by Dawn, M. K.
“All of them.”
Gus laughed. “Maybe start with the ice and painkillers, Angie.”
“I think I need the drink more.” After everything Axel had seen, his nerves were shot.
“You’re bleeding.” Gus threw him a towel. “From multiple spots. Alcohol is a blood thinner.”
Axel caught the towel and gave himself a quick once-over. As much pain as he was in, he hadn’t noticed the deep gash along his left upper arm or the multitude of cuts, scrapes and bruises on the rest of his arms. Too bad he hadn’t been wearing his leather jacket.
“Dammit.” Axel shot up, the room spinning at the sudden movement. Maybe he had hit his head.
The door flew open and Angie came bursting in. “What’s wrong?”
Axel narrowed his eyes. “Where did you go?” How did he not know she left?
She set the ice bucket on the nightstand and rubbed her eyes. “I really think you need to get checked out.”
“I’m fine. Where’s Gus?”
“Really?” Angie went to the bathroom and brought back a washcloth. “Not five minutes ago, I told you I was going out for ice. Gus went to go find the others and left at the same time I did. Don’t you remember?”
“Shit.” Axel kneaded the heels of his hands on his temples. “I guess not. Did I respond?”
She placed some ice in the washcloth and handed it to him. “Come to think of it, you didn’t. Not really. Maybe a little grunt.”
Axel pressed the ice pack to his head and lay back down.
Angie sat down beside him, fiddling with her hands. “Gus didn’t want to talk about it, but I have to ask. Was Queenie… do you think… I mean, she was in there….”
The sadness in her voice resonated with him on so many levels. “She was, but—”
The door opened, and Gus and the other eleven who remained pushed inside, food bags in hand. All wore somber looks on their faces, their heads hung low. It was hard to believe twenty-four hours ago they had been such a happy, fun-loving group.
“The National Guard just showed up.” Gus took a seat in the only chair in the room. “The fire department has the flames under control. There’s going to do a press conference later this evening, according to the police officer I ran into.”
“Any word on survivors?” Angie asked.
Gus frowned. “They’re not optimistic. The temperature of the fire alone….”
Axel studied each of their faces. None of them openly sobbed—it wasn’t their way—but many had tears streaming down their cheeks. He needed to tell them what he saw inside, what the nurse had said, what happened before he escaped.
“Guys.” He cleared his throat, unsure how to start, or if they would even believe him. “There’s something you should know. I don’t think the explosion was an accident.”
All eyes shot to him, but it was Gus who spoke. “That’s a damn serious accusation. Got any evidence to back it up?”
Axel thought about standing and throwing his shoulders back as he addressed the group, like his father always did. It showed confidence, his father said, and that what you had to say held importance.
Too bad his legs screamed in protest when he sat up. No way he’d be able to stand. Falling would only show weakness and cause doubt, which was already going to be an uphill battle.
“I forgot the pain meds.” Angie jumped from the bed and hurried into the bathroom, returning a second later with a bottle of pills. “Sorry.”
He took four brown tablets and washed them down with a bottle of water. “Thanks.”
“Back to the explosion.” Shifter ran a hand over his waist-long white beard. “And why someone would blow up a damn hospital.”
“Not someone.” His gaze met Shifter’s. “The National Guard.”
Gus snorted. “Kid, I think you hit your head harder than you think you did.”
Axel ignored him and continued. “When I snuck back into the hospital to check on Queenie—”
“How is she?” Angie’s voice cracked. “Was she…?”
Axel patted her knee. “She had gotten so much worse. Had changed.”
“Changed how?” Gus asked.
“Her skin had turned gray, and when she opened her eyes….” The memories flooded back, knocking the air from his lungs. “They were black.”
“Black eyes?” Gus paced the room. “I don’t get your point. Her eyes have always been dark.”
“Not just her pupils, the entire eye. There was no white left. The whole thing was black. She growled at me. Attacked me in the stairwell.”
Gus sank back into his chair. “What did the doctor say?”
“I went to go find someone, but everyone was sick.” Axel swallowed. “There were others locked in their rooms who had the same look as Queenie. I spoke with a nurse, the only one who I found conscious. She told me to get out, that the National Guard was coming.”
“Why didn’t you get her out?” Gunner asked.
“I tried, but she refused.” Guilt burned his stomach. “Said she’d been bitten by a patient, and it wouldn’t be long before it killed her—” He paused, not sure if he could get the last of the sentence out. “—and she became one of them.”
Gus jumped from his chair. “What the hell is that supposed to mean? You’re talking crazy. If she’s dead, how can she become one of them?”
Axel stood, his legs wobbling, but he kept himself steady. “I don’t know what any of it means. And I agree, if any of you were telling me this story, I would think you’re crazy too. Hell, I barely believe it and I was inside that hospital. I was attacked by one of them… by Queenie.”
“No way.” Gunner slammed a fist into the wall. “Just yesterday she nearly died. There’s no way she could have the strength—”
“Her injuries were gone,” Axel interrupted. “I saw it with my own eyes. And she attacked me in the stairwell when I was trying to get out. They had locked the whole hospital down. The nurse gave me her keycard so I could leave, but it didn’t work right away. Queenie came down the stairs at a speed I’ve never seen before and jumped at me, hitting her head against the door. It didn’t even faze her. She lunged at me again until I kicked her in the chest. That slowed her down enough that I could try the keycard again and get out.”
“You’re sure it was her?” Angie asked. “I mean, you recognized her?”
“Recognized her, no. She didn’t even look human anymore.”
Gunner marched up to Axel and got into his face. “Then how do you know?”
“The tattoo on her arm.” Axel dropped back to the bed and leaned forward, elbows on his knees. “She would have killed me. She had serrated teeth and razor claws. What the hell is going on here?”
Angie rubbed his back. “I believe you.”
“You can’t be serious.” Gunner threw up his arms. “Gus?”
“Why would he lie?” Gus asked.
“Because he’s a coward and saved himself, leaving Queenie there to die.”
Axel balled his hands into fists, trying to calm the rage. “She was already dead. They all were. And this explosion was a way to keep whatever the hell those things were from getting out.”
The room stayed quiet for a couple of minutes until Gus spoke up. “We should leave. There’s no point in waiting around. Everyone, go get your things and meet by the bikes in fifteen minutes.”
A few grumbled, “Okay,” as they left the room. None could look Axel in the eyes.
They probably didn’t believe him, not that he gave a fuck. Whatever had caused those people to change, he feared the hospital was only the beginning.
***
“What should we do with Queenie’s bike?” Angie brushed her hand over the seat. “We can’t just leave it here.”
Axel looked to Gus. “Is there a storage place around here? I’ll gladly pay the monthly fee until we figure out how to get it home.” He patted his back pocket for his wallet. It was the only thing he had left; all his other belongings had been in the bag he’d left the hospital room.
“Even if there is a storage place, I’m not sure anyone would be there.” Gus pointed to the town square. “Looks like everyone is waiting for the press conference.”
“Should we stay?” Rainey left the group, moving closer to the town square. “It might be nice to know what happened.”
“You mean the official report? Or the bullshit lies they’re going to tell everyone to cover up the truth?” Mac mounted his bike. “Let’s get on the road. The farther we get away from this town, the better.”
Axel agreed. “We only have a few hours until it gets dark. Better make the most of it.”
“Maybe Rainey’s right,” Angie said. “Someone’s going onstage now, and he looks pretty official. What’s a few more minutes?”
“Press conferences can last for hours if they allow for questions.” Gunner crossed his arms. “There’s no point in waiting around. What caused the explosion doesn’t really matter. It happened. Not a damn thing we can do to change that.”
“What about Queenie?” Rainey asked. “Don’t you want to know why this happened?”
Axel grabbed his helmet. “I told you what happened. Whatever they’re going to say will be some bullshit story to hide the truth. Let’s go.”
“Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen,” the voice boomed over the loudspeaker. “For those who don’t know me, I’m Mayor Croger. In just a moment, Caption Boyer of the Montana National Guard will come up and speak with you on what happened at the hospital earlier today. Before he does, I want to offer my deepest sympathies to those who lost a loved one, friend or neighbor in this tragic accident. Our small town is a close-knit community, and those who lost their lives will be missed but never forgotten.”
A light applause filtered through the crowd, but it was the sound of sobbing that dominated.
“Caption Boyer”—the mayor held out his hand—“if you would please tell us what you know.”
The older man wearing army fatigues climbed the stairs and joined the mayor onstage. His somber face reflected the emotions of the town, but in his eyes Axel saw defeat.
“Good afternoon. First, I would like to take a moment to offer my condolences. Tragedies such as these are never easy, especially in tight-knit communities. My team has been hard at work since arriving on the scene. With the quick work of the fire department, we were able to enter the parts of the building which is still standing and conduct a search and rescue. Unfortunately, we have found no survivors.”
He paused, knowing the reaction such news would evoke from the crowd.
Once they settled, he continued, “The cause of the explosion was a combination of faulty wiring and a gas leak.”
Axel joined the others who had each, in their own time, moved closer.
“What about the virus?” a woman called from the crowd.
Capitan Boyer glanced to his left at another, older man, who nodded, before addressing the crowd. “The virus, though a separate incident, is also a great concern of ours. We have brought with us our own doctors and mobile clinic. Those exhibiting symptoms must report to the clinic immediately.”
“Why?” a man yelled.
Boyer’s face tightened. “So they can be treated. Which comes to the next order of business. We are implementing a town-wide curfew following this press conference. Everyone will return to their homes, and my men will go house by house to check for those who are exhibiting symptoms of the virus.”
“Shit,” Axel mumbled. “We need to get out of here now or they aren’t going to let us leave.”
“All roads coming in and out of town have been closed until we can ensure all those infected have been quarantined. If you live on the outskirts of town, you are to report to the school’s gymnasium until cleared to return home.”
Axel tugged on Gus’s jacket and leaned in to whisper, “Do you think we can make it out?”
Gus shook his head. “We can try, but we’re probably stuck here for another day or two.”
“I will not be taking questions at this time,” Boyer said over the enraged crowd. “If those who are healthy could all return to your homes, and those who are sick, please follow my men to the left of the stage. They’ll take real good care of you.”
“We should have left!” Mac mounted his motorcycle. “I think we should try to leave anyway. We can find some small side road, go through some fields.”
“No.” Gus had always been the unofficial leader of the group. People had a tendency to look to him when decisions needed to be made. “We need to go back to the room and cooperate. None of us are sick, so there should be nothing holding us here after they have cleared us.”
Axel stared down at his arms, at the deep gash in particular. “Son of a bitch. What if they think my injuries have to do with the virus?”
“Why would they think that?” Rainey asked.
“Because they know what was in that hospital. What this virus turns people into.”
“If what you say is true.” Gunner’s tone screamed disbelief.
“Every word.” Axel ground his teeth.
“Whatever.” Gunner rolled his neck. “The virus turns people into a monster. Could you be infected?”
Axel scanned the group. “The nurse said it had bitten her, which I wasn’t. But she was also sick and could have been delusional.”
Mac took a step back. “You were around them. Stayed in the hospital last night. If it’s airborne, you could be sick.”
Gus moved closer to Axel. “Remember breakfast? Two people collapsed; others looked like shit. If it’s airborne, we’re already sick.”
Mac ran his hand over his short black hair.
“And none of the National Guard are wearing any protective gear.” Axel glanced over his shoulder. “They would be in full-on quarantine getup if they thought just interaction with people could get them infected.”
“So they know what this is?” Angie let out a weighted breath. “Maybe they have a cure.”
Axel’s eyes met Gus’s. He didn’t have the heart to tell the woman that if they had a cure, they wouldn’t have blown up an entire hospital.
“Let’s get moving, folks.” A couple of men with rifles and military attire strolled up to the group. “Do you need a ride home?”
“We’re not from around here, sir,” Gus said. “We’re staying at this motel and will head inside now.”
“We appreciate your cooperation.”
Gus smiled. “You’re here to protect. We understand. Most of us have been in your shoes once or twice in our lives.”
The younger soldier’s body relaxed. “You’ve served. Good to know.”
“Yes, sir, and are here to help if need be.”
“Thank you, but that shouldn’t be necessary.”
Axel wanted to ask how long it would be before someone could clear them but kept his mouth shut, allowing Gus to work his magic.
“Have you heard how other towns around the country are doing?” Gus asked. “Being so far away from our families, it's been difficult.”
“I’ve heard a little, but I’ll see what I can find out.” He studied Axel’s face, then down to his arm. “Can you tell me how you got that injury, sir?”
Axel didn’t hesitate. “Flying debris sliced my arm.”
The soldier cocked his head. “What were you doing so close to the hospital?”
“Trying to visit a friend, in which they denied me access.”
“I see.” The soldier pressed a button on his walkie-talkie. “Yes, I need a medic at the motel across the street from the hospital for a wound check.”
Axel clenched his jaw. “Got to tell you, I don’t enjoy being called a liar.”
“It’s standard procedure, sir.” The older soldier’s grip tightened around his gun.
Mac moved closer to Axel. “What does a scratch have to do with a damn flu virus?”
“Nothing.” The older soldier’s nostrils flared. “Back to your rooms. A medic will be here shortly.”
Gus moved in front of Mac. “We�
��ll be waiting in room 108.”
The soldier watched as Gus guided them into the motel room.
Axel peeked out the window fifteen minutes later. “They’re still there.”
“Did you expect them to leave?” Gus flipped through the TV channels. “Strange how none of the national news stations are reporting on the hospital explosion. Seems right up their alley.”
Axel knew he should probably keep his mouth shut, but he couldn’t help himself. “Kind of adds a little credulity to my story, doesn’t it?”
A light rap at the door prevented any comebacks.
“Come in,” Gus called out as no one else bothered to get up.
A young woman opened the door and entered. The two soldiers who’d called in Axel’s injury waited outside the door.
“Hi. I’m Dr. Tina Cabinal and am here to do a symptom check. Though I didn’t realize there were so many of you.”
“Fourteen,” Axel told her as she silently counted the people in the room.
“Thanks. If I would have known there were so many, I would have brought some help.”
Gunner glared. “You need help to check one scratch?”
Dr. Cabinal placed her bag on the nightstand. “No, but since I’m here, I planned on examining and hopefully clearing everyone. Unless you’d like to wait until someone else comes available? I heard it could take days.”
“That won’t be necessary.” Gus patted Mac on the shoulder. “We’ll all cooperate and hopefully make your job a little easier.”
“Thank you.” She looked at Axel. “Am I to assume you’re the one I was called here to check?”
Axel rolled up his sleeve to reveal the entire gash. “Yes. You want me to sit on the bed?”
“No, I’ll do all the exams in the bathroom so each of you can have some privacy.” She grabbed her bag and headed that way. “If you would please strip down to your undergarments.”
“What?” Axel paused. “It’s my arm that’s hurt.”
“I see that, but I have to make sure you have no other wounds or any physical symptoms of the virus.”
“Fine.” Axel followed her into the bathroom and slammed the door. “You at least going to turn around while I take my clothes off?”
She turned around. “I’m a medical professional, Mister….”
