Kris sits down as the knob continues to wiggle back and forth. The door is locked tight with extra locks installed by Minho.

“She died there in the other room on that bed. She had a fever. Her skin was like a furnace. I should’ve put her down for good…but...but I...I couldn’t do it. I just didn’t have it in me.” Tears threaten to fall from Minho’s eyes as he tightens his grip on Yoogeun. The door knob finally stops moving and Kris assumes that the woman on the other side has given up. 

Kris opens the front door, armed with a baseball bat and a clear plastic visor to protect his face. Kris inwardly scoffs at the sunlight that shines down, the brutal irony of cheerful sunlight and the eminent death around him touching a nerve.

“How can you tell when they’re actually dead?” Kris asks.

“You gotta get them in the head. In the brain. It’s the only way.” The street is clear of walkers, except for one that lies against the picket fence at the end of the driveway. It gets up, groaning silently and reaching out to its prey. Kris takes the baseball bat and hits it with everything he’s got. He hits it once, twice, four times, in the head. Kris finally stops when shooting pain returns back to his gunshot wound and he needs to take several deep breaths.

“You ok?” Minho asks.

“Yeah, just give me a moment.”

“He’s alive,” Kris says as they walk into his apartment, “they both are. At least they were when they left.”

“How can you know?”

“There are empty drawers in his room. His clothes are gone.”

“You know anyone could have come in here and stolen clothes right?” Minho says, crossing his arms.

“You see those photos on the walls?” Minho looks around at the empty bare walls. “Yeah, neither do I. Some thief take those too? Even my photo albums are gone. Jinhye must’ve taken them with her when she came for my brother.”

Minho chuckles. “Photo albums…my wife did the same thing. I’m panicking grabbing all the survival gear, and there she is grabbing damn photo albums.” He sighs.

“They’re in Seoul, I bet,” Yoogeun says, putting a hand on his dad’s shoulder.

“Why there?” Kris asks.

“There’s a refugee center there. A big one too, according to the broadcasts before they stopped. Military protection, food, shelter. They said it was safe to go there.”

“Plus, there’s that disease place,” Yoogeun adds.

“Center for Disease Control. They’re working on a cure, last time I heard,” Minho says. Kris goes into on of the cabinets in the kitchen and grabs some keys.

Kris opens the door to the police station’s east entrance and shuts it after Yoogeun and Minho are inside. He holds up a flashlight and scan the area. “It’s safe in here,” he decides. He leads them into a back room with four shower stalls, stocked with shampoo, conditioner, soap, and even a few razor blades for shaving. Kris turns the knob on one of the stalls, turning the shower on.

“The gas lines have been down for a month now…” Minho says.

“The station has its own propane system,” Kris says. He puts his hand under the running water and feels it start to warm up. “Looks like it’s still on.” Minho and Yoogeun looks at each other, a grin spreading across their faces for the first time in a long time. The boys shower, relishing in the warm water. Kris shaves and Minho and Yoogeun are both singing as they rinse their hair.

“Yoogeun, there’s a changing room over there.” Kris hands him some of Jay’s clothes and he nods.

“What do you say, Yoogeun-ah?”

“Thanks sir.” Kris smiles as Yoogeun goes to change, leaving the two adults alone.

“Seoul sounds like a good deal. Sounds safer, at least,” Kris says.

“That’s where we were headed, but things got out of hand. You wouldn’t believe it. The streets weren’t safe to be on. And then my wife went to go look for some place to lay low. But then after she died…we just stayed around.” Minho looked down at his lap.

“You gotta move on,” Kris says, trying his best to comfort him. Kris stands up and goes to his old locker. He puts on his spare sheriff uniform. Maybe he’ll get more priority in Seoul because he’s a police. It was worth a shot.

After the three were dressed, Kris takes them to the artillery room. Rifles, pistols, and handguns line the walls.

“Appa, can I learn to shoot? I’m old enough…” Yoogeun asks.

“You’re gunna have to learn,” Minho says with a sigh. “I can’t leave you unprotected.”

“A gun isn’t a toy. Every time you pull the trigger, you have to mean it. You gotta remember that, Yoogeun,” Kris says, patting him on the shoulder.

“Yes, sir.” Minho gives Yoogeun a bag to fill up on first aid supplies.

Kris hands Minho a rifle. “Here. It’s nothing fancy but the scope is accurate.” Kris hands a few other guns to Minho before packing a duffle bag of his own.

Kris leads them to the southern exit where all the cars are parked. “Conserve your ammo. It’ll go fast, especially at target practice.”

Minho hands a duffle bag to Yoogeun to put in a van. “Sure you don’t want to come along?” Kris asks.

“We’re gunna stay a few more days. I have to teach Yoogeun to shoot.” Kris nods before grabbing something from his police car. It’s a walkie talkie.

“There’s one battery left. I’ll turn it mine on for a few minutes every day at dawn. If you get up there, that’s how you’ll find me.” Minho nods.

“One more thing, Kris. One at a time, they may not seem so bad. But in a group, all riled up and hungry, you better watch your .”

“You too,” Kris replies. Minho holds his hand out to Kris and they shake hands. “You’re a good man, Kris. I hope you find your family.” Kris nods.

“You take care of your dad, Yoogeun.”

“Yes, sir,” he replies, smiling.

The two are about to go to their van when they hear a groan. A single walker in a police uniform stands on the other side of the metal fence, his walkie-talkie dragging behind him.

“Cho Kyuhyun?” The walker rattled the fence.

“Didn’t think much of him. Careless and dumb. But I can’t leave him like this,” Kris says.

“You know they’ll hear the shot right?” Minho asks.

“Then let’s not be around when they get here.”

Minho and Yoogeun quickly get into their car and leave. Kris takes out a hand gun and puts the barrel to Kyuhyun’s head.

“I’m sorry this happened to you.” He pulls the trigger, the body falling limp to the ground. Kris gets into the patrol car and sets off for Seoul.

HAPPY NEW YEARS EVERYONE! sorry i havent updated in like 2 weeks^^; enjoy.

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