Chapter Seventeen

Escaping the Hospital...Again

"You can be as mad as you want." Nathan wrapped his arms around me.

"Mad does not even begin to explain how I feel right now, Nathan."

"You didn't have to come get me."

"You're stuck in a kitchen drinking four-year-old water. Someone had to come save your ass and look one of those things ripped my jacket."

"You were bit?" He examined the shoulder of my coat.

"Yes, but it didn't sink its teeth into me," I said.

"You're lucky." He held onto me again.

"Not as lucky as you," I mumbled.

"Want to leave?" he asked.

"Yeah, we have to go out the side door though, or get to it somehow."

"Why?"

"Meaghan and Liz are out there."

"What?" He cocked his head to the side and arched his eyebrows. "Did you bring the whole squad with you?"

I chuckled and nodded. "They're waiting in the vestibule with my new furry friend."

"Again, what?"

"Meaghan got scare scared and Liz didn't want to leave her alone. We had a rough time getting out here, so they're waiting in the vestibule at the side door," I repeated.

"What furry friend?" he asked.

"She found a damn kitten. She decided to keep it." Taz shook his head at me.

"You found a kitten?"

"Yes. It's really cute."

He closed his eyes and shook his head.

"What?" I asked.

"Only you could leave the comforts of our fort and find a kitten."

"Yes, because a fortified city is oh so comfortable." I rolled my eyes.

"I don't think we're leaving here for a bit." Taz peeked out the window.

"Why?"

"There are a bunch of them gathering outside the door."

"Why do we always get stuck here?" I asked.

"I was fine."

"Four. Year. Old. Water." I looked out the window at the growing crowd.

Taz was right. The once empty hall was filling up with zombies rather quickly. They pawed at the window and door trying to get in. Many of them had the odd looking green skin and swelling as a few of the others I had seen on the way up. They were acting odder than most of the undead I had run across.

"What is wrong with them?" I watched them lumber around. Two bumped into one another and moaned. Their heads lolled to one side and back again.

"They're starving." He climbed on a counter and pushed up on tiles.

"Starving?" Taz questioned.

"How often do you think people are crazy enough to wander into ground zero?" He arched his eyebrows at me.

"I suppose there aren't many psychotic doctors on suicide missions," I said. "What are you doing?"

"Seeing if we can get out of here."

"I'm not going back into any ceilings. I'm sick of this place and ceilings."

"How else do you plan on getting out?" he asked, pushing on of the tiles to the side.

I sighed heavily and dropped my head. "Fine."

He pulled himself up into the darkness and crawled along the way toward the end of the unit.

"Don't go all the way down."

"Why?"

"About half way, turn to the right."

"Why?"

"We'll be at the stairwell. It was pretty deserted when I came up," I told him.

"Are you sure?"

"Positive."

"I don't know," he protested.

"Stop arguing and do it," I commanded.

"Doc, just do what she does. You know how bossy she is," Taz slung his AR-15 on his back and followed close behind.

Taz pulled up one of the tiles and turned to the right. I followed him until he pulled up a few more, making sure Nathan was right behind. He stuck his head down and stayed there for a few minutes.

"What the hell are you doing?" I asked.

"Shh," he replied.

"Don't shush me. What is wrong?"

"Nothing, I'm listening."

"What are you listening for?"

"To see if there are any of the undead in the stairwell," Taz whispered.

"What do you hear?"

"Something is groaning somewhere."

"It was like that when I was coming up. I think it's stuck."

"Good. It can stay stuck."

I turned around, hanging onto the beam, and lowered myself to the ground. The thud of my feet resonated throughout the narrow space. I closed my eyes and waited for something to pop out of somewhere to try and bite my face off. Nathan swung his legs around and landed next to me.

"Let's go." He reached for my hand. I laced my fingers through his and followed him down. On the first floor I slowly pushed open the door and looked around. It was as quiet as when I had climbed the stairs.

This is too easy.

"It's too quiet." Nathan emerged behind me.

"I know. It was like this when I came up looking for you."

"You don't find it odd?" he asked.

"I do. It is very odd, but I'm not going to wait around for them to come out of the wood work. Let's get Meaghan and Liz and get home."

The three of us crept past the decrepit Starbucks toward the side door. The PNC bank that was once the hub of the hospitals banking needs had been looted long ago. Not that it mattered now. The days of money were long gone. It was almost as though we partially went back to the 1800's and were back on the barter system. Instead of money being used it was medicines, clothing, cigarettes, and alcohol.

The side hall was empty. Not moans, groans, or peeps. I couldn't help but sigh with relief.

Could it be possible that we will make it out easy after all?

I felt so relieved when we came to the vestibule and saw Meaghan standing there. Her back was pressed against the door facing us. I watched as she sank to the floor and held the tiny kitten to her chest. My heart fell. Something had to be wrong. Of course something was wrong. There was no easy any more. There was no simple walk out of the hospital. I cursed myself for letting my hopes get up. I knocked on the Plexiglas and saw the tears. She pushed open the door and wrapped her arms around my neck, smashing the kitten between us.

"What's wrong?" Nathan asked.

"We're stuck. We are stuck here, and we're never making our way out."

"What are you talking about? I found Nathan, I got back to you in one piece, and now we can leave," I said, trying to calm the hysterical girl.

"No, Emma, we can't. We are stuck. We're not leaving this hospital."

"Why?"

"Um, it could be the fact that the entire front of the building is surrounded."

"What? How!" Taz exclaimed as loudly as he dared.

"Apparently our little car bomb didn't work."

I looked out the narrow window and my heart sunk. There were hundreds of undead. They were everywhere. It was as though they had fresh flesh radar and it was pinging us.