from death we rise (borrowed time)

Chapter two: perditus

"It hit us too fast. Humankind has never met something so foul, deadly, and wicked"

Her voice trembles as she relays the message.

"The symptoms are and not limited to: outrageous fever, blisters; dry mouth and hallucinating thoughts.
The processing time is still unknown"

She swallows so deeply that it echos through her microphone.

"We don't know the full situation, were being told to stay indoors and not to panic.
We do know South Carolina is not the only state affected. If you suspect you or someone you know may be sick call the hotline 455-5444-4444. God bless"

-

JQ makes a left turn down another alleyway, my body clings to the side of the car while my mind still processes the information from the news.

"What-"

My thoughts and sentence are stolen, the car comes to an astonishing standstill sending me into the dashboard and windshield. Feeling my head clash against the thick glass, the nerves sending signals of the devastating impact on my brain. The excruciating pain as my head pounds, adrenaline dampening some of the trauma.

"Fuck. That hurt"

Caressing my skull from the impact, still seeing the depths of the abyss as I reach out for JQ.

"Are you alright?"

He asks me, unclasping his seatbelt yanking my mangled body from the dashboard. My arms meeting his shoulders as I tightly grasp onto them.

'Wh-what happened?'

-

We get out of the car, my body wobbles with every step I take. Stars and static still pinging around inside my head, reliving the windshield cracking my skull again and again.

There's a figure lying on the ground, her strawberry hair glazed in the pool of blood surrounding her head. The hair, the clothes; the shoes. Her figure.

My body goes limp, my hands covering my gaped open mouth as I run to her lifeless body.
We just ran down Jase in a dark alley.

-

'Oh my god, call 911'

Her breaths aspirated, I shake her fragile body trying to revive her consciousness. Jase's eyelids trembling rapidly, she's breathing but for how long. JQ tosses his phone, hearing it ping off the pot-holed pavement. He rushes to my aid helping me drag Jases comatose body to the car. No Second Thoughts.

"No connection. We go straight to the source"

-

I sit in the backseat with her as he takes off, his car puttering from the harsh impact it made against her body. The headlights illuminating another blood pool in front of us.
My hands tremble as I hold her inside my arms, stroking her skin whispering to her; letting her know I'm here continually through my sobs.

-
'Where the fuck is hospital?'

I demand from the back, still seeing neighborhoods polluted with fires and chaos, however no hospital signs.

"Bout five minutes away"

JQ immediately notifies me, his voice shaky;
not taking his eyes or focus off the road.

-

The hospital is parking lot is packed, wrecked cars and ambulances surround it. The crisp, white papers scattering and covering the pavement.

I am terrified.

JQ pulls the car up to the front entrance, we tiresomely carry Jase to the automatic front doors but they remain shut.

'This can't be happening'

I cry aloud, starting to throw myself into another panic attack.  Realizing everything we once knew is gone and my friend is going to die, because of us.

JQ bangs on the shaky hospital doors repeatedly, there's nothing but silence. Not even the crickets dare make a peep.

"HEY! PLEASE, HELP! OPEN THE Damn DOORS"

He shouts into the void, the wind carrying away his pleas. I watch him with teary eyes, holding the majority of Jases's weight in my arms, watching him continuously shake the locked doors.