venture out into the dark.
We’d brought in the two women, Nickie and Christina, just under an hour ago. We’d run into a few lone shamblers during the recovery mission, and while the doctor began working in earnest on her patient, we’d held a quick conference and decided it was best if we made certain there were no more stragglers. It proved to be a wise choice. A few dozen of the things had made it past our traps and were stumbling out into the open field. There wasn’t much ambient light, but there was no mistaking them for the undead.
Night is a terrible thing. Since nobody is making batteries anymore, flashlights have become a thing of the past, and now we rely on handmade torches. Working in pairs, we would be going out in three groups: Jamie and Ian; Jon and Jake; and Fiona and Billy.
“More blood,” the doctor said. “As in I need some right now if we are going to have any chance of saving this girl.”
“Who can give?” Teresa asked as she pulled Jamie’s harness tight that held his assorted blades and bludgeons.
Dr. Zahn had tested and typed all of us and had the forethought to ask for testing strips during one of Jon’s runs when they were scavenging medical stuff to deal with my leg after I busted it up pretty good dealing with a small pack of zombies that had been intentionally lured to our camp by a man who had murdered a few of our group simply because he didn’t like the color of their skin.
“That’s the problem,” Dr. Zahn sighed. “The only matches that we have right now are Melissa…and Thalia.”
“So get Melissa hooked up, I’m sure she has no problem—” I didn’t see the problem.
“She can give some,” Dr. Zahn cut me off, “but with her being pregnant, we have to be very careful.”
“I can help, Papi,” Thalia’s voice came from right behind me as I finished helping Ian buckle his leather leggings.
I looked up at the doctor who seemed to be considering Thalia with a look that I was not exactly comfortable with seeing. I patted Ian on the side and he helped me to my feet.
“They have cleared the entry to the berms and are in The Killing Tunnel,” Billy announced.
The Killing Tunnel was what Jake had started calling the stretch of road that we’d bordered with all the dirt we dug up when we’d excavated the trench that circled the hill that our communal home sat atop. At some point, the name had stuck.
“And we got more coming through the trees,” he added seconds later. “Flares are being tripped all down the right side.”
“That’s east,” Jon said. “Usually we see them from the west or the north zones.”
In a flurry of activity, all three teams were out the door. I hated the fact that I still wasn’t deemed healthy enough to participate in these events, but the facts were the facts. I was still using a cane, and in no condition to outrun a zombie if it got dicey.
I returned my attention to Dr. Zahn. To her credit, even with a life on the line, she hadn’t just scooped Thalia up and taken her into the room to give blood.
“Isn’t she a bit young?”
“Absolutely,” Dr. Zahn confirmed. “In the old world it wouldn’t even be considered. We haven’t got that luxury anymore. I won’t put the child in danger, Steve.”
I knew that…deep down. It still didn’t make me feel any better about it. Still…
“We should get in there,” Melissa took Thalia’s hand and led her to the small closet that Dr. Zahn used to perform her miracles.
I watched the three of them leave. Just before the door shut, Thalia turned and gave me a little wave that ended with a blown kiss. I caught it and forced a smile on my face. There was no mistaking the look on hers. She was probably at least a little scared, but all that shown through was the pride. She was helping.
I grabbed a few torches and went out to the porch. I had my spiked bat and an assortment of blades as well as the 30.06 with its precious few rounds of ammunition. I brought it to my
We’d brought in the two women, Nickie and Christina, just under an hour ago. We’d run into a few lone shamblers during the recovery mission, and while the doctor began working in earnest on her patient, we’d held a quick conference and decided it was best if we made certain there were no more stragglers. It proved to be a wise choice. A few dozen of the things had made it past our traps and were stumbling out into the open field. There wasn’t much ambient light, but there was no mistaking them for the undead.
Night is a terrible thing. Since nobody is making batteries anymore, flashlights have become a thing of the past, and now we rely on handmade torches. Working in pairs, we would be going out in three groups: Jamie and Ian; Jon and Jake; and Fiona and Billy.
“More blood,” the doctor said. “As in I need some right now if we are going to have any chance of saving this girl.”
“Who can give?” Teresa asked as she pulled Jamie’s harness tight that held his assorted blades and bludgeons.
Dr. Zahn had tested and typed all of us and had the forethought to ask for testing strips during one of Jon’s runs when they were scavenging medical stuff to deal with my leg after I busted it up pretty good dealing with a small pack of zombies that had been intentionally lured to our camp by a man who had murdered a few of our group simply because he didn’t like the color of their skin.
“That’s the problem,” Dr. Zahn sighed. “The only matches that we have right now are Melissa…and Thalia.”
“So get Melissa hooked up, I’m sure she has no problem—” I didn’t see the problem.
“She can give some,” Dr. Zahn cut me off, “but with her being pregnant, we have to be very careful.”
“I can help, Papi,” Thalia’s voice came from right behind me as I finished helping Ian buckle his leather leggings.
I looked up at the doctor who seemed to be considering Thalia with a look that I was not exactly comfortable with seeing. I patted Ian on the side and he helped me to my feet.
“They have cleared the entry to the berms and are in The Killing Tunnel,” Billy announced.
The Killing Tunnel was what Jake had started calling the stretch of road that we’d bordered with all the dirt we dug up when we’d excavated the trench that circled the hill that our communal home sat atop. At some point, the name had stuck.
“And we got more coming through the trees,” he added seconds later. “Flares are being tripped all down the right side.”
“That’s east,” Jon said. “Usually we see them from the west or the north zones.”
In a flurry of activity, all three teams were out the door. I hated the fact that I still wasn’t deemed healthy enough to participate in these events, but the facts were the facts. I was still using a cane, and in no condition to outrun a zombie if it got dicey.
I returned my attention to Dr. Zahn. To her credit, even with a life on the line, she hadn’t just scooped Thalia up and taken her into the room to give blood.
“Isn’t she a bit young?”
“Absolutely,” Dr. Zahn confirmed. “In the old world it wouldn’t even be considered. We haven’t got that luxury anymore. I won’t put the child in danger, Steve.”
I knew that…deep down. It still didn’t make me feel any better about it. Still…
“We should get in there,” Melissa took Thalia’s hand and led her to the small closet that Dr. Zahn used to perform her miracles.
I watched the three of them leave. Just before the door shut, Thalia turned and gave me a little wave that ended with a blown kiss. I caught it and forced a smile on my face. There was no mistaking the look on hers. She was probably at least a little scared, but all that shown through was the pride. She was helping.
I grabbed a few torches and went out to the porch. I had my spiked bat and an assortment of blades as well as the 30.06 with its precious few rounds of ammunition. I brought it to my
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