Chapter Nineteen
We left with two pick-up trucks, a jeep and the van. I worried that our convoy seemed to be getting a little bigger, and therefore more noticeable but as I looked at all the faces around me I couldn't see a single one that I would willingly go without seeing, we needed all four large vehicles to fit all of us and so that's what we would have.
As Kitty and Andy we feeling much better Mike let them ride with whoever they wanted instead of the back of the van, as long as Kitty had room to elevate her leg.
I drove one of the pickups with Kitty in the front with me, her leg up on the free middle seat. Sandy sat in the back of the pick-up, talking to us through the window. Her and Kitty got on really well, they ripped each other to pieces but they could both take it, the banter was hilarious and I felt the stress of the last few days melt away.
Brian had found a small town on the map, a good few hour’s drive away and to get there we’d have to pass close to a big city. Pretty soon the trees began to thin and the terrain levelled out to an expanse of dry grassland.
The small town wasn’t our goal, we really didn’t fancy clearing a whole town any time soon, our actual destination was a small farm a couple of miles outside of town.
“I’ve been thinking.” Said Kitty sometime in the afternoon.
“Oh God.” I groaned. “What now?”
“Shut up! I was only going to suggest we sneak into the town to stock up on supplies.”
“Oh right, only.” I rolled my eyes at Sandy who giggled behind her hand.
“Hey! After that last town, this will be easy. I was thinking just a small group of us. Maybe me, you, Zak and someone else.”
“Yeah, I’m sure Mike will agree to that so soon after you screwed your ankle up.” She scowled at me. “It’s a good idea though. I think Mike will agree that we could do with hitting a pharmacy or something.”
“Maybe in a couple of days.” Started Kitty.
“Mike will let you walk on your own.” I interrupted. “But I can’t see him letting you go on some special ops mission into a zombie infested town.”
“Don’t worry Kitty!” Piped up Sandy. “I’ll go for you instead.”
“Gee, thanks for that Sandy.” Kitty grumbled.
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“I think we’re almost there girlies.” I declared a little before sunset.
“Good, my ass is falling to sleep.” Kitty informed us.
“I’m tired. It’s hard work looking after you two all day.” Sandy said.
“Cheeky.” I laughed at her while she grinned back at me, dodging the screwed up piece of paper I’d aimed behind me.
“I think this is the turning.” I muttered to myself as I pulled off the main road onto a dirt track, away from the town that was nothing more than a dot on the horizon.
Ten minutes later we pulled up outside a decidedly run down farm.
“Right girls, get your game faces on.”
I waved silently to the others, cutting the engine. I gestured to the house then pressed a finger to my lips. Me, Sandy and Luke took the front door while Geoff, Mike and Sally took the back. Zak, Kitty and Andy were made to stay with the cars, just as a precaution whilst Brian and Jane went to check out the out buildings.
I kicked in the door and heard the others at the back do the same. We’d only gotten three feet into the house before we heard Jane’s piercing scream and Brian’s surprised yell. My heart sunk to the bottom of my stomach as my pulse quickened.
We all raced across the front yard to the barn but as Zak and Kitty were closer they reached the doors before us with Andy close behind. I could hear sounds of desperate fighting from inside the barn. My blood pounded through my veins and I could feel the adrenaline rushing through my system.
I didn’t feel scared for myself, but for Jane and Brian and Kitty too. Kitty was still injured, I tried to stop myself thinking about what might happen to her. All of these people had begun to make the apocalypse bearable, I didn’t want them to be taken away from me. They were me new family.
We skidded through the doors seconds after Zak, Kitty and Andy. There were a whole group of walkers trying to grab at Jane and Brian who had managed to scramble up into the hay loft. Only now they were stuck. It was too high to jump down and the old wooden stairs were packed with rotting, walking and hungry corpses.
Our arrival took some attention away from Jane and Brian as the infected turned to find an easier meal.
They ran at us and Zak took out the first three easily but stumbled as a fourth ran at him he killed it but landed funny on his bad ankle.
“Luke, take front! Sandy, get to Brian!” I ordered as a cracked a skull with my crowbar. “Zak, go get the others, don’t argue!” He limped out of the barn, shouting for the others.
I saw for the first time just how good of a fighter Luke was, even though he was surrounded the walkers couldn’t get within half a foot of him before they hit the floor.
Then Kitty was in the middle of it all, moving as though nothing had even happened to her leg. Her face was set, her determination evident. She spun two small axes in her hands like batons. She had the grace of a dancer and the fury of a warrior.
Sandy, being small, light and fearless had managed to climb up to the hay loft without using the stairs where three infected were trying to get to Brian and Jane. The pair of them were managing to keep them back using an old pitchfork and spade, their old weapons obviously lost when they were escaping the walkers.
I fought my way over to the stairs and took out the first walker no problem, Sandy took out the guy at the top and then we were just left with the problematic man in the middle. I’m not kidding, the guy was a beast. Little Sandy only just came up to his waist and he towered above me. He lunged for me and I jumped back, wondering how on earth I was going to take him down.
“Don’t worry Alex, I’ll get him!” Sandy shouted.
Before I could shout for her to stop she took a running jump and landed on the zombies back, curling her legs around his torso. She wacked him on the back of his head with the butt of her gun. He was one hard skulled son of a bitch though and she didn’t even make a dent. He simply reached round, plucked little Sandy from his back and flung her across the barn. Hard.
Time seemed to slow right down as he tiny body flew through the air and landed with a smack onto the hard dirt floor. Suddenly the bastard didn’t seem so scary. You know when people say ‘I saw red’? I always thought it was just a saying but turns out it is actually possible. I was filled with this undiluted rage, I couldn’t stand it, it made my blood boil whilst my heart froze in terror for little Sandy.
I quickly dispatched the zombie and sprinted to where Sandy lay unmoving on the hard barn floor.
“Sandy, come on baby wake up, talk to me.” I sobbed, my tears hitting her face. I brushed the hair from her forehead to reveal a bump the size of a golf ball. “Get Mike!” I screamed.
Kitty came to my side and then Mike was there and he was saying something but I could barely hear him. Then I was pulled aside by Kitty so Zak could pick Sandy up and he carried her out into the sunshine. I followed, supported by Kitty’s firm grip on my shoulders.
“She’s ok, just unconscious.” She spoke softly in my ear and I nodded to show I’d understood.
Zak carried her into the house and Mike told him to put her on the kitchen table. She groaned and the haze around me vanished, I rushed to her side taking her hand in mine and holding it tight. So she knew I was there, so she knew she wasn’t alone.
“Alex.” She groaned.
“I’m here, lay still, Mike’s going to fix you up good as new, I promise.”
“Can you tell me where hurts most angel?” Mike asked in a soothing voice.
“My head. My arm hurts bad too.”
“Can you feel this?” He asked, tapping her shins.
“Yeah.”
“Ok good, that’s really good. I know you’re sleepy but you have to stay awake for me.” Mike turned to me. “You have to keep her awake, I’ll get her something for the pain but I don’t want her falling asleep until I know that it was just a bit of concussion. Ask her some questions, the pain will distract her but the sooner we know it’s not too serious of a concussion the sooner she can rest up and start to heal, test her memory, general knowledge, what noises animals make, that sort of thing.”
“What if it isn’t just concussion?” I asked, already knowing the answer.
“If there’s damage to the skull or brain, Alex we’ll have a big problem. We’ll have to clear that town down there and pray to God there’s a hospital with a decent operating theatre… And that I can become a brain surgeon.”
He ran out to the trucks and I turned my full attention back to Sandy.
“Open your eyes for me sweetheart.” Her eyes were streaming with tears, she looked in pain yes but I think it fear more than anything else. She was terrified, it wasn’t a game anymore because in games you don’t get hurt, in movies the good guys don’t get hurt. “I want you to tell me what colour the sky is.”
“Why?”
“Please just answer my questions ok, I know they’re silly but it’s important.”
“Ok. The sky’s blue Alex.”
“Good job! Where did you used to live baby? Can you tell me the name of the city?”
“Washington.”
“I’ll take your word for it.”
“Erm… what, what noise to cows make?” I asked.
“They say moo.”
“That’s right, and what colour are they, no, no don’t fall asleep, just a couple more questions.” Her eyelids had begun to droop.
“I’m sleepy and my head hurts and I’m dizzy Alex.” She cried. “Please let me go to sleep.” It killed me, I knew if she slept the pain would go away and keeping her awake just prolonged her suffering but I knew that Mike was right, she had to stay awake.
“Just a little while longer Sandy ok, just a little longer.” I begged her.
“You’re being so brave.” Kitty told her, she was crying too as she clutched Sandy’s other hand. “You know, I used to have a little sister, her name was Ally and she was just like you, strong, cute and so funny. We used to laugh together for hours, you remind me so much of her. Please don’t let me lose you too.”
“My eyes feel funny.” Groaned Sandy, moments before she passed out.
“I couldn’t keep her awake, please tell me she’s going to be alright?” I begged Mike as he ran back into the room. “She said her eyes felt funny just before she passed out, what does that mean Mike?”
“I don’t know Alex, I’m so sorry, I wish, I just wish I could be… more… I’m just a student, I’m in so far over my head I feel like I’m drowning. Right now all we can do is wait and see. There’s no damage to her neck or spine, no paralysis, that’s good, we can deal with amnesia and a whole host of other issues like that but for her not to be able to move around properly? It’d be a death sentence.”
“Do you think she will wake up?” I asked. He felt her pulse and listened to her breathing for a few moments.
“I think so, her vitals are strong.” He smiled at me. “She’s a fighter.”
Mike didn’t give her anything for the pain, he said it might be dangerous until she woke up. He also discovered her arm was broken so he put a splint on and strapped it tightly with a bandage. Then he and everyone except Kitty left.
“Are you ok?” I asked her.
“Yeah. I’m sorry Alex, I can’t stop crying and it’s you that needs the comforting, you’ve known her longer than I have.”
“Kitty…” I took her hand. “It’s not just Sandy you’re crying for is it?” I asked softly. She shook her head, the sobs becoming stronger.
“I miss her so much.” She whispered.
I pulled Kitty towards me and hugged her tight. Over her shoulder I could see Sandy lying there, looking small and broken. I let the tears come, for her and for all that I’d lost.