Jack POV
I look down at her teary face in shock. "What?! No! I can't do that... I love you Cindy", I say. "Jack please. I love you too. That's why I don't want to bite you. I don't want to turn you into one of them. Please... Jack promise me...", she begs me tears still flowing down her beautiful face. "I can try and find a cure... after all I did study chemistry... please don't make me promise this Cindy...", I reply to her, small tears rolling down my cheek. "But... what if you can't find a cure...? You'll need to kill me Jack. I don't want to hurt you", she says softly with her head tucked behind her knees. "Cindy I'm not gonna give up on you that easily", I say hugging her from the side," We'll make it through this". She leans her head on my shoulder. "Okay...but if you can't... promise me...?", she says. I swallow the huge lump in my throat and reply, "If I can't find a cure... I...I promise I'll do what you ask...". "Thank you Jack...", she says. "I'll go make us something to eat",I state while standing up. "Alright...", she replies.
While I prepare some pasta on the little gas bottle I think about what she asked. Does she even know what she's asking me to do...? I will find a cure. She's not going to turn. She has a week and a half or two weeks before she fully turns. That's how long it takes for these zombies to turn. The minimum amount of time she has before turning would be a week. I'd need to start working on a cure today. If I have to do research or work on it through the night just to get a head start I will. She means the world to me. I can't lose her. I can't.
Cindy POV
As I listen to the little pot rattle a little from Jackson stirring it, I know he's think about what I said. I know he's already thinking of a head start to a cure unknown. What I'm asking him to do is not easy... I know that. But I don't want to risk biting him and making him turn too. If we found friends or family... I don't want to harm them either. I'd rather be dead than do anyone that type of harm. He must realize that I won't be me once I turn. Cindy won't be inhabiting my body. A mindless monster will. He might be expecting me to be the girl I was when we first met. Brave. Even brave people can be scared. I know I am. But he promised. He'll keep his promise... I hope. I need to know I won't be able to hurt someone once I lose control... once I'm no longer human... once I'm no longer me. In the kitchen I hear the klinks of two bowls being set down. Looks like lunch is ready. After a while he brings it in and hands me my bowl. We eat in silence. Neither one daring to speak a word. When we finish I take the bowls and forks to go wash them. Jack gets a few books a pen and a notepad from the kitchen. Just as I thought. He's going to start on it already. Those were science books he grabbed. I look through the doorway to see him paging through the first one. After finishing the bowls I just put them with the plates like usual. I guess a part of me hopes he can find a cure. But if he can't he knows he'll need to kill me before I do something we both regret.