“I only remember you telling me to head south, but I know more than anyone how plans fall apart.” We both laughed, but there was sadness in our voices.
“The further south we went, the more things changed. We were attacked, by both humans and zombies, people left the group…I’d say at least a quarter of our group was gone by the time I decided to turn back.”
“Turn back? Was Kat with you in the prison?” I felt my heart drop, but she quickly shook her head.
“No, Eric, she didn’t come with me. Katherine…Eric, she’s changed. Seeing you die, having to survive without you, she’s grown strong, hardened. Sometimes it was great to see, but other times…I don’t know. Either way, we didn’t see eye to eye on some things, so when I decided to go back for you, she stayed with Matthew to lead the group.” She looked at me. “Like I said, she’s changed.”
“I’m getting that.” I felt responsible, but in my defense, I did die to save her. I just needed a minute to get back on my feet.
“We parted ways at the border of Arkansas and I was on my way to Indiana when…They ran me off the road. I got a few of them before they knocked me unconscious. The next thing I knew I woke up in a prison cell and…You know the rest.” The look in her eyes made me wish I could kill Leader all over again, but I had to be satisfied just knowing he couldn’t hurt anyone else. Still, I forced my fists to unclench at the thought of that bastard.
“I’m so sorry, Jessica. I won’t try to make you feel better about what happened in there, but just know that I don’t plan on going anywhere again. I sure as hell don’t plan on dying again anytime soon.”
She stared into the fire for another minute before she got a humorous look on her face.
“Weren’t you the one that just told me how your plans tend to go?” She quirked an eyebrow and I laughed.
“Yeah, so I guess we’ll see how it goes. Either way, though, we’re going south. We’re going to find Katherine. And we’re going to find that military blockade that’s all the rage.”
“How can you still be so hopeful after everything? That message was weeks ago, Eric. What if there is no line anymore and it’s just more false hope?” I thought about that for a second, the idea of the world truly falling apart, of having nowhere left to go.
“That compound was my salvation for a long time, Jessica. It was just an idea, a hope that I had to cling to just to wake up another day. Making it there, walking through that gate, I thought I was done having to fight to survive.” I took a deep breath, thinking back. “My idea of paradise shattered when I left the compound, or maybe when it fell, but there’s always something to find hope in. Waking up alone in that warehouse, that hope was finding you and Kat. I’m halfway to a new paradise, one that can’t be broken or taken from me, and I have the best partner I could ask for to make that happen.”
Jessica stared at me, possibly judging me, and smiled innocently.
“I think when you died and came back, you brought emotions with you.”
“Ha ha, Eric has feelings,” I joked defensively. “The point is, I’m not ready to give up yet if you’re not. So what do you say?”
“I’m in, but don’t get all Nick Sparks on me.”
“I wouldn’t dream of it, even though I did like A Walk to Remember.” She laughed and slapped my arm.
“Keep that shit to yourself, Eric.” Reaching in her pants, she brought out a piece of paper with writing on it. “But that does remind me, I kept track of the days for you. I know how important that was.” She handed me the paper and I counted the tally marks, looking up at her and wanting to say thank you. After all, for a long time, all that kept me going was writing these damn journals.
She placed a finger on my lips and rolled her eyes, smiling again.
“Get some sleep, Loverboy.” Jessica laid back on the ground and closed her eyes, leaving me to sit in silence and update my journal until the sun rose.
**********
The rest of the prisoners went their separate ways in the morning, whether it was to search for family, friends, or a need to be alone for a while. I understood their reasons and wished them luck, shaking their hands before parting. I would probably never see them again, but anyone who could survive in that hellhole was someone I wanted to remember. As the last of them walked away, I turned to Jessica, who was putting out the last of the fire.
“Are you sure you’re ready for this? It’s gonna be a long walk.”
“Then I guess I’m lucky I’ve got you to keep me company.” She tossed a stick into the dirt and brushed past me, smirking. I don’t know how much of it was a façade, but I was glad to see her smile. Mills was wrong, though, because, after waking up alone and spending most of my recent days that way, I was the lucky one.
Chapter 80
We walked for hours, stopping to find shade and rest every few miles. The heat sapped our strength and threatened to dehydrate us, but we kept water in our mouths as we walked. It was a survival tactic, to keep the throat from drying out. Of course, it meant a lot of awkward faces and trying not to laugh, but it was that or suffer from heat exhaustion. The only negative was a severe lack of conversation. Everything would change at sundown, though, when the temperature dropped from a low sixty to something probably in the thirties.
As we walked, we stuck to any shadows as much as possible. It wasn’t easy, especially when there were vast stretches of open ground, but we made it work. At one point, we raided a small convenience store for supplies. After checking all the windows from the outside and giving the all-clear, we got a few water bottles and snacks for the trip. It wasn’t much, but after nine days of beatings and blood, it was an amazing victory. I also managed to find a new T-shirt and quickly put it on, wrapping the jacket around my waist. Stepping outside, I took a deep breath and enjoyed the chill breeze through my shirt. A sharp pain hit me, though, and I stopped inhaling.
Now, in the sunlight, I was able to properly take stock of my injuries. Most of the bones from my knuckles to my elbow were bruised, with the knuckles being swollen. My legs were sore, so I assumed they were a similar discoloration. Feeling around, one of my ribs was cracked so I’d need to wrap my chest as soon as possible. The wound from the guard’s blade stung, but the pain was manageable. Outside of that, I wasn’t in awful shape, thankfully.
“In case I forget, please remind me to wrap my ribs later. I think one might be cracked, but I’m not the best doctor around.” Jessica nodded and gave me a thumbs-up, saving the water in her mouth.
We made sure to avoid any signs guiding us toward Memphis, knowing that city would be a clusterfuck of infection. That, or it was a ghost town after being bombed like Chicago or Cincinnati. Either way, we didn’t need to check it out.
The time passed at a crawl, the sun beating down on us most of the way, but it felt like we’d travelled pretty far by the time the sun set. Rather than call it a night, we found a quiet spot under an overpass to take a break before heading back out.
“I figure we’ve got another few hours before we call it, if that’s good with you? We can set out later in the day, use the darkness to our advantage.” I set my pack down on the top of a concrete brace, sifting through for my bandages.
“I was thinking the same thing.” Jessica sat against the brace, airing out her shirt. “I mean, we might run into trouble if it gets too dark, but I think we could handle it.” I laughed.
“Yeah, because we’re so prepared for a skirmish.” While I knew my damage, I could tell Mills was in bad shape, too. She wasn’t going to say anything, though.
I moved to lift up my shirt and struggled, wincing at the surge of pain. Jessica came over and smacked my hand out of the way.
“Here, let me help.” She pulled up my shirt and made a face that didn’t exactly scream comfort. “Shit, how are you walking right now?”
“What do you mean?” I tried to see through the bottom of my shirt, but she held it up like a tarp. I wasn’t sure if I should want to see it or not, though, base
d on her reaction.
“You’re just one walking bruise pattern, but you’ve got an infection that we need to treat.” She dropped my shirt and looked at me sternly. “I don’t suppose you’ve got any penicillin in your backpack?”
“Not to address the elephant in the room, but are you sure it’s that kind of infection?” I thought back to the feral, knowing they ate zombified flesh and wondering if it got in a lucky bite. Could the infection be passed the same way through them, or was it a weaker infection since it was indirect? I was no scientist, but that could prove useful to find out. Jessica looked up at me under her eyelids.
“Eric, you’re not going to become a zombie.” I know she was just trying to reassure me, but I could hear the fear in her voice. She really was struggling after the arena, and having me around was helping her more than she let on.
“Alright, but no, I don’t have anything.”
“Well, since we have no idea how long it’s been like that and we’ve been sweating our asses off in this heat—”
“I think you’ve got a ways to go.”
“Excuse me?”
“I didn’t have much of an ass to begin with, but yours hasn’t gone anywhere.” She was still red from the heat, but I could tell she was blushing when she slapped my face and pointed a finger at me.
“Eric, focus. We’ve got to find a hospital soon to get you the medicine you need.”
“Alright, I guess we can spare a couple hours to search, but I feel fine, Jessica.”
“Yeah, let’s see if you’re saying that by this time tomorrow.” She grabbed the bandage out of my pack and pulled my shirt over my face, letting it sit there. “At least this way I know you’re not checking out my ass.” She wrapped the bandage around my ribs, stepping back to grab the fastener.
“You do realize that this is a white shirt, right? I can see through it.” She sighed and, walking back to me, pinned the wrap to me. Cocking her head, she gave me a strange look before forcefully pulling down my shirt.
“I don’t remember seeing this side of you at the compound.” I rubbed the back of my head and squinted.
“Sorry about that. I know I was…different. I guess the arena put some things in perspective, you know? Like, maybe I don’t have to just survive out here? Maybe I could try living again.”
“Well, I like this side.” Her back was to me as she put the rest of the bandages away, but I could hear that she was smiling. Sliding the straps over her arms, she secured my pack and turned to me. “Now, come on. It’s going to get colder, but we’ve got a lot of distance to cover before the sun comes up again.” Jessica didn’t wait for anything from me, leading the way from the underpass.
“No rest for the wicked, I guess.” I pushed off from the brace and followed, knowing how serious the infection was. Like I had said at the start of this journal, zombies weren’t the only danger out here and infection was high on that list. Jessica was right, we needed to get lucky soon.
Chapter 81
Day 224
I have no idea where we were exactly, but I know we were in southwestern Mississippi after dodging around Memphis, having taken a detour away from our Arkansas goal to avoid a massive horde in the distance. I knew the infection was getting worse when I started burning up, despite the cold air, which meant a fever was setting in. Neither of us had to say it, but we both knew we needed to hurry if I was going to stay on this side of the ground. I could see the tops of buildings poking out over some trees to the south, so I hoped their medical supplies hadn’t all been taken or raided by now.
“How far do you think we are from that city up ahead?”
“Maybe another fifteen minutes.” Mills stopped and turned to me. “We’re going to find your medicine, Eric. Don’t worry.”
“We? Jessica, I know I have a fever and my vision is a little fuzzy, but I’m not letting you come in there with me. You came back for me and look what happened! I’m not going to be responsible for anything else happening to you.” She got the look on her face that I was all-too-familiar with: Raised eyebrows, head cocked, tight lips, arms folded.
“Let me come in with you? I’m sorry, but I don’t think I gave you that choice. See, what I want to do is my decision, and if you don’t like that? Tough shit. Don’t give me that pity bullshit about the prison, because that was my choice. Right now, I have no idea why I went back for you, because you’re being a real asshole, but never try to tell me what I can or can’t do.” Yep, she was back to badass and I couldn’t help but find it kind of attractive. “Now, if you’re done being a stubborn bastard, I’m going to find some penicillin in that city and you’re welcome to join me if you want.”
She resumed walking and I fell in line, knowing from experience that if I stayed behind she’d be even angrier. I also knew to keep my mouth shut, so we spent the next fifteen minutes in tense silence. Entering the city, we could see that Mississippi wasn’t an exemption from the bombing and I wondered how large the scale of the infection was. I couldn’t exactly check the news back in Chicago.
Buildings were in ruins, trees were splintered apart, and craters marked the scattered drop points. Treading lightly, we made our way further into the city, staying on the outskirts to not draw attention from the few zombies we spotted roaming the streets. We were about to cross an intersection when Mills stopped suddenly and sank to a crouch, waving me up to her position.
I slowly came up beside her and peered around the edge of the grocery store we were behind, seeing what made her stop so quickly. In the middle of the intersection was a roaming herd of zombies and, beyond them, I could make out the local hospital. We just had to find a way around twenty walking corpses, which made perfect sense with my luck.
“I could make some noise, draw them away, and loop back around,” Mills whispered, tossing out a plan that sounded more like something I’d come up with. Sadly, I didn’t have anything better, so I nodded and told her to be careful. Jessica stepped out from the edge of the building and waved at the zombies.
“Hey, there’s a great piece of human ass here. What are you waiting for?” The moans quickly spread as the zombies answered her call, shuffling after her as she took off in a slow jog. I hugged the back wall of the grocery store, propping myself up against the brick exterior. The fever from the infection was starting to take a toll, so I tried to conserve my strength whenever possible.
Waiting for Mills to return was a painfully slow process, especially when my mind drifted to negative thoughts, like what I’d do if she didn’t come back.
“I was wondering when you’d let me back in. Seems it takes you getting into a bad situation to have an actual conversation anymore. I guess some things never change.” Oh, great, the fever also brought a hallucination to the party. Just when I thought I’d lost her in the prison.
“I’m not talking to you, Samantha. You’re not real.”
“Are you real, Eric? You put on this façade of strength and hope, but we both know how bad you wanted to just give up the fight.” She analyzed me for a moment. “Maybe I’m wrong. Maybe that prison brought something out and you loved the feeling so much it scares you. Maybe the real you is a monster.”
“Why won’t you just leave me alone?”
“Hey, you’re the one losing your sanity here. Don’t blame me for your guilty conscience. I’m gone as soon as you stop blaming yourself for things, like my death, or that satisfaction we both know you felt on your little rampage. Don’t worry, though, it’s our little secret.” I closed my eyes and willed her away.
“Please don’t be there.”
“I guess I could take another lap around the town, but I think we’ve got better things to do.” Jessica must have arrived while I was revisiting crazy town.
“No, yeah, sorry.” I pushed off the wall and stood, rubbing my eyes. “I’m just tired. Here,” I reached down and held out my Sig, “take this. I don’t think I’d be any good with it right now.” She took it and checked to make sure a round was chambered before
holding it at her side and looking me over with concern.
“Are you alright, Eric? You seem really out of it.”
“I’ll be fine. Let’s just get this medicine so I can think clearly again.” I followed Mills across the open street and she looked through the glass doors before stepping closer. The hospital had no power, so the sliding doors needed to be pried open before we could enter. She did so with my Ka-bar while I watched our six, handing it back to me and walking inside once the doors were open.
We only opened the doors two feet, turning sideways to squeeze through, to limit any zombies getting inside. Keeping my Sig at the ready, Jessica led us past the welcome desk and down a hallway, stopping every ten feet to listen for movement nearby before continuing. She finally stopped at the nurse’s station, turning the knob slightly to find it locked. Looking through a small window halfway up the wooden door, she smacked her hand against it.
“Dammit! We either need a key or I’ll have to kick it open, which would risk waking up any zombies in here with us. How are you doing?” She looked at me and I gave her a weak thumbs-up from my position against the wall. She frowned. “Just a little more time, Eric, I promise. Stay here. I’m going to check an office I saw back there.” Mills jogged away again, leaving me alone to be haunted by daydreams of the dead. Somehow, though, I stayed alone in the hallway until Jessica came back around the corner with a look of relief on her face.
“Got it!” she exclaimed, holding up the key like a trophy and wiggling it in her fingers. She bent down to unlock the door, turning the knob slowly. We both exhaled a sigh of relief as she opened the door, but a loud creak stopped our breath. I glanced at the hinges and realized they hadn’t been oiled since they were probably screwed on.
A Broken World (Book 2): Shattered Paradise Page 13