Dead and Forsaken (20 page)

“
GROOOWWWL!”

They
clamored over one another bodies trying to get a mouthful of flesh.
The metal door slammed tight behind me as I ducked inside. The first
set of undead reached the doors several moments later.

“
BLAM!
BLAM! BLAM!”

The
dead things thrust their fists into the door over and over again.
They pounded and scratched against it like caged animals. The mob of
carnivores relentlessly plowed into the door but it held.

We
took refuge inside the x-ray room where other survivors were hold
up. A quick glance around suggested that at least a dozen of us had
escaped. Now there was only one door separating us from the growing
numbers of the flesh-eating mob. Several small lights hooked to the
emergency generators illuminated the room. Scans of an unknown
patients head and chest still hung on the light table. This was once
one of the oldest x-ray departments in the valley. The equipment was
more than twenty years old and broke down all the time. The entire
department got upgraded by funds from a private grant. The new x-ray
machine could detect broken bones as well as kidney stones and other
conditions. It was even capable of filming patients standing up or
lying down. No matter where you were in the room the only view was a
wall or X-rays fancy new toy. The tile was new and the paint was
fresh but there was nowhere to run. The windowless room was dimly
lit like a tomb. Without all the lights on we were just like
primitive man. We feared the predators that lurked just out of sight
because now it was too dark to see them coming.

The
first thing I saw was Maria’s concerned face. We both had made
it through that first long hot night of terror only to wake up to an
even crazier day. The overwhelming smell of sweat and hours of
living without air conditioning filled room. My adrenaline was
pumping and I gasped hard trying to suck in air. No one was talking
but I could hear heavy breathing and faint crying. These people
fought hand to hand and suffered a lot of casualties. Many of them
were on edge mentally and worn out physically. They
were
full of fear and on the verge of panic. For the second time in a few
hours they saw their friends and loved ones slaughtered. Most of
them stood by helplessly out numbered. It was a gruesome scene of
life and death. Maria hugged me tight, closed her eyes, and pressed
her head into my chest. I locked my arms around her and pulled her
body close.

“
Where were you?” I
asked. “I looked everywhere. I started to think I lost you!”

“
It's OK where together
now!” she whispered into my ear. “I know you'll get us
out of this.”

The
rest of the people in the room huddled together in small groups.
They sat on the floor and leaned against the wall. Others anxiously
paced back and forth still shaking from their ordeal. One woman just
squatted down crying into her hands. A male staff member in the
corner curled up in a ball and started doing the same thing. Carlos
pressed his ear against the cold metal door and listened. The
pounding had stopped but he could still hear something moving around
on the other side. Blair was standing behind him. In the low light I
could see her shaking in fear. She had one hand on his waist and one
on her belly.

All
of the carnage had made her sick. She threw up in the trashcan next
to the door.

“
Is everything OK?”
she asked wiping her mouth.

He
turned around to answer her but never got a chance.

“
BLAM!
BLAM! BLAM!”

The
pounding started again. It caused both of them to jump back away
from the door. The noise grew louder and a chorus of grunts and
moans followed.

“
GROOOWWWL!”

“
How
long do you think this door will keep them out?” asked a
nursed named Joan. “Hopefully were not the only ones who found
a safe place to hide!”

“
Not
long enough!” responded Joe. “Let’s hope it’s
stronger than it looks. It wasn’t meant to take this type of
punishment!”

“
BLAM!
BLAM! BLAM!”

People
began to sob pray and call out to God.

“
Try to keep your voices
down!” I whispered out. “It’ll be OK!”

Pastor Harrell did not say
anything but he was feeling convicted about taking another life. He
had to bash in the head of a young forsaken boy with a computer
monitor. He was trying to kill an old woman and the pastor came to
her rescue. He promised God he would live by his commandments
including thou shall not kill. His strict upbringing caused his
faith to be unwavering but having to take a life shook his
foundation.

“
Those
things on the other side of the door use to be our friends and
family!” said the Pastor.

“
We
must honor them by keeping our covenant of faith with God! He is the
way, the truth, and the light!”

“
BLAM!
BLAM! BLAM!”

They
continued to knock but didn’t get a response from us.

“
God created a lot of
things but he did not make those crazy people!” said Randy. “I
think its aliens or a government conspiracy!”

“
That is a bunch of
crazy talk!” said Carlos. “Those things we killed were
not aliens. They were human!”

“
We can’t look at them
as humans.” said Kahleem. “No matter what God you
worship! They must be destroyed! Trust me it’s not something I
like to think about but we have to protect ourselves!”

The
world was a different place now. It was kill or be killed! We could
debate whether it was right or wrong later. Now was not the time to
get emotional. After two hours the room had become a furnace. With
that many people trapped inside the heat was becoming a serious
problem. We did our best to fan ourselves to stay cool.

“
Hhhhmmmm! Hhhhmmmm!”

I
looked over to see where the humming was coming from. An old man was
standing up wiping the sweat of his forehead.

“
Sir you’re sweating
more than a prostitute sitting in church!” said Joe.

The
man’s thirst was overpowering and he was close to becoming
dehydrated.

“
Ooooh Jesus!” he cried
out.

Suddenly
he clutched his chest with his hand. His eyes closed and his head
slumped forward as he collapsed over and hit the floor hard. The
impact left him motionless.
Everyone
was startled.
A couple of people
tried to help him. Their instincts and medical training kicked in.
They could see a 2 inch cut and massive bruising on his forehead. It
was superficial but bleeding bad enough to slowly stain his shirt.
Joe the tech grabbed a sheet off the table and pressed it against
the wound. Maria let me go and went to help. The old man Mr.
Schrieffer was trying hard to show that he wasn’t scared but
you could see it in his eyes.

“
Sir are you alright?”
she asked. “Are you OK? Don't worry! I'm going to take care of
you!”

She grabbed a portable oxygen tank
and put a mask on him.

“
I’ve had chest
pains since I woke up this morning!” Mr. Schrieffer said
pressing his hand gingerly over his heart. “I just got too
excited after everything that’s going on.”

“
Don’t worry sir
just relax!” she told him.

“
It's so dark in here!”
he said while panting heavily.

Suddenly he had a strange rattling
in his throat. His mouth was wide open and his breathing was
labored.

“
I have to find my wife!”
he mumbled. “Where is she?”

One minute he was talking to Maria
as she was trying to get a pulse with her finger and then he just
stopped breathing. This was bad because the x-ray department did not
have a portable defibrillator.

“
Check him good! He
probably got bit by one of those things!” Kahleem cautiously
cried out.

“
He is not bitten idiot!
He is having a heart attack!” Dr. Green said sarcastically.

He stood over top of the helpless
man smoking a cigarette but did not try to help.

“
Dr. Green I think that
is highly inappropriate and unnecessary!” Dr. Okonkwo declared
as he took his shoe off his swollen foot. “That man is still
our patient!”

“
You’re all just a
bunch of fucking bleeding hearts!” he mumbled. “I got
into medicine to make money not to be the next Pope.

Doctor Green had been accused of
being biased towards the poor and women in the past but this was a
new low even for him. Maria, Joan and George the young paramedic
tried to give the old man CPR. They took turns pumping his chest and
breathing for him until his heart started beating again. Joe checked
the room for supplies in the cabinets and drawers.

“
If you are not going to help
them at least put that cigarette out!” Joan yelled. “This
man almost died! He has a deep laceration and his heart condition is
severe!”

Dr.
Green shook his head from side to side while sporting a devilish
grin.

“
In case you did not see all
those people getting eaten alive I am off the clock!” Dr.
Green smugly replied while blowing a smoke ring. “Besides I
don’t save lives for free and from the look of grandpa's cheap
watch he doesn’t look like he has any cash on him!”

His
breath reeked of alcohol and he was on edge from the cocktail of
drugs he had mixed for himself to deal with his trembling hands and
raging hangover.

“
Why is his financial status
relevant?” asked George. “How can you live with
yourself?”

“
I would love to live with
myself! I date girls half my age and drive a Bentley.” Dr.
Green shot back while dropping the lit cigarette next to the sick
man. “If that’s not good enough I also stay in a six
bedroom house in Scottsdale. So money always matters!”

“
You are such an asshole!”
Joan said while putting the cigarette out with her foot. “If
this man dies I am going to drag you before the board of trusties
for negligence!”

“
Let me guess next you’re
going to tell me smoking is only permitted in certain areas of the
hospital.” He said with a smile. “You just go ahead
bitch! I keep my lawyer on speed dial! Besides we’ll probably
all end up rotting to death in this forgotten room!”

“
Heartless people like you
disgust me!” said Joan “Somewhere somebody has figured
this thing out we just need to remain calm and look out for each
other!”

“
That’s funny you
seemed a little bit more friendly after last year's Christmas
party!” replied Dr. Green. “As I remember we got
friendly all night long!”

She
got upset and slapped him across the face breaking his glasses.

“
Well thanks to the four
shots of Patrone you gave me!” said Joan. “I didn't
realize how much of an asshole you are!”

“
Asshole or not women like
you find me irresistible! I was the best lover you ever had!”
he boasted. “All of your moaning and the scratches on my back
were proof of that! Don’t get me wrong the thought of hitting
that tight little ass again has crossed my mind but I don’t do
charity work!”

“
Shut your mouth you filthy
pig!” she screamed.

Joan
ran towards him and slapped him across the face but Carlos and I
grabbed her before she could do any real damage.

“
All of y’all need to
be quiet!” said Carlos. “Those motherfuckers are still
outside.”

“
You heard what he said!”
I added. “Cut that shit out! This isn't the time! We have
women and children here!”

After
we got them separated Maria told us we would have to monitor Mr.
Schrieffer until we were rescued.

“
How are you feeling Dr.
Okonkwo?” asked Anne one of the girls from registration.

“
I feel like I was run over
by an elephant!” he said with a smile. She placed a rolled up
sheet under his foot to elevate it. “Is that better sir?”
she asked.

“
Thank you Anne I appreciate
this!” Dr. Okonkwo told her. “I guess I am lucky. It
could be broken!”

“
Is the old man going to be
OK?” said a small female voice from the other side of the
room.

“
Don’t worry guys he is
going to be OK!” Maria told them.

At
times Alex cries for his mother but Latia stayed silent. She was
trying to be strong but her eyes were red. It looked like she had
been crying. Maria keeps trying to communicate with her but she will
not talk about what happened. Latia was very protective of her
brother. She never lets him out of her sight. He was the only family
she had left. She was just a kid but she realized the situation was
worse than we let on. They already had witnessed so much death,
despair, and bloodshed. Both children were scared and hungry. They
did not appear harmed physically. Maria hugged them tight trying not
to show she was scared too. She knew that even if they made it out
of this hospital they would need years of therapy.
She
could tell from the miserable look on their faces and hopeless look
in their eyes that they were having trouble trying to coop with this
tragedy.

“
Don’t worry guys!”
she said flashing a huge smile. “Kevin is going to get us out
of here!”

“
Can't we just stay in
here with the door locked?” asked Randy.