Knight in the City: A Zombie Apocalypse Survival Tale (2 page)

We each fired twice and cleared out most of the remaining zombies.  The noise didn’t attract too much attention. We climbed down as quietly as possible and started inside the ER.  The broken glass crunched beneath our feet.  It was louder than I expected and it attracted the attention of a few nearby zombies.  We dispatched them quietly with our crossbows.  But, we were running out of bolts and didn’t want to risk retrieving them with so many zombies around.

Once inside we needed our headlamps in the dark room.  We each covered the others as we got our headlamps out and put them on.

The lobby was deserted.  All the zombies that were in here went outside and tried to eat us.

Every step echoed off the walls as we cautiously moved towards a set of double doors.  I’d been here once before a few years ago after hurting myself in a fell.  So, I knew that what was on the other side of the doors was where they took you to be treated.  There were exam rooms and an area with beds for the more serious medical stuff.

But, what else was behind those doors?  I almost wet myself when the doors outside broke and all those zombies came through.  What was going to happen here?

Now, paused outside the double wooden doors, Ben and Tyler looked concerned.  That scared me more than anything else.  These guys have been in a war, I couldn’t imagine what these two gung-ho military types were scared of.  I was terrified.

“We don’t know what we’ll find on the other side of this door,” said Ben.

“Bet it’s zombies,” I said.

Ben just looked at me.

“It could be ten zombies or it could be a hundred zombies.  If it’s a hundred we go back to the roof of the ambulance and hope they follow us out there then disperse,” Tyler said.

We all nodded.

Ben went through the left side of the door and Tyler went through the right.  John and I were right behind them.  There were only about twenty zombies in front of us.  I never thought I’d live to see the day when twenty zombies was a relief but here I was.  As our light fell upon them, they all turned as one and stared at us.  Then they began shambling towards us as one big group.

I heard the three men make some sort of war cry as they waded forward into the zombies, raising their tomahawks as they went.  I froze with fear.  Don’t get me wrong, I’ve been close to zombies and fought up close to.  But, a zombie in the dark was terrifying.  A whole bunch of zombies in the dark is petrifying.  I couldn’t get my feet to move.  All I could do was move my head.

The scene in front of me unfolded in glimpses because of my headlamp.  As my head turned, my light illuminated different parts of the battle. 

The swing of Ben’s tomahawk.

Tyler turning as he pushed a zombie that had gotten too close.

John using his knife to hold a zombie while he swung his tomahawk into the head of another.

All of this unfolded within the scope of the light from our headlamps.

One by one, the zombies fell and the guys moved farther into the room.  Farther away from me.  Then something grabbed my leg and my headlamp lit up a zombie on the floor as I looked down.

I screamed and kicked out at the zombies head with my foot.  It was a good kick, catching the zombie right under the chin.  In my headlamp, I could see the head roll across the floor leaving a trail of dark gore.  It was enough to get my feet moving.

I ran to catch up to the guys who were just finishing up with all the other zombies.  They were breathing heavily as they leaned up against the nurses’ station.

“Fan out, grab all the medications, bandages, whatever you think is going to be helpful,” instructed Tyler.  “Be careful opening doors.”

As we stood there for another moment with everyone trying to catch our breath I could see everyone covered in blood and gore.  It was just dripping off of them in some places.  Zombie blood is darker than human blood; almost chocolate syrup.  I’d never seen dad or anyone else come back from a supply run covered in that much zombie.

“Keep an eye out for threats,” said Ben.  “C’mon, let’s get moving.”

There were supplies everywhere.  When the end came, doctors and nurses were trying to stop it not worry about putting things away.

I kept seeing John stop and couldn’t figure out why at first.  Then I realized he was trying to watch Ben and Tyler.  They were together, talking.  I could hear whispering but couldn’t tell what they were saying.  They were both angry.  I didn’t think that was good.  John appeared at my side and whispered.

“One wants to kill us and one doesn’t.  I don’t know who is going to win but we can’t gamble that it works out for us.  Be ready.”

I nodded and tried not to look as scared as I really was.

We picked up a few more things after that but our bags were getting full and there wasn’t much left.  We only found two zombies while we were gathering supplies.

“Okay,” said Tyler.  “I think we got what we came for.  Let’s get ready to go.”

We met back at the door and made ourselves ready.  Which was mostly getting a good grip on our tomahawks.  Ben and Tyler would go through first again with John and I right behind them.

“We’ve got to move forward.  There’s no retreating.  If we have to use the ambulance again we’ll meet there,” said Tyler.  “On three.  One…  Two…  Three…”

Ben and Tyler pulled the doors open and began to move forward through them into the ER lobby.  There was a group of over a dozen zombies in front of them.  As they continued forward, John pushed them and pushed the doors closed.

“Run, Tabby.  Go.”

I froze.

John adjusted his stance, getting his feet situated on the linoleum floor and leaned into the door.

“Run, Tabby.  You’ve got to.  I don’t know how long I can keep them out.  Go, now.”

I turned to run and I could hear shouting behind me from the other side of the door.  And then banging, like Ben and Tyler were trying to get through.  I ran through the treatment area we had just raided.  On the other side of the ‘L’ shaped room there was a door leading further into the hospital.  I knew I had to go through that door.  But, I didn’t know what was on the other side.

Maybe I should go back and help John.  Together, we could maybe hold the door and fight Ben and Tyler.

Who was I kidding?  I’m a teenage girl.

Still, John was risking his life to save me.  I shouldn’t just abandon him.

Two shots rang out.  I opened the door and went through.

In front of me was a hallway leading to a ‘T’ intersection.  Along the sides were doors.

And there were seven zombies.

They’d heard the shots, too and were already moving towards me.  I tightened my grip on my tomahawk and swung at the closest zombie.  The pointy end of the weapon went into his skull and the zombie, a doctor I think, went down.  I dodged the next zombie and the next.  I was small and quick.  As long as there weren’t too many of them I could maybe make my way through without getting bogged down and surrounded.

Buoyed by my realization, I went around the corner to the left ready to dodge and weave.  There were at least ten zombies all bunched up right in front of me.  I took a mighty swing with my tomahawk and hit the first zombie in the side of the skull.  She went down and pulled the tomahawk right out of my hand.  I scrambled to get it back and retrieved it just as another got close.  As I swung, I saw that this zombie was a teenage girl like me:  probably a patient.

I closed my eyes and missed my mark.  Instead, the tomahawk sliced open her neck almost back to her spine.  My swing left me off balance and turned to my left.

There was a zombie on me quickly, pulling on my pack.  I shrugged it off and opened the door in front of me.

God, let it be empty.

It was.

The X-ray machinery looked like the WWII machinery in the battery at Ft Sumter in my headlamp.  I moved to the back of the room and cowered on the floor.  The zombies in the hall banged on the door trying to get to their meal.  Me.  I could hear their un natural moaning.

I began to cry.  Loudly at first, then I realized they could hear me.  Their moaning got louder.

I was going to die here.  Alone in this hospital.  Away from my dad and my brother.  And my mom.  I missed her so much.  I was going to die here.  I cried quietly until the noise from the zombies stopped.  Then, exhausted from the day, I fell asleep.

My eyes snapped open.  I wasn’t sure where I was right away.  The room was dark and quiet.  Then it all came flooding back.

Zombies.  Fort Sumter.  Medical supply run.  Ben and Tyler trying to kill us.  John sacrificing himself.  Running.  More zombies.  Hiding in the X-ray room.

Still alive.  But trapped in here.

But, my dad was coming for me.  It was the last thing he said to me before I left.  But when I left him he was still locked in the pillory after getting lashed with a whip.  He’s my dad.  He’ll find a way.  He’s kept all these people alive during the freaking zombie apocalypse.

Well, not all of them.  Mom didn’t make it.  It wasn’t dad’s fault.  He did all he could.  But, if he couldn’t save mom can he really control what happens to me?  He’s not even here right now.

Oh my God.  What if he’s dead?  Maybe Capt. Rendina had him killed after we left.  No, he had no reason to do that.  Well, he did.  But, if he was going to kill my dad he wouldn’t done it in front of all of us.  Rendina wanted my dad to suffer with the loss of me on this trip.

I miss Mike.  I’ve treated him so poorly since Justin showed up at the fort.  I missed Justin but that’s no excuse for how I treated Mike.  I love him.  I’m sure of that.  I can’t wait to see him.  He’ll be with dad when he comes.

No matter what:  dad, Mike, grandma, Malcolm, everyone.  They’re coming for me.  I know it.  I’ll just sit here in a safe spot until they get here.

Eventually, though, I talked myself into not being a scared, useless, little teenage girl.  If I could get out of the hospital then I could get to the City Marina.  That would help everyone out.  Surely all the zombies have wondered off after Ben and Tyler.

So, I checked my headlamp, wishing I had replacement batteries but they were in the pack on the floor down the hall.  Unless zombies had gotten materialistic all of the sudden.  My knife was on my left hip.  My handgun was on my right hip. My tomahawk was covered with zombie brains but I had it. I still had my AR but I had no idea where my crossbow was.  I must’ve dropped it earlier.

I turned my headlamp on and opened the door as quietly as I could manage.  Two zombie corpses were on the floor where I’d left them.  My eyes followed the light as I turned my head one way then the other. 

Nothing there.

And no sound, either.

No, wait.  That wasn’t true.  There was a soft but consistent banging noise coming from one direction.  Thankfully, I was headed the other way.

Down the corridor and around the corner I went.  Still no zombies.

I stopped at the door.  On the other side of this door was the ER treatment area.  We cleared it already so there shouldn’t be any zombies.  I took a deep breath.  If there were a few zombies that had wondered in, I’d be ready.

Gripping my tomahawk, I went through the door.  The room was dark and silent except for my headlamp and footsteps.  I had the feeling that something was wrong right away but I didn’t know what it was.  Halfway through the room, two things happened.  One, I heard a noise behind.  And, two, I realized what was bothering me.

There were medical supplies everywhere.

This was not the ER we were in earlier.  I had made a wrong turn.

Turning toward the noise, I could see zombies shambling up from behind me.

I panicked.

What was I doing here?  I could’ve hid in that X-ray room until dad and Mike came to get me. Turning to run, I found more zombies in front of me.  The way forward was blocked.  I turned back the way that I’d came and found more zombies there now.

Over to my left was a room.  I tried the door.  Open.  The room looked empty of zombies.

It seemed like an intensive care room.  There was a hospital bed with lots of instruments around it.  The wall next to the door was made of glass and zombies were gathering along it, trying to get to me.  They could see I was in here.

Duh.   My headlamp was on.  I took one last look at the zombies gathering at the window… doctors, nurses, police, maintenance workers, patients.  All snarling at me through the glass.  I switched off my headlamp.  I just had to hide here until the zombies lost interest.

Almost instantly, I heard that un natural moaning.  And it was close.  Inside the room, close!  I turned my headlamp back on and got ready to fight.  Nothing.  The zombies at the window were still there but that was it.  There it was again, that un natural sound.

I stood up to find a zombie strapped to the bed.  How did I miss that?  One strike to the head and I sat back down in the corner.  I turned my headlamp back off and began to cry.

“Tabby, copy.  It’s your father.  Tabby”

I sat up.  That was dad.  And the walkie was really loud.

“Tabitha Knight, this is your father.  Do you Copy?”

“Daddy?”  I keyed the mic on the walkie.  “Dad, is that you?”