The Dead Chapter 10

Book 1: The Dead

Chapter 10

We had finally gotten the vehicles ready to leave, all our supplies that we didn't keep on our person were loaded onto the back of the Ute along with Monica. Nicole, Brooke, Daniel, Simon, Daphne and I were in the people carrier, Caleb was still on his bike while Todd and Wendy were in the Ute. As we drove along I saw dead bodies along the side of the road as well as in the middle of it, we did our best to avoid them but at one point I had to close my eyes to block out the sickening crunch as we accidentally ran one over. At least these people were too… damaged... to turn. We did see a few deadmen in one of the buildings we drove past but either they didn't notice us or we weren't an enticing enough prize for them to chase us. Meanwhile we were getting closer and closer to the clinic.

As we got closer I turned to Nicole in the seat next to me ‘so what are we looking for?’ I asked

‘Anything that could be useful but primarily painkillers and antibiotics,’ she replied, ‘look for things ending in –mycin. While you guys look for stuff I want to get Simon checked out,’ she continued, turning to Daphne, ‘I’ll need you and Daniels help in getting him there and keeping him calm, I just hope everything there’s still working.’ I hadn't even realised that was a possibility, but the I realised all the car crashes, explosions and destruction I've seen over the last few days and realised it was all too possible. Part of me hated Brooke for putting us in this situation. As I remembered what had happened, I realised that none of us had really discussed it since. I turned to Brooke in the seat in front of me, a little nervous to be approaching a possibly awkward subject. ‘How did the accident happen anyway Brooke?’ I asked, trying to sound nonchalant

‘I lost control,’ Brooke replied, shrugging, ‘I was trying to avoid pedestrians and abandon cars and I swerved then I lost control.’ I could tell she was tense and either she was hiding something or was scared of the memory, but I didn't press the matter. We had arrived at the clinic.

Caleb pulled up into the clinic car park as we approached, with a quick head check he saw that it was clear and waved us forward. But he then stopped and curiously inspected a few cars that were parked irregularly in the car park, there were no bodies or belongings in the cars so we assumed that they didn't belong to people fleeing their homes, the possibility crossed my mind that maybe another group like us was here, this gave me hope, but also fear of the change and new dangers they could bring. Daniel, Daphne, Nicole and Simon entered the pharmacy and quickly headed inside to find the machines, we were all tense but we were careful not to make a sound, we had no idea what threats, alive or dead, awaited us.

I made sure Nicole had found the machines, we were in luck and they were all still working. As Nicole and her group got to work the rest of us found where we could find supplies. Caleb and Wendy went into the offices and began to take equipment that could be useful, I’m sure Nicole could use a stethoscope. The rest of us began to move toward the pharmacy but as we got closer we saw that the shelves were empty. We stopped completely when we heard movement. There were other people in the pharmacy.

I swallowed before I shifted closer, Todd and Brooke behind me, guns at the ready. ‘Hello?’ I called out. A man about Brooke’s age appeared, holding a rifle, these people were clearly better armed. Todd, Brooke and I relaxed slightly knowing that we weren't about to be attacked by the dead. Then several others appeared, similarly armed and aged, some were carrying large, full bags that I assumed held the medication from the pharmacy. ‘Well well well,’ the first man said, smiling slightly but it didn't ease my tension. I didn't trust these people as readily I had trusted Caleb, Brooke and Monica. Maybe it was because of the guns. I had a feeling I shouldn't start off making demands for medicine so instead I simply said, ‘I’m glad to see there are still others alive’ he laughed, short and raspy

‘You can bet there are many more people alive still,’ he said, he hadn't moved since he appeared, his hand still on his rifle

‘Still, it’s a good sight,’ I exaggerated a little. I swallowed before I got to the matter at hand, ‘my friend is hurt, we came here looking for medicine to help him, antibiotics and painkillers’

‘There was plenty of those here,’ he replied, still smiling, a smile that didn't reach his eyes. I looked at the full bags, then at their guns ‘would you be willing to share some?’ I asked hesitantly

‘I’m afraid we can’t do that,’ he replied, no longer smiling. His friends clutched their guns harder, Todd and Brooke did the same.

‘Maybe we can make a deal?’ I asked, no longer hesitating, but backing up a little

‘And what do you have that we don’t’ he asked, gesturing to their guns and medicine. I had to think quickly ‘uh, we have a car parked out front, a people-carrier, a new one’

‘Haven’t you seen all these abandoned cars around?’ he asked, smiling again, ‘I bet I could find ten cars around that I didn't have to trade medicine for.’ I realised there was no way we were getting the medicine without a fight, and there was no way we would win one.

I gestured to Brooke and Todd to back off as I backed away, muttering quietly, ‘alright, I guess you’ll be going then.’ The man began to leave, smiling truthfully now, cocky and arrogant. I clenched my fists, wishing there was something I could do. After all that we have done so far, all that we had accomplished, we were still powerless here. I wasn't thinking about Simon or the others here, I was simply afraid, realizing how vulnerable, and I was angry. Angry at this man for making me feel like this, and at myself for being useless. As I wallowed in my sadness Nicole walked out suddenly from the machine room, not looking up. One of the younger of the strangers turned at her sudden appearance and, already having a tense grip on his gun, fired. Then all hell broke loose.