by Red Lagoe
Dr. Hill slid into his white lab coat and sat down in front of her in another chair.
"After that first day, Dr. Carter and I stayed here because we thought we could try to formulate a vaccine," he said.
Kayla's eyes lit up.
"Don't get excited. It didn't happen. We didn't have the supplies that we needed—not in this facility." He pulled his dark hair away from his face and let it fall back down over his forehead.
"Wow." Kayla gazed upon her selfless rescuer with her mouth agape. "That's so amazing of you." She couldn't believe her luck in finding the one decent human being in the world. He may have been older than her, but she didn't care. He was perfect in every way.
"You could've gone to that quarantine place, but you stayed to help humanity. That's saying something."
"Well..." Dr. Hill shook his head with modesty.
"I looked out the windows today," she said with a hopeful grin. "It doesn't look too dangerous out there anymore. I didn't see even one of them, other than Dr. Carter."
"Everyone has probably evacuated to the high school, where that camp is set up," he explained.
"Maybe we should go there," Kayla said.
Dr. Hill smiled at her, "Maybe, but the sun will be going down soon, and I'd hate to get stuck out there in the dark."
Conversation between Kayla and Dr. Hill flowed effortlessly. The world outside seemed to disappear while she talked about her parents and life on the west coast. Dr. Hill talked about his college experience and how much it made him grow as a person, and she confessed that the college guys she went to school with were far too immature for her.
"Dating is rough," he said. "Especially when you get closer to thirty."
"How close to thirty?" she asked.
"Twenty eight," he answered. "I know it's taboo for a gentleman to ask, but-"
"Eighteen," she said with clenched teeth, hoping he wouldn't think she was too young for him.
"Wow," the doctor raised his eyebrows and ran his fingers through his hair again, "I was guessing 25."
Kayla blushed. "Well, I'm more mature than most girls my age," she bragged.
"I bet you are."
An hour had gone by since she made her way into his lab and she already imagined their wedding day. Someday—after everything gets better—she pictured him coming home after a long day of being a doctor, needing her comfort. By then she would be a biologist, and an intellectual equal.
They stood side by side in the center of the lab, leaning against an island counter. Kayla hoisted herself up to sit between two microscopes, letting her bare feet dangle. The cold stainless steel chilled the backs of her legs, and she shifted her short skirt underneath to block the hard surface. Kayla could see that Dr. Hill eyed her bare thighs. She worried for a moment if something physical was about to happen—they barely knew each other—but she threw all caution as far away as possible and welcomed his glance.
His eyes pierced into her and she shivered with excitement. As he turned his body toward her in a slow smooth rotation, Kayla wet her lips and glanced down at his unshaven face. Raw animalistic emotions enveloped her, and she wanted to feel secure. Dr. Hill was perfect for the job, and she figured he was more likely to take her along with him if she latched on now. He positioned his body in front of her and drifted in closer as Kayla parted her knees. His gaze locked on her inviting eyes as he leaned in to kiss her. Her body melted as he moved his hands to her bare knees, and she grabbed behind his ears to invade his mouth with her tongue. The doctor slid his hands under her tiny skirt, and his thumbs came to rest at the crease of her pelvis, squeezing her thighs.
Kayla charged at him with fervid intent. They tugged at each other's clothing, and her polka-dot blouse dropped to the floor along with her purple panties. His khakis collapsed in a bundle at his ankles, and Kayla grabbed him by his white coat lapels and wrapped her legs around his waist. She shrieked from the energy pulsing through her as their bodies smashed together on the cold stainless steel counter in a furious entanglement of lust. The microscope to the left crashed to the floor in their frantic wrestling match. After their brief encounter, she collapsed backward onto the counter, and he fastened his pants before plopping into the swivel chair out of breath.
Minutes later, Kayla was getting dressed, ashamed of herself for giving in so easily. She'd never done that on a first date before. She had been with one other person—Styles—but he never made her feel like that.
"Please don't think less of me," she whispered as she slipped her blouse over her head. "I don't normally do stuff like this."
Dr. Hill moved closer and whispered in her ear, "You mean you don't normally scream in delight?"
His words excited her, and she was ready for him again. She released a sharp breath as his lips hovered over her neck.
She trembled. "I don't even know your name."
Dr. Hill took a step back and looked her in the eyes with a smile. "Marcus," he said.
13
Drunken Decision
Melody realized that she had the strength to do the right thing. She would be the kind of person that would stay truthful to her vows, the kind of person that would risk her life to find her love—even if it wasn't the easy kind of love her dad told her about—whether the world was fucked up or not. Marcus was all she had left in this world, and she would fight for him.
She carried the candle, as well as a newfound sense of strength and purpose, from the kitchen to the living room to join Candace, who had already begun drinking vodka straight from the bottle. Candace, sunken into the couch with her legs crossed and the bottle clutched in her hand, held onto Melody's wedding photo.
"I'm sorry I snapped at you," Melody said to her, taking the high road. If she was going to be spending time with her, she would need to be on speaking terms, especially if they would be traveling together. It would be foolish to make enemies the way things were out there.
"This is your guy?" Candace asked, staring at the wedding photo. Melody nodded and sat on the floor with her back against the cushion-less loveseat.
"He's cute. What's he do?" Candace asked.
"He's a doctor-"
"Just like you," John said entering the room. He stepped over Melody to get to the couch and sat down beside Candace.
"I'm a DVM, doctor of veterinary medicine, and he's got a Ph.D. in pharmaceutical sciences—developing new drugs." She said the same words that Marcus would say to everyone they met. He was always sure to point out the distinction between the two doctors. Remembering his pigheadedness allowed a bit of spite to reenter Melody's heart for a moment.
"I talked to him on the phone that night when everything fell apart here," Melody explained. The room was silent as the yellow light from the candle oscillated across the ceiling. Melody's face turned sour, "He said he was staying to work on a vaccine."
Candace's face lit up and John sat still, awaiting more information.
"It didn't make sense though," Melody said. "He doesn't deal with stuff like this. He works on antidepressants. Not whatever this is."
"And?" Candace's eyes were wide open.
"I argued with him," Melody admitted. "He told me he was going to try to save the world, and I tried to talk him out of it."
John asked, "How much progress did he make on the vaccine? Did he say-"
"No," she interrupted. "He didn't tell me anything. We got cut off. I don't know what I can do to make things right, other than try to find him."
"Tomorrow," John said, "we go look for him."
Melody felt horrible about dragging them both into danger on a quest to find someone they didn't even know—someone that might not even be alive. She inhaled a breath, ready to argue, but John cut her off.
"Don't try to argue," he said. "We're in this together." He turned to Candace, "But you're gonna have to change your clothes...and shoes."
"Hey!" She gave him a playful nudge with her shoulder. "I bet I can do better in those heels than you can do on that leg of yours." Ca
ndace looked toward John's prosthetic leg and scooted closer. The curved metallic blade below the knee.
"So, what's with the leg anyway?" Candace sat forward, with her breasts nearly falling out of her tank top, and Melody cringed at the question.
"It's not a fashion statement, if that's what you're asking," John said.
"I heard you're a Navy SEAL, is that true?" She took another drink.
"Where would you hear something like that?" he asked, snagging the bottle from her hands and placing it on the coffee table.
"Mrs. Nickerson," Candace laughed. "She told me everything that happens on this street. Like how your wife left you last year-"
"I see," John cut her off.
"Oh my God, I'm sorry!" Candace leaned closer, fawning over him, slurring her words into even a deeper southern drawl. "You know, I can't imagine why she would leave you. You are such a nice guy."
John scooted farther away from Candace.
"Is it true your wife stole your cat?" she blurted.
Melody couldn't believe this girl's brazen questioning. Enduring the infected outside seemed like a better option than sitting in that room with Candace.
"Hold on..." Melody interrupted, "So if you were military, do you have MREs?"
Melody knew a stash of military meals, ready-to-eat, would be perfect for lightweight travel. She also hoped Candace would stop asking him uncomfortable questions.
"No. I don't eat that stuff. Binds you up," he said.
"I thought all you military guys keep that stuff," Melody said.
"Only hunters and those crazy doomsday people stock up on MREs," John said, laughing.
"I bet those doomsdayers are having a celebratory I-told-you-so party now,” Melody said.
Candace cut in again, demanding to be the epicenter of all conversation, "So is it true? Are you a SEAL?"
"Yeah." He pointed to his leg. "I don't see much action these days, though."
"I can't believe I haven't asked you these things before."
"Well, you haven't been this drunk since we've met," John said, taking the bottle from Candace's hands again as she tried to snatch it for another sip. "You should stop drinking. We travel in the morning and we can't carry you."
"Tell me what happened," she said, scooting closer.
"What the hell do you think happened?" Melody said.
She had to shut this woman up. She considered smothering her or even shoving her out the front door to fend for herself.
Candace was young and needed some guidance, and Melody would to have to be the one to help her. She pulled out her map of the town that she had drawn out earlier that day, and marked out her preferred route to Marcus's lab. "Candace, take a look at this map with us."
"Are we driving?" Candace asked.
"No," John and Melody said it in unison.
"You watched the news. All those cars jamming up the roads. We could get around that corner and get trapped," Melody said.
"Those are the tracks, right?" John asked, pointing to her map.
The abandoned railroad tracks wrapped around the perimeter of Fair Haven, guarded by an eight-foot tall chain link fence, well-covered with weeds, and a tree line on the opposite side—perfect for coverage.
"I used to run them for cross-country track practice. We could travel through the woods that run parallel here," Melody said, pointing to the strip of poorly drawn pine trees squeezed between Route 28 and the tracks.
"But the highway is right there," John argued and reminded her about the news reports of the clogged up roads. There was a good chance it was overrun with infected, so the tracks would be their safest route.
John studied the map for a moment and looked up. "After we extract Marcus-"
"We go to the quarantine camp?" Candace suggested.
"We're not waltzing into that place without a decent vantage point first," he said, "I want to be sure it's safe."
"I know a place we can check it from," Melody said.
Hours went by and the conversation grew sparse with their increasing exhaustion. The night grew black, and the sound of crickets crept through the walls along with the occasional moan or snarl of an infected person. Melody snuck away, leaving John sitting on the couch as Candace cried into his arms, talking about whether or not her husband was still alive.
Melody tiptoed upstairs and down the dark hall toward the floor length window. She could traverse Elpis Court by cutting through yards, but it was too dark to see if they were clear. Defeated in her attempt to go solo, she slid to the floor, leaned her head against the paned glass, looking to the yard below as the fireflies speckled the darkness. She was terrified of the road ahead and where it may lead her, so perhaps having some company wouldn’t be so bad.
Minutes later, John's sturdy silhouette strolled down the hallway toward her, then he sat against the opposite wall, and his foot met with Melody's.
"She's almost asleep," John said. "Which one of these rooms can I move her to?"
"She can sleep in there." She pointed to the master bedroom at the end of the hall.
"We should all stay in the same room," John said. "I'll sleep on the floor."
Melody nodded in agreement.
"Do you have a radio over here?" John asked.
"Yeah, but no D batteries for it. Got any of those?"
"No. I couldn't get anything but static on mine before the batteries quit."
Melody looked upward out the window to distract herself from the world. "I bet the stars are pretty amazing now that the power's out."
"You do much stargazing?"
Melody's eyes brightened. "I used to spend a lot of time under the stars with my dad as a kid, but not since then. I work a lot. Well, I used to work a lot. I guess I don't have a job now."
"Me neither," John said with a smirk. "So now that civilization seems to be crashing to a halt, what are you going to do with your time?"
"Hide in attics...and occasionally beat people with baseball bats." She chuckled and contained her laughter immediately, trying not to sound like a crazy person, but John laughed right along with her.
"It's good to have a hobby," he said.
Within the darkness, his lips stretched across his face, exposing a gorgeous smile. Melody could barely see him but tried not to stare at the handsomeness across from her by reminding herself that he was an asshole.
"I have a decent telescope, so we could look at some galaxies and stuff if we really wanted to," John said with a cheesy grimace.
"Me too. I have an eight inch reflector—it was my dad's," Melody said.
"That allows in a fair amount of light. Mine's twelve. But eight's a good size," John bragged.
Melody smirked. "If it's not at least eight inches, a lady's not impressed." Melody laughed at her perverted joke, relieved that John was laughing too. "The first night the power went off, I would have loved to take the scope out to see some dark skies without all the light pollution, but that could've been risky. I'm not exactly used to doing defensive battle while I operate a telescope."
"Well, maybe we can team up. Take turns looking through the telescope while the other stands guard,” John laughed.
"Stargazing and Stabbing," Melody chuckled maniacally, a little disturbed with herself for cracking jokes while sick people were outside dying.
"Astronomy and Ass-kicking," John added. Their laughter bounced off the walls for a second and then the hall fell silent.
"We should've hung out more before," John said.
While John and Melody had been giggling in the hallway upstairs, Candace had gone back to drinking from the bottle of vodka, even though John warned against it. She could handle her booze. He had no idea how much she used to party before she settled into married life. She sat at the bottom of the steps and sipped away, eavesdropping on the two upstairs, but also missing her sweet Gavin. She missed his hugs and needed his comfort. Candace longed for any comfort at this point...from anyone.
She could hear whispers and soft laughter comi
ng from upstairs. It disgusted her that John was so readily drawn to some lady he hardly knew. Some lady with ratty hair and ill-fitted clothes came barreling into their lives and stole his attention away from her. Her feelings about John seemed wrong, but her heart wanted what it wanted.
Certainly she could be just as impressive to John as this Melody lady was. What was so great about her anyway? She could take on an infected person like Melody did, if she needed to. Perhaps if she didn't leave John's rifle behind, he wouldn't have been so cold with her that night. Candace needed to start proving herself, or she worried she'd be left behind.
She had to make a run for the rifle, so she put on her shoes, closed the front door behind her and scampered down the sidewalk toward John's house.
She quickly realized that she had made a mistake. The night was black and too difficult to see through. Shifting shadows against the houses made her freeze mid-step, but the sound of her heels on the pavement had already drawn the infected toward her. They were everywhere.
14
Shaken
The humming of the fluorescent bulbs sputtered, and the room became black with the failing generator. They were lucky it lasted as long as it did. Kayla squealed and reached for Marcus in the darkness. She found his hand, and they maneuvered their way across the lab, feeling around the counters, until they reached the door. They sat on the floor and Kayla held tight to Marcus's sleeve. He placed a hand on her leg and told her she would be alright. Seduced by his gentle touch, her heart sank.
"What do we do now?" she asked.
"We get the hell out of here, but we'll wait until morning."
Kayla leaned in, fawning over him, and asked, "To the quarantine place?"
"You told me earlier that Dr. Carter was the only person you came across today in the building. In the morning, I'll get by him, then I'll go outside and check it out to be sure it's safe," he said.
"You're taking me with you right?"
