Fandom The Day The World Changed { The Last of Us 1x1 with icedthemoon }

[icedthemoon]

Hayden Gaines and Soren Truelson
FEDRA Civilian, FEDRA Officer | 24, 35 | Current location ;; Seattle Quarantine Zone

“Do you keep him in a cage too?” She seethed at him. There was an edge in her voice. It was wild. Hayden didn’t notice it. All he could see was his sister who needed him. She so obviously needed him, and they were keeping her away from him. He looked at Josh and Justin. “Why haven’t they sent in a medical team or cleaned around those wounds?” Kyra scoffed. Again: Hayden didn’t notice. “Those can become infected. She’ll be sick then.” Kyra slammed a hand on the bars, and he jumped. “They don’t care if we’re that kind of sick, little brother. They only care if we’re going to spread the other one.” Hayden’s breath caught, and as he stared at his sister, he didn’t see how her arm twitched or how she would have been holding herself almost hunched. He heard her cough and looked at her wounds, and he wanted to help. He tried to move closer. She watched him closely, so intently. He didn’t see how her gaze turned from need almost to hunger as she stared like a predator at oncoming prey. “I’ll clean them if everyone’s so afraid.” He smiled at her. “You don’t scare me.” He reached out his hand, and she began to crouch, staring at it. Then she blinked, narrowed her eyes, and stood straight up again. Soren moved with Jacob to talk to Logan, though his attention was drawn to what was happening with Kyra. “Of course. None of us were happy until we could make sure that you were safe.” It was true. There was no way that any of them would be okay without knowing. To that point, he understood why Josh made the decision he did. “As soon as we can get you out, we’re going to. I promise.” He looked at Justin and the other guards. “We’re going to keep you safe.” His eyes slid to Kyra.
​

 

[EquineGurl23]

Joshua and Jacob Smith
FEDRA Officer, FEDRA Civilian | 24, 30 | Current location ;; Seattle Quarantine Zone

Josh had been out in the field, he’d seen infected, seen how different they became. His eyes narrowed, hearing her words. He saw that arm twitch, and she seemed almost hunched. When she slammed the bars, he saw Hayden jump. When he stretched his hand out, he caught that shift to predatory in her eyes. “Hayden. No. Put that hand down.” He snipped, his teeth clenched. He knew what he had to do. She was sick, he could see that now. The over aggressive behavior, the twitching, that almost hunched over way she’d stood for a minute. His free hand dropped to his pistol. “Hayden, say good bye to Kyra, we need to head back now.” Josh said, his voice strained. Jacob was busy talking with Logan, and Soren happy that they’d gotten him free. He heard Josh’s words and looked over. Something was wrong. “Soren.” He said softly, nudging his shoulder. He gestured towards the other two.​

 

[icedthemoon]

Hayden Gaines and Soren Truelson
FEDRA Civilian, FEDRA Officer | 24, 35 | Current location ;; Seattle Quarantine Zone

Soren was already watching when Jacob beckoned for his attention. “Jacob. I need you to take Hayden and go.” When he looked at Jacob, his eyes were pleading for Jacob to help him with this. Soren knew what Josh had determined, because he was thinking the same thing. But Hayden wasn’t going to go with Josh. Soren could already tell. Hayden shook his head. “Don’t be so rude, Joshua,” Hayden insisted. “How would you feel if you had gone through something horrible like this and then it didn’t seem like anyone cared?” He frowned as he looked at his sister. “I’m so sorry that you’re in here,” he told her. She snapped to attention at his words. Her mouth opened, and she seemed to struggle. Hayden’s heart broke for her. “What happened to you?” He pushed his hand out further. He did not see a monster like everyone else. He only saw his sister who was clearly sick and hurt. She never lowered her gaze like she might have before. She stared at his hand. “I got cau’nt-“ she blinked as her word was mangled in her mouth. “Caught. In…” she blinked a few more times as she tried to speak. He hated how it clearly hurt her to keep focus. “The, um, bombs.” Hayden’s eyes widened. No. No not her too. He dropped his grip on Josh even if Josh still held onto him. He was frozen. “It’s just scrapes.” Her voice felt sharper, like she finally found it again. She seemed so relieved by it. Hayden almost smiled. “It’s starting to hurt more.” Her eyes shot down. “My leg. One of those things caught it or something.” She shook her head. Maybe trying to remember? Hayden wasn’t sure. “I can’t always…” Her focus was leaving again. She lifted her leg like she could look at it. She wore capris and tennis shoes. She was covered in so much dirt and grime that it was hard to see the wound above her ankle. It could have been a scrape. Hayden would never have guessed that it was a bite. Suddenly her hands slammed the bars again, and Hayden jumped once more. She was staring at him so forcefully. Hayden knew she must have been in so much pain.​

 

[EquineGurl23]

Joshua and Jacob Smith
FEDRA Officer, FEDRA Civilian | 24, 30 | Current location ;; Seattle Quarantine Zone

Jacob bit his lip, and nodded. He saw those pleading eyes and walked up to Hayden. He saw him pushing his hand out further. “Hayden! We need to go. The boys have something they need to take care of.” He said, grabbing that outstretched hand and brought it towards him. Josh watched the way Kyra was acting, heard her voice as she tried to speak. Josh pulled his pistol from his side and loaded it. “Hayden. Go with Jacob. Now.” He said, feeling him drop his hand. He turned slightly, that glint of his gun shining in the light as he gently pushed Hayden towards Jacob. “Go!” He snapped, his hand already lifting the pistol. He needed to put Kyra out of this sickness and he needed to do it before she infected others. He just didn’t want Hayden to see. But if his fiancé didn’t leave soon, he’d do what he had to do.​

 

[icedthemoon]

Hayden Gaines and Soren Truelson
FEDRA Civilian, FEDRA Officer | 24, 35 | Current location ;; Seattle Quarantine Zone

“No!” Hayden was not the forceful one in the family. That was Kyra. Hayden was known for being kind of meek and timid. When things needed to be done, Kyra was the one to save the day. When they were younger, she was the one who talked to teachers for him. She talked to the doctors for him. She handled all the hard things. He never was much of a conflict guy. She never minded. But now, he needed to save her like she saved him. He ripped his hand away from Jacob and glared at his fiancé. “Josh. Why won’t you let me help her?” Kyra’s body was hunched again. Hayden thought he could see the pain she was in. She was looking at him with these pleading eyes. She was begging for his help. She shot her hand out like she was trying to grab him, and Hayden wanted so badly to take it. To show that he was still on her side. Always on her side. They were all on the same side! “Josh, what are you doing?” Because it was only then that he realized that there was a gun in his hand. His eyes grew as wide as they could. Other guards were gathering, clearly having noticed the commotion. Several of them were looking frantically between Josh and Kyra. Hayden didn’t notice that she was thrashing like one of the monsters that haunted his dreams. She still looked like a woman struggling from something they needed to fix and quickly. “Hayden…” Her voice sounded broken to him. Like she was pushing the name out despite not being able to do it. Like something was clogging her throat. “S-stay… w-w-with…” she coughed again. “Me.” He couldn’t let her be alone like that. He rushed for her, and she held her hands out to grab him.​

 

[EquineGurl23]

Joshua and Jacob Smith
FEDRA Officer, FEDRA Civilian | 24, 30 | Current location ;; Seattle Quarantine Zone

Josh felt Hayden glaring at him, and Jacob felt his hand ripped from his own. “She’s sick and we can’t fix that sickness.” He replied, eyes trained on Kyra. Josh looked at the other guards coming around, he saw the way Kyra was changing. She was turning and he had to stop this before she infected everyone. When Hayden asked what he was doing, he looked at him, dead in the face. “Saving you. And doing what I need to.” He said, and he gently pushed Hayden to the side when he rushed for Kyra. At the same time he raised his pistol and fired. The shot was accurate, and right in the head. Jacob rushed to Hayden, wrapping his arms around him. Josh was cold, his eyes like stone as he stood there, his gun falling to his side. He’d just.. in front of his fiancé and her brother. His eyes turned to Hayden and then Jacob. “Get him back to the Apartment. I’ll be there in a moment.” Josh’s voice was as cold as his gaze. Jacob, from where he was trying to help Hayden, glared at his brother. “How could you do that?” But he received no answer from him.​

 

[icedthemoon]

Hayden Gaines and Soren Truelson
FEDRA Civilian, FEDRA Officer | 24, 35 | Current location ;; Seattle Quarantine Zone

Hayden would never be able to resist a force like Josh when he was like this. He couldn’t before either, so when he was pushed out of the way, Hayden stumbled to the side. He wrenched his head to the side in time so see Joshua Smith, the man he had loved for so many years, still pointing that gun at his sister’s head. He didn’t see how her own eyes, still with enough of herself in them, widened in realization at what Josh of all people was about to do. “NO!” The cry ripped from Hayden’s throat as he and his sister alike fell down. As she crashed into a hard floor, he yanked hard against arms that kept him up. Her screams never left her mouth but his never stopped. His hands, shaking like tremors in the earth, clawed through the air as he stared at the quickly blurry figure of his sister on the ground. Dead. Like his father. Dead like his mother. Dead like the parents who could have been his. Dead like the neighbors. And the little girl. And so many people that they ran passed. Drove, raced passed. He saw them all one after the other as they screamed and died. Josh holding a gun. Swinging a bat.

“Josh.” Soren’s word was not exactly harsh though it was stern. There were a lot of things he considered saying, but he could see that coldness in Josh’s face. That was the same kind of look he had after finding his dad and Hayden’s mom. Instead, he put his hand on top of the gun and slowly lowered it. “I can clean this up if you need to go.” He felt that he should give the option of an out if Josh felt like he needed it. Otherwise, Soren would take it. Soren would get them out of there, because Jacob was going to have a very difficult time moving Hayden the way that he was. In fact, Soren has never seen Hayden like this. It was far worse than what Soren thought was Hayden’s worst.​

 

[EquineGurl23]

Joshua and Jacob Smith
FEDRA Officer, FEDRA Civilian | 24, 30 | Current location ;; Seattle Quarantine Zone

The cry from Hayden was the first thing that Josh registered. The hand on the still smoking pistol. Watching it lower as he heard Soren’s voice. The stern nature. He blinked, his gaze turning towards his brother and partner. Jacob wrapped his arms around Hayden, and he stood as strong as he could when Hayden yanked against him. Jacob was glaring at Josh, hatred burning in his eyes as he made soft noises to Hayden. “Come on buddy. Come with me.” Jacob whispered as Josh looked at them. He made the mess and he was sure Hayden didn’t want him around. “Go. I’ll clean this up.” Josh said, putting the safety on his pistol and holstering it. He walked away, towards the guards so he could get this mess cleaned up. “Soren. Help.” Jacob called to his partner. He couldn’t move Hayden on his own. Not with him screaming and clawing the air like he was.​

 

[icedthemoon]

Hayden Gaines and Soren Truelson
FEDRA Civilian, FEDRA Officer | 24, 35 | Current location ;; Seattle Quarantine Zone​

She _fell. They _fell.​

Soren watched Josh like he was in a haze. Like there was no reaching him anymore.

Boom crash crunch.​

He didn’t think this was right. None of it. He understood that she was sick, but doing this like that? It was wrong. Josh needed to take a second away.

Skittering and s c a t t e r i n g and screaming.​

There was no reasoning with him right now. Soren could see that. He turned his attention to Jacob who was trying desperately to do something with Hayden who looked like a catatonic wreck.

Broken door and sirens and body pile and​

“Everyone back to work,” Soren ordered the rest of the men who were not sure what to do with the situation. He pointed to several who did not move. “Back. To. Work.” They at least started moving. He took one last look at Josh who moved like nothing happened, and then moved to Jacob and Hayden. He grabbed at Hayden’s hands as he lowered himself down.

bat swinging and crack and pop! and smoke and​

It took so much more force than he thought he would need to get them to stop. “Hayden.” No response. Only screaming. Tears gushed down his face and threatened to drown him as they fell into his open mouth. “Hayden, we need you to breathe.”

his sister on the hard, cold floor his sister with eyes still wide open his sister still holding her hands out for him​

Hayden thrashed in Jacob’s and Soren’s grasp. Soren sighed. “I’m going to have to carry him. Clear the way for me?” he asked Jacob before turning his head and calling out, “Josh-“ but he was already too far gone.

his sister falling hard on the cold floor with her eyes wide in shock and her hand reaching out for him he had to help her he had to save her from him​

He found the next soldier near. “I’m taking this civilian back to his residence. Let Joshua Smith know that his partner will be back as soon as possible.” The soldier nodded. He bit back angrier words as he hefted Hayden in his arms who thrashed harder, pushing at limbs.

“LET ME GO LET ME GO LET ME GO TO HER SHE NEEDS ME LET ME GO”​

​

 

[EquineGurl23]

Joshua and Jacob Smith
FEDRA Officer, FEDRA Civilian | 24, 30 | Current location ;; Seattle Quarantine Zone

Josh moved like a soldier, his body stiff and mind all but shut off. He walked to the guards who helped him get Kyra’s body out of the cell. And then they monitored the rest of the people in the cell. Meanwhile, Logan was upset, angry and glaring at Josh too. He couldn’t believe his brother had done that. And then his eyes turned to Hayden. Sweet Hayden who was devastated by this. He could hear him screaming, yelling for Soren to let him go. Jacob stood beside Hayden, trying to soothe him but there was nothing he could do. This was.. beyond anything he could right now. “Hayden, enough. Please. Relax.” He’d repeat over and over. “Soren, tighten your grip like a weighted blanket. Pressure on his body like a cocoon. It might help.” Jacob mentioned as they turned to head for the apartment.​

 

[icedthemoon]

Hayden Gaines and Soren Truelson
FEDRA Civilian, FEDRA Officer | 24, 35 | Current location ;; Seattle Quarantine Zone

Soren did as he was told. This was not something he was used to dealing with. Even before the outbreak, when FEDRA sent him all over the country to help with disaster relief, this was not what he was doing. There were professionals who were meant to care for people who needed this kind of help. There were people trained to work with those who were breaking. He was not one of them. He readjusted so that he could attempt to be that weighted blanket. He had no idea if he was doing it right, but Hayden was still screaming and thrashing, so he could only hope that it took a moment to work. He walked as swiftly as he could behind Jacob back to the building. At some point, Hayden’s movements were less and his voice lowered, though he did not completely stop. Not until they made it to the building and inside. That was when it changed entirely to sobbing. Occasionally, Soren thought he could make out words in the middle of the cries. “No no no” and “She isn’t,” but he couldn’t hear the rest of it.​

 

[EquineGurl23]

Joshua and Jacob Smith
FEDRA Officer, FEDRA Civilian | 24, 30 | Current location ;; Seattle Quarantine Zone

Jacob could hear the screaming behind him. It hurt his heart to hear that from his brother. To know that his other brother had caused it. The sobbing was worse though. It tore into his heart like claws, ripping into him. Once inside the building, he opened the door to their apartment. Not Josh and Hayden’s but Jacob and Soren’s. He didn’t think that Hayden would want to be around anything that would remind him of Josh. “Set him on the bed. Lock the door when you go. I’ve got him.” Jacob said as he stood near the bed. He didn’t want to believe what Josh had done but he’d seen him. He’d watched the entire thing. And it made him mad. But right now he had to be there for Hayden.​

 

[icedthemoon]

Hayden Gaines and Soren Truelson
FEDRA Civilian, FEDRA Officer | 24, 35 | Current location ;; Seattle Quarantine Zone

Soren was not in any way surprised that Jacob led them to their room instead of the other. After what just happened, he was not sure any of them wanted to be over there. As he moved to the bed, Soren thought of everything they left in that room. All of those books and pictures. All of Jacob’s other clothes. He thought about grabbing it all and moving it over, but at the same time, he thought about how much that did not matter right now. They could move it later. They had to survive until later, and Hayden was doing a poor job of it. He gently placed Hayden on the bed who immediately curled like one of those roly poly bugs. His sobs were no longer wails but whimpers. Like someone shot him. His palms covered his eyes like he was trying to block something out, but they suddenly shot away, his eyes so wide Soren thought they had to hurt. Instead, the heel of one palm ran into his ear, and when that apparently didn’t work, Hayden’s cries became exasperated. Soren didn’t know what to do. Talking to Hayden didn’t seem to work when he did it. Instead he spoke to Jacob. “I won’t go if you need me here.” Orders be damned. No one ordered them around even though they probably should.​

 

[EquineGurl23]

Joshua and Jacob Smith
FEDRA Officer, FEDRA Civilian | 24, 30 | Current location ;; Seattle Quarantine Zone

Jacob watched as Hayden curled on the bed. His palms covered his eyes and then shot away, leaving wide eyes before a hand hit his ear. He looked at Soren and sighed softly. “I’m fine. Go. And give my brother a piece of my mind. If I see him, it won’t be pretty.” Jacob all but growled the words himself. He kissed Soren gently, before he moved to the bed. He laid down beside Hayden and wrapped his arms around him. “I’m here. Hey buddy. I’m here. Shh. Breathe.” Jacob whispered, rubbing his back as he laid there, holding him. It was all Jacob could think to do.​

 

[icedthemoon]

Hayden Gaines and Soren Truelson
FEDRA Civilian, FEDRA Officer | 24, 35 | Current location ;; Seattle Quarantine Zone

Was it smart to leave them here? What else could he do? Soren did not know what to do about this kind of thing. Jacob was far more experienced than him. Besides, he had a job to do. He also had a Josh to deal with. He had to make sure that he was okay too. Soren may not have agreed with his actions, and plenty of people were angry and upset with him, but that did not mean that Josh was not clearly going through something as well. That was Soren’s place. “Okay.” He watched Jacob crawl into the bed then moved to the bedroom door. He paused and looked back at them. He had never seen anyone that kind of broken. With a sigh, he walked out the front door, locking it as he closed it, and left. Hayden pushed his hand as hard as he could against his ear, shoving the bed into his other, and only released some of that tension as Jacob’s arms were suddenly around him. He gasped for air, and though it was not much, feeling him there was enough to change the course of his thoughts. The touch was enough to break through. He cried and cried and eventually turned his head slightly to get out, “h-h-he he sh-o-ot h-her.”​

 

[EquineGurl23]

Joshua and Jacob Smith
FEDRA Officer, FEDRA Civilian | 24, 30 | Current location ;; Seattle Quarantine Zone

Oh if Jacob had a gun, he’d shoot his stupid brother. He hated hearing the whimpering sounds from his brother. He hated that this had happened at all. And when he heard that gasp for air, he also heard the crying. He held onto Hayden, and when he heard those words, he sighed softly. His grip tightened on Hayden. “I know he did. I know. And I’m so so sorry. She didn’t deserve that.” He said quietly. “I’m right here, let it out.”

Josh had cleaned up the body and was blatantly ignoring the glares from his brother. He was watching the people, and occasionally gunshots were heard as another lost to the infection. Someone with Logan started turning, and a loud bang echoed before the body dropped and Josh put the gun away once more. Logan’s eyes were wide and he was breathing hard while they got that body taken out of the cell. Josh still couldn’t believe he’d shot Kyra, but it wasn’t her anymore. She was sick and he saved her from going mad like those animal like infected. He was saving Hayden from that same fate before she could bite him and make him sick too. He was told Soren had left and he knew that they were taking Hayden back to the apartment. So he stayed there, guarding the cells with Justin and Darren. He knew Soren would be back, and that was a conversation he wasn’t looking forward to.​

 

[icedthemoon]

Hayden Gaines and Soren Truelson
FEDRA Civilian, FEDRA Officer | 24, 35 | Current location ;; Seattle Quarantine Zone

With as much crying as he was doing, Hayden’s cheeks felt like they were burning. He kept seeing his fallen sister over and over, watching those hands reaching for him fall back. The blood that spattered on the ground. Pooled. He saw his father there too like maybe he was shot. And his mother. And their father and mother. And every neighbor. Neighbors they had then and now. Little girls and boys. Old classmates. Friends he no longer had. His sister. His hands found Jacob’s arm, and he gripped it like he did earlier that day in the other room on the floor. Like he would many times after this. “H-he k-k-killed h-her…” That was what hurt the most. That Josh, of all the people in the world, shot and killed his sister. Right there. No hesitation. His Josh. Bat swing, crack, and a body pile on the floor. “How c-could he-e…” He swallowed hard. “How could he-e do-o that? Wh-why-y did he do-o that?”

It was not long after that Soren made it way back to the cells. He assumed that Josh would still be there. When he arrived, Kyra’s body was gone, and several other people were missing. They must have turned as well. “Joshua.” He was not loud. He was not commanding. He was, however, angry and concerned. He shot a warning look to the other two guards. “Stay here,” he ordered them. He did not want to have to deal with others who thought that their opinions mattered in this highly personal situation. “Josh. We need to talk. Right now.” He did not leave room for argument. They may have been neighbors and friends now, but he was still the more experienced in this field. He was not a superior but only because Soren made that happen. He wanted to be equals. Then Josh was going to have to be the equal. He stopped several feet away and waited.​

 

[EquineGurl23]

Joshua and Jacob Smith
FEDRA Officer, FEDRA Civilian | 24, 30 | Current location ;; Seattle Quarantine Zone

Jacob felt those hands on his arm, felt that tight grip on his arm and he heard his words. This, this would be something that would take Jacob a long time to forgive Josh for. A long time. "I know he did." Jacob whispered, rubbing his back gently. "I don't know how he could do that. As for why.. I don't.. Kyra was sick.. She was like the others. The ones that run after us." Jacob replied, he wanted to explain what happened to Hayden, even if it didn't work. It helped him too, allowed him to talk about what happened.

Josh looked over when he heard his name. He could sense the anger in his words and he bit his tongue as if he wanted to respond. Joshua heard the order to the guards, and then his words after that. "Fine." He replied, turning and followed Soren, stopping in front of him. His arms hung at his sides, his gaze that cold blue. Like ice had taken over his once light blue eyes. He would defend his actions. "What would you like to talk about?" Josh asked simply, as if this was just a normal conversation.​

 

[icedthemoon]

Hayden Gaines and Soren Truelson
FEDRA Civilian, FEDRA Officer | 24, 35 | Current location ;; Seattle Quarantine Zone

Sick. Everyone kept saying that she was sick. Sick with what? Sick like- like the ones who broke down the door. Like the ones that Josh killed in their other apartment. Killed. Josh killed. Killed Ken. Killed Chase. Killed Kyra. Who else had he killed? When he was off being a soldier boy, who else was he killing? Was Soren too? Soren who carried Hayden back here. Soren who came to their rescue before. He killed that little girl. Did he kill people too? Was Logan safe? “Kyra didn’t want to hurt me.” His voice was so small and quiet that he couldn’t even hear him. His ears were too busy hearing the gunshot again. The crack of the bat again. The screeches. The sirens. “She needed me.” And she died. Like everyone else.

The fact that Josh was going to act like this was fine made it very difficult for Soren to keep the peace. He did not want this to be a fight. He saw what Jacob and Hayden were not seeing which was that Josh was not handling everything as well as they might have assumed. He wasn’t handling it at all. “Kyra.” A simple answer that probably said a whole lot more than that word would normally. “And Hayden.” He softened his voice. There was no use in being angry. That could come later when he informed Josh of how Jacob was feeling. “I know she was infected. I wish we caught it before we brought her here. Before we brought Hayden to see her.”​

 

[EquineGurl23]

Joshua and Jacob Smith
FEDRA Officer, FEDRA Civilian | 24, 30 | Current location ;; Seattle Quarantine Zone

Jacob knew this wasn't easy, having this conversation. He barely knew what was happening out there himself. He didn't know this infection, didn't know how it worked. He'd never gotten the chance to ask Soren what he knew about it, and that was an oversight that he didn't like. "I don't know if that's true or not. But she was going to become like the others. She would've hurt you and not even realized what was happening." Jacob said softly. "I should know, I witnessed it first hand with our mother."

Josh looked at Soren, his arms crossing over his chest as he heard that word. That name. He could still see her body falling, still hear the agony from Hayden. Hayden.. he saw that, that whole thing. He'd shoot his sister in front of him. But all Josh could see was a monster reaching for his partner. A monster that would hurt Hayden. "I knew she was too. She's never been that aggressive in her life, not even when she was scared. But.. I was hoping.. she wouldn't start to turn while Hayden was there." His voice was cool, no real remorse in it. "And I didn't want that to happen at all but I wasn't going to let her hurt him."​

 

[icedthemoon]

Hayden Gaines and Soren Truelson
FEDRA Civilian, FEDRA Officer | 24, 35 | Current location ;; Seattle Quarantine Zone

Was going to. As in was not yet. As in Josh shot Kyra. Not a monster. Hayden knew monsters. He saw them every day. They crawled out of the shadows, reaching for him. She wasn’t a monster. Hayden tried never to think too much about any that he had seen, but now he did. He wanted to see them move. See who they were. See their eyes. Her eyes still felt like her. Right? She was desperate. He thought about Jacob’s mother and remembered then that Jacob had been there when that happened. He pulled away and rolled over so that he could look at his brother. His eyes were bloodshot, his cheeks were soaked, and overall he was a mess. “How was it? When she changed?” It was a hard question to ask, but he had to know. He had to know if that was what Kyra was doing.

There were so few ways that this conversation could go. Soren was not going to be able to agree on every point with Josh, but he could agree with saving Hayden. Kyra may not have fully turned when she was reaching for him. She also may have. They didn’t know. They couldn’t know. “We should have taken care of her before that.” Even though they did not know for sure until later, he and Josh both suspected before that. Soren did not know Kyra well before this. She seemed so different the once or twice they met previously. “We shouldn’t have brought Hayden and Jacob to see them.” He kept the blame on the two of them. They were partners in this. “And I know that she was going to grab him, and that could have been bad, but Josh. Josh he watched you kill her when he thought she was still his sister.”​

 

[EquineGurl23]

Joshua and Jacob Smith
FEDRA Officer, FEDRA Civilian | 24, 30 | Current location ;; Seattle Quarantine Zone

Jacob watched as Hayden pulled away and he removed his arms so he could. He saw those bloodshot eyes, soaked cheeks and how much of a mess his brother was right now. He heard that question and bit his lip. "She was.. complaining that her body hurt, but I thought it was just the metal from the car accident she'd been in that morning when the world went crazy. I thought she just needed medical attention. But a while later, she wasn't the same. She screeched like one of those.. animals. She ran kind of hunched, and her face was covered in black veins and contorted as if she was in pain." Jacob closed his eyes as the memories came back.

Josh looked at him, and while he knew that they should've done this earlier. That they shouldn't have brought Hayden and Jacob there. "I just wanted him to have a little happiness, a little.. normalcy. I didn't think.." That she'd turn while he was there. "I had to. I wasn't going to let her have the chance to infect him. Wasn't going to let her.." Take him away from Josh. Selfish actions maybe, but the ones made from impulse and love usually are. "I know he saw me shoot his sister, and I'll need to face him.." Josh looked away, anywhere but at Soren.​

 

[icedthemoon]

Hayden Gaines and Soren Truelson
FEDRA Civilian, FEDRA Officer | 24, 35 | Current location ;; Seattle Quarantine Zone

Hayden watched Jacob’s face as he recalled the memories of his mother’s change. Hurt. Kyra was clearly hurting. Screeched. Kyra never did that. Hunched. Maybe? She was holding onto the bars of the cell. Black veins. No, he didn’t see any of those on her. Pain. He was certain she was in pain. He was not certain about anything else. So. Maybe. He didn’t like those odds. He did not like that she was only maybe that kind of sick. What if she was a different kind of sick? What if she was hurting for some other reason? His attention was drawn back to Jacob and his mother. The loss that they both felt. More and more and more building up like a painful tower. It was his turn to rub Jacob’s back. “I’m sorry,” he whispered. He closed his eyes and two more silent tears fell.

Soren placed a hand on Josh’s shoulder. He squeezed it lightly to prove that he was there with him. He was not the angry mob that was going to be after him as soon as he got home or when Logan got out of that cell. Thankfully, it seemed that Logan was far less likely to explode on him than Jacob. “I know. You did what you had to do, and I agree that we couldn’t take the chance with her reaching for him. You made a hard choice. It was the right choice in that moment. I just wish we hadn’t had to have that moment.” Now that he said his own peace, even though he was feeling a bit more than that, he groaned. “Jacob is going to kill you. You know that, right?”​

 

[EquineGurl23]

Joshua and Jacob Smith
FEDRA Officer, FEDRA Civilian | 24, 30 | Current location ;; Seattle Quarantine Zone

Jacob opened his eyes a moment later, eyes holding their own sadness as he felt the rub on his back. He looked at Hayden, hearing his words and he leaned forward, pressing his forehead to Hayden's. His eyes closed again as they laid there, one comforting the other at the unfair loss that both had suffered. "Thank you." He whispered. Though this little moment would not quell the fire of hatred burning for his younger brother.

Josh felt the hand on his shoulder and looked at Soren, biting his lip. He appreciated the fact that Soren wasn't.. going to try and go after him for what he did. "I know. I wish I hadn't either. I just.. wanted to do it for Hayden. To help him. If things had gone right, then he'd see her, we'd go home and.. she dies overnight." Josh said softly. His gaze turned to the ground and sighed heavily. "I know he is. Him and Logan both. And I'm sure Hayden doesn't want to see or hear from me right now either. I'll stay and guard over night so he doesn't have to." Josh's voice was resigned, as if he knew he'd messed up and he was just accepting that nothing would be the same.​

 

[icedthemoon]

Hayden Gaines and Soren Truelson
FEDRA Civilian, FEDRA Officer | 24, 35 | Current location ;; Seattle Quarantine Zone

They laid there in the quiet for a while. Hayden could not longer tell the progression of time, though to be honest, he lost that prior to this. Feeling Jacob there, knowing that he was not alone, helped. When he was alone, it was harder to ignore the demons. When he was with Jacob, there was a constant reminder that there was a real world too. After a while, when he thought he would start crying again, he whispered, “Do you think Logan is okay? Is he- is he sick too?” He did not think he could take another break.

Soren’s heart broke at the reveal of Josh’s plan. In that moment, he understood exactly what Josh was wanting to do. Of course he played a risky card. Of course he did that for Hayden. Josh did so much for Hayden and his family. Soren was afraid that somehow there was going to be a disconnect between the two parties. He frowned at Josh’s new resolution. “Are you sure you want to do that?” He was worried about Josh as well. If he did nothing but bury himself in this, Soren was not sure he was going to be okay.​