Deaders

by Steven Bynum

  Private Cambles was about to change his mind completely when the door of the room opened with a hissing sound. The nurse, Misty, came in through the door with a tray table and sealed it behind her. A white cloth lay on the table, and on top of the cloth lay a syringe.

  “Hi, Private Cambles. How are you?” she asked.

  The private jumped off the bed and stood at attention. “I’m fine ma’am.”

  “Good to hear it. Just call me Misty.” The nurse smiled at him. She could tell he was extremely nervous. “Is there anything I can get for you?”

  “No ma’am. I’m good. I mean, Misty.”

  “Please. Sit back down and relax. The doctor will be here shortly to speak with you before the injection. He will be able to answer any questions you may have.” The nurse smiled at him again.

  Private Cambles walked a circle around the bed, swinging his arms back and forth. He took a deep breath before sitting back down. He didn’t sit long before jumping back up.

  “I don’t think I can do this, nurse. This is a mistake. I was confused.”

  “Just try to relax. Everything will be just fine. You’ll see.” The nurse consoled him.

  “How do you know?” The private snapped, glaring at her.

  “Well I …,” Misty began just as the door of the room opened. The air pressure escaped with a hissing sound, causing both of them a slight fright.

  Dr. Atkinson stepped into the room along with two soldiers. One of the soldiers sealed the door behind them before they took up position on each side of the door.

  “Hello Nurse Bennings , Private Cambles.” The doctor greeted them.

  “Hello doctor.” The nurse spoke, as she stepped to the side of the bed away from the private.

  The private saluted. “Sir.”

  “At ease, private.” Dr. Atkinson nodded.

  The doctor looked over at the nurse, and noticed the nervous look on her face. He looked back over at Private Cambles. “So, is everything okay here? How are you doing, private?” The doctor spoke with a voice of authority.

  The private snapped to attention. “Sir, I think there has been a mistake.” He paused before speaking more.

  “A mistake? What do you mean by that?”

  “May I speak freely sir?”

  “Yes, by all means. Go ahead.”

  “Sir, I believe I may have been too hasty in volunteering. I mean, sir, I mean, how do you know it will work? If it doesn’t work, I’m dead sir. Dead!” The private’s voice began to elevate with each word spoken.

  “Calm down, private. That’s an order. Sit down and quit your crying! You want to know how I know it will work? I know it will work, because I’m the one that has done the research and secured the one thing in this world that allowed me to create this vaccine.”

  Private Cambles opened his mouth, then closed it. The doctor had made an impression. He sat down on the bed with his back straight. Most of the fear had been removed from his face. He took in a deep breath. “Yes sir.”

  “Ok, are there any more questions?” Dr. Atkinson looked around at everyone in the room. “No? Good. I will now explain how this procedure will be performed. It is really very simple. Private Cambles, you will take off your positive pressure suit and Misty will administer the vaccine. After that, private, you will simply stay in this room. Once we have seen that the vaccine has worked, and it will work, you will resume your duties.” Dr. Atkinson smiled at the nurse and the private. “This will be the day you save humanity, Private Cambles.”

  Misty clapped her hands together and looked at the two soldiers guarding the door. They did not move or smile. They were statues. She cleared her throat and turned back towards the doctor.

  Private Cambles sat there for a moment before realizing everyone was waiting on him. He hopped off the bed and began removing his positive pressure suit. He did not remove it slow and meticulous, but fast and chaotic. He wanted to get the vaccine as quickly as possible.

  “Ok, I’m ready. Give it to me!” The private caught himself slightly holding his breath. “Shit, I can’t believe I’m breathing this fucking air!”

  “Keep it together, private.” Dr. Atkinson ordered. “Nurse Bennings, administer the vaccine.”

  Nurse Bennings poured some rubbing alcohol on a cotton ball and wiped off a spot on the private’s upper arm. She popped the protective cap off the syringe, exposing the needle, all the while trying to keep her hands from shaking. She stuck the private in the arm and quickly injected the vaccine. Private Cambles grimaced slightly from some minor pain Nurse Bennings wiped the injection point with rubbing alcohol and slapped a Band-Aid on his arm before he could stop her.

  “All done,” Misty pronounced.

  “I’m proud of you Private Cambles.” Dr. Atkinson patted him on the shoulder, turned, and left the room along with Nurse Bennings. The two guards remained to keep watch on the private.

  Dr. Atkinson and Nurse Bennings walked down the hall a ways before either spoke a word.

  “I hope this works, Trevor.”

  “I do too, Misty. I do too.”

  ***

  Private Cambles felt the air flow into the room after a few minutes. His first thoughts were to hold his breath and put on the positive pressure suit, but it was too late for that now. The guards would never allow him to do it. Instead, he forced himself to breath normally. After all, the doctor said the vaccine would work. It was a miracle the doctor found a way to create it in the first place. Private Cambles was not necessarily a religious man, but he hadn’t stop praying since the apocalypse began. He was silently praying more than ever now.

  Private Cambles walked around the room swinging his arms back and forth. He was doing all he could to keep his nerves in check. Waiting to see if I will die and change into a deader. What a hell of a way to spend my day. “Hey guys, you gonna just stand there all day?” He asked the guards.

  “No, not all day. Just until you keel over.” Both of the guards broke out laughing.

  “Fuck you guys.” Private Cambles walked over, hopped up on the bed, and laid down. He rubbed his chest. He wasn’t sure if he was about to have a heart attack or if it was a symptom from the vaccine. His pulse was elevated and he could hear his heart beating in his ears. No, I just need to calm down. I’ve had panic attacks before. This feels like one. He took a deep breath and closed his eyes. It took all of his willpower, but he was calming and feeling much better by laying there.

  “Hey! Are you ok over there?” One of the guards called out to the private, causing his eyes to pop open.

  “Yeah! I’m ok. Just resting. What else am I supposed to do?” Private Cambles snapped back.

  “Just doing my job. No need to get cranky, private.” The guard turned and saw his partner staring at him with a grin on his face. “Oh, shut up.” He ordered.

  An hour passed and Private Cambles couldn’t take be cooped up waiting to die any longer. He stormed toward the guards with his fists clenched tight, ready to throw punches. The guards raised their weapons, and he immediately stopped in his tracks.

  “Look guys! I’m ok! I’m not dead! It worked! Let me outa here!” Private Cambles yelled at them.

  “Take one more step and you will be dead! Now, back off!”

  Private Cambles took a step backward. “Come on guys. Shit. Can’t you see I’m ok? You know damn well it doesn’t take long to kill you after breathing it in. You know what I’m sayin’?”

  “Don’t care. Keep your ass back until the doctor says you can leave. Otherwise, take a step and you will be dead. Then, we’ll kill you again.”

  “Fine!” Private Cambles walked to the other side of the room. He was about to punch the wall when he realized he was, in fact, still alive. “I’m alive! Hey guys! I’m fucking alive! The damn vaccine worked!” The private began laughing a laugh of joy. “Whoo yeah! I’m alive!”

  It was at that time, the door unsealed and opened. Dr. Atkinson and Nurse Bennings walked in with smiles on their faces. They walked straight
to Private Cambles and each gave him a hug. They were about to give him their congratulations when an explosion rocked the building and the lights went out. The building lost all electricity.

  Seven

  The explosion took out the entire power center. It also blasted a large hole in the wall of the first level of the USAMRIID (United States Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases) building. Zombies found their way inside and after a short time were pouring through the opening like ants. The few guards that had been near the area were doing their best to stem the tide. Each fired short 3 shot bursts from their M4 carbines.

  Ten Army soldiers took their positions, and no deader coming through the opening made it very far before having its head obliterated. The defense had been well orchestrated and ground was being made towards sealing off the opening in the wall. All was going well until a grenade exploded near the soldiers. The blast killed three of them and sent shrapnel into the others, ripping through their positive pressure suits. It would only be a short time until they breathed in the deadly fungus spores.

  One soldier slowly crawled towards a doorway amidst the blood and rubble. The zombies were still too far away to get him. The doorway was close, regardless of the spores in the air, he would soon be on his way to fetch another positive pressure suit and hope for luck. Happiness rushed through him when he reached the hall, causing a smile of relief on his face. He looked up, only to have a light shining in his eyes from a flashlight. He laughed, knowing another soldier was there to help him. A shot rang out, splattering the soldier’s brains on his shattered face shield.

  A man holding a flashlight and pistol ran off down the hall, away from the zombie horde.

  ***

  “What the hell was that, Trevor?” Nurse Bennings asked Dr. Atkinson as they hurriedly walked down the hall toward Administration. The two guards were in the lead with flashlights. Private Cambles followed behind the doctor and the nurse.

  “That sounded like an explosion. Not to mention the building shaking.” Private Cambles remarked.

  “Let’s not speculate at this point, private. We’ll know exactly what’s going on when we get to Administration.” Dr. Atkinson pointed out.

  One of the guards stopped suddenly, nearly causing Dr. Atkinson to bump into him.

  “Hold up.” The guard spoke. “Did you hear that?”

  Everyone stopped and listened intently to the darkness. At first no sounds could be heard but their own breathing inside the positive pressure suits. Then, muffled semi-automatic fire could be heard in the distance. It was difficult to pinpoint, but it most certainly was coming from somewhere within the building. Perhaps one level down. The gunfire was ongoing until another obvious but smaller explosion sounded; then silence.

  “What the hell is going on, Trevor?” Misty asked trying to contain her nerves.

  “I don’t know. Keep calm and let me think.” Dr. Atkinson responded. It didn’t take him long to decide. “Give me that flashlight.” He ordered one of the guards. “Now, the two of you head down to level one and find out what’s going on.” He ordered both the guards. “Misty, private, the two of you come with me to the lab.”

  “Maybe we shouldn’t split up.” Private Cambles suggested. “We don’t have any weapons.”

  “I know that private. There’s a pistol locker in the lab. It’s not that far. We’ll be there in a couple minutes.” The doctor walked fast down the hall. Misty and the private realized he was leaving them behind and hurried to catch up.

  The two guards made their way toward the nearest stairwell. One had his weapon at the ready while the other used the flashlight to illuminate their path.

  “What do you think is going on, partner?” The guard asked.

  “Hold up.” The senior guard ordered. He panned the flashlight around up ahead. “The stairwell door is open. Those doors are suppose to be closed at all times. Stay alert.”

  The senior guard was cautious. He first checked left, shining the flashlight around. Next, he turned to check right before exiting the stairwell. All was clear, no danger present, that he could tell. He thought he could see small puffs of smoke in the air, but he wasn’t exactly sure. After all, wearing a positive pressure suit didn’t allow for the detection of a scent.

  “Come on. Administration is this way.” The senior guard ordered.

  The two guards slowly made their way in the darkness. It was peculiar that they hadn’t come across any other people. Then, the light from the flashlight flashed across something on the floor. The senior guard quickly moved the light back for a second look.

  “Oh shit, man. Is that a body? What the hell?” The subordinate guard asked.

  “Be quiet.” The senior guard ordered. He moved the light up the hall and illuminated two more corpses. “Fuck.” He whispered. He turned and panned the light around behind them. Then he turned forward. “Come on.”

  Administration was located just around the corner, ahead of them. They made their way down the hall very slowly, carefully checking every inch of the corridor. The senior guard checked around the corner with his flashlight. He could see people mulling around in the hall, but he couldn’t tell what they were doing. Something seemed off about them, but he wanted a closer look. He moved forward, with his subordinate next to him.

  A shot rang out from behind and the subordinate guard fell face forward; his carbine slid across the floor. The senior guard turned and fired off several shots before jumping through an open doorway to an office room. He positioned his weapon around the corner, blindly firing off several more shots before grabbing his partner by the leg and dragging his limp body into the office room with him. He quickly bent down and checked the subordinate with the flashlight and could tell there was no hope. The guard had been shot in the back of the head. Blood and gore covered the face shield of the positive pressure suit.

  Movement caught the senior guard’s eye and he raised the flashlight just in time to see a zombie reaching for him. He fired off a three-round burst, which eviscerated the deader’s head. Another zombie stepped into view as he was returning to his feet, and he dropped it with a single shot to the head. He steadily backed up as one after another deader stepped through the doorway. He dropped each one with a single shot in an attempt to conserve his ammunition.

  The senior guard was losing the battle of attrition. For each zombie he killed, two to three more would take its place. A horde of zombies closed in on him as he backed up against the far wall. Shot after shot, he killed the deaders, but there was just too many. He finally came to the realization that he was about to die. He placed the barrel of the carbine under his chin and pulled the trigger.

  The man that shot the subordinate guard stood at the bottom of the stairwell that led to the second level of the building when the final shot sounded. “The Lord giveth and the Lord taketh away. The guilty shall not survive God’s wrath. His vengeance has been poured upon the Earth, and none shall survive.” The man turned and ascended the stairs.

  ***

  Click … Jacob had his hands up against the door of the containment chamber trying to figure a way out when the building shook, everything went dark and the door unlocked. He shoved, causing the door to flip open. I don’t know what has happened, and I really don’t care. Where’s my friend; I need him now! He stumbled out of the containment chamber as he felt around in the dark. He knew there was a wall in front of him. All he needed to do was find it and follow it to the corner where his crowbar safety blanket was located.

  “I’m coming my friend. Don’t you worry. We’ll get outta here, but not before we pay that doctor a visit. I want to talk to him face-to-face again.” The crowbar did not respond.

  Jacob stumbled into the wall and stubbed his big toe. He wanted to yell out in pain, but held his mouth closed tight. After hopping there for nearly a minute, the pain subsided slightly, and he pressed his hands against the wall, slowly making his way to the corner. He eventually found the crowbar and held it close. It was like a reun
ion with a long lost sibling, which nearly brought him to tears. He accidentally touched the crowbar to his bare skin and it felt as cold as ice. It reminded him just how naked he was at the moment.

  “Well. I guess I need to find some clothes don’t I? Yeah, I’ll take care of that when the opportunity arises old buddy.”

  Jacob was feeling his way along the wall when he heard the room door unseal and open up. A flashlight was shining through the open doorway. The person holding it stepped inside the room. The person was also holding a gun at the ready. It had to be one of the military guards. There was no time to waste. Jacob rushed the person and struck at his arms with the crowbar. The guard screamed in pain, dropping the gun and flashlight to the floor. Jacob brought the crowbar up, shattering the face shield of the positive pressure suit that the guard was wearing.

  The guard was only stunned for a moment. Fear kicked in, causing him to yell and lunge forward, knocking Jacob to the floor. The crowbar flew from Jacob’s hand and slid across the floor with a grating sound. The guard pummeled Jacob’s face.

  Jacob twisted and tossed the guard off of him. The taste of blood was strong in his mouth, causing him to spit. Jacob lunged for the one weapon he could see; the flashlight. He grabbed it just in time to notice the guard getting ready to kick him in the face. He rolled out of the way and grabbed the guard’s leg, bringing him down on his face. Jacob jumped forward, sat on the guard’s back and bashed him continually on the back of the head with the end of the flashlight. He did not stop until the guard ceased moving.

  Jacob lay there, breathing heavily from the altercation. He was glad the lights were off so no one could see him naked on top of a dead guy. He moved the flashlight around looking for his crowbar.

  “Where’d you get off to, my friend? Ah, there you are.”

  Jacob crawled over and picked up the crowbar. He stood, moving the flashlight around in search for the gun the soldier had dropped. There it was, just on the other side of the doorway. He wasn’t exactly sure what it was, having not served in the military. It was a carbine of some kind. No matter, he was glad it appeared to have the safety off and ready to shoot.