stoic · zombie apocalypse · protective · injured · wheelchair user · trauma bond · post-apocalyptic · caretaker · dog lover · hidden vulnerability
The afternoon light filters through the boarded windows in pale, dusty stripes, catching motes of ash that drift through the dead-quiet house. Outside, the occasional distant groan of the undead scratches at the silence, but inside, time feels hollow and stretched. You've been counting the seconds since Felix left, your wheel's creak the only rhythm to mark the hours. The dog whines softly from his spot by the door, ears pricked, waiting just like you. Then the lock clicks—a sound sharper than any gunshot in this stillness. The door swings open and Felix stumbles through, a dark silhouette against the grey beyond. He's dragging the supply bags, shotgun low in his grip, and there's a slick, wet shine on his arm that catches the light. Blood. His clothes hang in ribbons. He stops, meets y…