I wrote this oneshot after watching Train to Busan even though I don't like watching horror movies. I cried near the ending. No spoilers for those who haven't watched it up until now ;)
Now playing: Bring Me Back to Life by Ht Bristol, Charlie Bannister, Vincent Steele, Nine One Nine
Furious footsteps echoed through the stained metal doors and shattered glass windows. Sparks rained down as the lights flickered above. The air was thick with the smell of smoke and blood.
TAP! TAP!
This wasn't supposed to be happening.
"Dr. Solace! The helicopters have arrived. We need to leave immediately."
"Hurry up!"
"No pushing!"
Military soldiers ran back and forth, shouting orders and escorting the remaining doctors, nurses, and patients. Some of the medical team were armed with the sharpest of the surgery equipments. Their pristine, white uniforms were splattered with the blood of their former friends and patients. Those gentle doctors has been forced to become warriors, traitors, and murderers. Their life-giving hands are now tools to destroy the monsters they had created.
TAP! TAP!
"Doctor! Please!"
Kayla knew that the famous doctor would ignore her, but as his assistant and one of his closest co-workers, she have to insist. The head doctor is their only hope. She must ensure the doctor's safety at all costs.
"Please, Will. There's no time left."
The words never reached the doctor. Dr. Will Solace, head of the Olympus Medical Institute, was known for his calm demeanor and gentle words. But now, his expression was deadly silent and hard. The anger building up inside him is threatening to explode. But he never let it out. For his sake.
TAP! TAP!
Why did this happened?
The same question kept spiraling inside his mind.
Why?
Everything was fresh in his memory. Two years ago, the government has chosen him to lead the development of the vaccine against a newly-discovered disease. It wasn't anywhere complete up to this very moment, yet his colleagues insisted on trying it on their willing subjects. He turned it down, of course. He knew the risk. They all do. But the money, prestige, and pressure the government has placed upon them had mislead his co-workers. They had disobeyed his order as soon as he was out of the facility. Worst of all, one of the very first subjects was him. He always told him not to do anything reckless. That idiot. It went well, they told him over the phone. It did. But that was a week ago...before the unexpected began to happen.
TAP! TAP!
He stopped in front of a double metal doors where two soldiers were standing guard. Their rifles were on their hands, ready to shoot any unwanted being on sight. If he managed to get past those doors, he will be able to see him for the last time and say everything unsaid.
One of the officer casted him an emotionless look. He recognized her. "Dr. Solace, what are you doing here? The government's orders are clear. You are to be sent to a safe pla-"
He didn't let her finish. "Let me through." He said firmly.
The officer gave him a steely look. "Doctor, you and I both know that beyond these doors are the monsters. We have orders. No one without proper permission are allowed-"
"I don't care!" He snapped. "Those monsters are our creation! Let me through right now!"
The other officer raised his rifle at the doctor as he tried to force his way through.
"Doctor, please." Kayla pleaded. "Let's go."
"Lower your weapon, Major." The first officer ordered. "The doctor must be unharmed."
"Yes, Ma'am." The officer reluctantly lowered his rifle, eyeing the doctor.
"Doctor." Colonel Arellano said in a more forcing manner. "I will repeat. No one unarmed and without proper permission is allowed beyond this point."
"I know!" The doctor ran his hand on his blonde hair in frustration. "I know. Just...just let me through. I need to see him. For the last time. Please."
Kayla placed a hand on his arm. "Will..."
The soldiers exchanged a brief look. Reyna sighed and placed a hand on her earpiece. "Zhang, can you hear me?"
Static followed by a gruff voice. "I hear you."
"The head doctor is with us. We will escort them beyond the doors. Send some backup over here while we're out."
"That's dangerous."
"We will not be long."
An indistinct conversation at the background. It seemed they're having an argument.
He sighed. "Fine. Just be quick."
"Yeah. Arellano out."
The colonel hoisted her rifle. "Ten minutes." She said. "After that, whether you like it or not, Michael and I are going to pull you back here."
"That's more than enough." The head doctor nodded his head.
"You there." Reyna nodded at his assistant. "You got no business here, right? Go to the helicopters now."
Kayla shifted nervously. "But..."
Will placed a gentle hand on her shoulder. "Listen to her, Kayla." He said. "I will be fine."
She bit her lip and nodded slowly before scampering away to the opposite direction. As soon as she left, five soldiers jogged toward their direction and saluted to Reyna.
The colonel grasped the handle. "Get ready!" She turned it and pushed the double doors open. Acrid air greeted their noses. A strong metallic taste invaded the head doctor's tongue. Reyna and Michael planked the doctor at front and back. The doors closed shut behind them with a satisfying CLICK!
Reyna motioned for them to move. They followed the narrow corridor and turned right. No danger yet. All could be heard was their careful shuffling. Strange. They ducked a fallen steel beam and went through another set of double doors.
BANG! BANG!
The first bullets were fired. Empty shells clinked as they fell. Ahead of them, staggering figures fell one by one. Dr. Solace jumped back in surprise. His ears ringing with the sudden loud noise. His nose flared at the strong smell of gunpowder.
"MOVE!" Reyna shouted.
Michael pushed the doctor as they started running. They passed by the bodies of the fallen. One of them was one of his co-workers. His once brown skin was now pale grey. Blue veins snaking beneath from its source of infection. His eye were milky white but not blind. A new wound has now stained his tattered, white lab coat where the colonel has shot him. Blood pooled below him. Despite the fact they disobeyed his order, the head doctor couldn't help feeling the loss. They expect side effects. But not something like this.
BANG! BANG!
They swerved a corner. Michael slammed his rifle to a zombie that appeared at a shattered glass window beside him, knocking it unconscious. Behind, a chorus of moans echoed. Human-shaped figures wobbled toward their direction in varying speeds. If they wait any longer, they will have a large company and an almost no way out.
"Get out of our way!" Reyna hissed as she kicked one out of the way. "Get moving! Don't stop!"
They ran and ran, past the fallen debris of glass, cement, and steel, and through the maze-like corridors. Once in a while, they stop abruptly, fighting off zombies that stood as obstacles to the finish line. No. More of the starting line. The doctor could only watch as his armed companions risk their humanity for his selfish request. When did he become like that?
BANG! BANG!
CRAAAASSSHHHH!
A zombie grabbed Michael by the arm. He snatched a dagger out of his belt and stabbed it repeatedly at the face. It let go and he took the chance to shoot it.
"How further is it, doctor?" He asked through gritted teeth as if in pain.
"Not far!" Will answered amidst the gunfire. "We need to turn left. The laboratory is just at the end."
"Goddamnit!" He growled and kicked a table toward the incoming wave. He fired his rifle a multiple times. "Colonel! We're outnumbered! We can't no longer engage them in a combat!"
Reyna punched down one as she cursed. "Run! Don't stop until I say so!"
They bursted once again into a full-fledged chase. As they made their way, the colonel fired a handgun to any in front of them while her major pushed down whatever that could obstruct their pursuers' path.
Just a little more. The doctor said in his mind. He glanced behind. He could barely hear any moans nor footsteps other than their own. He took a glimpse of Michael. Isn't he paler than a while ago? He waved off the idea. The fear and adrenaline must be getting in his mind.
After what it seemed was eternity, they finally reached the laboratory doors. Their pursuers are nowhere to be seen. Good.
Reyna wiped off the dust on glass panel on the door and peeked. "We got no other company." She assured. Sweat trickled down her forehead but her voice was without a trace of exhaustion.
"Go inside, doctor. We will stood guard here."
Will nodded. He looked at their other companion who was leaning heavily on the wall. The doctor's medical instincts kicked in. "Are you alright?"
Michael bowed his head. He was breathing heavily. "Kill me." He murmured.
The doctor blinked. Surely, he was just hearing things. "What...?" His gaze trailed to the red blots dripping down to the floor. Blood. His gaze shifted to Michael's arm. No. It can't be.
"Kill me!" Michael snapped as he looked at them. He was, no doubt, paler. Bulging blue veins has become visible from beneath his skin. "Now!"
The doctor froze. When did this happen?
"Very well." The colonel's voice snapped Will out of his thoughts. She still wore the face of a proper superior yet beneath it was a painful struggle. She pointed her gun at her major's heart.
The doctor grabbed her arm. "You can't be serious?"
"Save them or let them become monsters? That's the only choices we have, doctor." She said. "Either way, we still kill. You and me. All of us. In the end, we could only fight for what we have that they don't. Our humanity."
Her eyes darkened. As if a whisper, she spoke. "But...are we still really humans if we are the reasons that this apocalypsehappened? That we kill our fellow humans for our own survival? For our own selfish reasons?"
Are we still humans? Will's hands slipped from its grasp. Are we?
The gun clicked into place. The colonel fixed her gaze at Michael. "Major, you have done well. You will be forever honored in the hearts of our people. Now, I fix you in the place of the brave and save what humane you still have." Her voice quivered. "God will be your only judge. May you rest in peace."
With a pull, the trigger went off. A loud and quick fire. Michael glanced at the doctor for the last time, You are our only hope, before the bullet embedded on his heart and his body went limp and lifeless.
The doctor could only watch in horror. The once courageous soldier has now become a cold corpse.
The colonel lowered her gun. Her eyes fixed blindly on her fallen comrade. She swallowed and forced herself to move. Michael's cold and gone. She blinked away the incoming tears as she took his gun and remaining bullets.
"Here." She placed the weapon on the doctor's palm. "There's only the two of us left. We need every means to fight." She quickly taught the doctor how to use the gun. "We got only half the time remaining. Make it quick."
She opened the doors and pushed doctor inside. "Don't waste it." She murmured. The doctor just looked at her as the doors swung shut. The colonel was clearly holding back whatever emotion that is building up in her. She needs to be alone even for a moment, where she could let it out before it push her at the edge. Don't waste it. Make it worth it. Tell everything you need to say.
The image of the major's lifeless body was imprinted on his mind. He forced his legs to move. Gripping the gun tightly, he moved past the work counters. Vials of different prototypes of the vaccines was now in pieces. Their contents spilt on multitudes of scattered papers. The broken computers sparked. The screens showing black or static. At the farthest end of the laboratory was a holding cell made of glass. It was still compact but not as clear and clean as it should be. Somewhere inside that glass cell, he was waiting. The doctor peered through the glass with utmost caution.
A black figure lurched toward him, colliding at the glass with vicious force. The head doctor jumped in surprise. It's him. His jet black hair, long and uncut, partially covered his empty, milky white eyes. His skin was always pale as the doctor could remember. Except the blue veins pulsing visibly beneath it.
The doctor sank on his knees. "Nico." Tears began to pool at the corner of his eyes. His lover prowled inside the cell like a lion, trying to find a way toward his prey.
"Why? Why did this happen? Why should it be you?" The doctor sobbed. He knelt there, unfazed at another attempt of escape of his boyfriend at the other side of the glass.
He pressed his hand on the glass like as if he was reaching out to him. "You always prefer being alone. Always, always prefer being at the dark. You're reckless. Even if I told you what not to do, you always try to find a chance whenever I'm not around. You're such an idiot."
THUD!
He clenched his hands into tight fists. "You're the only reason why I shine. Without you, I am nothing but an aimless sun, forever cursed to shine without restraint. Without balance." He sobbed. "Now...without you...what should I do? What am I?"
THUD! THUD!
Will closed his eyes, imagining the annoyed remarks his boyfriend would make.
"Don't call me boyfriend."
"You're leaning too close. Move away a bit."
He listened in his heart and searched his memory for Nico's voice.
"Really? Another doctor's note? Ugh."
"I hate you, Will Solace (I like you)."
Despite the muffled moans coming from within the glass, he knew that somewhere his Nico is there. He would allowed himself to be slapped by Nico just to wake up from this nightmare. Alas, he was gone. The darkness to his light. This is not a dream he could wake from.
"You're overreacting." A memory of him was saying with knitted eyebrows and a long frown. "Stop being a baby."
He wiped his tears with the sleeve of his dirty lab coat. "Yeah. You're right." He stared deep into those empty eyes. "I'm definitely gonna bring you back." He said. "I am going to save you, Nico, even if it takes me to destroy my humanity." He gave a soft smile. The bodies of the dead flashed in his mind. "After all, I doubt I am human anymore."
He stood up and kissed the glass as if kissing Nico on his forehead. "I love you, even if the sun become Death."
With a final glance, he reloaded his gun and walked toward the door, where he faced the monsters he and many others have created.