CHAPTER 70: 70: THE WORLD FULL OF FEARS

The highway stretched before them, covered in darkness and broken only by the occasional sliver of moonlight filtering through the thick clouds. Leo’s small, burning body was nestled in her arms, his fever escalating with every passing minute. His face was flushed the normally pale skin now a startling red, and his breathing was shallow, ragged.

Every few steps, she glanced down at him, checking for signs that he was still breathing, still with her.

"Hold on, baby, please hold on," Zara whispered through gritted teeth, her voice breaking at the edges. She rocked gently, trying to calm herself, though the panic that had been building in her chest for hours refused to ease.

Winter moved ahead, his figure a shadow against the blackened world.

Zara bit down on the tremor in her voice. "Winter, we need to—" Her words faltered as she looked at Leo again, his small face flushed, his breathing shallow and rapid. "We need to find somewhere now. Please."

Winter turned just enough to meet her gaze, his expression troubled. She saw the brief flicker of emotions in his eyes, worry and concern, but he masked it. "We’re close. Just a little farther."

She stumbled over a loose stone, her legs buckling slightly under the weight she carried, but she caught herself, gritting her teeth against the panic rising in her throat.

"Zara," Winter called, he didn’t turn to face her, but she could hear the tone in his voice. "We are closer to the buildings now. I’ll find us a spot."

Her throat tightened as she nodded, too aware of how Leo’s body was becoming an oven in her arms. She could feel the heat radiating off him, making her own skin itch, sweat prickling under her clothes.

Leo’s voice, cracked and weak, broke through the haze of her panic.

"Mommy..." he whispered, his little voice trembling.

Zara’s chest tightened painfully as she looked down at him, her eyes swimming with tears she refused to let fall. She pressed her cheek against his damp hair, murmuring, "I’m here, baby. I’m here."

They rounded a bend, and Winter stopped abruptly, scanning the area. "This will do for now," he said, leading them toward a small alley between two dilapidated buildings.

He knelt first, taking his jacket off to spread it on the ground. Then he pulled out some blankets and laid them over it. Zara lowered Leo carefully onto the makeshift bed, her hands shaking as she did.

The blankets felt like nothing more than a thin shield against the cold concrete, but it would have to do. She checked Leo’s temperature again, praying for some small miracle, but the fever hadn’t relented. His tiny body was burning, his skin slick with sweat.

Her hand shook as she checked through her backpack for the thermometer, almost dropping it in her panic.

The helplessness squeezed around her chest, tight and suffocating, as she fumbled with the thermometer.

When she glanced up at Winter, she expected to see him scanning the surroundings, his usual cold composure unshaken. Instead, his gaze softened with quiet concern as he knelt beside her.

"Zara," Winter said softly, his tone even but firm, "You need to calm down."

Zara blinked rapidly, trying to force back the wave of panic, but her voice cracked as she met his gaze. "I I am calm!" she snapped, her frustration boiling over as she tried to fit the thermometer under Leo’s arm. It beeped after a moment, confirming her fears: 104.8°F. Her chest tightened, and she clutched the device like it might somehow fix everything. "He’s too hot. Winter, he’s—"

"I know," Winter interrupted already kneeling beside Leo, his calm demeanor somehow making everything seem just a little more manageable.

His fingers brushed gently over Leo’s pulse, and Zara’s heart skipped a beat, her own pulse thundering in her ears.

He looked up at her. "Give me space," he said softly, "I need to check him."

Zara swallowed hard, nodding, though she couldn’t find her voice. She stepped back as Winter took charge, carefully checking Leo’s pulse, his temperature, murmuring quietly to the boy in an attempt to soothe him.

"Hey buddy," Winter said softly, his tone low and reassuring. "You’re gonna be alright, kid. Just hang in there."

Zara watched him, feeling a pang of guilt in her chest. She had always been the one to care for Leo, especially since the world went to shit.

She had to remind herself that there was someone else now. Someone she could depend on. Now, she had to rely on this man, this stranger who had become their unexpected companion in this hellish new world. She hated that she couldn’t do more, but seeing Winter work, seeing how gently he treated Leo despite his tough exterior, it made her feel more relieved than she could explain.

"Hmm," Winter hummed suddenly, catching Zara’s attention. She followed his gaze to the small scratch on Leo’s arm that looked a bit infected. "I guess we found our cause."

Zara was confused. When did he get hurt? How did she miss it? She always checked him when they got out of dicey situations! Was this her fault?

This was her fault!

"Zara!" She blinked up at winter. "Focus. He needs you."

She nodded shakily, moving closer. "Wha...what do you need?"

"Hand me some antiseptics," he nodded towards the kit on the side.

"I don’t think we have enough," Winter muttered, his eyes flicking to the limited supplies they had. His gaze was sharp, assessing, calculating. "But we’ll make do."

He worked quickly but carefully, wetting a cloth from their water supply and placing it on Leo’s forehead.

Then he handed her another bottle of water. "Wet a cloth and cool him down. Slowly. I’ll mix something to keep him hydrated." He grabbed a small packet of electrolyte powder from his pack and added it to another bottle of water, shaking it briskly.

Zara pressed the damp cloth to Leo’s forehead, then his cheeks and neck, cooling his burning skin as best she could. Her tears dripped onto his shirt, but she didn’t care.

Winter worked quietly, crushing the fever reducer into a fine powder and mixing it with a few drops of water to make it easier for Leo to swallow.

"Tilt his head back a little," he instructed. Zara obeyed, holding Leo gently as Winter carefully administered the medicine.

They gave Leo the fever-reducing medicine, taking extra care with the dosage, knowing how dangerous it could be to give too much.

Minutes felt like hours as they waited, watching for any sign of improvement. Zara sat cross-legged beside Leo, one hand resting on his chest to feel the rise and fall of his shallow breaths.

Winter mixed another electrolyte solution from their supplies, speaking to Zara as he worked, his calm demeanor giving her something to latch onto.

"While I am not a medic, I have experience from my time in the military." Winter said quietly, his voice almost distant, as if reliving those moments. "Had to improvise a lot in the field. It’s not ideal, but we’ll make it work."

Zara nodded, her throat tight. He was someone who had seen things, who had lost things, and who had learned to do whatever it took to survive.

She wanted to ask more—wanted to know what he had been through—but her focus was entirely on Leo. She couldn’t lose him, not when she had already lost so much.

Winter gently checked Leo’s pulse again, his brow furrowed. Zara’s heart pounded in her chest as she waited for his verdict. "Well?"

Winter paused for a moment, considering the question, then looked at her, his eyes hard. "I don’t know. But we’re going to do everything we can."

Zara nodded again, though the uncertainty gnawed at her. She wanted to scream, but who knew what that would draw to their location.

She swallowed hard, looking down at her son. "I don’t know how you do it. I’m scared out of my mind. I keep thinking—what if—what if I lose him?" Her voice broke, and she covered her mouth to stifle a sob.

Winter hesitated, then shifted closer. "You won’t," he said quietly.

"Every time, every damn time something goes wrong and my baby has to pay for it. I say I want to protect him, I know I have to, but I feel like a broken record most is the time." She groaned, gripping her hair tightly. "It’s frustrating!"

Winter grabbed her wrist gently and pulled her hands away, placing them back on Leo’s chest. "He’s alive because you’ve protected him this long. Nobody else but you." He said slowly.

The silence stretched as they both turned their focus back to Leo. Slowly, his fever began to drop, his breathing evening out. Winter leaned over him, hand stiff as he touched his cheek. "He’s cooling down," he said, his voice filled with relief.

Zara exhaled shakily, her shoulders slumping in relief. "Thank God..."

Winter leaned back, his face lined with exhaustion. He’d been running on adrenaline, and it was starting to show. Zara noticed the faint tremor in his hands, the dark circles under his eyes.

Without thinking, she leaned forward and wrapped her arms around him, her head pressing against his chest. "Thank you, thank you, thank you! I don’t know what I would have done if I had kept panicking like that and...," she whispered, her voice muffled. "Thank you, Winter."

He stiffened at the sudden contact, his arms hovering awkwardly before he finally wrapped one around her. "It’s okay," he said softly, his voice almost gentle.

When she pulled back, she noticed for the first time how pale he looked, how the lines of fatigue had deepened around his eyes. "You need to rest," she said, her concern evident.

He shook his head. "Not here. We’re too exposed. We’ll move once Leo’s stable."

Zara nodded, scooping Leo into her arms as Winter shouldered their backpacks.

Winter helped Zara settle Leo onto the ground, his rifle never leaving his side.

Just as Zara began to relax, a faint noise drifted through the night.

Winter froze, his entire body tensing. He raised a hand, signaling Zara to stay quiet. Slowly, he lifted his rifle, his sharp eyes scanning the darkness.

"What is it now?"