Author's Note: Hello everyone! Thanks for reading and getting this far. I forgot to mention that Noelle is twenty-seven and has been out of college for several years. She was able to start working in a hospital as an intern at 19 (remember it's the future so things are different) and has great experience. Also, just to let the curious know "Die sweiten nacht' means 'the second night' in German. Its just a short theme. Remember, reviews please! Let the drama continue and happy reading!
Chapter 4
"What happened?" She followed Jerry to the stage as quickly as possible without alarming anyone.
"Nicole doesn't know. She wants your help. As far as I know Will's getting weaker and he's refusing food." Noelle knew Nicole would need her help. They were both equally skilled in treating physical wounds, but only Noelle had extensive training with psychology. She knew it would take some tactics to convince William to keep fighting, stubborn man that he was.
Jerry stopped by Nicole who was kneeling next to what looked like a large rolled up blanket. When she got closer Noelle realized it was William, wrapped up tightly in a black hospital blanket used for hypothermic patients. This brutally reminded her of the growing cold. It shocked her how far the temperature had dropped just in the few hours she had been asleep. It had to be below freezing.
"What wrong Nicole?" Noelle asked quietly so she wouldn't wake Will.
"You know how about a week ago his wounds started to fester?" Noelle nodded her head and noticed with dismay that Nicole was shivering. It made her think of her own discomfort with the cold, and she shivered herself.
"Yeah," Noelle whispered, "We were worried they were infected with the alien Infection, but it turned out to be just a moderate viral infection. It's been getting worse, I know. But by the looks of things it's taking over more quickly than we thought, huh?"
"Exactly," Nicole pulled back one of the layers of William's cocoon to reveal his face, "We had to warp him up in a hypothermia blanket because a regular blanket wasn't keep him warm enough. His body can't fight off the infection and keep itself warm at the same time. I'm sacred that it won't matter much longer."
Noelle understood what Nicole meant. William's face was pale yet it looked hot to the touch. There was a soft sheen to this face from sweating out the fever. His fever was burning him up, but any exposure to the cold air would kill him easily. His breath sounded shallow and labored and his face was taut with weariness even in his sleep. His sudden downhill plummet from just a night or two ago also raised many alarms. All around, the beginning of what sounded like a textbook example of a person's last few days before dying from an infection. But, Noelle argued with the professional side in her head, William is not a textbook person by any stretch of the imagination.
"I know what you mean," Noelle locked eyes with Nicole while she spoke, much like they had when they had worked together before, when just a look could express a complete thought or opinion, "But I think we should help him, help him fight. He's strong and I'm sure if we can hold out…"
She didn't finish. The look on Nicole's face told her bluntly that she had no hope. There was no chance she would even possibly entertain the thought that someone might come to help them now. It was another time it took Noelle great care to keep her mouth shut.
"I think we should do what we can for him," Nicole looked grave but not irritated with Noelle's statement.
"We should talk to him," Noelle reached for William, "It's his life so he should be able to decide what he wants to do."
She touched his face, even hotter than what she had anticipated, and gently called his name. After a few moments his eyes flickered open and finally were able to focus on her face.
"Dr. Clarke, you're back," he barely whispered, warmly though, but his face took on a worried look, "You don't look so good."
Nicole, Noelle, and Jerry laughed at once, but it was hushed and nearly half-hearted. It was Noelle's only reminder from the past few minutes that Jerry had even been there. His silence was profound and it bothered her. Although she was somewhat relieved that William still had enough strength to joke.
"I'm happy to see you've still got your sense of humor," Noelle gave him a smile that made her feel better herself. She was a bit surprised when William's smile didn't return.
"I wasn't being funny," he wheezed, but his voice seemed to carry a tone of earnestness, "It looks like you're been drug through hell and back by the seat of your pants."
"Well, we've had a rough three weeks so I'm not shocked in any way." Noelle sighed with relief when his smile returned, "Actually, now that I think about it, it's been almost four weeks now."
"But it feels so much longer," Nicole said quietly.
"Yes, I agree," William looked as if he was deep in thought, "But there's something… different about you." A few seconds later, a look that suggested he had solved some great mystery exploded onto his features, "A-ha! I know. You remind me of my old commander when I was in the military."
"Why is that?" Noelle was perplexed, "I'd think George would remind someone more of a leader than me."
"True," William nodded faintly, "But you, even more so. The look about you is tired, stressed, and weighted. Anyone could tell that the weight you carry on your shoulders is made up of more than the concern for yourself. You can tell the worry for others makes the worry for yourself look like a feather next to a sack of lead."
"But George cares for us too." Noelle didn't know why she was trying to disagree with him. She just felt that George deserved more credit.
"Yes, I'm sure he does. You and your team wouldn't be alive if he didn't take great care in planning your missions. I respect him for that. He has the head for it, but you have the heart. And he picks favorites too, which I don't approve of…" he trailed off, indicating that his last statement was more of a small side note than a serious thought.
"What's the difference?" Jerry seemed extremely intrigued by what the man might have to say. Noelle shared his great interest. Nicole looked on with tea party interest, seeming to take Will's talk as if it were nothing more than the ramblings of a delusional dying man than the truly wise words they were. It irritated Noelle, but she tried to chalk it up to stress making her more sensitive than usual. It didn't really work.
"He was trained to be a commander," William looked and sounded like an old wiseman about to share a critical piece of advice with them, "So he's got everything he has to do in his head. But you, my dear? You were born with what you have. It's in your heart so it's much more natural for you." His face took one a dreamlike quality, "Oh, what I would give to see what kind of person you become after all this." Noelle felt a chill run down her spine, yet it was warm and full of somehow happy excitement. It was a statement that provoked a lot of questions in herself. She had almost been assuming that she would surely be dead before help could arrive. Her mind made a small jump for the hope that she might live to see her twenty-eighth birthday.
"Well, we're going to take good care of you so you have that opportunity," Nicole patted his side, which Noelle saw as a patronizing gesture, and got to her feet, "I'm going to go see if we have any bandages left. You need some clean ones."
After she left, Noelle caught William's eye, smiled, and said, "Thank you. That means a lot to me. Especially coming from someone who knows a lot more than I do. But what if I don't want to be a leader?"
"And why don't you want to be a leader?" he seemed patient, not puzzled.
"I don't have a love of power," she replied simply, almost automatically.
"Being a leader with heart doesn't have anything to do with the love of power, dear," William almost seemed to lean forward as he spoke, "It has to do with guiding and taking care of those who follow you for their benefit and well being, and then doing this to the best of your ability. And I see you and can tell you have no love of power."
"Thank you," she couldn't help but feel warmed by Williams words, "But if something horrible happened to the team it would be completely my fault. I don't want to make a mistake that could cost them their lives. I'd never forgive myself."
"It's hard to forgive yourself for something that hasn't even happened," William smiled wirily, "You beat yourself up for something you haven't even done. People make mistakes. I know that seems like little comfort but it's a fact and I know you're the kind that would rather be beaten with truth than soothed with lies. You may have a lot of heart but you need a few lessons too."
He chuckled to himself and yawned, "Just remember this. Even when you don't have faith in yourself, someone else does. And whatever you do, don't let that person down." After that he closed his eyes, a smile still strewn across his face, and fell asleep. Noelle noticed he looked more comfortable now, as if some great anxiety had left him.
"Well, he needs his sleep," Jerry pulled the blanket back over William and gave it a soft pat, "Cantankerous old man."
"Makes me feel proud of our efforts to try to survive this thing. Whenever I wondered if what I was doing actually mattered I looked at the sick people, especially Will, and it reminded me of the great kinds of people we're trying to save and how much it would mean."
"He still needs to eat," Nicole came back with bandages in her hand, but so little was left, "Will you roll him over for me, Noelle?"
"Nicole, I think we should let him be for now," Noelle looked her in the eye and prayed that she wouldn't argue, "He's tired and exposing him to the cold will probably do him more harm than good."
"But you know he'll die if we don't keep the bandages clean," she began to peel back the blanket, "And we need to get him food."
"Nicole," Noelle waited until she stopped and looked at her, "You know we can't do anything. The only way he'll live is if we're saved in the next day or two and even then he might not make it. We're doctors. We have the knowledge and experience to save him but we lack the tools.
"What's a painter without his brush and paints?" Jerry murmured quietly. He was usually quiet in tense situations, but he seemed determined to make his opinion heard this time.
"And I can tell myself he's been preparing himself," Noelle continued, "He's been refusing food. He's telling us he wants to go when it's his time-"
"We can't just let him die!" Nicole's face had been getting taut until she nearly exploded, "And who are you to say what we should and shouldn't do? You worked mainly in the psych-ward while I stayed in the hospital."
"You know I spent as many years as an intern in the hospital wing as you did," Noelle was angry but did not raise her voice. She had heard this insult before; something many doctors who had experience in both emergency and physiological medicine had had used against them at least once in their careers. The accusation that she was less of a doctor because her major in psychology. It didn't completely shock her that Nicole was using it to play down her idea on what they should do.
"Weren't you the one who said we had to 'fight until the end'?" Nicole stared her down.
"I did," Noelle replied calmly, "But I didn't say each person had to. No one should be forced to fight for something they don't believe in or want. Especially when they're suffering while doing it. Will knows what he wants and so he knows what he wants to fight for. If he wants to die, let him die." These words made perfect sense to Noelle, while they only seemed to enrage Nicole. Noelle looked at her watch to see the time, wondering how long they had spent arguing. Eight-thirty, she thought tiredly, It feels like an entire day has gone by and it's been only an hour and a half. When she looked back at Nicole the she looked more collected.
"Sorry, Noelle," Nicole's face was calm as she looked at Noelle, directly instead of facing the ground, and she looked ashamed, "I shouldn't have snapped at you. And that psychologist jab was a low blow. I'm being a bitch for no reason. I'm so sorry."
"It's okay, Nicole," Noelle understood, "I know you don't like to see people die. I hate it too. We've fought so long and hard for him that we don't want to let him go. And al this stress isn't good for anyone. It's only a matter of time until I go off on someone too. Wolfgang almost got an ear-full yesterday."
"God, what a dick," Nicole shook her head, seeming more at ease that her apology had been readily accepted, "Just stay away from him. He's nothing but trouble."
"Yeah, but since we're locked in here it's hard to get away from him," Noelle herself was more relaxed, knowing Nicole hadn't meant what she had said earlier.
"Well, did you hear?" Nicole easily caught her attention with this, "People say he's been just vanishing during the night. Like he has somewhere to go. Sounds crazy, huh? But he's shifty so I'm not entirely disbelieving." Noelle could tell this wasn't a random piece of nonsense gossip floating around the group. This was crucial information that she would have to make great note of.
"And he could get out too because he was the one who helped put the door locks in place," Noelle felt her mind racing.
"One question is how he did it without anyone seeing him." Nicole looked equally as confused.
"We didn't have guards posted by the doors before," Jerry had been quietly absorbing what was said until now, "All he would have to do would be sneak out of bed, be quiet enough not to wake anyone sleeping in the audience seats, and then unlock the doors down the hall."
"That's right," Noelle felt another chill run down her spine, but this one very unlike the warm feeling William's kind words had caused, "But the real question is, what the hell was he doing?"
"Well," Nicole looked grave, "Some people have been saying that sick bastard may have-"
Bang!
The noise that stopped Nicole mid-sentence was deafening. Noelle looked past the row upon row of seats to the very back down the short hall. It was nearly pitch dark but the dim glow allowed her watch as one of the double doors to the concert hall buckled, then flew from its track and onto the floor. The resulting crash rattled the floor, all the way to the stage, waking everyone. Even those who were sick and weak looked around in bewilderment. To her horror, even before the door had hit the carpet several necromorphs came charging through.
Before Noelle was fully aware of what she was doing, her feet were carrying her across the stage and down the middle aisle screaming at the top of her lungs, "Guys, we've got a security breach! We need all team members up and fighting now!"
Within seconds most of the team was at her side and a volley of shots flew towards the oncoming monsters. After she focused on them she realized about six had gotten through; leapers, slashers, and lurkers. The lurkers were quickly taken down but the leapers and slashers worked to dance around the shots. One lone slasher was quickly upon Noelle. She swung her plasma cutter, smashing it in the head and splattering blood. It swung its arms wildly, leaving large gashes along her arms, torso, and upper legs. Her thin suit offered no protect against the sharp blades. Only the armor did anything to protect her soft flesh. Noelle jumped back and aimed her plasma cutter precisely to take out both arms. The limbs fell to the floor just as she set to take off a leg. As soon as she took the shot the creature fell to the floor with a gurgle to rest in a pool of blood.
With her attention no longer taken, she looked around herself to see her entire team was present and fighting the necros. George, who was the closest to her, was having trouble getting a good lock on a leaper that was scaling the walls to dodge his shots. Noelle ran to help him. Without a word between them, George distracted the beast with his own shots while Noelle took aim and deftly shot it off the wall, severing its tail from the body. It landed with a sickening thud on the floor and remained still. It was a gabling waste of ammo, but Noelle shot it again to make sure it wasn't playing dead; something they were known for. Thankfully, it was actually dead and no longer posed a threat.
All the other necros had fallen to the steady aim of the team members. Many of the ordinary citizens of the ship were huddled by the stage as far away from the threat as possible. Noelle couldn't blame them. She was as terrified as they were. Only her possession of weapons allowed her to have the gall to fight monsters like these.
She was just about to lower her weapon and turn to the others to discuss the next course of action when the lights went out. The sound of the power's humming fading and rapidly ceasing created a moment of silence gripped by sudden terror until a moment later the alarmed voices and cries of the group filled the entire theatre.
Author's Note: I know I'm evil with these cliffhangers. ;-) Hope you like everything so far. This are getting pretty hairy by now! Also, fanart is greatly welcome! I'm on Deviant Art under the same screen name so don't be afraid to drop me a line for a picture. Remember reviews are love! Happy reading!