Apocalypse Z (A Zombie Novel) (7 page)

As she past the guard, she smiled and said, “Hello, Sam.” And she ran her hand down his arm.

He threw her a goofy smile and said, “Hello, Sheryl.”

The doctor came over and checked Todd’s arm. “Yes, it’s broken. We’ll need to put a cast on it. Our X-ray is down with the power so I’ll set it the best I can.” Then he carefully checked his eyes. “Sheryl, please start an I.V. on him.”

Alarmed, Lisa looked over at Mark, then back to the doctor. “What’s with the I.V.?”

The doctor stepped away from Todd and said, “He’s a little dehydrated. Combine that with the broken arm, and he’s basically going into shock. But don’t worry. We’ll get a little fluid in him and he’ll be fine. I just want to keep him here until tomorrow.” He went over to a cabinet and took out a little bottle. Handing it to the nurse, he said, “Give him this to ease some of the pain.” Then he turned and went back through the door.

Sheryl smiled at Mark. “He’ll be fine.”

The doctor came back a few minutes later with a small box. He took out the contents and started the cast. Lisa watched the nurse set up the I.V. and noticed she wasn’t paying much attention to anyone in the room except for Mark. No matter who asked a question, she would always look directly at him when answering. Dedee and Jet noticed this as well, but Mark seemed not too.

After the doctor and nurse left, the guard said he would show them the cafeteria and they could get something to eat and drink. Jeff and Jet decided to stay with Todd while everyone else followed him to the cafeteria. They walked out the door the doctor had entered and left through.

Following a long hallway with closed doors on each side, they came to another and made a right turn. This one was longer and seemed to go on forever. Finally, they came to what looked like a lobby. The guard pointed to the right and told them the cafeteria was just inside the double doors.

Once inside, they went to the serving area and grabbed a tray. Mark and Amy got some Salisbury steak while Lisa and Dedee got the spaghetti and meat balls. They chose a table and began to quietly eat. Lisa watched as Dedee got up and went back to the serving area. While she was gone, Lisa saw the nurse from the ER come in and sit at a table on the other side of the room. When Dedee returned, she had a large soda with ice.

Lisa noticed the nurse kept looking over at their table and she started to feel a little nervous. She had got a strange vibe from everyone so far who worked there and wondered if the nurse was there to keep tabs on them.

Mark asked Dedee where the soda fountain was and excused himself from the table. Lisa watched the nurse as Mark walked away and the nurse’s eyes seemed to follow him. She was looking him up and down like she was sizing up a side of beef. Lisa pursed her lips and said, “I don’t trust that nurse.”

Amy asked, “What nurse?”

“That one from the ER. She’s such a fake.”

Amy looked that way and asked, “Why do you say that?”

“Well… just look at her. That hair is obviously from a bottle. That tan? She got that from a booth in some salon. Her boobs are so fake and I bet she even had a butt job. She must be about 30… there is no way a person can have a body that perfect.”

“Oh,” Amy said as she took another bite.

They watched as the nurse got up, started walking toward the serving area, and stopped Mark as he came out. Glancing over toward the table and smiling, she put her hands on Mark’s shoulder and whispered something into his ear. Running her left hand down his back, she slid it into the back pocket of his pants.

Not realizing it, Lisa let out a little huff. Dedee and Amy looked at her, but didn’t say a word. Mark returned to the table and sat down. Lisa asked, “What was that all about?”

Mark set his soda down and pulled a folded up piece of paper from his pocket. He read it silently before he said, “She wants to meet with me tomorrow morning. She has something very important to tell me and I have to come alone.”

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The doctor entered Paula’s room where she remained in the restraints. He took a syringe and drew a blood sample from her arm as he spoke. “You’ll be alright, Paula. You know I need to test it before I can announce it. Just wait a couple more days and you’ll see. It’ll work this time. I promise you’re not going to die or turn into one of those zombies. I’m just going to check your blood for progress, okay?”

Having little choice but to hope he was right this time, she nodded her head. He went out, put the sample on a slide, and looked at it under a microscope. After studying it for a long time, he finally looked up and smiled. He walked over to Paula’s door. “It looks like its working; they’re attaching themselves to the virus.” Paula mumbled through the gag. The doctor shook his head. “No, not yet, but I will let you up in a few days.” She pulled at the restraints and began to sob.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Everyone was in the room with Todd. Jeff was sitting back in a chair with his arms around Jet. She was asleep on his lap with her arms folded up and her legs hanging over one of the arms. Todd had some of his color back and looked much better. With his meeting in mind, Mark checked his watch for the time. Lisa paced the floor in the silent room. This was playing on Dedee’s nerves so she told her to stop and sit down.

Lisa turned and noticed everyone in the room was watching her. “Sorry, I’m just a little nervous I guess.”

Jeff asked, “Why? We should be out of her soon.”

“No, it’s not that. Mark is supposed to meet that nurse. Apparently, she has something very important to tell him, but he has to go alone. I don’t like it and I don’t trust her.”

Mark spoke up, “Well, I don’t think I need to worry about her overpowering me or anything. Besides, it’ll be a lot less conspicuous if only one person goes.”

Lisa leaned back on the counter and crossed her arms. Looking away, she shook her head.

Mark got up. “I’m going to have a look outside to see what the zombies are doing.”

Amy asked, “Lisa, you seem kinda edgy. Why don’t you go into the room next door and get some sleep?”

“I think I’ll do just that.”

Before she left the room, she heard Mark coming back and saying, “Just flippin’ wonderful. When you think things can’t get any worse than what they already are, you get shit slapped right upside the head.”

Lisa waited there for him to come back in. Curious, she asked, “What’s wrong?”

Mark sat down. “Do you really want know what’s wrong? Those dammed zombies flipped the truck. Right now, it’s outside the door, resting upside down on its roof.”

Amy said, “Why don’t you and Lisa get some sleep? We’ll figure something out in the morning.”

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Mark woke to the sound of the alarm on his watch. Climbing out of the bed, he rubbed his face, trying to wake up. Lisa was leaning against the doorframe with her arms crossed. “Do I need to say it again?”

Mark shook his head. “No, you’ve made yourself perfectly clear.”

She stared at him for a minute then said, “And you know you could be walking into a trap?”

“I’ll admit it is possible, but then aren’t we already trapped here anyway?”

Her face softened a bit. “Yeah, I guess we are.”

“Let me go see what she wants. I promise I’ll come right back and we can all met up here. Then I’ll tell you what she had to say.”

Lisa threw her hands out and said, “Fine!” She stepped back as Mark left the room and she watched him walk down the hallway. Going over to a chair next to the bed, she plopped down in it and crossed her arms as she said, “Fine!”

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

When Mark entered the room, Sheryl was already there waiting. “Good, you made it.”

“What is it you need to tell me?”

“You and your friends are in danger.”

Mark’s insides started to knot up. “What do you mean?”

“The doctor has gone off the deep end. He has been trying to come up with a vaccine that will stop the zombie virus.” Mark tried to speak, but Sheryl continued. “The bad part is that he has been using the patients as test subjects and he’s turned them all into zombies.”

Mark felt a chill and had to sit down. “But how? He’s a doctor; he’s supposed to help people.”

“He was at one time, but his wife was one of the first to become infected. From what I hear, he went home one night and found her in the kitchen. She had cut her abdomen open and was eating her own intestines.”

Mark had a vivid visualization and felt his stomach beginning to tighten. “What are we supposed to do? The truck we came in is sitting upside down in the parking lot.”

Sheryl put her hand on his chest. “I need you to help get me out of here. In turn, I will help you. You see, the doctor has run out of patients to test. My friend Paula has gone missing and I fear he’s now using the staff.”

“Why can’t everyone stand up together and stop him? You easily out number him.”

“It’s not that simple; people are scared to. The last nurse that tried was thrown out. She only got about thirty feet before those things out there got a hold of her. Everyone in the hospital could hear her screaming and begging for help while those things ripped her to pieces.”

“That’s fucked up.” He shook his head in disgust. “But right now we don’t even have a vehicle and I don’t know where to find one.”

“I think…” She stopped when they heard footsteps out in the hallway. They both listened carefully as they drew closer.

Sheryl pulled her scrub shirt off, “Hurry, take off your clothes and get in the bed. If the guard catches us in here talking, we could be thrown out.”

Mark pulled his shirt off and froze. Sheryl stood before him wearing only a tiny black thong. She was perfect, what every eighteen-year-old boy fantasizes about, and she was standing there before him in the living flesh. She helped him get his pants off and shoved him onto the bed. She climbed on top of him. Just as the door started to open, she leaned forward and began to kiss him.

He heard a man’s voice say, “Oh, sorry, Sheryl.” And the door closed.

She sat up and looked down at him. “He was supposed to have been through here half an hour ago, but I think we’re okay.” She moved her hips, her eyes got big and she smiled. “I can tell you have been blessed. What do you say we finish what we started here then figure out a plan?”

Mark was unable to speak, all he could do was look at her so she asked, “Don’t you want me?”

He thought to himself.
Do I want you? Oh hell yes I want you
. He grabbed her and rolled her over onto her back. She started kissing his chest. Her lips were soft and the feel of her body under his, drove him wild. He caressed her face and gently ran his fingertips over her breasts and down her sides to her hips. Slipping his fingers under her thong, he slowly pulled it down her legs. She kicked it off her ankle and onto the floor as she ran her hands up his sides to his shoulders.

She let out a gentle moan as he slid himself inside her and began thrusting. Looking into her eyes and the feel of her smooth soft skin in his hands only intensified the experience. He lowered his head and began kissing her neck. She ran the tips of her long nails gently over his back and up to his shoulders. She felt him swell up as he released and filled her. She held onto his arms tightly as she arched and took it all in. Biting her lip, she let out a satisfied moan.

He lay on top of her, both of them out of breath. Neither one could speak. He started to get up, but she wrapped her legs around him and pulled him back. She looked into his eyes and smiled, then barley got out the words, “That was incredible, can you do that again?”

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Paula watched the doctor enter her room and take more of her blood. The last two days had been pure torture for her. He had put her into this situation against her will and she wondered how he could so easily take the lives he swore to save. He said with a smile, “This will only take a few minutes. So far everything looks good. Maybe in a day or two, I can let you up.” He walked out of the room.

She closed her eyes tightly and prayed for good news. She waited for what seemed like forever before he returned. This time he wasn’t smiling; his face wore the look of defeat as he spoke. “I’m sorry, Paula. The virus has started to speed up. I give you a couple of hours before it has completely taken over your body. But look on the bright side, your death will come quicker and you should feel less pain than the others did.”

Her heart sank and tears filled her eyes as all hope of getting out of this alive faded away. She wanted to reach out and hurt him in some way for what he did to her. She pulled at the restraints and struggled to get free, but she couldn’t. All she could do was lie there and wait, hoping it would be like drifting off to sleep. She thought about her husband and two children waiting for her in the MQC and how she would never get to see them again.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Lisa paced in the hallway outside of Todd’s room while Amy sat inside with her brother. “Lisa, why don’t you come in here and sit down?”

She continued pacing as she said, “Where is he? It’s been two hours already. I didn’t want him to go alone, but he wouldn’t listen. I swear that man is impossible.” And she flung her arms out. “He is going to drive me nuts.”

Amy asked, “Do you like him?”

Lisa stopped. “What?”

“I said… Do you like him?”

“You mean Mark? Well… yeah, as a friend, but that’s all. I mean, I trust him. I know when shit starts to fly, he’ll have our backs. Who I don’t trust is that nurse. I just know she set a trap for him! I knew something was going on by the way she was sizing him up like a cougar about to pounce on some meat.”

“Maybe it wasn’t a trap. Maybe she was just horny.”

Lisa turned and threw her a hard stare. Amy tried to push herself farther back into the chair. Feeling the stress, she bit her lip and slowly said, “And maybe she’s not.”

Twenty minutes later, Mark came walking down the hallway. Lisa asked, “Where the hell have you been?”

Mark had a surprised look on his face. “You know where I was. Where’s everyone else?”

“They’re asleep a couple of rooms over.”

“Well, wake them up and get them in here. This is serious and we don’t have much time.”