The hospital is a dump. As we pull up to the collapsing door I hear Dad let out a shaky sigh of a relief. I look at him out of the corner of my eye. He's sweating and shaking like crazy. We get out and I feel a shiver travel up my spine despite the hot air. Fiona comes round and helps Dad stumble out of the car. I feel a sense of panic well up in my chest. Will he live? Polly brushes pass me roughly as she stands next Alex.
"Can we get in?" She asks and Alex shakes his head.
"The power's out and the doors are automatic. We should be able to get in through the ambulance bay but it's blocked. I can see the emergency switch on the side which should open the doors but the clasp is jammed." I pull the pistol out of my pocket and join them.
"Will this work?" Alex looks at me.
"What?" I sigh and walk in front of the small plastic box. I take aim and fire. The bang makes me jump but as I expected the joints that hold the cover on fall to the ground with a clunk and I reach over and pull the red leaver down. "Quick, inside. The gun probably attracted some of them." Alex smiles and pats me on the back before going inside followed by Polly, Fiona and my Dad.
"Clever thinking." Fiona praises me and I smile and shrug before going inside and sliding the doors shut again.
I sit in one of the wards next to Dad and watch as Alex and Polly search the cupboards. Dad lies on the bed and I hear him panting uncontrollably, he's gotten so much worse in just an hour. I close my eyes and turn slightly away from him. I don't want him to leave me, now that Mum's gone and Tim is probably dead as well. I feel my grip on such little I have left loosen even more. I'm on the cliff with just a finger holding me on. It'll just take a small nudge to send me falling.
"You okay princess?" I look up. Dad's face is pale and distorted in worry.
"Yeah Dad." I nod and give an uneasy smile. "I'm just worn out. Don't worry about me, you focus on getting better." I take his hand. It's hot. Really hot. I put my hand to his forehead. "Dad! You're burning up!" Just then Alex comes up, carrying a pile of bottles and bandages.
"Here." He throws a cloth and a bottle of disinfectant. "Use that on his wound, by his symptoms, it's going septic." I poor the clear, foul smelling liquid and then delicately place it on Dad's shoulder. He sucks in a breath of pain.
"Sorry!" I take his hand and keep going, his grip getting tighter and tighter.
"We're going to have to stitch it up." I don't look up. "I don't have any pain killers." I stop and examine Dad's wound. It's red and tender round the edge. It was going to hurt. A lot.
"Okay." We swap sides and I retake Dad's hand, brushing the sweat soaked hair out of his face. I take a deep breath and prepare myself for the next few minutes. I squeeze my eyes shut as Dad moans in pain and starts to make sounds that I think is him crying. I squeeze his hand to try and reassure him but the shallow breaths tell me that it isn't working. Thankfully he passes out and Alex can finish the job.
"He'll need some rest." He says as he finishes bandaging the wound up. We go and sit down with the others just opposite. Polly huffs out in annoyance.
"I'm hungry." Alex sighs as he sits.
"Well you better check the canteen then." She gets up in a bratty way with a face on her. I feel like slapping her again.
"Fine. Come on zombie child you can help." Oh God no. I get up silently and as we walk out the door I turn and mouth 'Help me' to Alex and Fiona. They both stifle a laugh. "Come limpy. Huh that one suits you." I roll my eyes and try and walk straighter with constant resist from my leg.
The canteen is metallic and stinks of damp. Plaster keeps falling from the ceiling in the corner as I search the kitchen.
"Find anything?" Polly calls back.
"No."
"Well keep looking." I grit my teeth.
"How about you look yourself. You're the one who wants it." I get up and she looks at me in shock.
"Excuse me?" I stand square to her, she's not much taller than me.
"You heard me. Get off your lazy ass for once and do something for a change." She scoffs.
"Coming from you. Miss 'I'm too injured to do anything useful'." My mouth drops open.
"I'm sorry I tried to save my brother and got bitten! I mean it was really inconsiderate of me to not think of you before I put my family's life first."
"Yeah right." She mumbles. That's it.
"You know what. Fuck you." I walk away with that. I don't care. I feel the tears well up again. The thought of Tim, the nudge to send me falling. I can't believe I left him. I lean against the wall as my legs turn to jelly and dig my fingers into my scalp. "Jesus. Oh Jesus Christ." I began to sob and I hear footsteps coming. I desperately try and wipe them away but it's no use the tears keep coming.
"Abbey?" Fiona runs up to me and puts her arm round my shaking shoulders. "What happened?"
"Ask her." I point to Polly who is stood in the doorway. Did she just roll her eyes. Fiona snaps her head round.
"What?" She spits at us. Fiona gets up and moves towards her.
"I've had it up to here with you and you attitude." Polly rolls her eyes for the millionth time.
"Lay off it grandma." I cover my mouth with my hands. Fiona was probably in her early fourties. I wince as I hear the familiar sound of skin of skin.
"You bitch. Get out. You're not coming with us any more. Come on Abbey." I get up and walk with her, leaving Polly crying in the corner. There it is again. The smugness. I'm liking it.