The Unhealing Wound
November 24th. The sky over Big Island was clear and the air was calm.
The temperature measured at six in the morning was a mild four degrees Celsius. Quite chilly for early winter, but with almost no wind the felt temperature remained comfortable. In a word, it was perfect weather for launching a helicopter.
“They really are working hard……”
Alex, stepping into the hallway, murmured as he gazed out the window. It wasn’t even seven yet, but the members who had already finished their morning jog were gathered on the research facility’s lawn, catching their breath.
In the past three months they had not missed a single day of exercise. Like ascetics, they lived with sincere, serious discipline, preparing for a battle against zombies that did not even exist on this island. Especially the man named Jinwoo, who always ran at the very front alongside the dogs.
“All right. Time for me to begin my own fight.”
Alex brushed back his unruly, light-brown curls that had grown far too long, then walked toward the cafeteria. Perhaps his battle was the largest and most important of all.
“Good morning!”
Alex opened the cafeteria door and entered with a bright smile.
“Good morning, Alex.”
Terra, who had been leaning against the sofa and staring out the panoramic window, rose to greet him. The moment he saw her slender figure in a black turtleneck and short skirt, a fresh wave of happiness washed over him. As expected… this K-pop idol was truly beautiful.
“Just stay seated, Princess. I have to examine your foot anyway.”
Alex smiled softly, pulled a chair and low table in front of her, and sat down.
Slip—!
With a practiced motion, Terra removed her left foot from its slipper and rested it on the table. Alex, now wearing surgical gloves, switched on the headset equipped with a small camera and microphone, then began unwrapping the bandage around her little toe.
Alex’s Log. Dressing, Day 108. Her “wound” still shows no signs of healing. There has been no significant change since my first examination. According to the subject’s own statement, the condition remains largely the same as it was on the day she was bitten by the zombie…
The tiny cluster of cells surrounding the wound endlessly repeated destruction and regeneration. Those cells were a priceless asset that could one day save all of humanity from the undead.
“Although the area she personally severed on the day of the bite appears contracted and superficially healed, even the slightest pressure applied to the site…”
When Alex gently prodded the edge of the wound with sterilized medical tweezers, Terra let out a small whimper and furrowed her brow.
“Ugh!”
As if to prove she wasn’t faking it, blood welled up from inside the roughly scissored flesh. On the tablet screen beside the table, the small quantity of red blood appeared greatly magnified.
…The tissue bonding remains loose and unstable enough to trigger renewed bleeding. We presume this is a side effect caused by the fact that, while the zombie bacteria have not multiplied inside her, they have not been completely eradicated either. What is unique about this site is that none of the other wounds she has sustained since then…
Alex continued speaking and gestured for Terra to show him her left hand. She extended her arm toward the small camera and rolled up her sweater sleeve. Alex turned the lens toward her wrist. The long, thin scar on the inside of her delicate wrist—unlike the toe—had healed completely.
…has exhibited the same symptoms. A representative example is this incised scar on her left wrist. Although this wound was sustained more than a month after the toe injury, the epidermis, dermis, damaged muscle, and blood vessels have all nearly fully recovered. No bleeding or unstable bonding is observed. The puncture sites from blood draws have also regenerated stably. Therefore, it can be inferred that the only area where her wounded cells fail to regenerate completely is the region surrounding the left little toe that was bitten by the zombie…
Alex finished the recording and carefully wrapped a fresh bandage around Terra’s toe. Mingu, who had quietly approached and was watching the pair with a dissatisfied expression, asked her.
“That wrist… it really doesn’t hurt anymore?”
Seeing the scar that remained on Terra’s wrist gave him considerable pain. He knew exactly how much courage she had summoned to save his life.
“No, it doesn’t hurt at all now. So please don’t worry too much.”
“I see… That’s a relief.”
Mingu hoped with all his heart that she was telling the truth. Whenever he faced this small girl who had become his savior, even the aggression he had carried in his chest like a lifelong friend seemed to subside. That was how special she was.
“Haaam, what’s for breakfast today? Who’s on duty…? …Ugh!”
Newbie entered through the cafeteria door in the middle of a huge yawn, then froze the moment he saw Mingu and clamped his mouth shut.
“Why is this old man here… Oh, right… today’s the day we head out……”
Newbie stammered and cautiously edged toward the bar in the corner. The fact that his friends were going ashore meant that Mingu—who usually lived on the mobile oil rig—would be joining them. He had momentarily forgotten.
“You little slacker… I told you to exercise……”
Mingu, who had been wearing a gentle lamb-like expression, frowned and glared at Newbie. Newbie instantly broke into a cold sweat and waved his hands frantically.
“N-no, no, sir! I’ve been working out hard lately! R-really! I run every single morning! Today I just… my body’s a little… I’ve got this slight fever, so… I’m resting, that’s all.”
“This guy……”
Mingu walked over, pinched the thickened flesh at Newbie’s side with his fingers, and asked.
“This is the belly of someone who’s been exercising?”
“N-no! It’s just… it won’t come off. They say there’s a plateau or something. Even if you diet… Ow! Ow! That hurts, sir! Ah!”
When Mingu applied more pressure, Newbie shrieked theatrically. Mingu had no intention of letting him off. When they had first returned from Chungju the boy had been rail-thin, but after repeated overeating in comfort here he had quickly grown plump. At this rate he wouldn’t even last a single kilometer before collapsing.
Mingu had already warned him several times, yet the kid kept stuffing his face. Mingu simply could not understand how someone so weak-willed and slippery had managed to survive the hellish battlefield of those monsters.
“Listen carefully, slacker.”
Mingu thrust his scarred face close to Newbie’s and spoke in a low voice.
“If you still look like this the next time I see you, I’m dragging you to the mainland with me. We’ll live together and I’ll make a man out of you.”
“Wait, that’s……”
Newbie started to protest, then thought better of it, clamped his mouth shut, and simply nodded. The man who had suddenly joined their group after returning from Chungju… was genuinely terrifying. Of course the Sheriff was also an incredible fighter with a rotten temper, but this person belonged to an entirely different category of human.
How to put it… Just looking into those sharp eyes made you instinctively believe he really would kill you. The tattoo on his back and the huge blades he carried seemed almost secondary compared to those emotionless pupils.
“Do it properly.”
Only after flashing one final glare did Mingu head to the kitchen and resume preparing breakfast.
“Whew… Fuck, that’s scary! Starting tomorrow I’m really going to exercise hard……”
Newbie, finally released, wiped away the tears that had welled up and let out a small sigh. Terra offered him gentle words of comfort.
“Why don’t you walk on the treadmill with me, Newbie?”
“O-oh, yeah! Let’s do that, Terra! Haaa……”
The moment he heard that delicate voice and saw her doll-like face, Newbie’s mood lifted instantly. He grinned like an idiot.
If the demon who had suddenly joined them was that gangster Mingu, then this girl Terra… was an angel he had just met. The first time he had come to Big Island and stood before her, Newbie had felt a different kind of shock than when he met Jenny. My god…! Those slender arms like a doll’s, those slim legs, that waist that looked like it could be encircled by two hands, and on top of it all, a kindness that even rivaled Jenny’s! She really had everything. Of course her chest was much smaller than Jenny’s, but…
“Want something to drink too?”
Newbie, carefully watching Mingu’s mood, took a sweet café latte from the large refrigerator and asked Terra. Having finished the dressing, Terra stood up, flashed a dazzling smile, and nodded.
“Yes, just water, please.”
“…Here.”
Newbie’s voice trembled slightly as he handed her a small bottle of water. Living in the same space as a completed Pink Punch and being able to talk with them like close friends this close up still felt like a dream. It was every man’s fantasy come to life. The only problem was that there was no one left to brag to about it. Almost everyone he had known had probably died after the zombie world arrived…
As always, soft classical music flowed through the cafeteria. Alex always played it quietly for Terra’s psychological stability.
“…It’s Mozart, right?”
Newbie, standing beside Terra and gazing at the sea outside while listening to the melody, put on what he thought was an intellectual expression and tried to show off. Alex, who was placing the bandage he had removed from Terra’s wound into a storage container and labeling the date, somehow caught the pronunciation and shook his head.
“Not even close. It’s Brahms.”
“What’s he saying, Terra?”
When Newbie asked, Terra answered with a slightly apologetic face.
“It’s similar, but he says it’s Brahms……”
“Ah… hahaha! I see! Did I get it mixed up? But… da-da-da, da-da-daaa…! This progression, this is… definitely Mozart…… He must not know it.”
Newbie’s face turned bright red. He kept wiping away sweat and muttering nonsensical excuses.
That son of a bitch, how did he even hear me? I spoke in Korean…
He felt unfairly resentful toward Alex. So embarrassing… If he had known, he would have spoken more quietly. Still, the saving grace was that Terra showed absolutely no sign of ridicule or contempt.
She really is kind…
Watching Terra’s profile, Newbie thought to himself. Looking at her made him ashamed of his past, when he had once decided to force himself on Jenny the first time they met. Mingu would probably snort if he heard, but… Newbie himself had changed quite a lot after surviving last summer.
A short while later the morning exercise group returned from their showers and the cafeteria became noisy.
“Hmm, hmm! Looks like omelets and sausage today.”
The Taekwondo Girl, pushing Gyuyeong’s wheelchair, sniffed the air and asked.
“Take it and eat.”
Mingu set out plates of frozen omelets he had heated in the microwave on the kitchen table. After growing up he had never once cooked for anyone, yet here he willingly took on the role. These kids were worthy of receiving meals from him.
“You’re leaving today, right, babe?”
Jenny, sitting beside Yubin and chewing her omelet, asked. Yubin nodded.
“Yeah. We still have some time, but it’s better to go while the weather’s good.”
If a strong wind blew near the trade date, they might get stranded on the island. Breaking the appointment would damage trust, making future negotiations far more difficult.
“I suppose so……”
Jenny hid her regret and nodded. Every time Yubin and his friends went ashore to trade Terra’s antibody-laden blood for ammunition, Jenny had to spend several days fighting anxiety. On nights when the sudden fear that something might happen to them where she couldn’t see struck her, she couldn’t sleep at all.
No matter how clever Yubin was, how skilled in combat the Sheriff and Mingu were, or how Jinwoo the sharpshooter added his strength… the danger remained unchanged. The enemies they had to face were simply too strong and too numerous.
Armed soldiers and zombies… both were terrifying existences that could take their lives with a single mistake. In fact, the eerie touch of death had already brushed right past them several times. The high-tech prosthetic hand that Yubin was gripping with a plastic utensil right beside her… was a cruel reminder of that.
“Babe, eat some more of mine. You won’t be able to eat properly for the next few days.”
Jenny tore off half her omelet and placed it on Yubin’s plate. Yubin let out a troubled sigh.
“On the day I leave… I can’t really eat much. I get a little sensitive……”
“Sensitive my ass! I’ll eat it, Jenny! Don’t feel bad!”
The Sheriff, seated to Jenny’s left, stretched out his thick, long arm and stabbed the omelet with his fork.
Stab—!
The force with which he slammed the fork down sent egg fragments and sauce flying toward the opposite side of the table.
Smack—!
Mingu quickly blocked it with his hand, so Terra was safe, but Samsik-i, sitting beside her, took the sudden hit.
“Hey, Sheriff! It all splattered on me!”
“It didn’t splatter, you idiot! It’s fine! And who cares if it splatters? It’s food!”
The Sheriff paid no attention and shoved the omelet into his mouth, chewing noisily. Samsik-i stared at the man’s lips covered in egg crumbs, then shook his handsome face in disbelief.
“Well… expecting manners from the Sheriff is pointless. At least he doesn’t fart like he used to. That alone is something to be grateful for.”
“Bullshit! When did I ever fart…!”
When the Sheriff jumped up, Samsik-i’s delighted voice grew even louder.
“You did! It was super loud! That sour, nasty kimchi fart! Back when we first stayed at the welfare center with Jenny!”
“T-that was you, you bastard!”
“Ugh, you crazy idiots! At least while we’re eating! Stop talking about disgusting stuff!”
Jinwoo frowned in annoyance. Even though he had once calmly eaten canned pupae right beside a rotting corpse, his friends’ fart stories seemed to upset his stomach more. Or perhaps… his civilized sensibilities had finally returned.
“Hehehehe……”
Terra laughed shyly, as if the noisy, chaotic scene with her friends was simply amusing. Watching the festive commotion, Jenny once again felt a surge of anxiety.
She didn’t want to lose any of these people. They were so precious that the fear of losing them was even greater. There had been many nights when she woke from nightmares she never wanted to recall again, sobbing, and prayed desperately to a god she had never truly believed in.
It was selfish, but Jenny hated it when Yubin and his friends went ashore to help others. How wonderful it would be if they could simply stay on this island forever, safe and well-supplied, living happily together.
Of course she knew that couldn’t happen, and that it shouldn’t. If these good friends had been the type to turn a blind eye to others’ suffering, she would have become zombie food last summer, and Terra would still be trapped inside a building in Yongsan being treated like a lab rat.
Besides, as Jinwoo had said… if the zombie world dragged on, the collapse of nuclear power plants would eventually doom the entire planet. That deadline was shrinking even at this very moment. Therefore it was right for them to step forward to save the world, and she had to accept her friends’ altruistic choice.
Please don’t let anyone get hurt…
Jenny looked at Yubin and his friends with sad eyes and prayed once more with all her heart. The fact that she did not pray especially harder for Yubin’s safety was the most she could do for the people she loved.