Zomb-Pocalypse 4

Chapter Seven

The temperature inside the boarded off kitchen is just as cold as it is outside. Silas and I rush to each grab an end of the moose quarters and haul them over to the counter top. I'm not squeamish about the meat anymore; I'm barely giving it a second thought as I practically throw it so I can get back inside and check on everyone.

"It's going to be okay, Jane." Silas tells me and I nod automatically. I don't believe him though. He doesn't know anything more than I do, but it's nice of him to try. A faint cough has my head whipping around- you can always hear the faint murmur of voices through the wall, but that sounded like it was practically inside the room with us.

"Did you hear that?" I whisper to Silas, not sure why I'm whispering... It's not like a zombie would be coughing. Silas nods, his face a mask of concern as he whips out a flashlight and steps around the counter panning it back and forth.

"Jane!" He calls out and something in his voice has me running. I step past Silas and let out a cry when I see Abby hunched over on the ground.

"What are you doing in here?" I demand as I rush forward and put my hand on her forehead. She's ice cold and clammy. The light isn't good in here with the window's boarded up, but Silas shines his light on her face and I'm shocked at how pale she is. She looks like a zombie.

I have no idea how long she's been in here, and my mind goes blank with panic for a minute. She isn't even wearing a coat, and her feet are bare. Silas shoves the flashlight into my hand and springs into action.

He takes off his own coat, just like my Dad did, and throws it over Abby's shivering body. "Too hot..." Abby mumbles half-coherently and seeing her like this makes me want to start crying. Silas scoops her up into his arms and heads for the door to take her back into the living room.

"Shut the back door and make sure no one else is in here." He tells me in a rush and I nod numbly. I scan the room carefully to make sure I'm the only one in here, and am relieved that I don't find anyone else half frozen to death and laying on the floor. The travois is in the way of shutting door and there is still one large chunk of moose meat sitting on it.

I rush forward and try to pick up the meat. It's got to weigh close to one hundred and fifty pounds though and I struggle. I let out a scream of frustration that ends in a cough as I give it another go and the meat slowly begins to move, dragging along the floor. I'm so beyond caring about the meat touching the floor right now. I get it clear of the door and drop it like a lead balloon right in the middle of the floor. I push the sled out of the way and shut and lock the back door.

I'm nearly in agony wondering what's happening on the other side of the cabin now. I jog to the door and step inside, hesitating as the smell of sickness permeates my nostrils. The room is dim since the windows are boarded up and the only light right now is from the fireplace at the far end of the room.

Silas, and my Dad are the only two up on their feet. Everyone else is strewn around the room on their mattresses, some flat on their backs like Abby, my Mom, and Ryan, while Regg and Megan are at least propped up and look quasi alert.

Megan lets out a raspy, horrible sounding cough that seems to shake her entire body and causes her to let out a scream of pain and clutch at the bullet wound in her shoulder.

"Holy cow." I murmur to myself before forcing my feet to move. I join Silas and my Dad near the fire. Silas is adding a couple new logs to keep the temperature up and for a moment, I'm at a loss for words.

"What do we do?" I ask quietly. My Dad looks a little dazed and when the fire starts licking the new logs Silas just added, I can see the thin trails of perspiration leaking down my Dad's face. "Dad?" I say hesitantly and it takes a full moment before he looks towards me.