[CONTENTID1]Phoenix[/CONTENTID1]

[CONTENTID2]Chapter Seven[/CONTENTID2]

[CONTENTID3]

AN: chapter contains a brief mention of SA.

Two weeks passed and the weather gradually became colder. It was November in South Korea, not the best time to live in a house without electricity and a functioning heating system. Winter was approaching rapidly.

Chores that used to be simple were now a hassle, such as cleaning their clothes. They had to scrub them by hand and hang them up to dry afterward. Washing their hair with cold water wasn’t pleasant either, but they got used to it. Since the falling temperatures were problematic, the soldiers got innovative and built a fireplace in the living room. It made the freezing weather more bearable. They often played cards in the evenings, bathed in the soft glow of the fire.

The four adults had fallen into a routine and frequently went scavenging for food together. Chanyeol had found a fishing rod in the basement and discovered his unexpected talent for catching fish. Following this, they came up with various dishes involving fish and rice, since the latter was easy to store and lasted for a long time.

While her life was nothing like it used to be, Seri was now accustomed to the changes and satisfied with what she had. Surrounded by people she could depend on, her fears and worries faded into the background. At least until one particular day showed her just how dangerous it was to be lulled into a false sense of security.

Baekhyun, Sehun and Chanyeol had left the house to search the town’s stores for more food and useful items. After a longwinded discussion, Seri had agreed to stay home this time. Baekhyun hadn’t wanted her to come along, and no matter what she said, she couldn’t change his mind. His protectiveness of her had grown over the past weeks, to a point where she found it suffocating. She wasn’t made of glass and didn’t appreciate being treated like a fragile doll. They were a team, and he should be well aware that she was a capable fighter. Although she still didn’t like to kill zombies, she had accepted it as part of her new life and was willing to do it in order to survive.

While the soldiers were gone, she busied herself with checking their supplies and taking note of the things that were running out. However, when the sun sank lower and the sky was dyed in purple and violet hues, her concerns surfaced. She hadn’t heard from her friends in a long time… Getting a few groceries shouldn’t take so long. They were familiar with the town’s layout and surely wouldn’t get lost on the way.

As the loud creak of the garden gate reached her ears, she dropped everything and rushed to the kitchen window to check who it was. Three familiar figures appeared in the fading light of the sun. Against her expectations, they didn’t carry any supplies and moved slowly. Something was wrong. Alarmed, she left the kitchen and dashed to the front door, ripping it open.

Icy tendrils of fear grasped her heart. All three of them were injured, covered in blood and nasty scratches. Her breath hitched as a terrible thought struck her—were they infected? Had they been bitten? Her frightened gaze was caught by Chanyeol who supported a staggering Baekhyun. Sehun followed them, wearing a pained grimace on his face.

“Oh my—” she began and cut herself off when her voice broke. “Come in quickly!”

She let them pass her and made a quick assessment of their injuries. Chanyeol and Sehun were covered in scrapes and their clothes were torn in some areas, but Baekhyun had sustained more damage. She shut the door and locked it. Seri knew what she had to do. Thanks to her work experience, panic didn’t overwhelm her at the sight of their injuries. Instead, she acted as she had been taught.

“Does Baekhyun have the worst injuries?” she asked them and received exhausted nods. “Take him to the sofa in the living room and uncover the wounds that need treatment. I’ll be with you in a second.”

She ran to her bedroom and fetched all of her medical supplies and a bottle of purified water. Then, she returned to the living room. Chanyeol and Sehun had followed her instructions and cut open Baekhyun’s shirt. His shoulder was coated in blood. Four diagonal claw marks ran over his skin, tearing it open. She took a deep breath, feeling everyone’s eye on her while she kneeled next to him. His face was ashen and his eyes struggled to stay focused on her. They were clouded by a haze of pain.

“Baekhyun,” she said and put her hand on his cold cheek. “Can you hear me?”

He nodded faintly. His brows furrowed. “I ed up,” he rasped. “Can you fix it?”

“Of course I can. Relax, Baekhyun. You’ll be as good as new when I’m done.” She gave him a convincing smile and leaned in to inspect the wound. He had been attacked by a zombie, but no signs of infection were visible. As she disinfected her hands and prepared to clean the wound, she moved her attention to Sehun and Chanyeol.

“Was any of you bitten or in direct contact with the saliva of the zombies? Is there a chance someone got infected?” she asked blankly.

“No. Nothing like that happened,” Chanyeol explained. He and Sehun sat down on the other sofa and leaned their elbows on their thighs, watching her do her work.

“Okay, that’s a relief.” She gently dabbed the surrounding area of the injury with a cotton pad and cleaned it diligently. From time to time, her gaze moved to Baekhyun’s face to check if he was still awake. The atmosphere in the living room was suffocating and the silence too tense for her liking.

“You’ll be fine, Baekhyun,” she said in order to calm him and his friends. “The wound will heal eventually if you rest. It might not even leave a scar.”

“Thank you.” Chanyeol heaved a sigh and leaned back, rubbing his face. “I was afraid he might be in serious trouble.”

“Don’t worry.” She briefly smiled at him over her shoulder before her attention returned to her patient. “I will bandage your shoulder, Baekhyun. Do you think you can sit up for a moment?”

“I’ll try,” he whispered.

Seri supported him and helped him lean against the sofa’s backrest with his uninjured side. This way, she could reach his shoulder and wrap the wound so that it was protected and the bleeding stopped. He closed his eyes and breathed through his nose while she worked—although she was as careful as possible, the procedure wasn’t painless. She secured the end of the bandage when she was finished.

“See, now you’re patched up,” she said and put her hand on his knee. “Are you hungry or thirsty? Do you need anything?”

“Not right now.” Baekhyun slumped against the sofa and drank in her comforting smile. She was good at her job, he thought.

“Okay,” she said and grabbed the folded blanket at the other end of the sofa. She spread it over his body so that he didn’t feel cold. “From now on, you will take it easy. No unnecessary movement, no workouts, no chores, and most importantly, no more fights. At least for five days.”

Her stern tone made Chanyeol’s and Sehun’s eyebrows raise. They fully expected Baekhyun to talk back at her, but his reaction was astonishing.

“If you say so, doctor.”

“I’ll keep an eye on you.”

“You’re already doing that anyway,” he teased.

“Byun. I just saved your , can you at least—”

“Thank you,” he said and grabbed her hand. The humor in his eyes faded and was replaced by sincerity. She swore there was a hint of relief mixed into it as well. His hold on her hand was weaker than normal.

“Do me a favor and rest, Baekhyun. You’ll be back to normal in no time.” Satisfied with her work, she turned around to the other soldiers. “Do you want me to treat your injuries too?”

“No, we’ll be fine. We just got a few scratches, nothing major,” Sehun replied and cocked his head. “I’m glad you’re here though. Your help is appreciated.”

“Yeah,” Chanyeol agreed. “Knowing we got a surgeon at home after Baekhyun was injured made things easier.”

“What happened to you?” While they spoke, she collected her supplies and cleaned up.

“A group of zombies accumulated in front of the store after we went inside. Like a pack of hungry wolves, they waited for us near the entrance… It was ing creepy. We had no other choice but to fight our way out,” Sehun explained.

“This behavior sounds strange,” Seri frowned in worry. “They usually run after you like rabid dogs and don’t hesitate to attack.”

“They’re getting smarter. Maybe they’re evolving somehow. I really don’t want to know. It looked like they were working together,” Chanyeol shuddered and cringed. “Never underestimate their capabilities. The cold temperatures outside slow down their decay—it’s a massive advantage for them.”

Unease overcame her. She hugged herself and cast her eyes on the ground. “I feared something like this would happen. It’s a nightmare.”

“We should never leave the house alone,” Chanyeol muttered. “Working together is essential now.”

“Did you see any other survivors outside?” Seri asked.

“No, we didn’t, but it’s clear we’re not the only ones staying in this town. The stores are emptier every time we visit. Someone else is taking supplies,” Sehun answered. “Why do you ask? Do you think it would be better to band together with other people?”

She shook her head, paling considerably. “We can’t. It’s too dangerous.” Her voice wavered suspiciously, catching the soldiers’ attention. She folded her hands to keep herself from fidgeting.

“But eventually, we have to—”

“No. We’re fine on our own.”

“Seri, what’s so bad about the idea? Are you afraid because of what happened at the gas station?” Chanyeol asked softly and inclined his head while he studied her. The genuine fear she displayed was an unusual sight; Seri was good at hiding certain emotions. In this sense, she was quite similar to Baekhyun.

“Yes, but that’s not all.” She stopped and braced herself. “You’re not the first survivor group I joined. The other one… they betrayed me. At first, they were nice and friendly, but when I let my guard down, they…” Seri hesitated. She glanced at Chanyeol’s and Sehun’s faces. They were worried, but they didn’t push her to talk. She took a deep breath, but the lump in prevented her from speaking. She couldn’t tell them.

A hand touched her arm, freeing her from the downward spiral that was her thoughts. She raised her head and gazed at Baekhyun. “It’s okay, we understand,” he muttered, voice strained. “You don’t want to join a random group of strangers and we will respect your wish. There’s no need to explain any further.”

“I’m sorry for bringing it up. It wasn’t my intention to make you uncomfortable,” Sehun frowned. His tired eyes moved from her to Baekhyun. “So far, we’ve managed to get by on our own. It shouldn’t be a problem to continue like this if we’re more careful.”

“You know what? I think it would be a good idea to make dinner now so Baekhyun can rest afterward. We’re all tired,” Chanyeol suggested and got up