"If you- if you didn't offer him that job in the first place, he would not be lying here. If you-" The next sentence was drowned in a sob.

Noah felt like he was there, but not really. He felt hollow and so so guilty, that he could only look at Ben who was holding Zenix in his arm. Crying into his shoulder as he hugged him tightly. Noah felt utterly helpless. Mills walked in and saw the scene before them, Ben was hugging a lifeless body and Noah sat there looking at them both. The whole lab was turned over, tables laid everywhere upturned, some even broken. And the zombie was nothing but charcoal. They walked out again to get someone. A few minutes later about four people in black fight suits came in together with Mr. Murray.

The old man sighed at the tragedy, walked to Ben, and put a hand on his shoulder, "I once was exactly where you are, the war many years ago took my best friend too. He died in my arms, never opening his eyes again. His last wish was to take care of his little sister for him." The old man's eyes were deep in thought the loss still weighing as heavy as it hurt many years ago.

Ben raised his head to look at Mr. Murray, "I don't have anyone anymore, he was the last one. How will I be able to live without him? How will I be able to live all alone?"

"You will never learn to truly live without any of the people you care about. You will always be reminded, but that doesn't mean it has to be bad. Remember the good things, remember him in a way that he is still alive. When not in the world you live in, then he should live one in here," with that, Mr. Murray raised his hand to his heart. Ben looked at the hand that was raised over Mr. Murray's heart.

"I don't want him to be touched by anyone other than me, if he really has to be incinerated then I want to be the one who carries him there," Ben demanded, slowly standing up with Zenix's Body in his arms. Noah watched as Ben carried Zenix out of the lab, he slowly tried to get up. Standing, his legs felt wobbly, and every step he took made him hear voices.

Well, more like one voice, 'You're just like your father.' His mother's voice, repeating over and over again. He couldn't even hear Mr. Murray as he tried to talk to him.

His head was full, so full, 'You're just like your father. You're just like your father. You're just like your father. You're a murderer. You're just like your father. You're at fault. You're just like your father. You're just like your father. You're just like your father. You're just like your father. You murdered someone. You're just like your father. You're just like your father. You're a killer. You're just like your father. You're just like your father. You hurt someone. You're just like your father. You're just like your father. You're just like your father. You're just like your father. HE IS DEAD, because of YOU'

Noah was going crazy, "STOP, get out of my head! I wasn't... My body couldn't move. I didn't want him to die." As the people in black tried to restrain him he punched and kicked around, until he was put to sleep. Everything faded to black.

...

Every step felt heavy as Ben walked further and further. He knew the protocol, that if a corpse had been bitten before dying he had to be incinerated immediately. To burn Zenix, he couldn't, but to let him go without seeing him off, would be a thousand times worse. He will be with him, every step of the way. Ben also knew he couldn't stay, the hate that had built up for Noah, the research, and this whole base had reached its limit when Zenix died. The incinerator was on the first floor, behind the garden of the dojo. It was hard walking through the masses of people, with a body in your arms, a body that had been alive just a few moments ago. The incinerator was like a clay firing station with two doors. In front of the incinerator, he laid Zenix down and kissed his forehead, silently promising that they would meet in their next life. Ben watched Zenix as the flames enclosed the body more and more until the door was shut and Zenix's ashes would forever be mixed with other people in there. He fell on his knees, his head fell to his chest and he prayed. Ben was never the type to pray, but he did so the soul of his friend would find their way to salvation.

...

Pain, his head hurt so much. Noah opened his eyes and shut them again. The light, his head, his whole body hurt so much. He felt like he had been run over by a truck, he tried to move his arms but they were tied. Confused he opened his eyes again, slowly so his eyes could get used to the light. Looking at his right hand he found that it was tied to the white bed he laid on. Noah shook his hands, but they were tied tight. He then tried to bend his legs, but his angles were tied.

"We had to tie you up! You were punching and kicking all around," a deep and throaty voice said. Noah looked at the direction it was coming from and saw the old man Mr. Murray. Behind him stood Maison, he had a complicated look on his face.

Mr. Murray slowly got up from the chair he was sitting on, "For a smaller and soft-looking guy, you do have a lot of strength and fighting technique I have to say. You took out three guys before we finally knocked you down. To think that even when you were knocked out you could fight, was a surprise. So we even had someone with a strength ability holding you tightly as you were escorted into this ward and tied to this bed. Only then did you stop squirming and trying to get out."

He had quite a thoughtful face, as he looked at the tied-up Noah.

Then he heaved a heavy sigh, "I only met those who have been to war, with such autopilot fighting skills. Such skills belong to the battlefield young one, not in a laboratory. Even without an ability your fighting style and technique is quite enough."

Maison slowly walked to his grandfather putting both his hands on the other shoulder, "Gamps, Noah was the one who made planting fruits and vegetables possible again. He has all the skills to develop a cure, why should we waste him on a battlefield?" Mr. Murray slapped both of Maison's hands away, and a disapproving gaze flew through his eyes as he looked at his grandson.

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"Maison, he almost killed more than just one person. Having such a risk in the research facility is beyond dangerous. He would be much better use out there."

Noah didn't want to go out there, he wanted to stay with the research he could much better help people with the activity of saving them. An image flashed by his eyes, Ben hunching over Zenix as he held him tightly. Tears ran down his face and onto the face of Zenix who was lifeless. Blood ran down from his shoulder, to the floor from the deep zombie bite. He heard his mother's voice in his head, wanting to chant again.

The electrocardiogram machine next to him began beeping fast as his pulse also went faster, Maison looked worried at the electrocardiogram machine and then at Noah. Maison ran next to him and shook the other's shoulders, but Noah was unresponsive.

Just like before he began to try and fight himself out of the situation. Pulling and kicking against his restraints, his eyes were still open, but he saw nothing except Zenix's body bloody and on the floor.

Ben looked up and said, "It's your fault, because of you my best friend is dead. He was the only one I had left." He stood up, kept eye contact with Noah, and walked toward him. Zenix and the background vanished, there only stood Ben.

Out of nowhere his mother stood next to Ben, her platin blonde hair flowing in the air as she put a hand on Ben's left shoulder, "You are a murderer just like your father, just like him you hurt people." Full of panic he tried to crawl away from them, just retreating backwards as he was still sitting on the floor.

"NO, no, no. I never wanted this, no leave me alone. I am not like him, I could never be like him. With Zenix it was an accident, there was nothing I could have done. That raven he locked my body, I couldn't move. You have to believe me, Zenix was my first friend too. Please." He pleaded with every step they both walked closer to him and tried to stand up and run away. Though he could do nothing else than retreat back, both of them were hovering over him. As if out of the same mouth, "IT'S YOUR FAULT!"

Maison tried to do anything in his power to wake him up, but nothing worked. All of a sudden Noah started screaming, he trashed around trying to get rid of the restraints, trying to move closer to the wall. Nothing worked though, then Maison watched as Noah closed his eyes and tears ran down his face. Mr. Murray already pushed the emergency button in the hopes that someone could give Noah something to calm him down. The nurse pushed in and when she saw what was happening she ran out again. His screaming seized and he quietly sobbed. Noah began to mumble, Maison couldn't understand as it was so silent.

So he bowed down next to Noah's face, "It was not... I didn't... He was my ..." Standing straight he looked into the eyes of his grandfather, Mr. Murray shook his head.

"Never in my life have I seen something like this on a teenage boy. It looks like post-traumatic stress disorder, something I have only seen with soldiers or very traumatized kids. Never like this though, usually, this happens when something is happening in front of them that sends them back or when something is said." Maison tried to wrack his brain trying to think what could have caused this.

Then it dawned to him, "We were talking about research and the cure. Maybe the word cure or research sends him back to Zenix's death. Maybe it was also the words Ben said to him, the 'it's your fault'."

Mr. Murray walked to the end of the bed where Noah's feet were tied tightly by the ropes, but not caring about the ropes Noah was still trying to kick his way out of them. Mr. Murray lad a hand on one of his legs, Noah's movement came to a halt.

Only his legs were not moving his arms still tried to escape, until the deep and throaty voice said, "There is NOTHING you could've done, you are NOT to blame. Zenix knew what he was getting himself into. YOU are NOT to blame, shit like this happens and we have to live with it. Life goes on even without him in your life, his life was avenged with the death of the zombie that killed him." Noah's breathing became steady, his heartbeat began to calm down.

A tear slid down his face as he said one word clearly and for all to hear, "Zenix." Before falling into a deep slumber. Maison pulled the chair his grandfather sat on closer to him, he sat on it and took Noah's hand in his own. He felt unsettled ever since he first saw him trying to fight his way out, even unconscious. Feeling that the rope restricted the closeness of them both, he untied it and held Noah's right hand with both his hands. Looking into Noah's face, as it calmed him down. Mr. Murrey looked at his lovestruck grandson and walked out of the ward to tell the nurse they wouldn't be needing any medicaments.

...

Closing the ward door behind him, he looked in front, Ben stood there his face stone cold.

"It wasn't his fault? That is what you told him?" he asked the old man dripping sarcasm with his arms crossed.

He rolled his eyes, "Why give him such an easy way out? He should suffer for what he did with Zenix." Mr. Murray pitied the boy in front of him, he reminded him of himself. Of the day when Mr. Murray himself lost his best friend, back in the war.

With a sad smile he looked at Ben, "Youngin, I too stood exactly where you are right now."

Ben scoffed, "I highly doubt that. So your friend kept a secret from you that got himself killed? Even though he knew what keeping secrets meant for us the first time we did it? Huh?"

Mr. Murray shook his head, stepped closer to Ben, and wanted to lay a hand on his shoulder, but Ben stepped back and scowled, "Don't touch me!"

Mr. Murray took his hand away and put both of them behind his back, the typical elder posture, "I too lost my best friend, I too had to watch him die in my arms and I too had to bury him, sending him off to the afterlife. Our circumstances are different in many ways, I not only lost my best friend but the love of my life and I lost him to bullet wounds, not a zombie attack. One thing we also have in common is that we both took the life from those who took them away from us."

Ben's hand clenched and unclenched, unwillingness glided through his eyes.

"I know it will be hard, to be honest, I never really recovered, but his last wish kept me going until now. It must be hard for you I heard his last words were an apology, maybe try to think what he would have wanted you to do? What he is wishing you right now? My Cain, he wanted that I take care of his sister and so my next life goal was exactly that. Never could I have imagined that she would remind me of him so much. What do you think, Zenix wanted for you?" With those last words, he left Ben alone in the corridor. Ben looked lost as he focused on the door to Noah.