PRIME

by Samantha Boyette

  “Someone should be along soon to haul him away,” Dodge called up. Red glanced over his shoulder and nodded quickly before looking back over the land. “If no one shows, don’t worry about it. Just don’t let him choke on his own vomit or anything,” Dodge added with a smile.

  He waved his hand for the others to follow. The sounds of the zombies faded as they headed for the hospital and Simon felt himself relaxing. He couldn’t push their empty faces from his mind, but at least the further in you got, the less you could smell them, or hear the shuffling of their feet.

  13

  Haven Medical Base

  They approached the front door of the hospital silently, with Dodge in the lead. It was a modern looking, square, two-story building with walls lined with wide empty windows that stared blankly at the children as they approached. The one off thing about the building were the two stone columns some big minded architect decided to build on either side of the main door. They stood as tall as the building and looked vastly out of place.

  Dodge pulled open the front door. It creaked uninvitingly and let out a breath of stale air. The children avoided this building. It was where most of them had woken to find themselves alone in a strange new world. Dodge stepped over the threshold without hesitation. Tech, Zeke, and Tommy followed at his heels. Simon and Tessa lingered a moment on the outside. Tessa glanced over her shoulder almost longingly, while Simon’s mind played back the memory of the nurse’s head exploding. She hadn’t made a sound as she died.

  “Simon?” Dodge paused on the short set of stairs inside the door. “Get your asses in here, you two.”

  Simon and Tessa stepped into the hospital. Simon’s stomach turned at the smell. There was an undeniable reek of death hidden below the dust and stale air. He knew most of the hospital staff chose to end their lives as they succumbed to the disease. They would still be where they had fallen.

  After the stairs, they were in the waiting area. It was dim and dusty, dead plants in the corner, and forgotten magazines on uncomfortable looking chairs. There were doors on either side of the room, one which led to the patient rooms. Simon was praying there would be no need to go that way; too many bad memories down that hallway.

  “Here.” Dodge knelt and began to pull weapons from under the waiting room chairs. “I stocked up last night. I have weapons for each of you,” Dodge said. He handed Simon a hand gun and Tessa a baseball bat.

  “Thanks,” Tessa lifted the bat, testing its weight. “This feels right.”

  “Maybe you played baseball.” Zeke glanced at her before checking to make sure the rifle was loaded and ready. Dodge made sure the unused weapons were out of sight under the chairs again and stood.

  “Softball.” Tessa nodded. “It was softball.”

  Dodge turned away from the door that led to the patient area and opened the other door marked ‘No Admittance’. Behind it, a long hallway stretched before them. Thin shafts of light fought their way through the small, dirty windows on the doors lining the hall. It was silent and empty.

  “Was it down this way?” Dodge asked, looking back at Tommy.

  “Yeah.” Tommy swallowed hard, wide-eyed and sweaty. “There’s a whole lot of dead people in these rooms though.”

  “If they’re not up and walking around, then they don’t bother me” Dodge led the way into the hall. Behind them, the door swung shut. They jumped and turned to the door with weapons ready.

  “Sorry.” Zeke grinned nervously. “I didn’t realize it would slam like that.” Tessa sneezed and rubbed her nose.

  “So much dust already.” She wiped her watery eyes.

  “Come on, let’s keep moving,” Dodge ordered with a nod. “Try not to slam doors, or stir up any more dust than we have to.”

  They moved cautiously down the hall, leaving footprints in the thin layer of dust that covered everything. Their footsteps echoed eerily in the abandoned hall. Simon couldn’t help but glance in the rooms they passed. Tommy hadn’t been exaggerating. Most of the rooms held bodies rotting in their final resting places. Some of the rooms showed signs that the ending had been violent, as with Simon’s nurse. In other rooms it was obvious more peaceful means were used to end it all.

  Either way, the bodies looked mostly the same; hair stringy and faces beginning to slide from their skulls to leave teeth and gums exposed in an evil grin. Simon tore his eyes away from a particularly gruesome room. The corpse hung from the ceiling, one hand caught in the rope around its neck, as if the person regretted his choice at the last minute and died still fighting to live. Underneath him, a puddle of body fluid and other remains was collecting. Simon focused on his feet, fighting the urge to continue looking into the rooms as they passed.

  They came to a stop; the corridor continued right and left. Dodge looked at Tommy. “Which way?”

  “Um, left, I think,” Tommy answered doubtfully.

  “Fifty-fifty shot here, buddy,” Zeke muttered. “It’s not rocket surgery.”

  Dodge gave Zeke a look that clearly said ‘shut up’. “Left?” He looked in that direction.

  “It might not be,” Tommy said apologetically. “I was pretty high when I was here. I don’t quite remember.”

  “It’s okay.” Dodge clapped Tommy on the shoulder. “If we don’t find the lab we’ll just go the other way. No worries, okay?”

  “Okay.” Tommy still looked upset that he was failing Dodge.

  “It would make sense for it to be to the left,” Tech said as they started in that direction. “I assume the labs wouldn’t have windows to the outside, and the front of the building is to our right.”

  “See? There you are, Tommy,” Dodge said. “Everything’s easy as takin’ a crap when you got Tech around.”

  “It’s just logical,” Tech muttered. Even in the dim light, Simon could see he was blushing.

  “That’s why I like to call him laxative,” Zeke said, snorting.

  “You have never called me that,” Tech said. He hesitated a moment, thinking it through. “And please, I beg you, don’t start. I think Princess might be better.”

  “It’s all good, Lax,” Zeke said, patting Tech on the shoulder. “New nicknames always take a while to catch on.” Tech groaned.

  “You woke up first, right?” Tessa whispered to Simon. He nodded. “And there was a nurse?” Again, Simon nodded. “She was alive though?”

  “Yes,” Simon said. “She wouldn’t have been for long.”

  “Did she tell you why they didn’t just kill us? I mean they killed everyone else with the disease.” Tessa’s eyes were wide and confused. Simon wished he had an explanation for her; it was something he wondered about as well.

  “I don’t know,” he answered honestly. “I think there was nothing left to lose at that point.”

  Tessa nodded, appearing to accept that explanation. “It’s just strange we all survived, isn’t it?” She asked.

  “Yeah,” Simon said, swallowing. “Strange.” Tessa turned to study him, opening her mouth to reply.

  “It’s this room,” Tommy said happily as he pointed to the door. It had no window and was marked only as ‘Lab 314’. “That was my apartment number; I remembered that last time I was here.”

  “Good, man.” Dodge clapped Tommy on the shoulder.

  “It’s clear, right?” Tessa asked, adjusting her grip on the bat.

  “Yes.” Tommy nodded, then hesitated. “Or at least it was.”

  “Either way I want you all ready,” Dodge said. “Tessa you open the door. The rest of us will get your back.”

  “Okay,” Tessa said and stepped up beside the door. She waited to be told to open it.

  Dodge pushed the others back a step. “When she opens the door, guns up and ready,” Dodge said.

  Simon swallowed hard, hoping he wouldn’t have to shoot anything. It had been bad enough the last time. He remembered all too vividly his time alone at the hospital. Tessa was still looking at him strangely, as if she could tell where his mind was.

  “
Ready?” she asked. Everyone nodded.

  Tessa yanked the door open; the boys lifted their guns. There was a moment of silence. Simon felt as if his head was going to snap off from the tension in his shoulders. The lab was dark, but nothing lurched out at them. That was a good sign.

  “Here.” Dodge handed Simon a flashlight without taking his eyes from the door. Simon lowered his gun and clicked on the flashlight. Slowly he swung the beam over silver work tables piled with lab equipment no one would use again. Still nothing. He swept it upwards, checking the ceiling just to be safe.

  “We’re good,” Dodge said. The tension eased as everyone lowered their guns. “Simon, give me your gun and the flashlight.” Simon handed them both to Dodge and took Dodge’s bigger gun in return.

  Dodge stepped into the room, flashlight and gun up. He swept them over first one side of the door, and then the other. He relaxed and traded guns with Simon again. “Yeah, nothing here.”

  “Jesus Christ,” Zeke muttered, wiping at his brow. Simon was surprised to see him so nervous. Zeke was usually a pillar of cool. Then again, getting high and walking through an abandoned hospital had to be bad for your nerves.

  “It’s just back here,” Tommy said happily. He approached a shelf that stood sticking out from the wall at an angle. He grabbed an end and began to pull it out further.

  “I’ll get the other side,” Dodge said. He handed his gun to Simon again and stepped in to help. In seconds, the shelf had swung out far enough for them to see the door hidden behind it.

  “Crap.” Dodge lifted his gun. “Okay everyone, guns at the ready again. Tessa, get the door.”

  “Oh, hell no,” Zeke said. He took two steps forward and shoved open the door.

  Simon fumbled, dropping Dodge’s gun and trying to lift his own as a zombie roared out of the doorway. Its teeth snapped together rapidly as it reached for Zeke. Dancing backwards faster than he could raise his gun, Zeke fell over a desk, landing safely away from the zombie. Its head jerked in the other direction, its rotten nose twitching and attempting to scent them. Dodge crawled across the floor, shoving Tommy aside as he reached for his gun.

  The zombie moaned and lunged at Tessa. Letting out a yelp, she swung the bat. It connected with the zombie’s head, but only stunned him. Shaking its head once, it lurched for her again, dead fingers clutching at her shirt and trying to pull her closer. Unable to get a good swing at it, Tessa shoved the end of the bat into the things chest and pushed. Something in its chest cracked, and it was forced to take one, then two steps back.

  As the distance widened between Tessa and the zombie, Simon lifted his gun. His hands shook, but no one else seemed to be doing anything to stop the thing. He took a deep breath, pushing his fear aside and steadying his hands. A second later, he squeezed the trigger.

  The shot was an explosion in the small room. Instinctively the others ducked, but the shot had been good. Simon watched as the zombie fell to the side, its head half blown off. It landed on the floor with a thud. Dodge jumped to his feet, shotgun now in hand. He took two steps and pressed the barrel of the gun to the zombie’s head and pulled the trigger. The boom was even louder, and Simon’s ears rang as he moved to Tessa’s side, but the zombie wouldn’t be getting up.

  In the silence, Zeke began to giggle. He leaned on the desk, covering his mouth with both hands in an effort to keep the laughter inside.

  “What the hell were you thinking?” Dodge took two steps toward Zeke.

  “I couldn’t do it again.” Zeke backed into the wall, laughter fading. “All that watch the door and we’re clear stuff got to my head.”

  “And that zombie almost got your head because you acted like an ignorant scrab.” Dodge stood less than a foot from Zeke, shotgun clutched tightly in one hand.

  “Sorry.” Zeke cringed.

  “We do this safe,” Dodge shouted, slamming his palm against the wall beside Zeke.

  “Yeah, okay.” Zeke nodded, licking his lips nervously. “Whatever you say.”

  They were all silent as Dodge hovered over Zeke. Simon half expected Dodge to hit him, but he didn’t. After a moment, Dodge snorted a small laugh and backed away. “You shoulda seen your face when that thing came out.”

  “Yeah?” Zeke asked smiling nervously and standing straighter. “If you all smell something it’s just the load I dropped in my pants.”

  Simon shook his head and knelt beside Tessa. “Are you okay?” Simon helped her up. She nodded, but she was shaking.

  “Yeah,” Tessa said. “Wow, that wasn’t what I expected. They’re worse close up.”

  “That was so friggin epic,” Tech said, grinning widely. “Simon, you blew that scrab right off her.”

  “I thought I was dead,” Tommy said. He lay on the floor and looked pale as paper, but he was grinning as well.

  “We damn well might have been,” Dodge said. Simon could tell he was fighting his smile. “Damn, Simon, I told you we needed you around.”

  “Thanks.” Tessa took Simon by surprise, wrapping her arms around him and squeezing the breath out of him. “That bat was pretty useless,” she said when she pulled away.

  “No problem.” Simon grinned. Now that it was over, the whole thing seemed exciting, especially with the others laughing it off.

  “So awesome,” Zeke said, chuckling to himself as he climbed over the desk.

  Dodge leaned down to pull Tommy up. “Okay, Simon got his chance to be a hero, but let’s not do that again. We’re all prepared before we open doors from here out.” He shoved Zeke and went to look through the door. “We got stairs, and another door. This is looking more and more like what we’re looking for. No games this time.” Dodge glared at Zeke.

  Zeke nodded, and Dodge clattered down the now empty stairs with the others close behind. The whole group came to a stop in front of the door at the bottom of the stairs. Dodge lifted his gun and looked at the others. They all lifted their weapons. With a deep breath, Dodge took the handle and shoved it down; nothing happened.

  “Uh, Dodge?” Dodge turned to Tech, who pointed to the key card slot installed beside the door.

  “Damn it,” Dodge swore and punched the door with the heel of his hand. “Damn it,” he said again, cradling his hand. “It’s made out of lead or something.”

  “They don’t make things out of lead anymore,” Tech said distractedly as he knocked on the door and felt it. “But whatever it’s made of is thick and tough. Those are both good things. Taken along with the need for the key card they practically guarantee we’re not going to find a closet back here.”

  “Or anything else without the key card,” Simon pointed out.

  “Okay.” Dodge shook his head, finally letting go of his hand. He nodded. “Okay. Tech and I will search the people upstairs. You all look in the apartments. Bring any key cards you find.”

  “Alright,” Zeke said. “Tommy, you wanna come with me?”

  “Yeah.” Tommy nodded.

  Zeke gave Simon a half grin and a quick wink before turning to the stairs. Tommy followed Zeke up the stairs, taking them two at a time. Simon looked at Tessa, scared and excited to have been left alone with her.

  “We’ll go look at some of the apartments on the east side of base,” Tessa said. “Come on.” She tugged on Simon’s sleeve to get him to follow.

  “Stash your weapons in the lab, I don’t want the others asking questions yet. Be back here in an hour,” Dodge called after the four of them as he and Tech began to wearily climb the stairs.

  14

  John Kahne Medical Center

  The group gathered with surprising speed and efficiency, in Cale’s opinion. He found it reassuring. Back at Culex, things had begun to fall apart long before he left. No one wanted to be the one making decisions and the place began to go wild. The night before he set off to find the cure the message spoke of, a man pulled a gun on him over a bag of chips. That had been the last straw.

  Seeing Grace and Quigley shout orders and the others scurry to do as they
were told was somewhat comforting. Zero looked overwhelmed by it all as he sat on a bench watching. Someone had found him a clean pair of jeans and a t-shirt which was only a little tight on him. He still looked pale and over-tired, but being out of hospital pajamas made him look much healthier.

  “Here.” Cale held out a gray zip-up sweatshirt from the lost and found.

  “Thanks, man.” Zero slipped on the sweatshirt and zipped it up. “I owe you one.”

  “No problem.” Cale nodded. He couldn’t help but like the guy even as he hated the looks Zero got from Alice. “It’ll be gettin’ cold out there soon.”

  Zero nodded, scratching his nose. “This is all kind of crazy, huh?”

  “Really crazy,” Cale agreed as he sat beside Zero. “Glad it’s going this way though, I woulda hated to have to take off for Coda on my own.”

  “I would have gone along with you, and I bet Alice would have too,” Zero assured him. The words made Cale smile. He would have welcomed their company. Zero continued. “Staying here would have been madness. At least this way we have a better chance of finding out more about that so-called cure of yours.”

  “If I have anything to do with it, the cure’s gonna be called the ‘death vaccine’ when our story is told,” Cale said. He leaned back with a grin, acting much more sure of himself than he felt. “Sounds good, don’t it?”

  “Accurate at least,” Zero agreed.

  “You gonna be okay to walk all the way?” Cale asked. Up close it was hard to miss how tired Zero looked. Dark bags hung beneath his eyes, and his skin had the pale look of someone long overworked.

  “If a bunch of rug rats can make it, so can I, even I’m down a few vials of blood thanks to the good doctors,” Zero insisted. He shifted to look over his shoulder to where Alice was organizing the so-called rug rats.

  In truth most of them were past rug rat age, though only a few were in their teens. Most of them fell between seven and twelve. One little girl and a whole group of boys; not what one would call great odds for the future. Alice saw him looking her way and gave him a brief smile before zipping up the jacket of the little boy in front of her.