SURVIVAL OF THE FITTEST
Chapter 3: Fluids
Mejiro Dober's legs, which had once stood up to defend herself, could barely keep her standing; her frail skin glowing red and her left shoulder wobbling in its socket.
“Dober... Please...” Mejiro McQueen's quivering voice trailed off at the sight of her fellow Mejiro, struggling more and more every day.
Since the initial warning had been broadcast a few days ago, most Umamusume started getting ready to protect themselves and their peers, with a select few coming over to the ruins of Tracen Academy just to ask questions and show that there were tons of others alive—more than what UDGP had anticipated. The entire academy was preparing for the worst, with the Mejiros getting the short end of the stick. Many were already mourning.
“Look, McQueen,” Dober's eyes glance up at McQueens, whose ears twitched at the sight of Dober's infection-ridden state.
“We don't have the proper medical equipment to perform an amputation, let alone people I trust enough to do it.”
Dober's heated face and arm got redder and redder as time passed, during a time that felt like time wasn't even passing. Drainage and pus welled up by the shoulder; it looked as if her body was creating another opening to vomit fluids.
McQueen's face shrivelled from the increasingly foul smell.
“What are we going to do then? Your wound isn't healing, and I don't think it ever will. You have to let us help you, Dober.”
Dober shifted herself carefully to move closer to McQueen, being careful to not contaminate her. She let out a small wince, clutching her left elbow and holding it close to her chest.
“I- I don't know. You're right, but I'm just finding it hard to... accept things at the moment.” She felt the gentle brush of McQueen's slender fingers over her forehead, Dober's warmth and sweat startling McQueen.
“Take your time. However, I'm aware we don't know how much time we have...”
Dober shot a scornful look at McQueen, laced with slight pain. “Well, when you put it like that, there's more pressure for me to decide soon,” Dober murmured under her breath.
McQueen retracted her fingers from Dober, using them to shield the oncoming tears streaming down onto her cheeks. McQueen walked out of the small bedroom, trembling while closing the door and sending a loud squeak echoing in the room behind her.
“Shit... What should I do?”
Agnes Tachyon and Symboli Rudolf were unpacking the last of Tachyon's belongings into a concealed room in the academy, one that looked reminiscent of what used to be a library.
“After we finish this, we are going straight back outside. We have to find an infected Umamusume so we can study the infection.” Rudolf snapped her neck to face towards Tachyon, whose eyes remained on the contents of the suitcase she was unpacking.
“Alright, President. Whatever you say~” Tachyon's almost-mocking tone spread an irritated look onto Rudolf's face.
Sweat dripped down from Tachyon's forehead; whether it was from the gravity of being in such an influential position suddenly or from the weight of the boxes, we don't know.
Shortly after, Rudolf's heels echoed across the now laboratory with Tachyon following, clutching her crossbody of needles and weapons. Rudolf equipped herself with a spare first-aid kit and vials of tranquilizers, and the two of them hastily walked out of the academy.
Waves of bush and leaves blanketed them, thorns occasionally pricking their arms and cutty grass wounding their legs.
“Tch... Wounded before we even start.” Tachyon's sarcastic comment did nothing to Rudolf, whose sweat was falling onto the rough grass below. The surrounding bush made it seem like they had tunnel vision as they glued their eyes straight ahead on the path. Sunlight seeped through the gaps in the foliage with every slash of Tachyon's small blade.
Crunch.
That sound cut through the others. It definitely wasn't from the foliage.
Rudolf held her arm out in front of Tachyon, prompting her to pause in her tracks and hold out her blade. In a panic, Rudolf grabbed a dagger from Tachyon's crossbody and held it in front, scanning the dense surrounding bush.
Crunch.
There it was again. Rudolf's body paralysed, her pupils widening and her hands shaking. She looked over at Tachyon, who looked more suspicious than scared.
The two of them made eye contact, then slowly resumed walking in front. Both of their steps were light and cautious, trying to keep their noise down while also surveying their surroundings.
Crunch.
This time, the noise came from beneath Tachyon' foot.
Underneath her foot lay a severed ear. The ear was still attached to the head—or what remained; it barely hung on to a chunk of skin and hair ripped right from the scalp. Remnants of an ear cover and green ribbon sat beside it. Blood was strawn across the small area, trailing into the distance ahead and staining the fresh greenery.
“What.” Rudolf's lip quivered.
“Unfortunate.” Tachyon's unaffected tone did nothing but send Rudolf into a larger panic.
Rudolf held up her stinging arm to her eyes, wiping the tears that were trying to break through.
The two looked back up from the ear and redirected their stares back to the path ahead.
Then they realised something. They had found what they were looking for.
The small trail of blood from the severed ear trailed towards two Uumamusume in the distance.
The first was a dark, shadow looking figure, her hair cloaking her bony body. Her arms outstretched, long protruding claws tugging at the other's bare head. Crimson dripped from the limp, brainless body, coating the surrounding leaves like dew.
The shadow's hands clenched bits of brain, guts and bone that were coated in ungodly amounts of red fluids.
The only recognisable part of the remains were the two puffy pigtails that clung to her flaccid head for dear life, her bay hair streaked with maroon and green ribbon.
“Oh, so that's where my helper ended up,” Tachyon said with an odd amount of enthusiasm. “Who was it that said that they saw Cafe acting like a rabid animal, was it Tama-”
“TACHYON!” The forest fell quiet for what felt like hours.
“There's a fucking monster in front of us! We need to tranquilise her and bring her back immediately!” Rudolf's shallow breaths could be felt in the heavy air, with her chest rising and falling at a rapid pace. Both their hearts were racing.
“That's no Umamusume anymore.” Rudolf panted, fumbling in her pockets to find her tranquilizer. “That's a fucking psycho. What the hell are you waiting for, stab her so I can tranquilise her for Goddess's sake!”
Tachyon's gaze shifted from Rudolf's pale face to the shadow-like Umamusume. Yellow, beady eyes looked right back as she stood up from the base of the tree. The lifeless body sitting on top of the figure rolled off, spilling all the contents remaining in her head like a bowl of fruit punch.
Tachyon hesitantly walked up to the now-standing Umamusume.
“Ah-” Tachyon's knee gave out for a second, causing her to lose balance and creating more attention and noise towards her. Rudolf's heart skipped a beat.
“For fucks sake, let me do it!” Pulsing with adrenaline, Rudolf charged towards the figure. Up close, she realised why Tachyon had mentioned Cafe earlier.
This disgusting monster was an infected Manhattan Cafe.
Rudolf's anger morphed into pity.
The door creaked open once again, with Mejiro McQueen finding Mejiro Dober pitifully lying on the doctor's bed.
“Dober,” McQueen walked over to the bed and leaned over to see Dober's face. Her body had become frail, her arms especially. You could almost see the throbbing coming from her unhealing shoulder, never-ending pus oozing out. No matter how many times McQueen cleaned up after her, it felt like more fluids would stain the bedsheets just as fast.
Hopelessness was sinking in. McQueen looked at Dober's sweaty face, her breathing echoing around the small room.
“McQueen...” Dober's voice quivered, something that McQueen hadn't heard often. “Let's at least attempt the amputation. I'd... want to be put out of my misery if I have to keep living like this. A short life that would be, anyway.”
Dober felt tears drop on her forehead amongst the beads of sweat.
“A-alright. I'll at least feed you before we start.”
McQueen walked back towards the exit, not making it out the exit before a weakened voice caught her attention.
“Wait, we aren't doing it today... are we?” Silence lingered in the air.
“We have to do it as soon as possible... you've already spent too much time deciding whether to go through with it or not.” More silence.
“Oh.” Dober's head sank. She felt bittersweet; she knew the day she would meet her fate would come not too long after the attack, but she still trembled. The comfort of McQueen bringing her food every once in a while eased her slightly.
The now-familiar creak of the door sounded once again, and Dober was left by herself to reflect.
What was there to reflect on, though?
How are you supposed to feel when you're almost certain your end is coming? Or even if you do survive, you're just going to keep living through an apocalypse? Will life ever be back to normal? Should she just ask to be put out of her misery instead?
Many feelings and thoughts swirled through Dober's head, even after McQueen returned with dainty treats. The thought of death taunted her; This could be her last meal. Her last time seeing McQueen for all she knows. Or that she never got to properly say goodbye to Mejiro Ryan, Gold Ship or any of the others who lived at the academy but were less affiliated with the newly founded UGDP.
She just wanted a bullet through her head. The suspense and uncertainty were killing her just as much as the infection that was eating away at her arm. She was convinced she was going to die that day.
Tachyon stumbled, gaining her balance back and got back onto her feet, but not before Cafe charged right at her. Cafe swung her knife-like claws to Tachyon's face.
“TACHYON!”
Cafe's claws dug into Tachyon's right eye socket, knocking her back down with blood oozing out from the site. Her other claws pierced through her skin, slowly and torturously sinking deeper and deeper.
Tachyon's shallow breaths heightened, blood obstructing what vision she had left.
“GET OFF OF ME!” Crimson dripped from her eye into her mouth, the metallic taste reflecting what the small blade still in her hand would taste like. Trembling, she stabbed that blade into Cafe's ankle with a loud crack. Cafe let out a loud screech.
One that lingered with remnants of her past, when she was still an Umamusume.
Tachyon pulled out the blade as Cafe collapsed onto the bed of blood-soaked foliage below, Tachyon covering her ears to shield herself from the excruciating screams.
As soon as Cafe looked even slightly vulnerable, Rudolf launched herself onto her with fear and anger swirling around. With a loud yell, she forced the tranquilizer into Cafe's neck.
Cafe's grip on Tachyon loosened, Rudolf rushing to pull the claws out of her face.
“TACHYON!” Rudolf clutched her head in her arms, shaking it to try and get some sign of life from her.
“TACHYON! ARE YOU ALIVE, CAN YOU HEAR ME?” Slowly, she wiped the maroon from her eyes and looked back at Rudolf. Tachyon's coughing and spluttering filled the forest as blood dripped from her face.
“There's still time, there's still time, she's fine...” Rudolf reassured, mostly directed to herself. With her body still shuddering, she lifted Tachyon over her shoulders to see if she could talk or stabilise herself.
Now standing, she caught sight of Cafe lying unconscious on the floor. Her striking eyes were half-lidded, pus still oozing out. Rudolf let out a long, shaky sigh as Tachyon cautiously steadied herself, blood still dripping.
Rudolf fumbled, but eventually grabbed a bandage and wrapped up the half of Tachyon's face that was wounded. Tachyon grabbed Rudolf's shoulder to stabilise herself, letting out a slight wince when trying to move again.
“Let me grab Cafe.” Rudolf leaned down once again and slung Cafe over her shoulder, Tachyon using the opposite side of her to stabilise herself. They both paused in silence to look back at the other limp body on the ground. Rudolf then looked around the nearby clover patch, laying eyes on a four-leaf clover.
A small smile spread across her face.
She plucked the clover and gently placed it onto the body to pay her respects before setting off back to the academy with Tachyon.
-- CONFIRMED ALIVE --
Agnes Tachyon
Mejiro Dober
Mejiro McQueen
Mejiro Ryan
Tokai Teio
Symboli Rudolf
Gold Ship
Sakura Bakushin O
Special Week
Silence Suzuka
Daiwa Scarlet
Vodka
Super Creek
T. M Opera O
Meisho Doto
Rice Shower
Mihono Bourbon
Haru Urara
Matikanefukukitaru
Mayano Top Gun
King Halo
Maruzensky
-- CONFIRMED INFECTED --
Mejiro Palmer
Manhattan Cafe
Seiun Sky
Nishino Flower
-- MISSING --
(N/A)
