“Kennedy?” I call out, “why is everything so blurry?”
“Well, firstly you lost a lot of blood from your shoulder,” She answers as she helps me back to my feet, “also you’re probably dehydrated. We’ve only been able to give you minimal amounts of water.”
“How long have I been out?” I ask.
“Almost three days,” She answers, placing a canteen in my hands.
I chug down the entire canteen of water, wiping away the stray drops of liquid from my chin, “Where are we?”
“Maryland, not too far from Baltimore,” She answers.
“Well we certainly got some distance from the bunker,” I say with some amazement.
“Yeah, well Connor kept driving until we ran out of gas,” her voice fading off as she answers me.
“What’s wrong?” I ask, my eyes slowly starting to adjust. I can see her staring at her feet almost as if she is avoiding my question, “Kennedy, tell me.”
She looks up, I can almost feel her soft blue eyes staring through me, “most of the survivors didn’t make it, and we only took what we could carry in the van.”
“How many?” I ask upset.
“Of the two hundred?” she asks, “ten.”
“TEN?” I say angrily, “the idea was to save the survivors, not lead them outside to die.”
“We did what we had to do,” Kennedy says.
“But I promised Emmanuel that I would keep them safe,” I say slamming my fist to the floor.
“Yeah well that wasn’t happening,” Connor hisses from the doorway, “there were more Zombies outside than we expected. We did what we could, but those people weren’t prepared.”
“So basically my decision to leave the bunker got everyone killed,” I sigh.
“You can’t blame yourself,” Kennedy says wrapping her arms around me, “those people were doomed one way or another.”
I know her words are truthful, there is no way that many Zombies could be kept out for long.
“What about Penelope and Matthew?” I ask.
“They are both fine,” Kennedy answers, “Penelope and Natalie are going over a few survival techniques. Matthew is unwillingly sitting in, learning a thing or two.”
“Maybe we should head back out there,” I say, “you know to check on everything.”
“Are you sure you’re up for it?” Kennedy asks.
“I’m fine,” I answer.
“You know we can handle things if you want to rest some more,” Connor adds.
“I said, ‘I’m fine,’” I repeat.
They both reluctantly agree to help me into the other room. Connor grabs me by my strong hand and helps me onto my feet. Kennedy presses her hand softly against my back and helps guide me out of the room. There is bright light washing over my face from the hall window.
“I thought it was night,” I say shielding my eyes from the light.
“No, we just blocked the light in the room. With so many people I figured it would make more sense to have some sleep during the day,” Connor answers.
“What about heading south?” I ask.
“To be honest, we didn’t know how long it would take for you to regain consciousness,” Kennedy answers, “or even if you would.”
“I’m not going anywhere,” I reply, “not until I know that you are all safe.”
“Just take care of yourself every once and while,” Kennedy says, “for me.”
“I’ll try,” I answer as Kennedy and Connor lead me into the living room.
I enter the living room, Penelope is giving a speech about starting a fire. I stand in the doorway just watching as she tries to describe the task to the other survivors. I chuckle as I continue watching, she starts to get frustrated when no one gets what she is trying to explain. She looks over at the doorway where I’m standing, her mouth hangs open a second before she rushes over to give me a hug.
“I was so worried you wouldn’t wake up,” she says, her voice muffled in my chest
“Of course I woke up, I could never leave you guys,” I assure her.
“Hey who is this clown?” A male survivor asks angrily. He is sitting with his back against the wall, his arms crossed and a furrowed look on his face. He is wearing a dark blue shirt that is full of rips and tears. He also has on black sweatpants that look rather clean, with the exception of the blood stains on the right pant leg.
“This is no clown,” Penelope says defending me, “Chad, everyone, this is our friend Damian. He was the man passed out in the back of the van.”
Matthew stands up, “This is also the man who drove us out of the bunker, killing many of our friends and family.”
“Hey!” I shout getting up into his face, “I made a tough call. Now I’m sorry for the vast loss of souls, but you all would have died down there. At least those who made it out alive have a chance.”
“I hope you rot in hell,” Matthew says sternly pressing his forehead against mine.
“Oh I will, but I guarantee that you will be right beside me,” I smile.
Matthew huffs before walking off. Connor grabs me by the shoulder and tries to pull me away. I shrug him off and walk over to Natalie, “You still mad at me too?”
“About sending us all to our doom? No. I understand why you thought leaving the bunker was the best choice, even if others don’t,” she replies, “about throwing me into the dirt face first, yes.”
“You’re never going to let me live that down, are you?” I ask with a half-smile.
“Not until I get even. Or maybe the day you die,” she snickers.
“Then I guess you’ll have to get even, because I don’t die that easy,” I reply, “none of us do.” I say addressing the rest of the survivors, “That’s something all of you need to remember, whatever horrors you have all faced, you have survived. That is the best skill you all have. Trust your instincts.”
“What if they tell you to run and hide?” a girl asks. She has a rather soft voice and it takes me a moment to spot her amongst the survivors. She is obviously the youngest amongst them all with rosy red cheeks and hazel eyes that show the sadness inside her. She has on black jeans and a black t-shirt. Her long blonde hair is pulled back into a ponytail held in place by a pink scrunchy.
“What’s your name?” I ask her.
“Stephanie,” She strokes the end of her hair while looking nervously at me, “but my friends call me ‘Fanny’.”
I smile at her, “ok, ‘Fanny’.” She smiles when I say her name, “you asked, what if your instincts ask you to run away right?”
“And hide,” she nods.
“Then your best bet is to run and hide,” I answer, “because if you’re not thinking about killing whatever is coming at you that means you don’t think you can. That isn’t a bad thing, it’s good to know what your strengths and weaknesses are. Just remember that sooner or later, you will have to fight back. The only one in this room that can guarantee your survival is yourself. Count on your friends, but count on yourself more.”
“Anything else?” Fanny asks.
“No, not right now,” I answer feeling tired. I look over at Kennedy, “I think I need to lay down again.”
“Wait,” Matthew’s voice calls out to me as Kennedy takes me by the hand, helping me walk out of the living room, “What if my instincts tell me to stand still and trust God?”
I turn my head back toward him, “Than you are going to die, because out there God doesn’t exist.” I turn back to Kennedy and slowly move out into the hall.
“Thank you for knowing your limits,” Kennedy whispers when we make it out into the hall.
“No, thank you for letting me find it,” I wink.
We get back to the dark room and she helps me into the makeshift bed, “Anything else I can do for you before I leave?”
“If it isn’t too much trouble could I have my backpack, sword, and gun back?” I ask.
“Only if you promise to take it easy,” her voice is stern as she speaks to me, “at least fo
r today. Tomorrow should be easier.”
“I promise,” I answer, “I just feel naked without my stuff.”
She hands me my bag, my sword clasped to the strap, my gun placed inside. She smiles at me uneasily before walking out of the room. I ask her not to close the door so I could use the light to write in my journal. Reluctantly she agrees, but not after some begging. I fill in all the events that had happened the last few days until the pain and tiredness let me drift off soundly to sleep.
Chapter 11
September 22nd, 2037
I awake, not knowing how long I’ve been asleep. I feel slightly better than the last time I woke up. I look around, even in the darkness I can make out a few shapes. I feel the shape closet to me, it’s soft and lumpy and lets out a soft rumble of a snore. I slowly pick myself up, and slowly begin maneuvering my way out of the room. The door creaks slightly as it opens outside of the room there is slight sunlight, but I’m unable to determine whether it is dusk or dawn. There are no sounds in the entire house and I am slowly becoming more aware that I didn’t bring my gun or my sword. The door to the living room doesn’t squeak as much as the one in the bedroom. I can see Connor and Natalie in the room, each taking swings at each other. The only light in the room comes from the fire they have coming from a metal barrel. I watch closely as Natalie dodges a couple of Connor’s swings before delivering one of her own. She gets in a few more punches before Connor is able to grab ahold of her arm and lifts her over his shoulder and drops her on the ground.
“That was a good one,” Natalie says.
“Yeah, well how about this one?” Connor leans down and kisses her, his hands rummaging across her body.
I slowly close the door and back away slowly.
“Yeah they’ve been all over each other the last few days,” Penelope’s voice says causing me to jump up startled.
I turn around and see Penelope standing in the doorway to the left of me, “you scared the shit out of me.”
“Sorry. I just heard the door open and I got up to check,” she replies, “the rest of us are in here if you want to join us.”
I nod my head and follow Penelope into the room. The room looks like it used to be an office. A desk sits in the corner, an old dusty computer sits on top, the screen smashed in. Kennedy is sitting in a swivel chair with her head resting on her folded arms, snoring softly. Matthew, Fanny, Chad and Penelope each sit in a semi-circle on the floor, a deck of cards sprawled out in front of them. Chad collects the cards and starts to shuffle.
“How are you feeling?” Matthew asks me.
“Better,” I answer, “but stupid question, is it morning or night?”
“It’s morning,” Penelope answers, “and I can’t wait, my shift ends soon and I can finally get some sleep.”
“You mean you haven’t slept yet?” I ask.
“No, with Connor and Natalie training, and then Scott, Lydia and…” Penelope’s voice trails off.
“And me?” I ask.
“Well yeah,” she says guiltily, “I didn’t mean anything bad, I swear. I just meant you were resting.”
“Penelope,” I laugh, “its fine. I know I haven’t been pulling my weight since the bunker evacuation, but I’m back and I’m feeling great.”
I sit down beside Penelope and Fanny as Chad starts to deal the deck.
“What are we playing?” I ask.
“Go fish,” Fanny says, a hint of disappointment in her voice.
“Wait, why?” I ask.
“Because Matthew won’t play poker,” Chad answers in a mocking tone.
“It is the game of the devil,” Matthew says defending his position.
“Its fine,” I say trying to calm him down.
We play a few hands of cards but I can’t concentrate. My attention keeps turning to Kennedy who is still sleeping.
“She kept checking on you when you wouldn’t wake up,” Penelope says, catching me off guard.
“What?” I ask turning my head from Kennedy to Penelope.
“Kennedy,” Penelope starts, “she kept constant watch on you. She hasn’t really slept since we got everyone out of the bunker. There was a fear in her eyes. Like she was worried you wouldn’t wake up.”
“Yeah, she said I sustained a serious injury,” I nod.
“It’s more than that,” Penelope winks at me, “I think she likes you.”
I look back at Kennedy’s sleeping face. I hadn’t given much thought to love or loving someone again. I watch her face twitch as she sleeps and I can’t help but smile at her. Even if we could fall in love it’s hard to think of how romantic it would be for us, the constant threat of being attacked. The possibility of one of us having to one day kill the other, the thought is almost enough to make me want to push her away.
“Do you like her?” Penelope said.
My head turns back around. Penelope, Matthew, Fanny, and Chad stare at me, each one waiting for my answer, “I, I don’t know,” I say honestly, “I mean, I’ve never even given it a thought before.”
“I think you do like her,” Fanny chuckles, “That’s why you’re blushing.”
“Or perhaps I’m blushing because everyone is looking at me asking me a personal question,” I say defending myself.
“Well what do you feel when you see her?” Fanny asks.
“What?” I ask confused.
“How do you feel when you see her?” Fanny repeats, “What does your instincts say?”
I look at Fanny, “you’re twisting my words.”
“No,” she argues, “I’m just saying your instincts can do more than protect you. They can make you happy too.”
Kennedy’s eyes slowly start to open as Fanny finishes speaking. She offers me a slight smile when she notices me staring at her.
“Hey,” she says softly, “how are you feeling?”
“I’m fine. Thanks to you,” I whisper back to her.
“How long have you been awake?” she says with a yawn as she sits up straight in the chair.
“Not that long,” I reply, “but maybe we should think about getting everyone here to bed.”
Kennedy looks down at her watch, “There is still another hour left in the shift.”
“Yeah, easy to say when you’ve been sleeping at a desk,” Chad says snidely from his corner.
“Hey! She has been up longer than you and she does a shit load more for this team then you,” Penelope scolds wagging her finger at him.
“You’re right, because in the last six days any skill that I might have has been questioned to the fullest. You people know nothing about me, or the rest of us,” Chad shouts back at Penelope.
Penelope’s face turns red with anger, “You yell at me again and I swear to god I will…”
“No,” I interrupt, “He’s right.”
“But Damian,” Penelope argues.
“He’s right, they should have been asked if they have any skills that could help contribute to survival. Although he was wrong about being an ass to Kennedy, and if he ever does it again he’ll have to answer to me,” I say staring Chad down.
“Thank you,” Chad says slightly confused.
“So tell us what skills you have,” I say to Chad.
“Well I spent most of my childhood in the boy scouts,” Chad begins, “made it all the way to Eagle Scout. I spent most of my adult life as a scout master until Armageddon happened.”
“Again what skills do you have?” Penelope asks my question again.
“I was a scout,” Chad repeats frustrated, “I can hunt, fish, and make traps. And so on.”
“No offense,” I start, “but basically you’re useless to us.”
“What are you talking about? I have a plethora of skills and abilities,” Chad argues.
“Yes, each of which are all but obsolete. Hunting and fishing are worthless since the virus has infected most of the animals. Traps are a good idea in theory, but trust me if you are running from Zombies or marauders,” I pause feeling Penelope and Kennedy shu
ddering as I speak, “I can almost guarantee that you won’t be paying attention to where you placed them. The only real skill you have from scouts is ‘be prepared.’”
“How long have you been an asshole?” Chad asked shaking his head.
“As long as I’ve known him that’s for sure,” Matthew comments.
“You know what?!” I snap back, “I may be an asshole, but I have a skill neither one of you have, I can survive out here. I know how to make tough choices that others couldn’t make.”
“Taking us out of the bunker wasn’t a tough choice,” Matthew said, “It was the wrong one.”
“Maybe it was, but ultimately it was my choice and my choice alone, and I don’t have to defend myself to you,” I growl at him. I get back onto my feet and walk out of the room.
I pace back and forth in the hallway frustrated. It doesn’t take long for Kennedy to join me out in the hallway. She closes the door behind her and rests her back against the wall just watching me. I mumble and swear to myself as I continue to pace, my hands flailing wildly as I do.
“You have to calm down you know,” Kennedy remarks.
“No I need to talk to Connor and Natalie about getting everyone on a better sleeping habit for everyone,” I say, “I can’t believe things fell apart this badly after a couple of days.”
“They haven’t fallen apart,” Kennedy says as she walks over to me. Her hands glide under my shirt as she starts rubbing her hands against my chest. Her fingers gliding over each of the scars I have obtained as she smiles at me, “this is just their way of adjusting. You have to remember they had everything come to them so easily to them in the bunker. This is a new world for them, with many new challenges that they are going to have to face soon. They know it and they’re scared, and ultimately taking out their fear on you.”
I smile and place my hands on her shoulders and begin to massage them, she lets out a soft moan as she rolls her head from side to side.
“You always know how to make me feel better,” I admit.
“It’s what I do, I’m the doctor,” she jokes. “You know you have a pretty good touch yourself.”
“Thanks. Just something I’ve always been good at,” I say working my way down her arms.
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