Flat Line – Chapter Three
Cameron County Hospital was larger than I expected. It seemed to be the only hospital for miles, owing to the number of rooms it had. The four of us had to sadly leave the truck a few miles from the hospital, due to a massive pile-up.
Francis was feeling rather cranky; he was the only one who wasn't able to eat due to the fact that he was the designated driver. I quickly pocketed a small pack of beef jerky – which I had set aside for an emergency – and placed it in the jacket pocket that held a can of beer. I also took the bottle of Boomer bile from Nick, who handed it to me as he got out of the truck.
"I give you Boomer shit," he had declared, thrusting the bottle at me.
I had laughed. "Thanks. First shitty gift I got that I actually like."
Before we had set out down the alley, I had handed Francis the can of beer and pack of beef jerky. The biker had looked at me gratefully, and Nick, Ellis and I had covered him while he had wolfed down his breakfast.
"Now that hit the spot," Francis said, crushing the beer can with his boot.
I frowned slightly, hearing a soft growl. "Francis, was that your stomach?"
"Huh?" Francis looked genuinely confused, so I snapped the safety off my pistols and held them at the ready.
A Boomer suddenly waddled into view, its girth nearly occupying the entire width of the narrow back alley we were in. I quickly fired; it took about seven or eight bullets before the Boomer exploded. Unfortunately, Francis was standing a little too close to the Boomer, which drenched him in Boomer bile.
"Holy Jesus! That's bad!" Francis said, gagging as he tried to wipe the bile off him. I couldn't blame him – the bile stank to high heaven.
I tried not to gag – my breakfast was now threatening to come up my throat – and groaned as I heard the telltale screech of approaching Infected.
"Incoming!" I cried, throwing the bottle of Boomer bile onto the street, far away from Francis. I hoped that it would distract the Infected from running at him, which seemed to work. However the Infected also came in from the back, and they quickly made a beeline for the biker. Nick's submachine gun cut them down, while Francis screamed as he blew their heads off.
Ellis and I concentrated our fire on the Infected that were clawing madly at the cloud of Boomer bile. I could see my aim was still off (I ended up hitting the Infected in the thigh or shattering their pelvis), and I cursed inwardly.
Maybe I should change guns, I thought, mentally making a note to pick either an assault rifle or a combat shotgun the moment we found a stash of weapons. An unfamiliar cry suddenly rose amidst the wails of the Infected, and Nick shout: "WE GOT A CHARGER!"
Seconds later I felt like a bullet train crashed into me; I felt the rifle being knocked out of my hands and something really big pummel me into the brick wall on the other side of the street. The Charger grabbed me with its huge right arm and started slamming me onto the concrete.
"Someone shoot this fucking thing!" I screamed, clawing at the Charger's arm in an attempt to break free. I could feel my bones aching as the Charger pounded me on the ground and amidst the Charger's growls and my screaming, I heard the steady staccato of gunfire.
After what seemed like hours, the Charger dropped to the ground, lifeless, its body dropping to the ground beside mine.
"Come on, get up! Get up, you're not dead yet!" Nick urged, pulling me to my feet. He handed me the bottle of pain pills I had given him the other day and I gulped them down.
"Thanks."
Together we joined Ellis and Francis, who were wiping out the rest of the Infected who were idling nearby. The pills were doing their work; my muscles felt less painful, but I knew the effects were only temporary. We needed to find a safe room. I picked up the sniper rifle from where it fell and slung it on my back.
The alley led to another street, which housed several alarmed cars (what is it with these people?). Since we didn't want to risk hitting an alarmed car with a misaimed bullet, Nick was the one who took most of the kills with his axe.
After he cleaved an Infected's head in two, we entered an apartment complex that would lead us to the street opposite the hospital. Inside we encountered two more Boomers and a Hunter, which Francis killed with a headshot.
I found a pipe bomb in one of the rooms, and Nick grabbed an adrenaline shot from behind a couch. Soon we were standing on the roof of the apartment, looking at the hospital.
The street below had several Infected, but we could all hear the choking sounds of a nearby Smoker. Francis suddenly raised his shotgun and started firing at a tree close to the hospital, and seconds later a cloud of smoke erupted from between the branches.
"Popped a cap in his ass!" Francis grinned, resting the shotgun on his shoulder.
"Well niiiice!" Ellis said.
I smiled at Francis for the first time since this morning and peered over the side of the apartment building. "There's a fire escape we can use."
Ellis led the way, followed by Nick, me, and finally Francis. Once we dropped down onto the sidewalk Ellis unholstered his pistols and took out the Infected. As we stood there, Francis pointed to another makeshift sign that indicated a safe room was located in the small diner beside the hospital. Since the front and left side of the hospital were both blocked, we saw we could pass through the diner and into the back of the hospital.
As we crossed the street the cry of a Witch became louder and louder.
"Ah fuck," I said, taking out my sniper rifle and checking the area through the scope. The Witch wasn't hiding behind the counter or beside a booth.
She was directly in front of the safe room.
"Aw, a Witch," Ellis muttered as he and his three companions approached the diner. "I ain't going near that crying girl!"
"Pansy," Francis said.
"Francis, stop it," Jenny said, lowering her sniper rifle. She had just told the group that the Witch was in front of the safe room, and now they had to find a way to kill her. "Just shoot her in the head."
"Why don't you do it?" Francis replied. "You did it once before!"
Jenny frowned at him and showed him her bullets. "I'm down to four. That isn't enough."
"I'll do it," Nick volunteered. One by one the group turned towards the conman, who looked amused. "What? Obviously the two of you," – he gestured to Ellis and Francis – "are total pussies. Jenny's already done it, and since I'm the only man left, it's up to me. Besides, she reminds me of my ex-wife."
Before any of them could say anything else, Nick lifted his submachine gun and fired. Almost immediately the Witch screamed, raised her arms, and ran pell-mell towards Nick.
"Holy shit!" Nick kept firing, but his submachine gun didn't seem to faze the Witch. Just seconds before she was upon him, Jenny reached behind Nick, grabbed his axe, and swung, hitting the Witch full in the face. As the Witch toppled onto the ground, Jenny hoisted the axe again and chopped the Witch's head in two.
"Well…hell," Nick muttered, looking at Jenny in awe. She yanked the axe from the Witch's head, ignoring the blood that splattered all over her sneakers.
"Here you go," she said, handing Nick his axe and stepping over the dead Witch. The three men followed her into the safe room, and once Nick slammed the door shut, Jenny slumped onto a corner and pulled the first aid kit from her back. "Fucking hell."
Ellis saw her hands were shaking too much to apply the needed medicine – the gaps between her fingers had blisters and in some places the skin was scraped raw – so he went to her and uncapped the bottle. She winced as the medicine hit the open skin, but said nothing.
While Nick looked for an extra first aid kit for her, Jenny took off her jacket, which was now looking extremely dirty, and lifted her tank top slightly. Ellis winced at the bruises the Charger made when it slammed her on the ground.
"Aw heck, those don't look too good." Ellis rifled through the first aid kit and found some ointment, which he rubbed gently on the bruises.
"Thanks Ellis," Jenny said, her voice cracking. Nick set the new first aid kit beside her, noticed the bruises, and clicked his tongue.
"Move," he ordered Ellis. When the boy didn't move fast enough, he elbowed Ellis in the ribs slightly, took the ointment, and told Jenny to turn around. As soon as she did so, he lifted the back of her tank top until her entire back was exposed.
Nick hesitated for a second or two before unhooking Jenny's bra and pouring the ointment all over her back. Jenny made a soft hiss as his fingers pressed roughly against the bruises, but otherwise she remained silent. Once he was done, Nick pulled Jenny's tank top down again.
"It's going to burn a bit, but don't worry. It'll feel much better soon," Nick told her, tossing the now empty bottle to the side. "Ellis and I will see what we can find in the diner."
Francis sat beside Jenny as Ellis and Nick opened the safe room door and stepped into the diner. Nick made sure to close the door behind him, glancing at Jenny one more time before rummaging through the shelves.
"He cares for you," Francis said in his gruff tone once Ellis and Nick were out of earshot.
"I can tell." Jenny tried to sit up straighter, but the ointment Nick had applied to her back felt so soothing that she fell back to her original position. "I care for all of you too."
Francis shook his head. "Not like that. I mean I think he likes you."
Jenny chuckled softly. "Now's not the time to think about stuff like that, Francis. We still have to get to New York."
"But you like him," Francis pressed, grinning. "I knew it. Those googly eyes you were making…"
"Ugh." Jenny shook her head at him.
Francis laughed. "By the way, thanks for giving me the beer and jerky."
Jenny smiled. "No problem. You were looking a bit like a Tank back there; I wouldn't want you to snap at us in the middle of the fight."
"Yeah, sorry." Francis looked sincere, and Jenny tapped his cheek gently with one hand.
Nick and Ellis arrived a few minutes later, the former holding a freshly bloodied axe and looking very grumpy.
"What happened? Ow." Jenny tried to sit up, but her back muscles protested at her sudden movement. When Ellis came into view, she knew why. "Ellis, you didn't."
"Lookit Jenny! I got us some cotton candy!"
Nick rolled his eyes and tossed the axe to one side of the room. "This is the last time I am going with you on a scavenge run, Ellis!"
"Aw cheer up, man," Ellis said, sliding the metal bar over the safe room door. "At least we got eats for now."
"For now," Nick reminded him. "But what happens once you finish it all?"
"I ain't like that Nick," Ellis argued, setting the packs of food (plus a few bottles of water) on a nearby metal cabinet.
"Should we leave you two alone?" Francis broke in. "It's obvious you two haven't finished pecking each other to death yet."
Jenny laughed softly. "Let's. They can bicker over the food. I just need to get myself some water."
Ellis pulled a water bottle from the pile and handed it to her. After taking a few gulps of water, Jenny slowly stood up. Francis made a move to help her to her feet, but she waved him away. She had just noticed a collection of new firearms on a table near the other safe room door.
"Hey Nick, there's an assault rifle here," she said, picking the said weapon and handing it to the conman.
"Finally!" Nick took the assault rifle from her and checked the rounds. Satisfied, he started picking the needed bullets for the rifle. He also picked up a Magnum that was lying beneath a hunting rifle.
Jenny picked another assault rifle and copied Nick's movements. She tested the way it felt in her hands, finding a firing position that suited her. Francis and Ellis simply stuck to their original firearms (although they replenished their bullet stash).
"The hospital's so close," Francis said, sneaking a peek through the door's bars. Suddenly an Infected slammed against, the door, causing Francis to jump back. Ellis embedded a sniper bullet between the Infected's eyes.
"Dead," he announced with satisfaction.