[BL] NEET life in the Apocalypse

Chapter 37—Fever

By Bocchan13

Song Yu had camped outside the doors, waiting if they would try to open them. When the sun crested the mountains and sun rays penetrated the gym windows, did Song Yu move his gaze. Turning to the side, he saw Squinty coming inside, still followed by the ducklings. The cute fluffy feathers had now matured, making them look less cute and more menacingly adorable.

Although they had reached adolescence, they still followed behind Squinty like he was their mom. Rubbing Squinty’s abundant fur, he couldn’t hold back his sigh of relief. They hadn’t wanted to get out and kill him.

Before Song Yu could move from his sleeping bag, he heard a light rap on the door. Freezing in place, his spatial blade came out instinctively. Feeling the immense aura the ducks scurried away.

“Um…Song Yu? Are you outside? Last night, Lan Zhou got a fever and the only meds we understood was the over the counter ones. Do you have stronger meds?” It was Wang Cheng on the other side.

Song Yu rubbed his tired eyes, the spatial blade dissipating.

“Hold on. Stay away from the door. I’m coming in.”

Song Yu moved the mats away from the door and opened it. Like he asked, Wang Cheng had left the door and gone to Lan Zhou’s resting area. Song Yu hurriedly came in, locking the door shut before heading to Lan Zhou.

“What was his fever like last night?”

“Around 39 degrees. We cooled him down with the water and towel, but this morning his fever hadn’t broken and he’s delirious. The medicine was the only bottle I recognized.” Wang Cheng pointed to the cheap over the counter fever reducer. Song Yu nodded his head.

“And Xiao Zi? He’s alright?”

“His ribs are bruised and it got hard for him to breathe. He’s still packed with painkillers and is sleeping. Lu Jingxiu is taking care of him.”

Song Yu touched Lan Zhou’s head. He was sleeping stiffly, his body encased in the sleeping bag. Several blankets had been put on him, but the shivering was still constant.

“Get the blankets off him. We need to pat down his body and get him into clean clothes. I’ll come back with some supplies.”

Song Yu hurriedly left the room, running inside the villa. Opening his wardrobe, there wasn’t many things that would fit Lan Zhou. Thankfully, Song Yu still had oversized t-shirts that he wore to sleep. The pants were the most difficult. Lounge pants were stretchy, but there were limits, especially since Lan Zhou looked slim, but had thick muscles.

Song Yu cursed himself! He should have been prepared? What if he got fat during the apocalypse? He would have no clothes! Song Yu ultimately chose running pants and scurried back to the room. Lan Zhou was now topless, and Wang Cheng was taking off Lan Zhou’s pants. Song Yu’s eyes widened in shock.

Unbeknownst to anyone…there was a large festering wound on Lan Zhou’s leg. Cut diagonally from his knee to his lower calf, the wound was open and oozing blood. What was worse was that during the night, with all of those blankets and no air, the skin had oxidized causing the skin surrounding the wound to redden and crust.

“Fuck! Why the hell didn’t Lan Zhou realize?”

“The-the painkillers. He took some last night before sleeping. Fuck!”

The skin had red streaks surrounding the area. Lan Zhou was unconscious, but when Wang Cheng had removed his pants, it slid past the wound causing him to moan in pain.

Song Yu hurriedly opened the cabinets and drawers. Finding the cleaning solution, he scrambled past Wang Cheng, dunking almost the entire bottle onto Lan Zhou’s leg. He couldn’t hear anything but faint buzzing sounds.

“We need to clean the wound and stitch it up. We might have to cut off the dead skin. Get me the cutting scissors. We need to stop the infection from spreading. Find the bottle that has a blue top and green label. It’s the strongest fever reliever I have.”

“Roger!”

Wang Cheng hurriedly did as he complied, trying his best. Yu Ci had come over and set Lan Zhou’s body up in a better position for the cutting.

“Get an IV going, and shoot some pain meds. I’m going to numb the area.”

Song Yu was fast and efficient. He was no doctor and was worried that one wrong misstep might cause Lan Zhou to lose his leg.

“Let me help.”

Song Yu turned back and saw that Xiao Zi had been rolled in on a wheelchair by Lu Jingxiu.

“Can you heal him?”

“I’ll try.”

Xiao Zi pressed his hand on Lan Zhou’s leg. Song Yu could see that it took almost all of his strength to do so. There was a brief glimpse of light before it dissipated. Xiao Zi gasped in exertion, his head now doused in sweat.

“I can’t.” He gasped.

“I don’t have enough strength.”

“Keep trying. It’s okay. Just the surface is fine. Please.” Song Yu’s hands were in a whirl of activity as he tried his best to clean the wound.

“I’ll keep going.” Lu Jingxiu clenched his fists on the wheelchair handles. He understood Xiao Zi best. Xiao Zi was too exhausted. He wouldn’t be able to do it.

“Song Yu! I can’t find the medicine!” Song Yu could see Wang Cheng holding several bottles, but none of them were the ones he needed. Shit.

Where was it?

Song Yu recalled the last time he had a fever. He had taken the bottle back into the…mansion. And placed it in a cupboard. Song Yu was in the midst of cutting off flesh. He couldn’t move.

Looking towards the door, a choice had to be made.

Let Lan Zhou die! Don’t you dare try to do this!

I need to help him. His fever is getting higher.

Fuck this! You’re absolutely hopeless. Why would you jeopardize everything we built! Lan Zhou is not worth it.

 Lan Zhou is worth it!

No he’s not. If he was worth it, you would have taken him with you from the very beginning. You were too chicken shit to let him in, and now you want to play happy family? Hahaha! Bullshit!

Humans can change their minds! Lan Zhou might lose his leg. Even Xiao Zi cannot reproduce a leg from thin air!

Song Yu…are you really willing to let this group in? Do you want them to use your things, eat your food, drink your water and ultimately find out what ability you have?

Do you want to die all over again?

Song Yu’s hands paused slightly. He had cut a little too much, the fresh skin sliding off with the dead. Lan Zhou moaned again, his shivering increasing. The blood had clotted in several places, but overall…he didn’t have blood transfusions, and the cleaning agent he had right now would be depleted at this rate.

I don’t want to die…

But I don’t want Lan Zhou to die.

You can just run right now! Get it yourself! What’s another 3 minutes?

Do I want to?

The situation isn’t forced. You don’t have to decide now!

But when should I decide? Am I going to spend the rest of my life without him? Without even having the chance to let him?

You stop! You don’t even love him! This is just infatuation! C’mon Song Yu…don’t…don’t regret your life again.

Song Yu suddenly closed his eyes. The vast days of loneliness mixed with the vibrant days of fun and independence. His heart hurt so much. The pain of betrayal was still bitter in his mouth.

And yet…every time he tried imagined Lan Zhou hurting him, it came as futile. Like his soul knew Lan Zhou would never hurt him.

He knew what he had to do.

“Wang Cheng…go outside of the door and follow the dog. He will take you to where the medicine is. It’s in a cabinet that the dog can’t open. Once you do that, run to the storage room in the basement, there is more cleaning agent. Get two. Come back immediately, do you understand?”

Wang Cheng nodded. Running to the door, he hesitated and turned back to look at Song Yu.

“Are you sure?”

The question was unexpected, but Song Yu understood. He nodded his head.

“I’m sure.”

Song Yu watched as Wang Cheng opened the door, his body disappearing around the corner. Song Yu turned back to Lan Zhou’s gruesome leg, a single tear cascading down his cheeks.

It was over. Now, everyone would find out.

…

Wang Cheng ran as quickly as he could. Opening the door, his eyes widened as the view of gym overloaded his senses. Wooden floors, a basketball hoop, several machines for training, mats on the floors and weapon holsters that Song Yu must have taken off.

The dog barked harshly, so Wang Cheng continued his stride. He opened the doors once again leading to the outside where once again, his mind was in disarray. Open fields framed with fruit trees, on the outskirts were vegetable gardens abundant with harvest. He could see many farm animals grazing in pens. The sun was shining brightly lighting this world into a paradise.

He saw a large mansion. Its white color, vibrantly glowing. It had a large veranda on the top roof, filled with vines and flora.

“Bark! Bark! BAAARRK!”

C’mon you gaping bastard! Song Yu promised to turn on Princess T*tu!

Wang Cheng didn’t understand dog language, but knew that the dog had called him a bad word. They soon reached the villa. The large doors opened, revealing heaven. Wang Cheng felt he was in a dream. Running through the large halls, he finally made it to the cabinet next to the large TV screen.

He squealed in alarm when he spotted the newest gaming console that just released a few days before the apocalypse. He spied the medicine and stuffed it in his breast pocket.

“Where’s the basement?”

“Bark! Bark!”

Wang Cheng was led to a side door. Instantly, Wang Cheng knew he had died. A zombie had killed him somewhere between the meadow and the house. Rows and rows of food ranging every which way made halls as tall as 2 meters. It reminded him of warehouses that stored in bulk. He gulped after spotting his favorite chocolate in a giant box, still filled to the brim.

If I bring the stuff faster, would Song Yu gift me a chocolate bar?

Finding the cleaning agent, he ran as fast as he could, the chocolate bar still in his head, not even thinking that Lan Zhou was on the cusp of dying from fever; Wang Cheng hurried out of the cellar into the sunshine.

All Wang Cheng wanted was a small bar of chocolate to be totally and unconditionally loyal to Song Yu.