Dedicated to SnowdropRose for helping me with this chapter ∆

Will POV

I was warm. But it wasn't my body heat alone. I quickly blinked my eyes to adjust to the sudden light rushing through the broken windows and sun reflecting off broken glass. It was early in the morning and the sun was already on full blast. I then realized that Logan had his arm draped around me. His chest to my back is what caused most of the warmth.

But that wasn't what woke me.

It was the sudden hiss and whimper of pain that woke me. An eerie sound amongst the dilapidated building. I gently removed Logan's arm and slowly got to my feet, surveying my surroundings. Looking for danger. My gaze landed on Elizabeth clutching her ankle with her eyes forced to shut in pain.

Valarie too was woken by the sudden hiss. We gently walked over to a panicking Matt and pain-ridden Elizabeth.

"What's wrong", Valarie asked coldly.

Elizabeth swallowed and her eyes landed on the knife clutched in my right hand, "It's nothing, just a rash I guess..."

"Let me see it", I adorned my professional tone.  She instantly refused and that made red flags fly with the wind.

"Matt, hold her down", he seemed surprised that I actually spoke to him but he did it nonetheless. Elizabeth screeched and struggled but Matt was just too strong. By this time Gloria had woken with a fright. On Elizabeth's right ankle was a hand-shaped rash. It was spreading rather quickly. It must've been caused by the Cannibal that grabbed her earlier.

What an interesting and disheartening discovery. We can't touch them at all.  The rash was an angry red. Bulging and throbbing like it had a heart of its own.

Elizabeth whimpered once more and tried to cover her ankle with clenched teeth
Eventually, Elizabeth passed out from the pain.

I don't lie to myself, she was a dead woman. Unless we get our hands on some anti-fungal medication and antibiotics to fight off further infection. I suppose amputation was also an option but we just don't have the tools.  And I preferred that for some odd reason. Perhaps because she had spent so much time with Matt. The time I wasn't granted.

"You're a doctor, save her", Valarie said stoically.

"I'm not a magician and we don't have the appropriate medicine."

Valarie pulled me aside, "Look, she's a doctor. That's valuable these days. What medicine would you need in order to stop the infection?"

It's true that being a psychiatrist I needed to study medicine first so I dug out all the information I could remember.

"Her best bet is Vancomycin - a very rare super biotic - topical creams like clotrimazole or miconazole. But I doubt we'd find any in a pharmacy. Places like those were ransacked in the beginning", I pointed out.

"Well try."

Despite myself, I huffed which took her by surprise and grabbed my bat and backpack. But Logan grabbed my wrist with a firm grip, "Wait, where are you doing?"

I shrugged, "To save her life I guess"

"Then I'm coming too."

I saw no reason to object, Logan could handle himself. I did my best not to look in Matt's direction as I could feel his gaze setting my skin alight. It felt good that he was getting his just desserts. Had he not abandoned me on that scorching roof I would've never met Logan and we wouldn't be in this mess.

Although, in my opinion, Matt deserved worse. There isn't any medication for a broken heart.

We closed the door and entered the hallway when I was sudden pushed against the wall and Logan's lips crushed again must mine. I smiled into the kiss, causing our teeth to clang against one another. He forced his knee between my legs and lifted me slightly up against the wall, forcing me to wrap my legs around his waist. I flung my arms around his neck, tugging on his dirty blonde locks.

Then he did something that set my insides on fire. He started grinding against me and I whimperd into the passionate kiss. Clutching his firm biceps for support. He didn't stop, didn't cease his ravaging of me. His grinding got harder and my stomach dipped. I met his grinding and he moaned into my mouth. His arms moved down to my waist gently and they slivered under my shirt. His lips found my neck and he started sucking and nibbling. I gasped out, "Logan, the medicine."

He leaned his forehead against mine, heaving in air.

"Okay, okay. I just couldn't help myself."

And so he let me down on the ground and we made our way to the last floor. Outside there were still no Cannibals, except the - hopefully - dead ones on the ground in front of the building.  There was a hospital not too far away - a similar distance to the pharmacy. But the hospital would be severely overrun.  So I opted for the pharmacy.

We found the first building - with shattered windows too - that would allow us to jump via rooftops closer to MediClinc. But the closer we got the more afraid both Logan and I got. The street was filed with Cannibals just standing in the sun.  That didn't mean that the pharmacy was inaccessible. It simply meant. That Logan and I would have to be extremely quiet.

"What's the plan?" Logan whispered.

"You stay here."

"No."

I turned to him and gave him the harshest glare I could. I was trying to protect him but at the same time, I suppose he was trying to protect me in his own way. "Okay, fine, get your bat ready."

"I brought a gun too..."

"That will get us both killed", I scolded him.

"We might need it."

I snorted but we made it to the ground floor, "Just tiptoe, I've done it before. And don't touch them, I think the fungus is dying so it's finding a new means of transmission."

He nodded as if he understood what I meant we tiptoed through the street, holding our breath. The Cannibals stood there unmoving, mute and dangerous. I noticed something peculiar. One of the Cannibals had what looked like a mushroom growing out of her ear. I stopped and observed it, my ears started ringing from lack of air but I was hypnotized - what could have caused such a deformity?

I was grabbed harshly and dragged inside a building. Logan was inspecting my body rapidly, frantically looking for any injury.

"I...uh...I'm fine", I assured him, my mind still on the Cannibal with the mushroom out her ear.

"We're here, what should we get?"

"Clotrimazole and miconazole - let's go to the prescription counter. Put the flashlight on..."

Logan turned the torch on and shined it through the shop, shielding the light from the street lest the horde of Cannibals outside rushes to us in a sea of fungal death.

"I'll get the medicine, check what you can find...well what's left to find", I told Logan.  He looked reluctant but we went our separate ways nonetheless.

I carefully navigated my way to the prescription counter. The shelves were shoved off to the side - a makeshift barrier. And inside said barrier was a male cannibal. I needed to get rid of it before it caused a noise and brought down the wrath of the Cannibals outside.

"Hey, Will, I found so much gauze and disinfectant."

Damn it, Logan.

The Cannibal behind the shelves started thrashing around knocking pill containers and boxes over. The noise was almost blaring in contrast to the prior silence. I unstrapped a knife and threw it at him.

However, due to the rapid movement, my knife landed in the Cannibal's shoulder. I threw another one and this time it scraped his ear. All while the Cannibal continued to struggling and writhing behind the shelves. At this point, Logan was at my side with his bat ready. I unstrapped one more knife, aimed carefully and flung the knife. It punctured the Cannibal's skull right through the eye with blood running down.  A Hollywood makeup artist's dream.

I quickly spun around to see if any of the Cannibals in the street heard the commotion. Luckily they stood still and motionless. 

I wanted to get out as soon as possible.
I jumped over the counter and scurried through the medicines scattered on the floor. I grabbed as many as I could stuff in both Logan and my backpack. I found the clotrimazole and took as many as possible.

Logan stood on guard nervously. Shifting his weight from one foot to the next.

_______________________________________

We arrived back to Valarie and Matt holding Elizabeth down. It was necessary that she avoid touching the ever-growing rash which had now spread over her calf, ankle, and foot. Her hand was also showing signs of the throbbing redness.

I shook out the medicine bottles and scurried through them looking for something - anything. I found a bottle of Xanax and ran to Elizabeth and shoved it in her mouth, "Swallow", I commanded.

She did as she was told but continued struggling for a few minutes before calming down and falling asleep.
Valarie and Matt soon let her go and took a huff of air. I then went through the medicine that I managed to get and was relieved to find a bottle of antibiotics. I took one and opened Elizabeth's mouth and poured water over it, forcing her to swallow if.

"We need to tie her down", Valarie suggested.

"What? Why?" Matt inquired incredulously.

"Because when she wakes up she's going to try to touch it again and then it will spread everywhere."

"She's right, Matt", I said gently.
He looked me in the eyes with a glint of sorrow and a tint of longing.

I looked away.

Finding cable cords from the broken and discarded computers we tied Elizabeth down and put disposable gloves - acquired by Logan - on her hands. I also put some on to tend to the rash and examine it. It was spreading much too quickly but after the administration of the antibiotics, the rash seemed to calm down.

We would have to stay here for a few days.

"I'm heading out", Valarie said calmly and left.