I do not own Highschool of the dead I make no money from this it is a fanfiction and not for profit.
You Can Sleep When You're Dead
Chapter : 12 Bad Times
As we worked our way up the dead street, it was becoming very apparent that there was very few of them. The city was almost deserted devoid of life and so quiet, none of the hustle and bustle that you would normal fined in a city just the occasional pitter pater of our feet. The only other noise was some cat mewing in the distance and every now and then a soft clap of a subsonic round sent from Kohtas rifle, as he dispatched any of them that got to close. It felt more sinister than when all this was first happening, there is just something very unsettling about a city so quiet and so devoid of life.
All we could do was move silently and observe the new world occasionally stopping to give each other reassuring looks. There was no taking only the use of some crude hand signals that we had worked out to communicate.
It had taken us all of 15 minutes to carefully cover the distance to the parts store at the end of the road.
On arriving Takashi was first to say something in a voice so low you had to strain to hear it. "It's locked cover me as I cut the lock." he took out a hacksaw from his bag and started to cut the padlock on the door.
The noise was defining compared to the silence, but still none of them came.
Ok it was time to go in but first time to teach Rei something. Kicking myself as I realised, we should have practiced back at the workshop. "Rei when we go in, we will have to clear the building first for any of them or anyone else. Stay close behind me; we will move slowly clearing room by room. I will be looking forward you will be looking backward. Any time I tap you stop until I tap you again do not leave my back further than your arm's length. Once it is clear then we will look for the part but with any luck we should see it before we are done."
She was looking nervous to me. Building up her resolve she finally answered back. "Ok I will do as you ask."
Takashi grabbed my arm to get my attention. "How long do you think it will take."
Looking down at my watch I responded "about 30 minutes"
He looked at me puzzled then confused eventually asking me. "Your watch is working mine stopped when the EMP hit… How?"
I looked back at him puzzled myself about his question "Er… it's Kinetic. I forget to replace batteries or wind them up so this stops that from happening."
"Can I borrow it? So to time you, then if you're not back in 30 we will come looking for you?" Looking at me a bit red cheeked.
"Yes. But remind me when we get back to give you one of the others I have." Fuck it not like I need it anymore, what is a collection of watches going to get me?
Rei and I entered the small warehouse, only to be met with a gloomy light barely bright enough to see. The building had that smell about it I tuned my head close to Rei whispering one word "Zeds" I was unable to see her reaction, more feel it she had a shiver "urgh" she sounded out
"Well lets go find them." she added nervously. The panic rising clearly in her voice.
"Give it 5 minutes, until our eyes adapt to the dark first."
5 minutes later, we made our way silently through the labyrinth of shelves, looking for the part we needed. Our eyes were constantly scanning our surroundings for the part and around us for the zeds that had somehow got in here.
Every now and then we heard one of them making that groaning noise that they made. I was then repeatedly tapped on the shoulder "Over There." Came a voice that was so low I strained to hear her.
On turning I looked to where her beam of light fell it was one of them just stood there doing nothing no it was not stood.. it was floating… looking at Rei I mouthed the words, what the fuck! As various things ran through my mind, as I looked at the spectacle before me.
Looking around to the ground around it, its feet stretched down, but clearly not on the ground.
Only when I followed back up did I see a rope attached to its neck some poor fucker that got bit had hung themselves when the end came. Only to come back as one of them.
Rei looked away squeaking out to me. "We can't just leave him like this, to hang there for all eternity."
As cold as I can be nobody deserves that "We will end it when we are done. he's just going to have to hang around a bit longer." I whisper to her in a firm voice.
Moving on we heard a shuffling one of them, it must have heard us talking, as it was heading to where we were.
I motion to Rei to keep moving and ignore it. Until she froze to her spot. On looked to her, she hands me a box it's the Barings we are after. I flash her smile taking them from her and place them in my day sack. "Well time to get the fuck out of here." I wave to her to start heading out. We get to the first Zed and I drop it with a muffled shot that echoes around the building, pausing for a moment straining ears to hear for more movement…there was none. Next is the poor bastard that we left hanging around.
I approach the poor soul finishing him with a single shot to the head then cut him down with a jack-knife. I was going to cover him with a jacket that was near him, until something grabbed me.
Rei screamed out "Look out." she rushed forward to stab at it with her bayonet, piercing its head with a sickening wet crunch.
Rei was looking at me all pleased with herself. "You ow…" her smile slowly vanished as she looked at the concern on my face, my eyes looking at my hand.
I felt it through my hand, knowing what she had done even before I looked at my hand.
Her eyes now followed mine glancing to my hand that was grasping the Knife. Concern gave way to horror, as I see the side of her abdomen impaled on it.
Gasping now as she realised what had happened. She looked back up at me and our eyes lock. "James it doesn't hurt."
I look to her with dread "Don't talk, save your strength."
"Can you take it out?"
Looking at her now tearing up eyes and shaking my head. "No… It can make it worse. Let's get you out of here first ok." I was speaking softly to her
"Ok. But I feel dizzy." came the simple reply.
"Ok I'll Carry you" Picking her up in a princess carry as gently as possible. A noises rang out in the silence as the knife fell out. "Shit."
"Arrrrgghhh"
"Ok… ok… Put your hand on the wound and press down hard… hard enough that it hurts."
Nodding to me she complied stifling a cry of pain by biting onto my shoulder, as she pressed on the wound. I ran though the shop the way we came for the door. As I reached it to kick it open only to be blinded by the strong sun light "Help quick".
00000
Takashi-kun and I where left outside, to watch over the front of the store and I was bored.
I was not able to let loses. As any time one of them came near us, it was soon shot down by Kohta.
This was frustrating as there was a small group of them that just stood there with no sound to fallow.
Every now and then I would look to Takashi-kun. He was looking at the watch James gave him almost to the point that he would do nothing else.
Having had enough I walked over to him placing a hand on his shoulder talking softly to him. "How long has it been?"
He did not look up from the watch "25 minutes."
"You worry about her don't you? It's ok to I may not look it, but I also worry for them." I tried to reassure him. But that changed as there was a crash, James had kicked open the door.
Caring Rei in a princess carry he looked at me a face full of regret. "Help Quick." he all but shouted.
"what happened?" Takashi almost shouted to him.
"An accident I was trying to do something. Then Rei helped me fight off one of them she got Stabbed." he was talking as he put Rei down hands moving at lightning speed to his bag pulling out some items.
"We need to get her back now!" Takashi shouted. As he knelt down taking Rei's hand.
"We need to stabilizer her first, start thinking and cover us." James fired back at him to no avail. James looked up at me nodding giving me free rein to do as I wish to cover them.
"You two help her I will keep them away." I turned to face the small group that was now approaching thanks to the commotion that was now going on.
In a way my demon was happy to be allowed out, but I was concerned for my friend as well.
I focused on the first targets, bending down at my knees slightly taking my stance.
My hands begin moving to my sword as I hear the click of the blades releases. My mind focuses, my eyes open pupil's dilating. As the demon in me takes over, making my body explode towards my enemy so as to cut them down, The demon in me screams at me Cut Them All Down!
0000
I was in full panic mode, working as fast as I could to stop her bleeding. The knife had fell out when I got out the door.
Takashi was shouting. Understandable but I wished he would just fuck off and help Saeko cover me, as I worked on stopping the bleeding.
"Ok if you are going to stay.. Then make yourself useful" grabbing his hand. "Put the flat of your hand here and push down hard if it's not hurting her it's not helping. I need to get some things out my kit" I all but ordered him taking his hand and pushing it onto the wound.
Rei screamed out in pain. "Ok it FUCKING hurts now."
Found it. I had in my bag a small trauma kit consisting of 2 large dressings and a role of CELOX* gauze and a pack of celox granules. Looking down at Rei I spoke softly to her "This will hurt a lot but will stop the bleeding ok."
She looked up at me then at Takashi nodding. "DO IT."
"Right here I go." I took out the celox unrolling some then started to feed it into the small stab wound that my knife had made all the while Rei was crying out in pain as I pushed it in.
"Nearly done… then we can get you back and fixed up." It must of gotten too much for her as she blacked out
"REI!REI!" Takashi shouted as he tried to shove me out of the way.
Only to have me slap him out of mine so I could check her pulse and breathing still both are strong "She is still with us." I reassure him, grasping his fingers and putting them on her pulse point on her neck "Let her be she has only fainted." I lied hoping it was not the start of shock.
I started to dress the wound looking up to check on Saeko she was fighting hard, having decimated a small group of them. She is fine finishing off the last of them.
A few more minutes and an IV in and were finished. Shouting out To Saeko "Time for us to be going." she did not respond.. "fuck me… This again."
Takashi was already picking up Rei "I'll start taking her back, go get Saeko." All I did was nod, as I ran after my girl.
As I got closer to her, she was stalking her way to another group of them "Seako! We are done" I cried out.
"I'm not finished yet." was the reply from an over excited Saeko. As I caught up to her I grabbed her shoulder turning her round.
Fuck…, her face; she was in full blood lust, eyes wide in excitement a twisted grin on her face. "Don't stop me" She ordered me in an voice full of a murderous intent.
"We are going now! So fucking Snap out of it I need you!" she looked at me then over to Takashi carrying Rei. She then looked back over at me; resting her head on my chest. "Ok" a calm voice spoke. Looking up again she then added "You get the back… I'll get the front."
As we approached the workshop the door opened to revile Saya directing us to Miss Shizuka at my work table ready for Rei. "What Happened?" she barked at me as I closed the door
"Not now." Was my curt reply as I threw my gear off of me, so I can go and help the nurse?
"No tell me NOW!" was the angered reply directed at me form Pinky, pulling at my arm to stop.
My mind snapped just who the fuck is this cunt stopping, I flipped out. Seeing nothing but red, Grabbing the pistol from my leg. Pushing the barrel into her forehead, as I shouted at her "You want to fucking know?... You fucking spoiled brat…. do you?" she had a look of terror in her eyes the same look I had seen from so many others, as images of those marks and their last moments at my hand flashed through my mind
"I fucking stabbed her…" The words rang out into the workshop. but I was not done "We were helping some poor bastard that had turned and tried to hanging him-fucking-self only to be left as one of them dangling on a rope….. I let my guard down…as… as another grabbed me… next thing I know Rei is on my Knife….. So it's… its… my fault if she dies…." tears now streaming down my face. For the first time in my life, I felt true remorse for my actions. Not just at Rei but the other lives I had taken. my arm was shaking as I felt my finger twitch, taking up the slack in the trigger.
A soft hand wrapped around mine that had the pistol pinned against Saya's forehead. "James." A soothing voice that ran through my head, the hand was now pulling my pistol down my finger releasing the trigger, the hand taking the pistol from me, as I then began to see what I was doing.
Guilt started flowing through me at what was I doing... at what I had done.
Looking around me the only one doing anything was Miss Shizuka as she worked on Rei. Takashi looked on dumbfounded, Kohta had his rifle up pointed at me, that I can understand I would of done the same. Little Alice turned away not wanting to look.
Then there was Saeko. She was looking at me my hand in hers taking the pistol, I could not read her expression but it was soft looking.
I looked back to Saya then bowed to her "Takagi-sama I am sorry… I'm so sorry"
I then start to feel weak I sank down dropping to my knees as my own crap world collapsed around me. Images of what happened in the store playing over and over; the faces of those that I had killed started to haunt me as Rei's face was added to them.
Saya then placed a hand on my head "It's ok I should not of pushed you.. I..I.. didn't know." she then slowly walked off to Kohta.
As I turned she was kneeling next to me and pressed my face into Sakeo's chest…
0000
It had happened just as we got back. I heard shouting, turning towards the noise only to see something that filled me with dread.
James had a pistol out pointed at Saya arm shaking. He was screaming at her about what had happened. She was crying not sure as to what is going to happen to her.
I ran back over putting a hand on his and softly called his name he stopped then looked around. As anger gave way to guilt.
He then apologised to Saya. But what happened next absolutely surprised me, he just slowly dropped down on to his knees looking at the ground frozen to the spot. Saya then said sorry in her own way. I knelt beside him he just turned and placed his head on my chest he was visibly shaking
"Just let it out, it's bad to bottle this up." I told him after all it is a women's place to comfort her man when he is broken.
He let out a noise of pure anguish moaning like a dyeing animal into my chest I placed my arms around him as he cried.
It only took him a few minute to recomposes himself "I need to help Shizuka." he was speaking in a low voice in broken Japanese and English having lost his way.
0000
"She is hurt, but not too bad the knife has not hit anything major so as long as the bleeding is stopped she will be ok. I am concerned that she may have lost a fair bit of blood though."
Miss Shizuka was going through actions, that she had rehearsed over and over in medical school. Having already put in a fresh IV removed the CELOX she was now cleaning the wound, getting ready to stitching up Rei.
James was now unsteadily waking over, after his show with Saya "I don't think I will be needing his help. I think he needs some help himself, having just had a full on brake down after what has happened…. It's ok I have this, go do something else." Shizuka told James
He just stood there "How is she? Is there anything she is going to need?"
"A hospital for a few days would be nice but we don't have that now" she was remarkably clear minded right now.
Takashi then spoke "James fix the car. We are moving soon as we can, to a private clinic I know of near here. It's almost at my house with all of this it's probably the best place to go. Saeko go with him I'm going to check on the others" he had finally decided to himself that it was time for him to act and make the decisions that are needed for the wellbeing of his group.
0000
Saya was crying onto Kohtas shoulder "I really thought he was going to kill me" she cried to Kohta. "I should have just left him get on with what he was doing"
"No Takagi he was wrong to do that. I think it is that you two have a personality clash, but that is no excuse" He was hugging her close in his own anger at what had happened how dare he do this to Saya.
"What's no excuse" it was Takashi
"What that man did to Saya-chan" Kohta spat at him. Takashi thought carefully about his next words, so to try and defuse anything that may happen later.
"It was rough out there he blames himself for what happen to Rei, even though it was an accident." he paused letting the words sink in then continued. "We all may have times like that, where something that would normally just wash of your back will snap you."
"That's still no excuse for this" he said back with less fire.
"that is true any way how are you Saya?" he asked his childhood friend.
"I'm ok just had a fright that's all." she said looking up from Kohta with wet eyes.
"Ok…. just to let you guys know, we are leaving here in a few hours. Going to that clinic that is near my house we will stay there until Rei is well enough to move"
"When did you become so organised without me" say then said trying to smile.
Grinning at her. "About five minutes ago."
2 hours later the Group whole Group, apart from Rei as she was sleeping on a makeshift stretcher in the hummer already,
Takashi was standing taking the lead.
"James you are driving, Kohta you are on the top with Saeko, Sensei will be in the back taking care of Rei. Everyone else find a seat jump in time to move on."
With every one mounted up the hummer sparked into life and pulled out of another home with bad memories. All had thoughts of let's hope the next has some good.
*CELOX is a type of quick clot agent used to stop bleeding fast it is made from Chitosan that comes from treated crustacean shells.
Shock. not to be confused with emotional shock. this is Hypovolemic shock from blood loss it kills as blood pressure drops causing the body to shut down as it tries to maintain all its core functions eventually leading to main/multapal organ failure or death by bleeding out
