{"id":256,"date":"2013-07-21T22:42:04","date_gmt":"2013-07-21T22:42:04","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/dreamers-sanctuary.com\/undead\/?page_id=256"},"modified":"2013-07-23T02:27:13","modified_gmt":"2013-07-23T02:27:13","slug":"chapter-56","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"http:\/\/dreamers-sanctuary.com\/undead\/story\/chapter-56\/","title":{"rendered":"Chapter 56"},"content":{"rendered":"

Chapter 56<\/span><\/b><\/p>\n

It\u2019s tough being the oldest person on the planet.<\/i><\/p>\n

I\u2019m kidding, of course, but then, am I really?\u00a0 As far as I know, I AM the oldest one on the planet.\u00a0 At 45.\u00a0 That\u2019s depressing.<\/i><\/p>\n

The others treat me like the oldest person on the planet too, like I\u2019m their mother.\u00a0 I suppose I don\u2019t mind, but as much as I love my daughter, I was never really the stay-at-home mom type, and here, that\u2019s exactly what I\u2019ve become.\u00a0 I clean the chapel.\u00a0 I \u201ccook\u201d the meals \u2013 if you can call it that.\u00a0 I\u2019m in charge of the household chores, while the others \u2013 the younger, stronger, braver ones \u2013 guard the church and go out around the base and shoot zombies.\u00a0 I\u2019m not sure why I\u2019m complaining \u2013 do I really want to go zombie-hunting?\u00a0 No.<\/i><\/p>\n

I suppose I just miss feeling useful.\u00a0 I miss being needed for the skills I have that not everyone does.\u00a0 Don\u2019t get me wrong \u2013 emptying bedpans and holding hands aren\u2019t rocket science, but taking blood pressures, starting IVs\u2026 those are jobs not everyone knows how to do.\u00a0 Of course, I\u2019m glad we haven\u2019t needed those kinds of skills around here; I\u2019m glad that Nick\u2019s seizure was just a seizure and not the virus, and I\u2019m glad we haven\u2019t had any injuries worse than minor cuts.\u00a0 At the end of the day, I suppose what I\u2019m saying is that I miss my old life.\u00a0 And isn\u2019t that the same thing everyone\u2019s writing about in these journals?<\/i><\/p>\n

Of course they are.\u00a0 They all miss their old lives.\u00a0 They all miss their families.\u00a0 They all miss their mothers.\u00a0 And if I can even partially fill that void for them, I should be glad to do so.\u00a0 But that still won\u2019t fill the void in my life\u2026<\/i><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Tuesday, May 8, 2012<\/b>
\nWeek Three<\/i><\/p>\n

Of the ten survivors bunkered in the MacDill Air Force base chapel, Jo had been out the least.\u00a0 For the last three weeks, she had spent almost all of her time at the church, cleaning, organizing, fortifying, and guarding the place.\u00a0 She\u2019d gone out for one tour of the base \u2013 more of a zombie reconnaissance mission than anything \u2013 and one shooting lesson, and that was it.<\/p>\n

She knew that her place was inside the chapel, that she could be of most use there, sort of a caretaker for the men and young women and girls, but she was running out of things to do.\u00a0 The others viewed her as the \u201cold lady\u201d among them, she knew, though she was five years shy of fifty.\u00a0 Still, forty-five made her almost a decade older than Kevin, and even she had to admit that she looked old compared to the other women, none of whom were past thirty.\u00a0 It didn\u2019t help that she\u2019d put on weight in the past year, after Luis had died, and what had once been a few coarse, stray grays seemed to be growing exponentially these days, contrasting sharply and obviously with her natural, jet black hair.\u00a0 She didn\u2019t feel<\/i> old, though, and she was glad for the opportunity to prove it to the others.<\/p>\n

Finally, a mission for her:\u00a0 They needed more medical supplies, and everyone had agreed that Jo should be the one to get them.\u00a0 Along with basic first aid supplies, such as gauze and bandages and antiseptic, she would be able to search for medicine for Nick.\u00a0 Though he hadn\u2019t had another seizure in the week since the last one, Jo worried he wasn\u2019t out of the woods yet.\u00a0 The seizure wasn\u2019t an isolated incident; it wasn\u2019t his first, and she doubted it would be his last.\u00a0 Nick didn\u2019t want to be a liability, but as long as there was the chance of him collapsing into convulsions at any given time, she could understand why Kevin was hesitant to send him out into battle with the undead.<\/p>\n

Their leader had chosen his cousin, Brian, to accompany Jo instead.\u00a0 They studied a map of the base together, as they planned their route.\u00a0 \u201cThe base medical center is here,\u201d said Brian, pointing to a spot southeast of the chapel, off Bayshore Boulevard, \u201cnear the basketball and tennis courts.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cTennis courts?\u201d\u00a0 Gabby popped up, looking over Jo\u2019s shoulder.\u00a0 \u201cI wanna go play tennis.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOut of the question,\u201d Jo dismissed immediately, \u201cas long as those creatures are roaming around.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBut I bet the tennis courts are fenced in.\u00a0 They won\u2019t be able to get in,\u201d Gabby countered.\u00a0 \u201cSomeone else can go with me; we\u2019ll take guns, just in case.\u00a0 Want to, Nick?\u00a0 We could bring Spunky, too!\u201d<\/p>\n

Nick looked up, arching an eyebrow.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019d rather play basketball\u2026\u201d he said slowly, a smile spreading across his face.<\/p>\n

Gabby shrugged.\u00a0 \u201cOkay.\u00a0 I\u2019ll play anything, just to get out of this place for a change.\u00a0 I\u2019m sick of being here!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMy thoughts exactly, kid.\u201d\u00a0 Nick stood up, stretching his arms over his head, arching his back.\u00a0 Jo watched him, imagining him alone with her daughter, imagining him collapsing in the sweltering heat, imagining Gabby being left to defend herself and take care of him on her own\u2026<\/p>\n

She shook her head.\u00a0 \u201cYou\u2019re not going anywhere.\u00a0 Not yet.\u00a0 Not until the base is safe.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBut Mom!\u201d Gabby whined.\u00a0 \u201cCome on!\u00a0 You let me go with Kevin to practice shooting.\u00a0 Why can\u2019t I go this time?\u201d<\/p>\n

Jo didn\u2019t answer at first, and when Nick caught her eye, she looked away.\u00a0 She knew he knew what she was thinking, and she was embarrassed, but that didn\u2019t change her thoughts.\u00a0 Her fears.\u00a0 \u201cI just don\u2019t like the idea of you out in the open like that.\u00a0 If they can break through a stained-glass window, I\u2019m sure they can get past a chain-length fence,\u201d she replied finally.<\/p>\n

\u201cFine then, can we go to the library?\u00a0 It\u2019s right\u2026 there,\u201d she said, jabbing her finger into a spot on the map.\u00a0 \u201cIt\u2019s not far from here, see?\u00a0 And we\u2019ll be inside, at least.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo one\u2019s gone to clear out the library yet,\u201d spoke up Brian.\u00a0 \u201cIt could be crawling with zombies on the inside, and think of all the opportunities they\u2019d have to sneak up on you there.\u201d<\/p>\n

Jo shuddered at the thought and quickly shook her head.\u00a0 \u201cBrian\u2019s right, Gabby.\u00a0 The answer is no.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, can\u2019t we at least go clear it out then?\u00a0 I bet Kevin will go with us.\u00a0 Or Riley.\u00a0 We can clear it out and then get some books to bring back and read!\u201d\u00a0 Her brown eyes danced with enthusiasm over this latest idea. \u00a0Jo hated to say no, but she shook her head again.\u00a0 Gabby\u2019s face quickly crumpled and contorted with anger.\u00a0 \u201cBut there\u2019s nothing to do around here!\u00a0 I\u2019m bored!\u00a0 And you won\u2019t let me do anything!\u00a0 God!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cDon\u2019t take the Lord\u2019s name in vain,\u201d Jo said tiredly, as Gabby stormed off.<\/p>\n

Brian looked away.<\/p>\n

Jo sighed.\u00a0 \u201cAt least she\u2019s acting like her old self again.\u201d<\/p>\n

For the second time in a year, she had watched Gabby go through the stages of grief.\u00a0 It was the same as it had been after the robbery.\u00a0 At first, Gabby had been unusually clingy, more like a scared little girl than the independent teenager she was becoming.\u00a0 Then she\u2019d gone quiet, barely speaking, barely eating, an empty shell of her former self.\u00a0 After the depression had come some semblance of acceptance, during which Gabby had been pleasant and helpful, working around the chapel, wanting to learn to shoot and fight the living dead.\u00a0 But now she was spiraling back towards anger, as boredom and cabin fever set in.\u00a0 This moody, short-tempered teenager was the one Jo had been dealing with for most of the last year.<\/p>\n

She couldn\u2019t blame her, though; it was happening to all of them.\u00a0 Tempers flared, and tension rose, as they spent most of their time cramped in such close living quarters, going out only to fight the neverending battle against the zombies.\u00a0 Their goal was to eventually clear the base, so that they could live there in safety and peace, but the effort seemed futile.\u00a0 There were just so many of them, so many bodies of men and women and children that had died on the base and reanimated.\u00a0 It seemed they would never be able to kill them all.<\/p>\n

Still, they had to try.\u00a0 While Brian sorted through the guns, arming himself with a rifle and a handgun, choosing a more manageable pistol for her, Jo slipped a rosary around her neck.\u00a0 It wasn\u2019t her own rosary, the one she\u2019d inherited from her grandmother, the one she\u2019d intended to pass on to her own grandchild someday, the way Gabby had received her mother\u2019s for her first Communion.\u00a0 That rosary was still tucked away in her night table drawer, along with her Bible.\u00a0 When she\u2019d picked up Gabby and driven her here, she hadn\u2019t considered the possibility that they would never go home again.\u00a0 If she had, she would have taken the time to go back and gather those precious heirlooms, their family photos, Luis\u2019s wedding band \u2013 all the sentimental things that really mattered to her.<\/p>\n

But she hadn\u2019t, and so this rosary, along with the military garb she wore, was borrowed.\u00a0 She\u2019d found it in the chapel, in one of the offices, and assumed the owner had passed, perhaps was one of the zombies still roaming around outside.\u00a0 She wore the rosary as a talisman against them, a symbol of the Lord\u2019s protection.\u00a0 The weight of the wooden beads around her neck made Jo feel safer, braver.<\/p>\n

She slung a bag over her shoulder, to carry the medical supplies, before she and Brian left the church.\u00a0 The day was clear and sunny, which would make zombie visibility good, and for that, Jo was grateful.\u00a0 Though she felt uneasy, being outside the relative safety of the chapel, the fresh air and sun was a welcomed relief after spending most of her time inside the dim, stuffy rooms of the church.<\/p>\n

Brian didn\u2019t stop to relish in it.\u00a0 He moved like a cat towards the Hummer, slightly crouched, his eyes constantly flicking right and left, his gun drawn to his chest.\u00a0 Jo followed, staying right on his heels, looking around behind her.\u00a0 Her heart raced inside her chest; she was dreading the shock of spotting a zombie, and she knew it would come at any moment.<\/p>\n

They were halfway to the Hummer when she heard the moan that made her heart leap into her throat, though she\u2019d tried to prepare herself for it.\u00a0 She turned to see two zombies staggering toward them.\u00a0 One was a man in a dirt-streaked uniform, the other a woman in a stained t-shirt and pajama pants.\u00a0 Their glazed eyes bulged from their mottled, gray faces; their arms stretched stiffly in front of them, reaching towards their prey.<\/p>\n

Jo jumped backwards, flinching involuntarily as a shot rang out.\u00a0 The blank expression on the man\u2019s face didn\u2019t change as Brian\u2019s bullet grazed his cheek, tearing off a chunk of flesh.\u00a0 Jo could see part of the zygomatic bone protruding from the blackened wound, but there was no gush of blood.\u00a0 The zombie continued toward them, oblivious, and even when Brian fired a second shot that took him down, the female zombie lurched forward, unaware, uncaring that she was about to meet the same end.<\/p>\n

This time Jo raised her own gun and fired first, but her shot missed.\u00a0 Before she could panic, she saw the barrel of Brian\u2019s gun rise out of the corner of her eye.\u00a0 He took aim, fired, and the second zombie collapsed.<\/p>\n

Jo released her breath, her whole body shaking.\u00a0 \u201cThank heavens one of us is a good shot,\u201d she managed to say, chuckling nervously.<\/p>\n

Brian barely smiled.\u00a0 \u201cYou\u2019ll learn,\u201d he said.\u00a0 \u201cI haven\u2019t had much practice.\u00a0 It\u2019s just a matter of hand-eye coordination.\u00a0 C\u2019mon.\u201d\u00a0 He jogged off towards the Hummer, and she followed.<\/p>\n

The interior of the Hummer was stifling, but when Brian got behind the wheel and started the engine, the air conditioning came on at full blast.\u00a0 It was hot air at first, but once they were driving down Bayshore Boulevard, it came out cool.\u00a0 Jo slid down lower in her seat, adjusting the vents so they were aimed towards her face, and closed her eyes, relishing the rush of cold air against her hot, sticky skin.\u00a0 Leaving the security of the chapel behind was worth it just for this temporary reprieve from the stagnant heat.<\/p>\n

Her eyes flew open as she felt the Hummer swerve sharply, the momentum throwing her into the door.\u00a0 \u201cSorry,\u201d Brian said, as Jo sat up straighter, struggling to right herself in her seat.\u00a0 \u201cI can\u2019t quite bring myself to run them down.\u201d\u00a0 Jo looked into her side mirror and saw a cluster of zombies meandering down the middle of the street behind them.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt would be easier than shooting them,\u201d she murmured.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019re right,\u201d he allowed.\u00a0 \u201cI guess\u2026 I guess it\u2019s like the difference between hunting animals for food and hunting them for sport.\u00a0 So far I\u2019ve only killed out of necessity, out of self-defense.\u00a0 I\u2019d like to keep it that way.\u201d<\/p>\n

Jo nodded, studying his profile, for he stared straight ahead as he spoke.\u00a0 Brian was difficult to read.\u00a0 He appeared hardened, with a strength much greater than his slight build attested to, but she had the sense that, deep down, he was a gentle soul.\u00a0 This seemed to confirm it.\u00a0 He was doing what he had to do to survive, but he hated himself for it.\u00a0 She could understand that, much more than she could relate to someone like AJ, who seemed to delight in killing the undead.\u00a0 Abominations though they now were, they had once been living human beings, and she could not forget it.<\/p>\n

She followed his gaze out the windshield, drawn to the sight of TampaBay, its waters sparkling blue beneath the cloudless sky.\u00a0 Normally, on a day like this, the bay would be dotted with boats, but its surface was hopelessly empty.\u00a0 Then Brian turned right, away from the bay, and she looked up to see the base medical center sprawling ahead of her.\u00a0 The parking lot was crawling with zombies, and she realized this was probably their epicenter.\u00a0 Most of them would have died here.<\/p>\n

Brian\u2019s jaw clenched as he navigated the hospital\u2019s drive carefully, bypassing the parking lot completely and pulling right up to the entrance.\u00a0 The doors were mere feet away, but the zombies were already honing in on the Hummer, and Jo feared there would be more trapped inside the building.\u00a0 She suddenly wished Brian would just floor it and get them away from there, but she knew he wouldn\u2019t.\u00a0 He couldn\u2019t.\u00a0 They had to do this, for the sake of the group.\u00a0 She steeled herself, trying to summon up a courage she wasn\u2019t sure she possessed.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is crazy,\u201d Brian muttered.\u00a0 \u201cWhat was Kevin thinking?\u00a0 We should have brought more people.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cDo you want to go back?\u201d Jo asked, trying not to sound too hopeful.<\/p>\n

Brian shrugged.\u00a0 \u201cWe\u2019re here.\u00a0 We might as well go for it.\u201d<\/p>\n

His recklessness scared her, but she nodded.\u00a0 \u201cAlright\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWe need to move, before they surround us.\u00a0 Stay close to me; we\u2019ll cover each other.\u00a0 On three, okay?\u201d\u00a0 He unbuckled his seatbelt, and she followed suit, reaching for the door handle.\u00a0 \u201cOne\u2026 two\u2026 three!\u201d\u00a0 At once, they threw open their doors and jumped out.\u00a0 Brian slammed his door and ran around the front of the Hummer to join her.\u00a0 Together, they raced to the entrance of the medical center.\u00a0 The double doors were shattered, the sidewalk in front showered with broken glass.\u00a0 Jo tried to avoid stepping in it, as Brian pulled her inside.<\/p>\n

It was dim inside the building.\u00a0 Only the emergency lights running along the walls were lit, providing faint halos of light among the shadows.\u00a0 It wasn\u2019t hard to see, but it wouldn\u2019t be hard for zombies to lurk, unseen, in dark corners, either.\u00a0 Jo looked around warily, keeping close to Brian\u2019s side.<\/p>\n

The infirmary was in disarray.\u00a0 The admissions desk was heaped with piles of paperwork, which had spilled onto the floor.\u00a0 Further down one of the halls, Jo could see overturned gurneys and IV stands.\u00a0 Everywhere she looked, the tile was littered with latex gloves and surgical gowns and masks.\u00a0 The whole place looked the way a trauma room did after the medical staff left it and before the housekeeping staff arrived to clean it up.\u00a0 But the mess wasn\u2019t nearly as eerie as the emptiness.\u00a0 Jo felt a strong sense of d\u00e9j\u00e0 vu, remembering the last few hours she\u2019d spent in the emergency room at Tampa General, after the last of the patients and staff had succumbed to the virus.\u00a0 This hospital looked different, but felt just the same.<\/p>\n

The silence was broken by a hungry moan and the sound of shuffling feet, and Jo turned to see the first zombies shambling through the shattered entrance.\u00a0 Her first instinct was to run, but even as she started to back up, she saw the barrel of Brian\u2019s rifle rise up beside her.\u00a0 She jumped at the first blast, but was relieved to see one zombie fall.\u00a0 It took only a few more shots to take down the second and then the third.\u00a0 But there were more behind them.\u00a0 They swarmed around the doors, bumping into each other in their efforts to squeeze through the doorway.\u00a0 The first ones that managed to do this tripped stupidly over the three bodies lying just inside the threshold and ended up writhing on the floor themselves.<\/p>\n

Taking advantage of this obstacle, Brian didn\u2019t hesitate.\u00a0 He stepped forward, aimed his rifle towards the ground, and put a bullet into each of their brains before they could get up again.\u00a0 Realizing the brilliance of his plan, Jo pulled out her own gun to help.\u00a0 She flinched each time she pulled the trigger, but was relieved whenever one of her bullets added to the rapidly-expanding heap of bodies that was now partially barricading the doors.\u00a0 And still, the zombies kept coming, oblivious to what was happening.\u00a0 They tried to climb up and over the dead, but Brian and Jo took each one down, adding to the pile.\u00a0 At last, the doorway was blocked.<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t think they\u2019ve got the sense to start dragging bodies out of the way,\u201d said Brian, sounding satisfied.\u00a0 \u201cThis should buy us some time.\u201d<\/p>\n

But no sooner had he said it than they heard another moan echoing down one of the corridors.\u00a0 \u201cThere\u2019s more inside,\u201d whispered Jo, her fears confirmed.\u00a0 \u201cAll the noise probably attracted them.\u201d<\/p>\n

Brian looked around.\u00a0 \u201cWe need another barrier, until we can take down the rest of them.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThis way,\u201d said Jo, leading him further into the hospital.\u00a0 Her eyes lit up when she spotted what she\u2019d been looking for.\u00a0 \u201cThere \u2013 the nurses station.\u201d<\/p>\n

It was a circular hub of counters, perfect for standing behind to shoot.\u00a0 It would not enough to protect them indefinitely, but unless the zombies suddenly gained the coordination to climb over counters, the barrier would slow them up long enough to be killed.\u00a0 \u201cGood thinking,\u201d said Brian, and they ducked behind it, just as more zombies began to emerge from the shadows of the interior hallways.<\/p>\n

Jo and Brian positioned themselves on opposite sides of the nurses station, their backs to each other, and started firing.\u00a0 Jo missed more of her shots than she made, but it didn\u2019t matter:\u00a0 after a ten-minute siege, the floor around them was littered with bodies, congealed blood and decomposing brains oozing from their head wounds.<\/p>\n

Jo sagged against the counter, clutching at her rosary.\u00a0 Her fingers trembled as the smooth beads slipped through them; she was shaking from head to foot.\u00a0 Even her lungs seemed to be quivering, as she panted in and out in rapid, shallow breaths.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou alright?\u201d Brian asked quietly, looking back at her in mild concern.<\/p>\n

Jo nodded, rubbing her beads.\u00a0 Slow, deep breaths, <\/i>she told herself, the same advice she had given patients.\u00a0 Her heart was racing in her chest.\u00a0 She felt like she always did after a particularly intense trauma, when the patient had been either stabilized or pronounced, and she was finally coming down from her adrenaline high.\u00a0 Looking around at all the corpses, she didn’t know whether to congratulate herself or cry.\u00a0 \u201cIs this a sin?\u201d she murmured, squeezing the rosary, \u201cwhat we’ve done here?\u00a0 Thou shalt not kill…\u00a0 <\/i>Do you think this counts?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat does it matter?\u201d muttered Brian in reply, avoiding her eyes.\u00a0 \u201cWe did what we had to do.\u00a0 Sinners or not, we\u2019re damned either way.\u201d<\/p>\n

The bitter coldness in his voice sent a chill down her spine.\u00a0 She looked sadly at the body of a woman, dressed in a pair of scrubs, lying facedown on the tile.\u00a0 \u201cDo you think they have any idea what they’ve become?\u00a0 Are their souls in Heaven, watching their bodies roam the Earth?\u201d<\/p>\n

Brian took a moment to answer, but when he did, he shook his head.\u00a0 \u201cI don’t think so.\u201d<\/p>\n

He didn’t elaborate, and she didn’t ask what he did think.\u00a0 Her heart had slowed, her breathing had relaxed, but now that the rush of adrenaline had left her, she felt depressed.\u00a0 \u201cLet’s go,\u201d she said quietly.\u00a0 \u201cLet’s get what we need and leave this place.\u201d<\/p>\n

The stench of decay was stronger on the other side of the counter.\u00a0 Brian wrinkled his nose, but Jo, used to worse, stepped quite calmly over the corpses.\u00a0 \u201cWe need to find the supply room,\u201d she said.\u00a0 \u201cAnd the pharmacy.\u201d\u00a0 Now it was her turn to lead.<\/p>\n

Though she\u2019d never worked in this hospital, her surroundings felt familiar, and it didn\u2019t take her long to find what she was looking for.\u00a0 In a long, narrow room lined with shelves, she packed her bag with extra gauze pads, sterile dressings and bandages, bottles of antiseptic, bags of saline, latex gloves, a couple of suturing kits, and a set of surgical tools.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou think we’ll need all that?\u201d asked Brian, eying the scalpels and syringes.<\/p>\n

\u201cI hope not,\u201d replied Jo, \u201cbut if we do, at least we’ll be prepared.\u201d<\/p>\n

They found their way to the pharmacy next, picking off a few undead stragglers along the way.\u00a0 Jo inched along the shelves, shining a flashlight across rows of pill bottles, checking labels, and filling the remaining space in her bag with painkillers, antibiotics, and a few bottles of Dilantin.\u00a0 \u201cFor Nick,\u201d she said, hearing the pills rattle around inside as she handed one of the bottles to Brian.\u00a0 \u201cIt\u2019s an anti-seizure drug.\u00a0 Hopefully it will help.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHopefully,\u201d he echoed, adding it to their stash.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat should do us for awhile.\u00a0 Now we just need to find a way out of here.\u201d\u00a0 She remembered the heap of bodies barricading the front doors and imagined the mob of zombies waiting on the other side of it, blocking the path to the Hummer.\u00a0 \u201cHow are we going to get back to the car?\u201d<\/p>\n

Brian\u2019s expression was grim.\u00a0 \u201cGood question.\u00a0 Let\u2019s see how many are out there.\u201d
\nAt the front of the hospital, they found a waiting area off the main lobby which had windows.\u00a0 Some of the chairs were overturned, the window blinds dangling lopsidedly, and Jo couldn\u2019t help but wonder whether the would-be patients had destroyed the place before or after they turned to zombies.\u00a0 Brian went to one of the windows and peeked out.\u00a0 Jo followed, peering over his shoulder.\u00a0 Just as she had feared, there was still a sizable herd of zombies clustered around the main entrance, trying to claw their way through the pile of their fallen comrades.\u00a0 On the other side of them was the Hummer.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat now?\u201d whispered Jo, a heavy sense of dread dropping into the pit of her stomach.<\/p>\n

\u201cMaybe we can create a diversion,\u201d Brian whispered back, as if the zombies would hear their plans if he spoke any louder.\u00a0 \u201cThey seem pretty distractible.\u00a0 If I run, I bet they\u2019ll all go after me.\u00a0 Then you could run to the Hummer.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat about you?\u00a0 Where will you run?\u201d<\/p>\n

Brian took his time answering, scoping out the view from all the windows first.\u00a0 Finally, he pointed out the last window and replied, \u201cThere.\u00a0 See where those ambulances are parked?\u00a0 With any luck, one of them will be unlocked.\u00a0 If I\u2019m really lucky, it\u2019ll have keys.\u00a0 But if not, I\u2019ll circle back to the Hummer, and you can pick me up.\u00a0 They\u2019re not that fast \u2013 I can outrun them.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAre you sure?\u201d\u00a0 Jo hated the idea of him putting himself in danger for her.<\/p>\n

\u201cHave you seen how slow they are?\u201d\u00a0 Brian\u2019s face split into a grin, a genuine grin this time.\u00a0 He had a great smile, the kind that lit up his whole face.\u00a0 \u201cSure, I\u2019m sure.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOkay\u2026\u201d\u00a0 Reluctantly, Jo agreed.<\/p>\n

Brian opened the last window, the one closest to the ambulances.\u00a0 He punched out the screen, kicked one leg over the window sill before easing the rest of his body over, and dropped easily to the landscaping below.\u00a0 \u201cClose the window,\u201d he whispered behind him, as he straightened up.\u00a0 \u201cThey\u2019ll be coming.\u00a0 Wait till they\u2019re gone, and then make a run for the Hummer.\u201d<\/p>\n

Jo nodded.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019ll come get you,\u201d she promised, and then she closed the window.\u00a0 Through the glass, she saw Brian take off, waving his hands over his head.\u00a0 As she moved back to the first window, she could hear his muffled shouting, as he tried to get the zombies\u2019 attention.\u00a0 She peeked through the blinds in the first window and watched as the whole mob shambled off after him, moving away from the Hummer and towards the ambulances.<\/p>\n

She waited until they were a safe distance away, and then she opened the window in front of her.\u00a0 She had already decided she didn\u2019t feel like crawling over a pile of dead zombies to get back outside.\u00a0 She removed the window screen, as Brian had done, and hoisted herself over the window sill, not quite as skillfully as Brian had.\u00a0 As soon as her feet touched the ground, though, she was running, making a beeline for the Hummer, her back of supplies bouncing on her shoulder.<\/p>\n

She scrambled up and into the big vehicle, nearly slamming the door on her foot in her haste to shut herself in.\u00a0 But there was no need to hurry; Brian\u2019s plan had worked perfectly.\u00a0 The zombies were still following him across the parking lot, oblivious to her escape.\u00a0 But not for long.\u00a0 She crammed the key into the ignition and revved the Hummer to life.<\/p>\n

She expected Brian to turn and run back towards her so she could pick him up, but as she pulled out of the drive and into the parking lot, she saw that he was still heading for the ambulances.\u00a0 She watched as he disappeared around one, and then, to her surprise, he appeared inside the cab.\u00a0 She could see him fumbling around, searching for keys, as the zombies closed in on him.<\/p>\n

What are you doing?<\/i> she thought, driving closer, wondering how he was going to get out of the ambulance and into the Hummer if both were surrounded by zombies.\u00a0 Forget it; let\u2019s go!<\/i><\/p>\n

Then, suddenly, the ambulance sprang to life.\u00a0 The lights started going, and then the sirens, and from inside the cab, she saw Brian give a whoop and pump his fist into the air.\u00a0 He backed the ambulance out of its parking space, running over a couple of zombies who had followed him around behind it, and pulled it up alongside the Hummer.\u00a0 \u201cFollow me!\u201d he shouted through his open window, and she nodded and gave a thumbs up to show she understood.<\/p>\n

He cut the lights and siren once he pulled out of the parking lot, and she followed in the Hummer, leaving the zombies in their dust as they raced back towards the chapel.<\/p>\n

***<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is amazing!\u201d exclaimed Kevin later, emerging from the back of the ambulance.<\/p>\n

Jo couldn\u2019t help but smile at this rare burst of excitement; she\u2019d learned quickly that Kevin was a man who kept his emotions in check.\u00a0 But she couldn\u2019t contain her enthusiasm either.\u00a0 \u201cI know!\u00a0 It has a backboard, a defibrillator, oxygen tanks, monitors\u2026 anything we could possibly need in a medical emergency, God forbid.\u00a0 I hope we\u2019ll never need any of it, but if nothing else, it will be good for carrying supplies.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd taking down zombies,\u201d added Brian, looking pleased with himself for once.\u00a0 He\u2019d had a boyish grin on his face ever since returning from their little adventure with his new toy.<\/p>\n

Nick had been jealous at first, but perked up once Jo showed him the bottles of Dilantin.\u00a0 \u201cIf I take this stuff, can I have the keys to the ambulance?\u00a0 Please, Dad, pleeeeease?\u201d he joked with Kevin, with a grin to match Brian\u2019s.<\/p>\n

\u201cMaybe if we run the siren and lights, we can get all the zombies to follow it and lead them straight through the front gate, like the Pied Piper,\u201d Gabby suggested, and Nick immediately latched onto the idea.<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah!\u00a0 I can do that!\u00a0 That\u2019s awesome!\u00a0 Too bad we can\u2019t make it play \u2018Thriller\u2019 instead\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou and your \u2018Thriller\u2019\u2026\u201d\u00a0 Riley rolled her eyes, grinning in Nick\u2019s direction.\u00a0 \u201cYou can make it play \u2018Thriller,\u2019 doofus; just stick it in the CD player and roll down the windows.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOoh, yeah!\u00a0 You\u2019re a genius, Rye; what would I do without you?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cCome on, y\u2019all; let\u2019s get back inside,\u201d said Kevin.\u00a0 His rare smile had vanished, and he was looking around uneasily.\u00a0 \u201cNick\u2019s voice alone is loud enough to lead them right to us.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBut that\u2019s perfect \u2013 I\u2019ll do it right now!\u00a0 Give me the keys, bro!\u201d\u00a0 Nick held out his hand to Brian, but Kevin grabbed his shoulder and steered him back toward the chapel doors.<\/p>\n

\u201cNot right now.\u00a0 Take some of that stuff Jo brought you and see how it works.\u00a0 Then we\u2019ll see.\u201d\u00a0 As Nick followed the others back into the church, sulking, Kevin turned to Jo.\u00a0 \u201cThanks,\u201d he said, putting a hand on her shoulder as he walked her inside.\u00a0 \u201cAll the stuff you and Brian brought back will be great to have, just in case.\u00a0 We\u2019re lucky we\u2019ve got you with us.\u201d<\/p>\n

Jo smiled.\u00a0 Brian was the hero of the day, taking out as many zombies as he had, creating the diversion, and bringing back the ambulance.\u00a0 But she was proud of herself for the part she\u2019d played in their mission.\u00a0 She had been an asset, not a liability.\u00a0 For the first time since she and Gabby had arrived on the base, Jo felt as if she\u2019d proven herself.<\/p>\n

***<\/p>\n

\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Chapter 56 It\u2019s tough being the oldest person on the planet. I\u2019m kidding, of course, but then, am I really?\u00a0 As far as I know, I AM the oldest one on the planet.\u00a0 At 45.\u00a0 That\u2019s depressing. The others treat … Continue reading →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"parent":8,"menu_order":56,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","template":"onecolumn-page.php","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"footnotes":""},"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/dreamers-sanctuary.com\/undead\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/256"}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/dreamers-sanctuary.com\/undead\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/dreamers-sanctuary.com\/undead\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/dreamers-sanctuary.com\/undead\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/dreamers-sanctuary.com\/undead\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=256"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"http:\/\/dreamers-sanctuary.com\/undead\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/256\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":416,"href":"http:\/\/dreamers-sanctuary.com\/undead\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/256\/revisions\/416"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/dreamers-sanctuary.com\/undead\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/8"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/dreamers-sanctuary.com\/undead\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=256"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}