Chapter Four
Fal scuttled through the hole he had just made in the chain link fence. The yard before him was ruined, the grass was overgrown so that it would rise to a man's waist if he waded through it, the one lone tree that stood near the center of the hospital's yard was leafless and scraggly. The hospital was a bright, overly white obelisk of a building that loomed ominously over the dark yard. The large moon, with the orange glow of a harvest moon, was settling behind the large building, creating a gloomy silhouette.
Faladon turned to check on the others and found something was wrong. Dory gathered about the fence, trying to help John, who, evidently, had been cornered by the Afflicted. Sarah was collapsed on the long grass, unconscious. "Great," muttered Faladon under his breath. He dashed forward to John's aid.
Fal fell with a crash of metal to the chain link fence. He jabbed inward at a zombie, catching it in the eye, which sent forth a burst of viscous, white liquid. That Afflicted staggered aside wounded, but not dead (again). Dory fired a bolt into the fray, felling an Afflicted. John lay on the cement ground, unmoving.
Dory shouted at Faladon, "We need to leave! Take Sarah with you!" She fired another bolt into the mob and took off toward the hospital. Faladon nodded silently and rushed to Sarah's side.
She was still breathing, but it was hoarse and shallow. Faladon bent to pick her up. He hefted her so that she lay bent with her head on his shoulder. He held her by her bottom very close against him, so that he could still wield his blade. He limped, with the extra weight, to the hospital.
Fal was halfway through the grass when he felt a sharp pain that made him stumble. His shoulder was throbbing with pain. Sarah had dug her teeth into him. Faladon ground his teeth together but continued on, for if he didn't take her, she would die.
He reached the hospital presently. "I was bitten," he noted when he arrived. Dory gasped. "How?" she asked. Fal lay Sarah on the ground and pointed low to her. "That's horrible. Are you alright?" she asked concernedly. "Yeah, yeah. Just get her to safety," he answered.
Dory grabbed Sarah and gently dragged her across the floor. Faladon slammed the door shut and locked and bolted it. He sighed in frustration. Why Sarah? He asked himself, but then shook his head. "Needn't ponder on that," he commanded himself. He dragged a large filing cabinet across the floor, then shoved it against the door, to better guard against an Afflicted attack.
* * * * * * * * * * *
Downstairs, the three rested. Dory's watch said that it was 3 p.m. She lay on the cement, crossbow in hand. Faladon stood, propping himself against the sterile room's wall. Sarah lay on a daybed.
Faladon was pondering. He was to find out where the entrance was to the lab that he once had worked at. Actually, he already knew, but he didn't have the key. Not even his frantic attacking of the steel door that led to the stairs that led to the laboratory.
Dory left the room to find some food and drink. Faladon, his eyes closed in concentration, still leaned on the cold wall. He slowly opened his eyes to a sight.
An Afflicted was crawling into the room. Faladon recognized, with a smile, the creature as the former James Thompson, another one of the scientists who escaped from the lab that fateful day.
He took a step forward and, very casually, dug his sword into the Afflicted's back. As the Afflicted shuddered in spasms of true death, Fal reached down to retrieve a set of keys on the man's belt.
He shouted in joy. He had the key to their problem, both literally and hypothetically. Dory dashed into the room. "What's wrong?" she demanded frantically, seeing the dead zombie on the ground, its dull blue eyes staring, unseeing, into space. Fal's smile was broad.
"I found it, I found the key!" he cried. "Good," assured Dorris. "Now let's leave." A crash overhead brought them to their senses.
"They are coming!" Faladon whispered manically. He leant down to pick up Sarah. Already, his vision was blurred. Sarah looked up and hissed noisily at him. Faladon brought his arm down to grapple Sarah by her neck and hold her face away from him as he walked slowly out of the room, stepping over the festering corpse.
Fal scuttled through the hole he had just made in the chain link fence. The yard before him was ruined, the grass was overgrown so that it would rise to a man's waist if he waded through it, the one lone tree that stood near the center of the hospital's yard was leafless and scraggly. The hospital was a bright, overly white obelisk of a building that loomed ominously over the dark yard. The large moon, with the orange glow of a harvest moon, was settling behind the large building, creating a gloomy silhouette.
Faladon turned to check on the others and found something was wrong. Dory gathered about the fence, trying to help John, who, evidently, had been cornered by the Afflicted. Sarah was collapsed on the long grass, unconscious. "Great," muttered Faladon under his breath. He dashed forward to John's aid.
Fal fell with a crash of metal to the chain link fence. He jabbed inward at a zombie, catching it in the eye, which sent forth a burst of viscous, white liquid. That Afflicted staggered aside wounded, but not dead (again). Dory fired a bolt into the fray, felling an Afflicted. John lay on the cement ground, unmoving.
Dory shouted at Faladon, "We need to leave! Take Sarah with you!" She fired another bolt into the mob and took off toward the hospital. Faladon nodded silently and rushed to Sarah's side.
She was still breathing, but it was hoarse and shallow. Faladon bent to pick her up. He hefted her so that she lay bent with her head on his shoulder. He held her by her bottom very close against him, so that he could still wield his blade. He limped, with the extra weight, to the hospital.
Fal was halfway through the grass when he felt a sharp pain that made him stumble. His shoulder was throbbing with pain. Sarah had dug her teeth into him. Faladon ground his teeth together but continued on, for if he didn't take her, she would die.
He reached the hospital presently. "I was bitten," he noted when he arrived. Dory gasped. "How?" she asked. Fal lay Sarah on the ground and pointed low to her. "That's horrible. Are you alright?" she asked concernedly. "Yeah, yeah. Just get her to safety," he answered.
Dory grabbed Sarah and gently dragged her across the floor. Faladon slammed the door shut and locked and bolted it. He sighed in frustration. Why Sarah? He asked himself, but then shook his head. "Needn't ponder on that," he commanded himself. He dragged a large filing cabinet across the floor, then shoved it against the door, to better guard against an Afflicted attack.
* * * * * * * * * * *
Downstairs, the three rested. Dory's watch said that it was 3 p.m. She lay on the cement, crossbow in hand. Faladon stood, propping himself against the sterile room's wall. Sarah lay on a daybed.
Faladon was pondering. He was to find out where the entrance was to the lab that he once had worked at. Actually, he already knew, but he didn't have the key. Not even his frantic attacking of the steel door that led to the stairs that led to the laboratory.
Dory left the room to find some food and drink. Faladon, his eyes closed in concentration, still leaned on the cold wall. He slowly opened his eyes to a sight.
An Afflicted was crawling into the room. Faladon recognized, with a smile, the creature as the former James Thompson, another one of the scientists who escaped from the lab that fateful day.
He took a step forward and, very casually, dug his sword into the Afflicted's back. As the Afflicted shuddered in spasms of true death, Fal reached down to retrieve a set of keys on the man's belt.
He shouted in joy. He had the key to their problem, both literally and hypothetically. Dory dashed into the room. "What's wrong?" she demanded frantically, seeing the dead zombie on the ground, its dull blue eyes staring, unseeing, into space. Fal's smile was broad.
"I found it, I found the key!" he cried. "Good," assured Dorris. "Now let's leave." A crash overhead brought them to their senses.
"They are coming!" Faladon whispered manically. He leant down to pick up Sarah. Already, his vision was blurred. Sarah looked up and hissed noisily at him. Faladon brought his arm down to grapple Sarah by her neck and hold her face away from him as he walked slowly out of the room, stepping over the festering corpse.