Chapter 6: Expedition part 2

My heart was still heavily beating. I looked at the ground. If I had fallen there I would be dead on arrival. I felt ashamed for almost dying in the first minuted for the mission:
- "Thanks, for saving me. I can't believe I already almost ruined everything because of clumsiness…"
- "Hey, don't need to bother yourself about the past! Everyone makes mistakes, better focus on how to get out of now"
- "Right, sorry" I responded, looking at the floor.
Xavier thought for a moment and I said:
- "We can escape via door and sprint towards the school. We can use weapons to defend ourselves. But we need to hurry up"
- "You are right, let's go"

Xavier opened the valve on the roof and we went through the ladder to the supply building. When I descended last I noticed a lot of rusty equipment laying were balls, dumb-bells, bow and arrows, and other potentially useful things that we could use a weapons. I noticed a large katana-like sword in the corner, probably used for fencing or some kinds of historical reenactments. I grabbed it and felt its weight in my hands. It wasn't that heavy, I could comfortably swing it around with both of my hands. I have put it behind my pants belt. It will definitely come in handy. I also packed a few water bottles, binoculars, a compass and someone's sports bra into my backpack. Who knows when those will come in handy. When I looked at others, I noticed that Xavier slung a bow and quiver over his shoulder. He was also holding a water purification system in both of his arms. Bernard on the other hand had hung a combat knife around his neck, like some kind of amulet. In his pocket he placed an orange flare gun.

After a few minutes of searching we were satisfied that we collected everything that we needed, Bernard said:
- "Okay, i think we got everything that we need, I think we should return now"
It was at that moment that we heard a loud banging on the door followed by incomprehensible moaning of zombies.
- "I think we can't get out of the doors right now" noticed Xavier.
- "They can't open doors, right?" I asked with a hope in my voice.
That hope was soon gone when we all heard of pressing a door handle.
- "Looks like they can. Any new ideas?" said Xavier, audibly panicked
- "Run through the window while they're still at the door!" shouted Bernard as he grabbed a dumbbell and threw it at the window. The dumbbell broke the glass and landed on the other side. Glass loudly shattered with pieces of glass spraying on the other side. We had a short window of time to get through. Bernard ran first, jumping on some box with old things and then through the window, landing on the other side.
- "Okay me now" said Xavier, as he approached the window. Zombies opened the door and were only a few meters from walked on the box, looked behind him and also jumped on the floor.
- "Ohh my ankles. I think I dislocated something" complained Xavier
- "You'll be fine. Monika, you now! We will be running to the school!"
With zombies almost getting me I have no time to think. I ran straight to the window, just like boys before me I launched myself into the air. When I was passing it my leg suddenly collided with the window ledge causing me to lose balance. I felt frontally to the floor, causing me to instinctively place my hands in front of me to amortize the fall. However I fell on the laying glass which pierced through my hand. I felt immense pain in my palms as pieces of shattered glass cut through my veins. Blood started pouring from them.
- "Aaaaah, whyyyy" I screamed in pain as I somehow got up.
Bernard noticed me screaming and looked with concern.
- "Monika, you must hurry up, zombies are approaching you!"
Oh my God, if I didn't have enough problems. I started walking to the school door, pain from glass which was stuck in my hands still piercing through me. Approximately five zombies were now walking towards me, alarmed by my screams. I started to breathe heavily, my heart was pumping frantically. I was panicking, this was just like in my dreams. After a few calculations I knew that I couldn't outrun the zombies, so I decided to take off my sweater and band my right hand to temporarily stop the bleeding. I took off my sword and made a defensive pose brandishing it at them. With adrenaline running through me I stopped now feeling pain and tiredness. I was ready to fight.

When the first zombie ran to me I swung my blade cutting through his right arm. It cut through his joints. The arm was naw hanging on a piece of meat, lifelessly. He didn't show any sign of pain and continued assaulting me. So I took off the sword and instead placed it inside of his neck. I rotated it 90 degrees severing all connections in his spine and causing him to collapse on the floor. So it is how it feels like to kill for the first time? I suddenly thought.
No, Monika, it's stupid thought. He wasn't a real human, just a shell and you have a right to defend yourself. I didn't have much time to think about the morality of this situation as other zombies were near me. One snuck behind me, curing me from the route to school, while the other was coming from the supply building that we just left.
I flinged my weapon and cut off one zombie's hand and then rotated 180 degrees and placed it inside of the other zombie's eyelid. Hormones were running through me, I felt so alive. I was attacking one zombie after another, like in some kind of twisted ballet. In a decisive moment I cut off one zombie's hand. There was no expression of surprise on his face, only this dumb thoughtless expression. I kicked his head like some kind of ball and ran to the one zombie assaulted me from the left I attacked his chest with my sword. It broke deep inside, puncturing his lungs. However when I tried to get the sword out, it got stuck between the ribs. Oh no I thought. As adrenaline started to wear off I started to again feel enormous pain from my wounds.
- "Help!" I screamed with all the strength that I had left.
Bernard, who was now climbing on the rope to get to school, noticed it and saw that I was surrounded by zombies and bleeding visibly.
.- "I must go there and save her" he said to Xavier
- "But general! What if you die? The situation looks helpless!"
- "General never leaves a wounded soldier to death!" he said as he jumped on the floor and ran to me.
- "I can't fight anymore, they're overwhelming me. I started crying"

He didn't say anything, just stood there, unholstered his flare gun, pointed it at the sky and discharged a round. Suddenly a loud bang followed by intense flash echoed through the square. I collapsed on the floor and covered my ears. The zombies ran away in ran to one of the zombies and got out of my sword, entirely covered in blood, using it to scare all remaining undead. The last thing I remember was when he grabbed me in his arms as I passed out due to a loss of blood.

I woke up some time later, lying on the bed in the nurse room. When I tried to move my hand, I noticed that both my arms were covered in bandages. When I looked above me I noticed Linda standing above me, wearing a white lab coat.
- "Ohh you are finally awake. We were worried about you, when Bernard brought you unconscious, with visible loss of blood and bruises. But it looks like you will make it without any serious damages. Consider yourself lucky!"
I slowly managed to sit on the bed. Sayori, who was sitting on a chair hugged me suddenly:
- "Monika! You said that you will be careful! You lied to me!"
- "Sayori, I was very careful. But some things went differently than I planned!"
- "Ehem" I suddenly heard Bernard clearing his throat. He was playing with a knife in his hand, while standing in the doors. I blushed immediately and lowered my head
- "Thanks for saving my life *ehem" again. I… went to the mission irresponsibly, not thinking if I had enough strength and experience to do it. I endangered everything and forced you to save me, because I couldn't handle it myself." Please forgive me."
- "No need to apologize, Monika. I think everyone made some mistakes today. I shouldn't have ordered this expedition now, without thinking of everything bad that could happen. As a leader I need to take responsibility for my decisions. We shall learn from what happened today and take it into account when planning daring actions next time"

Linda sighed.
- "Thankfully I still remember something from the first lesson. But we don't have an unlimited supply of antiseptics and medicine here, so at some point we may run out of them. I may try to make up something, but please try to avoid any wounds so we can survive"
- "Hehe, right" I laughed nervously.
- "Allright, I gotta go now. We are installing a water purification station and container on the roof to collect rainwater. Please stay safe, Monika"
- "Oh bye, Bernard…"
After he left I saw Sayori giving me conspiratorial looks:
- "Hey Monika, do you think that Bernard is in love with you?"
- "What? Where would you get this idea from?"
- "I saw how he looked at you when he brought you to the school in his arms"
- "You are imagining things Sayori, he just worried about me cause I got wounded. Also I don't feel anything towards him, so it's out of the question"
- "Yeah, whatever you say Monika. But remember that Love Doctor Sayori keeps her eye on you! Teehee!" I rolled my eyes.
- "Go find your own boyfriend Sayori and not meddle in others' lives!"
- "Ahh, as you say Ms President. So you don't mind if I flirt with Bernard?"
- "What? No, I…"
- "Just kidding, I like someone else, but that look on your face was priceless. Bye!"

I turned my head to Linda:
- "Hey where is my backpack?"
She took it from under some table and gave it to me:
- "Here, with everything you got. Also bernard gave me this and tol to give it to you"
She gave the sword that I found earlier that day in the building. It was covered with dried blood. I took it and placed it in my belt.
- "Thank you. This sword helped my defend myself against the hoarders of zombies, I wouldn't be standing here with you if I didn't have it"
- "Definitely looks very strong and like it went through a lot. Keep it with yourself, you will need to it again"
- "For sure will!" I smiled.