Survival of the fittest - AmyMarie and Shadowfax

[Shadowfax]

Ashelin tried her hardest not to cough, so much so it hurt her chest and she felt like she was going to explode. She could sense Aimee and Sam watching her so she was relieved when George agreed to let her out of the car. Though she was ill, she still had her stubbornness and she ignored his hand as he outstretched it to her. She'd always helped herself alone and accepting the fact he and his sister had bandaged up her arm was still alot to accept in Ashelin's eyes.

After a few steps out of the car, she fell to her knee's and coughed up yet more blood. The road scraped her knee's, but she barely noticed. Now she was shivering with cold aswell. It was a normal spring day out, not cold in the slightest. When George approached her again, she wished he wouldn't.

"You got a name pretty boy?" She asked weakly, yet the sarcasm in her voice was there.

Sam turned to Aimee, worry in his little eyes.

"Does this mean we'll get sick too?" he asked her.

[UncoordinatedPisces]

George could see she didn't want his help, that she didn't want him around, and if he didn't care as much he would of left her. He was too late to catch her as she fell, but instead he sat on the road with her. At her question, he managed a smile.
"George St John, though last names probably don't matter to you". He handed her the bandage for her to clean her own mouth, he wasn't going to do it while she was awake.

Aimee could feel her heart melt as Sam talked to her. She wrung her hands together as she sat where Ashelin had previously been sitting.
"I-I...don't know. Me and my brother have been in contact with the infected all the time and we haven't got ill..." she replied uneasily, glancing outside to look at Ashelin again.

[Shadowfax]

"Well then, George St John are you going to do it?" She asked him as she wiped her mouth on the bandage he had thrown to her.

Seeing the confusion on his face, she caught her breath and shakily sat up again.

"You've got a gun right? Shoot me. I've got the vi- *cough* virus. Im as good as dead" She said, lying on her side now as sitting up was becoming too difficult for her. All Ashelin wanted to do now was sleep, but she tried her hardest to fight the tiredness.

Sam looked out at the two of them and winced as he saw Ashelin cough again. He hated the fact everyone he knew had died and losing Ashelin to boot would be a real punch in the stomach. She'd never shown him any kindness, but he wanted to be her friend. She seemed so lonely.

"I don't think it will kill Ashelin.. She's too strong" Sam said out of desperation. "Did you lose anyone to the sickness?"

[UncoordinatedPisces]

George was taken aback by her order. He wasn't able to answer her, not intially. Shoot her? He had killed a man already today, but he didn't know he was going to die. This...this was different. He began shaking his head,
"I...can't". He knew it would make him look like a coward, and a bad person for refusing to do it, but he honestly doubted he'd be able to pick up a gun and shoot her. If he had a gun...wait...the boy, Sam did. He could shoot her, but George didn't have the guts. "I'm sorry, I just- I can't kill again". He paused, looking over Ashelin with a pitiful look.

Aimee could faintly hear the conversation going on outside. Would George pick up the gun and do it? Aimee thought differently of her brother, he might. When Sam spoke again, she gained some hope. False hope maybe, but Ashelin could be strong enough to recover.
"Maybe you're right..." she replied, her own voice not sounding as desperate. It sounded more optimisitic at least. At Sam's question, she winced. Her and George hadn't even sat down yet and talked about losing their family, both too nervous to do so. Still, she answered.
"My parents, my grandparents...pretty sure the rest of my family caught it too, you never know though. What about you?"

[Shadowfax]

"Cowa-" But Ashelin couldn't even finish her sentence and was again coughing violently, blood dripping from her mouth.

She wriggled in pain and huddled up in a ball as the virus began to attack every part of her body. Her head felt like it was about to explode, her eyes were watering and her chest was throbbing. Never before had she felt so ill or useless and she was struggling to keep conscious now as it overtook her. She grit her teeth so hard it hurt and every now and then she was groan with agony.

"Im sorry. It's awful losing family" Sam sympathized.

When Aimee asked him who he had lost, he twiddled his thumbs for a moment. He too had yet to speak about losing his family and words seemed to be lost for a moment.

"I.." He began, but he soon looked horrified once more as Ashelin began to have a fit.

[UncoordinatedPisces]

George felt sick. He hated seeing this, and he had seen his fair share of people dying from it already. He had the chance to put this woman out of her misery...to not do so would be cruel now. He stood up, turned around and looked directly at Sam. He was staring at Ashelin, Aimee was staring at George and there was a moment where no one moved. Then, George began to reach out towards the gun in Sam's pocket.

"I-It's time to-" he gulped. The look the boy gave him silenced him. Aimee pushed George's hand away
"Surely there's another way...do you have to?" He motioned Ashelin, who was still fitting.
"Look at her Aimee". His little sister stared at the woman, and then turned to Sam. George had his palm out, ready to take the gun.
"Sam, he needs the gun" Aimee choked.

[Shadowfax]

Sam couldn't believe the words he was hearing. His hand went to his pocket almost instinctively, but he refused to reveal the gun. He wasn't going to let them shoot her. A cry of pain from the roadside made him gasp and his eyes returned to George again. Sam was feeling so confused and it felt like Ashelin's life was in his hands now. For a child of nine, that was a terrifying thought. His hands were shaking, but still he did not move.

"I... I can't.... She'll be ok.. she will. You'll see" He said stubbornly, trying to get their eyes off him as their gaze was making him feel even more uncomfortable.

Ashelin was still fitting, her thoughts going dark and her body failing her. It was like, bit by bit she was losing the ability to control all parts of it. The pain was getting to much. She just wanted it to end. And then it did.. She felt a buzz, then lost all feeling as she drifted away. Her movement stopped, her breathing stopped and she felt at peace.

[UncoordinatedPisces]

George felt impatient, only because she could hear Ashelin suffering behind him.
"Sam, please, give me the gun" he said, beckoning with his hand. "For her sake". The boy didn't comply, and George was about to reach for the gun when things fell silent. Slowly, he turned around. Ashelin lay still on the road. Aimee seemed the let out a silent gasp, for her mouth was open but no sound was emitting from it. George knelt down beside her, forgetting about the gun.

"I-I'm sorry I didn't shoot you" he began mumbling, eyes a little hazy with tears. This was stranger, but he felt responsible for her suffering now.

[Shadowfax]

Sam leapt out of the car and stumbled onto the road as he exited the vehicle. He scraped his knee and most nine year olds would kick up a fuss about that, but he felt nothing. He stood over Ashelin, but he did not cry. He couldn't. Wether it was because he was so overcome with emotion, or whether he was tired of crying he did not know, but the woman he had travelled with for the last week was now dead. Why didn't he feel anything? He knelt down and opened up Ashelin's hand, placing the hand gun between her fingers.

"She was always carrying that, everywhere she went" Sam said with a sigh.

He settled down next to the body and gazed at her exhausted looking face for a moment before looking up at George.

"Can we stay here tonight? And.. bury her in the morning?" He pleaded.

[UncoordinatedPisces]

George ran a hand through his hair, stood up, and wiped the straggling tears from his eyes in a rush. There was nothing he could do now. She was gone. He, for the second time that day, put a hand on Sam's shoulder.
"Of course we can". He turned to his sister who was looking rather upset, but she wasn't in tears. He was surprised, she was usual emotional over most things. Instead, she stood up and knelt down beside Sam.
"Do you need a moment with um-Ash?" she asked.

George however, was thinking ahead now. He didn't know whether he should leave her out in the open, or put in her the boot. It didn't sound at all dignified, but the elements of being outside could get to the body over-night, especially if it rained.