{"id":363,"date":"2013-07-22T15:10:45","date_gmt":"2013-07-22T15:10:45","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/dreamers-sanctuary.com\/undead\/?page_id=363"},"modified":"2014-01-27T17:43:02","modified_gmt":"2014-01-27T17:43:02","slug":"chapter-104","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"http:\/\/dreamers-sanctuary.com\/undead\/story\/chapter-104\/","title":{"rendered":"Chapter 104"},"content":{"rendered":"

Chapter 104<\/span><\/b><\/p>\n

We should have learned our lesson from what happened at the bridal boutique.\u00a0 We should never have risked our lives for a luxury item.\u00a0 We should never have split up inside that store.\u00a0 We should never have assumed we\u2019d all make it out again in one piece.<\/i><\/p>\n

I felt good about going to that store with Gretchen, like I was finally giving back in a way, doing something nice for someone as sweet as her.\u00a0 But that good feeling went away the moment Martin \u2013 what used to be Martin, anyway \u2013 lumbered into the chapel and ruined her wedding.\u00a0 Was a wedding dress worth losing a member of our group?\u00a0 No.\u00a0 No way.<\/i><\/p>\n

I know Gretchen still feels guilty about what happened to Martin, but it wasn\u2019t her fault.\u00a0 The whole group is to blame.\u00a0 We were careless.\u00a0 We got sloppy.\u00a0 We should have listened to Selena when she said it was a stupid idea.\u00a0 We should have learned.\u00a0 <\/i>I should have learned.<\/i><\/p>\n

We lost another member of our group today.\u00a0 And this time, it\u2019s all my fault\u2026<\/i><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Friday, June 14, 2013<\/b>
\nWeek Sixty<\/i><\/p>\n

The deaths of Martin and Alistair had rattled the group.\u00a0 Just when they were starting to feel relatively safe inside the castle, the losses served as a stark reminder that they were still vulnerable.<\/p>\n

The European contingent was especially shaken.\u00a0 They had always assumed that they, like Dr. Kwak In-Su and the American survivors, were all immune to the Osiris Virus, but Martin\u2019s demise had cast doubts over this theory.\u00a0 \u201cMartin was an exception, though,\u201d Selena tried to assure them in her matter-of-fact way.\u00a0 \u201cHe was in a remote, isolated area when the plague hit.\u00a0 He was never exposed to the airborne virus.\u00a0 His friends got it through bites, and the only reason he survived is because he amputated his own arm and stopped the spread.\u00a0 Had he been in a populated area, like the rest of us, he would have succumbed to the illness, same as everyone else did.\u00a0 We have nothing to worry about. \u00a0Nothing more than the usual, anyway.\u201d<\/p>\n

But they did worry.\u00a0 In fact, besides Selena and AJ, who was justifiably confident in his own ability to survive a bite, the only one unaffected by the fear that had consumed the rest of the group was Howie.\u00a0 As a hemophiliac who risked grievous injury just by existing, he was used to feeling vulnerable.\u00a0 This was nothing new.\u00a0 He\u2019d learned to overcome his fear.<\/p>\n

He could not say the same for Brian and Gretchen, who did more worrying than anyone these days.\u00a0 Gretchen, approximately eight months pregnant now, worried for the life of her unborn child.\u00a0 Brian, who had already lost one wife and two children, worried for them both.\u00a0 Howie could empathize with this fear.\u00a0 He remembered the anxiety he\u2019d felt when Bree was in labor with Bartholomew, and that had been in a hospital with trained medical professionals and modern technology.\u00a0 Now that Martin was gone, Gretchen had only Selena.\u00a0 If something went wrong during the delivery, there would be no saving her.\u00a0 And Howie, who also knew what it was like to lose a wife and child, could only imagine what would become of Brian then.\u00a0 He had been a broken man before, but this would shatter him.<\/p>\n

They needed help \u2013 help from Heaven above, Howie thought \u2013 but for now, they would settle for supplies.\u00a0 \u201cWe need start getting a delivery room ready,\u201d stated Selena that morning, as the group gathered for breakfast.\u00a0 \u201cFrom what we\u2019ve guessed, Gretchen\u2019s about eight months along, but that\u2019s only an estimate, and she could always go early. \u00a0Right now we have only basic medical supplies.\u00a0 We need more specialized instruments, monitoring equipment, IVs\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cPain meds?\u201d Gretchen put in hopefully.<\/p>\n

Selena shot her a grim smile.<\/p>\n

\u201cNot to mention formula, nappies, blankets, and clothing for the baby,\u201d added Abby.<\/p>\n

\u201cRight,\u201d Selena agreed.\u00a0 \u201cSo what I\u2019m saying is, some of us need to go on a massive supply run to the nearest hospital or clinic or whatever\u2019s closest.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019d say Conquest Hospital\u2019s our best bet,\u201d Abby suggested.\u00a0 \u201cIt\u2019s perhaps ten or fifteen kilometers south of here, near the coast.\u201d<\/p>\n

Selena nodded slowly, a faraway look on her face.\u00a0 \u201cWe\u2019ll take the truck; we can stow the supplies in the back.\u00a0 I have the best idea what to look for, so I\u2019ll be going, of course.\u00a0 Who\u2019ll be joining me?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ll go.\u201d<\/p>\n

Howie was surprised to hear AJ\u2019s raspy voice volunteer, though he supposed he shouldn\u2019t have been.\u00a0 Back on the base, AJ had always been up for an adventure, but his injury had changed everything.\u00a0 His bad leg had healed as much as it ever would, but he still walked with a limp and would probably never run again.<\/p>\n

Selena was quick to shake her head.\u00a0 \u201cNo.\u00a0 Sorry, but you\u2019ll only slow us down.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOr I\u2019ll save our asses,\u201d AJ countered.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m a damn good shot, and you know it.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah, but we\u2019re not shooting them anymore.\u00a0 Not out there, not unless we\u2019re surrounded.\u00a0 Otherwise, it\u2019s all hand-to-hand combat, so we don\u2019t attract them with the noise.\u00a0 And you\u2019ll be crap at close combat on that leg.\u201d<\/p>\n

AJ arched his eyebrows.\u00a0 \u201cYeah?\u00a0 Try me.\u00a0 I\u2019m stronger than you think.\u00a0 And in case you haven\u2019t noticed, the zombies are getting weaker.\u201d<\/p>\n

It was true.\u00a0 They\u2019d thought it was just the cold slowing the undead down during the winter, but the ghouls had gotten even slower since spring.\u00a0 The warm weather seemed to have accelerated their already advanced stages of decomposition, to the point that it was almost impossible to tell male zombies apart from females anymore, unless their clothing was still intact.\u00a0 Most of them had been reduced to walking skeletons, more bone than flesh.\u00a0 Their snapping jaws still made them a threat, but certainly, they were more manageable now.<\/p>\n

Selena scrutinized AJ carefully for a few seconds and finally nodded.\u00a0 \u201cFine.\u00a0 Just don\u2019t go getting yourself killed.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cScout\u2019s honor,\u201d he said sarcastically, holding up three fingers.\u00a0 The gesture seemed lost on Selena, who just rolled her eyes.<\/p>\n

\u201cRight, now that that\u2019s settled\u2026 who else is coming along to help me cover the cripple?\u201d\u00a0 She smiled at AJ, who made a face back at her.\u00a0 The two of them had been spending an awful lot of time together these last few months, Howie had observed.\u00a0 Insulting each other seemed to be their favorite form of flirting.<\/p>\n

\u201cI will,\u201d said Brian, but Selena shot him down too.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo.\u00a0 You have a wife and baby on the way; you\u2019d better stay here.\u00a0 Ashton will come with us, won\u2019t you, Ash?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201c\u2019Course,\u201d agreed Ashton, whose physical strength was always an asset on supply runs.\u00a0 Howie couldn\u2019t help but envy Ashton.\u00a0 No one would ever think to ask him, Howie, to accompany them on a run.\u00a0 And after what had happened in the bowling alley back on the base, Howie couldn\u2019t blame them.\u00a0 He knew he was a liability.\u00a0 Still, he wasn\u2019t used to feeling so helpless.\u00a0 His intelligence and strong business sense had served him well in the old world, but here, such traits were no longer in demand.\u00a0 Brains meant more to the zombies than the living, who only seemed to care about brawn.\u00a0 Howie just wanted to feel useful again.<\/p>\n

Half-listening to the others debate over who would go and who should stay to defend the castle, Howie thought about how the others had risked their lives to save his, time and time again.\u00a0 Brian had gone into the medical center, the most zombie-infested place on the base, to bring back supplies.\u00a0 AJ had driven Howie back to the chapel the day his car windshield had imploded in an attack, embedding glass in his face.\u00a0 Gretchen, along with the others, had given blood when he was dying of hypovolemic shock.\u00a0 He owed it to them to be the brave one for once, to sacrifice his own safety to keep them out of danger.<\/p>\n

\u201cI want to go,\u201d he spoke up suddenly, infusing his voice with a confidence he didn\u2019t feel.<\/p>\n

Heads turned as everyone in the kitchen stared at him incredulously.\u00a0 Howie was not at all surprised when Selena, again, said, \u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m serious,\u201d he insisted.\u00a0 \u201cYou need me.\u00a0 Maybe I\u2019m not the strongest or the best shot, but I\u2019ll know what kind of things to look for in that hospital.\u201d<\/p>\n

Selena gave him a haughty, skeptical look.\u00a0 \u201cIs that so?\u00a0 Because you know so much about childbirth?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m not claiming to be an expert, but what I do<\/i> know didn\u2019t come from a book.\u00a0 It came from experience.\u00a0 Tell me, have any of you<\/i> had a baby before?\u201d he asked, looking from Selena to Ashton to AJ.\u00a0 \u201cHave you even been inside a delivery room?\u00a0 Well, I have.\u00a0 I was there when my son was born.\u00a0 I was there when they did an episiotomy on my wife to get him out.\u201d\u00a0 Gretchen blanched at that, and even Selena\u2019s face seemed a shade paler.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m willing to bet I\u2019ve spent more time in hospitals than any of you,\u201d added Howie, glancing around the room at all of them.\u00a0 \u201cI know a thing or two about the kind of equipment and supplies we\u2019ll need.\u00a0 I know I can be useful, if you\u2019ll just give me the chance to prove it.\u201d<\/p>\n

Selena looked to AJ, who nodded.\u00a0 \u201cFine,\u201d she snapped.\u00a0 \u201cBut if either of you get hurt or fall behind, don\u2019t think we\u2019ll be going back to save your sorry asses.\u00a0 Our objective is to bring back supplies for Gretchen.\u00a0 Understood?\u201d<\/p>\n

Howie met her steely gaze and gave a single nod of agreement.\u00a0 \u201cUnderstood.\u201d<\/p>\n

***<\/p>\n

Conquest Hospital was a sprawling building, only several stories high, but spread out wide, with a maze of roads, roundabouts, and parking lots they had to navigate in order to reach the entrance.\u00a0 Thankfully, there were a number of well-marked signs around the campus to point them in the right direction, though trying to read these while a horde of the undead closed in on their truck wasn\u2019t the easiest feat.\u00a0 \u201cThere\u2019s so many of them,\u201d said Howie, starting to regret his decision to come.\u00a0 He hadn\u2019t seen this many zombies in one place since the early days on the base.<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah, well, this is where they all died and turned.\u00a0 Makes sense, doesn\u2019t it?\u201d said Selena, slowing down in front of another roundabout.\u00a0 \u201cWhich way?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cEmergency Maternity,\u201d Howie noted on a sign that was just visible through the overgrown shrubbery.\u00a0 \u201cTurn right.\u201d<\/p>\n

Selena cranked the steering wheel to the right, ignoring the arrow directing her to go left around the roundabout.\u00a0 Howie would have done the same; all of the road signs in England seemed backwards to him, anyway.\u00a0 It still felt strange to be sitting, as the front seat passenger, on what would have been the driver\u2019s side in America.\u00a0 He kept stretching his foot out to tap an imaginary brake, as Selena drove like a maniac down the wrong side of the road, running over zombies without even the slightest hesitation.\u00a0 It must have been a bumpy ride for AJ and Ashton, who were sitting in the back.\u00a0 Howie kept checking over his shoulder to make sure neither of them had bounced out of the truck bed yet, but they were both still there, weapons raised, ready to pick off any zombies who got too close.<\/p>\n

The truck trundled down a steep, winding drive that led them around the right side of the building, where they saw the emergency entrance.\u00a0 There was only a small cluster of zombies meandering around outside it, but another glance out the rear window revealed a whole herd staggering down the drive in pursuit of them.\u00a0 Getting into the building was definitely going to be easier than getting out again.<\/p>\n

AJ rapped his knuckles against the rear window.\u00a0 \u201cLet\u2019s get moving!\u201d he shouted.<\/p>\n

\u201cBloody hell,\u201d Selena swore, throwing the truck into park and shoving open her door.\u00a0 \u201cYou coming or not?\u201d she called to Howie, as she jumped down.<\/p>\n

Howie heaved a sigh and tried to steel himself before climbing out of his side.\u00a0 As soon as his feet touched the ground, AJ and Ashton appeared in front of him.\u00a0 \u201cWe\u2019ll have to barricade the doors before our followers find a way in after us,\u201d Ashton was saying.<\/p>\n

\u201cFirst we gotta get past these guys,\u201d said AJ, limping towards the zombies outside the entrance with his Winchester pointed in front of him.\u00a0 He\u2019d fixed a bayonet to the end of the rifle, and he seemed to relish in stabbing it through zombie eye sockets.\u00a0 Meanwhile, Ashton was armed with a medieval mace he\u2019d found in the castle, perfect for bashing in zombie skulls.\u00a0 Selena had holstered her gun in favor of her machete, while Howie wielded a sword \u2013 light, yet sharp, capable of slicing through rotting flesh and bare bones.\u00a0 He just hoped he wouldn\u2019t cut himself in the process.\u00a0 He held back as the others took the offensive, clearing a path through the pile of corpses they left in their wake.<\/p>\n

Selena, dodging the slow, lumbering zombies, reached the doors first and yanked one side open.\u00a0 \u201cGet in, get in!\u201d she shouted, beckoning furiously to the others.\u00a0 Ashton went in after her, holding his mace in front of him.\u00a0 AJ followed, limping painfully, while Howie brought up the rear.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou alright, AJ?\u201d he asked as he hurried inside, pulling the door closed behind him.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m fine,\u201d said AJ gruffly.\u00a0 \u201cLet\u2019s you and me get these doors secured while they start clearing the place.\u201d<\/p>\n

Howie looked past AJ and saw Selena and Ashton already killing zombies.\u00a0 The place was crawling with them.\u00a0 He swallowed his rising panic.\u00a0 \u201cWhat if we have to get out quickly?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWe won\u2019t have to if we can clear this ward and secure it.\u00a0 Now c\u2019mon, help me.\u201d\u00a0 AJ was standing with his back pressed against the doors.\u00a0 Howie could hear the skeletal hands scraping on the other side.\u00a0 \u201cGo get that IV pole,\u201d AJ directed, pointing.\u00a0 \u201cMaybe we can shove it through the door handles.\u201d<\/p>\n

Howie ran for the pole, keeping one eye on the carnage happening down the hallway.\u00a0 He wheeled it back to the doors.\u00a0 \u201cIt\u2019s not going to fit,\u201d he told AJ.\u00a0 \u201cThe top\u2019s too wide.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cLooks like it unscrews,\u201d AJ observed, pointing to a black knob on the side of the pole, which allowed its height to be adjusted.\u00a0 Howie feverishly twisted the knob until it was loose enough to spin freely in his hand; then he pulled the top of the stand clear out of the hollow bottom pole.\u00a0 \u201cThere you go.\u00a0 Now put it through.\u201d<\/p>\n

Howie lifted the pole and turned it sideways, slipping it through the double door handles until the wheeled bottom caught.\u00a0 \u201cI don\u2019t know how well it\u2019ll hold,\u201d he told AJ worriedly.\u00a0 \u201cMost of it\u2019s hollow; the metal could bend.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThey\u2019re not that strong.\u00a0 They\u2019re walking skeletons, remember?\u00a0 They\u2019ll probably break their own bones before they break that pole.\u00a0 But just to be safe, let\u2019s overturn one of those gurneys in front of the doors.\u00a0 Those suckers are heavy.\u201d<\/p>\n

Howie brought over one of the gurneys he was pointing to, and together, they tipped it in front of the doors.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere we go,\u201d said AJ, brushing his hands.\u00a0 \u201cThat should hold \u2018em for awhile.\u00a0 C\u2019mon, let\u2019s go help Selena and Ashton.\u201d<\/p>\n

That was what Howie had been afraid of, but he had no choice but to follow AJ further into the maternity ward, where Ashton and Selena were bludgeoning and decapitating zombies left and right.\u00a0 \u201cYou two!\u00a0 Secure those doors!\u201d shouted Selena, gesturing to a pair of double doors at the end of the hallway.\u00a0 While she and Ashton kept undead occupied, Howie and AJ snuck past them and used more IV stands to reinforce both the double doors and a single door leading into the stairwell.<\/p>\n

With the ward sealed off and the hallway clear, they were finally free to explore.\u00a0 \u201cThere\u2019s the delivery room,\u201d said Howie, pointing to a pair of doors beneath a sign marked Delivery Suite<\/i>.\u00a0 \u201cMost of the equipment we need will be in there.\u201d<\/p>\n

Selena nodded.\u00a0 \u201cRight.\u00a0 You and Ashton go there.\u00a0 Gather as much as you can carry.\u00a0 AJ and I will see if we can\u2019t find the pharmacy.\u00a0 I believe you know a bit about pharmaceuticals too, now, don\u2019t you?\u201d she teased AJ, who merely smirked.\u00a0 \u201cIt\u2019s about\u2026 half past noon, by my watch.\u00a0 What time have you got, Howie?\u201d<\/p>\n

Howie checked his medical alert watch.\u00a0 \u201cSame.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ll meet back here in one hour.\u201d\u00a0 Selena glanced back at the entrance.\u00a0 \u201cHopefully the horde outside will have wandered off by then.\u00a0 Don\u2019t be late, or you may be left behind.\u00a0 Got it?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cGot it,\u201d everyone agreed, though Howie squirmed at the thought of being left behind.\u00a0 He didn\u2019t doubt that Selena meant what she\u2019d said.<\/p>\n

He wasn\u2019t comfortable splitting up, either, but he felt reasonably safe with Ashton, especially after witnessing the way Ashton slammed his mace through the window on one of the delivery room doors, shattering the glass and gaining them access through the otherwise locked doors.\u00a0 \u201cYou know what you\u2019re looking for?\u201d Ashton asked Howie, as they entered the delivery suite.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve got some idea,\u201d said Howie, wandering around.\u00a0 The delivery rooms in this hospital looked different than the one in his memory, the room in which Bree had given birth to their son.\u00a0 Along with the standard beds and chairs, they were furnished with pieces of equipment that seemed better suited to a gym than a hospital room:\u00a0 large exercise balls, foam floor mats, and lengths of knotted fabric, hanging rope-like from the ceilings. \u00a0But when he started poking through the contents of cupboards, drawers, and carts, he found the sort of equipment he\u2019d had in mind.\u00a0 While Ashton stood guard, he filled the empty backpacks they\u2019d brought with everything from basic monitoring equipment \u2013 a stethoscope, blood pressure cuff, and thermometer \u2013 to scary-looking, stainless steel surgical instruments he stole from one of the carts.\u00a0 \u201cWe need to find the nursery,\u201d he told Ashton.\u00a0 \u201cThat\u2019s where we\u2019ll find the baby supplies \u2013 diapers, formula, all that stuff.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cLead the way, mate,\u201d said Ashton.\u00a0 It was nice to get a break from bossy Selena.\u00a0 Ashton stayed quietly in the background, keeping watch, while Howie searched for the nursery.\u00a0 He found it in the adjacent set of rooms, across from the stairwell.\u00a0 There was another security door blocking their access, but all it took was Ashton throwing his mace through the plate glass window for them to break in.\u00a0 \u201cIt\u2019d be easier to just go through the window,\u201d Ashton suggested.\u00a0 \u201cNeed a leg up?\u201d<\/p>\n

Eying the shards of glass sticking out of the window frame, Howie shook his head.\u00a0 \u201cYou first.\u00a0 I\u2019d rather go through the door.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ashton shrugged.\u00a0 \u201cAlright.\u201d\u00a0 He boosted himself up and through the window, dropping neatly to the floor on the other side.\u00a0 Within seconds, he\u2019d opened the nursery door to let Howie in.<\/p>\n

At first glance, the nursery looked abandoned, but they quickly realized this wasn\u2019t the case, when they heard the gurgling cries of a newborn.\u00a0 Howie\u2019s head whipped to the side, his eyes focusing on a bassinet in the back of the room, where something was moving under a blue blanket.\u00a0 \u201cOh my God!\u201d he cried.\u00a0 \u201cSomeone left their baby here?!\u201d\u00a0 Without thinking, acting purely on paternal instinct, he rushed to the bassinet and whipped off the blanket before Ashton could stop him.\u00a0 What he saw underneath it made his heart skip a beat.\u00a0 \u201cOh, no\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

The infant was unclothed, except for its sodden diaper.\u00a0 Its skin was mottled and gray, the flesh beneath it so wasted that Howie could see bone in places where it had rotted away.\u00a0 Yet its eyes were open, cloudy and unfocused, and so was its mouth, the blackened, toothless gums flapping endlessly as it cried to be fed.\u00a0 Its tiny, skeletal hands were balled into fists that flailed randomly, lacking the coordination to even reach for Howie.<\/p>\n

\u201cDear God\u2026\u201d\u00a0 Ashton had come up behind Howie, and he heard the horror in the other man\u2019s voice.\u00a0 \u201cWhat should we do with it?\u201d<\/p>\n

With a sinking feeling, Howie realized the only proper thing to do.\u00a0 \u201cWe have to take care of it.\u201d\u00a0 But then he thought of his own son, lying still and lifeless in his bed, and he shook his head.\u00a0 \u201cI don\u2019t think I can do it.\u00a0 Will you?\u201d<\/p>\n

Ashton looked down at the mace in his hand.\u00a0 \u201cNot with this.\u00a0 Doesn\u2019t seem right to bash a baby\u2019s brains in, even if it is one of them.\u00a0 Give me your sword.\u201d<\/p>\n

Howie handed it over, then turned around.\u00a0 He couldn\u2019t bear to watch, but he heard the sound of the sword swishing cleanly through the infant\u2019s soft skull, heard the cries suddenly cease, and that was bad enough.<\/p>\n

Ashton came up alongside him, wiping off the blade with the blue blanket.\u00a0 He tossed the blanket aside and handed Howie the sword.\u00a0 \u201cLet\u2019s hurry up and get the hell out of here.\u201d<\/p>\n

Howie couldn\u2019t agree more.<\/p>\n

They tore through the nursery\u2019s supply cabinets, stuffing their packs with diapers, wipes, bottles, powdered formula, blankets, hats, sleepers, anything they could find that would fit.\u00a0 \u201cThe sad thing is, this stuff will only last us a little while,\u201d Howie told Ashton.\u00a0 \u201cBabies grow so fast, and they go through diapers and formula even quicker.\u201d\u00a0 He could still remember his shock at how much his credit card bills went up after Barty\u2019s birth, though, of course, Bree had bought him more than just the bare necessities.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s okay.\u00a0 We still have another month to stock up before the little tyke even gets here, right?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI hope so,\u201d said Howie.<\/p>\n

They headed back to the entrance, where they\u2019d agreed to meet Selena and AJ.\u00a0 A quick glance at his watch told Howie they still had twenty minutes to spare, but a look out the front doors told him they wouldn\u2019t be leaving any time soon.\u00a0 The horde of zombies that had followed their truck to the maternity wing had amassed outside.\u00a0 The truck was surrounded, and only the IV pole wedged through the door handles had stopped them from breaking in.<\/p>\n

To Howie, it looked hopeless.\u00a0 \u201cWhat are we going to do?\u201d<\/p>\n

Ashton chewed thoughtfully on his bottom lip.\u00a0 \u201cWe\u2019ll have to try another exit.\u00a0 If they\u2019re all fixated on these doors, maybe we can sneak out another way.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBut how will we get back to the truck?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMaybe we won\u2019t.\u00a0 Maybe we\u2019ll find another vehicle.\u201d<\/p>\n

A sudden thought struck Howie.\u00a0 \u201cHey!\u00a0 Back at our base, Brian stole an ambulance from the medical center.\u00a0 He said it was just sitting there, keys still in the ignition.\u00a0 It could be the same way here!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s not a bad idea.\u00a0 I saw some ambulances parked outside the main entrance as we were driving by.\u00a0 Worth a try, anyway, wouldn\u2019t you say?\u201d<\/p>\n

Howie didn\u2019t want to be the one to try, but he did want to get out of the hospital, so he sucked up his courage and nodded.\u00a0 \u201cLet\u2019s give it a shot.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBrilliant.\u201d\u00a0 Ashton started walking back the way they\u2019d come.<\/p>\n

\u201cWait, now?\u201d\u00a0 Caught off-guard, Howie hurried after him.\u00a0 \u201cBut \u2013 what about AJ and Selena?\u201d<\/p>\n

Ashton shrugged.\u00a0 \u201cYou said we\u2019ve got twenty minutes till they\u2019re supposed to be back, right?\u00a0 Well, why wait?\u00a0 If we get hold of an ambulance now, we can use it to lure the zombies away from that exit, so Selena and AJ can get to the truck.\u00a0 Then we\u2019ll have both.\u00a0 It\u2019d be nice to have a back-up, in case the ambulance runs out of petrol or breaks down or something.\u201d<\/p>\n

Howie had to admit, it made sense.\u00a0 Always have a Plan B.<\/i>\u00a0 The businessman in him appreciated this forethought.\u00a0 \u201cYeah, I guess you\u2019re right.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSo let\u2019s go.\u201d\u00a0 Ashton led them to the stairwell they\u2019d blocked off earlier, where there was a hospital directory and map.\u00a0 \u201cWe\u2019re on Level 1,\u201d said Ashton, pointing to a spot on the map.\u00a0 \u201cWe need to get to Level 3.\u00a0 That\u2019s where the main entrance and the emergency department are, so that\u2019s where the ambulances are as well.\u201d<\/p>\n

Howie nodded.\u00a0 \u201cSounds good.\u201d<\/p>\n

They both strapped on their bulging backpacks, readied their weapons, cleared the door leading into the stairwell, and started up the stairs.\u00a0 Ashton led the way, walking ahead of Howie.\u00a0 Their footsteps on the bare cement steps echoed through the stairwell, but Howie supposed this was a good thing:\u00a0 if there were any zombies on the stairs, their footsteps and moans would echo as well.<\/p>\n

They made it up the first flight of stairs without incident, but as soon as Ashton set foot on the second floor landing, the stairwell door flew open with a bang that made Howie jump.\u00a0 He looked up in horror to see a stream of the walking dead squeezing through the doorway.\u00a0 \u201cKeep going!\u00a0 We can outrun them!\u201d Ashton shouted, starting up the next flight, but Howie\u2019s first instinct had been to turn back.\u00a0 A few steps below the landing, he froze, realizing he and Ashton had been separated by the zombies.\u00a0 In the split second it took for Ashton to look back over his shoulder and realize the same thing, one of the zombies reached out and latched on to his backpack.<\/p>\n

Howie could only watch helplessly as Ashton stumbled backwards, the force of the zombie\u2019s pull on his heavy bag throwing him off balance.\u00a0 He missed a step and fell hard onto the landing, the mace slipping from his hand.\u00a0 The precious weapon rolled right underneath the railing and went crashing down to the bottom of the staircase.\u00a0 Howie raised his sword, but his feet were still frozen to the stairs, unwilling to take him into the fray.\u00a0 He hesitated, as Ashton thrashed around under the weight of the zombies had that fallen upon him, struggling to wriggle his arms out of the straps of his backpack and hold the zombies back at the same time.\u00a0 \u201cA little help here, Howie?\u201d he shouted, his voice several octaves higher than usual.<\/p>\n

Howie forced himself to take one step, then another.\u00a0 When he was within reach, he swung his sword wildly, slicing through the neck of the nearest zombie.\u00a0 He had to jump to dodge the severed skull as it rolled down the stairs.\u00a0 Looking up hopefully, he saw that Ashton had managed to free his arms, but it was too late.\u00a0 As he raised the heavy backpack over his head, one of the zombies went for the jugular, its jaws clamping down on the side of Ashton\u2019s neck.\u00a0 He let out a blood-curdling scream and dropped the backpack, which bounced down the stairs into Howie\u2019s arms.<\/p>\n

For just a moment, as Ashton turned his head to watch his only weapon fall away, and as Howie caught it and looked up, stunned, the two of them locked eyes, and time seemed to stand still.\u00a0 Howie couldn\u2019t remember any rational thoughts that passed through his brain in that moment, only his fight or flight instinct screaming, \u201cRun!\u00a0 RUN!\u201d<\/i> in his head.\u00a0 But he would never forget the desperate look in Ashton\u2019s eyes or the way his mouth moved soundlessly, silently pleading for help as blood bubbled from his lips.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m sorry,\u201d Howie whispered, as he turned and ran.\u00a0 Not even the echo of his pounding footsteps as he bolted back down the stairs could drown out the sound of Ashton\u2019s last scream, gurgling out of his throat as the undead tore into his flesh.<\/p>\n

Howie would never forget that, either.<\/p>\n

***<\/p>\n

When AJ and Selena came back, they found Howie sitting alone on a bench in the hallway, holding the mace, his sword on the bench beside him and the pair of backpacks at his feet.\u00a0 He twisted the mace in his hands, its rough wooden handle scraping against his palms.\u00a0 The smallest splinter could make him bleed, but he wasn\u2019t thinking about that just then.<\/p>\n

He looked up when he heard their footsteps approaching and found AJ and Selena staring back at him.\u00a0 \u201cWhere\u2019s Ashton?\u201d Selena was the first to ask.<\/p>\n

Howie shook his head, tears prickling in the corners of his eyes.\u00a0 \u201cHe didn\u2019t make it.\u201d<\/p>\n

AJ blinked in disbelief, his mouth dropping open.\u00a0 Selena simply bowed her head.<\/p>\n

Feeling he owed them some kind of explanation, Howie added, \u201cWe were trying to find another way out.\u00a0 We got back early and saw how many of them were out there, so we thought we\u2019d go out the main entrance, try to steal one of the ambulances, and use it to distract them so you guys could get to the truck.\u00a0 But we got attacked in the stairwell.\u00a0 He was ahead of me, and we got separated.\u00a0 They surrounded him.\u00a0 There\u2026 there was nothing I could do.\u201d<\/p>\n

Liar! <\/i>screamed his conscience.\u00a0 You could have done something.\u00a0 You could have tried to save him.\u00a0 You didn\u2019t.\u00a0 You just turned tail and ran, like the coward you are.\u00a0 Like the coward you\u2019ve always been.<\/i><\/p>\n

Selena shrugged.\u00a0 \u201cIt\u2019s every man for himself.\u00a0 He knew the risk he was taking when he agreed to come with us.\u201d\u00a0 There was a forced sort of casualness to her tone, but Howie could tell by the way she turned away as she talked that she was more shaken by the loss of Ashton than she wanted to show them.\u00a0 Perhaps she had remembered that it was she who\u2019d asked Ashton to come along.<\/p>\n

It was AJ who changed the subject, redirecting their attention to a more pressing problem.\u00a0 \u201cSo\u2026 how are<\/i> we gonna get out of here?\u201d<\/p>\n

They all looked toward the double doors, which were shaking with the force of the zombies beating relentlessly against them.\u00a0 The barricades they\u2019d created were working for now, but there was no way they would all get past the growing horde in one piece.<\/p>\n

\u201cYour plan wasn\u2019t such a bad idea,\u201d said Selena, looking at Howie.\u00a0 \u201cIf one of us could get out through another door and create some kind of diversion, lead them away from this exit, the other two could escape.\u201d<\/p>\n

AJ and Howie exchanged glances.\u00a0 \u201cWho\u2019s going to create the diversion?\u201d<\/p>\n

Selena sighed.\u00a0 \u201cI suppose I will.\u00a0 I\u2019m certainly not entrusting that job to a hemophiliac or a bloke with a bum leg.\u201d<\/p>\n

Howie smiled, feeling a rising sense of relief, but AJ scowled.\u00a0 \u201cYou sure?\u201d he asked Selena, clearly not as happy with her arrangement.<\/p>\n

\u201cTrust me, I\u2019m the fastest.\u00a0 I\u2019ll be fine,\u201d she assured him.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019ll try and get one of the ambulances, but if I can\u2019t, I\u2019m just going to run for it.\u00a0 As soon as you see them leave, you better be in that truck, coming to find me.\u201d<\/p>\n

They both nodded.\u00a0 \u201cYou can count on it,\u201d said AJ.\u00a0 He reached out and pulled her into a rough, one-armed hug, but Selena was having none of that.\u00a0 She twisted away from him, shaking his hand from her shoulders.<\/p>\n

\u201cCut it out.\u00a0 Don\u2019t start that now,\u201d she scolded him.\u00a0 \u201cI said I\u2019ll be fine, and I meant it.\u00a0 You can squeeze me all you want when we\u2019re both safe and sound back in the castle.\u201d<\/p>\n

AJ raised his eyebrows.\u00a0 \u201cYou can count on it,\u201d he said again, grinning.<\/p>\n

Selena rolled her eyes, but she couldn\u2019t hide the smirky little smile on her lips.\u00a0 Howie knew then that there was definitely something going on between them.<\/p>\n

But there was no time to wonder about that.\u00a0 As soon as Selena had gone, AJ sat down beside Howie and said, \u201cSo\u2026 what really happened with Ashton?\u201d<\/p>\n

Howie felt a flash of heat rising into his cheeks.\u00a0 \u201cWhat do you mean?\u201d he asked, hoping his guilty face didn\u2019t betray him.<\/p>\n

AJ gave him a look.\u00a0 \u201cC\u2019mon, man, I know you better than that.\u00a0 Something else happened.\u00a0 You\u2019re sitting there with his backpack, holding his weapon.\u00a0 If he was surrounded by zombies, how\u2019d you get his stuff?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHe dropped it.\u201d\u00a0 It wasn\u2019t a lie, but as AJ\u2019s dark eyes probed into his own, the rest of the truth came pouring out of Howie.\u00a0 \u201cThey knocked him to the ground; they were all over him.\u00a0 I should have tried to help him, but I froze.\u00a0 I got scared, and as soon as I could make my feet move again, I ran for it.\u00a0 I ran, while they ripped him to pieces.\u201d\u00a0 He covered his face with his hands, the heels digging into his eye sockets, his fingers clawing at his hair.\u00a0 Behind the mask of his hands, his face burned with shame, the tears stinging like acid in his eyes.<\/p>\n

Then he felt the warm weight of AJ\u2019s hand on his shoulder.\u00a0 \u201cC\u2019mon, D\u2026 Don\u2019t beat yourself up about it.\u00a0 You did what you had to do to survive.\u00a0 Either of us might have done the same thing.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo you wouldn\u2019t have,\u201d Howie mumbled into his hands.\u00a0 \u201cYou and Selena would have saved his life.\u201d<\/p>\n

AJ snorted.\u00a0 \u201cYou heard what Selena said.\u00a0 \u2018Every man for himself.\u2019\u00a0 \u2018If you get hurt or fall behind, don\u2019t think I\u2019m saving your sorry asses.\u2019\u00a0 For all we know, she could be hightailing it the hell out of here in an ambulance right now, while we<\/i> serve as the distractions.\u201d<\/p>\n

Howie dropped his hands, looking at AJ in horror.\u00a0 \u201cShe wouldn\u2019t really do that\u2026 would she?\u201d<\/p>\n

AJ shrugged.\u00a0 \u201cShe might, if I weren\u2019t here.\u201d\u00a0 Then he grinned.\u00a0 \u201cShe\u2019s into me, man.\u201d<\/p>\n

Howie rolled his eyes.\u00a0 He was tired of everyone hooking up but him.\u00a0 Nick and Riley\u2026 Brian and Gretchen\u2026 Shaun and Liz\u2026 and now AJ and Selena.\u00a0 Even little Gabby had gotten awfully friendly with the other kid in the castle, Callum.\u00a0 They made him feel like even more of an outsider.\u00a0 He didn\u2019t doubt that Selena would have left him, had it not been for AJ and the fact that they had most of the medical supplies sitting at their feet.<\/p>\n

\u201cSpeak of the devil\u2026\u201d AJ said suddenly.\u00a0 \u201cLook.\u201d<\/p>\n

He was pointing toward the doors.\u00a0 Howie looked out the narrow windows and saw the sea of skeletal hands and faces starting to recede.\u00a0 \u201cSomething\u2019s drawing them away.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s our signal.\u00a0 C\u2019mon, let\u2019s get our shit together and get ready to move.\u201d<\/p>\n

They gathered the supplies and their weapons and snuck up to the doors.\u00a0 It took several more minutes for the last of the zombies to stagger away, but finally, their path to the truck looked clear.\u00a0 AJ gave the command:\u00a0 \u201cLet\u2019s bounce.\u201d\u00a0 They removed the barricades blocking the doors and burst out of them.\u00a0 \u201cYou drive,\u201d AJ called to Howie, as they tossed their bags into the back of the truck.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019ll shoot.\u201d<\/p>\n

Howie nodded and ran around to the far side of the truck.\u00a0 He climbed into the driver\u2019s seat, while AJ rode shotgun.\u00a0 After pulling a hasty U-turn, Howie followed the zombie horde up the drive, searching frantically for whatever they seemed to be following.\u00a0 He was expecting to see \u2013 or hear \u2013 an ambulance, its lights flashing, sirens wailing, anything to attract attention to itself and draw it away from the doors.\u00a0 But he noticed nothing, until AJ suddenly said, \u201cThere!\u201d<\/p>\n

Howie looked in the direction AJ was pointing and saw Selena on foot.\u00a0 She\u2019d made it across the roundabout in front of the main entrance and was running up the road, past the parking lots, away from the hospital.\u00a0 The growing horde was hot on her heels, zombies streaming toward her from all directions.<\/p>\n

\u201cPedal to the metal, Howie!\u201d shouted AJ.\u00a0 \u201cHurry!\u201d<\/p>\n

Howie gunned the engine, and the truck lurched forward.\u00a0 Bodies bounced off the front fender, flying right and left, as the truck parted the undead sea.\u00a0 He took the roundabout on two wheels and raced toward Selena.\u00a0 She was almost surrounded now, and he could see her struggling.\u00a0 Even if she\u2019d had the stamina to run forever, she had nowhere to go.<\/p>\n

He crashed through the perimeter of zombies closing in on her and slammed on the brakes, stopping just long enough for her to scramble over the tailgate and into the back of the truck.\u00a0 Then he accelerated again, leaving the undead in a cloud of exhaust.<\/p>\n

AJ had twisted around in his seat, opening the rear window to talk to Selena.\u00a0 \u201cWhat happened with the ambulance?\u201d<\/p>\n

Selena shook her head, too winded to speak at first.\u00a0 \u201cNo good,\u201d she panted.\u00a0 \u201cNone had keys inside.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cDamn.\u00a0 Well, at least you got out of there in one piece.\u00a0 Our plan worked anyway.\u00a0 Good one, Howie.\u201d\u00a0 AJ grinned in Howie\u2019s direction, but it didn\u2019t help.\u00a0 He knew AJ was only trying to make him feel better.<\/p>\n

But nothing could make him feel better, not even Gretchen hugging him with gratitude when they got back to the castle, or Brian calling him a godsend.\u00a0 Because Howie knew the truth:\u00a0 he wasn\u2019t a hero.\u00a0 He hadn\u2019t done anything brave.\u00a0 Rather than sacrificing his own safety to save the others, he had sacrificed the strongest member of their group to save himself.\u00a0 And while they gathered to mourn the loss of Ashton and hear Selena\u2019s side of the story, Howie sat on the outskirts of the circle and said nothing.\u00a0 He knew the truth, but he kept it to himself.<\/p>\n

He wasn\u2019t a hero.\u00a0 He was just as much of a coward as he\u2019d always been.<\/p>\n

***<\/p>\n

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Chapter 104 We should have learned our lesson from what happened at the bridal boutique.\u00a0 We should never have risked our lives for a luxury item.\u00a0 We should never have split up inside that store.\u00a0 We should never have assumed … Continue reading →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"parent":8,"menu_order":104,"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\/363"}],"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=363"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"http:\/\/dreamers-sanctuary.com\/undead\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/363\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":433,"href":"http:\/\/dreamers-sanctuary.com\/undead\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/363\/revisions\/433"}],"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=363"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}