Before The Cure (Book 1): Before The Cure

by Gould, Deirdre

  They were all silent for several minutes. Debbie pushed away her plate. “Yeah. Okay. You’re right. I’ll go with you, at least to the parking lot. Hopefully, we run into help before then.”

  “Promissed to help you, if you got us here,” said Cody.

  “I’m not going to hold you to that, man. I would have brought you here anyway, if I could,” said Neil.

  “I believe you. But I’m gonna show ‘em. Show my girlss an’ anyone else. Can do that and help at the same time.” Cody waved his phone.

  “We’re safe in here. We’ve got a phone to the outside. We’ve got food and water and walls. There’s no reason to risk running into one of those— crazies. The police will be back. They’ll find us faster if we stick together in one spot. You really want to make them chase you all over the hospital? Just sit tight, and help will come. Tell them, Shay,” said Maisy.

  “I’m going with them, Maisy. None of this is right. Either the people outside don’t know or they don’t care what’s happening in here. It’s been almost a whole day since the last help came or contacted us in any way and we’ve all watched people die since then. Every one of us. Maybe you’re right, maybe there are more police coming, but I don’t know if all of us are going to make it until they get here. We get another Dan in here— I’m not going to be able to fight them off. Are you? If we stick together, we’ll be safer. These three are going, then I’m going. I hope you’ll come with us, but if not, I’ll send help, I promise.”

  16

  Prolonged stress and Neil’s injuries were taking a toll that adrenaline couldn’t completely camouflage. But he wasn’t the only one fighting off exhaustion. At least I’ve had sleep. The others have been up all night. Maybe longer. Shay leaned heavily against the door frame, one thickly bandaged hand pressed hard against the small of her back, staring out at the silent lobby. Neil knew that stance. The way someone who’d been on their feet for too long tried to take pressure off their aching feet and hips. Cody rubbed his forehead and sorted slowly through the ring of keys he’d pulled from his pocket. The slurring was no worse, but Neil noted he was taking longer to respond to any questions. He hoped it meant Cody was just tired and not getting sicker. Debbie had downed almost half the coffee in the pot and still stumbled, smashing her mug on her way to the sink. Neil had to get them moving or they’d be stuck here overnight. He wasn’t willing to watch them take a nap while people were dying outside the cafeteria, but if he didn’t force them to start, that would be what happened anyway.

  He twisted the lock and pushed the door slightly open. Shay immediately straightened. “We aren’t ready,” she whispered.

  “What are we waiting for?” asked Neil.

  She glanced around. “I— don’t remember. Oh. Cody is finding the key to the loading-bay door near radiology. I— think. Sorry, just so wiped.”

  “That’s why we’ve got to get going. We wait too long and we’re all going to be too tired to make good choices.”

  “Think we’re already past that point,” mumbled Shay.

  Neil leaned toward her, lowering his voice still more. “If we put it off much longer, we’ll have to sleep. I don’t want to risk sleeping next to Cody, do you?”

  She started to turn her head to look at Cody and caught herself. “No. But I also don’t want to get halfway to radiology and have him snap. Maisy’s too scared to let us back in if we need help. I’ve known her for a long time, but I’ve never seen her like this. We leave and she’s going to hide in the kitchen until the police come. Or don’t. It won’t matter who bangs on this door, sick or well, she’s not going to open it. I’m taking a key but if we’re in a panic…”

  Neil shook his head and opened the door farther. “Enough talking about this. The longer we put it off, the harder it’s going to get. Besides, it’ll be dark outside soon. Might be better to slip out unseen in the dark, but if there are sick people in the loading-bay or loose in the parking garage or wherever we manage to get out— I’d rather get caught by the police in broad day than try to avoid the crazies in the dark.” He stepped out into the lobby, holding the door open for her. She followed him and Cody noticed, trailing slowly behind. Debbie wavered in the doorway.

  “We’ve got no plan. No way to defend ourselves,” she said, her voice a harsh whisper.

  “You saw what’s out there. You think it’d be better if we planned?” asked Neil. “You want to think about what we have to do if we’re attacked or do you just want to do it when it happens? If I’m going to— If I have to— hurt somebody, I’d rather not dwell on it. Rather not dread it more than I have to.”

  She didn’t offer any answer to that, so he turned to Cody. “Where are we going?”

  “Loading-bay. Follow the green line. Something happens, thass where we meet. Loading-bay’sh prolly locked up too, but a maintenance tunnel starts there. Goes all over the hoshpital. Maybe a door in there they forgot.” He shook his head slightly, pressed a hand to his jaw. “Shit,” he muttered, “Wass wrong with me?”

  She didn’t tell him? Neil glanced at Debbie who still hovered in the doorway of the cafeteria. “Nothing man,” he told Cody. “You’re just tired. We all are. The adrenaline’s starting to wear off and it’s been a long time since we slept last.”

  “Feel so sslow. And the words are all wrong. I’m not thish way.”

  “No worries.” Neil squeezed Cody’s shoulder. “Exhaustion does some crazy stuff to our brains. You should see me after a Mother’s Day double shift at the restaurant. Usually break a month’s worth of dishes and fire three dishwashers. I’m no good without sleep.” Cool it, Neil. Keep the lies simple or he’ll get ticked off and we don’t need that.

  “We should get going before we have company,” said Shay. She glanced back at Maisy who peered out from behind the glass and gave her an encouraging smile. Maisy just twisted the lock behind Debbie and stared after them. Cody arranged his phone in his shirt pocket, poking the fabric down until the lens was clear. Neil was still skeptical that it’d do any good, but he doubted it’d do any harm, either.

  He could hear the man they’d locked in the bathroom still banging against the door as they passed. “It’s been hours,” Neil said, wondering how he hadn’t worn himself out yet.

  “Do they sleep?” muttered Shay.

  “Eventually. The patients I saw responded to sedation, anyway. It doesn’t make them any more reasonable or improve their ability to retrieve language, but it stops the physical damage they are trying to do— to others or themselves,” said Debbie. “Mostly we didn’t let them rage like this. Even when they were restrained, they still managed to injure themselves sometimes. Better to keep them sleeping until we can figure out what’s causing these symptoms.” She moved past the door, flinching as it banged again.

  Cody led them past a few of the offices before Shay said, “I know there’s a fire exit down here. We should check it.”

  Cody shook his head. “Alarmed. Even I can’t shut it off.”

  “So? Not like we’re going to get out unnoticed anyway, the police are going to see us. If the fire department shows up, all the better, right?”

  “Not ousside people who worry me. If we try to open it, set off the alarm and iss boarded up or worse, then what? Whole place’ll be in an uproar. Don’ need more panic or those sick people riled up more’n they are. Loading-bay’s bess bet.” He tripped and flailed forward. Debbie caught his arm to steady him. He stopped, looked at his feet and then at the floor behind him as if expecting some errant lump or a broken tile. Finding nothing but smooth floor, he turned back to Debbie. “Think I’m having a stroke, doc.”

  Debbie didn’t answer, just pulled him further down the hallway. It troubled Neil to see her ignoring him.

  “He doesn’t know?” Shay whispered to Neil. He shook his head.

  “Guess not,” he whispered back. “It’s not right.” He followed them a few more steps before calling to Debbie, “You have to tell him.”

  “Not here, I don’t,”
she muttered.

  “Wass wrong with me?”

  “It’s not a stroke,” she said, still doggedly dragging him toward the loading-bay. “You aren’t exhibiting any limb weakness or visible freezing of your face and you haven’t said anything about numbness. There’s been a gradual decline in your speech and coordination, but a stroke would be rapid—”

  “Wass wrong?” he stopped, planting himself just in sight of the lab where Neil had met them. The dark puddle of dried blood in the center of the hallway was still a shock. Neil tried not to look at it.

  “We can talk about it once—”

  “You’re sick, Cody,” Neil interrupted. “You’ve got whatever this is. I’m sorry.”

  Debbie rounded on him. “Are you insane? I told you it was important that everyone stay calm—”

  “You think letting him panic about a stroke is better?” He turned to Cody. “Look, man, we’re going to find out what this is. We’re going to find a way to fix it, ok? If we’re under quarantine it means lots of people are working on it. They’re going to narrow it down and figure out what type of treatment you need. We just have to hold on until then, right?”

  Cody shook his head. “How am I— I’m careful. Wear my gloves and mask when I need it. Not shloppy. Sloppy.”

  “I know man, I know. I am too. Do everything by the book, follow all the rules. It just happens sometimes. I woke up a few days ago thinking I was going to spend a great day with my kid. We were going to the parade, I was going to be her hero. Then everything went sideways. I got bit by someone who was sick after I tried to help him. Don’t even know if that’s what spreads it, but here I am, inside a quarantine. Because I thought I was doing the right thing.” Neil shook his head. “Hell, even if I knew I was sick, I couldn’t be sure it was from that bite. I apparently have some weird low-grade strep that I can’t even feel. What else have we all got lurking in us that we don’t know about? It could have been weeks ago, Cody. Bad fish or someone coughing on the bus or some flea bite we didn’t even feel. It’s not your fault. Don’t waste your energy feeling bad about it. We stick together, we let the people in charge know how the situation is changed and we stay calm until they figure this thing out.”

  “What if they don’t? What if I hur’ someone?”

  “We won’t let you. We’ll put you somewhere safe, just like the rest.”

  Cody glanced back down the hallway, alarmed.

  “Neil,” Debbie whispered.

  “Don’ want to smash myself against a door for days,” said Cody.

  “If we have to do it, I’ll get you some sedatives,” answered Neil. “I promise. Debbie and I will go back to the lab or the emergency room or wherever. You’ll be asleep until they find a way to cure it.”

  Cody stared at Debbie, obviously doubting that Neil would do as he said. It took her an uncomfortable minute to reassure him. “It’ll be okay,” she said at last. “Neil’s right. We’ll find out what this is and get rid of it. I’m hoping you won’t get worse before we find help anyway. Your symptoms seemed to have leveled out. Maybe you’ve reached the crisis point and you’ll start to recover. Maybe you’ll be the first— we could make an antiserum and you’ll save all the others. But we have to get help. I’m not trained for that. Got to get you to the right people. And we aren’t going to do that in the hallway. Stay focused, stay calm. It’ll be okay, Cody.” She tugged on Cody’s arm again and he reluctantly began moving again. Neil could see he wasn’t convinced. He wasn’t certain what he could add to reassure him though.

  “Glad you did that,” said Shay. “He needed to know. I’d want to know.”

  “Me too. It’d— change things.”

  She caught his elbow and he glanced back at her. “I’m serious. If I start showing signs, I want to know. I thought Cody knew all this time. If he didn’t even realize he was slurring and slowing down— you tell me. Breaking quarantine when I’m healthy is one thing. Still stupid. And risky. But they need to know out there. If I were sick though— You tell me, because it’s obvious Dr. Barnes isn’t going to.”

  “I’ll tell you,” promised Neil, “but you have to swear the same. Got a kid out there. I don’t want to bring this to her, no matter what. Everyone in here can tear each other apart, but I’m not bringing it to her.”

  “Agreed,” said Shay. She lowered her voice still farther, her eyes on Debbie and Cody’s backs. “Means we’re going to have to figure out what happens with Cody before we leave the building, you know.”

  Neil bit his thumbnail, flicked it away. “I know,” he said flatly. “Don’t think he’s going to make it that long. Debbie was lying about his symptoms. He’s gotten worse just in the couple of hours since I met them. We need to be ready. Got to get those keys.”

  Shay just nodded and they slipped around the corner into another corridor behind Cody and Debbie.

  17

  Debbie stopped in the middle of the corridor and stared out a large glass door into a well-manicured courtyard. “Why didn’t they board up this one?” she asked. Cody looked around, realizing she was no longer beside him.

  “Maybe that’s why,” said Neil pointing at the ragged lumps scattered over the dead grass. It was dusk now, reducing what was obviously bodies almost to shadows. He could still make out the thin pile of bright plywood halfway down the path. Birds had landed on one of the shadowy bulges and sat there lazily picking at it. Neil felt an insane urge to shout and drive them off. They’ll be gone soon enough. Off to roost somewhere. Until tomorrow, he told himself. It didn’t make him more comfortable.

  “Can we get out here?” asked Shay. She pressed a hand against the push bar. Neil pulled it gently back.

  “Wait,” he said, eyeing one of the shadows in the far corner of the courtyard. It was moving. Or maybe it was just the sunlight retreating farther from the courtyard or the wind fluttering some cloth. He squinted. “Something killed them. What if it’s out there still?”

  “Gonna run in’o em sometime,” slurred Cody. He stood behind Debbie staring into the same corner that Neil had noticed. “Here or in the tunnel. ‘S a gate to the lot.” He pointed toward the far end of the yard. “Round that tree. But if iss blocked off—”

  “We’ll climb the wall,” said Debbie.

  “While we’re being chased?” asked Neil. “You remember how fast the last guy was?”

  “It’s almost dark. If we’re quiet, they might not notice us. Better than spending hours testing doors in the tunnel. There’s nothing out there that I can see—”

  “That you can see,” emphasized Shay.

  “— and for all we know, they aren’t sick, just injured. Might need our help.”

  “So which is it?” asked Neil. “We sneak out there and climb the wall and hope that anything moving out there is a sick person who doesn’t notice us or should we go up and offer to help each of those lumps praying they’re just lying there with their throat half ripped out?”

  “I don’t know!” cried Debbie.

  Cody glanced down the hall, quickly shushing her.

  “Why am I supposed to know everything?” Debbie whispered. “I’m just as lost as you three.”

  Neil flushed. “Sorry,” he muttered. “You’re right. But we still have to decide what we’re going to do. There could be a way out right there. We’ve got to know. And we’ve got to be ready for whatever else is out there.”

  They stood and stared out at the courtyard without speaking. An announcement about wearing a face mask in the hospital’s waiting room erupted above them and then dissolved into piano music again.

  “I’ll go,” said Cody. “Already ssick. Know where the door iss.”

  “No,” said Neil. “If someone’s out there, you’ll get tackled before you can react.” He tore his gaze from the bump in the courtyard to look at Cody. “Sorry man, it’s slowing you down, making you clumsy.”

  “You’re hurt. Shay’s hurt. You won’t be winning any fights either.” Neil didn’t have a good answer for that. He m
ight be able to outrun one of the sick people, but fight? Not with his hand as mangled as it was. And the courtyard was small. All the other doors might be locked. Nowhere to run.

  “So I’ll go,” said Debbie.

  Shay shook her head. “No. Splitting up is stupid. We need to go together. We’re safer that way and we’re less likely to get shoved back in here when we find the quarantine guards if there’s more than one of us. That’s why Cody wanted to film this, isn’t it?”

  Cody frowned down at the phone in his shirt pocket. “Sure. Can’t all go out there though. Don’t know if there’sh really a way out. Doorsh might lock behind ush. Someone’s got to stay. In case.”

  “Then we’re in the same position. Either someone’s alone out there or someone’s alone in here. It’s still stupid and dangerous,” said Shay. “Besides, you have all the keys.”

  Cody glanced down at the key ring hanging at his waist. “You think I’m too ssslow to fight, butchu wan’ me to find the right key and unlock the door while someone’s biting ush?”

  “Prop it open then. We’re not splitting up. Told you I didn’t even want to leave Maisy and the cafeteria is way safer than what we’re about to do. We’re not separating. No matter what.”

  “Okay, okay,” said Neil. “We go together, we prop the door. If something happens, we stick together, right? No cowards. You run back here, you hold the door open, got it?”

  “I’d guess most of us wouldn’t have made it this long if any of us were cowards,” said Debbie. Neil felt an immediate wave of guilt at the memory of the cop in his room. Of how he’d sprinted out with a hurried apology. Not this time, he urged himself. Debbie pushed the door open and stepped out. Neil held his breath and followed her. Nothing raced toward them or grunted or shrieked. The hospital’s courtyard lights had turned on, but the lumps he’d been watching were too far from any of the lights to really be illuminated. Shay pushed his back gently and he jumped and then moved out of the way. Cody waved him over to a large trashcan. He held a finger to his lips and then pointed to the can and jerked his head toward the door where Debbie still held it open. Neil nodded and they lifted the heavy can together. He tried not to let it rub against his wounded palm, but the weight pulled and burned his skin. Neil shuffled slowly backward, not trusting Cody’s coordination enough to let him do it. He stumbled himself as his heel hit the pavement walkway. He’d been watching the shadows instead of looking at his path over his shoulder. He’d been certain he saw one move again. The sudden halt to his momentum made him overbalance. He tipped, watched Cody’s eye widen in shock and then—