The Undead the Second Week Compilation Edition Days 8-14

by RR Haywood

  Finally she makes a decision and scans round before wrenching the door open to drop out clutching a rifle. Into a crouch and she aims and fires several times, the loud cracks distinct against the silence only previously broken by the guttural howls of the undead charging forward.

  She drops several then leans into the vehicle, grabbing a rucksack and started to run. Roy aims at the one coming up behind her, loosing the arrow to miss her head by inches as it drives into the eye socket of the undead.

  She sprints hard, eyes fixed on him as he grabs, nocks, pulls lifts aims and looses, taking the next closest one down.

  Roy looses the next one as she reaches the front passenger door, wrenching it open and diving in.

  ‘Cover me,’ he says calmly.

  The second he hears the rifle crack he drops the bow into the van, slams the side door closed and drops down to run under the passenger side window. Round the front and into the driver’s seat. She fires carefully, placing her shots as he engages first gear and pulls away.

  The powerful engine complies instantly, turning in a wide arc as he holds the wheel over to the right. Straightening up he listens to the thumps and bangs as they reach the back of the van, slamming into the sheer sides but with nothing to grasp or hold they simply fall away as he applies speed and creates distance.

  The woman stares back out of the window, leaning further and further out as if to keep them in sight for as long as possible.

  ‘Thanks,’ she faces forward breathing hard, her face flushed with red cheeks, hair plastered across her forehead and still gripping the black machine gun.

  ‘Paula,’ she says with ragged breath.

  ‘Could you do me a favour?’ Roy asks keeping his eyes fixed on the road ahead.

  ‘What?’ Paula gasps, still with the heat of battle.

  ‘Can you check my back please?’ Roy leans forward over the steering wheel.

  ‘Why did they get you?’ Paula demands.

  ‘God no!’ Roy replies, ‘I think I’ve got a lump there, can you have a look and see if you can see anything.’

  ‘What?’

  ‘My back, my lower back…’ using one hand he tugs the bottom of his t shirt up revealing his lower back, ‘is there a lump there?’

  Still breathing hard with a head spinning from the chaos of the last few minutes she bends over to peer at his perfectly normal back.

  ‘Nothing there.’

  ‘You sure? There must be a lump or something, is the skin raised?’

  ‘No, nothing,’ Paula replies then glances out the front, her movements still fast and twitchy.

  ‘What about a rash? Is there a rash?’

  She looks again, staring hard at the skin on his back, ‘there’s nothing, it’s clear…just normal.’

  ‘Oh thank god for that,’ he breathes a huge sigh of relief, ‘you don’t know how worried I’ve been, honestly I really thought there was a lump there, tried feeling myself but you know how it is, twisting round and everything feels weird.’

  ‘Right,’ Paula nods still staring with wild eyes.

  ‘Don’t suppose you’re a doctor by any chance?’

  ‘Eh? No…’

  ‘Oh, nurse? Medically trained? Vet maybe?’

  ‘No,’ she shakes her head, ‘accountant.’

  ‘Accountant, was it a big firm?’

  ‘Er…quite big why?’

  ‘Did you have a designated first aider?’

  ‘What? Yes…I was…what? Why?...’

  ‘Which course did you do? Was it the one day basic course or the advanced?’

  ‘Is someone hurt?’ She asks.

  ‘No why?’

  ‘Why are you asking me then?’

  ‘Just wanted to know,’ he replies, ‘was it the one day basic then or the advanced?’

  ‘Er, I did two afternoons; someone came in and did a few of us…why?’ She grimaces at the memory of all the office men staring at her backside while she bent over to practise mouth to mouth on the doll, then the jokes and comments that followed every time they mentioned chest compressions.

  ‘Oh,’ Roy says glumly, ‘that one, yeah figures.’

  ‘I…bloody hell,’ Paula wipes the sweat from her face and stares about in bewilderment. Grabbing her bag she pulls a bottle of water out to take a long swig then leans back out the window to check behind them, ‘er…who are you?’ She asks.

  ‘Roy.’

  ‘No I mean who are you? Why were you there? And how the hell did you do that with a bow and arrow? I mean thank you but bloody hell that was amazing.’

  ‘Thanks,’ Roy nods.

  ‘So?’ Paula prompts after several seconds of silence, ‘who are you and why were you there?’

  ‘I’m Roy, have you got a brain injury?’

  ‘What? No why?’

  ‘You keep asking my name. It’s Roy.’

  ‘Sorry, I meant…I just meant what were you doing there?’

  ‘You didn’t say that, you kept saying who are you.’

  ‘Yes, sorry…just a bit shocked I guess…so what were you doing there?’

  ‘Going for the coastal road to find the fort,’ he replies happily.

  ‘Oh,’ she nods, ‘what fort?’ This must be a dream. She glances over at the man driving, a bald head with a light layer of very fair stubble on his scalp and chin. He looks clean and handsome in a rugged kind of way, dressed in a tight top that clings to his frame but the way he was firing those arrows, that was unbelievable.

  ‘Have you not heard?’ He asks conversationally.

  ‘About what?’ She shakes her head.

  ‘The fort,’ he repeats, ‘they’ve got doctors and a hospital, shops and a man called Mr Howie that keeps it safe.’

  ‘Really? Where is it?’ Paula leans forward staring in shock.

  ‘Somewhere between here and Portsmouth, that’s why I was going for the coastal road but then I saw them….then I saw you and well, couldn’t just leave you there, thought you might be a doctor or something.’

  ‘Doctor? No…just an accountant, sorry.’

  ‘Not your fault.’

  ‘That makes sense,’ Paula mutters, nodding to herself.

  ‘What does?’ Roy asks.

  ‘Why they’re all going that way…is there a lot of people at this fort?’

  ‘Thousands from what I hear, I just hope they’ve got a spare bed in the hospital.’

  ‘Why?’

  ‘So I can use it,’ he answers as if it’s the most obvious thing ever.

  ‘Are you hurt? What’s wrong?’ Paula switches on, realising how many times he’s mentioned doctors now, ‘is it your back?’

  ‘What?’ Roy asks in alarm, ‘you said my back was fine…did you see something? Is there a lump?’

  ‘No! There wasn’t anything…but you keep mentioning doctors and you said about your back so I…’

  ‘I knew it, I fucking knew it,’ Roy shakes his head.

  ‘Knew what?’

  ‘My back! I knew there was something there, look Paula, I know we only just met but you can tell it to me straight…there was a growth wasn’t there.’

  ‘No!’ Paula reels.

  ‘Come on, just be honest…I would rather know.’

  ‘There was nothing there, honestly…really nothing there.’

  ‘Check again.’

  ‘Okay,’ she shrugs, he leans forward tugging the top up again. Bending over she examines his back closely and without thinking extends a hand to run over his skin making him flinch, ‘sorry,’ she says on instinct.

  ‘That’s okay…what did you feel?’

  ‘Nothing, really there is nothing there, it felt fine. Does it hurt?’

  ‘Oh my god,’ Roy wails, ‘why would it hurt? You saw something didn’t you?’

  ‘What!? No…I’m just asking because you keep mentioning it…’

  ‘Sure?’ He asks in a quiet meek voice.

  ‘I’m sure,’ she says softly staring across at the strange man.

  ‘Oh
fuck…really? Are you sure?’

  ‘Roy, there was nothing there…there is nothing there, I promise.’

  ‘Okay,’ he nods quickly and takes a deep breath, ‘okay.’

  ‘So…’ she pauses thinking how to ask him again, ‘does it hurt er…anywhere? Do you need a doctor?’

  ‘God yes,’ he blurts out, ‘my mouth is in pieces and I know I’ve got lumps growing and tumours…it’s been what? Two weeks since I saw a doctor and god knows what’s developed since then.’

  ‘Jesus Roy, I’m so sorry,’ she says still shocked and struggling to keep up.’

  ‘What for?’ He asks quickly.

  ‘Well, you know…that you’re having to deal with that while all this is happening.’

  ‘Deal with what?’

  ‘Having Canc…’

  ‘Don’t say it!’

  ‘What?’

  ‘Don’t say that word…why would you say that? Oh my god do you think I look ill?’

  Paula shakes her head again, thinking this must be what swimming through mud must feel like, ‘No you don’t look ill, you look fine…I mean I never met you before but you look fine now…’

  ‘Then why would you say that?’

  She rubs her eyes and forehead, feeling the strain more than ever, ‘look,’ she snaps, ‘are you ill or not?’

  ‘Probably…I do get this weird sensation when I squeeze my thighs together really hard.’

  ‘Right,’ she nods, ‘I thought you said it was your back?’

  ‘It is, and I get that sensation too, plus my mouth… I must be riddled with it, head to toe and everything infected and diseased and…’

  ‘Riddled with what?’ Exasperated she cuts him off, staring across as he watches the road.

  ‘With whatever I’ve got, probably loads of things…I did a diabetes check but I think the machine was broken and the blood pressure machine too, that was faulty…I mean it said I was fine but well, you can’t trust a machine like that can you? You need proper machines with wires and doctors and…

  ‘Roy, are you ill with anything specific?’

  ‘I don’t know yet,’ he sighs, ‘wait and see what the doctors say.’

  ‘Okay,’ she say slowly, ‘have you been diagnosed with anything?’

  ‘Well no,’ he says quietly, ‘but that doesn't mean something hasn’t developed or started in the last er…thirteen days or…’

  ‘Okay,’ she nods again as a dim light starts to come on, ‘and your mouth? What’s wrong with that?’

  ‘Why did you see something…’ He asks quickly.

  ‘No, not at all but you said your mouth was in bits or something like that.’

  ‘Oh yes I did didn’t I, well the gums are irritated and well, they just don’t feel right.’

  ‘Bleeding?’

  ‘Well no but…’

  ‘Are they swollen?’

  ‘Not swollen but…’

  ‘Do they hurt?’

  ‘Not actually painful but I can just feel them, you know like they’re a bit irritated…I keep brushing and using mouthwash but…’

  ‘How often are you brushing?’

  ‘Oh loads, like every hour sometimes…that’s why I can’t understand why they’re so irritated.’

  ‘Brushing every hour? And using mouthwash?’

  ‘Of course, I’m trying to do the best I can and keep the infection at bay but…’

  ‘Roy, maybe the brushing and mouthwash is irritating your gums? Forgive me for being blunt and I know we only just met but…well anyone who brushes that often will have bad gums…’

  ‘I did think of that but…’

  ‘Show me,’ she says firmly.

  ‘What?’

  ‘Show me your mouth.’

  ‘Sure? I mean you know…don’t want to be weird or anything but…’

  ‘Show me,’ she says again, ‘pull over for a second.’ He brings the van to a gradual stop then holding the foot brake down he faces her and quickly opens his mouth. She leans forward staring as he puts his fingers into the sides of his lips and stretches them wide.

  ‘Hang on,’ Paula fidgets for the torch, pulling it out to shine into his mouth, ‘teeth are clean, no lumps…nothing swollen or bleeding…gums looks a tiny bit red but that’s from being brushed so much…hang on,’ she says as he starts to murmur with his mouth wide open, ‘she keeps on peering in for several long seconds, making a point of looking into the sides, the roof and under his tongue, ‘fine, they look absolutely fine…nothing wrong there at all.’

  ‘But you said they looked red.’

  ‘Not red,’ she corrects, ‘just a bit pinker where you’re brushing so much…honestly Roy there is nothing there.’

  He stares at her for a few seconds, deep worry lines etched into the sides of his eyes speak of long periods of anxiety and concern. The dim light grows brighter until it shines down like a football stadium floodlight.

  ‘Honestly, if I saw anything I would tell you,’ she says sincerely, ‘there was nothing on your back, your mouth is clear…anything else?’

  ‘There’s a funny sensation when I squeeze my thighs doc.’

  ‘I’m not a doctor, I’m an accountant.’

  ‘Yeah right, sorry,’ he shakes his head.

  ‘What kind of sensation?’

  ‘Like it tingles a bit,’ he looks worried sick, really panicky.

  ‘Where?’ She asks gently, trying to remember how her GP spoke to her.

  ‘In my er…well my bits,’ he mumbles.

  ‘Do they hurt?’

  ‘No,’ he shakes his head with such a sorry expression she has to suppress a snort of laughter.

  ‘And it just tingles a bit when you clamp your legs together, like really hard?’

  ‘Yeah,’ he nods enthusiastically.

  ‘Like in your testicles yeah? Just a slight tingle that feels a bit weird?’

  ‘Yeah,’ he nods harder, clearly hanging off every word she says. Paula adopts a serious expression, hoping she gets this right.

  ‘Roy,’ she say slowly.

  ‘Yeah,’ his eyebrows go up as he prepares himself for the bad news.

  ‘Everyone gets that, well I mean all men get that…it’s your balls being squashed together…that’s it…don’t clamp your legs together so hard and it won’t happen.’

  ‘Really?’ He asks in a muted voice suddenly full of hope.

  ‘Oh god yes,’ she nods knowingly, ‘I know loads of men who said the same thing.’

  ‘Really?’ His eyes light up, ‘loads of men yeah?’

  ‘Oh yes,’ she nods, ‘my er…dad….my uncles…boyfriends and cousins and well, loads of them.’

  ‘Oh,’ he whispers, ‘wow…really?’

  ‘And er…I er…saw a television documentary about it too, one of those doctor programmes, do you watch them?’ She asks lightly.

  ‘No I’m banned,’ he answers quickly.

  ‘Banned?’

  ‘Yeah my doctors told me I wasn’t allowed to watch them.’

  That figures she thinks, ‘well yeah I saw this programme and it was all about the er…tingling testicles er…phenomenon…’

  ‘Really?’ He looks at her in wonder.

  ‘Oh yeah,’ she says seriously, ‘and that’s what it is, apparently,’ she continues fully in the swing, ‘they get so many men going into GP surgeries about it they commissioned the programme to tell everyone about it.’

  ‘Oh,’ he says slowly, nodding with interest, ‘yeah that would make sense.’

  ‘But of course if you don’t watch them then you wouldn’t have seen it.’

  ‘No,’ Roy shakes his head.

  ‘So,’ she looks at him, ‘anything else?’

  A hand is thrust under her nose, one finger extended. ‘I got a lump,’ he says quickly.

  ‘Let me see,’ she takes his hand gently and feels along the extended finger, really getting into the swing of it now and she gently opens his hand to feel his other fingers then back to the one he showed her
, ‘that,’ she stares at him and notices the instant worry flood across his face again, ‘is a blister.’

  ‘A blister? Oh right yeah I was sharpening the sword for a few hours.’

  ‘Sword?’

  ‘I have a sword.’

  ‘Good,’ she replies, ‘anything else?’ She asks lightly.

  ‘Er…I got this rash on my ankle,’ he starts lifting his leg while reaching down to roll his trousers up.

  ‘Heat rash,’ she says as soon as the tiny red prickles come into view, ‘hot weather, sturdy boots and thick socks…I get the same thing.’

  ‘Anything else?’ She asks with patience, seeing the worry start to dissipate from his face.

  Shaking his head he looks at her in wonder, like a puppy at its new owner, ‘don’t think so,’ he replies.

  ‘Okay that’s good, so I would say,’ she speaks slowly, ‘that you look to be in perfect health.’

  The change in him is palpable, the worry gone instantly and replaced with a big smile and look of complete relief.

  ‘So about this fort?’ She prompts as he engages first gear to start pulling away.

  ‘Yeah apparently they’ve got doctors and a hospital there,’ he relays with glee.

  ‘That’s good, so you’re going there? And I should imagine there must be lots of survivors.’

  ‘Oh the place will be flooded, people always want to group together…which I never quite understand,’ Roy says.

  ‘No,’ Paula looks at him keenly, ‘me neither.’

  ‘I’ve been quite content living on my own, got my van all rigged up and everything I need…’

  ‘Well I did have until a few minutes ago, but yes I agree with you completely…however there is an almighty army of those things marching towards that fort.’

  ‘What? Really?’ Roy glances across at her and starts to slow the van down again, bringing it to another gradual stop and clearly being the type of person who doesn't like driving while distracted.

  ‘Yep, there’s a seaside town back that way…’

  ‘I know it,’ Roy nods.

  ‘Full of them. And I mean completely full, thousands and thousands. I noticed the village and towns were empty all round here, then I found them all heading into the town, then this morning they’re marching out and all coming this way.’

  ‘My town was empty too, I was hunting last night and couldn’t find any.’

  ‘Hunting?’ Paula asks with sudden interest.