Time to Survive

I'd Rather Go Ahead and Eat Flesh

  I was worried.

I slowed the coupe down, seeing the crashed cars rising up in front of me. The sun was just now rising, and I was running off hardly any sleep.

Not since yesterday, at least, and it had taken the entire night to drive back here; our gas was starting to get low, we'd have to siphon some.

I parked the coupe between two smashed vans, letting the engine idle.

Chris and Ryan had both been asleep for a couple hours, Ryan twisting and turning and groaning in pain every now and again.

I glanced back at him, seeing his skin shine with sweat.

He'd been bit literally eight hours ago and he was really pale, sweating profusely.

If he was like Chase he didn't have long.

"Guys, wake up, we're here," I said, turning off the car, the sun just now starting over the buildings. I glanced over in annoyance when neither of them moved. "WAKE UP!"

They both jerked, halfway rising from their seats in alarm, gasping.

"You nearly gave me a heart attack!" Ryan gasped, placing his hand against his chest dramatically.

"We're here," I frowned at them. "Let's go."

"Don't you need to get some sleep?" Chris frowned at me. "You drove all night."

"No." Fuck yes I did but we needed to get going.

I turned off the car and got out, opening the trunk and getting our bags out. I slipped mine over my shoulder, knowing we would have to be careful with our supplies since Ryan didn't have his pack.

I hadn't thought to grab it in my haste.

Plus, he wouldn't be strong enough to carry one soon.

"Let's get going. Kuza said the old Union Hospital, and it's about a several hour walk from here, if we hurry. We can probably be there by afternoon." I said, already walking ahead of them, the coupe keys hidden under the floor mat of the car; none of us wanted to keep them on us in case our bodies weren't salvageable later.

It was sad, but it was practical.

"Is this really a good idea?" Ryan frowned as he followed behind me, keeping pace with Chris. "Wasn't there a turf war going on? We're like walking targets."

"Not if we're careful," I said, stepping off the crumbled highway and heading toward the woods. "If we keep out of the open we should be okay. And once we get up top ---."

Ryan suddenly staggered, and Chris grabbed his shoulder to steady him immediately, looking concerned.

"Fuck," Ryan grumbled, glancing down at his feet. "Stupid tree roots."

I hesitated, but turned my attention forward again, knowing it wasn't the trees. "Anyway, once we're on top of the buildings, we'll be able to see the hospital, hopefully. It was the big fancy one, wasn't it?"

"Yeah, it's really old and they did a lot of remodeling." Chris nodded. "It's pretty formidable, they chose a good place."

"Right, so there's bound to be some doctors left," I had some hope over this. "Not all of them had to be stupid enough to get bit."

"Excuse you." Ryan frowned at me, and I sent him an amused look over my shoulder.

"Dude, all of us have been bit," Chris chuckled. "That's the only reason we know we're immune; otherwise, we'd be in the same place as you."

Ryan still looked offended.

I was glad he was keeping his humor over this, though.

It was when they had melt downs the issues started.

We left the treeline behind and started onto the train tracks, seeing the wrecked train shimmering under the sunlight, the graffiti decorating its sides decorated with splotches of blood.

"That would've been a good hideout," Ryan commented as we walked by it.

"That's what we said," Chris chuckled. "Too bad it fell over. We could've used it to get the fuck out of here sooner."

"But then you guys would've missed meeting me," I sent them a tired smile over my shoulder. "You would've been devastated without me."

"Or better off," Ryan sighed, but he sent me a smile to let me know he was joking. "And not having to clean carpets."

"I still noticed you didn't get the stain out," I pointed out. "Turning it around doesn't fix it."

"So says the woman who turns her shirts around backward like it makes a difference." he snorted.

I flushed. "It does make a difference! They don't seem as dirty," I defended myself. Plus it wasn't like I had that many clothes that I could change into constantly, and even less now that we hadn't made it to the house to get any of them washed, and most of mine were ruined from blood and gore; hell, I was still wearing Chris's shirts, and I was pretty sure I was going to need another one soon thanks to my side still bleeding.

I needed new bandages, but we didn't have time to stop
.
I hopped on top of a fallen van, using it to peer out over the connecting streets as we made it into the pavement.

"There's a few deaders, but not many. If we hurry we can make it to that fire escape on that old building and start moving across that way. Just watch out for patio furniture."

I might have made a lot of collisions with lawn chairs in my day.

"Good, let's go," Chris grunted, wrapping his hand around Ryan's arm to make sure he didn't fall behind, ignoring his irritated protest. "On the count of three."

"Three," I hissed, and we took off across the street, the deaders too slow. They were just turning towards us when we reached the roof, and we all breathed sighs of relief.

"There's the hospital," Ryan pointed in the distance where I could see a large glass building, the sunlight glinting of its sides. "It's not that far away. So do we walk up to the front door or go from the top?"

"I doubt there's a way to go up top," Chris frowned. "We'd never be able to reach it, not even from the side buildings. And the lower levels I'm assuming are going to be boarded up to stop the hordes. They have to have a side entrance of some sort, or are using the tunnels."

"Tunnels?" I questioned, frowning. I raised my hand to shield my eyes against the sun as I stared the hospital down.

It was our only hope.

We had to get there.

"There's a shit ton of tunnels running all under the city since the 1900's," Chris told me. "They were used during the prohibition for partying and stuff. And to hide bodies. There's a way to get down there on behind the Hall of Records, and I'm pretty sure it runs under the old hospital, if that's even the way they're using. It'll be dark as fuck and probably more dangerous then being up here."

I raised a brow at him. "How do you even know that?"

Chris blushed slightly. "Hey, even I watched the History Channel, okay? They had a whole documentary on it. So shut up."

I chuckled; my idea of Chris being the nerd in high school was quickly becoming affirmed.

"Then let's use that as a last resort," Ryan said after a moment, not seeming to be amused. "I don't wanna get bit again, that shit hurts. I'm pretty sure that's still a tooth," he pointed to the white shard in his open wound none of us had take the time to bandage, dried blood still all over his hand.

We ignored him.

"So up top then until we can't?"

"Yep. And we only go under if we have too."

"Sounds like a plan," I kicked a stray piece of loose gravel off the roof, it hitting a deader in the face below.

"Looks like we got a ways to go," I sighed. "Who wants breakfast?"

"Ugh," no way Ryan grimaced when I offered him the protein bar. "That shit tastes like cardboard. I think I'd rather go ahead and eat flesh."

I punched his shoulder.

"Fucker, don't talk like that!"

He chuckled as he rubbed his arm"Calm your tits, tightass. I'm not gonna become a deader that easy. I have one of the best immune systems in all of L.A. and a stomach of steel. I was always able to handle the Thai food."

"He was," Chris agreed, his lips twitching. "If anyone can hold off the infection, it's him."

I hoped that was true.

Because he was starting to look gray.