CHAPTER 19: CLEANING UP THE NUTHOUSE
After turning the power back on in the town, it was now time to clear the asylum. Andrew wasn't needed for this job, so he departed as soon as we got back from the power plant. Clint asked to help me out again, so Edgar told him yes. Omar volunteered to help me out too. And when no one else volunteered, Edgar decided to help out himself. So here we are in the shed, getting our weapons ready and going over the plan. "So once we go in there, we will have to be very careful", Edgar started to explain. "It's close quarters in there, so I recommend Spud Guns at all times. If you run out of potatoes, then switch to your melee weapons". "No Fire Crackers unless necessary", I added. "You guys know the plan then?" Edgar asks his friends. "Roger", Omar and Clint replied. "Let's do this", I said to the Townies.
We then walked out of the shed and went up to the front doors of the asylum. Gurney and Leon were at the doors, ready to close the doors behind us and lock them so no zombies escape and eat any of them. Just as we walked through the doors, they closed the doors behind us. "We just have to show our faces at the windows and they'll let us out", Edgar tells us. "Okay then", I said. I then told them, "You guys stay behind me. I have a secret weapon". "What kind of weapon?" Edgar asks. I then took my jean jacket off and pulled the collar of my shirt down to show them my bite-mark. "It's over a week old and I still haven't turned. I'm immune, so if they bite me it's no problem", I told them. "Wow", Edgar says. "Honestly, I don't know how it's possible but I am. Just stick behind me and you guys will probably be fine", I told them. I put my jean jacket back on and then we continued our mission.
As we move across the main lobby to the doors, I noticed something moving through the windows. I took a peek through the bullet hole-riddled windows and saw two zombies: one a fat charger and the other one a spitter. The fat charger spotted me and charged at the window, shattering it to pieces. I smacked it a few times in the head a few times just as it started to climb on through the window. I pushed it's lifeless corpse back into the room just as the spitter saw me. I shot a hot potato at it's head and watched the creature as it glowed brightly right before it blew up. I then opened the double-doors and went into the side door leading to the receptionist's desk. No zombies. I went back to the small room and went up to the other set of double doors. We were now entering Cell Block A.
I opened the doors slowly and just before I could step into the cell block, a crawler jumped out of nowhere, knocked me to the ground and started to claw my jacket. Edgar kicked the zombie in the head and helped me back on my feet. By that time, more zombies started to come our way. I re-equipped my Spud Gun and we opened fire on the zombies that started to come our way. I shot one of the spitters and it killed a few of the fresh undead when it exploded. "Aim for the spitters. They'll wipe out the zombies much faster", I told the Townies. There was a few more spitters, so the Townies shot them and they wiped out all the zombies. "Check each cell. Make sure there's no surprises", Edgar orders. I checked out the first two cells on the left and found no surprises so far. "These two cells are clear", I told them. "Same here", Clint says. "No activity in this last cell, Edgar", Omar says. "Alright then, let's move on to Cell Block B then", Edgar says.
We then cut through two sets of double doors and made into the recreational room where there was two spitters. I shot the one near the poker table, causing it to explode while also breaking the table into a million pieces. Edgar shot the other one near the couch, causing it to blow up near the couch. When it was gone, all the residue from the creature was all over the floor and the couch. "Check out the closets", Edgar tells his friends. They both then checked out the different closets right before Omar says, "No zombie within the rooms, Edgar. The recreational room is clear". "Onto Cell Block B then", I told them. I went up to the first set of double door and looked through the small window on the left door. There was another fat charger within the small room. When it saw me through the small window, it charged at the door knocking me onto my back. The fat charger was about to climb onto me, but I kicked it in the head with my right foot a few times before I grabbed my Spud Gun and shot it in the head. I got back up onto my feet and went to the other double doors. Just as I got to the double doors, a crawler in the receptionist's desk popped from nowhere and was tried to rip through the mesh wiring. However, Clint went into the small room and shot the creature to death.
After Clint shot the crawler to death, we all then piled up at the last set of double doors, getting ready to storm into Cell Block B. "Check your Spud Guns", I instructed. "Reload if you have to before we storm into the cell". I then checked out my Spud Gun and found out that I was out of potatoes. I reloaded my gun and then checked my metal pipe to see if it was all good. It was bloody, but it was perfectly good. I re-equipped my Spud Gun and then asked the group, "Ready?" "Ready", they all say. I then kicked open the double doors, which attracted the zombies, and we opened fire on any spitters that we could find. The spitters helped take out a good few zombies, but I was sure that there was still more in the block. "I'll check out the two cells on the left", I told the Townies. "Gotta, we'll check out the cells on the right as well as the guard post", Edgar says. I walked past the door leading to the shower block and checked out the two cells. The first one had a fresh undead, which I took out with my pipe. The second cell had nothing inside. I was about to check out the shower block when I heard the sound of growling coming from the guard room.
Before I could go up to the mesh window, Edgar busted in through the door and shot the creature. "Well ain't this sad? This zombie use to be Gregory", Edgar says. I then went into the guard room and saw what use to be Gregory. From the looks of it, he was probably beaten pretty badly before he turned. He knees were bent backwards and his arms were tied up. Someone must have had "fun" with him right before he turned. I didn't know Gregory real well, mainly because I only came to Happy Volts two times throughout the school year, but I do feel sorry for him. For what he had to go through. "Come on, let's clear the shower block now", I told Edgar. "Yeah, let's continue on", Edgar says. We then exit the guard post, meet up with Omar and Clint, and went to the door leading to the shower block. I opened the first door slowly and saw nothing in the narrow hallway. We went up to the second door and opened the door slowly. There was nothing within the shower block, so we walked into the room. All that was left was the laundry room.
As I approached the laundry room, the door busted open and a fresh zombie came strolling out of the room. The zombie only had on a pair of very dirty white briefs, covered in dirt and blood. When I took a good look at the zombie's face, I saw that it was Theo, the other Orderly that I knew that worked here. "Kill me", Zombified Theo says in a distorted voice. He then charged at us. I aimed my Spud Gun at his head and fired. The potato missed and he pushed me onto the wall. He then bites the sleeve of my jacket, trying to reach my flesh but with no avail. Edgar grabbed Theo and pulled him off of me. He pushed Theo to the ground and then stomped on his head, killing the creature. "Did you hear what he said?" I asked the Townies. "I didn't think they can speak". "I guess Andrew was right about them being in some limbo between the living and the dead", Omar says. "Can we go now? Why are we even wasting our breath on this prick?" Clint then asks. "Clint is right", Edgar says. "We have only one cell left to clear and then we'll be done".
As they left the shower block, I went to check out the laundry room and found nothing except for dirty laundry all over the place. I then went over to Theo and said, "Sorry this had to happen to you". But as I looked closer at Theo, I realized he too had brusies all over him. Someone must have beaten him too, only he may have escaped. Probably not before they stripped him of his uniform. "JIMMY, YOU COMING?" Edgar yells from outside the shower block. "COMING", I hollered back. I left the shower block and returned back to the recreational room where the others were waiting.
"Cell Block C. Let's hope it goes well", Edgar says. I went up to the first double doors and opened it slowly. No zombies so far. I then went up to the second set and opened it slowly. There was no zombies either. "Check each cell out", Edgar orders. I checked the first cell out on the left to find nothing. Edgar checked out the other two and found nothing either. "I guess it would make sense", I started to explain. "This cell block is pretty much run down and reserved for the most dangerous patients. Not that Bullworth has any dangerous people". "What about Gary Smith? Didn't he do a lot of manipulation to get you expelled and to take over the entire school for himself?" Edgar then asks me. I thought about what he said for a second, then I said to him, "You know what, I can see Gary fitting the bill for a dangerous patient". We continued our way through the cell block and then went to the morgue.
As we entered the morgue, we started to hear what sounded like scratching coming from the body cabinets. "You have a blade on you?" I then asked Edgar. He pulled a blade out of his pocket and clicked it open. "You bet I do", he replies. "I'll pull open the draws and you'll stab each zombie in the head, got it?" I told him. "Got it", he says. I pulled open the first draw and Edgar stabbed the first zombie before it could use it's arms could reach us. We kept doing this with every draw till the very last one. So far, there was only four zombies in the cabinets. Now with the morgue cleared, we then checked out the boiler room. Nothing. "Well, all that's left is the caged-off area", I told Edgar. Just before we could go through the door, Clint and Omar regrouped with us.
"Where have you two been?" Edgar asks them. "Clint was viciously attacked by a pile of rubble", Omar joked. "Shut up", Clint told him, "I had my boot stuck in that mess. I'd like to see how you react when you get stuck in a pile of junk". "We just got to clear the caged-off area now", I told them. "Get ready". They re-equipped their Spud Guns and checked to see how much potatoes they have left. "I'm ready", Omar says. "Me too", Clint says. "Let's get it over with", Edgar tells me. I took a deep breath and then kicked the door open. When we stormed into the yard, we didn't find any zombies. Instead, we found something worse. What we found was a bunch of dead Orderlies lying on the ground, each with different kinds of bruises all over them. Stab, blunt blows to the head; you name it, they had it.
"Who could have done this?" Omar asks as he examines the dead bodies. At first, I couldn't put my finger on it. But then, I remembered. I remembered what one of the Savages said back at the Tenements: First, we're committed to the nuthouse. Then, we're granted freedom just to see that this entire town is ground zero for some fucked-up disease that could destroy the entire world. The Savages came from here. They were former inmates who were surprisingly granted freedom when the disease hit the town. They must have killed the Orderlies afterwards in retaliation to their incarceration. "That homicidal group I told you about? This is their doing", I then told the Townies.
"Are you sure?" Edgar asks me. "It makes sense", I told him. "They came from the asylum. They're trying to kill everyone else who they deem 'isn't worthy to live in this new age' or whatever the hell they say. These Orderlies as well as Gregory and Theo were probably their first victims before they left". "My God", Omar says out-loud. "You see what I'm talking about now?" I asked Edgar. "You think this is bad, I'm sure they'll do something worse. This is why you guys need to come with me back to the school. At least we'll have greater numbers and walls. That gate of yours, it looks like it will collapse at any second. And a truck ramming it won't help your odds either. Please, come with me back to the school when I come back with the Bus. I'll guarantee that you won't regret the decision".
Edgar looked down at the mutilated bodies of the Orderlies right before he looked back up at me and says, "Looks like we don't have a choice then". He held his hands out and says, "We'll join you". I shook his hand and said to him, "This is the smartest choice you made. Though we'll have to clear the school grounds first, it will be worth it. Bullworth Academy will be safer with you guys around". "Come on, let's get back with the others", Edgar then tells me. "I'll have to tell them the news. Whether they'll like it or not, they have to know". We then walked out of the yard and went back through the morgue and Cell Blocks C and A to get back to the main lobby. Once we made it back, Edgar went to the window and knocked on the window. The doors then unlocked and we went through them to regroup with the other Townies.
I stood at a distance while Edgar climbed onto my truck and got everyone's attention. "You guys need to know something", he began. "Jimmy Hopkins here wants us to move in with him at the school". Everyone in the crowd with the exception of Andrew then began to boo. "Hold your panties on", Edgar told them. "Let me finish. He's trying to make a safe haven out of Bullworth Academy along with the other cliques. And with what's going on, who could blame him? Apparently, zombies aren't the only dangerous thing these days". Everyone then started scratching their heads and questioning about what Edgar said. "There's a dangerous group out there somewhere that's killing people. From what Hopkins told me, they're killing others for supplies and for the sake of sport. Jimmy guarantees that if we go with him to the school, then we'll be safe. I agreed that we would go to the school with him when the time comes".
Everyone then started booing louder when Edgar told them he agreed. "I just want this entire group to be safe", he started to explain. "That gate won't last long and I don't want to see any of you guys get eaten by a group of walking corpses. Please, just trust me and trust Hopkins". Without anything else to say, Edgar jumped off the truck and approached me. "I hope you know what you're doing. When will you be here with the Bus?" he asks me. "Probably in the next few days. I won't forget about you guys", I told him.
Without anything else to do, I stayed the night there with them, making sure the fences and the gate held up. So far, I have the Preps on board, the Bullies, the Greasers and now the Townies, sorta. The Nerds and the Jocks were all dead. Four out of six cliques, that's not bad. Plus my group, the Non-Clique students. We now had the numbers. We could take the entire school from the zombies now. We could defend ourselves against the Savages. My mission was nearly completed. All that was left was the Bus. Let's hope Clayton got it fixed by the time I get back to the school.