The Dead and the Restless (Completed with undergoing editing)

Chapter Eight (Edited.)

"Lease?" A voice said, pulling me from the blackness of my dreamless sleep. "Lease we have a problem with Craig."

Once her words registered, I sat up quickly, becoming fully alert.

"What is it?" I asked quickly, jumping up and walking over to him, scanning his body for any immediate alarms. He looked fine, but then again, we had no idea what the real problem with him was.

"The drugs," she said. "We're running out of antibiotics."

"That's it?" I said, sighing a breath of relief. That was an easy fix. I thought she was about to tell me that there was internal bleeding or something worse, that he was turning.

"Sorry I alarmed you," she said. I looked at her and I noticed that she had on long sleeves today. The scene from the bathroom popped into my head, making me shiver. I must have held my gaze on her arms for a second too long, because she pulled at her sleeve awkwardly. She looked guilty, but I shook my head and decided that I would just put it past me and keep it as a memory.

"I'll get some more now," I said, getting up and grabbing my machete. "Is there any specifics?"

"Yeah, I'll write you a list," She said, giving me a grateful smile for not mentioning the fiasco that happened yesterday. "Give me a minute."

"Okay," I said, waiting as she wrote. I hoped that everything she needed was on the list, but I mostly hoped that I wouldn't have to go back up to the blood room. I swear, that horrible scent stained my nostrils.

"I'm sorry about the bathroom thing," she said, looking at me as she held the note out. "It was a mistake. It won't happen again, I promise."

I didn't believe her, but I knew to keep an eye on her now. Even if I was going to play pretend, it was not right to leave her to harm herself.

"Already forgotten," I said to her. "Your secret is safe with me."

"Thanks, Lease," she said, nodding, giving me another grateful smile.

I took the note from her and had her explain to me what some of them did, and how to pronounce them. Then I placed the note in the back pocket of my jeans and accounted for the weapons in my bag. Then, I strapped a sheath to my jean buckle along with the sheath for my machete. I left the gun here, knowing that I probably wouldn't need it. The halls were still pretty clear from when I went through them even though I hadn't ventured out for three weeks.

Once I was all set and I started toward the doors, Darlene grabbed my arm.

"Why don't you go ask Liam for some help out there, okay?" She asked me. It was more for her comfort than it was for mine, though, that much I could tell.

I did consider it though. After playing rummy, Liam and I sat together and talked for a while. We avoided heavier topics and it was actually nice. All the while we talked, though, I couldn't help but think of how long I could keep up a charade. I knew that the initiative for wanting to tell them about myself and open up, forming a one-sided bond, was just to ensure Craig and I to have a place to stay, but now, after what happened, I could feel myself actually getting attached.

That brought me to the second part of what Sienna said. I should learn to make the most of things while they lasted, and I know that meant the hospital, but did that qualify for people, too? Maybe things were safe here, I mean, we'd gone three weeks without an accident already. Craig was stable, there was food, and there was no problems with being overrun.

I took a breath. This wasn't the time to make a decision like that. But the decision I could make right now was asking Liam to join me. Luckily, I knew that answer.