The Dead and the Restless (Completed with undergoing editing)

Chapter Six (Edited.)

Two weeks, I thought to myself as I carved another tally mark into the wall I'd claimed next to Craig's hospital bed. The woman, Darlene, said I was lucky that they'd had an extra bed in storage to put him on. Apparently in the hall there had been several people hooked up to things, so when they had cleaned it out they'd swiped some IV bags and whatnot. Too bad that's as far as luck would travel for Craig. Darlene said he lost a lot of blood, but that wasn't the cause of the coma. There's something else that's wrong. Even though he's stable now and isn't showing signs of infection, if he did wake up, he might not be the same.

My eyes went glossy as I watched Darlene tend to him, checking his vitals. All I wanted was to be alone and have a good cry, because I knew for a fact that it was only going to be a matter of time before I'd have to put Craig down. I had no idea if I would strong enough for that, but it didn't matter. I didn't have the luxury of choice. And unfortunately, I couldn't even be left alone to cry, because Darlene insisted I be kept on a sort of suicide watch. It was more tiring than anything.

"Hey, sunshine," Liam said, snapping me from my daze and sitting against the wall next to me, setting down a tray of food.

"Hi," I replied, my voice coming out as foreign as the stare I gave the tray. He noticed this, I was sure. My body felt like an empty void and my eyes showcased that feeling well enough for anyone to see.

"How're you holding up?" He asked me, his brow furrowed as his eyes scanned my form.

"Why do you call me sunshine?" I asked, ignoring his question. He exhaled lightly, clearly seeing that I was trying to deflect the topic of my well-being.

"I asked you first."

"I don't know the answer," I responded after a few moments, pulling my knees to my chest and wrapping my arms around them loosely. Small talk was too much of an effort and my appetite was little to nothing lately. All I really wanted to do was sit here and wait for Craig to wake up, even though that hope was slowly shattering like broken glass with every passing day.

"Well, I guess it's my turn, then," he started, "I call you sunshine because I didn't know your name, and I had to find something to call you. Plus, your hair is pretty blonde. It sort of fit."

I didn't respond to him. There wasn't much to say. I didn't really care about his reasons or that he called me it. The only reason I asked was to distract him from questioning my well-being, but that didn't really go over well as I answered anyways. Maybe now if I just ignore him, he'll go away.

"Why don't you come over by the others?" He asked me, like he's been asking for the past few days since I've cut myself off. I took a deep breath and closed my eyes, trying to find some motivation to speak, but I was honestly too overwhelmed by exhaustion. It was almost like it was back in the days when I was at the apartment by myself, when I welcomed the silence and became a part of it. I was there, but I wasn't at the same time; I was a ghost.

"Lease?" Liam asked, his deep blue eyes holding me in an intense stare. When I looked into them, I found that same unexplainable pull toward him and that's when I knew that no matter how much I wished I could go back to being a ghost, it wasn't going to happen here. It was just like when Craig found me with his group. There were people here and they were going to expect me to communicate eventually. "You should come over by the rest of us."

My jaw clenched as I glanced over toward Craig. Darlene had finished up and left Liam and I to talk, but the more he was around me, a certain sadness settled in deep in the crevices of my bones. What hurt the most was that I knew that I should be happy that Craig and I weren't it, that I should be thrilled that I found other survivors and a safe place like this for now, but I couldn't find the same solace in it that I'd found before in the medicine closet. Maybe it was because I knew that things probably wouldn't be permanent here. Or maybe, a harsh voice whispered in my head, maybe it was the fact that Craig wasn't awake to enjoy it and he might never get to see it and it's all my fault.