Angie walked over to the nurse's desk and climbed up onto it.
"What the holy fuck are you doing up there?" said Mr. Paulson, wheeling himself over. "I thought dumbshit there broke the ladder. And besides, how would I..."
"Now, Dad," said Kristen, walking over to him. "Let's just see what she's doing." She sounded upbeat but her voice was shaking.
Angie flicked the lighter on and held it up to the nearest sprinkler. The sprinkler sputtered out a few drops but otherwise did not respond.
Angie smiled. "If the water's off, then so are the sprinklers." She tossed the lighter back to Park, then jumped down off the desk. "And you said they don't like fire, right?"
Park nodded. "Yeah, but we've just got the one lighter."
"Two," said Mr. Paulson, fishing an old-fashioned butane lighter from his hospital robe.
"Dad!" said Kristen. "What do you have that for?"
"I use it to warm my balls, what the hell do you think?" said Mr. Paulson.
Park looked at Mr. Paulson, then back to Angie. "Okay then, two. Now we have twice the amount of jack shit we had before."
"Wait here," said Angie, walking over to the sink. She opened some cabinets and started rooting around.
Park looked over at Kristen and Mr. Paulson. Kristen was doting and Mr. Paulson was sulking.
It would be so easy to shoot himself. But he wanted to see what Angie had planned.
Angie pulled out a plastic jug of something. Then two more. Then three more. She took one of the jugs and carried it over.
"Rubbing alcohol," she said. "Won't burn for long but it will burn. Watch."
She took Park's lighter from his hand without asking. She walked over to one of the glass doors. Corpses writhed and bit at her. She splashed some of the alcohol on the door and lit it. Flame roared across the glass for a few seconds, then was gone. The glass was scorched and darkened and the room smelled of smoke. But behind the glass, the corpses had backed up several feet.
Park raised an eyebrow and nodded. "That would definitely help."
Angie nodded back at him. She held out his lighter. Park shook his head. "Keep it. You start fires, I'll shoot." He smirked at her.
She smirked back and put the lighter in her smock pocket. "Okay then. Let's see what else we have we can use as weapons."
Mr. Paulson pointed at the jugs of alcohol. "I hope you aren't planning on me carrying all those fuckers."
Angie looked down at Mr. Paulson, then reached for his waist.
"What the fuck?" said Mr. Paulson. Angie grabbed the belt of his hospital robe and pulled it free.
"Hospital property," she said. She walked over to the jugs of alcohol. She threaded the belt through four of the jug handles, then lifted it all up off the counter. She tied the belt around her waist, two jugs dangling at each hip. She double knotted and pulled it so tight Park winced.
"That's gotta hurt," said Park.
"You bet it does," said Angie. "But it'll work."
Park nodded. "Got anything sharp? Scalpels or some shit?"
Angie thought about it, then walked to another counter. She pulled open a drawer and pulled out packets of scalpels and blades. She opened the protective plastic and put four scalpels together. She stuck one in the robe belt. She handed the other three out to Park, Kristen and Mr. Paulson.
"They don't feel pain," said Angie, “but you can use these to cut free a finger or hand. Wish we had something that could cut deeper, but surgeries aren't generally done at the nurse's station."
Angie paused, looking at Kristen. "Here," she said. She took the rifle off her shoulder and handed it to her. "Since Mr. Paulson can move himself now, you can use this."
Kristen blanched at the sight of the gun. "I'm not really that good with a gun..."
Angie cut her off. "You were good enough to pretend to shoot Sam. Just take it. Aim for the brain and try not to waste ammo."
Kristen took the gun.
Angie turned to look at the three glass doors. The corpses had returned to the scorched one. All three doors were covered with corpses, squirming and grasping. Park stepped up next to her.
"Which door?" he said, taking his rifle off his shoulder.
Angie shrugged. She picked up a fifth jug of alcohol and popped off the cap. She took out the lighter. "I don't suppose it matters." She pointed at the one in the middle. "Though that one will give us a choice of two hallways at the middle of it. It splits off. One half goes straight to the emergency room. That's the hallway we came down to get here. The other half goes to the cafeteria, laundry room, and eventually back around to just outside the emergency room."
"Always good to have choices," said Park. "I guess we'll do that one."
Angie turned to the others. "We ready?"
Twenty
Maylee frowned down at Brooke's phone. The display complained of low battery, then winked out completely. It was dead. "Guess we won't be going back to the house to see if Brooke brought the charger with her."
Dalton looked back at the house, then back at Maylee. "They had her insides, Maylee." He had a look Maylee hadn't seen on him since he was very small.
"I know," said Maylee, pushing down her own fear. "But we just have to try not to think about it. Let's get this car and get to Mom, okay?"
Dalton looked down, then back up. "Do you think... do you think I got Brooke killed?"
Maylee bit her lip and looked at him. "No, Dalton." She knelt to look him in the eye. "Listen to me. Those things are what killed Brooke. We were just trying to get the phone so we could call for help. Okay?"
Dalton looked at her. For a second he was a scared little kid. Then the braver Dalton, the Dalton who had knocked a hole to the basement and crawled through it, resurfaced. "Okay."
She smiled at him. "Now, let's steal a car."
She stood. Dalton looked up and down the street. "Won't we get in trouble?"
Maylee shrugged. "Maybe. But I think there's more important things to worry about."
"Brooke has ...had a car."
Maylee looked at him. "You want to go back to get the keys from her?"
Dalton looked back to the house, then back to Maylee. He shook his head.
"Me neither," she said. She turned back to the car and pulled on the door handle. "Damn."
"What?" said Dalton.
"It's locked. Whoever's car this is must have locked their keys in the car."
"Should we find another one?"
Maylee looked up and down the street. She could hear moaning, this time a little closer than before. "Don't think we'll get lucky like this again. And besides, we have to get moving. Can't stay in one place very long tonight."
"Those corpses are everywhere," said Dalton.
"Yeah," said Maylee. "Stand back." She took a step back from the car and swung her bat at the driver's window. It shattered with a loud crash, sending glass to the street and all across the front seat of the car.
Dalton walked up, wide-eyed. "Damn. It's your fault if I get glass in my butt."
"Just get in.” She reached inside and hit the unlock button.
Dalton went to the other side and opened the door. Maylee opened the driver's door and brushed as much glass as she could out into the street. She tossed her bat in the back seat and sat, wincing at the sound of crunching glass but feeling no pain that would indicate injury.
"Okay," she said. "This should work. Put on your seat belt."
"What? We're stealing a car, Maylee. Car thieves don't need to wear seat belts."
She turned to glare at him. "Will you just do it?" She fastened hers. "I'm not going to get us this far and then kill us both in a crash."
Grumbling, he fastened his seat belt. "I wonder why the person whose car this was left their keys in it."
Maylee shrugged. "Probably rushing to get inside. Probably heard about all the trouble on the news."
"What if he died in the car?"
Maylee rolled her eyes at him. "If he died in the car, he'd still be sitting in
the front seat. Dead people don't move."
They both looked at each other, realizing.
A corpse grabbed at them from the back seat.
Maylee and Dalton both screamed. The corpse, a thin man in a business suit, clutched Maylee's head and pulled back. Maylee frantically scrambled with the seat belt latch. The thin man pulled Maylee's cheek close to his mouth. The seat belt came free. Maylee grabbed the hard metal end of the strap and shoved it into the man's eye. He made no reaction.
Dalton was struggling with his seat belt. Maylee balled up her hand and slammed backward at where the seat belt was lodged in the corpse's eye. She heard something pop and the corpse let go and seemed to lose focus. I must have hurt the brain.
"Dalton!" she said, twisting in the seat to help him with the seat belt. "The brain! You've got to hurt the brain to stop these things." She undid his belt and he slid out the passenger door.
She opened her door and jumped outside. Dalton ran around to her side of the car. "My bat?" Maylee said. "Where's my bat?"
"You left it in the back seat," said Dalton. He tugged at her hand. "Come on. Let's just go."
Maylee shook her head. The corpse was thrashing around in the back seat, sluggishly and slow, but still dangerous. "No. We need this car to get to Mom."
She reached back inside the open driver's door, around to the back seat. The corpse was thrashing just a few feet away, so she moved quick. She pulled up the lock on the driver's side rear door. Then she hurriedly grabbed her bat and pulled her arm back. Looking around the pavement, she found a fallen tree branch and tossed it to Dalton. The she stepped back, holding the bat.
"Now, go unlock the other door."
"What? No way."
"Come on, Dalton!" She looked up and down the street. "We don't have much time."
"What's the stick for?"
"To push him out this side," said Maylee, using the bat to indicate her side.
"You're nuts!"
"Will you just do it!"
Dalton grumbled as he walked around and opened the passenger front door. He looked through the window at the corpse. The corpse was closer to Maylee's side and seemed not to notice Dalton at all. He reached in very carefully, and quickly pulled up the lock on the passenger rear door. He drew his hand out quickly and stepped away from the car.
"Dammit! That thing could have bit me."
"I know," said Maylee. "But you did good. Now open the door."
"Maylee..."
"Dalton, hurry! Those things are wandering around everywhere and we have no idea when one's gonna find us out here. Maybe even a bunch of them. We have to get in this car."
Dalton made a very worried whine and opened the back door.
Maylee opened hers. The corpse heard the sound and whipped its head from side to side, grunting. The seat belt fell from the corpse's eye.
"Now push!" said Maylee.
Dalton steeled himself and shoved the corpse in the shoulder with the branch. The corpse toppled out of the car onto the pavement, right at Maylee's feet.
It had just started to right itself when Maylee slammed her bat down on the corpse's skull. There was a horrible "crack" and the thing moaned.
Dalton came around to Maylee's side, mouth hanging open, watching Maylee.
"Dammit," said Maylee, slamming the bat down again. The corpse's head crumpled and blood seeped out a crack in its forehead. But it still moved, grabbing weakly at her.
"Just fucking die!" she screamed, slamming down one more time. The corpse's skull collapsed and Maylee's bat rang off the pavement. The corpse was still.
"Crap," said Dalton, looking down.
Maylee panted down at her handiwork. "We're gonna have to get something better than a bat." She looked at the blood and flesh coating her bat and grimaced. She wiped it on the corpse's clothes.
"That's gross, Maylee," said Dalton.
"Well I'm sorry. Do you have a hanky on you?"
"No."
"Then shut up." She checked the bat again. It was clean. "Let's get out of here."
She shut the back door on her side and Dalton went around and did his. They both climbed back in the car and shut the front doors. Maylee wiped her seat belt on the seat, then put it back on.
"The seat belt again?" said Dalton.
"Just do it."
He sighed and did.
Maylee let out a long sigh and turned the ignition.
Nothing. Not the slightest attempt at starting.
"What's wrong?" said Dalton.
Maylee tried a few more times, then groaned. "Oh shit. The dead guy must have died with the car running. The gas is gone, Dalton." She pulled the keys out and sat back in the seat.
Dalton took off his seat belt. "Looks like we're walking."
"For now," said Maylee, undoing hers. "I'll think of something." She climbed out of the car and the corpse of a woman hissed at her, inches from her face.
Maylee screamed. The woman's brown hair was matted with blood and her eyes rolled back into her head. The woman leaned in to bite.
With a grunt, Dalton came running around the other side of the car and shoved the woman down. The woman fell to the pavement, squirming and moaning.
"Hurry!" said Dalton, pointing at her. "Bat her!"
Maylee shook herself out of her shock. "Oh, right." She reached back into the car and grabbed the bat.
The woman was sitting back up and groaning just as Maylee slammed the woman across the cheek. The woman's jaw split and blood flew off to one side.
"The brain!" said Dalton.
"I know! I'm the one who told you!" said Maylee. She brought the bat over her head and slammed downward as hard as she could. The top of the woman's head bent inward. Blood seeped out her ears. She fell backward and was still.
"Dammit!" said Maylee. She wiped sweat from her forehead. "This is why I told you we have to hurry." She wiped the bat on the woman's clothes, noticing the woman was wearing pajamas and a bathrobe.
Dalton noticed it too. "She must have come from the house."
Maylee nodded. "Yeah, probably." She looked up and down the street, still winded. "Okay, let's go."
She and Dalton started walking toward the end of the street. Then she stopped.
"Wait," she said, looking at the keys in her hand.
"What?" said Dalton, turning back.
"There's a bunch of keys on here, and two car unlocker-things," said Maylee, showing Dalton the key chain.
Dalton walked back to her and looked. "So? Maybe that was his wife there, and that's the thing to her car."
Maylee nodded. "Yeah. And do you know what this is?" She indicated a small device hanging from one end of the chain.
"No. What?"
Maylee pointed the device toward the house and clicked it. With a whine and a squeaking of gears, the garage to the house's left opened. The door slowly rose up and shuddered to a stop.
Another car sat in the garage.
"Please work, please work, please work," said Maylee, pointing the key chain at the new car and pushing one of the unlock buttons.
The car beeped and lit up.
Maylee turned back to Dalton and grinned.
Twenty-One
Angie stared at the corpses behind the door. The room would be full of them in seconds once they opened the door.
"Everyone sure they're ready?" she said. "We'll have to move quick."
"Yep," said Park, holding his rifle.
Kristen said nothing, but held her rifle as well. Mr. Paulson was quiet for the moment, hand on the wheelchair controller.
Angie looked back at Park. "You think this will work?"
Park shrugged. "Hope so."
Angie turned back to the door. "Yeah. Me too."
The corpses bit at the glass.
"Okay," she said. "Let's go."
Angie splashed the door with rubbing alcohol and lit it. Flame shot across the glass for a few seconds, then sputtered out. The glass was blackened and the corpses behind it had backed u
p several feet. Angie unlocked the door quickly and opened it.
The corpses groaned and came for them.
"Everyone back up!" yelled Angie. They all stepped backward, further into the room.
Corpses filed in, groaning and biting at them. The group stayed clear, backing up as more corpses entered the room.
"This won't work," said Kristen. "Oh god. This isn't going to work."
"Shut the fuck up," said Park.
"Circle back!" said Angie.
The group turned, backing up to their left now. More corpses came in. There were at least twenty in the room now. They reached for the group as they came in, but were blocked by the nurse's desk. Angie and Park had pushed the nurse's desk so that it ran outward from the door frame, corralling the corpses straight into the room. A few more came through, then no more.
"That must be it for the immediate hallway," said Angie. "Everyone keep backing up!"
The group backed toward the wall now. The desk was at their left. Some of the corpses stumbled around the desk and moved toward them.
"I think now would be a good time," said Park.
"Yeah," said Angie. She climbed up onto the desk and stood. Taking the open jug of alcohol, she dumped a large amount on the floor just by the door. A few corpses, the last to enter the room, reached for her but missed.
Angie set the jug down and knelt on the desk. Leaning forward with the lighter, she lit the puddle she had made.
Flame wooshed up at her and into the room. She pulled back, nearly singed. The corpses moaned and backed further away from the door, deeper into the room.
"Now!" yelled Angie, jumping from the desk and back to the others. She and Park pushed the desk to the other side of the door, right over the already-sputtering flame. The corpses were still backing away, moaning and wincing at the fire.
"Hurry!" said Angie. Kristen and Mr. Paulson rushed out the door and into the hallway. Angie and Park moved to the far side of the desk and pushed it against the door, blocking it. They both climbed over the desk and out the door.
Angie shut the door, looking at the corpses filling the nurse's station. Freeda's body was still in there, but she pushed the thought down. There was no helping that.
"Too bad these don't lock from the outside," said Angie.
Lakewood Memorial Page 10