Esme and I got out of the car and still nothing came, so the others got out too. Gary explained the likely situation inside, ‘A&E is always busy and Friday lunchtime won’t be any different. There are about fifty chairs, a reception desk, and double doors to the triage area that has ten examinations bays. The waiting area could be the busiest place on our route and there isn’t that much walking around space, which I suppose is good. It wouldn’t be very easy for them to surround you in there. After that we go through the triage area and the bays have curtains not doors, so again it could be busy. It won’t necessarily be immediately apparent how many there are in triage.’
‘It’s hard to imagine them staying within the same few square feet this whole time, but you would know better than me. From there it’s likely to be easier, with a couple of long corridors past a few different departments with double doors. The doors are likely to be shut with fire doors shutting when the power and back-up power went off. Inside theatres shouldn’t be too bad, but I can’t guarantee there will be an ultrasound machine in there. If we have to go to Radiology it’s at least the same distance again.’
Some of the anaesthetic equipment is heavy and not designed to fit in the back of a car. The smaller cart we want doesn’t hold the gasses so we’ll need to find and take the gas bottles as well. We’ll have to get the cart back to the cars before we come back for an Ultrasound if there isn’t one in there. The other equipment like surgery trays with scalpels and things isn’t heavy, but we should try and keep it level and sealed to maintain the sterility if we can. Sorry, there is nothing about this that’s ideal.’
I nodded my understanding and replied, ‘It’s ok doc, this was never going to be anything other than a nightmare, but it’s necessary. You go and sit in Mary and don’t come out, no matter what. We’ll clear out the waiting area and take a look at the triage area, then we’ll come back for you. If we’re not back within half an hour, we’re not coming back and you should get back to base.’
Gary wished us luck as we approached the doors to A&E. It wasn’t a good omen that trouble started before we even reached them. I kicked myself for not being careful, but as we were talking so close by I didn’t think a Zed could be that close and that patient. One of the ambulances was backed up close to the doors, the back facing the doors. As we passed it, a Zed jumped out right on top of one of the guys. If he hadn’t had the full protective gear on he would probably have been bitten on the shoulder. They had all had the inoculation so it probably wouldn’t have been a massive deal, but it could have been a nasty injury. We killed it within seconds, and I suppose it was useful to get the adrenalin flowing, but we could have done without it. We all exchanged knowing looks that we had to be more careful.
The silver-lining was that it was an ambulance person that attacked us and they had the keys of the ambulance on them. I didn’t know what an anaesthetic trolley looked like, but I was pretty sure keeping it upright in the back of the ambulance was a better way of transporting it that laying it in the back of Mary.
The guys decided on a barge in and surprise the bastards approach, as there was no way there would be a standoff or any thinking time when we got into A&E. They barrelled through the doors and were raising their sticks before Esme and I even got into the room. It was busy, but it could have been worse. The big block of chairs taking up most of the room did make it hard for them to swarm around us. The guys headed straight forwards and Esme, Chris and I went right, Chris taking up the rear with his gun out for back-up.
There must have been almost thirty Zeds but they could only attack us two or three at a time. Although they started to try and scramble over the chairs, it wasn’t easy going, and when any threatened to flank us, Chris picked them off. Mutt came in with us but in the difficult space and with Chris taking care of the ones that started to flank us, he barely got a bite in.
One of the guys got forced to the ground with two on top of him and barely made it up by the end of the fight, but only his pride was injured. Esme was quick and efficient and as my shoulder still wasn’t completely healed, I was more her support than an equal partner in the mayhem. It would have been much harder without Chris and I was really glad we’d found more ammo at Dyland’s house.
We stopped to get our breath when we’d cleared the waiting area and the place was a mess. Before I could say anything Track said, ‘I could do with a snack after that’, and I could see him eyeing up the vending machines. He nodded to the others and in what looked like practiced fashion they hauled the machine from the wall and tipped it over. In the limited space it hit the first row of chairs and there was a loud cracking sound. Esme, Chris and I kept an eye on the doors to the triage area, but nothing came. If more Zeds hadn’t come during the fight, it wasn’t likely they would come now. The guy’s hauled the machine up again and the front was cracked. They rummaged round in the tray and found an assortment of chocolate bars they shared out. I ended up with a Twix , which was nice. Chris grabbed something for Gary and ran to update him.
With a sugar hit on board we were ready to breach the triage area and the guys led the way again. Most of the curtains to the bays were at least partially open and the area was a mess. There hadn’t been much fighting in the waiting area. I guess they were all feeling rough even before it happened and most everyone had turned before more than a couple of people got eaten. There were several bodies in the triage area and the fighting looked like it had drawn most of them out. The Zeds charged the moment they saw us and the guys led our charge, Mutt shooting past them, determined to get more of the action this time. Esme, Chris and I barely broke a sweat. There were only about twenty and as they were spread out, some coming from the end of the long corridor, the guys didn’t struggle at all.
I thought of what it would have been like if Esme, Eve, Chris and I had tried to take the place alone. Even with Mutt it would have been really difficult and one of us could easily have got injured. I wondered if there was any way of finding more Ice hockey gear and made a mental note, not only to thank the guys again, but to ask them. With the area clear, Esme and Chris went to get Gary and he looked pale and unsteady. Esme found a wheelchair he gratefully collapsed into.
Before he could get his breath to speak Esme said, ‘Don’t say a word, it’s fine, for us at least. I’m more concerned with you, is there anything we can get you, we’re in the right place for it after all?’
Gary smiled, ‘I took some morphine before we left but it’s not hitting the mark like it used to. I need to stay awake but I think I can manage another one and still be lucid when you need me. I have them on me so there’s no need to go searching.’
He took a pretty pill and scanned the triage area. Pointing he said, ‘There are several oxygen tanks here so we don’t need to haul them from theatres at least, but I don’t think they’ll have any nitrous. Thinking about it, oxygen tanks are really really explosive and it would only take a bullet to make one go off. You should think about collecting some. There will be big and small ones in almost every department. You could put them around the base. If you get attacked by a horde again making one explode in the middle of them would be like a grenade going off. If you wanted to be really brutal you could clad most of the tank in a jacket of nails and it would probably do twice the damage, but you wouldn’t want to be within at least fifty feet of it went off.’
My mind raced with the possibilities and I said, ‘Thanks doc, that’s an awesome idea. We should find a trolley and collect any we pass. I’m sure Bill could invent some nail jackets and maybe even some kind of remote detonation system. Extra crowd control is always useful and it’s not really a resource we need otherwise.’
I hesitated and added, ‘Thanks doc, I’m really going to miss you, and I know Eve will too.’
The doc looked me in the eye, ‘Thanks, strangely that means a lot. I’m going to miss me too.’
Chapter Five - Theatres
With all the fire doors shut, making our way quietly through the hospital wasn’t
too bad. Although there were Zeds to deal with in the halls, there weren’t any hordes and the guys managed fine while the rest of us moved and protected Gary. We were outside the theatre doors and I was just starting to think the trip wouldn’t be so bad after all, when every hair on my body stood on end and I yelled, ‘Shit, mega Zombie sense alert. It’s never been so strong. There must be at least one Talker and I have no idea how far their influence can reach. We need a plan, and now.’
Gary was quick to speak, ‘There aren’t any other departments off theatres and there are only two sets of door, this one and a single key-card security door. There are a couple of fire exits but I guess it’s not what’s outside we’re worried about. There can’t be many more than thirty people in theatres and they should be spread out. As it was lunch time, there could be less. Let’s get inside, deal with what’s there, and barricade ourselves in.’
We could already hear fast approaching groaning and a small horde burst through a door fifty feet down the hall. We didn’t hesitate and two of the guys burst through the theatre doors and we followed them. The other two covered our backs and held the doors when they shut. Zeds from inside theatres were already surging towards us the moment we got inside and with two of the guys holding the doors, Esme joined the other two in taking the brunt of the attack. Mutt always seemed to know what we needed and charged through the largest approaching group, confusing them for a moment and slowing them down.
It was a shit storm even before the Beefcake came charging down one of the corridors. All I could do was shout, ‘Chris’, before the first Zeds hit us and mayhem ensued. If it had been a more open space inside the doors we would probably have been overwhelmed. Luckily not more than one or two could get to any of us at a time when we stood next to each other, but not so close we couldn’t swing our weapons. We were also lucky they were spread out when they hit.
The disadvantage was a lack of space to move around the Zeds like Esme had taught us, leaving brute force as our only option. I heard a series of shots as I struggled to manage the Zeds who hit me first. From the corner of my eye I saw the Beefcake fall, and I’d never been so grateful we had gun skills in the group. It had knocked some of the Zeds aside as it charged and its bloated mass partially blocked the hall. Chris had emptied an entire clip dropping it and shouted, ‘Reloading.’
Behind me, I heard the impact of the horde against the door and the guys grunted as they braced against the first hit. If they hadn’t held the doors we would have been dead, but they were professionals. After stopping the first hit they were fine. Beside me one of the guys stumbled backwards and ended up on Gary’s lap, and then on the floor with a Zed on him. Seeing the hole in our defence’s one of the guys from the doors filled the hole. I heard a yell behind me and saw the wheelchair fly over my head, but I didn’t have time to turn around. I figured Gary had found some adrenalin somewhere but I knew he’d pay dearly for the effort later.
We were being forced backwards and the gap between us and the doors was getting smaller when I heard shots again, single, careful shots. Every one hit its mark and by the time Chris yelled, ‘Reloading’ again, we had recovered some ground. One clip later and we were done. The guy one the floor was bleeding from a nasty scratch and his forearm had been bitten hard, but it was only a crush injury as he had plenty of layers on. Gary had collapsed onto the floor to the side of the doors, but he put his hand up and made an OK sign before letting it fall again. He was breathing heavily but he hadn’t been wounded.
The noise from the other side of the doors was loud. Although the doors were solid so we couldn’t see, it didn’t take much imagining to guess how many Zeds were behind them. Esme was also bleeding from a scratch across her face, but she wasn’t bitten. She looked thin lipped and not herself at all. She said, ‘We need a plan and we need it now.’ She was looking directly at me and the others responded by doing the same. I knew it was time to step up.
I let my brain do its thing and as the words flowed out of me I almost felt like a passenger in the process, ‘First priority is make sure the doors stay shut.’
The guy who had been bitten said, ‘I’ll stay with Tom. My arm really hurts, but I can hold the doors.’
Next I said, ‘There is still a Talker in here somewhere and while there is, the pressure on the doors will get worse as it draws more Zeds from even further way. They’re smart, so it might have held a few reserves back to protect it. We need to be careful. It’s always possible it might think to find a fire door to go outside and gather more, so we need to be quick.’
Looking at Gary who Chris had helped sit up against a wall I asked, ‘Any idea where the fire doors lead?’
Gary shook his head and croaked, ‘No, sorry, but this is the edge of the hospital so there won’t be other buildings outside. Fire regulations mean there must be a route from outside to one of the main fire staging areas though. I’ve never been out there so I have no idea what the deal is.’
I nodded, ‘Ok, we hold the doors and kill that Talker. Looking at Track and the other guy with him I said, ‘You guys do better than us so if you don’t mind you search that way from room to room and kill anything you find. We’ll go this way and take Chris. Bugger knows where Mutt is but he can usually take care of himself, but keep an eye out, it’s not like him not to come back after a fight.’
Track didn’t hesitate and walked off with his team mate. Esme, Chris and I walked the other direction and when I looked over my shoulder at the guys holding the doors they nodded, but I could see the strain they were under. Unable to stop my brain doing otherwise I wondered if the force on the doors would increase with every new Zed pushing on them, or if after a while the disorganised nature of the pushing would level out the force and it wouldn’t get much worse. Our lives depended on the latter theory and the guys being able to hold the doors while we searched. I really hoped that when we found and killed the Talker the Zeds would be less directed about their task and the pressure would ease.
Theatres was like a maze and although we found several rooms, they were empty. Esme seemed better at mapping where we had been than I was. There was a scratching on the inside of the door of the next room we came to and it wasn’t usual Zed behaviour. There was a latch on the door and relief washed over me. I raised my eyebrows and said to Esme, ‘If only dogs could be embarrassed. Better step back, he might be a little tense.’
I turned the latch and began to open the sprung door. Mutt charged through growling until he saw it was us. Esme bent down to ruffle his ears and although he let her, I’m sure he bent his head down in shame. I looked inside the small room, which turned out to be a storage room with organised shelves full and lots of individually packaged pieces of equipment likes plastic tubes and oxygen masks. There was also a messily decapitated Zed. I bent down and patted Mutt on the head. He looked up at me and I said, ‘Good boy, but be careful of self-closing doors, I don’t want to lose you.’ He licked my hand briefly in response.
We were running out of rooms to search when we heard a faint shout and went running back to the main doors. Track and his team mate arrived a minute after us and the guy with Track was limping. Track said panting, ‘It’s done, it’s dead. It was in a staff room wearing surgical scrubs and had five friends, and one it had snacked on. Max got floored and his knee got jumped on, but he’ll be ok.’
I turned to the guys on the doors who were sweating with the constant strain and who said in reply to the unspoken question, ‘It’s a little easier and doesn’t appear to be worsening, but from the feel of it more were still arriving until a few minutes ago. There must be loads out there, way too many for us to take, especially as we’ve taken some hits. What do we do now?’
‘You guys stay here to hold the doors, we’ll go and investigate what’s outside the external fire doors.’
The two on the doors were obviously relived to have help and Esme crouched down to look at Gary who looked up at her and said, ‘How are we doing, I really don’t have a clue. That extra mor
phine and the whisky have properly kicked in now and I’m not even sure I’d feel it if I got eaten.’ He was slurring his words.
Esme smiled, ‘We’re doing ok doc, but we still need you conscious. We’re going to have a look outside, but we won’t be long.’
The doc mumbled, ‘The outside is overrated, but you know best.’
Esme stood up and raised her eyebrows, ‘Getting him to tell us the right gear to take could be interesting, we should hurry, if he goes to sleep it could be really hard to wake him.’
It turned out both the fire doors were on the same outside wall of the building and led to a wide grassy area with a path heading off to what we assumed was one of the main roads around the hospital. We could only guess though as the area was jammed packed full of Zeds that had found their way to answer the Talkers call. We opened one of the doors for a second and three flooded in before we hacked and slashed to get it closed again. The doors were very sturdy indeed so we weren’t bothered about them, for a while at least, but it seemed both our exists were cut off.
We walked back to the main doors in silence while I contemplated our options. When we got back to the others I said, ‘I have an idea, but I’d like to hear any others first, mine is a bit….dramatic.’
There was silence and shaking heads all round. I resisted the temptation to roll my eyes and said, ‘We have to deal with one horde or another or we’re stuck in here. Getting equipment back to the cars via the outside would be a nightmare as the trolley’s wheels aren’t made for grass or curbs, and we have no idea where we’re going. That leaves us having to deal with our friends in the hall, and it’s Gary who’s saved us.’
Gary looked up, his head lolling, and said, ‘Go me.’
Zed Days (Book 3): Zed Days III Page 4
