Warm fingers brushing my forehead made my eyes flutter open, a low groan emerging from my lips. "Bridget?" Brad's voice whispered and I tried to lift my head only to feel a hand on my shoulder. "Lie back you're hurt." He urged and I groaned again my eyes scrunched shut.
"Good advice." I managed to whisper as everything faded and my head fell back onto something soft.
Sighing to himself, Brad lifted his hand from Bridget's right shoulder once he noticed she'd passed out again. Shaking his head he straightened the jacket under her before he climbed to his feet. "While I check on Frank and how he's going you get some sleep, okay?" He whispered feeling a little stupid when he remembered that his girlfriend was out cold.
As he searched the many screens for a sign of Frank, Brad felt his mind wandering to just how they'd ended up trapped in the shopping centre with no way out, so far anyway.
Less than an hour later he heard a buzzing noise and he quickly searched his pockets for the walkie talkie he'd kept. "Hello?" Brad said and after a pause he heard a laugh making him roll his eyes. "Where did you go, Frank?" He muttered as he searched the screens. To his disbelief Frank waved to him from one of the screens with a grin on his face.
"I took the scenic route, Brad. How's your girlfriend?" Frank asked and Brad glanced at Bridget who hadn't regained consciousness yet.
"Not great. But the question is where are you right now?" Brad asked and after a quick pause when Frank smashed a zombie in the face the ex-reporter turned back to the camera.
"The security room. Connor mentioned that Vick might be there but no luck. I'm going to keep looking." Frank answered and Brad rubbed his neck as Frank turned around to see several zombies stumbing towards him. "Gotta go." He quickly added as he turned back to them and Brad shook his head.
"I guess we're stuck here until you decide to wake up, huh?" Brad muttered as he moved back to Bridget who curled into herself and after a slight pause he knelt, checking the makeshift bandage he'd made from one of his sleeves. While he was distracted something slammed into the door and he blinked his eyes moving towards it only to see the door swing open and he stared as a male zombie stumbled into the room, groaning a little louder once it spotted Brad and Bridget.
"Back off, ugly. She's my girlfriend." Brad snapped as he grabbed the nearest weapon which happened to be the chair the manager had been lying in. It slid across the floor when Brad threw it knocking the zombie over so Brad had time to stomp its head into pulp, grossing out even the ZDC colonel. "Okay that was nasty." He muttered, wiping his shoes on the floor.
"B..Brad?" I groaned and he looked over to see me with my eyes half open and he quickly moved to my side as I struggled to sit up. The moment I saw a zombie missing its head I stumbled back my sneakers getting tangled up in the jacket when I did so I ended up in a heap on the cold and rank-smelling floor. "Ohhh that was a bad move." I complained to Brad who knelt beside me helping me back onto a jacket that seemed familiar.
"Yes it was. Does your head still hurt? I would give you something for it but I searched this office and there's nothing here." Brad explained and I sighed, rubbing at my eyes. "I could go and search the mall but..." He trailed off when I gave him a weak smile.
"You couldn't leave me. Thanks, Brad." I replied, giving his hands a squeeze and he gave me a smile in return. "I'm...sorry I ran away." I added unable to keep my voice from shaking and he shook his head, sitting on his jacket. Straight away I rested my head against his chest trying very hard not to burst into tears when he started to stroke my hair, his way of comforting me.
"Don't worry about it, Bridget. I shouldn't have snapped at you like that. If that zombie had you I don't know what I would do." Brad answered and I sniffed, raising my head so he could see tears welling in my eyes. "Hey don't cry." He soothed as he stroked my cheek this time.
"I know but I nearly ended up bitten. Plus if everyone here turned even with the cure something really must have gone wrong. Maybe I should have stayed at home." I answered and Brad raised an eyebrow at me. "Yes you were right. Don't rub it in." I muttered and he chuckled, giving my forehead a quick kiss before he helped me to my feet. A little wobbly I managed to make it to the chair and even seeing the dried bloodstains I sat in it sighing a little as Brad resumed checking the cameras.
"Frank's wandering around the mall looking for Vick so I guess that leaves you and me to find somewhere safe." Brad told me and I snorted at him, trying to ignore the itch in my forehead. "Yes I know how that sounds but we need to find somewhere better than here." He added with a faint smile, offering his arm and with an eyeroll and a tiny smile of my own I linked arms with him.
Limping a little I followed just behind Brad who paused and I blinked as he grabbed the chair I'd just vacated and with a grunt he pulled a leg from it, leaving me wide-eyed.
"That was...pretty impressive, Brad. Remind me never to make you angry." I said and he chuckled, swinging it around a few times before he beckoned me to follow him. He never mentioned it but I knew he could see my shoulders quivering as I stepped past him moving towards the door before I turned to see him with his eyes on my face. "Guess I'm as ready as I can get. Lead the way, Colonel."
Giving me a nod, Brad carefully turned the doorknob and once he poked his head outside he turned to me. "Looks as safe as it's going to get. Let's go, Bridget but stay close. If any zombies start coming after you just let me know, okay?" Brad whispered and I nodded, swallowing as I followed my boyfriend further into the mall. Hopefully somewhere safer than that security room and also free of the infected.
For the next few minutes Brad hurried along as I limped behind him barely keeping up mostly due to my headache and my aching leg, my eyes wandering to the bloodstains that covered my pants from my ankles to my knees. We had only been walking for half an hour at the most, according to my watch anyway, when I found myself breathing hard.
Brad had just finished smashing in a zombie's head with his makeshift club when he heard me gasping and he turned his head to see beads of sweat covering my forehead. Once he stopped jogging along I skidded to a halt, hunching over to catch my breath and he frowned at me. Raising a hand I coughed and he quickly moved to my side to check on me noting that the bandage he'd wrapped around my forehead had shifted a little coming to rest over my nose.
"You should have told me that you were having trouble keeping up, Bridget." Brad muttered as I straightened and I coughed in response not knowing that a nearby zombie, busy chewing on a shredded corpse looked up to see me stumbling. When it groaned, stumbling to its feet I groaned shifting closer to Brad who raised his chair leg lowering when he noticed someone waving to us from a few feet away. I raised both eyebrows in shock when he grabbed my arm tugging me towards a young woman with a bandana around her neck, a very sharp looking machete clutched in one hand. Even with Brad's help I barely made it to the woman before the zombie caught up now joined by a dozen more in various states of decay. Some looked whole the only visible signs of infection were a bite mark here or there while others were missing limbs or were drenched in blood.
"This way! Hurry!" The woman yelled as we moved closer and I gave her a weak smile as she yanked open a door nearly shoving me inside when I hesitated, making me fall to my knees. I would have protested this rough treatment though Brad didn't give me the chance as our rescuer raced ahead and Brad yanked me to my feet, pulling me along. After several twists and turns we arrived at a side door and with a quick pause she unlocked it waving us both inside and I yelped as Brad pulled me inside the room, making me trip over as we dived inside and the woman slammed it shut just as our zombie horde reached us.
I could hear them slamming their fists against the closed, and hopefully locked door, their desperate cries of hunger leaving me shivering. Unable to ignore the itch of my forehead anymore I scratched at my bandage causing the bandage to slide off my face and after a few more seconds I stared when my fingers came away bloody. Even Brad stared at me and our rescuer shook her head, moving over before she gripped my hand pulling it away from my face.
"She's infected." She yelped and I stumbled back when she shoved the machete inches from my nose. Brad quickly put himself between us when I cried out and she narrowed her eyes, glaring at Brad who held the club in front of me blocking her path. "Get out of my way."
"Bridget's fine. The wound's from a plane crash not a zombie." Brad growled back as I hid behind him, my eyes flicking between Brad and the woman. Once I realized she intended to dispatch me I whimpered, my shoulders quivering and Brad turned his head enough to see me trembling. Unable to get a word out I swallowed and the woman stared at me one eyebrow raised as I stared at her, eyes welling in equal parts fear and pain.
"If you're lying..." She began and I coughed, my stomach rebelling at the worst possible time and she grimaced when I spun around. On my knees my stomach heaved and I vomited up everything I'd eaten in the last few hours. Wiping my mouth with the back of my hand I stumbled to my feet taking several steps away from the crazy lady with the blade who made a single step towards me until Brad blocked her, looking at me with wide eyes.
"Not feeling so good." I groaned as I fell to my knees not even aware that Brad had dropped his weapon in favour of catching me so I wouldn't hit the floor.