Outbreak
11. The Hospital Revelations
"And what happened to the little boy?" Taylor asked as Sharpay finished her heartbreaking story. "Is he…?"
Sharpay smiled faintly but did not take her eyes from the road ahead. "He's still at the hotel." She explained as she took a right-turn.
She was driving a large SUV with enough space for all of them. Their destination was still the hospital despite the fact that Troy seemed considerably better with his eyes half-open and speech less slurred. They were all, of course, relieved to have been found by Sharpay; had it not been for her they would certainly have faced painful deaths, but the atmosphere was undeniably tense. Sharpay seemed blissfully oblivious to occasional uncomfortable looks that Gabriella gave Taylor.
"It wasn't a coincidence, y'know." Sharpay spoke up suddenly. "I didn't just stumble upon your car by chance."
They knew she would continue without encouragement so saved themselves the energy of asking her to elaborate. As expected, she explained soon after the pause.
"I've been watching." She told them, swollen with pride. "See, I saw all this movement through the telescope yesterday. Then, this morning, same place. I guess that dump must've been your house." She added derisively. "Then I saw you guys jumping into the car and driving all over the place. You were close to the hotel so I grabbed all the guns I could carry from Ken's closet and I came down to find you. Saved your lives." If it was possible, she seemed even more conceited. "You can thank me later."
She glanced expectantly at the bemused faces and guessed that they weren't in the mood for gratitude. With a scowl, she turned her attention back to the road. "What's wrong with you guys anyway?" She asked; caring less about their injuries and more about their atypical misery.
"They broke into our house." Gabriella told her bluntly. She was about to say more when Chad spoke up with disagreement.
"They didn't break in." He turned to her from the front passenger seat. He was irritated that no-one had yet acknowledged that he had been right all along. "We opened the door and let them in."
Gabriella swallowed down the intense regret for that decision. She couldn't help but wonder; if she'd thought things through properly, not been so overcome with excitement that she couldn't see the various flaws in their presumption, Troy and Taylor would never have gotten hurt. Maybe if she'd just listened to Chad, something she never thought she'd be sorry for, none of this would have happened. Maybe it was all her fault.
"We get it, Chad." Taylor threw in, seeing how Gabriella had been swarmed by regret and knowing that if the conversation continued it would only lead to more heartache. "You were right." She admitted. "But what happened, happened. So drop it, okay?"
The look on Chad's face showed that he didn't approve but Taylor's warning glare was enough to keep him quiet. For a moment, the car was in total, awkward silence as the words that had been left unsaid swelled around them. There was almost a bitterness amongst them as they all avoided each others eyes and tried to focus on anything but this.
"Did… you ever f-f-find… Ryan?" Troy spoke gruffly, his first coherent sentence since being back at the apartment.
A look of sadness glazed over Sharpay's face as both Taylor and Gabriella's sudden anxiety went unnoticed.
"No…" Said Sharpay dejectedly. "But," her solemnity lifted instantly and her face shone with hope. "I will, though. I know I will. He's out there." She finished with certainty.
She thought it must have been twin-senses or something, because she could still feel Ryan's presence with her. Sometimes, it was almost as if she was just going to round a corner one day and he'd be there. She couldn't wait for that day. For now, she felt a part of her was missing. Misplaced, but not lost forever.
Taylor glanced at her best-friend before clearing her throat and speaking. "Do you…" she rethought what she had planned to say. Then, she wondered why she was saying anything at all. "Um… do you remember anything about the prom?"
When Sharpay nodded, Taylor could have sworn that her heart stopped beating.
"A few little things." She answered. She did not go into detail, not realising its significance to Taylor. "Why?"
"We're here!" Gabriella called out with a little too much enthusiasm. To the others, it seemed she was just glad to be where they could help Troy. And, of course, that was part of the reason for her eagerness. But she was mainly pleased to be able to cut Taylor and Sharpay's treacherous conversation short. She didn't know why Taylor was pushing such a delicate subject. The guilt, probably.
Sharpay pulled up as close to the hospital entrance as she could. The car park was littered with open ambulances and cars of the naïve people who'd thought that hospital treatment would help them on that fateful night. Before they could exit the vehicle, Sharpay equipped each one of them with a gun. Then, with the help of Chad and Gabriella, Troy was moved out of the car, through the reception area of the hospital and onto the nearest bed. Taylor followed, limping in the supportive arms of Sharpay.
"We can't stay for long." Sharpay told them all. "We need to be in and out as quickly as possible. So grab what you need and get back to the car."
They complied obediently, all of them knowing already without her having to say it. Taylor and Gabriella sifted through every cupboard and pocketed any medicine or pills or equipment they could find. Sharpay paced by the door, keeping vigilant watch for unwanted company. In the far corner of the lobby, on one of the many abandoned beds, Troy lay waiting for what his best-friend had to say.
"Let's patch you up then." Chad said softly. He glanced around and grabbed a roll of bandage from the nearest surface. Then, he took Troy's bitten hand at the wrist and began to wrap the white material over the wound.
Troy watched as his friend paid attention to the bite, without actually noticing it. It made no sense, he knew, but Chad was ignoring what was right in front of him. He saw that Troy had been bitten. But he refused to acknowledge it. Troy couldn't have been more grateful. For now, they were acting as if this was all normal.
"Thanks." He said as Chad finished. The appreciation was not for the dressing of the wound. It was for Chad's purposeful ignorance. It was for Chad turning a blind eye and being a loyal and trustworthy friend.
"No problem." Chad answered bleakly. He was clearly torn over what he had just done. He knew he shouldn't deny this. Because Troy was going to change, whether he wanted to or not. But he felt like accepting the bite would be like betraying his friend. And that was something he was never willing to do.
Across the room, Gabriella became aware of the inquisitive, far-away frown on Sharpay's face. It looked as though the girl was lost in her own thoughts.
"You okay, Sharpay?" A sudden rush of apprehensive worry washed over Gabriella as Sharpay turned to her. There was a foreign familiarity behind Sharpay's eyes. Gabriella knew exactly what was happening. They weren't avoiding this for much longer.
Sharpay nodded slowly but pursed her lips as she continued to delve into her own jumbled mind. "It's weird…" She began quietly. "Being around you guys, it-… I'm starting to remember."
There was a smash as Taylor's trembling hands released the bottle they held. Sharpay's words made the darker girl's skin visibly pale. Taylor's cagey eyes met Gabriella's and they shared a glance of unexplained disquiet. Sharpay noticed this but was too wrapped up in her own returning memories to care. That was, until, it all came back.
Sharpay's breath was knocked out of her as she was hit with a sudden burst of suppressed memories. Her mouth hung open and her eyes glistened with unshed tears as she tried to convince herself that what her mind was showing her was nothing more than a figment of her imagination. It couldn't be real. These recollections couldn't be real.
"Sharpay…" Gabriella whispered carefully. "We-."
She stopped as the blonde girl's face visibly hardened. A look of pure hatred and fury entered Sharpay's eyes. Then, she pounced.
It happened so quickly that none of them expected it. Not even Sharpay had seen it coming. It was as if her broken heart had taken over her body, rather than her mind. And, although she had no qualms about what she was doing, she couldn't have stopped herself if she tried.
Her hands flew out in all directions as she launched herself forward. Her fingers made impact with Gabriella's neck and she took an unnatural pleasure in the feeling of the other girl's skin being torn beneath her nails. Gabriella cried out, only feeding Sharpay's thirst for pain. The sound of her palm thrashing against Gabriella's cheek as she slapped her was unique. Her hand stung but she didn't stop. She took Gabriella's soft brown hair in her grip and began to pull as hard as she could. She only let go when Taylor grabbed her from behind and knocked her onto the floor.
In tears and clutching her bleeding neck, Gabriella backed as far away as she could as Taylor and Sharpay struggled on the floor. Nails and fist were flying everywhere. Both girls were screaming unheard cries over each other.
"You bitch!" Sharpay yelled repeatedly each time she managed to catch Taylor's face with her fist.
Sobbing and attempting to catch Sharpay's wildly flying hands without fighting back, Taylor continued to plead. "We're sorry." She gasped through tears as the sharp point of Sharpay's high-heeled shoe dug into her already sore ankle. "Please, stop!"
By now, the strange, violent and unprovoked fight had the attention of both Troy and Chad. They had simply watched at first, too shocked and confused to know what to do, but now it was quickly getting out of hand and they knew they had to intervene before someone was seriously injured.
Troy crossed the room with great effort to get to Gabriella. She had her back to the madness as she leaned on the reception desk with her head held low. Her body was shaking violently as she wept non-stop. He laid an apprehensive hand on her shoulder and she turned to him to reveal her wet face and puffy, red eyes. There were four red lines running across her neck, seeping a small amount of blood. Her bloodshot eyes met his and she buried her face in his shoulder. He held her as close as he could, praying that his embrace would lessen her unnerving trembling.
Chad meanwhile was struggling to separate the two thrashing girls on the floor. In the end, he had to take Sharpay by the waist and lift her clean off the ground. She writhed in his arms for a moment before softening into his hold.
"What the hell is going on?" He asked. Sharpay was no longer resisting but he did not release her. Instead, he could only watch as Taylor picked herself up without ease.
"Gabriella had nothing to do with it." Taylor coughed. She was slightly hunched, with one hand resting on her aching midsection and the other dabbing at her split lip.
Sharpay tensed again and Chad unconsciously tightened his grip on her. "All this time," she growled through clenched teeth. "You knew."
Her eyes filled with tears as she bit down hard enough on her lip to draw blood. It finally began to sink in. It crushed her like a ton of bricks and took over all her senses. She could hold the tears back no longer and they poured down her face relentlessly. She blubbered like a child, pausing only briefly to suck in a gasp of air.
Troy saw this development in her emotions, even from across the room. "Knew what?" he asked, though he was starting to wonder if he wanted to find out.
"You knew he was dead," Sharpay continued to sob, inadvertently answering the question. "And you just let me go on."
Gabriella pulled out of Troy's embrace and turned to face Sharpay. "We're so sorry." Her voice was shrill with guilt. Taylor nodded desperately and wiped the salt water from her face.
There was a moment of turbulent silence before Chad spoke up. "Will someone please explain?" He asked.
Both he and Troy were in the same boat of complete cluelessness. They had no idea what had happened, what had reduced the girls to tears, what had been so bad that it had spurred a physical fight between them. And, as desperate as they were to find out, they were reluctantly fearful of the truth.
Fury erupted through Sharpay once again as the same image popped up in her mind. "They killed him!" She screamed, struggling against Chad's restraining arms. She was almost like a tantruming child as her limbs thrashed around randomly. "They killed my brother! I saw them!"
Troy's eyes met Chad's for a second before both boys looked at their girlfriends. What they hadn't expected was for Gabriella and Taylor to bow their heads in shame. This shocking act came as unwanted confirmation of Sharpay's awful claim.
No words could be found for that moment and they were left in silence once again.
For the first time, Sharpay allowed the grief to fully get to her. She realised that she would never see Ryan again. He would never be there to drop his own plans to help with hers. He'd never again be her voice of reason, the angel on her shoulder giving her unheard lessons on morals. He'd never give her that proud smile she'd always loved when she'd done something right. He was gone. Forever. They had taken him from her.
"We should get back to the car." Troy proposed. It was clear that they all needed a little time to think, but they weren't safe where they stood.
They'd all sort of expected it, but when Sharpay shook her head to say no, they were filled with dread.
"No way," she said simply. "You're not coming anywhere with me."
Chad turned her around in his arms so they were facing each other and he had his hands on her shoulders. "We need you, Sharpay." He admitted. "What are we supposed to do?"
The lack of care on her face was strangely intimidating. In fact, the idea of them being left out there to fend for themselves seemed to please her. "Walk," she suggested frankly. "Hot-wire an ambulance, surrender to those grey sons-of-bitches--…" She finished with a careless laugh. "I don't really care." She added. "It's not my problem."
"But-."
The feigned lack of sympathy disappeared as Sharpay lost patience with Chad. "Don't you get it?" She asked, hurt by disbelief. "They murdered my brother!"
Taylor sniffed and advised as politely and softly as she could that they keep the noise down. Her fear that Sharpay would take it the wrong way, quickly became the last of her worries as they all realised that the suggestion had come a little too late.
It seems that the empty hospital wasn't as empty as they'd presumed. In actual fact, it was inhabited by a lone Savage who had slowly been locating his prey by the sound of their voices. Sharpay's final outburst had been enough for him to ascertain their exact positions. Now confident of his own impending success, he finally made his presence know to them.
He burst through a door to their right. No words had to be spoken before all five of the shocked teenagers made a run for the entrance.
Troy had to battle through the haze of agony and dizziness, thankful for the aid of his girlfriend as she helped him to the car. Knowing that Taylor was too slow with her limp, Chad scooped her into his arms with ease and carried her outside. Sharpay was running close behind them when a clatter and a thud made it known that she had lost her footing and fallen.
From the safety of inside the locked car, they watched as her gun slid from her hand and out of reach. Then, as the Savage found her and pounced onto her defenceless body. They heard her screaming for help as she fought as hard as she could to keep her flesh away from the gnashing teeth. And they knew they had a choice to make.
The keys were already in the ignition. They could easily just drive away and leave her there. After all, that's what she had planned to do to them. But it was safe to say that there was already enough guilt swimming around. And having her death on their hands would add too much to the already unbearable equation.
Chad already knew what he had to do. He already knew that he was the only one in a good condition to do it. He took a deep breath to ready himself, gave Taylor a kiss on the cheek and exited the car. He ran as fast as he could at the muscled creature and wrestled him to the ground. Sharpay didn't miss the opportunity of freedom and rolled instantly out of the way. She scrambled to retrieve her gun and then got to her feet.
Other than earlier that day, she'd never fired a gun. And, aside from her practice in golf, she'd never been confident with her aiming skills. Now, Chad's life depended on her accuracy. If she missed the shot, she could blow the innocent boys head off.
"Shoot him!" Chad begged. He was using all his strength to hold the Savage off him. But it didn't help matters that, in doing so, he was rolling them both this way and that, creating an impossible target.
Holding the gun in both hands, Sharpay pointed the barrel towards the writhing bodies on the floor. She steadied her aim. Pulled the trigger.
The gunshot echoed through her mind. She hadn't noticed, but somewhere between locating her target and shooting, she had shut her eyes. Great idea, she thought. She opened them now with fearful anticipation and hoped desperately that she wouldn't see Chad lying dead on the ground in front of her.
He was grunting and groaning at the strain of having to remove the heavy, dead body of the Savage from on top of him. The relief of not having killed him was enough to make Sharpay laugh out loud.
When he'd freed himself from beneath the carcass, Chad slowly pulled himself to a standing position. "Good shot." He congratulated her, genuinely surprised to still be alive.
She nodded dismissively as if she had expected this outcome. Her triumphant smile only remained on her face for a second longer. It vanished as soon as she caught sight of the crimson stain seeping through the white areas of Chad's black shirt. Her heart jumped into her throat at the possibility of having shot him.
He followed her shaken gaze to a small round hole in the fraying fabric of his top. With a frown, he traced the area with tentative fingertips before raising the hand in front of his face for inspection. "Oh…" He said quietly upon noticing that his fingers were soaked with blood. He glanced down again at his side where the thick liquid was now pulsing from the bullet hole in his favourite t-shirt.
He looked back at Sharpay expectantly, as if waiting for her to explain. She was at a loss for words but couldn't help but notice how his eyelids fluttered slightly every time he blinked. "Ch-Chad…?" She began reluctantly also unable to ignore how his breath was coming out in heaved pants and he was swaying slightly on the spot.
He opened his mouth a bit and gave her a sluggish nod. All his movements seemed to be going in slow-motion. Even when he blinked, his eyes stayed closed for longer than they were open.
She couldn't believe she was asking this. "Are you okay?"
He shut his eyes and frowned as if trying to come up with an answer. It didn't hurt. But he was more confused than anything. Everything was all jumbled and blurred and backwards and slow. He felt like he was floating. He felt like he was suffocating. And Sharpay was moving all over the place. At one point, he could have sworn there was two of her.
"Mm-hmm." He answered. His own voice bounced around in his head. He suddenly felt unbalanced, as if he'd just stepped off a round-about, and felt the urge to grab on to Sharpay for support.
When he reached for her, however, she was not there. She was fading away into the darkness that swarmed from the corners of his vision. He was powerless to stop it. And, before he knew, the entire world had faded into black nothing.
A/N: Boo me for the delay in update! Sorry. But I'm ecstatic to announce that I have no more exams and so am off school until September! Can you believe? That leaves me with a lot of time to write, don't you agree?
Thank you to my four new readers (wow! I love that people are still discovering this) for reviewing; ILuvZacEfron, scabbyabby, mzwendy85 and MaxRideRox (btw, yea I did get a bit of inspiration from I Am Legend but mainly from my favourite film 28 Days Later! And you were close with your prediction. I hope I've dodged your rubber chicken! Those things can be deadly ;D). Also thanks to my usuals, ChaylorTwilightQueen10, bex (I hope you're not too peeved off at my sorta fearsome portrayal of Sharpay in this chapter, what with her catfight and then shooting Chad... The next one is a flashback and after that, I try to get more into her caring side so just hold on!), HisDelilah, general wildcat and lilmissmonique. You know, of course, my loyal friends, that I have an endless supply of love for you!
On another note, happy belated birthday to Her Majesty the Queen and here is your preview for what's to come!
Next Time;
I wondered if this was all a dream. It didn't make sense. But it felt so real. I could still feel Gabriella's hand on my shoulder. Could still distantly hear her telling me that I did what I had to do. That we did what we had to do. I could see my own blood-drenched hands and smell the metallic tang that the liquid emitted. But I couldn't believe it. I couldn't believe any of it.
Yep, we'll be finding out why on Earth they killed our favourite jazz-square-enthusiast! Stay tuned!
xX M Xx
