by Jaron McFall
The father shook his head, “Not that I saw. He has been with us for nearly a half hour. He would have to have been bitten before he found us.”
“Tie him to the table legs in case he’s infected,” Charlie said, “and get Adam and Julie to the kitchen. They don’t need to be in here.”
When he turned back to his brother, he saw Sue was cleaning the wound with alcohol. “Charlie, this isn’t a bite,” she said.
“Look at that scab. It’s the same kind that are covering those things out there,” Charlie said pointing a finger toward the covered window. His voice was reaching hysterics. “How do we know he isn’t infected?” He grabbed a wad of rope from a supplies pile and tied his brother’s limbs to the table legs with very little slack for Cedric to move.
“What do I need to do?” He asked Sue when he was finished.
“Leave. Everyone else leave. The cut looks old so there isn’t much we can do,” Sue replied. She then added in her head, it looks way too old. Days old really.
The rest of the people standing around started to go toward the kitchen; the only people who stayed were Sue and Cedric’s family. After cleaning the cut, Sue placed bandages on it.
“That’s all I know to do for right now. I’m no expert.”
Eliza patted Sue’s arm, “Thanks.” She got up and wiped the sweat off Cedric’s forehead. “He’s burning up.” She said alarmed.
“Without a doctor, all we can do is wait,” Sue said again.
Charlie handed his CB to Sue, “If anything happens, let me know. I’ll be up top with Ross.” He then left the room and climbed to the roof.
When they saw Charlie come up, Ross and Jack went to meet him to find out what was happening.
“How’s the boy?” Jack asked. “We saw you carry him in; is he hurt?”
“Yes. We don’t know anything yet. He might be infected,” Charlie responded. “Listen, Jack. I need a favor. Can you go back down? If Cedric is infected, call on the CB. I’ll…” Charlie started but paused. “I’ll do it.”
“Of course,” Jack answered knowing exactly what Charlie meant.
“Who were the people?” Ross asked as Jack walked away.
“I dunno. Ced found them.”
“Charlie, I’m sorry,” Ross said looking at the ground. “I shouldn’t have.”
But Charlie cut him off mid-sentence, “He would have found a way. It’s what he wanted to do. I should have listened to him and this wouldn’t have happened. It’s not your fault. It’s mine.”
They were both silent for a minute before Charlie blurted out, “Damn you, Cedric James Donahue!”
Startled, Ross jumped a little. After he realized what Charlie had just said, he asked, “Donahue? As in Sergeant Cameron Donahue?”
This took Charlie by surprise. Not knowing what to say, he just nodded.
“My name’s Ross Mann. Sergeant Spencer Mann’s brother. Our brothers are in the same unit. I think they are actually neighbors. I met him once, your brother I mean. He seemed like a good guy.”
The whole conversation seemed bizarre in this time and place. But Charlie appreciated the distraction. “Have you heard anything from your brother since this all started?”
“No. I haven’t talked to him in a while. I take it you haven’t spoken to your brother either?” Ross asked.
“Not since Easter,” Charlie responded. “Makes you realize how small of a world it is, though.”
“Yeah, I knew Donahue was from around here somewhere, but I never thought you would be them. I mean, to meet like this is odd.”
“Ross, this entire thing is odd. No. That’s not the word. It’s all just wrong,” Charlie said. When he began speaking again his voice had risen in volume, “My little brother shouldn’t be tied to a table down there dying. People shouldn’t be trying to kill us because we aren’t infected like them. What the heck is normal about anything from the past few weeks?”
“I know what you mean.” Ross started to go back to his side of the roof and Charlie went to his.
Ced’s right, Charlie thought to himself as he peered down the road. If he pulls through this I’m going to listen to him. I will make sure we have a team going out instead of just one person next time.
As it became late afternoon, Ben and Danny came to the roof to relieve Charlie and Ross. Once he was down the ladder, Charlie walked to the living area. When he walked through the doorway, he saw a small group of people crowded around where his brother was tied down.
Oh God, Charlie thought, he didn’t die, did he? His heart sank and he quickly walked through the room to the far side where Cedric was. He was prepared for the worst.
“Charlie, I was just about to call you, but Danny said they were going up. He’s awake,” Jack said when he noticed Charlie had come into the room.
Charlie felt warmth flood through his body as the words sank in, but he didn’t let himself feel overly excited. He knew he had to see him to believe it.
The first thing Charlie noticed when he saw Cedric was his eyes. The whites had become completely bloodshot and the normally blue irises had yellow streaks in them.
Charlie knew exactly where he had seen that pattern before: in the eyes of every infected human he had gotten close to. “But you’re not acting infected like them,” Charlie said puzzled.
Cedric, who was untied, leaning up on a pillow, acting completely calm, said, “I know I’m not. It’s just an infected cut, like a regular old infection. Not a them infected. It’s really deep. Sue gave me some drugs, though. I feel fine now.”
“But the scab… your eyes. I mean, that’s exactly like what they have.” Charlie stammered out.
“I don’t know what to tell you. I wasn’t bitten or anything. Maybe it’s just a coincidence or something. Maybe their colored scabs like mine have nothing to do with their craziness. Who knows? I mean, you don’t want me infected, do you?”
Charlie was stunned by the question for a brief moment before responding, “Of course not, you dumbass. Why would I want to see you turn into a blasted zombie, or whatever? I just expected you… I mean, I thought the worst; was prepared for it.”
“Well don’t worry,” Eliza said. “Everyone is going to be just fine. And you’re not going to go pretend you're some kind of hero again and run off to almost get yourself killed,” she chided Cedric.
Cedric felt somewhat ashamed, but also kind of proud. He had done something good by getting that family there. But Cedric couldn’t help but to realize he had very narrowly escaped death. “Mom, I’m sorry. I was going stir crazy sitting here knowing that people needed help.”
“I am sorry that your son got hurt, but he did help my family,” the man Cedric had brought back said from the doorway. “Without his help, we wouldn’t have lasted much longer. He saved us from eventually starving to death. And you guys have a fortress here.”
Charlie patted Cedric on the shoulder, “Glad you lived, twerp.” He then turned to the man, “I think we should talk.”
“Right,” the man responded.
Charlie led the way through the hallway to the end where the old ROTC rooms were because nobody else ventured down there.
“Can you tell me what happened? I mean everything that you know, at least,” Charlie asked the man.
The man took a breath deliberating for a second. “I only know what they have said on the news reports before they stopped, so probably as much as you or less. Some of the standard movie stuff seems to be true, some doesn’t. I learned a headshot doesn’t always work. And a lot of body shots sometimes does work. The initial news reports are kind of wrong, but kind of right. So I really don’t know what to think.”
“And what exactly happened with your family, and then Cedric last night?” Charlie inquired.
“Well as far as your brother last night, I don’t know. We didn’t see him until this morning. He was already covered in blood but seemed fine. He convinced us to leave home and come here. Less than a minute after we pulled out of my house, he started
getting really weak. He mumbled where to go and collapsed,” the older man said and then took a pause. “As far as my family and myself, we just hunkered down when we heard what was happening. Didn’t go so well. All the neighbors turned. We were just waiting to be saved I guess. I didn’t, in any way, see that coming from a kid, though. No offense to your brother. I’m grateful,” the man added quickly.
Charlie just looked puzzled as he wondered why his brother looked infected but didn’t seem to actually be. He thought the man could have given him some information about it but he was left empty-handed. “So, what’s your name?”
The man held out his hand to shake Charlie’s, “Ronald Young. Call me Ron.”
Charlie shook the man’s hand and introduced himself. He then continued to tell him the names of the rest of the people in the building.
“I don’t know if I will remember them all quickly,” Ron said, “but I’ll try. My wife’s name is Ann and my daughter is Karli. You saw them earlier.”
“Yeah,” Charlie responded while trying to commit the names to memory.
“So, you’re in charge?” Ron asked.
“No. I don’t really guess anyone is. I mean, we all just kind of decide on things together.” Charlie said.
“Except when your brother runs off and does it himself.”
“Except then,” Charlie agreed. “I think he may have developed a hero complex. You saw the young boy in there, right?”
Ron nodded.
“Ced rescued him from a pack…” Charlie paused, “I mean group of those infected people. And then he rescued Ross, the guy with the broken wrist, while a group of infected were on his heels. Then you.”
“I see,” said Ron. “Maybe he just feels like since he can do something to help people, then that means he should.”
“Like I said: hero complex,” Charlie said with a laugh.
“I guess you’re right. Psychology isn’t my strong suit. So, what did you do before all of this?” Ron asked.
“I am, or was, a landscaper. You?”
“Electrical engineer. I worked for a company that installed high dollar electrical systems in corporate stores and such. My wife was a homemaker.”
“Good,” Charlie said. “We can probably put you to use with a brain like that.”
“Yes, anything I can do to help. I can browse around the shop to see if there is anything I can find that we can use. And I can take a look at that generator you hooked up. It didn’t look professionally done.”
Charlie laughed again, “Yeah, we sorta slapped it together.”
Over the next week, the group worked to get the vocational building turned into a more fortified and operational place. To everyone’s surprise, Cedric’s gash had completely healed. He was now helping to put together structures inside the shop to make the doors safer by adding a holding chamber behind each door. They resembled an airlock system on a spaceship. They were just in case any infected got through the doors while a vehicle or person was coming in or going out. By the time a week had passed Cedric didn’t even have a scar where the gash had been.
“I don’t see how it healed up so fast,” Sue whispered to Charlie the morning of the eighth day since Cedric got back.
“Since he isn’t infected, all I can chalk it up to is a miracle,” Charlie whispered back.
“But that cut was so bad and he didn’t have any stitches. No way that it heals like that. I don’t care if you’re a mutant, it just doesn’t happen,” She said.
“I don’t know. To be honest,” Charlie said, “it has me up at night. I'm kind of scared about it.”
“And his eyes?” Sue asked.
Cedric’s eyes were the only thing that hadn’t gone back to normal. He had cut himself in the hand while building the holding chambers in the shop, and it was healing normally. So, they knew his gash healing was a fluke, but his eyes still had the strange yellow streaks in them—just like the infected.
“I noticed that too. He… I… I just don’t know,” Charlie stumbled out.
“I guess you’re right. A miracle.”
Chapter Thirteen:
DIPLOMACY
“We are out of antibiotics,” Sue told the others as a group sat around a table in the teacher’s break room.
“So, that means what exactly?” Ben asked. “People have been doing without them for years.”
“Yeah,” Karli said under her breath, “and people died more frequently without them too.”
Cedric gave her a look of admiration at this. Ben had made his opinions of Ron’s family clear from the beginning. Karli seemed like a very sweet girl, except she didn’t take kindly to Ben because of his attitude.
“But, if someone does get hurt or get sick, we won’t be able to help them. I used up the last bit with Cedric,” Sue said. “We are also going to need a few more things from the hospital. We can put together a list. If Cedric and Charlie are serious about going out and finding…”
“Cedric and Charlie are going nowhere. And I mean nowhere, to find people!” Ben barked back cutting Sue off in mid-sentence.
“Charlie and I will go where ever we damn well please. Nobody elected you to be the leader, Ben,” Cedric said coolly.
“My family…” Ben started.
“Your family is my family too,” it was Charlie’s turn to cut Ben off midsentence. “But there are other people who need help as well. Cedric did the right thing when we wouldn’t and he saved three people’s lives.”
“And he put all of us in danger with the same little stunt he pulled too. What if he had been infected? We sure as hell thought he was,” Ben said.
“Listen,” Sue shouted. “It doesn’t matter. We, at the very least, are going to have to go get more food at some point. If one of us gets hurt then, or when we have to go get more propane, or when we have to go outside for anything, we will need some medical supplies. And, in case you didn’t know, Karli and her mother have asthma. So, if we don’t get them some refills for their inhalers, one of them could die from an asthma attack.”
“Then that guy Cedric brought here should have to go to the hospital himself and steal some inhaler refills,” Ben said.
“Ben. The issue is you don’t want to go. Stay here. We can’t have everyone going at one time anyway,” Cedric said. “Charlie, Sue, Jack, Ron, Danny, and I will go. None of us have a problem with going.”
“I will go too,” Ross added.
“No,” Cedric said. “No, you won't. Your wrist is still broken. We’ll need you here on the roof instead. You, Ben, and my father will be on the roof. Denise, my mother, Sherry, and Ann can keep getting this place ready for us to live here.” Cedric turned to Eliza, “just remember to keep everything locked up, and the CB on.”
“And I’m the babysitter, I guess,” Karli added. Her voice didn’t imply that she was upset with it, she just stated it flatly. Cedric wondered if she was wanting to go to the hospital too.
“You okay with that?” Cedric asked her.
“Yeah,” she responded in the same flat tone, “that’s fine.”
Eliza nodded as Cedric and Charlie stood up, which everyone took to mean the conversation was over, whether settled or not.
After the group went their separate ways inside the building, Ron caught up with Jack.
“You know, Charlie said there was no leader, but it really does seem to be his brother. The way he just ended that conversation was very… well leader-ish,” Ron noted.
“Yeah,” Jack said. “He’s the reason we’re all alive. It was his idea to come here. He’s the one who saved that boy, Adam, and then Ross’s group.”
“Then us,” Ron said. “He’s got guts.”
Jack laughed his hearty laugh. “That he does. And to only be seventeen. I’d wager, given this happened five years from now, he would be the leader here. I almost say, with his brother backing him, he is now.”
“And that’s the kind of bullshit that will get us killed,” Ben said from behind them. “He is only seventeen. He h
as no idea what’s going on but he’s got a head full of hero.”
Startled, Ron and Jack turned to see Ben, who looked furious. They dropped the conversation immediately.
Ben walked past the two men. Then he paused and added, “You may want to take the advice of a boy and follow him around while he tries to be a hero. But you will die, or worse, turn into one of those things out there.” Ben continued walking.
“I would rather risk the chance of death to live, than to risk the chance of life to die,” Ron replied to Ben’s back.
Chapter Fourteen:
ENCHANTMENT
The night before the group was set to leave for the hospital, Cedric woke from his sleep in a cold sweat. He was dreaming about the last time he had ventured outside the vocational building. His dreams had changed ever since he had been sick.
His dreams used to be like a choppy television show. Cut-scenes that, somehow, managed to string together in a crazy pattern of shenanigans. Now, however, his dreams were vivid, colorful, and mesmerizing. It was what Cedric assumed an LSD trip would be like based on what he had seen on T.V.
This time, the dream was the basics of what had happened that night at the library, only strengthened and much worse. It was like the events from that night dramatized, as if they needed it. His dreams weren’t in clip-scenes anymore either. He was sure that they were in full form. Not a single thing left out or skipped. He could remember everything. Before, when he dreamed, he could only remember bits and pieces.
Cedric wiped his face off. He got up from his sleeping space and quietly crept out of the room. He went to the restroom and washed his face off. After he was dried off, Cedric went to the shop and began working on some of the smaller projects. He assumed that the time was roughly four in the morning but had no way to verify that in here.
Within minutes, Cedric’s hands were covered in a fine layer of grease. The project he was working on right now was a type of weapon that he and Ross had discussed. Cedric was glad that the two groups had met. Ross got along fine with everyone in his group, aside from the way Ben was acting. But nobody in Cedric’s group was really into engineering, science, or mechanics like Cedric was.