CH 14: Don’t Worry. I’ll Protect You.

Warning:

This chapter contains slightly disturbing descriptions of gore that might be uncomfortable for certain readers. Please read at your own discretion.

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“…Is there any way of contacting people outside of the facility yet?”

“No, unfortunately not. As it stands, we’re on our own now,” Louis replied.

“Don’t worry,” Samantha put a reassuring hand on Jared’s shoulder, “Your mother will be just fine. We just need to get through this. Everything will be alright.”

Samantha smiled while Louis watched his crossed arms and furrowed brows. It looked as if Louis was about to say something but had decided against that urge.

‘Hopefully, it’ll be nothing like the dream…’

“What time is it now?” Jared asked.

“11.30 am,” Louis replied.

“Oh… I’ve overslept again…”

“Don’t worry. Your body just needs rest. You’ll be back to your normal sleeping schedule in no time,” Samantha said enthusiastically.

Louis huffed softly and started heading out toward the entrance of the room.

“Hey! Where are you going? Don’t you want to talk a little with Jared?” Samantha asked.

“No, let him rest first,” Louis then looked at Jared, “We’ll catch up after your breakfast, okay?”

“Yeah, sure.”

“Then where are you going?” Samantha asked again.

“Well, I think I’ll go check on our zombie resident.”

For a brief moment, there was a blank look on Samantha’s face. Then the realization set in and her face was flushed with anger.

“His name is Harold,” Samantha growled, “And why would you need to check on him anyway? I’ve just completed my rounds. All patients have been given their medicine and breakfast. As for Harold, since he’s… uh… nonresponsive, I couldn’t give him anything. But I did check on him!”

“Perhaps it’s because you’re not giving him the ‘meat’ that he wants?”

“Wha-”

“Anyway, I’m going. You two can keep each other accompany,” Louis said before leaving the room and closing the soon at Samantha’s face.

“Ahhh… He drives me insane!” Samantha complained and Jared suppressed a chuckle. Not knowing what to do, Jared simply patted her back.

“Maybe Louis just had a hard time?” Jared reasoned.

“Well… That is true. He has been searching the net for more information about the situation. You know, to see if there are any survivor camps or evacuation plans or such… But…”

“What is it?”

“There’s no news about it. The only thing he could find are the videos of the zombies attacking people… Not long after, the internet crashed…”

“Ah, I see…”

‘Well, it’s disheartening news but it is to be expected anyway. In fact, I kind of expect the lines and internet to fall during an apocalypse like this… Next will be a power cut or at least that’s what happens in games and horror movies…’ Jared thought grimly.

“Samantha, is there a way to get out of here?”

“What? No, no way. You can’t go out there! We’ve been completely surrounded by zombies!”

“I know… I was just asking… I’m not going anywhere.”

‘I hope that Mom and my friends are safe. Hah… Even with an apocalypse, I’m still stuck in this facility…’

“Hm…” Samantha stared at Jared for a while longer as if looking for any signs that Jared was lying. Then as if satisfied, she continued, “I’ll go get your breakfast. Well, brunch… or lunch.”

Samantha laughed awkwardly before leaving the room.

Jared sighed and looked at the room he was in.

‘Despite Doctor Heine’s absence, I’m still in this room. How ironic… Hah… I guess that the good thing is that he’s no longer here to torture me… I just hope that he isn’t out there torturing someone else….’

Jared glanced at a Bible that was on the table.

‘Ah… This must be Samantha’s…’

Jared traced a finger along the golden embossed letterings on the cover.

‘I wonder if there’s a library here. If so, I wonder if there’s a book on surviving a natural disaster, or even better, an apocalypse. That way, I can better prepare myself for the future to come- when I do leave this place.’

***

[12.37 pm--- Staff cafeteria, 6th floor]

“Hey,” Louis greeted just as Jared cleared the table.

“Hey. So, how’s the…”

“There isn’t much hope for much. To be honest, it’d serve us much better to utilize the room for storage or for a healthy insane patient to stay in. You know how the patients have been acting these days. Hah… We’ve been spending more time sedating them rather than making preparations to survive the zombie plague in the long run.”

“You think that this will continue?”

“Not just continue… but get worse.”

Jared felt goosebumps at Louis’ remark.

‘I really need to do something before it’s too late. I should check up on Mom but…’

“I know what you’re thinking, Jared. That’s very filial of you but you should focus on yourself rather than on others,” Louis advised.

“But she’s-”

“So what? Have you forgotten how you ended up in the facility?”

“I-”

“I doubt that you relish your scheduled therapies with Doctor Heine, right?”

“...You’re right.”

“Look,” Louis placed a hand on Jared’s shoulder, “I’m sorry for being harsh but at a time like this, you must be selfish. Those who are kind do not survive in this world. If she’s truly your mother, she’ll understand.”

“...Yes.”

‘I don’t know what happened to Louis for him to turn out like this but he did point out something. My real Mom isn’t in this place… I need to get to the end of this game and return to my real world.’

“Now, back to the problem at hand,” Louis paused and waited for Jared to look up at him, “I checked our inventory and we’re running out of supplies. Are the rate we’re going, the medicine and food will deplete within the next 3 days.”

“That’s not good… Do you know where we could go to replenish our supplies? I only know of the storage room but that’s in the basement…”

“Yes, that’s where we’ll be going…”

“Oh…” Jared replied as calmly as he could despite feeling a chill go up his spine.

“It’s mainly going to be the two of us as I expect the boxes will be quite heavy to carry. Samantha will be guarding the entrance that leads to the basement. In case things go South and we get infected, she’ll lock us in and thus, prevent the zombies from accessing the only route to the patients we’re looking after.”

“Yes, I understand.”

“Although I’ve yet to locate the security room, I doubt that there’s much movement in the basement. Nonetheless, we’ll proceed slowly and carefully.”

“Okay-”

“So, are you boys ready?” Samantha asked before she was even in the room. Louis just rolled his eyes in irritation.

“Yes,” Louis answered, “Jared?”

“Ah… Yes…” Jared replied hesitantly.

‘Just treat it like a game. It may hurt but I’ll be able to return to my world if I do die… right?

Samantha left the room first and Jared followed after. But before Jared could take another step, Louis held onto his shoulder. Curious, Jared turned to face Louis.

“Don’t worry. I’ll protect you. Just make sure to prioritize your safety.”

‘Ah, he’s saying it again. It’s nice of him but… Has he lost someone before?’ Jared wondered.

“Do you understand?” Louis asked.

“Yes, I understand.”

***

[Somewhere within the streets close to a convenience store of Nation 27---]

A lone figure moved cautiously passed the long abandoned cars. Under the cloudy sky, the figure limped slightly toward a convenience store. All the glass windows and doors were shattered and broken. It was obvious that people have robbed the place of its money and goods the day the dead began to rise.

Broken glass on the ground clinked as the figure stepped onto them. The figure jolted and halted in its tracks as if waiting for something to attack upon hearing the sound caused by him. Seconds passed and there was still no movement within the close vicinity.

Satisfied that there was no one else, the figure then proceeded to enter the shop. Even as the figure’s stained white coat got stuck at the doorframe, the figure paid no mind to it and continued at its pace. After days of running and hiding, the figure had only one thing in mind.

“W-Water,” the figure said hoarsely as it reached for a fallen bottle on the floor. 

The figure immediately yanked off the sodden black cloak that was wrapped around its head and drank the distilled water greedily.

“Ahhh…” the man gasped.

The man stepped back to lean against a wall and gingerly peeled off the shirt that was stuck firmly to the skin of his lower abdomen. There was a deep slash in his lower abdomen. The blood had long dried up but the sodden clothes he had been wearing did nothing to keep the wound clean. The skin around the wound was darkened slightly.

Grunting, the man then limped toward the checkout counter of the store. Rummaging through the items kept under the counter, it did not take long for the man to fish out a first-aid kit.

Sitting on the floor, the began to tend to his wound when he caught sight of his own reflection from one of the broken glass that lay on the floor.

“What happened to you, Doctor Heine?” he asked as he touched his face.

The concerned expression on his face gradually turned to that of anger.

“I’ll make them all pay for what they put me through!”