Meet Me At The End Of The World

Chapter Twenty-four

"Simon, where did you get that?" I ask as I hold both of my hands up so he can see that I'm unarmed. His hands trembling as he moves the gun between Frederick August and I as tears spill from his beautiful green eyes.

"You're working with him." Simon gasps in horror, the gun settling on me. I stare at the weapon before allowing my eyes to dart back to my boyfriend.

"I had to so I could save you." I explain, urgently needing him to understand. My words only seem to anger him further though.

"I never asked for you to save me!" He roars and for a brief moment I believe that he's going to pull the trigger. He doesn't, but I don't allow myself to breathe a sigh of relief.

"Please, can we just talk about this?" I plead, needing him to understand me. He shakes his head before nodding. I open my mouth to speak once again yet he shakes his head once again.

"How's the pain Simon?" Frederick August asks as though he generally believes that that is an appropriate question right now. Simon appears thrown by the question before shaking his head once again.

"It's fine." He says, his tone confused and his voice quiet as if he's uncertain whether or not he's supplying the correct answer.

"Its a shame that you're dying then isn't it?" He cackles and I frown yet Simon appears unfazed.

"What are you..."

"The virus never stopped in my leg Danny. I'm dying." Simon says as though it means nothing to him. I can't help but stare at him before shaking my head, unable to accept it.

"Those pills were designed to save him." I cry as I turn to Frederick August who only shakes his head with a satisfied expression on his ugly face.

"Those pills were only extremely strong painkillers. They may have removed a lot of the pain but they never were supposed to save him." The realisation hits me like a bullet and it takes everything in my power to stay standing. I glance back to Simon to find that he's still pointing that gun at me, seeminly unfazed.

"Are you going to become one of them?" I demand, hating that I have to ask. Simon bites his lip nervously before nodding.

"It's taking longer since the amputation reduced the amount of the virus that could get through but it's still there. Its growing and I can feel it taking me Danny. I can feel it killing me." His voice finally breaks as though the realisation of what is actually happenig to him sinks in. I long to race to him and hold him in my arms yet he's holding a gun.

"We can still fix this." Its a lie and we both know it. Despite how much I long to fix this I know that I can't. There is no known cure for the virus and even if there was, that wouldn't matter either. There are no humans left but us.

"No we can't." Simon whispers, his voice breaking.

"At least you'll finally see your dad again." Frederick August states with a smirk. In an instant, the gun fires yet Simon's hand is shaking too much for anyone to get shot. I have to admit that I'm thankful for that since there is no way in the world Simon would be able to continue if he killed someone.

In an instant, Frederick August is snatching Simon's wrist and yanking the gun from his fingers before shoving him. Simon stumbles backwards yet losses his footing due to his bad leg and falls backwards. He smashes into a table coated in glass beakers before slipping to the floor.

"Simon!" I scream as he lays still with blood seeping from his wounds. Frederick August points the gun at him as if he expects an attack yet it's obvious that Simon is in no fit state to fight back.

"He's already unstable. It's only a matter of time now." Frederick August cackles and despite how much I hate him, I have to agree with him. Simon isn't acting like himself anymore and knowing that it's because he's slowly dying and becoming corrupt with this virus is eating me away inside.

After all, this is all my fault.

I go to run to Simon's side yet Frederick August turns and points the gun at me. I stare at him in surprise yet before I have a chance to say anything, Simon is up and tackling him to the ground.

The gun goes skidding across the floor and I hastily pick it up, knowing that if either Frederick August or Simon get their hands on it then we're all as good as dead.

Frederick August screams as Simon uses a shard of glass to slice open his arm yet before Simon has a chance to get away, Frederick August smashes a glass beakers into his face.

"STOP!" I scream but of course no one listens to me. I point the gun at the area of floor directly beside them and shoot into it, making them both jump. "Get off of him!" I order Frederick August who's paused in attempting to squeeze his hands around Simon's neck. He hesitated so I point the gun at him. "Now."

As soon as Frederick August is away from Simon I kneel down beside him. Simon is bloody but alive which I'm thankful for. He leans into me as I pull him into my arms and kiss his head.

"Young love, how sweet." Frederick August sneers. Hastily, I hold the gun up and aim it directly at his head.

"Shut it or I'll blow your brains out." I snarl and he nods in agreement, clearly perfering to have his brains inside of him. The moment he falls silent I resume my fussing over Simon.

Despite his protest, I yank up his trouser leg to where his mechanical leg meets flesh to find a web of bulging black veins snaking up and towards his body, a sign that the virus is spreading from the bite and to his heart and brain.

"Simon..."

"I'm fine." He assures me as he wipes some blood from his nose on his sleeve. I can't ignore the utter dispair I feel yet I keep it hidden since the last thing Simon needs is to see it. He obviously holds a lot of despair on his own without my help.

"We need to..."

"DANNY!"