Dead and Forsaken

by West, J. D.

  “Woo wee!” sighed Joe. “There are a lot more steps in this building than I remember!”

  “I don’t mean to be the bearer of bad news but whatever you got planned we need to do it now!” said Kahleem.

  Him and some of the others wanted to turn back and return to the first floor. Everyone else hesitated unsure of what to do.

  “Kevin what are going to do?” asked Maria as she gingerly wrapped here hands around the kids.

  Their cries and squeals had grown increasingly louder. Everyone else was getting anxious.

  “Carlos take the keys!” I yelled. “I'll cover the stairs.”

  “BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!”

  “What key is it man?” he asked while fumbling around with the lock.

  His fingers were clenched tight and his palms were sweaty.

  “What don’t tell me that a bad ass like you is scared?” heckled Dr. Green.

  Carlos glared at him enraged but avoided answering his question.

  “Just try them all man!” yelled Joe.

  “It's not safe here!” whispered Blair. “They’re going to get in!”

  “BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!”

  “Hurry up with the key you idiot!” screamed Dr. Green with his shoulders hunched back in fear.

  “You’re going to get us all killed.

  He continued to scrutinize other people's actions but didn't step up and lift a finger to help out.

  “BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!”

  “Maybe would could pry the door open!” suggested George. “Everyone look for something we can use!”

  It was no use though because the floor was empty.

  “Calm the fuck down!” I yelled. “You’re scaring everybody!”

  It was easy to misinterpret my tone as anger but I was simply winded. The Pastor leaned Anne against the wall besides the door before he spoke. “Oh heavenly father I ask that you watch over us and Sheppard you flock to safety!” proclaimed the pastor. For a few minutes we were left wondering if this was the end. The beam from my flash light remained tilted towards the landing below us. After a few more seconds Carlos finally found the right one and the opened the second floor fire door.

  CHAPTER 19:

  Last of the Living

  Everyone followed me without hesitation. The door clanged shut making enough noise to raise the dead but at least we were all inside. Some of the other people fell to their knees or lay out on their backs too exhausted to stand. Fear was the only thing that made us gather our last bit of strength and move away from the door. Rays of light from the late afternoon sun filtered through the windows next to the stairwell. We followed the small corridor until it opened up onto the rest of the floor. The second floor was used for Maternity and Pediatrics. The thick smell of death saturated the entire floor. The kids began to feel a little queasy after they inhaled the musky air.

  “Woo Wee!” said Joe. “That smells worse than two skunks fighting in a bag of cow manure!”

  “Stay alert!” I warned. “We might have company.”

  All the monitors were dark and equipment silent so everyone listened for any sound that indicated we were not alone. Thankfully the only thing we could hear was our footsteps and the buzzing of flies. We moved north east towards the service elevator. Hopefully it would still be operational. The regular elevators were off line. They had a fire service kill switch that returned them to the lobby during a fire or power outage. The service elevator was installed to help alleviate wait times due to our high volume of visitor traffic. The staff found it useful to help move freight and supplies to the upper floors and to transport bodies and trash to the lower level.

  As we looked inside the opened doors to patient rooms we saw dozens of corpses. Most of them belonged to people who had been eaten while still in their beds. Their blood stained mattresses were littered with chunks of flesh. Carlos cautiously walked parallel to the wall as he took the lead. I turned around frequently to scan behind us. The silence was unusual. Even at night the hospital was alive with the anxious movement of staff and beeping monitors. We searched and searched but didn't find anyone else alive. Someone in the group bumped into an empty oxygen tank in the corridor and sent it clanging to the floor.

  “KLAAAAANG!”

  Realizing how bad that was all of us stopped dead in our tracks.

  “If any of those things heard that noise we are going to be in trouble!” Maria whispered while grabbing my arm.

  “If they are anywhere close by they are going to converge on this position!” I whispered back.

  “We need to find shelter!”

  Somewhere in the front of us we heard something else fall hard against the floor.

  “THUMP!”

  “Hold on!” Carlos demanded. “No noise! No talking! Just listen!”

  We all heard something so all talking and movement ceased. Several seconds later we heard moaning coming from the other end of the corridor.

  “GRRRRRRR!”

  A pair of hands reached around the baseboards of the wall belonging to a room on the left side. The crippled forsaken was crawling on its hands as it came into view. It was a woman with mangled legs dragging herself along the ground with her arms. She was legless but still hungry.

  “GRRRRRRR!”

  Seconds later the ghoul had pulled itself further into the hall. The beast’s leg stumps and organs followed her as she slid on her exposed ribcage. The crippled monster grunted and moaned as we got closer.

  “GROOOWWWL!”

  She tried to grab us with her bony hands and the creature tilted it's head back exposing a rotting smile.

  “GROOOWWWL!”

  We stepped around her outreached arms and kept going. As he passed by George took his hammer and silence its moaning with a well place blow to the top of the head. She was still a victim so it was hard putting her out her misery.

  “I'm sorry about this!” he mumbled. “It's the humane thing to do!”

  “BLAM!”

  The powerful blow crushed shards of bone into her head and splashed brain matter up onto the wall. He checked behind us and then walked off to catch up to the rest of the group.

  “I guess you sissy boys can be gangsters too!” joked Joe.

  “Trust me I'm no bad ass!” said George. “That was all adrenaline!”

  As we walked by a row of rooms another creature stumbled out in between Maria and the kids.

  “GRRRRRRR!”

  The decrepit forsaken snarled at Latia showing its teeth as slobber fell from its open mouth. She tried to dodge him but was not fast enough. Suddenly it lurched forward grabbing the young girl’s shirt.

  “GRRRRRRR!”

  “Help!” Latia yelled. “Get it off me!”

  The poor girl didn't know what hit her but she still tugged in the other direction. In one movement he flung her to the side.

  “Uuuggghhh!”

  She was thrown backwards and her momentum knocked her brother down.

  “GROOOWWWL!”

  Alex tried to remain still and closed his eyes tightly. Then he instinctively curled up in a ball and started kicking.

  “Aaaiiihhheee!”

  Both of them started screaming and crying for help. Maria heard their screams and began beating the monster in the head with the baton.

  “BLAM! BLAM!”

  She was as fearless as a mother bear protecting her cubs. It was almost able to kill Alex but Blair pulled him to safety.

  “Get away from them dammit!” screamed Maria.

  “BLAM! BLAM!”

  The four blows crushed the back of the ghoul’s skull. It slumped to the floor and died. Maria rushed over to the kids and started checking them for bite marks.

  “Please tell me you’re okay!” she begged. “P
lease don't be hurt!”

  Thankfully they were only scared. She put them in front of her and we continued on. After a few more hallways we finally stopped again. Anne was relieved every time she took a step a wave of pain shot up her leg. What started as a bite was now a full blown infection. Carlos and I would scout the final distance to service elevator alone. The others would wait in an empty break room across from the nurses’ station for us to return. I sat the group down inside before we moved forward. Maria made sure the door was closed and locked behind us.

  ******

  Carlos and I cleared the rest of the rooms in that hall to make sure they didn't have any more surprises. We made it most of the way to the other side of the building but ran into a problem. The staff had used beds and some medical equipment to block off the hallway doors. As we approached them they slid open slightly as a pale mangled hand reached out toward us.

  “GRRRRRRR!”

  The finger nails were black and cracked from rubbing against the door.

  “That is definitely not the way out!” said Carlos.

  “Yeah!” I said. “Lord knows how many more are on the other side.”

  After further inspection we discovered that the feeble attempt to barricade the doors failed. Somehow the forsaken got in. A large maroon spot of dried blood was in the next hall. We followed the blood trails in the other direction. The other patients and staff tried to protect the children in pediatric ward. That was where they made their last stand. The undead creatures cut through them in a brutal and savage attack. Not a single person survived. One minute the room was full of people and the next they were gone. The adults were torn and hacked to pieces. We found the corpses of the entire staff dead outside along with several other unrecognizable organs and tissue mass. We had to wade through their guts.

  Our shoes stuck to the dried blood on the floor like it was a sheet of fly paper. It created a crackling and ripping sound as the bottom of our shoes pealed loose from the grimy floor. Splatter and cast off was everywhere. Inside the room we found dozens of children who were murdered in their cribs and beds. Most of them were only dressed in bloody hospital gowns and a pair of diapers. Their severed limbs were entwined with each other. It was hard for us to look at their bloody faces and chewed up little bodies. Just a few glimpses of the gruesome carnage were enough for a lifetime. Carlos crept up to a bed in the corner with its curtain still drawn. I aimed my weapon and followed him.

  When he snatched back the curtain we breathed a sigh of relief while looking at the empty bed. I witnessed a lot of things during the war and Carlos saw a lot on the street but the sight of those kids got to both of us. The only thing stopping me from crying was the anger growing in my heart. Carlos also struggled to choke back his own tears

  “Let's go man!” I told him. “There’s nothing we can do here!”

  My voice was strong but my eyes were glistening. He followed me as we backed up slowly out the room. We had to Maneuver down a long dark hallway with a lot of doors and a few windows. I listened closely for activity as he watched the area up ahead. Neither one of us was taking any chances. We carefully navigated the dark areas left between the few patches of light coming from the doors and windows before tracing our steps back the other direction.

  ******

  While we were gone Dr. Green decided it was a good time to confront Anne.

  “What's wrong with your leg?” Dr. Green asked.

  “Nothing is wrong!” Anne replied. “It's just a scratch!”

  “I am a doctor.” he demanded. “Let me see it!”

  “I'll be okay!” Anne told him.

  “Don't fuck with me!” demanded the doctor. “Show me your leg!”

  Everyone’s eyes immediately looked at Anne. She stood up and started to back away.

  Then Anne started mumbling to herself and acting mentally traumatized. She was uncomfortable with Dr. Green’s questions and witch hunt interrogation.

  “Are you fucking bit?” yelled Dr. Green. “Answer the damn question!”

  Anne started to cry while holding herself. Sweating and panting it is clear to everyone that she was having a serious panic attack. She was starting to come to grips with the knowledge that she would soon be transformed and doomed to walk the earth as a flesh eater.

  “You need to calm down my son!” said the Pastor. “What is the problem?”

  “Yeah bro!” said Joe. “I think you need to turn it down a notch!”

  “You turn it down!” yelled the doctor. “This bitch got bit and didn't say anything!”

  “What is he talking about?” asked Blair. “You said that she didn't get you!”

  “Anne is he telling the truth?” asked Kahleem.

  Maria didn't say anything but she could see all the signs of infection. She knew that even if you survived an attack but were bitten the victim became a carrier and perpetuated the spread of the disease. Anne’s eyes were glossy and she was sweating profusely. Her skin had become pale and she looked weak. These were clear signs that she didn't have that long to live. She was starring off into space she was clearly disorientated. Anne pulled up her pants leg to reveal the nasty bite wound. A large teeth mark indentation could be seen under a thick layer of blood and yellow pus. Her DNA had been altered and the skin cells were starting to decay. The area around the wound was black and swollen. Her bodies immune system will be unable to stop the spread of the infection.

  “Damn that's rancid!” said Joe. “I knew I smelled something!”

  “This bitch is infected!” said Dr. Green. “I can't believe this bitch is infected!”

  “Shut the hell up!” said Kahleem. “We have to think this through!”

  “What is there to think about?” said George. “Let's kill her now before it's too late!”

  “Hold your horses!” said Maria. “Let’s wait for the guys to get back!”

  “It doesn't matter what your boyfriend says!” demanded Dr. Green. “We all know what needs to be done!”

  Dr. Green started to fear that Anne might become dangerously unstable. He was infuriated at Anne's betrayal of the rest of the groups trust. A couple of the men started to move towards her gripping their weapons. The pastor stepped in between them and Anne to prevent them from killing her during the confrontation. Holding out his cross in front of him the Pastor broke out into an impromptu sermon.

  “Let he without sin cast the first stone!” was the first thing he said.

  “You know what's going to happen to her padre!” said Dr. Green. “You know what she is going to become!”

  “She is going to be exactly what God wanted her to be!” said the Pastor.

  “Shut up!” yelled Anne. “All of you shut the fuck up! I know what's going to happen next. I just don't want to die!”

  The pastor grabbed her by the shoulders and slapped her across the face.

  “Calm down!” said Blair. “We're all here to help you through this.”

  Anne tearfully apologized to the rest of the group and asked for their forgiveness.

  “I have a family!” said Anne. “I have children!”

  Now she didn’t know if she would never see her kids again. Her oldest was ten and her youngest was five. They were visiting their father in California for the summer. It was a condition ordered by the judge overseeing their custody hearing. It was a fierce battle but she ended up with primary custody.

  “Can you guarantee that you won't go crazy and try to kill us?” asked George.

  “I can only guarantee that god has a plan for all of us!” answered the pastor.

  “So what should we do?” said Joe. “My daddy always said that God made death because folks are too dumb to know when to quit!”

  “What the fuck are you b
abbling about?” Dr. Green asked. “All of you need to quit acting like a bunch of pussies and kill that bitch!”

  “He is right!” said George. “Maybe we should put her out of her misery!”

  “That is murder you are talking about!” Blair responded. “She is still alive!”

  She was horrified by the actions they intended to take.

  “She might be alive now but in a couple of hours she is going to try and kill us!” said George.

  “You heard Mr. Fancy Pants!” yelled Dr. Green. “We have to kill her before she kills us!”

  “Maybe the government has found a cure by now!” said Blair.

  “I don't see the government doing shit to try and help us!” responded Dr. Green. “So what makes you think they found a cure?”

  “We can't give up hope!” Maria begged.

  “Don't be stupid!” said Joe. “She is good as dead!”

  After seeing the fresh bite wound he panicked and was ready to attack his close friend.

  “Please don't hurt her!” said Latia.

  “This is grown folks business!” said Dr. Green. “So shut your little mouth!”

  “Don't talk to her like that!” Maria yelled.

  “Keep those brats away from me!” said Dr. Green. “After all they can't fight! Maybe we could move faster if we didn't have to baby sit!”

  “You stay away from them or I’ll kill you!” said Maria. “You talk a good game like you’re so perfect but I know your secret! Dr. Okonkwo told me you stole those pain killers!”

  “You need to watch your mouth and quit talking about shit you know nothing about bitch!” yelled Dr. Green.

  “This does concern me!” shot back Maria. “I have been sending patients to a drug addict!”

  “You are a fool! I save lives every day and if I have to take a little something to take the edge off then so be it!” declared Dr. Green. “Besides that doesn’t change the fact that she is infected!”

  “Don't listen to him guys!” Maria begged. “Even now his speech is slurred and his eyes are all crazy!”

  “I say we just leave her here!” said Joe.