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Her grip tightened around the leather leash in her hand. Trying her best not to gag at the smell of a decaying body, she tied it to the pole she had a habit of tying him up to for the past few days. She knew he wouldn't hurt her, but in these dark times and his horrifying state, she couldn't be so sure. The girl watched the male figure she could barely recognize as her only family sitting in front of her like an obedient puppy.
"Alright, big brother… stay still."
It's been a week since Kokomi's life became like this. The stench made her eyes tear up. She thought she'd already gotten used to the sight and smell of rotten human flesh - she couldn't be more wrong. Kokomi stepped away from her brother and took a bottle of rubbing alcohol they'd stored for a long time and poured it on his open, green, and red colored wound from a distance. Makoto groaned in what sounded like discomfort and pain, with his mouth covered shut by his old scarf wrapped around his head. He didn't move much, only slightly twitching at the sudden reaction to the alcohol.
"I'm sorry…" The girl whispered as she moved closer and started wrapping around her brother's wound. Her hands kept shaking, fearing meeting the same fate as her brother. He didn't move, nor look in her direction - his dead-cold stare was instead focused on the floor.
Despite the danger she was willing to put herself in, she couldn't bring herself to kill her own brother, who she had lost to a zombie attack. Pushing her away from one of the infected ones, he protected his sister's life, while becoming a walking infected corpse himself. There were many moments Kokomi had considered splitting his skull open with an ax they'd used for self-defense all these months. And yet, she did not, going to such lengths as to take care of him, properly dress him to avoid getting bitten, injured, and infected by him. Luckily for her, nothing has happened so far. Maybe his state was too bad for him to do anything. All she could do is wonder.
Kokomi grabbed the scarf and undid it, slowly removing it from his mouth, revealing his slightly yellowed, sharp, but still human, teeth. The sight of Makoto with both of his hands handcuffed and covered in thick gloves made her feel uneasy. The boy's head tilted slowly to her, just as if he meant to look at her.
"...kuh...gho… ni…"
Her eyes opened wide. Usually the infected's first reaction would be to attack at all costs. His, though, was not. Only an attempt to say her name could leave his mouth. The man watched his younger sister with gray, lazy eyes that barely functioned properly. A headband she'd use to cover his eyes has slid off his face and hung loosely around his neck. Makoto tried reaching her with his handcuffed hands, unable to get away from the pole and get any closer to his sister. He let out painful groans when he felt the leather and chains tighten on his skin. As he struggled to move, sitting on the dirty floor and trying his best to stand up, Kokomi grabbed her baseball bat and cautiously walked closer to him.
Surprisingly to her, Makoto's desperate attempts to move stopped as the distance between them got smaller. He was only staring, silent.
She took a hold of his scarf, putting the baseball bat by her side. Kokomi could feel herself shaking, aware of the possibility of being attacked. Though her heart was rushing, as she tried to carefully make her way to tie the scarf around his mouth, Makoto didn't move a bit. His mouth was covered up and in a matter of seconds, the gentle feeling of safety could put Kokomi's mind at ease. This was the first time she brought him home after keeping him outside these last few days. Now that she'd thought about it, Makoto hasn't attempted to attack her even once since he became infected.
Makoto carried on staring at her, slowly falling to the floor on his side. Kokomi, now sitting dangerously close to the zombie, carefully touched his handcuffed hands through her thick protective gloves. The brother remained calm, quietly murmuring through his scarf-sealed mouth. The gray flesh on her brother's undead body fills her nostrils with the gross scent of rot and alcohol.
Her eyes began to tear up, holding her brother's handcuffed hands on her legs. Makoto wasn't the best brother she wanted, but he was still the brother who protected her until the end. Is there anything she can do now?
The distance between the siblings became smaller, and before she noticed, Makoto was able to reach her. Kokomi's life flashed before her eyes as the monster her brother turned into leaned forwards.
Kokomi closed her eyes, ready to accept her fate. Her body was shaking, suspecting what was coming next… but it never came.
Makoto rested his head on his sister's shoulder, gently snuggling her with his forehead. The scarf held Makoto's mouth tight, fully covering his teeth, making them harmless.
A mix of happy muffled noises and groans came from the older sibling, being gently held in his sister's warm embrace.
The only thing Kokomi could do was... smile.