It snapped teeth again as it neared a room where the aroma seemed strong, standing by the door to glare through its small window before gripping the handle to turn it.
***
Wayne and Jason raced up the stairs leading back to the main floor but stopped after seeing the door was open.
“Fuck!” Jason snapped, feeling worried after spotting tiny traces of blood on the floor. “It’s already here.”
“But how?” Wayne questioned. “Those things don’t move that fast…We weren’t that far behind so should’ve caught it up.”
They exited to see the sofa before splitting up to go left and right; both scanning the floor tiles for more of the red stuff. But none was seen.
Wayne gripped his baton as he slowly closed in on the reception desk; focusing firmly on the floor as a stunned receptionist stopped talking to Hazel.
“What’s he doing?” she asked, staring at Wayne and pointing to get Hazel’s attention. “Did he lose some money?”
Hazel turned to watch Wayne peering through the windows of a few doors, his heart racing as the pressure to find the creature increased.
“Are you okay, officer?” she asked, slowly walking towards him. “Is there anything we need to worry about?”
Wayne wiped the sweat from his brow as his breathing slowed before placing the baton behind his back. But Hazel had already seen it.
“Hiding that thing from me won’t make me feel less worried,” she said, glancing over Wayne’s shoulder to see Jason appear out of a room. “What’s going on?”
“You need to keep this to yourself,” he whispered; awkwardly checking to see where the receptionist was. He was glad to see she was still at her desk. “You remember Frank, the truck driver?”
“Of course I do,” Hazel replied, feeling saddened from the mention of his name. “I was there when he died.”
“About that…” Wayne gripped her shoulder before drawing her closer. “He’s not dead anymore…”
Hazel almost fainted.
“…He’s escaped from the morgue and is up here somewhere.”
Of all the theories as to why Wayne was on edge, Hazel hadn’t thought of this. She stood open-mouthed, trying her best to let it sink in; secretly hoping he was winding her up, but his expression wasn’t changing. He was still sweating and was still nervous.
“Bu-t how?” she asked, feeling the hairs stand up on her arms. “I couldn’t restart his heart.”
Wayne never had time to explain because he needed to find the thing. But, after Hazel became teary-eyed, he quickly told her about what happened on the roadside.
“I knew it was a human who bit him,” she said, putting the pieces together. “But I wasn’t expecting this…That the person was already dead.”
“It’s hard to believe, I know. But it’s the reason as to why I’m armed now.” Wayne shook before dropping to one knee, seeing the blood still seeping from his arm.
“Jeez!” Hazel said, kicking herself for not noticing before. “Are you okay? How did that happen?”
“I’m fine,” the reply came as Wayne got back to his feet. “My partner shot me.” He looked into her eyes, sensing she was nervous. “But don’t worry. It was an accident…He’s not who you need to worry about.”
Hazel pressed her hands over the wound as Wayne flinched.
“Stop being a baby,” she said, smiling. “I need to fix it.”
“I’m all yours after I find Frank,” Wayne said, gritting his teeth before glancing over at the receptionist. “Do you think she saw it?”
Hazel let out a nervous giggle. “Do you think she’d be at her desk if she did?”
“Good point.”
“She’s just come back from her break. We walked down together.”
Wayne nodded before sighing at still not knowing where the creature was; his vision switching from Jason to the receptionist as he tried figuring out its location. He knew it had to be nearby. But where?
“So, Gary wasn’t lying about the walking dead,” Hazel muttered after remembering his weird outburst. “Everything he said was real.” She quivered before adding, “Who was it that screamed down there?”
“I don’t know, but he was one of your staff,” Wayne replied, taking in what she said. “Where’s Gary now? I need to speak to him.”
“He’s in the waiting room…He’s badly shaken up.”
“Lead the way.”
Hazel smiled at the receptionist as she walked Wayne towards the room, but a deafening squeal rocked her, causing her to stop in her tracks.
Wayne gripped her tight as Jason appeared, nervously holding his baton as he sluggishly neared the door.
Hazel squirmed after spotting the broken fingers on his free hand, shocked that he wasn’t flinching. She saw him avoid contact with his injury, knowing it was his way to keep the pain at bay.
Jason looked through the small window in the door but instantly wished he hadn’t after seeing the zombie with Gary’s tongue in its mouth.
“What?!” Wayne shouted as Jason coughed up spit. “Is it in there?”
“Yes.”
“Then we need to finish it. NOW!”
Wayne let go of Hazel to race towards the door, barging his way into the room to see the zombie bite into Gary’s face. But it didn’t seem bothered that it was being watched. It just wanted to taste more of the man who was still lying on the floor.
It attacked again, ripping away part of Gary’s left cheek to leave the officers shaken up, as Hazel closed in to hear another scream.
“What’s happening to Gary?” she rushed from her mouth, moving between the men to witness the sickening sight. “AAARRGGGHH!”
“Get her back!” Wayne ordered, pushing Jason towards her. “She doesn’t need to see this.”
Jason did; holding Hazel to guide her away from the door.
“Do you want me to shoot it?” he asked, excited to hear a yes.
“No! The noise will attract more witnesses…We need to use our truncheons to make that thing extinct.”
Hazel shook her head towards the receptionist after seeing just how distraught she was, holding out a hand to stop her from using the phone. She knew the woman was about to call someone, and that someone could easily end up bringing people to the hospital to catch whatever it was that brought Frank back to life. Hazel wasn’t prepared for that to happen, especially seeing as the officers were about to eliminate the last of the infected.
Wayne and Jason cautiously entered the room, hearing Gary’s last breath as the zombie sat next to his body chewing on his flesh. It didn’t even move when Jason hit it with his baton. It just kept on chewing.
“It didn’t even make a dent,” he nervously said, raising the baton again. “But this time it’ll go down.”
He swung at the zombie again but it gripped the baton to scare him, rising off the floor to pull it from his grasp.
“Do something,” he said, close to wetting himself. “This one is frightening…”
Wayne stared at the creature, feeling sick as it slobbered red liquid onto the baton before seeing it glare at Jason as he backed up against a wall. It pointed at him, revealing blood-stained teeth before walking in his direction.
“…Wayne!” he bellowed, almost in tears after the creature raised the weapon. “Do somethi---”
But blood splashed over his face before he could finish the word.
He wiped it off to see the zombie stagger before seeing Wayne angrily swing a fire extinguisher at its head again, caving its skull in as it dropped the baton. But it took two more strikes before the beast fell.
“Maybe we should carry these around instead of truncheons?” he said, shuddering at the sight of the dead again Frank with brain matter spilling from the top of its cranium.
Jason gulped as Wayne put the extinguisher down.
They stared at the creature before hearing Hazel’s voice, turning to face her as she entered the room.
“Is it over?” she asked, squirming from the
thought of the thing getting up again. “I hope it is.”
“No, it isn’t!” Wayne snapped at her. “Gary’s been infected…He’ll become the same unless we fuck up his brain.”
“I don’t want to see you do that to him.”
Hazel choked from thoughts of Wayne smashing the extinguisher down on Gary’s head but he wasn’t attempting to pick it up. Instead, he seemed lost with what to do.
“Don’t worry, I’m not some sadistic monster like that thing over there…I don’t have the stomach to crush his head in while he’s still human.”
“But I will,” Jason happily said, reaching for the extinguisher.
“What’s wrong with you?!” Wayne blasted at him, standing in front of the recent weapon. “Were you dropped on your head as a child or somethin’?... He’s still one of us, goddamn it.”
Jason sighed before apologising for his sudden urge to impress Wayne, as Hazel stared at the body.
“Hey, guys,” she said, tapping a finger against her lips. “What about taking him to the incinerator room?”
In the space of a few seconds she’d gone from being a caring nurse to a sick-minded killer, but, once this was over, she would feel sick to the stomach for even mentioning it.
“You mean to burn his body?” Jason asked, not sure if she meant it.
“Yes…Unless you can think of another way?”
Jason nodded. “But won’t people see us?”
“Not if we hide his body under some sheets.”
Wayne stepped in before negative thoughts entered his mind. He knew it was risky to try but Hazel’s idea was a better solution than caving in an innocent, dead man’s head. He told her to keep the receptionist busy whilst Jason looked for a mobile bed and some sheets, but, as they left the room, Wayne suddenly felt uneasy. He watched Gary’s body to see if it moved, sweating again from thoughts of not knowing when the virus would take effect before checking his watch for the time.
The seconds seemed like minutes.
He heard the sound of wheels turning, getting closer and closer before seeing Jason outside the room with both items. He was glad he was quick.
“Help me lift him onto the bed,” Wayne said, reaching for Gary’s legs. “I’ve left you the best end.”
Jason shuddered as he neared the patch of blood surrounding Gary’s head; wincing and coughing as he gripped the shoulders.
“Thanks,” he sarcastically replied, as the body was lifted.
Hazel returned to grab the sheets, swiftly throwing them over the corpse as it was laid down on the bed, but Wayne looked at her oddly.
“What!” she barked, feeling exhausted. “I’m helping.”
“We still need to add the other body.”
“Sorry.” She removed the sheets and waited; desperately wanting it to be over as the body of Frank was piled on top. “Happy now?” she asked, blinking fast as the sheets came down again. “I’m not in the mood for this.”
Wayne smiled at her. “None of us is in the mood but we need to do it.” He gripped onto the bed before saying, “What happened to the receptionist?”
“I gave her another break.” Hazel pulled bandages from her pocket. “But we’re not going anywhere until I’ve wrapped you guys up.”
“Okay…But make it quick,” Wayne replied, sighing.
***
They reached the incinerator room with ease after only seeing a few nosey nurses, as Hazel’s authoritative glare kept them at bay. She may have been struggling with the chaos surrounding her but she was still in charge and her staff needed to know it.
She pointed at the large furnace, knowing it was about to roar like a raging, hungry dragon before standing next to a control panel; checking the temperature device as she waited for the men to slide the bodies onto a conveyor belt. She watched them push the bed next to it before the mangled corpse of Frank was dragged on top; being pushed further down to allow room for Gary’s body to be added before Wayne pressed a button to set the rollers in motion. She saw the bodies move towards the incinerator’s large, glass door before glancing at the men, watching them puff out their cheeks and wipe their brows as if exhausted. But they quickly jumped back after seeing Gary’s corpse attempt to sit up.
“Open the incinerator door!” Hazel shouted, reaching for the control panel. “I’m gonna start it up.”
Wayne cranked up the speed of the belt as Jason raced for the door; making sure to avoid being touched by the now violently shaking zombie as he opened it. He was pleased to see Frank’s corpse enter the incinerator, hearing it fall off the belt to roll into it, but Gary’s hands gripped the metal machine to freak him out.
“Do something!” Hazel worryingly shouted as she watched from beneath her fingers. “Fuck it up!”
Wayne looked at her with his jaw dropped as Jason quickly smacked the hands with his baton, smiling as they let go before waving at Gary’s corpse falling next to the other one. He slammed the door shut to see flames suddenly appear, watching the colours glow as the fire attacked the intruders. But the zombified version of Gary got up to bang its face against the glass.
Jason shuddered as hot bubbles formed on Gary’s face before deathly eyes popped against the glass; the fire slicing through the corpses to leave just bones and ash.
Hazel turned the incinerator off before slowly walking away; her head down to hide tears as Wayne caught her up.
“Now it’s over,” he said, placing an arm around her.
TWENTY-FIVE
(THURSDAY)
The ringing of the phone caused Mike to startle as he recovered from the night before. He looked over at Chris as thoughts of – How did he get into my house? and Why have I got a hangover? – raced inside his mind; feeling angry after remembering what happened.
“Hello,” he murmured, answering the phone and wanting to puke. “Is everything okay?”
“Mike, where have you been all night?” Susan worryingly said. “There’s been a crisis at the hospital…George was constantly trying to get hold of you.”
“Sorry about that…I was very busy.”
“There’s no need to apologise to me. I know you had a stressful day yesterday but you need to go there.”
Mike closed his eyes as he swallowed rising sick, cringing at how bad he felt as Susan mentioned his name again to wake him up.
“I’m on my way.”
He ended the call and checked his messages, shocked to find fifteen missed calls and ten texts all relating to something bad happening at the hospital to make him feel embarrassed and guilty.
“Hey, Mike, what’s up?” Chris happily asked, trying to read Mike’s facial expression. “You don’t look good.”
Mike glared at him.
He wanted to punish Chris for last night, but, after taking a second to think about it knew he was as much to blame.
“I’m not good. I feel sick from the booze.” Mike choked and shook his head. “Why are you not feeling the same? You were out of it.”
Chris laughed, loving the moment. To see Mike, the big bad cop suffer from a hangover while he, the small reporter had nothing, not even a mild headache was hilarious for him.
“Don’t worry about me,” Chris replied, grabbing his coat. “You need to drink plenty of water.”
“I need to get to the hospital.”
“Right…Then I’m coming with you…”
Mike glared at him again whilst rubbing his temples.
“…There’s no need to give me a look. You agreed.”
“Agreed on what exactly?”
“Chris placed on his coat. “That I’m now working with you.”
Mike sighed as he left the room, muttering to himself as Chris followed. He knew he’d made a huge mistake. But, he was a man of his word, so, as he opened the front door to almost puke after the fresh air hit him, smiled and let Chris pass.
“Just don’t piss me off,” Mike snapped, closing the door before wiping a hand across his face. “If you’re gonna follow me around then you do it
on my terms.”
“You got it, chief.”
They then walked towards Mike’s car.
***
It was extremely hectic in and around the hospital grounds when they arrived as busy reporters scrutinized the area whilst grabbing hospital staff for an interview. Mike knew something bad had happened. He didn’t need to go inside to find out.
“Shit! This doesn’t look good,” Chris said, opening the car door. “Do you need me to do anything?”
“Yeah…You can see what’s going on with your chums over there while I see where I’m needed inside…”
Mike exited the car and shook his head before pushing Chris towards the reporters; hoping he wouldn’t act like a fool when distracting information from them.
“…Come find me when you’re finished.”
Mike entered the building, rushing his vision from left to right before moving forward, but he couldn’t see any of his officers, so just followed a group of doctors and nurses down a corridor. He waited for one of them to speak, to say something involving the incident, but neither said anything.
“Excuse me,” he softly said. “Do you know what happened here?”
He saw their faces turn pale before a tall, deep-voiced doctor said, “You need to go to the morgue.”
He then turned and walked away, followed by the others.
Mike felt like catching him up and shaking him for more information but had a feeling the man was traumatised, so just left it before heading back to the main reception. He saw Chris race into the building, looking flustered as he nodded his head.
“There’s news spreading about more of those creatures being inside here,” Chris said, fighting his way through a crowd of people. “They attacked some hospital workers.”
“I guessed as much.” Mike swallowed hard as he walked towards the exit leading to the morgue. “I’ve been told to go down there…So get your notebook out. You’re gonna need it.”
They aimed for the stairs, moving down to the lower levels, but a doctor stopped them.
Clifton Falls: A Zombie Story [Part 1] Page 18