Legacy of the Living

by Sean Liebling

  "More of the same, man. Delusional vaccine victims, stay the fuck away from them. Help is on the way for infected areas. Same."

  "What about the hospital and the shooting we heard over there? It’s stopped."

  "Nothing. Lines are down, still down that is."

  "Johnny. I have a really bad feeling about this."

  "Yeah, you keep saying that. Look, Samson. It's not a government conspiracy." Samson had been saying that for four hours now, and claimed to have been expecting something along these lines, hence the full ‘bug out bag’ in the back of his van along with all the guns and ammunition.

  "Man. How else do you explain what happened? How else do you explain how the rehab clinics didn't get their vaccine allotment? Huh? Because we're not considered dangerous or important. How else do you cause something like that!?" and Samson was pointing outside the gates. Clearly visible were the guppies. Also visible was the fact that most were missing body parts. "They ain’t alive, man. That kind of shit is manmade."

  "Look, I hear you. Let's agree to disagree. Alright?" Johnny shook his head at Samson's one-track mind.

  "I knew I shouldn't have come in today."

  "Hel, bro. Wild horses couldn't have kept you away from that nurse Mary."

  "OK, well, you got me there. Still, we are so screwed, man."

  "I think some of us should walk over to the hospital. What do you think?"

  "Count me in."

  "I said some of us that could walk, not roll, man."

  "Screw you, dude. I'll pay you back for that," but Samson was laughing along with Johnny, especially since both men knew Samson could run his wheelchair at least three times faster than Johnny could limp.

  "I'll get some of the staff together and you pick out what guns you think we'll need. I think there are soldiers over there because a lot of that gunfire was full auto."

  "I think so too. Make it about a dozen or so. We need enough to cover each other’s backs."

  "Gotcha. Meet you at the west gate in ten." With that, Johnny took off. It took less than ten minutes to round up a half dozen or more people, but he had to see Celeste before he left. He tried to get a good luck kiss but she just laughed at him and shooed him off. Damn it! A few minutes more and they were all there assembled before the side entrance. Most had guns of various sorts, including some rifles and handguns, and there were axes and clubs of all kinds. Johnny counted fourteen volunteers including six orderlies and other staff members. Director Kelly McLean was there also, a scared look on her face.

  "Johnny, don't take any chances. Go straight there, get help and come back. Take this radio too. We only have a few but it should reach that far. Let us know if you need help and when you're on your way back." Johnny accepted the two-way radio she pressed into his hands, then was surprised when she hugged him. Nice hug too.

  "Don't worry, Director, if any guppies come my way, I'll roll Samson in front of them and get back as fast as I can while he holds them off."

  "I swear Johnny, I'll pay you back for that too," but again, Samson was laughing. He thought Johnny's little teases about his disabled status were hilarious. Especially teasing coming from someone with cerebral palsy that could only stagger, or limp on a good day.

  "Yeah yeah, just stay sharp dude. You get your kiss goodbye from Mary?"

  "Of course. You get one from Celeste?"

  "Of course!"

  "Liar. I saw you two."

  Johnny didn't bother answering. He nodded at the men to open the gate, which was wedged shut with a car in front of it. They had to move the car first, and backed it up slowly. Once the car was moved, Johnny could see through the gate. The men dragged it open next and he limped through while looking around cautiously, his cane sword at the ready. In the distance, he saw a few guppies that were looking in his direction. Johnny swore they were trying to decide whether to give chase or not. Then he swore again as they decided in favor of crippled game and began moving toward him.

  "Come on Johnny, to the left. We'll cut around the backside and come up the far side." Samson was directing their group, as he had the most experience in this kind of thing. Well, experience in small unit deployments, as Samson had told Johnny.

  "Good idea man. On it." Then Johnny was leading them down the side and around the backside of the medical office building that separated the rehab center from Mercy Hospital. There were guppies back here too, and the orderlies out front dispatched them with well-placed blows to the head, as destroying the brain was the only thing that would keep them from getting back up. You could lop an arm or a leg off and they still kept coming.

  "Keep staggering, man. You can make it. Don't trip on the cracks in the sidewalk. Hey watch it, you're wearing the side of your shoe away dragging it like that." Samson was getting some payback in, Johnny figured, and ignored him. Samson kept chatting away about Johnny's disability for a bit then switched to Celeste. "You know Celeste will never give that stuff up to you, right man? She wants a big strong man. Did I tell you I got some tongue from Mary this afternoon? Oh yeah, sure did. What did you get again? Something about a kick in the ass as she tossed you out?"

  "Just shut the Hel up man. Loki, you talk too much."

  "Don't be bringing your foreign gods onto American soil, dude. Hey, look at the windows we're passing. Look!" Samson had stopped and was pointing. There in the window closest to them, a face was peering out. It was a woman, and she looked really scared. Another female face joined hers and this one looked equally scared. The window they were behind was one of those sealed units you couldn't open, but Johnny motioned to a widow to their right, or further down the walk, which had a slider built into it. One of them nodded after a moment, then disappeared. In a moment the slider opened and a typical middle-aged secretary type looked out at them.

  "You need to get off the streets until help comes. Why are you out here?"

  "We’re headed to Mercy. There was shooting there earlier. We're from the rehab center," Johnny responded.

  "Don't go there. It was overrun an hour ago. Hundreds, maybe thousands of those things were all over it. We saw people jumping from some of the higher floors."

  "What about all the automatic weapons firing we heard?" That was Samson putting his question in.

  "You're missing your legs!"

  "Christ you’re observant. Office manager maybe?"

  Johnny rolled his eyes; it was obvious the woman was scared out of her mind and slightly incoherent. He tried a different approach.

  "Ma'am. What about the gunshots? Who were they?"

  "Oh, those were National Guardsmen and some police officers. They're all dead. Well, maybe not all. One of the girls saw them barricade themselves in at the emergency room entrance."

  "We'll give them a try. You guys should head over to the rehab center. We have tall block walls there. The guppies will smash those windows in eventually if they see you. We saw them do that to the other office building across the street."

  The woman looked at him and gave him a tired smile. "Yes, we know. They smashed in some of ours already. That's how most of us died, holding them back. These back offices have reinforced doors so they can't get in. There's only a few of us left."

  "Well, climb through the window and run for it. It's probably your best chance because none of those windows are reinforced."

  "We'll think about it, but thank you. By the way. Don't go up the side street to the main entrance to the hospital. There are thousands of the creatures up front, you'll never get through. Some of those things can run pretty fast. The only way you could get in the hospital is through the back maybe. I don't know."

  "Thank you. We'll try that."

  She smiled and closed the window. Johnny didn't know if they would take his advice or not, but he did know if the guppies saw them, they were goners. It didn't really matter though. They all needed help. He nodded to the others and took off.

  At the corner, one of the orderlies peered around the edge then backed off quickly and crouched besi
de Johnny and Samson speaking in a whisper.

  "Hundreds of them. A huge crowd. Not many are looking this way, but if they see us we'll be running back to the center. There are way too many for us to take on."

  "Well that tears it," Samson muttered, then brightened and looked at Johnny. "You up for adventure?"

  "What sick twisted idea have you thought up now?" Johnny was pissed. They desperately needed help and it wasn't looking good.

  "OK, we send the others back to the center and you and me go. You take David's AR-15 and all the ammo. I'll switch my pole out for the crowbar. It's four feet long and we'll need it in a minute."

  "Samson, I can't run. They'll see us and catch me. Yeah, you'll probably get away. You’re fast on that thing." Johnny nodded at Samson's wheelchair.

  "No man. You ride on the back. I'll scoot us across fast. Only a few, if any, will see us and we'll go in through the back annex. It's kept locked but the crowbar will open it fast. Man, I've been here a hundred times. This is where I went every time my stumps got an infection. I really don't live that far from here. I need you to do the stuff I can't reach. We can break the glass door of the annex to get in. There are wooden benches just inside you can use to wedge the outside gate closed after we enter it. It'll work, man."

  "OK, I can see that working to get in. Then when there are several hundred outside the door while we’re trying to get back, how does that work out exactly?"

  "Johnny. Do you seriously want to live forever? We'll battle our way out like the three hundred Spartans at the Battle of Thermopylae. We'll be fine. Besides, I doubt many will see me. There should only be a few."

  Johnny sighed and looked at the others. They all looked back with varying expressions on their faces. Most obviously wanted to go back to the safety of the center. A few looked irritated at not being invited along. Johnny did not mind the thought of dying, not really. Not after all his suicide attempts as a teenager. He did mind dying uselessly, though. At that moment, he heard some full auto firing from the front of the hospital. At least he thought it was the front. Two quick bursts, then silence again. In the distance, he could hear a siren abruptly cut off.

  "Alright, you talked me into it. The rest of you head back. David, gimme your machine gun and the extra clips.”

  "It's a semi-automatic rifle, not a machine gun," David groused, but he handed it over along with a bag of extra magazines. Samson exchanged his six-foot pole for a four-foot steel crowbar, and grinned at him.

  "Good choice Johnny. Word of advice. If you don't want them all over us like stink on shit, then do NOT fire that damn rifle. We'll easily get to the annex gate and inside before any that happen to see us can get that far. Do NOT fire it. I mean it. You'll bring them all down on us. Just climb on to the back and hold on tight. Don't try to help. I can handle this better without you dragging a damn foot and slowing me down."

  "Fine, I got it big guy. Let's go." The others were already walking back to the center as quickly as they could, and Johnny climbed onto the back off Samson's wheelchair after slinging the rifle over his shoulder. He held on tightly for he had seen how fast Samson could move a wheelchair when he wanted to.

  "Ready Johnny?"

  "Yeah. Do it!"

  Like a shot, Samson flung them forward, his arms a blur as he spun the steel and rubber tires, faster and faster. Johnny gripped harder when he almost fell off. Holy Loki they were moving fast. Thump. Down the sidewalk incline into the street and Samson was moving even faster, if that were possible. Another thump and they were across the street, racing down the backside of the hospital. Holy shit, Samson was probably doing close to twenty miles per hour. It was actually a scary experience going that fast on such a small object. Johnny managed to glance sideways and saw two or three of the guppies looking in their direction but none were moving this way yet. Then they were behind the building and Samson was starting to brake.

  "Wow. That was the fastest I've ever gone I think." Samson was breathing heavy but smiling. Then they were seriously braking as they approached another of those wrought iron decorative gates on their left.

  "Yeah man. Wow. Like you said. That was actually scary."

  "Aw, you get used to it, Johnny. Hold on. Hop off and let me break this open, then get ready to grab one of the wooden benches inside and brace it closed. I'll give you a hand with the weight once we're inside. I don't think any of them saw us. I checked but had to focus on the sidewalk up ramp."

  "I saw two or three looking in our direction but they hadn't started moving yet."

  "Good enough. Hold on." Samson inserted the curved end of the crowbar above the lock and flexed his arms as he leaned into it. With a clang the door snapped open. Instantly Samson dropped the crowbar in his lap and backed up.

  "Get the door, Johnny."

  "Oh, right." Johnny pulled it open and Samson immediately rolled in. Then Johnny entered, closing it behind them.

  "Those benches there. Drag one over here and I'll help you prop it up." Samson was pointing. Johnny grabbed the edge and tugged. Shit, it was heavy. He strained and it moved, slowly.

  "Hurry the fuck up, Johnny. Quit wasting our time." Johnny strained harder and dragged it all the way to the door. One handed, Samson lifted its edge for him. "Keep pulling Johnny. Christ, how weak are you?"

  "Screw you Samson." Johnny strained with all his might and together they managed to prop it against the metal door, keeping it closed.

  "Well that should hold them. OK, the annex door now, follow me." They were in a very small courtyard. Probably a place where doctors, nurses, or hospital staff might go to smoke and eat lunch. There were a few round tables and some of the wooden park-like benches scattered around. Almost directly opposite them was a small doorway leading inside. It was to this Samson rolled. Almost immediately, he swung the crowbar, smashing its glass facing. As the shattered glass was cascading down, he grunted at Johnny.

  "Get inside, unlock and open it so I can get in. Quickly. We don't want them to see us."

  Johnny stumbled across the metal frame, dragging his left foot over the top, then turned and quickly found the lever unlocking the door and pulled it open. Samson came barreling through as it was opening, pushing him back hard enough he fell.

  "Get off your ass. We need to get under cover, Johnny." They were in another room almost as large as the courtyard outside, with two entrances. Samson was weaving around more tables and chairs as he headed to one of these. "Lock the door before you follow." Johnny pulled himself to his feet and locked the door even though the glass center was missing. He shrugged and followed.

  At this second doorway Samson paused, then, reaching out, he opened it slowly, peering down the brightly lit hallway beyond. Johnny heard nothing. There was total silence with the exception of the soft hiss from the heating vent above their heads. Then Samson was pulling the door wide and swinging to the left. Johnny followed and saw him raise the crowbar, then thrust it forward quickly, like a spear. As Johnny limped into the hallway he saw Samson pulling the end of the crowbar out of a guppy’s head and almost instantly spearing it though another that was reaching for him. Two down.

  "Make as little noise as possible. Get your damn sword out. Thrusts only. Do NOT alert the others, Johnny," Samson whispered out of the side of his mouth. Then he laid the steel bar in his lap and reaching down, gripped the clothing of both guppies in front of him, pulling them to the sides of his wheelchair so he could move forward.

  "OK, got it!" Johnny whispered back.

  It took some time and over a dozen encounters. One encounter involved eight of the undead guppies. That was hairy, as a guppy managed to fasten onto Samson's left arm before Johnny was able to thrust his sword through its right eye socket into the brain. But they made it to the emergency room doors. Samson knew Mercy Hospital like the back of his hand, as he had been here multiple times fighting various infections from the double amputation an IED had caused in Afghanistan. It was a circuitous route he took them on, but one that did not take too
long. The emergency room doors were of heavy self-locking steel with medium-sized wire threaded windows inset in their centers. Johnny leaned forward to peer inside and saw the muzzle of a gun pointed straight at his face.

  "Holy shit!" he blurted out. Immediately the door opened and a camouflaged figure stepped through and looked at the two of them over his rifle. Seeing the blood covering Samson, the muzzle shifted downward quickly.

  "Wait, wait, we’re friendly! Not guppies!" That caused the soldier to raise his rifle slightly, and he looked at Johnny in confusion.

  "Guppies? What the hell are guppies?"

  Johnny explained that names have power. The creatures looked like zombies, but the way they bit everything living in sight, they reminded him of piranhas, so he named them something cute and harmless, and the silly name ‘guppies’ came into being.

  "Works for me," quipped Samson.

  "Get in, both of you, quickly, and they're zombies. We've decided." The soldier stepped back and held the door wide for them while watching behind them carefully. Samson immediately rolled into the emergency room and Johnny dragged himself after. There were six more soldiers just inside the entrance with guns pointed at them. Another National Guardsman, obviously in charge, was approaching. Behind him, Johnny could see the bustle of dozens of people. Doctors, nurses, and orderlies were all treating people and busy with whatever it was they did in a hospital. Along the wall behind the soldiers, Johnny saw an endless row of those small rollable cribs they normally put newborn babies in. Johnny's eyes then widened as he realized the cribs were not empty. They contained babies, and a lot of them.

  "Who are you two?" This came from the soldier who had just approached them, the one Johnny thought was in charge. Johnny explained, with Samson filling in parts Johnny missed. The man nodded as they took turns speaking. Then he spoke again.

  "That might be an option. This facility is not a long-term solution. We have water for now but no food. Plenty of ammunition, but honestly Command is silent over com, and I doubt reinforcements are coming. I have over a dozen doctors, with roughly the same number of nurses and staff. We have over thirty newborns they pulled off the third floor before it was overrun, along with some other patients that aren't infected, and I have eight men and women left, plus maybe four Muskegon police. We lost over three-quarters of our force trying to protect this place." The Guardsman finished speaking abruptly and squatted, lowering his head to his chest. Samson reached forward and patted him on the shoulder then spoke.