Cryonic by Travis Bradberry Page A

gnashed his teeth.
    â€œYou! Back to your bed!” Dr. Feng barked. He pointed toward my bed.
    When I didn’t move quickly enough, he and the other doctors grabbed me by the arms and pulled me down onto the mattress. Dr. Feng stomped on the pedal that activated my restraints.
    â€œPerhaps now you’ll stay where you belong,” Dr. Feng hissed.
    Dr. Feng ordered two of the men in white coats to take Elliott’s victim away for treatment. Janet and Barry lay there just as they had before, silent and unresponsive. Dr. Feng observed Barry closely. He searched for a pulse and pried his eyelids open to check his pupils with a flashlight.
    â€œThey’re dead, genius,” I jeered. “You and your machines took great care of them. Way to go.”
    Dr. Feng didn’t even look in my direction. He studied every inch of Barry. The instant Barry opened his erubescent eyes, Dr. Feng restrained him. A moment later, Barry was moaning and snapping his teeth at Dr. Feng.
    Feng pointed and yelled to his colleagues at Janet’s bedside, imploring them to restrain her before she reanimated. As he held his arm out above Barry, the sagging sleeve of his loose lab coat dangled just within Barry’s reach. He craned his neck and bit down tight on Feng’s sleeve. Once he got a hold of the sleeve, Barry snapped his neck back so hard it pinned Feng’s shoulder to the mattress.Feng propped a foot up against the bed and used it along with his free hand to push against Barry’s grasp. Their tug of war swayed back and forth until the sleeve tore free from the lab coat, flinging Feng backwards into the metal frame on the side of Elliott’s bed. He slumped to the floor in a heap, his derriere landing right on the pedal that controlled the restraint system. The restraints retracted, and Elliott sprang into action. He chomped down hard on Feng’s shoulder. Feng shrieked and pulled away. A jagged chunk of flesh tore free from Feng’s shoulder and hung limply from Elliott’s mouth.
    Dr. Feng scrambled to his feet and backed away from Elliott in a panic. When he turned and ran out the door, Elliott lumbered off after him. The remaining men in white coats left Janet’s bedside and gave chase down the hall and out of sight, save one who was caught by Janet’s arm and dragged to the ground. The men in white coats had been too distracted to restrain Janet. She was still during Feng’s episode, but came to life just in time to grab the doctor’s leg as he bumped into her on his way out. Janet hung on tight to the man in the white coat. He kept on running, pulling her out of the bed and onto the floor. She got a hold of his foot with her other hand and pulled him down. She flipped him onto his back, held his arms down with her legs, and proceeded to devour his face and neck. His desperate cries were choked with blood. It wasn’t long before they stopped. Janet kept on eating, pulling and tearing at the flesh with her mouth and hands.
    Alex stood petrified in the corner of the room. I heard bones crunching while Janet tore into the man in the white coat. I didn’t know why the other cryonics became homicidal cannibals, but I knew if I stayed strapped in that bed I’d be on the menu.
    â€œAl,” I said just loud enough for him to hear. I was trying not to draw Janet’s attention, since she was positioned between Alex and me. I motioned with my head for Alex to come over. He shook his head.
    â€œGet over here!” I yelled through gritted teeth. Janet didn’t even look up. Neither did Alex. He stared at his feet like a child.
    â€œAre you just going to let her eat us?” I struggled against the straps.
    Alex looked like he might cry.
    â€œWell, are you?”
    He didn’t even look up.
    â€œCome on, now . . . grow a pair!” My volume made Alex nervous. He placed an index finger across his lips, pleading with me to keep quiet. “Oh, oh, I see!