Apocalypse Days: I Rule with Foresight and a Powerful Son
Chapter 168

Chapter 168: 168

As Zara sat with Winter and Leo, a lingering sense of unease coiled in her gut.

The dream still clung to her like static, its images flashing behind her eyes whenever she blinked.

Why now?

Had forcefully using her powers triggered it? And if so—why?

But more importantly... where was Harker?

That bastard had vanished during the breach. No one had seen or heard from him since.

And yet, she couldn’t shake the feeling that he wasn’t gone.

Something had been wrong with him. She had sensed it back then—how his questions to the researchers had been growing more insistent, almost desperate.

And then there was his power.

Zara shivered at the mere thought of it.

Controlling the Mist.

The first time she had seen him wield it—even without using it—her instincts had screamed at her. Something about it had felt wrong.

A gentle squeeze at her side pulled her back to the present.

Winter.

His touch was steady, grounding. "You’re cold?" His voice was quiet, careful. He leaned back slightly, one hand reaching up to check her forehead.

Zara shook her head. "I don’t have a fever. Just... thinking."

"About?" Winter tilted his head.

She hesitated. Should she even bring this up?

He had been pissed at the mere mention of Harker’s name.

But she had to know.

"How do you know him?" she asked, watching his face carefully. "Harker, I mean."

For a moment, Winter didn’t react. Then, his jaw tensed. His fingers twitched against her side before curling into a fist.

He exhaled sharply, squeezing his eyes shut.

When he spoke, his voice was quieter. Tired.

"There was a base," he said. "Before I went to City B to look for the cache."

Zara blinked. She hadn’t known that.

"We built it from scratch." He exhaled through his nose, as if picturing it again. "It wasn’t much, but it was ours. We kept each other safe. Families, elderly, kids... It was working."

Was.

Zara already knew where this was going.

"Harker was a part of it," Winter continued. His fingers clenched against his knee. "And he was the one who brought it down."

Zara stiffened. "What?"

Winter’s eyes darkened. "Out of jealousy." His voice was colder now. "I still don’t understand it. Why someone could be that selfish."

His breaths were slow, measured. Zara recognized the signs—he was holding something back.

"There were families there." His voice dropped, rougher now. "And he let the zombies in."

The words felt like a punch to the gut.

Zara’s fingers curled slightly. That kind of betrayal...

"We had to abandon the base," Winter muttered. His knuckles were white. "I lost people that day. I got separated from my crew. We made a promise—to meet again in City H."

Zara’s eyes widened. That’s why he’d been so happy when he saw those people again.

Silence hung between them.

For once, Zara didn’t know what to say.

She wanted to tell him that she understood. That she knew what it was like to lose people, to have everything you built torn apart.

But somehow, saying it out loud felt pointless.

Winter’s past had left scars. Everyone’s had. And the person who caused them was still out there.

Zara was about to speak when a sharp knock at the door shattered the heavy silence.

Winter’s head snapped up instantly. Zara saw his entire body tense.

"Was anyone supposed to come over today?" She asked, thinking through her conversation with Richard and the rest recently.

Winter shook his head.

Another knock. More impatient this time.

Leo stirred, rubbing his eyes, but stayed quiet. Zara shifted instinctively, already motioning for him to move.

Winter moved toward the door. His fingers flexed near his knife holster. He cracked it open just enough to see—

"Medics?"

Zara’s stomach dropped.

The last time they had dealt with medics, those bastards had tried to take her.

Winter’s grip on the doorframe tightened. "What do you want?" He resisted the urge to growl at them.

The two medics scanned him up and down. Their gazes lingered on his slightly disheveled state, as if forming their own assumptions.

Then one of them offered a neutral smile.

"Apologies for the intrusion," he said. "We heard this is a family unit. We’re here to check in on the mother."

Mother? Were they talking about Zara? What for?

From the bed, Zara is already moving. She doesn’t need to ask why Winter is tense. She quickly packs Leo’s toys into his space, then gestures for him to sit in the corner, out of range in case this turns into an altercation.

Her posture was defensive when she stepped beside Winter. She positioned herself so that Leo was behind her, shielding him from view.

The woman medic scanned Zara’s appearance and gave a nod of approval.

"We’re sorry for the interruption," she said, "We just need to speak to her briefly. It’s about the child."

Zara’s heart skipped. She was already on alert, her eyes narrowing. "What about him?" she asked, her voice clipped.

"Your toddler," the man said, not missing a beat. "We wish to make confirmations on him."

Zara and Winter exchanged a quick look, a flash of unease passing between them. This was too familiar. They were being asked about Leo’s health like he was some kind of commodity. The last time someone spoke about him, they learnt that people were after Leo for his abilities. Was that happening again?

Winter doesn’t answer. Neither does Zara.

"How old is he?"

Their silence is telling.

"Is he healthy?"

One of the medics shifts slightly. "We also need to check on the mother’s health."

Zara’s brows furrowed.

The medic contineued, still calmly detached, turned to Zara. "How is your body?" he asked, almost clinically. "Have you noticed any... symptoms?"

"What sort of symptoms?" Zara asked, tensely. Were they showing their true intentions? Had they wanted to use this as a pretext to ask for why she had been in quarantine?

Her hand unconsciously sought winter’s. He gave it a tight squeeze.

"Well, the main symptoms would be Fatigue, swelling, hormonal changes?"

Zara froze. She hadn’t expected this. Not these kinds at least. What were they trying to say?

"No, I do not have any of these symptoms." She shook her head.

The medics finally showed some emotions. They seemed disappointed. Zara and winter’s brows furrowed. What exactly was going on?

"Well it’s too early to tell, we advise continuous activities to increase chances. The child can be taken in for a few days if you would like to be alone."

"What are you talking about?" Winter finally spoke.

The medics ignored him, focusing their attention on Zara. One of them held out a small pack of tablets.

"Take these," the medic says.

Zara doesn’t move. "What are they?"

A beat of silence. Then, the answer dropped like a hammer.

"Prenatal supplements."

Winter stiffened. Zara’s brain short-circuited.

"Excuse me?"

"With the current state of humanity, reproduction is critical. You’re a confirmed healthy female. Your child is proof of successful birthing. You and your partner should be considering a second."

Zara’s face heated with both fury and mortification. "Again, I have to ask. How the hell do you expect people to raise children in a world like this?"

Winter stepped closer, his expression darkening as he moved to shut the door. "Zara—"

The medic cut him off, his tone still mechanical and emotionally detached. "It’s a duty to society. Besides, a sibling would be good for the toddler. Isolation isn’t healthy at his developmental stage."

Zara felt the anger flare inside her, her face flushing with even more embarrassment and rage. "You think I should just pop out another baby in the middle of this nightmare?" she snapped. "Is that what you’re telling me?"

The woman medic’s face remained as neutral as ever, as if Zara’s outburst was nothing more than a minor inconvenience. "It’s what’s best. The child needs a sibling, and society needs more of them. We’re simply... helping people do their part."

Zara slammed the door in their faces.

She stood there, breathing hard, adrenaline still rushing through her veins.

*What the fuck was wrong with these people? Could they imagine someone pregnant, with a toddler in tow, running from the advanced zombies?!*

She turned to Winter, who was leaning against the door, watching her with that unreadable expression.

"It would be quite the sight," he murmured.

Zara shot him a glare. "Don’t look at me like that! It just proves these people haven’t seen what those zombies are capable of."

She huffed, crossing the room to grab a water bottle. Her throat was parched. Taking a deep swig, she spun toward the bed, still muttering under her breath as she collapsed onto it, running a hand through her hair. "How does that even make sense?"

"You ok?" Winter asked, stepping further into the room.

"Of course not. Did you not hear what they expect? How the hell are we supposed to deal with that?"

Leo, who had been quiet the whole time, padded over to Winter, his tiny hand tugging on his pant leg. "Ups, uncle."

Winter bent down and scooped Leo into his arms. Leo, ever the curious one, gazed up at Winter with wide eyes. "What’s a sib-log?"

Winter blinked, clearly caught off guard by the question. He shifted Leo in his arms, his expression softening. "A sibling is someone who shares a mom or dad with you, Leo. They’re like... your partner in crime."

Leo chewed on that for a moment, a serious frown forming on his tiny face. "I want a sib-lig," he said, his tone firm.

Zara, who had been drinking water, choked. She coughed, spluttering in surprise. Winter blinked, then chuckled, his voice low and teasing. "Well, Leo, that depends on your mommy."

Leo looked over at Zara, his eyes wide and expectant. "Can I have one?"

Zara shot Winter a glare, and then, noticing Leo’s hopeful look, softened. "Siblings are really hard to come by these days, sweetheart," she said with a sigh.

Leo frowned, folding his arms in a way that made him look very much like Winter. "I want one."

Winter chuckled at Leo’s stubbornness before moving to distract him with snacks and toys, but Zara couldn’t let it go. She shot Winter a warning look, standing up and giving him a swift smack on the shoulder.

Winter hissed, surprised, but the grin never left his face. "What was that for?"

Zara glared at him, her voice a quiet reprimand. "You just had to throw that onto me, didn’t you?"

Winter grinned wider, his hand sliding up her waist, fingers brushing under her blouse. "I don’t mind making a sibling for Leo," he said, voice low, teasing.

Zara raised an eyebrow, keeping her cool despite the flush creeping up her neck. "If you don’t mind me slapping your wandering hands again," she replied, voice steady despite the pulse of heat spreading through her.

Winter’s grin only deepened, and the tension shifted in the room, but Leo’s fussing with his toys pulled their attention away.