The Walking Dead AU
Hello everyone ! 😁 Little update about the TWD au ! I hope you'll enjoy this post. I wanted to apologize again for this long semi-hiatus I'm in currently... I may start night working in January, maybe I'll have more time to draw then ? Right now my unit is getting heavier, we're starting to have Covid+ patients again so I don't have a lot of free time and I mostly sleep when I can tbh 😂 Be careful and stay healthy everyone 💕 (I hope I can post something for Christmas and new year)
Hank : Let’s find another way! Connor : … But it will take way too long! Hank : We don’t have a choice… we can’t cross that river with the car. Connor : What if we walk instead ? Hank : Excuse me??? Cole can’t walk all day long at your pace ! Connor : You know, most of the bridges have been destroyed during the first months of the pandemic. Authorities wanted to keep people from propagating the virus, and boom ! They exploded most bridges. The only remaining ones are the biggest, and they’re infested with cars who got caught in traffic jams and creeps who were attracted by the sound of honkings. Hank : … Are you sure we can cross the river here ? That dead tree doesn’t look safe. Connor : Don’t worry, I’ll go first.
Connor started walking on the log, Hank watching him carefully from the shore. Cole had got out of the car and was looking at the young man.
Cole : I don’t like that Dad… Hank : Yeah, me neither.
Connor thought he was doing great, until the dead tree started breaking from his weight and the moisture. The young man slipped into the cold, rushing waters, letting out a surprised cry.
Hank : Shit, Connor !!!
The stream was a lot stronger than it seemed, and Connor had to make his best efforts not to drown. He swam against the stream for a few seconds before realizing he wouldn’t make it to the riverbank. He used his last strength to grip a bunch of boulders and keep himself from being taken away by the river. His friend was leaning in his direction, offering his big callous hand to him.
Hank : Hold on Con, here I am…
The man helped him out of the freezing water, holding him still as Connor was gagging and coughing from the water he had swallowed. His legs were shaking, and Connor was sure it wasn’t from the cold : he had had his biggest scare in a long time.
Hank : Look, I know you want to find your brother faster, but we have to be careful. We’ll camp here tonight and tomorrow we’ll follow the riverbank and find somewhere safe to cross it. Cole : Connor you’re shaking !!! I’ll light a fire !!! Connor : T-T-Thank y-y-you… Hank : Jesus you’re freezing to death… take your clothes off.
Connor obeyed without thinking, Hank giving him a helping hand since he was too shaky to be totally efficient in his movements. Cole was a real camping expert now, he could light a fire in a few minutes and keep it going for long hours. Since food cans were getting rare, Hank had decided to start hunting small game, he had learned how to with his own father a long time ago. It took him some time to readjust his knowledge but he eventually did it. The father and the son were becoming real survivors with time. Soon enough, they wouldn’t need Connor anymore.
The thought pinched the man’s heart, as Hank was wrapping him in a dry blanket.
Hank : Your lips are blue… Are you okay ? Connor : … C-C-Cold… Hank : Of course you are, why don’t you ever listen to me?
Connor closed his eyes, savoring the warmth of Hank’s hand in his nape : hopefully, the grey haired man would blame his shivers and goosebumps on the cold water. Hank opened the blanket to get himself inside. The brune didn’t say a word while the other man was holding them together, and tried not to think too hard about the fact he was stuck against Hank, his bare, wet skin brushing over the warm cotton of his t-shirt.
Cole got closer, seemingly worried.
Cole : Are you okay, Connor, your face is red… Connor : Must be the cold… Hank : Cole, would you open a food can and put it on the fire while I warm Connor up ? Cole : Sure !
Connor sighed in relief when the boy ran away. He started looking intently at the fire, trying to ignore everything else : the last thing he wanted was to embarrass himself with a boner as he was sharing a manly hug with his friend. And it was working. He was even starting to stop shaking.
Hank : You okay ? Connor : Hm-hm… Hank : Good.
The man left the cozy cover of the blanket to pick up Connor’s clothes from the ground. He started hanging them out on the nearby branches.
Hank : It’s cold today, and night is falling. I don’t think your clothes will be dry tomorrow. Connor : We’ll see.
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In the end, his clothes were still cold and damp when he put them back the next day. Connor suppressed a shiver, and the little party started walking down the river, trying to find a fording to access the opposite bank.
They had to empty the car, and now Hank’s backpack was even bigger than Connor’s. Even Cole was carrying his own sleeping bag, and even though they were walking at a steady pace, the boy was not complaining. He had turned down his dad’s offer to carry him at the end of the day. “I’m too old to be carried!” He had said, trotting a few steps away from the adults.
Hank slowed down to walk at Connor’s height, sighing: Teenage rebellion already ? But he’s still a baby…
Connor : … He’s tougher than you think. Hank: … Hey, you okay ? Connor : Huh-huh…
Hank grabbed his wrist, forcing him to stop walking. Cole had noticed and was standing still a few feet away, looking at them silently. Connor only blinked, trying to adjust the focus on his friend while he was touching his forehead with the back of his hand.
Hank looked alarmed : You’re burning hot. Cole : What’s going on ? Hank : Connor’s sick. Cole : Huh ?
Connor shivered, too bothered by a torturing stomachache to pretend he wasn’t. He had been walking on automatic pilot for hours now, hoping to get miraculously better. Being sick was a bad thing in that world : the littlest cold could be the death of the toughest survivors.
Hank : Let’s stop for now. Cole, light a fire, I’ll put the barbed wire around the camp. Connor, you sit down and you rest.
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Connor didn’t remember much after that. He was pretty sure he had passed out a few times, returning to consciousness only to see Hank giving him some water, or helping him not to collapse as he was throwing up. How much time had passed ? Hours ? Days ? He couldn’t tell.
Hank : We need medicine.
He had woken up at the exact moment Hank had said those words : his whole body was hurting, his mouth was dry, his stomach painfully empty, and still, he was feeling sick at the sheer idea of eating.
Cole : Where ? Hank, pointing at the map: This is the nearest town. Might be 2 or 3 hours away. Cole, leaving Connor alone, even for a few hours, is too dangerous. In this state he can’t defend himself. Cole : … I’ll stay with him dad. I’ll protect him.
Connor would have cried if he could. He didn’t want to die. Nines… Nines was waiting for him. He blinked and saw Hank’s massive shoulders leaning to him. In the mist of his feverish mind, Connor finally locked his eyes to the Lieutenant’s cold blue stare.
Connor : Wait …
It was all he could manage, his voice was husky, low like a whisper. Hank smiled and leaned down, dropping a tender kiss on Connor’s forehead.
Hank : Hold on. I’ll be back soon.
Cole had taken his father’s place the next time Connor opened his eyes. He was standing, aiming his gun at something in the dark. An inhuman growl helped the former student guess out what it was : a walker. Adrenalin gave him enough strength to straighten on his elbows. He felt dizzy, his head was so heavy.
Connor : Cole, be care… be careful…
He reached for his own gun, and felt weak when he noticed how heavy it was.
Cole was immobile, pointing his weapon at the Walker who was stumbling in their direction. And despite his best efforts, Connor couldn’t aim. A gunshot, muted by the silencer, finally rang out in the dark forest, and the walker collapsed.
The young man dropped his weapon and Cole quickly turned towards him.
Cole : Connor ?? What are you doing ?? Connor : The creep… Cole : … Relax, Connor. I’m taking care of them. Connor : … You shot it ? Cole : Hm-hm… Now keep your strength, Dad must be on his way back.
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Hank came back with antibiotics, his sweater covered with blood, and with the pills, it took Connor a few days to get better. He was still feeling weak on his legs, but he wasn’t feverish anymore, and could eat again.
On the third day, Connor woke up early, and he was feeling great : no stomach ache, no dizzy head or nausea. He was feeling so well he decided he would take care of cooking breakfast. He rekindled the fire with some dry wood and put some water to a boil in the saucepan. He decided to go check around the camp, deeper in the forest. He spotted a walker, and eliminated it fast with his machete : a few feet away, a little tent was pitched up. Connor made sure no one else was around, and approached stealthily. A raccoon jumped out of the tent, confirming the man’s suspicions : he opened the shelter, covering his nose and shaking his head to deter the flies away. There was a dead body inside.
Connor rummaged through the stuff, finding a warm vest that would suit Hank’s broad shoulders, a pair of gloves. A few comics and books Cole didn’t have. A blanket, more food cans, water bottles, ammo and a hunting rifle. He was about to leave when a glimmer of light caught his attention. Glass ? A bottle ?
Whisky. Connor smiled. He would give it to Hank whenever they’d be safe. He packed everything up and went back to the camp.
Cole : Connor ! Good morning ! Connor : Hello buddy. How are you ? Cole : ’M good ! And you seem to have recovered too. Connor : I feel great today, guess I’m cured. Hank : Good to hear. Connor : Hi Hank. Did you sleep well ? Hank : Hm-hm. Nice to see you back on your feet. We can keep going now. Connor : Yep.
Hank stood up from his sleeping bag, stretching and scratching his beard. He then came closer with a smile, ruffling the young man’s hair with his big palm. Connor welcomed the affective gesture with a soft laugh that died in his throat when Hank leaned down to drop a kiss on his forehead. Connor gave him a confused look.
Hank : I’m just happy you made it through.
Connor’s heart jumped furiously in his chest, leaving him silent and incredulous as Hank was already walking away.
