by D. K Lake
“There's a university here,” I said, remembering what Joe had told us.
“Yes, it's more of a science university and the research center is on the same grounds as the university, so you can see why the government thinks it's worth saving.”
“Do you know if they've found anything, like a cure?”
She shook her head. “I wouldn't know, I only talk to Ross, he's part of the army, they're staying on the university grounds. He delivers my weekly supply.”
“Weekly supply?”
“Yes, the research center gets all sorts of stuff flown over to them, and because they have so much Ross brings me a crate once a week, full of food and water, and medical supplies they don't need. You just need to know who to make friends with these days, plus he has a thing for my niece, Zoe, so he likes to drop by a lot.” She packed the supplies away and stood up. “Right, I'm going to go and get cleaned up. If you need anything, just come and find me or Karen,” she said, speaking to Drew who was hovering in the doorway again.
He had done that the whole time she had been cleaning me up, every now and then he would look in on us then wander off again.
She picked up her supplies and squeezed past Drew in the doorway.
“Thanks.” he grunted.
“You're welcome.”
He walked across the room and rummaged through my tote bag, and pulled out the last clean T-shirt, then he chucked it to me and I pulled it over my head.
I let out a sigh and laid down, the pillow felt like heaven under my head.
“I'm gonna take a nap first, I don't think they want to kill me.”
I opened one eye to see if he was listening. He was listening, and he was watching me. I stared back at him and he broke the connection first and looked down the corridor.
“Drew, come sit down, you don't have to stand by the door like my bodyguard.”
“Alex, stop babbling and take a nap.” he snapped.
I promptly shut my mouth and decided against snapping back at him.
What crawled up his butt?
Maybe he was going to leave me here. That was it, he was probably thinking about leaving me in Dawn's capable hands until I was too sick and needed to be put out of my misery. Then I wondered how they dealt with it at the end. I casually looked around, I didn't see any blood splatters anywhere, so they didn't shoot them, unless Dawn's a perfectionist cleaner. Then I had an image pop into my head, it was the same one I'd had before with Stacey, the only difference now was I saw Dawn holding a pillow over my face trying to suffocate the life out of me.
Hmm... I wonder if I would prefer Dawn to kill me or Drew?
I squeezed my eyes shut tightly to blink away all the random (and slightly horrifying ideas) I was having.
I opened one eye and peeked at Drew, I caught him looking at me, he quickly turned around again and pretended to look down the corridor. Yep, he was definitely planning something.
Chapter 19
Something nudged my arm and I tried to open my eyes but squinted from the bright lights.
“Hit the lights, please.” I said.
“I'll get it.” I heard Drew reply.
The lights in the room dimmed down. I was impressed, my room (or death chamber) had dimmable lights as well.
I tilted my head to the side and saw the back of Drew. He walked over to me and lit a candle on the table beside me. Then he sat down in the chair and scooted it closer to the bed and leaned on the edge next to me.
“Hey, Pretty, how was ya nap?”
“It was good, so why did you wake me?” I asked, reaching over to pinch him playfully, he wasn't in a mood like he was earlier, he seemed a little chipper.
“A little birdie tells me they secured you a spot on the Deadbie Dissect Program.”
“What?” I mumbled still half asleep.
I leaned up on my elbow and turned toward him.
“There's someone here to see you.” he whispered.
I didn't understand what he was talking about at first, I was still tired and I just wanted to fall back asleep. I blinked my eyes to try and stay awake and forced myself to focus on him.
He was still leaning on the side of the bed, but he was reaching for my face.
I stayed still and his fingers grazed my cheek. He was looking at me differently, I didn't know what was wrong, was he sad? Had Dawn changed her mind and was kicking us out, I didn't think that was reason enough for him to get all weird on me. His skin was a different temperature to mine, it felt cool against my hot cheeks, I was definitely getting a temperature, maybe this was it, the final stage of the virus... or maybe it was just the beginning.
He moved his hand across my cheek and cupped the side of my face just below my ear. Okay, something was definitely wrong.
“Drew, what's wrong?”
Before he got a chance to answer I heard voices outside the door.
“She's just through there.” I heard Dawn say.
A tall figure filled the doorway.
Lane.
Then Josh appeared as well and bumped into him from behind trying to see over his shoulder. By this time Drew had already pulled his hand away and had moved away from the bed. He stood up and shoved his hands in his pockets, no longer looking at me.
I sat up properly and Lane rushed over to the bed, nearly knocking Drew over. Lane sat on the side of the bed and pulled me to him, and I wrapped my arms around his neck, while watching Drew make a quick exit from the room. Josh grinned at me and shuffled further into the room.
I dug my fingers into Lane's back, to make sure he was real and I wasn't dreaming... or hallucinating.
I pulled away and Lane grinned at me. I looked around him at Josh.
“Hi, you,” I said, swinging my legs over the side of the bed.
“Hey,” Josh replied, walking over to me.
He leaned down to hug me, then he took my hand and sat in the chair beside me, and squeezed my fingers. They were both looking at me and smiling.
“What is with you two?”
“Thought you were dead.” Josh said, and Lane frowned.
Josh's nose was badly bruised across the bridge, and the bruise spread across his left cheek where there was also a cut from where he got hit in the face.
“Don't worry, it's not broken.” he said. “Well, that's what the Nurse-lady here told me.” he said, gingerly touching his nose.
Lane snorted a laugh.
“I think she just told you she was a Nurse so she could touch you up.” Lane said, trying not to laugh.
Then I suddenly remembered Josh had been shot as well.
He was wearing a gray, tight-fitting T-shirt, exposing his arms, and I could see a bandage poking out the sleeve.
“You were shot.” I said, reaching over to touch his arm.
“It just grazed me. Just another scar to add to the collection.”
“What scars? Your features are flawless.” I said.
“First of many then.” Josh said, smiling. “We tried to look for you, you know, after what happened with...”
With Luke.
“I'm sorry!” I said to Josh, I knew those two were close friends.
Josh shook his head not wanting to talk about it.
“We found Lena, Evan, and Dan, and spent the next few days trying to find you while avoiding those men.”
“Drew didn't want to go back so we just kept moving.”
Josh nodded at this information. “We must have overtaken you at some point, we've been here a few days now. We never found Stacey, though.” He frowned, not happy about it.
“Um, about that...”
They both looked at me.
“She's dead.” I said, and left it at that, they didn't need the nitty-gritty details.
Lane wouldn't care that Drew had shot Stacey, but Josh..I'd rather not mention it just in case, he wasn't keen on Stacey but I don't think he would like it if he found out Drew had shot her because she was acting... hysterical.
“So is Lena and the oth
ers here with you now?”
“Yep, they're all sitting in the food court.” Josh said.
“Oh, I've got your wallet in my tote.” I told Josh, pointing at the bag behind him in the chair.
He dug around in the bag and pulled it out, he looked pleased to see it.
“I had your bag as well but I lost it one night, long story.”
“Thanks for holding onto it.” Josh said, flipping it open and looking at the photograph. “It's the only picture I have left of my family.”
I suddenly felt guilty all over again.
“Well, I hoped to bump into you again.” I said, reaching for the water bottle.
They waited for me to finish my bottle off before they started talking again.
“So tell her.” Josh said, drumming his hands on my knees.
“Tell me what?”
“We met this guy, his name's Ross, and he knows my brother and he said he can get you in.” Lane said rushing his words.
“Whoa, slow down, who did what?”
Josh patted my leg and started to explain things at a slower rate.
“There's this guy, he's in the Army, he brings supplies here once a week. He had just turned up to deliver their weekly supplies when we arrived, and we got chatting to him, and he said he knew Lane's brother.”
“So your brother's still alive?” I said, looking at Lane in surprise.
“Yes, he's fine, living in his own little research lab underground. Ross told us they're really close to a cure but the last group of infected people didn't turn up-”
“What? What infected people?” I asked.
“They have people brought in to experiment on, and well, the last lot never showed up and he agreed to test his next vaccine on you, that was if you showed up in time.”
“And Ross told you this?” I asked unsure.
“Yes, Ross, he's cool.” Lane said.
“Oh, well if he's cool he must be all right.” I said, giving him a look.
“Anyway, how did you even know I'd travel this way?”
“Evan said if you were with Drew then he'd get you here first before he took off.”
“I guess I should thank you as well for sending Drew after me, I wouldn't have survived without him.”
“Huh?” Josh said confused.
“You told Drew to follow me when we got surrounded by deadbies, you know, when Gil and his men had us.”
Josh shook his head.
“I never saw you. I was busy tackling zombies and I ran into Lane and neither of us could see you anywhere.”
Which meant Drew had followed me of his own freewill. Josh never told him to follow me. But why would he do that?
“So was the journey okay, he didn't mistreat you or anything?” Lane asked, brushing his thumb over my cheek.
“What? No!” I snapped defensively, not sure if he was joking or not.
I took it down a notch, “He kept me alive, fed me, protected me. I'd probably be dead if it wasn't for Drew.”
Lane smiled and put his arm around me, then he noticed my hand, and Josh noticed it as well and reached for me.
“What happened?” Lane asked.
“Just a little joyriding gone wrong.”
“What?”
“It's nothing,” I said, pulling my hand away from Josh so I could make sure the dressings were still secure.
“So I'm about to become a human guinea pig?”
“Alex, it's either this or the virus runs its course and they'll be no going back in a few days. I'm amazed you're still in one piece and you're all there... upstairs.” Josh said, tapping his head, referring to my brain.
“Drew helped with that.”
“Alex, I know this is a long shot, but it's worth a try. What if it works? You'll be thanking me with sexual favors for the rest of your life.” Lane said, smirking, and Josh threw him a disgusted look.
“And what if it doesn't?” I asked.
“What if it does?” Lane countered.
I looked at Josh for reason. He nodded as though he'd come around to the idea and really believed there was a chance it could work.
“Lane, you know you're living on another planet with the fairies, right?” I said, still not convinced.
“We're taking you within the next hour, so get up and get ready.”
“What!? So soon!”
I hadn't thought this far ahead, was this really happening? Was this goodbye.... for good? I hadn't prepared myself for this.
They left me alone to use the toilet and clean up if I wanted, I didn't know what shower facility there was going to be at the center, or if I was just going to be put in a room behind a glass window with nothing more than a bucket, I might not even get that luxury, I might be strapped to a chair and have tubes forced into me.
Those thoughts really aren't helping. I thought.
I cleaned myself up and Dawn brought me a supply of clean underwear and new clothes from one of the clothes stores, I thanked her and told her she didn't need to be so kind and waste clothes on me, but she insisted. After I had struggled to wash myself, because my legs felt like they were about to collapse under my weight and it ached to lift my arms up, and my sudden temperature wasn't helping, I stood in front of the small mirror, looking at my face, it looked different, less dirty... but it was still me.
I changed into a pair of pajama bottoms that Dawn had left for me. At this point, I didn't care what I looked like, and I wanted to be comfortable. The bottoms had small robins and bows on, and I pulled on a clean white vest top, I hadn't seen anything so white in a long time, knowing my luck it would be dirty in less than five minutes. Dawn had also found me a new rucksack, which I packed my old clothes into and the other new ones Dawn had given me because the tote wasn't big enough. I shoved my hoodie in as well, and opted for the pink jelly shoes she had left for me. It was a choice between my dirty bloodstained, well-worn boots, which made my feet hot (and I already felt like a drippy ice lolly), or pink jelly shoes that resembled something I used to wear when I was younger. I chose the jelly shoes, but for the record, I would have never worn these under any other circumstances, I did wear a pair when I was four... but I was four. I packed my boots in the rucksack as well.
I opened the toilet door to find Lane leaning against the wall waiting for me.
“Hey, you.” he said.
“Hey, yourself.” I smiled.
“I thought you'd died in there.”
“No, it just took longer than normal, my whole body feels like crap and I can hardly lift my arms.”
Lane frowned and came over to me and quickly took the rucksack from me.
“C'mon, they're all waiting for us...” he said trailing off mid-sentence as he looked me up and down.
“Don't judge me, I'm too hot to care what I look like.”
“Lovin' the pajama bottoms.”
“Stop!” I said playfully. “So you've come to escort me outside Lane Walker?”
“Sure have, you ready?”
“As ready as I'll ever be.” I said, taking a step but my leg went to jelly and I stumbled, I didn't stumble far because Lane caught my arm before I fell to the floor.
“That was smooth.” Lane said, trying not to laugh. “Maybe I should just carry you out.” he said, slinging my rucksack over his shoulder, and scooping me up into his arms.
“You make that look so easy.” I smiled.
“Well you're that light, I haven't seen you for nearly two weeks but I can see your bones starting to poke through.”
“I wasn't a big fan of eating the wildlife.”
Lane laughed. “I heard he eats whatever he can shoot.” Lane said, referring to Drew.
“Pretty much.”
Lane carried me back through the shopping center, there were a few people here and there, but they all stayed out of the way. Sid, the young boy on the bicycle we had seen when we first arrived, got pulled away by some lady as we passed, she practically yanked his arm off to get him inside a store that sold kitchenware.
Obviously, news of the infected girl had spread through the whole shopping center.
The shopping center was so bright I had to squint and bury my face in Lane's chest, waiting for my eyes to adjust to the light.
Dawn met us near the main doors and followed us outside. Walking through the doors to the outside was like walking into a ball of sunshine. I turned away from the light as it hurt my eyes, I squinted and leaned closer to Lane. Once outside he carried me along the side of the building and lifted me through the wardrobe. On the other side, after my eyes had adjusted a little, but it still sort of hurt, I saw Lena leaning against a black Jeep, she was talking to Dan. Evan was across the parking lot with the hood propped up on a Ford Focus, and he was somewhere underneath it. And Drew was... Drew was nowhere? There was another guy I didn't recognize, he looked to be in his twenties, and was dressed in full army gear, camouflage jacket, and pants, with a set of dog tags around his neck, he was stood next to Josh, laughing about something.
“Who's that? He's Army.” I whispered to Lane as he carried me over.
Dawn was walking beside us and she must have heard me because she answered first, “That's Ross, he's the one that delivers our weekly supplies.”
Ross was tall like Lane, with curly blond hair, half of it was tied back into a little knot at the back of his head, he was rather muscular, and had his arm around a girl, another face I didn't recognize.
A short, stick-thin, barely seventeen, with mermaid, black wavy hair which hung down to her waist, she had a black headband on and was wearing a skimpy, long, black top with half her pink bra on display, and short shorts, which were barely visible under her top, if I hadn't have seen the shorts I would have thought she was walking around in her underwear, and she had a pair of pumps on her feet which had a printed cherry pattern on them.
“And that's my niece, Zoe.” Dawn added quietly just before we reached them.
