His voice is unsettling. It’s flat and monotonous, like he doesn’t care at all that he’s talking about dead co-workers and friends. His voice holds no emotion, except perhaps contempt for the dead, which bothers me greatly. If he doesn’t care that everyone he knew is dead, why will he care if any of us dies as well? He isn’t going to hold our best interests at heart, and he certainly isn’t the kind of guy to put others before himself. Why does he even care about making a cure if he doesn’t care about his fellow humans?
Ryder moves closer to me, until our arms are touching. “Stay close to me,” he whispers, his lips barely moving. He does something with his hands, making some kind of signal that I don’t fully understand, but Reese nods his head slightly and moves back to the rest of the group. I can hear him whispering something to Aaron and the others, and they begin to move closer together, forming one tight knit, unbreakable group.
Dr. Richards slides his identification card through a little panel beside the door and a small light above the door changes from red to green. With a shrill beep, the door slides open. He enters without any hesitation, but we hang back for just a second, watching and waiting for anything to jump out at us. This man isn’t what we were expecting, and his creepy behavior and speech patterns have us all on edge, thinking he’s untrustworthy. He might betray us in an instant.
Finally, Ryder deems it safe to enter the room, and he makes sure to go first. I follow, stopping once I hit the doorway. I see Ryder doing a quick sweep of the room, much to the annoyance of Dr. Richards. He glares at Ryder’s back as he nudges a door in the back corner open and disappears.
“I assure you, this place is fully secure. There are no undead in these halls, and no other survivors. I am the only one remaining.”
Ryder comes back out and secures his weapon to his back, where he’ll be able to reach it in a hurry if he needs to. “It’s all clear. Come on in.” As we all file in, he looks at Dr. Richards. “No offence, but we’ve seen some things out there that make it a little hard to trust people. Especially people we’ve just met. Don’t take it personally. We’re this way with everyone we meet at first. Now, where are those warm clothes for our friends?”
“There’s a supply closet two doors down from us,” Dr. Richards says. He doesn’t look up from his desk, where he’s fiddling with something. “Inside, you should find some thick blankets. That’ll have to do for now. They can strip and warm themselves, and I will provide them with clothing after we’re done here.” He looks up and catches Ryder glaring at him. “Don’t worry, this won’t take long. I just need a blood sample from your immune friend.”
Todd looks uneasy, but Madison squeezes his hand, trying to reassure him. “It’ll be okay,” she says with a smile. “This is what we came here for, right? You’re not afraid of needles are you?”
“More afraid of becoming a guinea pig,” he mutters angrily.
“Sam, I want you to come with me,” Ryder says. As he passes Reese, he puts a hand on his brother’s shoulder. “Keep an eye on this guy,” he says quietly. “There’s something off about him for sure, and I don’t like his attitude. If anything happens, get our people out of here right away. Understand?”
Reese nods, never taking his eyes off of Dr. Richards’ back. “Got it.”
Ryder ushers me out the door and we jog down two doors, which are spaced much farther apart than I thought they would be. Ryder puts his hand on the handle and nods to me. I have my weapon drawn and ready to fire, and I back away from the door just a step, giving myself room to react in case anything comes jumping out at us. For a split second, I allow myself to swell with pride, because I know that Ryder trusts me enough to let me take the lead.
My heart is racing in my chest in anticipation and fear. He yanks open the door and light from the hallway floods the small room, revealing nothing but stocked shelves and a bucket in the corner filled with dirty water and a mop. My heart slowly begins to return to normal, while Ryder rushes in and scans the shelves for anything that will help Naomi and Daisy warm up. He comes away with two thick woolen patterned blankets, and he shoulders both of them. We don’t have time to scan the rest of the shelves, but he gives me a look as we close the door behind us, letting me know that we’ll try to do some exploring as soon as we can.
We rush back to the room to find Todd on a stool with his coat on the floor and his sleeves rolled up past the elbow. Dr. Richards has the needle already under the skin, and I feel my stomach start to roll just a bit at the sight of the blood as it fills the first of the tiny vials. I’ve never been all that squeamish at the sight of blood, but the thought of a needle under my skin has me fidgeting and feeling like there’s something crawling under my skin.
“Sam, give me a hand,” Ryder says.
I rush to his side and take one of the large blankets from him. I hold it up in front of Naomi, using it as a shield to hide her from the view of everyone else in the room. “Strip,” I tell her. “You’ve been in those wet clothes for far too long. It’s all coming off now.”
She gives me an annoyed look, which actually makes me happy because it means she’s aware enough to even be annoyed. Her fingers must be numb, because she can’t manage to undo the button on her jeans without any help. She gives me a look that says she’ll murder me if I touch her, but she’s clearly not getting out of those soaking wet clothes by herself.
“Hate me later,” I tell her. “Aaron, hold this.” Without waiting for his response, I thrust the blanket into his hands, and he holds it up, closing his eyes as a courtesy to Naomi, even though she knows he’s not going to be interested in what he sees.
I swat Naomi’s hands away from her jeans, and quickly undo the button, cringing at how cold the fabric is beneath my fingers. She shimmies out of her jeans with a little help from me, and I even pry her boots and socks off for her as well. She manages to strip off her sweater herself, and once she’s naked, I take the blanket from Aaron and wrap her in it as tightly as I can. I rub her arms in an attempt to get some warmth and feeling back into them.
“You should go sit down and huddle up,” I tell her. “Make sure to keep your toes warm, too. That’s what I’m most worried about right now.”
Even though I know she’s a little angry at me for having to help her, she nods and manages a grateful smile. “Thanks.”
As she totters off to find a suitable seat, I turn to Daisy and begin to strip her. She’s more compliant than Naomi was, and once she’s naked and wrapped in her own thick blanket, I have to help her over to the lounge seat in the corner where Naomi is already huddled. They squeeze in together side by side, and I hope we’ve gotten them somewhere safe in time to save their lives, and their toes and fingers.
“Do you guys need anything?” I ask them.
Naomi shakes her head, but Daisy doesn’t give me any kind of response. Her eyes are still hooded and a little unfocused, and I worry that she may have hit her head on something in the water. There’s not much we can do for her if she has, since there isn’t a hospital anywhere in the area. This place might have some kind of infirmary, but I doubt they’ll have any of that kind of machinery. Probably just bandages and other minor medical supplies for any on the job accidents that happen.
It can’t hurt to ask.
“Dr. Richards? Does this place have any kind of infirmary?”
He doesn’t look up from Todd’s arm, where he’s busy collecting his third vial of blood. “Yes.” He offers no more information than that simple answer.
“Does it have anything that might tell us if our friend has a concussion or something? She’s not very responsive, and I’m worried she may have hit her head on something when she fell into the river.”
“It has nothing that will help your friend.” He finally looks up and squints his eyes at Daisy. “I’m sure she’ll be fine. Lethargy is a common side effect of hypothermia. Once she warms up, she’ll return to her normal self. Check her pulse,” he advises.
Reaching out, I grab her wrist and
place my fingers over it, searching for her pulse. It’s steady, but a little weak. And her breathing is fast and shallow, like she’s struggling to get any air into her lungs. “It’s slow,” I say. “But her breathing is fast. Is that bad?”
He looks at me dismissively. “Check their pulse every ten minutes. If it starts to get faster, it means they’ll be fine. If it starts to get slower, there isn’t much I can do for them. In the meantime, keep them as warm as you can. The more layers the better. This will be a waiting game.”
Dr. Richards removes the needle from Todd’s arm and presses a white cotton ball to the pit of his arm. Todd holds it in place, backing away from the doctor and eyeing him warily. “What are you going to do with my blood?”
“Derive a cure from it,” Dr. Richards says, as if it should be the most obvious thing in the world. “I have been waiting for an opportunity like this for nearly six months now. With your blood, I can hopefully create a serum that will reverse the effects of this calamity and make things the way they were before it all happened.”
“How long will it take?” Ryder asks.
“Not long. I have been working on this since day one of the outbreak, and have made great strides before you arrived. I’ve been ready for the testing phase for quite some time. I simply ran out of blood and could do nothing more.”
“So now that you have his blood, you can begin testing your cure?” Madison asks, her eyes lighting up like stars. “How many trials do you have to do before we can get it out there on a mass scale?”
“It will depend on the results. If I had the time, I would say as many as I could possibly manage. But if this takes too long, there won’t be much of a world left for me to save. I’ll have to rush the testing phase and hope for the best.” He doesn’t sound like he likes the idea of rushing things, but I understand his decision. We really don’t have enough time to go about this as slowly and carefully as we should.
Dr. Richards stares at the vials of Todd’s blood in his grasp, a strange look on his face. It’s such an intense, delighted look that it’s more than a little unnerving.
“So what now?” Reese asks.
“For now, you all can get some rest. I’m sure you’ve had a very taxing journey to get here. I can show you a room where you can relax and get some much needed rest. And if you need anything, feel free to help yourselves. Just do not disturb me while I’m in my lab. This opportunity is far too important to risk me losing my focus. I’m sure you understand.” He looks at us. “If you’ll follow me, I’ll take you to that room now.”
We follow him out the door and back into the hallway. Ryder is helping Naomi walk, and Reese is helping Daisy. They both look like they’re in really bad shape, especially considering Daisy’s feet are bandaged and bloody from all the blisters she has. She needs a warm bed to sleep off the day’s events, and hopefully tomorrow will be better for the both of them. For the rest of us, too.
We pass out of the laboratory portion of the building and into the living facilities. It’s strange to see the place go from cold and uninviting to warm and welcoming, but I’m definitely glad to see it. These halls are filled with light, and the air feels much warmer. There’s still blood on the walls, and even though it’s been scrubbed clean, I can still picture the dead body that was lying there.
Dr. Richards stops at the end of the hall. “There are eight rooms in this wing, each with a nice bed. Plenty of room for your people,” he says to Ryder. “None of them are being used anymore, so feel free to arrange yourselves however you would like. There’s a kitchen back down the hall the way we just came—it’s the room with the silver double doors. Feel free to help yourself. It should all still be good.”
“Thank you for your hospitality,” Ryder says, offering Dr. Richards his hand.
Dr. Richards eyes it as if he thinks Ryder has some kind of disease. “I’m sorry, I don’t shake. I try to limit my human contact as much as possible. Nevertheless, you are welcome. Stay as long as you like.” Without another word or even a second glance, he strides away with his head held high and a bit of a pep in his step.
“Do we split up or stay together?” Aaron asks. “I gotta admit, I like the thought of being able to sleep in a warm, safe bed tonight. We can make sure there are at least two people and one weapon per room, if that makes everyone feel better. But I don’t think this guy means us any harm.”
Ryder nods. “Pick a partner and find a room.” He looks at me. “You rooming with me?”
“Of course,” I say, smiling. “Some alone time sounds pretty nice right about now.”
“Yeah it does,” Reese says, stretching his back until it cracks. “I can stretch out and relax for once. Who wants to double up with me?”
“Why don’t you take Naomi?” Ryder suggest. “Daisy can room with Aaron, if that’s not a problem?”
Aaron shakes his head. “Doesn’t bother me any. I’ll keep a close eye on her tonight, make sure she warms up and gets better. Maybe in a little while we can try a nice warm bath.” He leads Daisy away, helping her into the nearest room, closing the door shut behind them. Reese offers his hand to Naomi, and she shakes her head.
“I can manage.”
“I know you can. Just thought I’d offer to help.” He follows along behind her, ready to steady her if she does need his help. She makes it to their room without any incident, and the door closes behind them.
“We’re gonna turn in for the night,” Madison says. “Todd could probably use some rest after having his blood drawn. We might sneak into the kitchen later for something to eat, so if you find anything, leave it out?”
I nod. “Sure. Goodnight.”
She nods back and the two of them disappear into their room, closing the door behind them. It’s just me and Ryder alone in the hallway, and I look at him. “What do you think? Shower or food first?”
“Food, definitely. We can leave some out for the others, and grab some to restock our bags while we have the chance. There’s no telling how abruptly we might have to leave this place. Better to plan now than wait until the last minute.”
“I’ll bet this place has some kind of armory,” I say. “We should ask Dr. Richards about it tomorrow. I’m sure he won’t be using any weapons anytime soon. We can restock that while we’re at it.”
“Smart thinking,” he says, putting his hand on my waist and dragging me closer. “I like that you’re thinking ahead. It means I don’t have to worry about you as much as I normally do.”
I laugh. “All you do is worry about me.”
“True,” he admits, leading us down to the kitchen we passed minutes ago. “But since the day I first met you, you’ve changed so much that it’s unreal. I feel like you can survive anything, no matter what happens. And that makes me feel a little bit better about letting myself be close to someone again.” He kisses my temple, and we walk the rest of the way in silence.
We find our way to the kitchen easily, and we pass through the double doors. The place is nearly spotless compared to the rest of the facility, and I’m very thankful for that. I can see no blood splatter, no body parts, and there’s no stench of decay that permeates through everything else everywhere we go. I can actually stop and take a deep breath without feeling like I want to cry, and that’s such a big thing.
We split up and start to look through the kitchen, wondering if we’ll find anything other than our usual spoils—canned fruit and bottled water. I’m not hoping for too much, but it would be nice to eat something other than cold fruit or vegetables, even if it’s just for a little while. Being on the road as often as we have been, it makes me miss my tiny little rooftop garden, and the MRE’s we used to have.
If any place has MRE’s, it’ll be a government facility like this one. We might actually luck out!
On the far wall, there’s a stainless steel stove, dishwasher, and refrigerator. Thankfully neither of us is stupid enough to open the fridge. It’s not like Dr. Richards can make a run to the nearest supermarket for some fresh
milk, so anything left in there is most likely rotting and neither of us wants that foul stench to escape. That kind of smell is like the stench of rotting corpses—it permeates through everything and sticks to your clothes no matter how many times you wash them.
Ryder takes the cupboards closest to the door, and I take the ones nearer to the appliances because they’re closer to the ground and I can’t reach the ones that are higher up. I open the first cupboard in my reach, and start pulling stuff out without even bothering to look at it, and I notice that Ryder is doing the same thing. We’ll look at it all once we’ve got it all out in the open, and we’ll decide what we want to take and what we can afford to leave behind for anyone else who stumbles upon this place.
Moving on to the second cupboard, I find an unopened bag of plain white rice. I toss it aside with a grimace and stick my head back in the cupboard. Place white rice tastes awful no matter what you do with it, and I hope Ryder doesn’t insist on taking it with us because it’s definitely something I can do without. After the bag of rice, I pull can upon can of food out from these cupboards that probably haven’t seen daylight in nearly a year. The tops are covered in dust, but otherwise they’re in pretty good shape.
I find a few boxes in the very back, and I check them over for any rodent activity. One of them has a hole chewed in the bottom corner, and little clumps of uncooked stuffing fall to the floor, along with some tiny black pellets. I set the box back in the cupboard with a grimace, and set the other four boxes on the counter behind me after checking them over as well. I hope the mice haven’t gotten into anything else under these cupboards.
When Ryder and I are all done puling stuff off the shelves, we stand together and marvel at all of the food we’ve found. There are dozens of cans, several boxes of flavored rice and stuffing, and even bags of dehydrated fruit and unopened cans of juice. We haven’t had this much food in front of us in a long time, and it’s almost enough to bring tears to my eyes. I don’t know how long we’re going to be here for, but while we are, we’re all going to eat very well. Who knows, we might even manage to put on a little bit of weight before heading out.
Zombie World (Zombie Apocalypse #3) Page 14