My Strange Savior - Chapter 33

Chapter 33

“No… you don’t have to…”

Carefully, Kalion removed her torn gloves, seemingly paying no attention to Gia’s opinion.

With an expression that made it seem like he was the one in more pain, Kalion gently peeled away the gloves, ensuring his touch did not make contact with the skin.

“See? It’s not that bad…”

“But it still hurts.”

More than half of the wound that had run across the entire palm was already healing. Compared to the blood that had been shed, the injury wasn’t very large, so Gia pouted her lips.

‘Even if I say it’s okay…’

Was it because it had been so long since she had received such concern? Even though she knew it was futile to push away the concern with force, she couldn’t help it.

The faint sounds of creeping were drowned out by Kalion’s presence.

Huh.

Warm air flowed from between Kalion’s rounded lips. That warm breath tickled the palm of her hand and stuck to it. Despite knowing that such a breeze wouldn’t blow in the endlessly cold mountains, where winter  was soon to arrive.

Yet, the warmth of his breath was so unusual and irresistibly warm that even Gia didn’t realize that her hand had involuntarily curled inward.

“Stay still… Please stay still.”

What Spencer had brought was not just sterilized cloth; there were also similar-looking medicines next to it, neatly arranged in a container, which the doctor had brought earlier.

Kalion, who had approached so closely that it seemed as though he might bury his face in her palm, gently applied the medicine to the torn wound.

“Does it hurt?”

He glanced at Gia’s face once, then went back to patting the wound. Kalion’s red irises moved busily.

“Oh? Uh… Yeah.”

“It won’t completely remove the scar, but…”

Kalion, his thick eyebrows furrowed, wrapped a bandage around Gia’s hand. The luxurious material wound around the almost healed wound.

“It’s all done.”

“Oh… You, you aren’t hurt?”

Gia’s wandering gaze finally settled on Kalion’s straight nose.

‘What is he… His nose is so perfectly round and pretty.’

Thinking to herself, Gia blurted out her question in a hurry. She didn’t forget to withdraw her hand either.

“Thanks to you, both the members and I are unharmed.”

“Well, that’s fortunate…”

Feeling awkward, Gia absentmindedly fiddled with the bandage. Unable to keep her hand still, Kalion, with a serious expression, took hold of her wrist.

“That might hurt more.”

“What… Oh, um… okay…”

She could just remove the bandage, saying it’s fine, and that it’ll heal quickly. But for some reason, it wasn’t that simple. Gia stood up abruptly, trying to hide her growing emotions in any way she could.

“Oh, right!”

“What is it?”

“The gun!”

She quickly removed Kalion’s warm hand from her wrist and began searching. She kept having strange thoughts.

“Where are you going?”

Kalion’s low voice sounded pleasant in her ears.

“I, I’m going to get the gun.”

“It’s better if I go with you.”

“No, no! I’ll go quickly by myself.”

“It’s dangerous.”

‘What’s so dangerous…’

It didn’t make sense to Gia that Kalion, who had shown a certain image so far, was concerned about her safety. Gia nervously shifted her feet as the imposing figure approached, but Kalion didn’t back down easily.

“No… Aren’t you busy with organizing and commanding here?”

“That’s why we have a vice-commander. To prepare for situations when I’m not here.”

Since Gia didn’t have a valid reason to chase Kalion away after his clear refusal, she merely extended her blameless lips and stepped forward to lead the way.

“Would you mind if I come along?”

“You?”

“No, I mean you, Gia.”

Kalion, seeing the redness at the tips of her ears, furrowed his brows with concern.

“Just stay here. I’ll be back soon.”

Holding onto her slender shoulder, Kalion fixed his gaze at the blushing earlobes, beautifully colored like ripe apples.

“Me? I’m fine.”

“No, your ears are red. It’s definitely due to the wound.”

Kalion extended his hand and gently caressed Gia’s earlobe with his thumb and forefinger.

Tingle.

The spot where his forefinger lightly touched felt incredibly ticklish.

“Look at this. I can feel the warmth.”

As if to show her, Kalion looked down at the small Gia perched on his shoulder and extended his palm.

His tough, thick, and large hand swept across Gia’s face. From her blushing cheek to her tiny forehead. As his palm made contact, her face shrank.

“Uh…”

With a foolish sound, she felt the coolness of his palm. Only then did she realize she had a fever.

“Go inside and rest. I know where it is, so I’ll find it and return it. Make sure to take your medicine.”

“No… I’m okay…”

“You’re not okay.”

If it were a normal day, she would have asked why he thought he could judge whether she was okay or not. But now, as if she had turned into a malfunctioning robot, all she could do was blink her big eyes.

“Come on. Please go back. Don’t forget to take your medicine.”

“No, I don’t want to take medicine…”

“You haven’t reached an age where you can refuse medicine, have you?”

It was something Gia had once said to Kalion. Kalion now turned those words back to Gia as he pushed her back.

She wasn’t someone to be easily pushed around, but Gia found herself moving back to her original spot quite easily.

‘Fever?’

She couldn’t have a fever. Her constitution did not allow for a fever. The body, infested with the zombie virus, didn’t permit other illnesses.

Knowing this all too well, Gia halted for a moment instead of continuing.

Step by step.

She could only watch Kalion’s slender back disappear as he stretched his long legs inward.

“Am I going crazy…”

She tried to wipe the shocked expression from her face, but as Kalion’s hand touched her face, it only seemed to make her face burn hotter.

Pressing her cheek with the back of his hand seemed to make that part feel even warmer.

‘I must be crazy for real…’

As she removed her hand from her face, which she had been pressing with the back of her hand, she slapped her forehead with the palm of her hand as if trying to make a loud noise.

‘This isn’t the time for this…’

Lost in her foolishness, Gia looked at her wristwatch, a black one that was like a shackle, hanging from her wrist.

She lowered her wrist and tapped the rugged watch’s screen.

[Notification]

She couldn’t turn off the blaring alarm. Annoyed, she grumbled and absentmindedly pressed the screen.

[It’s time for your medication. Estimated expiration time: 1D 2H.]

The alarm had been vibrating on her wrist every two hours for the past two days. She could endure for another day and two hours at most. If it were still a shelter, she would have safely received her medication a week before the scheduled time and turned off the alarm, but the circumstances had changed.

There were only six doses left. With no certainty of how long she would stay here, it seemed she needed to stretch it out for as long as possible.

Even if she found Morrison, there was no guarantee she could return immediately.

If she couldn’t go back, the mere thought of it was giving her a terrible headache.

‘I don’t want to become a zombie.’

Her strong desire to die as a human, even if it meant death, had kept her going. But her mental state crumbled in an instant as the world turned upside down in this place where there were no zombies.

[Hurrr…]

She heard hallucinations.

[Grrrr. Grrrr.]

As she moved her jaw, blood splattered out.

[Gia… why are you… the only one… taking the helicopter? Huh? You should take the auntie too. Huh?]

The woman spoke with an affectionate expression, and the more she opened her mouth, the more blood flowed from it, dribbling down her chin.

Thud, thud, thud.

The helicopter’s propeller on the rooftop spun loudly, causing Gia’s small body to waver in the strong wind. Soldiers who had come down from the helicopter on a ladder, just like in the movies, roughly pulled Gia’s arm, hesitating.

[Student! Yu Gia! We need to hurry. There’s no time.]

The soldier was grabbing her arm quickly leading Gia to the front of the ladder when a woman approached, dragging her leg behind.

[Oh… Madam…]

The housekeeper entered after Gia’s mother left. As Gia’s father spent more and more time away from the lab, the time spent with the woman increased.

The child, who had lost her mother at an early age, was pitied by the woman. She would often take Gia to her own home.

In the house of the woman, which was always filled with the scent of freshly laundered fabric softener, there was a family that Gia wished to have.

The woman took care of Gia, ensuring she was not left out. However, her face, which used to gaze at Gia with a kind expression, distorted like a demon in a flash.

[You wished I was your mother! Why! Why only you! Why are they only saving you?! You wicked woman. You’re a beast!]

The white bloodshot eyes, full of hatred, seemed ready to kill, while the crimson veins bulged. The once neat hair was all over the place, and the elderly woman, now disheveled, coughed, and blood spattered from her mouth.

[Infected!]

The soldier’s words made the elderly woman freeze.

[No… No… It’s not me… She’s the infected one! It’s not me!]

She raised her arm, pointing at Gia, but a missing finger made it look like someone had bitten it off.

Only the trembling index finger remained. She looked at Gia with an earnest expression, holding her other hand, which had been gnawed by someone.

[Gia, it’s still me. I’m not crazy. Right? I’m not usually like this, right? Huh? I took care of you a lot, right? Huh? We’ve known each other for a long time.]

As the elderly woman tried to comfort Gia, the young girl’s face was covered in tears.

[Auntie…]

[Yes, it’s me… Huh? Auntie.]

[Stop. If you move, I’ll shoot.]

Ping.

A laser pointer was aimed at the elderly woman’s head and chest.

Thump, thump, thump, thump.

The distant sound of a helicopter and everything swaying in the wind made everything seem hazy.

Nevertheless, the chaotic scene of the elderly woman and her trembling voice felt as vivid as the movie they had watched the day before.

[Gia, right? It’s me, Auntie, right? Huh? Or, if not, at least take our kids…]

[Where are Eun-jae and Hyeon-jae?]

[Our kids… Our kids… Eun-jae! Hyeon-jae!]

As she clutched her head and writhed in agony, the elderly woman’s body suddenly froze.