“I’ll see you again. I’ll find ways to see you. Trust me.” Tatum gave me a cocky grin. “And I’ll take you anywhere you wanna go.”
“We should probably get going,” Lazlo interjected. “Before someone sees us.”
Tatum sighed, then shot a glare at Lazlo before punching in the code. The door clicked open, and I raced up the stairs before Tatum could make any more promises.
Lazlo and I made it through the second floor without any problems. The entire floor was dead silent, and as long as we were quiet, no one would see us.
The third floor was almost pitch black. They had turned all the lights off, probably because nobody stayed up here at night except my brother. The door to his room was propped open with a tennis shoe, and we crept down the hall, I peered in through the crack. Blue was already hurriedly unhooking IVs and getting Max ready to go.
“Remy!” Max smiled when he saw me. He’d been lying on a small cot pressed up against a wall. He lived in this tiny room full of equipment.
“Hey buddy,” I walked over to him and tried to smile. “Did Blue tell you what’s going on?”
“He said that we’re going on a trip,” Max said. “But you’re not coming with.”
“No, I can’t go. But Blue is a really good doctor, and he’s gonna take you to a nice place that we stayed at for a while.” I crouched down in front of him. He had no color in his skin, and when I touched his arm, it felt cool. “How are you feeling?”
“Tired,” he said and yawned loudly.
“How is he doing?” I looked up at Blue, who was winding a cord up.
“I don’t know.” Blue shook his head. “I don’t know exactly what they’ve been doing to him. If I’d had more time, I could’ve found out more.”
“I don’t think we have more time,” I said quietly, looking at how frail Max looked.
“Do I know you?” Max squinted at Lazlo, who had been standing awkwardly behind me.
“Nah, I don’t think so,” Lazlo shook his head.
“Okay.” Blue clicked something on the monitor by the cot and looked down at me. “He’s all ready to go. And I don’t mean to rush you, but we should probably get going while we can.”
“Yeah, you’re right.” I forced a smile at Max. “Listen. Blue is gonna take really good care of you, but you need to do what he says, okay? And you have to be really careful and really strong for me, okay?”
“Okay,” Max nodded, but he could barely keep his eyes open. Dark circles rested underneath them. “Are you gonna meet us there?”
“I don’t think so, buddy,” I brushed the hair from his forehead. “But I love you, okay? Don’t you ever forget that. I love you more than anything in the world.”
“I love you too.”
I hugged him tightly to me, hating how small and thin he felt, but loving holding him in my arms. Tears stung my eyes. This would be the last time I’d ever be able to hug him, and it broke my heart. Even though I was doing it for him, and it was the best thing I could do, it still killed.
“Can you stand up, Max?” I asked when I let go of him.
“I think so,” he nodded, but when he tried to get his feet, he almost fell over. I started to pick him up, but Blue reached for him.
“I got him,” Blue said, lifting him up. He was going to be the one carrying him out of here, the one taking care of him from now on. Max laid his head on his shoulder, looping his arms loosely around Blue’s neck.
“Um, so… Tatum has everything ready,” I said, fighting back tears. “And don’t forget to get Ripley. She’s invaluable, but Tatum is afraid of her.” Lazlo made a scoffing sound, but I ignored him. “He has guns and everything, but don’t stop unless you have to. Go straight to the compound with London. I know they have marauders there, but I think that’s the safest place.”
“I know,” Blue nodded.
“And you’ll take good of him, right?” I reached out and gently rubbed Max’s back. He was already asleep, and I tried not to let that scare me.
“Yes, I’ll take very good care of him,” Blue promised me. I looked up at him, and I knew he would. He was risking everything to take him out of here.
“Thank you,” I swallowed hard. “If I can ever repay you…”
“I think you already are,” he smiled sadly at me. “But we have to go.”
“Yeah, go,” I nodded towards the door.
“You coming, Lazlo?” Blue asked, walking towards the door.
“Yeah, you go ahead. I’ll be there in a minute,” Lazlo said. Blue waited a minute, looking uncertainly.
“I’ll tell him the codes. You go,” I told him.
Blue left, taking my little brother with him, and I let out a shaky breath. Everything I had done since the virus had broken out had been for Max. Before then, I had always kind of looked out for him, but I had my own life. But then when everyone started dying, and I saw our parents murdered by zombies, I just… my whole life became about protecting my brother.
But I couldn’t do that anymore. This was the last thing I could ever do for him, and I had to trust that he could be okay without me.
“We can go with them,” Lazlo said, watching me stare after Blue and Max. “We could go right now.”
“No, it’s too late,” I shook my head and looked at him. “You know I can’t.”