Hunted || Wesari

Chapter Nine: Help

Wes's eyelids opened slowly.

He found himself staring at a wooden ceiling, which definitely wasn't the one of his shelter. He sat up groggily, before observing his surroundings.

He was in a cabin, if he had to guess. The walls were made of wooden logs, and there was a window on one of them, which curtains were opened. He could see the forest from it, and a deer lounging in the foliage.

He was in a bed, but besides that, there was no other furniture in the room save for a cabinet, bedside table, and a few chairs. There was a rifle, as well, resting against the wall.

But the most shocking them to him, by far, was his arm. It was in a sling, wrapped around his neck. He tried to move it, but all he could do was move it from his shoulder. In fact, he couldn't even feel his arm.

He started hyperventilating as his memories returned to him. Mari. Bear. Pain. Blonde person. Where had they taken him? What did they want with him? After his last encounter with anyone outside his group, Wes was suspicious of everyone.

The door creaked open, and Wes' head shot up. A blonde-haired woman stood there, a bowl of soup in her hands. She looked shocked to see him, before her mouth split into a grin.

"Oh, good, you're awake!" She said, sitting down in the chair next to him. "How does your arm feel?"

"I can't even feel it," Wes replied on instinct. "I'm sorry, who are you?"

The woman laughed. "Of course, I should've introduced myself. I'm Courtney. Courtney Miller-Sui."

She extended her hand, and Wes shook it. "My name's Wes. Where am I?"

The woman placed the soup on the table. "You're in my wife and I's cabin. It's not too far off from where you were... attacked."

"You're the one who saved me?" He asked. She nodded.

"Yeah," She nodded at the rifle. "With that baby over there. Shot the beast right through the eye."

"You must be a skilled markswoman," Wes replied.

Courtney smiled. "You could say that. I'm certainly better than my wife."

"Your wife," Wes repeated. "Is she here?"

Courtney nodded. "She's out fishing right now. You'll be able to meet her later. That is, of course, if you stay."

Wes paused at her words. He could stay here? He knew he would much rather be here, in a home, than out in the wilderness. But he didn't know these people; they could sell him out to Mari in an instant if they wanted too. Or, if they didn't, he'd be putting them in danger by staying here. He was sure that Mari was hunting him, and he felt like she didn't need a fire to track him down.

"I can't," He replied. "Thanks for the offer."

"At least stay until your arms healed," Courtney replied. "You got attacked by a bear when you had both of them. Who knows what you could fall victim too with only one."

He knew that they were both thinking about the same thing; infecteds. She was right. It would be very challenging to defend himself with only one arm, especially since it wasn't his dominant one.

"Do you have enough resources to have me?" He asked.

Courtney nodded. "More than enough. We have five years worth in cans, a garden, and a river full of fish."

"Why do you want to help me so much?" He asked. For all he knew, this was a trap.

"I used to be a doctor," Courtney replied. "It's kind of my thing."