Basement Dwellers

by Holly Copella

  “I wouldn’t say she’s exactly alive,” Carson fumbled over his words.

  “Well, she sure as hell can’t be dead,” Hill demanded and became more adamant. “Get her out of there!”

  Gunther removed the sheet from Newman’s body. There was a gunshot wound to his chest, and his shirt was soaked in blood. There was another gunshot to his forehead, but the small hole contained little to no blood.

  “The infection drove Newman insane,” Gunther announced. “When he attacked Frank, Warren was forced to shoot him.” He indicated the gunshot wound to the chest. “Note the amount of blood from the wound.” There was a moment of hesitation. “Obviously, Newman was killed from the initial gunshot to his chest. Moments after he died, he got back up.”

  Gunther then approached the mass in the corner and removed the sheet from what remained of Frank. He was eaten nearly beyond recognition, but his head remained intact. Lexx gasped and placed her hand to her mouth. Hill appeared sickened but was unable to look away.

  “Our orderly there did this to the hematologist after he was dead.” Gunther covered Frank’s body. “That’s where the second bullet wound came into play.” He indicated the gunshot to Newman’s forehead. “Note the minimal blood loss. He had already lost most of his blood before he’d been shot in the head.” He approached the casket and casually leaned on it. “The infection is spread by saliva to blood contact. One bite and you’re infected.” He looked at Rolan and Carson and appeared curious. “Neither of you were bitten, I hope.”

  “Not for her lack of trying,” Rolan muttered.

  “And you’re telling us what happened down here is what happened in the emergency room?” Hill asked with concern. He was actually starting to collect himself.

  “Exactly,” Gunther announced. “The only way to stop the infection is by stopping brain function. Anything else will only slow them down. I need Dr. Kirby alive, well, functioning. By examining her, I can maybe reverse what happened upstairs.” He eyed the others in the room. “I’m going to need your help to do that. When this casket is opened, we need to immobilize her without destroying her brain.”

  “Not to sound like a smartass, but how do you propose we do that?” Rolan suddenly asked.

  Gunther removed a broomstick with a chain fixed on the end in a loop. “Like a dogcatcher’s pole.”

  He handed the homemade pole to Rolan, who frowned in response. “Thanks.”

  Gunther handed Hill and Warren each a crutch. “The two of you will hold her back while the inquisitive one slips the chain around her neck,” Gunther informed them. “We can then safely tie her up, so I can do some experiments on her blood and tissue.” He looked at Carson and raised a brow in question. “You’re the funeral director, right? Can you unlock the casket?”

  “I can, but I really don’t want to.”

  Carson approached the casket and worked on the locking device. Tracy was heard thumping inside like a wild animal attempting to claw its way out. Once the casket was unlocked, Warren nodded to him. Carson pulled open the upper half of the lid and promptly hid behind it. The naked, dead woman sat up and grabbed for them. Hill appeared horrified while Warren attempted to keep her from standing by thrusting the broad end of the crutch against her. Hill was finally jolted into reality and helped hold her halfway in the casket with his own crutch. Rolan slipped the chain around her neck where she sat and kept her from standing. She clutched at the pole but couldn’t free herself. As she attempted to grab them, Hill stared at the crudely missing fingers on her hand.

  “What happened to her fingers?” Hill gasped with a sickened expression.

  “She wasn’t exactly cooperative,” Rolan replied. “They sort of broke off when we closed the lid.”

  Hill looked as if he was about to throw up.

  Chapter Twenty-six

  There were no windows within the doctor’s lounge on either the inside walls to the corridor or to the outside world. It seemed odd that an area where doctors went to get some well-deserved rest wouldn’t have one of the nicer views of town or at the very least windows to provide sunlight. The clock on the wall informed the ten survivors sitting around the lounge that it was now dark outside. It seemed like days rather than hours. One of the survivors remained close to the thick door and attempted to listen to sounds coming from the emergency room corridor in hopes to hear something useful. He’d look at the group every so often and shake his head, indicating he’d heard sounds of the infected walking into walls and occasionally groaning.

  Ellen clung to her mother’s arm while resting her head on her shoulder, attempting to get some sleep. Pricilla patted her daughter’s head and stared off at nothing in particular. One of the remaining live nurses tended to the bite on the woman’s arm. The injury didn’t seem that bad, despite the discolored discharge coming from the wound, but the woman appeared to be in severe discomfort. It didn’t seem right that she should be in so much pain from such a small injury. The nurse was able to find painkillers in one of the doctor’s lockers in the locker room. It was strange that they were there, but no one was questioning that right now. A thumping was heard from the doctor’s shower room just beyond the locker room. No one reacted and none seemed interested in investigating the sound. Pricilla shifted uncomfortably, waking her sleeping daughter on her shoulder.

  “Shouldn’t we do something about that?” Pricilla finally asked the others.

  Pricilla, Ellen, the nurse, and the injured woman were the only women holed up in the doctor’s lounge. The other six were men. Two of the men shifted uncomfortably to her question. A third decided to get up and pace the length of the lounge, and the fourth remained positioned by the door, listening for anything useful. The remaining two men stood by the phone on the wall and talked with someone from another floor. Their conversations with others on floors above them were the only way to get information about what was going on. As the first man hung up the phone, the second man alongside him appeared interested.

  “Well, what did they say?” he asked.

  “Sit tight,” the first man replied. “CDC is outside along with a dozen or more soldiers. Apparently, they’re assessing the situation before making a plan.”

  “Sounds like bullshit,” the nurse scoffed and checked on her patient, who now lie on the sofa.

  The powerful pain medication was enough to put the injured woman to sleep. There was more thumping from beyond the locker room. Pricilla seemed to be the only one that heard it or possibly the only one who cared.

  Pricilla grew impatient and became more demanding. “What are we going to do about that?” she asked firmly and made direct eye contact with Adam, the man near the phone, who had put himself in charge.

  Adam wanted everyone to think he was tough, and perhaps he was tougher than those surrounding him at the moment, but he wasn’t leader material.

  “He’s not going anywhere,” Adam announced while standing straight, attempting to make himself look more authoritative. “As long as he’s locked up in there, he’s not a threat. If we open that door, we risk someone being ripped to shreds.” He glared at Pricilla and raised his arrogant brows. “And you wouldn’t want that, would you?”

  Pricilla sneered her detest for the man and leaned closer to her daughter. “Reminds me of your step-father,” she muttered. “Makes me glad he’s gone.”

  Ellen sank back in her chair and frowned. “If we make it out of this in one piece, I’d like to take you up on your offer and move in with you.”

  Pricilla looked at her daughter with some surprise. “What changed your mind?” she asked then appeared curious to the conversation they hadn’t had yet. “What did happen to that husband of yours?”

  She appeared uncomfortable and shifted in her chair. “He ran out and left me there with one of those rabid people,” Ellen remarked lowly. “That nurse from the front desk died saving me. But, you know what? I don’t care about Peter. I just want to find Allison and get the two of you out of here. I’m not wasting any more energy w
orrying about that man.”

  She patted Ellen’s arm reassuringly. “We’ll find Allison,” Pricilla announced. “She’s resourceful. She can climb like a monkey and fit into really tiny places. I’m sure she found a place to hide.”

  Ellen took a deep breath and exhaled with a groan. She ran trembling fingers through her hair and avoided looking at her mother. “Maybe so, but she had a broken arm,” she announced softly. “She certainly wouldn’t be able to climb with a broken arm and in that dress.” She started to sob and couldn’t control her emotions. “She won’t even be able to defend herself. Those things will tear her apart!”

  Pricilla pulled Ellen’s head to her chest and held her while she sobbed. By the look on her face, she was thinking the same thing but didn’t want to admit it.

  One of the men in the chairs across from them leaned closer to the second and muttered, “That’s all we need--another hysterical woman.”

  Pricilla apparently heard the man and glared her annoyance. “Excuse me?” she demanded. “My granddaughter is out there somewhere. Her mother has every right to be upset.” Her eyes narrowed to slits. “If there was a real man in this room, he’d be doing more than just sitting around.”

  The man was obviously offended and stood with hostility. “Hey, you should be grateful,” he lashed out. “We’re keeping your ass alive.”

  “How do you figure that?” Pricilla suddenly demanded in anger. She was about ready to jump out of her chair until Ellen grabbed her arm and held her back. “In what messed up world are you keeping me alive?”

  “We’re forced to remain here because of you women,” he snapped. “We have your hysterical daughter, who’s been sobbing since we got here.” He indicated the sleeping woman on the sofa. “The woman who got a little scratch, acting like she was bitten by an alligator. And then you, the helpless, old woman complaining about everything. The only woman in this room of any real use is the nurse,” he boldly announced.

  All eyes were now on him. Even the men were stunned by the words coming out of his mouth.

  “The rest of us would certainly be better off if we didn’t have to look after the four of you,” he remarked. “We’d be able to find a way out of here.”

  Pricilla was about to speak when Ellen pulled on her arm and threatened her with a look. It wasn’t worth creating problems with others in such a confined space. Adam casually leaned against the wall and glared at the arrogant man standing in the middle of the room.

  “That’s enough out of you,” Adam growled and appeared impatient. “Sit down and shut up, or you’ll be the one we send out in search of help.”

  “You don’t order me around,” the man suddenly announced while glaring at Adam. “I don’t know who the hell you think you are.”

  The injured woman lying on the sofa finally sat up and focused her attention on the man standing not far from her. He suddenly glared at her and appeared annoyed.

  “Oh, the girl with the boo-boo wants to weigh in?” he snapped then snorted a laugh.

  She kept her eyes locked on him without saying a word. He stared back, refusing to be intimidated by a woman he’d just ridiculed for being a crybaby. Her eyes were glossed over with that same dead look as those outside. His smile faded into concern as he stared at her. She suddenly snarled, leaped up from the sofa, and tackled him into the chair on the other side of the lounge. They crashed into the chairs, nearly taking out the second seated man. Both fell to the floor with the infected woman ending up on top. She tore into his throat as he screamed with pain and horror. Everyone within the room screamed as blood erupted from his jugular and sprayed across half the room.

  Adam frantically searched around the waiting room for a weapon. He grabbed a chair and stood nearby while doing little more than watching the woman rip out the man’s throat. Pricilla was immediately on her feet with the crutch in her hand. She swung for the woman’s head as she tore flesh from the man’s neck. The woman jerked from the head shot but didn’t go down. She turned while straddling the man and snarled at Pricilla through bloodied teeth. Adam just stood and stared with horror, holding his chair. Pricilla cried out and struck the woman across the face with the crutch. She was thrown off the man and onto the floor. Several teeth flew from her mouth.

  There was thumping against the lounge door followed by loud moans as the zombies attempted to get inside. The commotion stirred them, seemingly bringing them back to life. The zombie within the shower room was now thumping louder as well. Pricilla took a step back while clutching her crutch and stared at the motionless woman on the floor. Everyone finally breathed again. The woman suddenly scrambled to her feet, alarming everyone. Pricilla cried out and attempted to strike her again with the crutch, hitting her in the shoulder rather than the head. It barely slowed her down. The woman charged for Pricilla and knocked her onto the sofa. Pricilla attempted to push the snarling woman off her while keeping her teeth away from her face. Ellen grabbed the zombie by the arm and attempted to pull her off her mother. The zombie turned her head and snapped at Ellen’s arm. Ellen screamed and released the arm.

  Pricilla pushed the infected woman off her. She hit the floor, sprang to her feet, and lunged for Ellen. Adam leaped forward with the chair and plowed into the woman, driving her into the opposite wall with tremendous force. The metal leg of the chair penetrated her eye and plunged into her brain with a hideous crunching sound. She continued to thrash against the chair while Adam held her against the wall. Ellen joined him and gave an added thrust on the chair. There was another loud crunch. The zombie’s thrashing finally subsided. Pricilla slowly stood with the help of her daughter. There was a thumping sound coming from above them. Everyone looked up, except Adam, who still didn’t release the chair holding the dead woman to the wall. He was obviously in shock.

  The thumping got louder above them. Pricilla allowed her eyes to fall across the room. The once annoying man was now on his feet with his throat torn out. Blood still flowed from his torn jugular and down the front of his shirt. He had the same dead look in his eyes. He snarled and charged for Pricilla and Ellen. Both women screamed. There was a loud crash from the ceiling as the vent flew open. The zombie turned to the sound. A black booted foot struck the man in the head with tremendous force. He immediately dropped to the floor. All eyes fell upon Monica as she straightened with a venomous look in her eyes. She was covered in dried blood and dirt from the vent.

  Monica glared back at them. “Will someone tell me what the fuck is going on?”

  Chapter Twenty-seven

  Only a few minutes had passed before Tracy was tied on the table that Newman once occupied. The naked dead woman struggled against the ropes, which bound her to the table. Gunther stood by her left side and removed several viles of blood while she snapped at him in an attempt to take a chunk from him. The others watched Gunther work while Hill paced the room. He was obviously upset that he was stranded in the basement while a riot of sorts was happening just one floor above him. It was his town, and he wanted to help control the situation. Once Gunther finished collecting blood and began analyzing it, Lexx lost interest and now watched Hill pacing the small lab. He was definitely the type of man who liked being physically active, which was probably why he chose police work.

  Lexx preferred keeping her mind busy. She loved learning new things. She’d been involved in the embalming process since she was little. As a little girl, she’d watch her dad prepare a body and asked endless questions about tools he used and the purpose of each. It never occurred to her to be squeamish. While Hill was pacing the floor wishing he were upstairs; Lexx was dying to know how Tracy seemed to come back to life. She knew for a fact that the doctor had been dead.

  “I need to access the situation upstairs,” Hill finally announced and stopped pacing. “Is there a way up there?”

  “Trust me, Sheriff, you do not want to go up there,” Gunther informed him while remaining glued to his microscope. “When CDC finally goes in, they’re going to shoot anything that m
oves. Anyone still breathing will have locked themselves somewhere safe by now. There’s nothing you could do if you were up there.”

  Hill continued his pacing. The answer apparently didn’t satisfy him.

  Lexx watched him a moment longer. “You can go through the in-house phone directory and see if anyone answers,” she announced. “We know floors two through six are secure, but there are dozens of phones on the first floor.”

  Hill eyed the struggling, naked zombie doctor and frowned. “I’ll use the phone in the hall.”

  “I’d actually appreciate a quiet workspace, if you don’t mind,” Gunther announced and looked at the others within the lab. It was his polite way of telling them to leave.

  Lexx, Hill, Carson, and Rolan willingly left the room. All four entered the hall and walked several feet away to the nearest hall phone.

  Hill turned toward them and appeared defensive. “Is it just me, or does the chief surgeon seem to know a little more than he should?”

  “And his right hand man is packing,” Rolan informed them. “I saw his gun when we loaded the casket into the hearse. A little convenient he was armed when Newman attacked Frank.”

  “I’m a little skeptical of that orderly’s death myself,” Hill remarked, “but I have bigger concerns at the moment.” He turned to Lexx. “You know your way around. What sort of weapons can we expect to find down here?”

  She considered the question then mentally assessed the areas of the basement. “Well, we have physical and occupational therapy, the lab, morgue, and archives. There’s the furnace room in the north end, maintenance just next to that, laundry, and storage.”

  “Rolan, Lexx, and I will check out maintenance and see what weapons we can create,” Hill announced then turned to Carson. “I want you to stay with the coroner. Warn him about Dr. Sharp and his goon. I want you to keep an eye on him.”