by Weeks, TJ
“Shit!” Bo stated. He hurriedly jumped from the truck and ran around the flatbed looking for a gas can. He rounded the front of the truck and there it sat strapped to the underside of truck. Bo grabbed the tie strap and began to undo it. He looked up and the horde was getting close to the back of the truck. The can finally came free Bo grabbed the huge tire iron that was strapped with the can and started back to the truck.
Before he made it to the door, three of them rounded the tailgate as he rounded the hood. Bo held tight to the gas can and raised the tire iron above his head, he took a step forward as they continued to make their fast stumble towards him. He swung at the first one and knocked him away. The second one approached, he swung again and buried the tire iron into his head. Bo being as big as he was, pulled upward and dislodged it, and swung down at the third one. The tire iron went through his skull and into his neck. He pulled up again trying to free it but the body of the man came with it. Bo shook it hard and the body finally plopped to the ground. Bo quickly reached up, opened the door, took one giant step up into the truck throwing the tire iron into the back seat and closed the door. The rest of the horde was just making their way around to his side of the truck raking their hands across the side. Bo stepped on the gas and sped away from them as fast as he could. He began to recognize where he used to travel to the casino boats when he lived in East Texas. He couldn’t believe how dead it was (pun not intended).
He crept through the area and watched the uniformed casino
workers stroll through the streets looking for their next meal. He shook his head at the thought of what the world had become.
‘WELCOME TO TEXAS’ The sign finally came into view and Bo pulled over to the side of the road. He scanned the area as he had learned to do and jumped out with the two gas cans. Now almost empty, he poured both of them in the tank and got back in the truck. It had only given him a little over a quarter of a tank. He started driving into Texas and finally hit Interstate twenty. He was happy to be home. Texas is where he knew would have no problem with taking on these assholes. This is where he needed to be.
He began seeing old familiar things that brought back tons of memories; some good and some bad. He
wondered how many of his old buddies have already turned.
The truck began to sputter, Bo looked down to see that he was already on empty. He pulled over and wondered which way he needed to start walking and what he could handle taking with him.
Bo grabbed the big bloodied tire iron and a bottle of water. He looked all around, saw woods over to his left and decided that was what he was going to go through to see what kind of safety he could find. He hopped out of the truck, with none of the undead walking around, he headed off
through the woods. He rounded a tree to see two filthy women squatted down feeding off a deer. He slowly snuck up behind them and hit them both in the head before they were able to notice him. Bo wasn’t taking any chances on being eaten. He slowly walked on, keeping an eye all around him and within a few hours, he was surprised that he had only ran into a few of them before coming up on a road. He glanced both ways like a car would be coming down the road and saw a tall tower to his left.
“Awesome, maybe I can figure out where in the hell I am.” He said to himself.
Bo began walking toward the tower. As he got closer, he saw a man working on the tower. The guy looked at him for a minute, jumped down and opened the gate. He introduced
himself as Gizmo, which Bo thought was a funny name. Gizmo closed the gate and began asking questions about him. After a few exchanges, Bo dropped his gear he had brought with him, picked up a hammer and started helping the little guy work on the tower.
After a bit of work to pay back Gizmo for not leaving him out with the people that may have been his demise, another guy walked out. Bo heard Gizmo spout off something about him sleeping the day away and Bo leaned his head out from the side of the tower to see a guy that looked all too familiar.
“Bo is that you?” The guy asked from below.
Trying to block the sun with his hand, he peered down at the man. “TJ, holy shit!” Bo hollered. He knew he looked familiar.
TJ introduced Bo to Gizmo and took him back to the cafeteria to eat. Bo was happy to be around people he knew and Texas would be the best place to survive.
BRYAN TANN
“Yes sir, I will do my best. I appreciate the opportunity to work for you.” Bryan told the superintendent of the hospital.
“We are glad to have you aboard Bryan.” The suit clad man stood and shook Bryan’s hand. “See you
tomorrow, eight AM.”
Bryan exited the office and walked down the bare walled hospital hallway to the double sliding electric doors marked with a sign that read exit above it. Bryan made it to the bus stop and sat on the plastic bench. He pulled out his cell phone, highlighted his girlfriend’s name on his contact list.
“Hello.” Her sweet voice stated. “I got the job!” He replied.
“That is great Bryan. Have you found a place to live yet?” She questioned.
“Well, no. But, I’m looking. I moved here to make things better for us and things are falling into place for us. I should be moved out of the hotel by next week and then you can come up and we can start our life.” He expressed.
“Bryan look, I am not sure I want to leave Texas.” She admitted. “But, Kelsey we agreed that I would get settled and you would move here with me so we could start our life. What happened?” He
wondered.
“I have just been thinking and I don’t think it is going to work out. I am staying in Texas.” The phone went dead.
Bryan looked at his phone and dropped it to the bench seat next to him and stared intently with disbelief at it.
The bus pulled up in front of him, he grabbed his phone and loaded the bus. Bryan watched the cars whizz by him out the window and wondered where everyone was going in such a hurry. He also wondered what the point was to even move forward, everything he had done was for his girlfriend and she just told him that he had done it all for nothing.
He rode to the small hotel room he had taken over for the next week until he was able to get his first check and get an apartment. He walked down the block from the bus stop and unlocked his door as he threw his phone onto the bed and closed the door. He opened the mini fridge on the small counter and pulled out a hot pocket from the box he had bought when he arrived a few days before. He popped it in the small microwave and pressed the start button. He turned the heater up a bit to take the chill off of the room and stood staring out the
window at the snow covering the ground waiting for his dinner.
Bryan turned and sat at the two person table, finished off his food, made himself comfortable on the bed next to the table and clicked the remote to turn on the television.
Bryan could not believe that he had moved up here, that he was doing something good to make things right and she just blew him off so easily.
His alarm sounded at six as the sun was peeking through the slit between the smoke stained curtains. He slid his finger underneath the glasses that he should not have slept in and rubbed the sleep from his eyes. He raised from the small twin sized bed and allowed his feet to hit the floor before stretching. He patted his stomach.
“I have to lose a little weight.” He mumbled while standing from the bed.
He peered at himself in the mirror that was over the sink and rubbed his bald head.
“Big, black, bald and beaut iful. That’s what the women want.” He smiled.
He smeared the bright red
toothpaste across his toothbrush and stuck it in his mouth while he
replaced the cap. He scrubbed his pearly whites, rinsed it off and
replaced it back into the case. He moved into the small bathroom, turned on the hot water for his shower and adjusted the temperature before stepping in and pulling the white curtain to. Stepping out he grabbed a towel, dried off and walked to the main room of the hotel room.
He put on the uniform that had been provided by the hospital.
He scanned himself over in the mirror above the sink, smoothed the wrinkles from the black slacks and straightened the badge on his chest. He fastened the belt around his waist and adjusted the holster for the Taser.
He unlocked the deadbolt, slid the chain off of the door and opened it to a full parking lot of cars. He closed the door behind him and made his way to the nearest bus stop. He sat down on the bench and waited
anxiously. The bus finally arrived and Bryan loaded up waiting for the hospital to come into sight.
He stepped off of the bus at seven thirty, walked inside and across the huge lobby at the far wall to his post of duty that was explained to him by the man from yesterday. He sat
behind the long desk and turned on the small cameras as he had been shown. He scanned all of the screens trying to figure out what screen went to what area. The man from yesterday wandered up in a blue pin striped suit.
“Figuring it out Bryan?” The man asked. “Yes sir, I think so. No worries here.” Bryan answered with
confidence.
“I didn’t figure we would have any worries with you on guard. Glad to have you aboard.” The man said before turning and walking away.
Bryan researched all of the buttons and knobs. He looked over the paperwork that had been left for him with a note that read ‘please fill out and return to HR.’
Bryan began to fill out the
paperwork while glancing at the screens every few seconds as well as the electric sliding doors that would open every few seconds with patients, doctors, and nurses entering and exiting. He began to try to remember employee’s faces and names as they stopped to introduce themselves. Bryan would stand and shake hands with them as they stopped by the guard’s desk.
With his paperwork filled out and in the tray marked inner office mail, Bryan took a walk down the hall, back to his desk and around the lobby a bit to get the feel of things and how they ran through the day. He would walk back every couple of minutes and look across the monitors to check on the other parts of the hospital.
The sliding doors opened again for at least the thousandth time as Bryan looked over to see a tall broad man that was covered in blood from his head to the middle of his chest. He looked as though he was in a trance. He cut his eyes to Bryan.
“I need help.” The man calmly said. Bryan grabbed a nearby wheelchair and quickly rolled it over to the man, took his arm and guided him into the chair. He reached for his walkie to call for help.
“South lobby needs a nurse asap!” He spat into it.
Two nurses ran down the hallway before he had even put his walkie back into his holster.
“He just walked in and told me he needed help. I put him in the chair.” Bryan advised.
“Sir, what happened?” One of the nurses asked him. “Fight. I got in a fight.” He told them as his head jutted forward and his body began to follow.
The other nurse caught him by his bloodied chest and pushed him
backwards into the chair. The other began to push the chair as the other kept her hand on his chest and held the back of his head.
“He’s just unconscious. Abrasions on the head and face and possible stab wound on the chest!” She belted out to another nurse running down the hall.
Bryan backed out of the way and let the professionals do their job. He went back to the monitors to get a look at where they were taking him. He watched the doctors rush to the man’s side and they all disappeared into a room that he was unable to view through his screens.
Bryan felt a sense of pride with being able to help the man and the workers of the hospital. He could tell this was going to be a job he liked. But, he questioned whether he would be able to do this without the love of his life. He had given up so much for her and did not understand why she did not want to be with him, when he had done this all for her.
Bryan sat down in his black ergonomic chair, spun around to face the wall with the giant letters letting everyone know that it was the lobby and the small sign to the left of the huge gold lettering that directed people to the emergency room and cafeteria.
“Excuse me sir, can you point me to labor and delivery?” A sweet voice behind him asked.
Bryan spun around caught off guard by a beautiful woman standing on the other side of the counter. He kept spinning forgetting to put down his feet to stop himself. He made almost a full spin as he stumbled to stop himself and stand then walked around the counter.
“Yes ma’am, walk down to the elevator sign and take it up to the third floor. Can I help you get there? Are you in labor? Let me call
someone for you.” Bryan grabbed his walkie.
“I am okay, just having some pains and my doctor wanted me to come in for a checkup. I am okay to walk.” She told him.
She thanked him for his help and walked down the hall that Bryan directed her to. Bryan was feeling helpful with learning where
everything was and able to help others.
A scream sounded from the hall way where they had taken the bloody man. Bryan hurried down it toward the ruckus. He rounded the doorway to where they had taken the man, his arms and legs were flying all over. He was knocking over IV poles and hitting nurses. Bryan jumped in front of the professionals, grabbed the man’s arms, placed them together and held them with one hand while grabbing his handcuffs. He slapped one cuff across the man’s wrist and quickly placed the other on the other wrist. He then took control of his legs and laid on them while he pulled straps up over the hospital gurney and buckled them with one hand. He removed himself taking the other restraint belt that went across his chest pulling tight and then buckling it so that he would stay down. They all watched the man jerk his upper body around trying to get out of the restraints.
“Drugs.” The nurse whispered to Bryan. “Thanks for your help.” Bryan nodded as he made a face at the man letting him know he was acting ridiculous. The man stopped and stared at Bryan.
“WHY ARE YOU LOOKING AT ME YOU BLACK MOTHER
FUCKER?” H e screamed.
“A crazed lunatic it appears.” Bryan stated back. Before walking out of the door.
He felt accomplished for the third time today. He was really liking his job.
He made it through the week and was lucky that they didn’t hold back a check since he was running out of money. He located HR and retrieved his paycheck and quickly opened it to see what he was going to be able to do. He almost jumped for joy with the amount that he saw. He could do a lot with what he had made and could not wait until he got a full two week check; plus they were already asking him to work extra.
“Hello Kelsey.” Bryan said into the phone as he waited for the bus. “Hi Bryan. How is everything?” She asked. “Great, my check was great from my new job and I am heading to look at an apartment. I want you to come up and look at them with me this weekend.” He told her.
“Bryan, I can’t. I am going to stay here and take care of my mom.” She told him.
“Why didn’t you tell me that before I made the move, I would have stayed there.”
“I don’t know. I just started
thinking about it and that is so far away from my mom.”
“I am going to come see you next weekend, okay?” He told her.
Kelsey agreed and the two hung up. Bryan made his way to the
apartment complex near the hotel he had been staying in. He was shown to an apartment to look at. The stairs he had to climb would help him lose the weight he wanted. The manager opened the door to a small one
bedroom apartment. Bryan walked in and was able to see everything from the middle of the living room. The small kitchen was perfectly equipped with a refrigerator, stove and
microwave. The living room had a maroon couch and matching curtains with one side table. The bedroom had a twin size bed and a table that matched the one in the living room with a lamp.
“It’s perfect, I will take it.” Bryan told the well-dressed woman.<
br />
“Great, let’s go get the paperwork done and you can move in today.” The two walked back to the office, Bryan paid the money to the front desk clerk and signed the paperwork. He walked a block away, grabbed the three suitcases he had brought with him and started to haul them down the block. A car drove up to him and parked near the curb. Two men jumped out and grabbed onto his biggest bag. Bryan dropped his other two and began swinging at the men. One of the men began punching Bryan in the face, Bryan fell to the ground still swinging. They grabbed the biggest bag and one of the smaller ones, jumped back in the car and the tires echoed through Bryan’s ears as they took off.
Bryan laid on the concrete for a moment before he was able to get up. He ran a finger across his bottom lip and pulled it back to see blood. He grabbed the only bag he had left and stumbled to his new apartment. He locked the door behind him and made his way to the small bathroom to clean up. He opened his bag he had dropped in the doorway to see what he had left. He pulled out two pairs of jeans and a pair of socks he had stuffed into it. He stripped his uniform off except for the white undershirt, he shook the dirt off of his uniform and hung it up on one of the few hangers that had been left in the little closet. He would have to get it washed after he could go buy some necessities. It was beginning to get dark and Bryan wanted to hurry before dark set in. He left his apartment, bounded down the stairs and headed toward the dollar store across the street. He bought some soap, toothpaste, a new
toothbrush and some snacks until he was able to buy some real food. He got back to his apartment just as the sun disappeared on the horizon. The bright lights that lined the sidewalk guided him back to his apartment and back out to the laundromat. He
washed his uniform and waited for it to dry. He finally made it back to his apartment about ten, took a quick shower and laid down on the bed.
He woke the next morning to his phone ringing.
“Hello.” Bryan answered with tiredness in his voice. “Bryan, just wondering if you might be able to come fill a shift today?” The voice asked.