"Bridget? Bridget!" Someone yelled as I thrashed about, a scream ripped from my mouth the moment I felt someone grasp my shoulder. "Bridget, it's me." The same voice hissed and I cracked open my eyes to find Brad standing over me.
Once my mind finally clicked that I was looking at my boyfriend I darted forward, grasping his shoulders and he blinked at me. "You were having a nightmare."
As soon as my shoulders started shaking Brad pulled me into a hug, not letting go until I relaxed. Holding me at arms length Brad gave me a tiny smile when I sniffed, wiping at my eyes. "Better?"
"Sort of. I had a dream that you came back and you were..." I trailed off when he nodded, helping me back onto the couch. "When did you get back?" I asked, quickly changing the subject when he sat beside me.
"A few minutes ago after I caught up with Frank and Vic. They wanted me to stay but I told them I had some friends to pick up first." Brad answered and I chewed my lower lip until he cracked a grin. "And one girlfriend of course."
"I hope so." I whispered, coughing before I started to climb from the couch only to stumble as soon as my feet touched the floor. Shaking his head Brad reached around steadying me as I swayed, a hand pressed to my forehead as the room spun.
"Easy. You're in no condition to be wandering around, Bridget. Here, lean on me." Brad scolded, his arm draped around my shoulders when I let out a breath. "Matthew, do you think you can keep the zombies away with this?" Brad asked, handing Matthew a shotgun and he smiled, taking the weapon before he checked the magazine.
"No problem." He told Brad who just nodded back, turning his attention back to me as I leaned my head against his shoulder. "You alright, Bridget?"
"Just perfect." I groaned, grateful that Brad had chosen to come back for me and my friends instead of leaving with Frank and Vic. "So are we going or what? I don't know about you but I'm sick of zombies."
"I would definitely agree with that." Kate admitted and I nodded, earning a small smile from Emily as we headed outside the office. Matthew and Emily jogged ahead, Kate at the rear covering us as Brad helped me through the long hallway keeping us between our friends mostly to protect me.
"How are you holding up?" Brad whispered and I gave him a shaky thumbs up, keeping a hand over my mouth when I felt the urge to cough so any zombies nearby wouldn't hear us. We had to stop twice allowing me to catch my breath though for once Kate didn't argue, even standing near me and I gave her a weak smile grateful for any offers of help.
Twenty minutes later we arrived at a locked door and Brad looked at me for a moment, noting that a sheen of sweat had broken out on my forehead. "How are you holding, Bridget?" He asked and I coughed, clearing my throat before I gave him a slight nod. "That great huh?" He joked and I snorted as Emily stepped forward, allowing me to lean on her while Brad worked on picking the lock. Kneeling he leaned close, pulling a thin metal wire out of his pocket
It took a minute and with a click Brad grinned, pushing the door open before he straightened from the floor frowning when he noticed my eyes were scrunched shut. "Bridget?"
"I'm fine...j...just a little tired." I mumbled and Brad frowned at my response, wrapping his arm around my shoulders and I rested my head against his.
"Here, let me see your arm." Emily said, gently lifting my right arm. Once she carefully unwrapped the bandage she frowned chewing her lip staring at the skin on my arm as Brad looked on. Once she turned around noticing the wide-eyed stare Brad was giving her she let out a soft laugh. "It's okay, Brad. Bridget just needs a shot of antibotics and she'll be feeling better in no time. But we should get to the helicopter first. I'm sure they'll have a first-aid kit there." She explained and Brad cracked a grin even hearing a faint laugh from me as I struggled to stay awake.
Of course getting to the helicopter proved a much bigger problem and I knew we couldn't afford to stop for anything including me, Emily leading me the rest of the way so that Brad and Matthew could keep the zombies away from us.
At one point I bit my lip to keep myself awake which earned me a stare from Brad who used the soon spent handgun he was carrying to keep the door closed behind us, the constant pounding of multiple zombies keeping me awake making me regret biting my lip. Especially when Brad kept staring at me until I shook my head, raising a hand to wipe my lip.
"Needed to stay awake...not my greatest idea." I mumbled and he shook his head, giving me a light pat on my shoulder. "Let's just get...the hell out of here." I grumbled, my arm and lip throbbing in unison.
"What are you going to do when you get home?" Emily asked me, supporting me when I swayed.
"I'm going to sleep for a week in a comfy bed, preferably with Brad wrapped around me." I answered earning myself a laugh from everyone except Brad who turned away to hide his two red cheeks though I didn't miss the tiny smile he had as we followed him and Matthew towards a door. "You?"
"Hmm...I haven't really thought about it, Bridget." Emily answered after a pause giving Matthew a grin that he returned. "How about you, Matthew? Kate?"
"I agreed with that idea, Bridget but I need to find a guy for the second part of it." Kate answered and I snorted, giggling when she grinned at me. "Know of anyone who might be interested?" She joked and I just shrugged as Emily helped me towards the stairs.
"Sorry but Brad's mine." I replied, earning myself a quick grin from Brad and some barely muffled laughter from everyone else. Though our laughter soon died out along with any hope of getting to the helicopter when we saw the horde that blocked our path, their eyes glowing red as they advanced and I groaned sounding so much like a zombie that even Brad blinked at me. "How...how are we getting to the helicopter?" I mumbled, staring at the approaching horde as they shambled towards us in varying states of decay most missing limbs.
"We run." A voice answered and we looked towards the top of the stairs to see Frank and Vic, the former waving towards us and I let out a shaky breath to see that they were carrying rifles. I briefly wondering just where they had armed themselves before Frank and Vic opened fire, taking out several of the zombies that were moving to block us and distracting the rest. Brad moved to Emily's side and after he wrapped his arm around my waist I leaned against his side.
"We'll make it." Brad promised as he led me and Emily towards the top of the staircase only pausing when we had to push the door fully open. "Bridget?" He muttered when I stumbled, nearly ending up on my knees until Brad helped me up.
"Brad, even if we get onto the helicopter how are we going to stop the zombies from getting onboard?" I asked him as we reached the helicopter and he stopped watching for our friends instead of answering.
Emily rushed out of the staircase followed closely by Matthew and Kate, the latter glancing back in time to see Frank and Vic dart through the open doorway, both pushing the rifles between the door handles. As soon as they did the door shook the groaning of the zombies they hadn't managed to destroy pushing at the door.
Shaking his head, Brad helped me into the helicopter staying behind to pull Emily and Kate inside. Matthew and Vic were next and with a last glance at the door as it shook against the horde Frank hurried towards us. He had just jumped aboard when the door finally split and I cried out as the zombies poured out, stumbling around until they saw us and as one they began to advance. We started to lift off and I clung to Brad, squeezing my eyes shut as the horde grew closer their groans growing in volume the closer they got to us but as they were reaching for us the helicopter finally lifted off and I yelped as one tried to grab me.
They followed us not even noticing that the roof had ended until the horde stumbled over, dozens of them falling to the pavement far below as I clung to Brad's arm. I let out a breath unable to believe we had finally made it and as I watched the last of the horde stumble off the roof I turned my head so I didn't see them land though it didn't block the sound of flesh hitting the pavement.
Brad knelt, wrapping his arms around me and I buried my face in his jacket. He could feel me flinch at every thud and after a few minutes he reached up rubbing the top of my head until I stopped moving. When my grip loosened he gently lay me on the floor waving over Emily who had been digging around in the helicopter's medical supplies since we lifted off.
"Emily, what's wrong with her?" Brad asked, moving back far enough to allow Emily to examine me. As my chest rose and fell Emily checked my pulse and temperature before she pulled a syringe out of the bag. As Brad watched on she took a small bottle out of the medical bag, using the syringe to draw some of the liquid out before she lifted up my bandaged arm.
"You might want to hold her because this is going to sting." Emily warned and Brad nodded, still not fully understanding as he leaned over though as soon as Emily slipped the needle into my skin I let out a cry my eyes flying open to find my boyfriend staring at me. "Bridget, you need to relax. I know it hurts but you need a shot." Emily whispered, keeping as calm as possible as I whimpered. With Brad using his body to keep me pinned to the floor I couldn't move too weak from my injuries but that didn't stop me from blinking at him.
"Come on, babe. You need to calm down." Brad told me, grateful when I finally relaxed enough for Emily to remove the needle.
"Brad, you can let go of Bridget now." Emily told him giving Brad a tiny smile when he quickly sat back his cheeks red now. I managed a weak laugh as he helped me sit the room spinning so quickly I leaned against his shoulder. "You need to rest, Bridget. You had surgery, a concussion, your eye still needs time to heal..." Emily began to list off all of my injuries until I raised a shaky hand.
"I think I get it. Couldn't rest with all of the zombies though." I mumbled and Brad chuckled, sitting so I could rest my head in his lap. "Not safe."
"I agree." Frank said from somewhere at the back of the helicopter and I snorted, wincing from the headache forming between my eyes and the ache in my arm from the needle. "The best news is we have the evidence we need to expose the government for working alongside Obscuris." He added, holding up a disc that I caught a glimpse of before my body decided now was a great time for an overdue nap.
I closed my eyes and Brad, sensing just how exhausted I was, gently stroked my hair until I finally fell asleep though not before I let out a snort and he clamped a hand over his mouth to hide his laughter. Not that that stopped anyone else in the helicopter.
I was pulled from my nap when someone squeezed my shoulder and I cracked open my eyes my vision blurring for a few seconds before I noticed Brad leaning over me. "Good morning." He said, helping me sit when I struggled with that. "How are you feeling?"
"My arm itches." I answered and he gave me a nod, gently taking my hand away when I reached over to scratch at my bandages. "Why not?"
"That will just make it worse." A woman answered and I squinted as someone in a lab coat knelt beside us. "I'm Dr Diane Blackburne." She introduced as I tried again not to scratch my arm though the itching was driving me up the wall.
"Hey. I'm Bridget and this is Brad." I answered, nodding towards my boyfriend who still had his arm wrapped around my shoulders. "Are you the one who helped Frank?"
"Yes I am. I used to work for Obscuris and..." Dr Blackburne trailed off when I narrowed my eyes at her, pointing my finger at her as Brad watched on.
"You're the ones who started that outbreak." I snapped at her, trying to raise from the floor until my legs started to tremble. Unable to stand I just kept pointing at her until Brad cleared his throat lightly patting my shoulder until I snorted lowering my hand which had begun to ache.
"I wasn't responsible, Bridget." Dr Blackburne sighed watching when I crossed my arms against my chest. "Not for the outbreak. We were trying to stop it."
"Then what were you doing in Willamette?" I muttered, feeling Brad's hand on my shoulder now. "Explain that."
"I was trying to cure those infected people. When I realized what Obscuris really wanted me to do I left them, asking Frank for help after I broke away." Dr Blackburne explained and I chewed my lip before Frank and Vick decided to interrupt.
"She's telling the truth, Bridget." Vicki answered as soon as Frank opened his mouth and the look on his face brought a faint smile to my face despite still being wary of Dr Blackburne. "All of the proof's on his camera's SD card." She added, holding up a small card.
"Alright so maybe you're telling the truth though it doesn't really affect me anyway. Still makes me angry about what happened though." I replied, grimacing when my eye started to water. "Great stupid eye." I sighed, reaching up to rub it with the back of my hand only to have Brad's hand move to stop mine.
"You're supposed to leave it alone, Bridget." He mock-scolded, lightly kissing my forehead when I closed my eyes. "Hey don't cry. We're safe remember?" He told me, pulling me into a hug when fresh tears started to trickle down my cheeks.
"I...kno...know but I feel like crap." I coughed, feeling him rubbing my back. I was waiting for someone to make fun of me, mainly Kate who had been silent this entire time, until my friends joined us at the back of the helicopter. "I'm being such a wimp."
"That's the last thing you are." Emily commented as she knelt beside me giving my shoulder a pat.
"Yeah what Emily said." Matthew agreed, intertwining his fingers through Emily's fingers after he knelt at her side. "You convinced Emily to ask me out. Been waiting since the zombie apocalypse for that." He added, grinning when Emily elbowed him.
"You told me to grow a pair and try helping someone else besides you for a change. Your exact words." Frank told me and I coughed, the best laugh I could manage.
"You actually said that? Wow I underestimated you, Bridget." Kate agreed, lightly fist-bumping me when I managed to lift my hand.
"Everyone always does." Brad agreed, still rubbing my back as I cling to him.