together.
"My bow and arrows," Elena said as she struggled to reach for them on the ground.
Jaxon picked them up for her, including the arrows still stuck in the zombies.
The bow was quiet and light, far lighter than a rifle. It had several strings, a stabilizer, and a sight. It was a modern compound bow.
"Where did you get this?" he asked.
"Interested? I’m not giving these to you," Elena said, hugging it like a child holding onto her toy.
"I already have my own, a lot better."
"Tch. I used to have lots of guns too," Elena said with a pout. "But I had no choice but to give them up."
"Smart decision," Natasha said.
"Instead of protection, they attract more trouble." Elena sighed, then her eyes shifted to the suppressors on Jaxon and Natasha’s weapons.
"But yours are different. Even our station didn’t have those. I’m really curious where you got them." She said, her eyes looking at them suspiciously.
"And why would we tell you?" Natasha shot back, not bothered by the suspicion.
Elena smiled faintly. "Don’t you want to know where I got my bow? We can trade secrets."
"No thanks," Natasha said at once. "Keep your bow to yourself." She turned away, clearly done with the conversation.
Elena turned to Jaxon and gave him puppy eyes.
"If you work as my lackey for ten years, then I might consider."
This ti, Elena was left speechless. She still tried to persuade him, but he ignored her completely.
They moved on, heading back toward the house where Jaxon had been sniping earlier.
Before long, they reached the gate. Thankfully, nothing attacked them along the way.
"Are you girls hungry?" Natasha asked the twins. "We found so food. I can heat it up if you want."
"Mm," the twins nodded shyly.
Natasha went to the kitchen and began warming the canned food. anwhile, Jaxon crouched beside Elena and started cleaning the wound on her leg. She flinched the mont the alcohol touched her skin.
"Be gentle," she said, suddenly sounding like a shy girl.
Jaxon ignored her teasing, already getting used to it. "The wound’s pretty big."
"Then stitch it."
"I don’t know how. I’ll ask Natasha."
"No, you do it," Elena said right away. "I’ll tell you what to do."
Jaxon raised an eyebrow. "Why?"
"She’ll enjoy my pain," Elena muttered. "She hates my guts."
"She’s not like that. She wo-"
"No." Elena cut him off. "I want you to do it, please?"
Jaxon sighed. "Alright. If you insist. Give a mont."
....
Minutes later, he began stitching the wound. Elena would occasionally moan in pain while also teasing him. Jaxon shot her a weird look but quickly decided to focus. Learning to handle injuries might co in handy soday.
When they were done, Natasha looked at him weirdly, her eyebrows raised.
"She did that on purpose," Jaxon said, justifying himself.
"Hmph," Natasha snorted, glaring at Elena.
Across the room, the twins were feeding Elena. If it weren’t for their different features, they could have passed for a mother and her daughters.
"So, who are these kids? Don’t tell you kidnapped them," Natasha jabbed, crossing her arms.
"Sister Elena didn’t kidnap us," Jannah spoke up, defending her.
"She saved us when our... o-our parents died," Hiromi added, her voice shaking as she rembered, tears threatening to spill.
Natasha suddenly felt a twinge of guilt which led to this topic.
"Now, now, you promised no more crying, right, Hiromi?" Elena said gently, putting an arm around the girl.
"I found them while scavenging for food," Elena continued. "With the situation the way it is, I couldn’t just leave them behind."
She gestured to the girls. "This one is Jannah, she has black pupils." She smiled softly. "And this is Hiromi, her twin, but with brown pupils."
User Comments
0 comments from readers