Rise Once More (9 page)

“
There are a few more things, but we can take care of them along the way.”

Chapter Ten

Flew The Coop

When I arrived at the hospital, the scene had changed so much I felt as if I was in the wrong town or even the wrong universe. The quiet mountain town with its clean streets and sidewalks filled with curious tourists was all but abandoned. There were no signs of life, no people in the streets, and no cars driving through town.

A true ghost town, as I walked into the ER entrance I couldn't help but feel I was being watched. There were medical supplies strewn about the hallway with blood soaked gurneys turned about in different directions. Dried droplets of blood painted the floor like a small child’s freckled face. The nurse's station phone rang incessantly, calls ignored; I can only guess that the staff had fled like rats from a sinking ship.

The feeling to run away gripped me hard, but I knew I had to find out Cox's fate. Even it was to put the poor bastard out of his misery. I walked slowly up the halls, pausing for a moment to pick up a piece of bed rail. The heavy cold steel in my hand gave me a little more courage to advance further.

It was a risky trip. Even the military installments were vacant. “This is the worst idea you have ever come up with” I uttered out loud as if to announce my presence to anyone still inside. Unsatisfied with the deafening silence I called out again. “Anyone down there?” My queries returned nothing but sickening silence. Maybe it was best to shut my mouth and not invite one of
them
to come out and play.

I found Cox's room easily enough, his chart still hanging on the wall as I entered the room. Drawing back the curtains my fears were confirmed. The blood soaked bed stood as a testament of the life or death battle that could only end in a fate far worse than death. I looked around the bed for his body but the floor was void of nothing but dried blood.

I began to walk out of the room, until I heard something shuffling behind me. I turned quickly just to watch a figure duck behind a door near the bathroom. I raise the bedrail over my head and walks slowly towards the door. My eyes flutter from side to side as I scan my surroundings, and my heart begins to pound inside my chest.

I press my back against the wall behind where I had seen the movement and knock against the wall a few times. My diversion had worked and a tattered creature wearing only a hospital gown flew through the doorway. I stepped forward directly behind it and slammed the bedrail into the back of its skull. Without any hesitation I continue to bludgeon it repeatedly until it stopped twitching and crimson colored fluid flowed into a puddle on the floor.

I poke the lifeless corpse a few times, assuring that it was finally safe, and rolled the body over.  I don't recognize the face. My heart was filled with mixed emotions. Had Cox been able in his weakened state to fight off his attacker? He must have, I rationalize, or his body would still be in this room. Maybe the blood on the bed wasn't Cox's after all. No. He is most likely walking with the rest of
them
a shell of his former human self, devoid of any compassion and filled with an unyielding rage.

After the adrenaline had calmed down I felt something under my right boot. It had a strange squishiness that gave way as I applied my body weight. Looking down I see an IV tube laying across the floor. Glancing to my right I see the collapsed IV pump laying on the floor. Looking to the left I could trace the tube with my eyes and it lead directly into a double door closet.

I creep towards the door, attempting to pear through the small crack separating the doors, hoping to catch a pre-emptive glance of any trouble that may be inside. I position myself, ready my weapon, and again feel my pulse accelerate, as my breathing becomes deep and cautious as I rip open the door.

The heavy thump of a fist struck my nose. Little black dots obstructed my vision as I fell backwards from the sheer force of the blow. I stammer to my feet, swing my bedrail in vain, as tears have all but rendered me blind. A blurry object rushes forward knocking me on my back and the bed rail slides across the floor. I barely caught a flash of white out of the corner of my eye as the blurry object stood directly above me.

“Haus???” Cox's voice trickled down into my ears and I could sense that he was frightened but still himself. Cox rushed behind me and helped me sit up. I wipe away the tears from my eyes and hold my hand up to my throbbing nose.

“
You hit like a bitch Cox.” I say sliding my finger under my nostrils to clear the slow stream of blood. My vision has become mostly clear again and I look at him directly in the face. His eyes are clear of any redness, but his pupils are dilated. “Are you infected?” I say hastily.

“
No. I have been holed up in that closet for a few days. I sneak out at night to get some food and water.”

“
How long has it been like this?”

“
I am not sure... I faded in and out of consciousness every time the drugs wore off. Then the nurse would come back in load my IV back up and it was night time again. A few days ago I woke up. I was scared to death so I ripped out the breathing tube and the feeding one. I went out into the hall and saw all of that. Then I saw someone come running at me from down the hallway. I jumped back into my room and tried to lock the door. I wasn’t fast enough and he got a hand inside. I managed to pin him against the wall using the bed and I stabbed him with a pair of scissors.”

“
What happened to the military?” I ask.

“
I don't know exactly. I heard a lot of gunshots that lasted all day and well into the night. I stayed inside the closet and pretended to be dead. Do you think we could make it back to the base?”

“
The base is gone Cox. They bombed it. The whole town is gone. You are the first person I have found that isn't infected. I came back here to find out what happened to you.” I say.

“
I am touched. You really do care, but what would you have done if you found me to be infected?”

“
I would have made it go as fast as possible...” I say.

“
Not sure if I should be comforted or appalled by that reply.”

“
We gotta get the hell out of here.” I say.

“
Right! I need some clothes. Do you think anyone could ever prove I killed someone? I already hid the body. You're not gonna tell anyone...right?”

“
Cox, I think we are well passed keeping law and order around here. Let's get out of this place without getting either of us killed. I am thinking on a plan.” I say. We exited the hospital side by side and got inside the car. There was still no movement in the streets and that was at least comforting for now.

“
Let's stop by my apartment so I can grab a few things. You were not kidding it looks even worse out here than from the hospital windows. Wow.” Cox says as he scans the littered streets. A gentle mountain breeze lofted in the air, but the smell of death was inescapable.

I turn the car off the main road and head down the worn paved road leading towards Cox's apartment. Suddenly there is loud clang of metal on the passenger side door. Looking out I see three of
them
closing up fast, one has thrown something at us, and Cox lets out a scream. It sounded like a 12 year old girl at a cheap horror movie and he ducked under the dash.

I slam the car in reverse accelerating quickly, when suddenly there was a slam and a body flew over the roof of the car. I instinctively hit the breaks bringing the car to a screeching halt. I pause with my heart racing, as I watch the body drag itself back to a standing position. It lurches forward dragging a clearly broken leg behind it.

I lock eyes with it, seeing the angry expression on its face. I put the car back in drive and punch the gas. My hands grip the steering wheel, my knuckles turning white as I prepare for the impact. A loud bump and the body is swallowed up below the car. I can feel the back wheel crush its skull like a watermelon followed by a sickening splat sound.

I see another one not too far off staggering into the street, it stops, slowly turning to face us and advance forward. Without hesitation I swerve towards it, but misjudge distances and slam into a parked car. The body cut in half by the impact was clinging to the hood of the car. With one hand it begins slamming a fist into the windshield.

Cox jolted by the impact decides to take a look around, which was a bad move on his part. The passenger window was shattered during the collision and the torso had managed to get its dirty hand inside and grabbed ahold of his hair. I swerve the car back and forth trying to shake it. “HELP! It's gonna eat me!” Cox screams as he tries to pull himself away from his attacker. Cox grabs onto my shoulder with a firm grip while I see the look of pure terror in his eyes.

I bank the car a hard left, causing the half body to swing away from the hood, tethered only by its hand clasping Cox's hair. The inertia begins to drag Cox from the car, his body almost half way out of the window. I grab a hold of his arm and we continue to swing, slowly we are losing this battle as my hand starts to slip. Suddenly the torso slams into a fence, and the change in force causing Cox to slam back into his seat.

Cox begins screaming wildly again, this time holding nothing but a severed arm in his lap. He stops for only a moment, tosses it out the window and resumes screaming. “Shut the fuck up COX! I am trying to drive here.” I scream as I get the car under control.

I turn into the apartment complex, bringing the car to a complete stop, and Cox clumsily opens the door, falling to the ground as it opens. He scrambles like a man who has not a single thought but to run away. He did just that. Shoeless and full sprint towards the apartment door, his pale bare ass exposed to the world, still wearing his hospital gown.

“Cox. Unlock the door. Let me in dammit there is no-one out here but me.” I say sternly as I stare into the peep hole. After a few moments of repeating myself multiple times I hear the click of the deadbolt sliding. I push open the door and walk inside.

I take one look at Cox and burst into laughter. The expression on his face is like one of a shamed puppy with total inability to form a concrete thought. There's a yellow stain on the front of his gown and the trickle of brown liquid dripping down the back of his legs. “You've shit yourself” I say in between surges of laughter. Cox crosses his brow as to comprehend the words I had just uttered.

Glancing down, he finally comes to his senses and rushes off to the bathroom. I lock the dead bolt and collapse onto the coach. “How am I going to get back to Omega Phi?” I mumble. I must think, there has to be a way. How am I supposed to find a place that I have only a faint clue of its location?

I am currently in South Dakota. The helicopter ride took approximately four hours, so that is an easy 600 to 900 miles. I make a mental picture of the United States in my mind, then pretending to use an imaginary compass to draw a circle approximately 800 miles across.
Well that wasn't helpful at all, could damn near be anywhere.
I think to myself.

I remember glancing over at the compass, and noticing we were moving in an almost perfect North trajectory. The terrain was pretty arid, so that would be it somewhere near the Texas pan handle.
Still too general and vague.
I can't exactly ask for directions when I get there.

“
That's it!” I exclaim. Sitting up quickly and begin looking for a computer.

“
What's it?” Cox asks as he enters the room, cleaner, and actually wearing real clothes.

“
The girl that Rednek is stalking, she is the way to get back to Omega Phi.”

“
Omega what? What Rednek?” Cox says.

“
Rednek is a co-worker of mine, and he has been stalking this chic for years. Omega Phi is the only place I think we can be safe. I know the two of them exchange messages, so she has to know how to get into contact with Rednek.”

“
Great. What's her name? Maybe we can look her up.” Cox says, seemingly in much better spirits.

“
Shit...” I draw a complete blank in my mind. All the time he was babbling on about her, I never even made an attempt to remember her name. “Erica?” I say the name knowing all too well it doesn't sound quite right.

“
Erica? No last name? Well let's just look up every Erica in the United States. Shouldn't take long at all.”Cox says sarcastically as he shakes his head and walks away. “Your going to have to come up with a better plan than that Haus.”

“
I will think of it. Give me a little bit here.” I say as I try to extract every minute detail I could from those brief memories. I drum my fingers on the coffee table and bite my inner lip. A few minutes pass as I digest more useless information. Then, a light bulb flashes inside my cranium.”Southern Fur Trader... That's the magazine he uses to send his messages out. She has to be subscribed to it. I know Rednek comes from the south, so she must be from a southern state. There can't be too many chicks that get that magazine; then again it is the south.” I say.

I pull the priests cell phone out of my pocket, and soon have the number for the magazine. I dial the number for subscription services, and a sweet sounding southern girls voice answers the call.

Subscription services, how can I help you today?