May be posting another chapter as soon as tomorrow or Monday.
"You can do this Ashley, you can do this!" I chant over and over to myself as my hand lingers on the doorknob to Dr. Johnson's room. I take a deep breath before twisting the nob and going in.
"Oh hello Ashley, you're back." He looks up from his book and smiles. "Is everything okay? You left out of here in such a rush earlier." He says as he places his book on the table next to him.
I calm my nerves, taking another deep breath as I walk over and take a seat in front of him. "I need to tell you something Dr. Johnson."
He narrows his eyes and nods. "Well go ahead dear."
"It's about Rebecca." I add after a moment.
I can see sadness spread in his eyes. "What about her?" He asks.
I gulp a lemon before sighing, "She's here." I finally say.
He gives me a confused look, looking around for a moment before turning back to me. "I'm not sure I understand." He says.
"Not here in this room." I clarify. "But, she is down the hall."
"What?" He asks, shooting up from his seat, I guess as fast as an old man can. "What do you mean? You told me she was dead Ashley, that when the building was taken over, those things got her. You told me they killed her and I believed you." He half shouts at me; his old fragile body shaking with every word.
"I...she was." I nod. "She is." I correct myself.
"I don't understand." He says again.
"Dr. Johnson, that day that I saw you in the stairwell and told you Rebecca was dead, that the zombies had taken her, I wasn't lying to you." I try to explain to her.
"Then if she's dead, how can she be down the hall?" He questions, starting for the door.
"Dr. Johnson, you need to wait." I walk after him, reaching him before he could leave the room.
"I need to see her, I need to talk to her." He tells me trying to move me out of the way, but with no luck.
"Dr. Johnson you need to listen!" I place my hands on both his shoulders. "I need to tell you what you're about to see." I tell him, but he's not listening to me. He breaks free and gets out of the room. As he's walking down the hall he begins to call out Rebecca's name, asking where she is; causing everyone to come out of their rooms and into the hallway.
"Ashley, what's going on?" Tim asks, glancing down the hall at Dr. Johnson then back to at me.
"I was trying to tell him about Rebecca." I explain.
"Why is he calling her name? Doesn't he know?" Spencer comes up next to me and asks.
"I guess he doesn't understand, or doesn't want to." I shrug. "He's gonna find her and I don't think he's going to be able to handle it." I turn to her and say.
"You need to stop him then." She tells me. I sigh again before taking off down the hall after Dr. Johnson.
"What the hell's going on around here, is this the looney bin?" The dark-haired girl yells through the glass of the room they're in. I seriously don't have time for her smart ass remarks right now. I watch as Dr. Johnson get's closer and closer to the lab where we're holding Rebecca. "Seriously though! Can we leave?" She shouts. Okay, enough! I practically kick open the door to the room and get right in her face.
"If you don't shut your fucking mouth, I swear I'll shut it for you." I say, my face a mere inches from hers.
"Is that a promise?" She asks with a smirk and raised brow. I grit my teeth and step back. I'm two seconds away from beating the shit out of this girl.
"You have your food and water, now just sit down and shut up like a good little girl and maybe, just maybe I'll let you live." Is my reply.
"We just want to leave." She raises her chin and says. What exactly was that supposed to do to me. I glance out the window and see that Dr. Johnson is only two rooms away from Rebecca.
"You're not going anywhere, and I don't have time for this right now." I tell the girl.
"My name is Hannah by the way." She shouts at my retreating figure. I don't believe I asked her that.
"Dr. Johnson!" I shout, catching up to him.
"Where is she Ashley? You told me she was here but I can't find her. I've looked everywhere, but I can't find her. You told me that she was here yet I can't see her. She's not here is she? Is this a trick. I'm too old for games. Where is she?"
"Dr. Johnson, slow down." I pull him to a stop, making him face me. "Rebecca is here." I nod. "But she's not alive, she's not like you and I." I shake my head. "Do you understand what I'm saying?" I ask slowly, hoping he would get it.
He pauses for a moment, his breathing a little heavy. "I do." He nods and smiles. "Where is she?" He asks after a moment, looking around.
Yeah, he clearly doesn't get it.
"Dr. Johnson," I sigh out.
"Just let me see her, take me to her please." He begs. I shake my head, knowing this is a mistake in his condition; but he is her grandfather and he deserves to know.
"Okay." I nod, placing a hand on his back. He nods as I usher him down the hall to the lab. I slowly turn the handle, hoping that this won't play out like I'm seeing it in my head. "Rebecca." He whispers once the door his fully opened. Eric and Angel stop what they're doing and step aside. I watch as Dr. Johnson slowly makes his way over to his granddaughter. His back is to me, but I don't need to see his face to know the expression on it. It's the same one I have every time I'm in the same room with her. The pain of seeing her this way is too much some times. I don't always show it, and I know that I almost killed her to protect Spencer, but I do love her still. She will always have a place in my heart. "Rebecca." He says again once he reaches her. She chomps and growls at him, startling him; almost making him fall to the floor.
"Dr. Johnson you shouldn't get so-"
"How long has she been this way?" He turns and asks me. My mouth doesn't open, I can't force the words out. "How long?!" He shouts, making Angel, Eric and myself; jump.
"Since that day I told you about her in the stairwell I guess." I answer in a low voice. His lip quivers as he turns back to her. He reaches out a hand to touch her but she chomps at it and he quickly pulls it back.
"Take these restraints off her!" He turns and shouts at Eric.
Eric shakes his head. "Sir I can't-"
"Now!"
"Dr. Johnson, if we take the restraints off her she'll only come after us." I tell him as I walk over to him. "This isn't the Rebecca you knew anymore. She's-"
"Gone." He cuts me off. Glancing at Rebecca then back to me. "That's why I want you to take the restraints off of her."
"I don't understand."
"She wouldn't want to live this way." He shakes his head. "Not as one of those things." He says and before I could react he'd already grabbed a knife from medical tray behind him. It all happened so fast. I don't miss much but I didn't even see Eric take the knife from him, or push him away from Rebecca.
"What the-"
"We're trying to cure her." Eric says to Dr. Johnson, cutting me off. I stare at him in shock. He glances at me with narrowed eyes before turning back to Dr. Johnson. "We're making a cure that could possibly save the world, change everyone back, including your granddaughter." He explains. Dr. Johnson stares at him blankly. "Do you understand what I'm saying? What we're trying to do?" He asks him.
"Dr. Johnson," I say softly as I finally snap out of shock. "...we're gonna make Rebecca better. Make her back to her old self. But we can't do that without you. We can't figure this out without your help." I explain to him.
"My help?" He turns to me and asks.
"Yeah." I nod. "You worked here, you know how to do this stuff. This was your job...is your job."
"I don't think I can-"
"You can." I nod again, placing a comforting hand on his shoulder. "I know that you love your granddaughter very much sir, and I know that your would do anything to get her back. She's the only family you have left and you can save her. You can save everyone."
"I can't." He shakes his head.
"We need your help." Eric speaks up. "We pretty much have the antigen complete but we need an expert for the rest. I was science geek but I'm no chemist. This is something that needs to be done properly and you're the only one that can."
Dr. Johnson looks around the room at everyone, almost like he's debating on whether or not to help. "Whose blood are you testing?" He questions, rolling up his sleeves as he makes his way over to the microscope.
"Spencers." I answer him.
"She was bitten?" He turns to me and asks.
"Yeah, but my blood cure her." I tell him.
"Seems as though there is much for me to catch up on." He says and turns back to the microscope. Bending down to look into the glass.
"So you're gonna help us?" Angel asks, walking towards us.
"Save the world?" He turns to her and asks, a smile planted firmly on his face. She nods. "Of course." He replies, turning back to the microscope.
We are officially back on track.