"Jean!" Matthew yelled as he wielded his pistol, aiming it at the creature that was mercilessly attacking his brother. He ensured that the bullet he was about to unleash wouldn't pierce through the beast and go through Jean too.
Within a second of wielding and aiming the gun, he pulled the trigger multiple times and released the three bullets right into the back of the creature's skull. Groaning in pain, it shrieked loudly before tumbling to the ground.
After confirming that the creature was dead, Matthew, together with his friends, rushed over to help his wounded brother. The pain was so excruciating that Jean had gone numb before he could really feel it. Just as Matthew was about to ask how he was feeling, Jean lost consciousness and slumped down.
"Jean, wake up!" Matthew cried out desperately. "Wake up!" he tried making his brother regain consciousness again, but to no avail. He looked around the room for any bandages or painkillers. After rummaging through the drawers, he managed to find some and thus brought them out.
Matthew attached some bandages over his brother's severe wounds and cuts. The bandages were absorbing the blood quickly, and he soon realised that it wasn't a good idea. He looked around the room for any dry cloths that they could use to soak up the blood and stop the bleeding. "Give him the painkillers!" he commanded Daniel and Megan as he continued his search for a dry towel or cloth.
Eventually, he grabbed a dry hand towel located in a cabinet in the bathroom. He quickly unfolded the towel and rushed over to soak up Jean's blood. Of course, that wouldn't have much effect if he wasn't under the care of an actual medical professional. He was seriously injured and needed medical attention immediately.
"We need to get him to a doctor now. He's already lost too much blood," Megan warned of his condition.
"Matthew and I will carry him down," Daniel suggested to Megan. "You can go ahead of us first and find any medical staff downstairs."
Hence, the trio moved promptly and began their move to find help. Megan quickly ran down the stairway they had come from while Matthew and Daniel carried Jean carefully and slowly. They were lagging behind, but they had to make sure to move steadily, and if it meant sacrificing speed for Jean's wellbeing, they would do it.
Unfortunately, another ear-piercing shriek came from behind. And it wasn't a call for help this time. It was a scream warning of death that was coming after the trio.
Matthew turned briefly, only to see yet another creature charging at them, running from the tower section of the hospital towards them. It was catching up to them quickly, and they didn't have time to go slow and be careful anymore. As such, the two dashed towards the stairway, although they carried Jean as stably as they could.
They rushed down the stairway, hearing Megan's desperate door banging and pleas for help ahead of them. Finally, they caught up with her and watched her continue crying for help.
The door out of the stairway to the third floor opened, but the face that appeared before them wasn't very friendly. The man in front of them stared at them for a few moments without saying a word. After much awkward silence, the man finally spoke.
"Do you have any bites or scratches on your body?" the man asked in a voice full of hoarse.
"No?" Megan asked, appalled that they would even ask when they clearly saw that Jean was injured. "Look, this man hear needs medical attention now—"
"Did you share saliva with, take blood donations from or get involved in sexual activity with anyone who is infected?"
Daniel raised an eyebrow, equally shocked by the man's questions. He then stepped forward to answer the question for Megan, who seemed too confused to speak. "No, we weren't involved in any of the things you mentioned. Can't you see that we have a casualty here? We need a doctor now," he protested.
"Well, then, could you care to tell me how he got injured?" the man asked plainly.
"He... he was attacked by one of the creatures..." Matthew admitted, shaking fearfully.
The man didn't answer immediately. At first, he seemed to be thinking of a way to phrase his upcoming statement. However, his response didn't seem like he had put a lot of thought into it. "Well, then he'll become infected if he doesn't die. We can't risk him infecting all of us," the man dissented.
Matthew also paused for a few seconds before answering. "We?" he questioned, realising that the man might not have been the only survivor present.
"Take a look for yourself," the man stated as he "welcomed" the group to the corridor of the third floor.
Megan, who was the first to walk out into the corridor, was also the first to see the massive amount of people sitting along the corridor. They were all covered in blankets, staring at the group and wondering what the commotion was about.
Matthew and Daniel then followed along and saw the significant number of refugees. All three of them couldn't even count the exact number—there were at least a hundred of them, spanning almost half the entirety of the west wing.
"If you'd like to endanger the lives of everyone here just to save your friend, then go ahead. If you'd like to be remembered by the loved ones of these survivors here as the selfish people that cared for one life more than for a hundred others, then go ahead," the man said.
All of a sudden, Jean came round, choking out some blood, however. He gagged a bit before murmuring some words quietly. Daniel himself, who was carrying him, couldn't even hear what he was muttering.
Matthew moved his ear towards Jean's mouth, trying to put together what he was saying. "What are you saying, brother?" Matthew asked, whispering calmly and gently, although he was crying inside.
"K-keep... keep Amelia safe..." Jean murmured. Matthew tried holding back the tears forming in his eyes, but he couldn't. How could he not feel emotional over such a tragic event?
He knew his brother wasn't going to make it. The man was reluctant to help him, and he was sure that the other refugees wouldn't be too keen either. Soon enough, Jean exhaled for the last time. His shoulders slumped, and his eyelids fell.
Matthew sobbed, and he stared at his brother's lifeless face. He knew he was gone, but he just couldn't let go of him. He wanted to cry out loud and mourn his brother's departure. However, he whimpered quietly instead, knowing that the other survivors already didn't like the fact that he was attempting to find treatment for his infected brother, risking the lives of everyone around.
Jean didn't regain consciousness anymore. Matthew laid his brother down on the ground, staring at his wounds as his tears fell on them. Matthew rubbed them away gently in an attempt to keep his brother's wounds clean.
Daniel and Megan couldn't watch the painful event. Even though Megan was the only child and Daniel had a sister, they could imagine their loved ones departing on such a fateful day. They just couldn't believe that Matthew had gone through so much pain.
His father had passed nineteen years ago, while his wife followed the previous year. His mother was now in surgery, and his brother had just died in his arms. It was so unfortunate that he had to lose all of his family members so quickly.
If only Yael hadn't unleashed the virus. Matthew would have had more time to care for his mother, and she might have gotten treatment earlier. Jean wouldn't have been attacked by the creatures. And he could have had some more family time instead of pursuing a corrupt corporation that they couldn't trace properly.
Meanwhile, the refugees just stared at him, some with melancholy present in their eyes. Most of them already understood what was happening, excluding those sitting at the furthest end of the corridor. Some could empathise with his pain, but they couldn't do anything about it. They couldn't bring Jean back.
No one could.
And just then, Matthew came back to his senses. He turned away from his dead brother and faced the man. His lips quivered as he opened them to speak.
"M-maybe... maybe you're right. I wouldn't have wanted to see him become one of them. Maybe... it was better if he died than transform into a beast," Matthew admitted. And for once, the man finally showed emotions on his face. He seemed sympathetic, and his eyes became watery too.
"I'm sorry for your loss," he said. He looked up at the ceiling, his mouth moving slightly, as if he were recalling something. He then looked back down and faced Matthew. "You know, you're not the only one in this... plight," he began. "My brother... he worked in the Scranton Police Department. About a month ago, his team was working on rescuing some kids from a school. Most of them made it back, but... he was one of those killed."
Matthew sighed. He was there on that day. They all were. And he knew that he might have seen the man's poor brother. There were numerous bodies, but he never thought that one of them would be this man's brother. "I... I don't know what to say. I'm really sorry about that," he said.
The man chuckled, however. "I guess we're exchanging words of sympathy, aren't we?"
After the conversation ended, Matthew looked back down at his brother. He felt like crying again, but he fought the urge to. He tried to stay strong. For his friends and the survivors in the corridor. He swore to avenge his brother and Emma and take down Yael.
Suddenly, he got a call from his phone. He reached into his pocket and grabbed it out. Without hesitation, he answered the call. "Hello?" he started.
The caller responded. "Mr. Davis, this is Doctor Ernest Grey. I was informed that you are still in this hospital right now, but I encourage you not to come here right now. Mr. Davis... I'm sorry to inform you, but your mother didn't make it."
Just as the doctor was about to continue, eerie groaning and shrieking sounds could be heard in the background. The doctor gasped loudly over the call, and some people, assumed to be assistants, were clearly panicking and screaming in the background.
"I'm sorry, Mr. Davis. Goodbye," the doctor ended the conversation abruptly, although he didn't hang up. Instead, he could be heard screaming with the others before the beastly shrieking noises returned, and squelching sounds were amplified. Screaming sounds were able to overpower the monstrous noises, and eventually, the call ended.
Megan became more worried as he stared at Matthew's emotionless face. It wasn't normal for him to look so depressed, but there he was, staying in silence miserably.
"Who was that?" she questioned anxiously.
Matthew inhaled heavily before speaking. "A doctor just called in to inform me that my... my mother... my mother...."
Megan's jaw began to rattle uncontrollably as if she was the one who was affected by the news. Feeling troubled, she hesitated as she tried to respond. She couldn't imagine how emotionally affected Matthew was at the moment. Losing a loved one was painful enough.
Losing two was hell.
"M-Matthew... I-I..." she stammered as she tried thinking of ways to support him.
"I'm... I'm fine..." he reassured, interrupting her, although his voice was wavering, and it sounded as if he was going to cry. Not just cry, but bawl. "I actually spoke with the doctor on the phone before I chanced upon you. He... he told me that my mother's surgery would have a slim chance of success. And then you appeared here, and for a moment I... I forgot all about it..." he explained before trailing off. He sniffled a little, rubbing tears away from his eyes. He then grabbed out a tissue from his pocket and began blowing into it. After sniffling a little more, he continued. "I was really upset just now when... when I realised that Jean wouldn't make it. I already knew that the probability of my mother walking out of this building alive was negligible, and I was heartbroken when no one could help Jean."
Suddenly, the man who they had first encountered when they had arrived at the corridor approached him. He exhaled for a moment, thinking of how to express his sympathy once more. "I... I didn't mean to eavesdrop," he started, "but I'm really sorry about what happened to your mother and brother. My... my name is Gregory, by the way, if you were curious," After finishing his statement, he cleared his throat before awkwardly walking away.
Matthew continued the conversation with Megan and Daniel, although Daniel didn't say a word. Like Megan, he didn't want to say anything. He thought that keeping quiet would be better for him.
"I guess after what happened to Emma, I have learnt to acknowledge the truth and move on. My only goal is to take down Yael now. When Yael makes their move, we'll make ours—"
Just then, Matthew's phone began to ring, interrupting his statement. He brought it up and looked at the caller. He hesitated for a moment, deciding whether or not to answer the call.
"Who is it?" Daniel asked, tilting his head to get a glimpse of the caller's name or number on the screen on Matthew's phone.
"It's Palmer," Matthew replied, scratching his head and pursing his lips tightly.
Megan frowned. "Answer it, then," she said, puzzled as to why Matthew seemed so reluctant to answer a call. "Come on, it might be important," she insisted, noticing that his thumb was still hovering over the answer button.
And so, Matthew hit the button, and the call began. He pressed the speaker button as well so the others could listen in. "H-hello?"
"Hello, Matthew. I've been informed that you and your colleagues have been quarantined in my hospital," Mr. Palmer spoke on the calling end. "I'm afraid that the hospital poses a threat to the country, and an outbreak originating from it is imminent. I cannot let you and your colleagues—the only ones who have the capability to curb the outbreak—stay in the hospital and be exposed to the infected people."
Matthew then stated a burning question that he had. "So, you're saying you'll get us out of here? In that case, how?"
Mr. Palmer coughed, clearing his throat, before excusing himself. He then answered Matthew's question. "There's a helipad on the roof of the hospital tower. Take the elevator to the fifteenth floor. There's a roof access stairway near the lift lobby. I'll myself will be in the helicopter to meet you all. It has four spaces, but I recommend you not tell anyone else about my arrival. The whole hospital will be fighting for seats in the chopper."
"Well, what time will you be here?" Matthew queried, looking at his watch to check for the time.
"10 pm sharp. Don't be late," Mr. Palmer said before abruptly hanging up the call.
Out of nowhere, he was reminded of what he had seen on the worksheets on the fifth floor. He went into a dilemma, thinking if he should tell his friends about what he had found out. However, there wasn't a need for him to hesitate.
"You still haven't told us the primary sponsor and organiser for the programme. Project Lazarus," Megan brought up the subject to him.
"Well, guess who it is," Matthew sighed tiredly. Both Daniel and Megan shook their heads, with no clue of who they could be. As such, Matthew answered it for them. "The organiser is Palmer East Corporation. And the sole sponsor is Palmer himself. That's why I don't really trust him on tonight's rescue."
"Oh my gosh, you should have told us earlier!" Megan chided before shaking her head and calming her temper. "Sorry."
Matthew sighed, pacing around for a bit. He scratched his head once again before recalling the flash drive that he had noticed but didn't retrieve from the fifth floor. He remembered that there was some sort of label on it, so he assumed it was important.
"Uh, guys, I'm going back up to the fifth floor to retrieve the worksheet on Project Lazarus and the flash drive," he said quaintly before running through the corridor towards the stairway.
"What flash drive?" Daniel questioned as he watched Matthew dash towards the stairway without stopping.
"Stay here! Don't follow me!" he instructed, his voice echoing but fading away as he moved further away.
He sprinted up to the fourth floor before going up one more level. On his way, he nearly tripped over the rather steep stairs, but he made sure to be as careful as possible. He regained balance and picked up his pace again. Soon enough, he exited the stairway.
He ran through the corridor of laboratories once again, except much faster this time. Even at such speed, one of the creatures that they had seen earlier on in one of the labs had caught his attention. The pounding noises from inside were so unsettling that he nearly lost balance again while running.
He stopped abruptly once he had arrived at the laboratory they had been in earlier. He stepped into the room carefully, avoiding the body on the floor. He looked at the table. The worksheet and flash drive were still there. He grabbed both of them before leaving the room promptly. He detested being in the presence of corpses and creatures.
He dashed through the corridor, the other way around this time, heading back to the stairway. As he went down the flight of stairs agilely, he heard an unusual noise. And it was coming from the fourth floor. Instead of continuing his trip down to the third, he stopped and popped his head out to the side of the doorway.
And a violent, ruthless creature shot its burning, red eyes right into Matthew as it ran through the corridor briskly.
He panicked, heading back into the stairway as he descended quickly. He had to warn everyone about the danger that was imminent. The threat of a creature coming after them. He exited the stairway and entered the corridor of the third floor, panting to catch his breath.
"There's a creature running through the fourth floor!" he bellowed, warning all of the refugees as he pulled the door shut and locked it. "Be careful! It may or may not come down and attempt to attack all of us," he cautioned further, even though he knew that it was unlikely for the creature to savagely run down the stairs and try to get to them.
Fortunately for them, the creature wasn't so relentless to chase him down to the third floor and attack everyone there. After a few minutes of fearful waiting, the refugees realised that the creature wasn't coming after them, so they all rested assured.
Matthew sat down, drained. He sighed as he turned and looked at Jean again. He adjusted himself so that he could face his brother properly. He opened his mouth to speak to him for the last time.
"Wherever you are now, brother, don't worry about Amelia and Brooke. They'll be okay."