Paxton Price

July 23rd, 4 months and 11 days after the first zombie report

Alex told me that Elle saved my life.

After I was shot, they took me straight here. Gage tried to stop the bleeding but it kept coming. So they brought me here. Apparently Elle stopped the bleeding, stitched me up and bandaged me. Which I am forever grateful for.

"You better get some rest man, you won't be doing much moving for the next week or so, so, get comfy." Gage mocked, smirking. He knows my weakness is sitting still. I hate not moving, or being able to do stuff. I also promised Gage that he could be in charge next. So now it's his turn.

"Yeah I'll go in a sec, I gotta thank Elle first." I said, hopping off the table. Whenever I moved, it hurt. The painkillers haven't kicked in yet but I hope they do quick because I'm not about to cry in front of everybody because it hurts.

"Elle?" I called out, hearing no reply.

Alex and Gage said goodnight to me. I dragged the torch along the hallway, holding my side as I limped towards her door. She wasn't in her room. Her bed was messy and un-kept, her closet door wide open.

Alex told me Elle hid Riley in her closet? Why? Was it the storm?

"Elle?" I called out a second time. I heard shuffling in the bathroom and turned my light onto there. I knocked on the door, "J-just uh, give me a second." She stuttered. Fussing about and seconds later the door was opened. I didn't get a chance to talk to her because she sped past me, heading back into the kitchen.

It's not tag Elle, slow down. I limped back into the kitchen, watching her muck about with towels and medical supplies, "What are you doing?" I ask, "Cleaning. The blood was stain if we don't clean."

I watched as she dropped to her knees and began scrubbing the ground, soapy water flooded the hard-tiled floor, "Hey Elle, you don't need to do that now." I told her. She ignored me, scrubbing harder, "Come on, go to bed. It's late." I said again, "I don't need to sleep. I-I need to clean and get this stuff away."

She stood up, wringing the bloody water into the sink, "Elle, listen to me. We can all clean it tomorrow, I promise." I said tiredly, it's been a long day and we all need to sleep, "I can't Paxton, what don't you understand? I-I need to clean this, okay? You go to bed, and rest."

"I can't do that. Not until you're in bed."

I walked over to her, she was on the ground again, picking up the band aids, and gaze and scissors. My blood was still all over her hands. I touched her shoulder, she's shaking, and freezing cold, "Okay Elle, that's enough. Stand up." I said.

I took her by the shoulders and hoisted her up, so she was standing in front of me. Her face wasn't facing me though. I took her chin with my hand, tilting it towards me.

I was surprised to see the very evident tears that were rolling down her cheeks. They splattered onto her damp shirt, "Elle what? Why are you crying? What happened?" I softened my features, her eyes closing as both my hands went to hold her face.

"Nothing, it's silly. I-I'm fine, I swear." She pulled away from my touch and I felt cold.

"Tell me." I took the towel she had in her hand and threw it behind me, "Forget about this okay? Forget about today and tell me what's wrong? You just saved my Goddamn life, now it's your turn to tell me what's wrong." I demanded.

She didn't say anything for a while, she just stared at me, "I didn't save your life, I just helped. I didn't do anything really. I never doing anything. I'm not-"

"Elle are you kidding? Without you here we probably wouldn't have survived another week let alone the rest of our lives. I know you think we're using you but we genuinely care. You take care of Riley, of me? You freaking stitched me up and have the audacity to say that you didn't save my life?"

Her lips quivered and her eyes lost contact with mine, "You should rest." She says, taking me by the arm, "Only if you rest too, okay? You're exhausted, we can all see it. Looking after us and Riley too? We're forever grateful."

Elle nodded her head, "I um, I-I fought off an entire army of zombies today." She said, her voice coarse and small, "By myself. I used the rifle, thank God you taught me how to use it." A small chuckle escaped her lips, it made me smile, hearing her laugh, "But they kept coming. There was about 20 of them on their own by the time I got out there. And when I killed them and thought it was over they kept coming. Dozen after dozen were emerging from the bushes. I almost gave up, I-I sure as hell wanted too-"

"But you didn't." I cut her off, taking her shoulders, "You didn't give up. And if had, we wouldn't be here right now, I wouldn't be alive, and neither would Alex, Gage or Riley. You saved us, again, Elle." She shook her head, "No no! Stop saying I saved you s-stop saying I'm a hero, I'm n-not. I'm not a hero I can't even fly." I laughed at her stupid attempt at a joke.

"You don't always need to be strong you know." And that's all it took.

The tears in Elle's eyes, falling from her neon blue eyes made my heart melt. Seeing her cry was beautiful yet sad at the same time. She's trying to be strong for all of us, and I don't know why.

"I almost cried, you know. When I was walking to find you, I almost cried because it hurt so much. Now, I'm not one for tears or emotions, but I'm feeling pretty emotional right now." I sniffed.

"You're allowed to be, you g-got shot, with an arrow and almost died. I have no reason to cry." She whispered, "You fought off an entire army by yourself. You saved Riley from being eaten, you saved my life when you stitched me up, is there anything you can't do?" I asked, looking into her eyes.

"Get this blood stain from the floor." She glanced down between us, the wet floor soaking into my pants. "Come on, you need to rest." Elle said suddenly, breaking eye contact with me as she stood up, taking my hands as she pulled me up.

I walked behind her as she limped, "Wait Elle, we need to clean you up first." "I'm fine, it doesn't hurt, really."

Bullshit, "I got shot, you got stabbed. It's the same thing. So don't lie to me and tell me it doesn't hurt." She turned around, "I need stitches, Paxton. And I was putting off telling you because I don't trust you, Gage or Alex with a needle near my leg."

I chuckled, "Have a little faith in me, yeah?" She smirked, "Of course Paxton. I have faith in all things you do, when it comes to guns, weapons and zombies, I trust you with my life. But with medical stuff, absolutely not." She shook her head profusely, "Don't make me chase you McBriar, we're both injured and both of us will get seriously injured if I have to carry you over my shoulder.

* * *

So Elle passed out.

She was in the shower, got out and got changed, then she got on our makeshift 'hospital bed' aka the dining room table and showed me how to stitch. I didn't tell her I already knew because it was cute watching her explain. And I did about three stitches when her head smacked against the wooden table and she passed out.

And still hasn't woken up.

It's been about 20 minutes. I finished stitching her leg up, treating it with gauze and wrapping a ripped piece of cloth around her calf, tying it like a turnkey.

She was still half dead, laying on the kitchen table when the door open. I was sitting on a chair beside her bed, watching her face in case she woke up, "Are you watching her sleep man? That's kinda creepy." Gage chuckled, walking over to the sink.

"Nah, it was my turn to play nurse. I stitched up her leg and she passed out. Now I'm just waiting for her to wake up." I said, "Why were you stitching her up? What happened to her? Does Alex know?"

"Does Alex know what?" We both turned to see Alex half asleep, standing in the door frame of the kitchen, "I heard we're having a party in the kitchen so I decided to join." He shrugged. "Why is Paxton watching Elle sleep? That's creepy dude." I rolled my eyes, "I'm not watching her sleep, man." "Then what are you doing? Kidnapping her?"

I felt a shiver roll down my spine as the wind swept through a broken glass panel, I'm glad I put a shirt on, "Wait why is that window broken?" Gage said, walking over to it, "Wait, am I supposed to know something? Does Alex not know something?" Alex asked, talking in third person.

I sighed, "I was stitching up Elle's leg and she passed out. That's all. I'm just waiting til she wakes up." I shrugged, "Why were you stitching her in the first place? And why is she passed out? Are you sure she's not asleep?"

"For Gods sake boys. Don't fight over me." Elle's sweetly sarcastic voice rumbled through my ears, she sat up, dangling her legs over the edge of the table, "Hey, how are you feeling?" I asked, scooting my chair closer to examine her face, she yawned, rubbing her delicate eyes, "Better. My leg hurts like a bitch, but I'm okay. Why are we having a party in the kitchen?"

Gage chuckled, "You tell us. Why was Paxton stitching you up at 2 o'clock in the morning, in the middle of our kitchen. And why there's a broken window." Gage stared at Elle, a pointed gaze. His stares are scary. He can make you do anything.

"I was attacked by zombie's today. A literal army of them. They kept coming, in swarms. I couldn't hold them off, which is why Riley was in my closet. So they didn't find him. I killed them all by myself."

"That doesn't explain why you were stabbed?" Gage said, "I don't know how it happened, trust me. There's a rusty nail on the porch and I think I tripped on that but I'm not sure."

"It was weird though. We've had almost no break outs for zombies and suddenly I'm getting swarmed by the dozen? It doesn't make any sense. Like, at all. I hate to say it but maybe Paxton was right. What if it is man made. And just like the science lab when it blew up, there's no one there controlling what happens. Which means, if this is a serum or a button, or some sort of machine controlling what happens, no one is there to shut it off." Elle whispers, taking in a shaky breath.

"Which means if no one is there to shut off this supposed man made zombie fucking serum, they're going to keep re spawning and keep trying to kill us like Goddamn minecraft!" Alex screamed.

We're done for.

* * *

hiii

i hope you like paxton's pov. idk if i like it, let me know :)

happy reading!!