use the bathroom.” Was it just the light or did Gabriel’s face just turn red?
Yup, definitely some embarrassment going on there.
“Professor Fraser said you needed to stay in bed.”
It was like talking to a call center in Bangalore. He couldn’t deviate from the script.
Resistance is useless...
“Look, that’s all well and good, but I need to pee, okay? Unless you have a bedpan handy, I really need to get to a bathroom—like now. ”
Gabriel opened his mouth to argue, came to his senses and snapped it shut again without further discussion. When I started to stand up, he helped me to my feet. And for just a moment, the strength of his arm around my shoulders was a momentarily safe haven against the uncertainty rocking my world.
He opened the door and led me out into a hallway which was lit by the same unforgiving fluorescent bulbs. Down at one end a pair of double doors swung open and I could see the makeshift medical ward. People in hazmat suits and others dressed like Gabriel were bustling around, and a low hum of continual conversation wasclearly audible. I also heard moans, and some screams. Disturbing splashes of red were clearly visible on the floor and bedclothes.
“Come on.”
Gabriel steered me in the other direction. The hallway was lined with doors sporting little view-panels like the one in the door to my room. We reached the restrooms, clearly marked with the ubiquitous man-in-pants and woman-in-dress outlines. Gabriel stopped outside of the women’s room.
“Will you be okay on your own?” He sounded suspiciously sincere.
I nodded and stepped away from the security of his arm. I wobbled slightly, but used the door handle to steady myself before he could grab me again. I didn’t care if I passed out; no way was Gabriel coming in with me. There are some things a girl has to do on her own.
I did my business as quickly as possible and washed my hands thoroughly, as if to scrub away what had happened. Splashing water on my face, I made the mistake of looking at myself in the mirror. A ghastly pale face with hollowed eye sockets stared back at me, total “heroin chic.”
The bandages on my shoulder were flecked with red at the point of the wound. Not too badly, though. Just a few dots of blood soaking through the gauze to remind me of what lay beneath.
I poked experimentally at the still pristine dressing covering my forearm. Ouch! Yes, it still hurt, but no blood came through. I flashed back to the moment when the fat zombie had sunk his teeth into my flesh. At the time it’d felt like he’d torn away half my arm, but maybe it wasn’t so bad.
I shivered, and noticed that my backside and legs were colder than the rest of me. That brought the realization I was wearing one of those flimsy hospital gowns that tied at the back, leaving the butt hanging out when thetwo sides inevitably flapped open. And at some point or another someone had removed all of my clothes, leaving only my pink lace thong.
Great.
A fist pounded on the door, sending a surge of adrenaline through me.
“You okay in there?” Gabriel’s voice, sounding more impatient than ever.
Jeez frickin’ Louise, can’t a girl pee in private?
“Yeah, I’m fine,” I said. “Give me a sec.”
I had a perverse desire to take my sweet time. But I really needed to lie back down, so I stifled my petty impulse and rejoined Gabriel in the hall.
He put an arm around my shoulders again, but any hint of warmth was gone. If I hadn’t needed his arm for support, I would’ve shoved it off.
Before we reached my room, the double doors at the end of the hall crashed open and a gun-toting, hazmat-suit-clad soldier burst into the hallway. He called out to Gabriel.
“Captain! We have a situation!”
Captain? Since when did a teacher’s aide earn a rank? I filed this away for later.
Gabriel’s arm immediately dropped from my shoulders.
“I’ll be right there.” He turned to me. “Ashley, go back to your room.” Not bothering
Yup, definitely some embarrassment going on there.
“Professor Fraser said you needed to stay in bed.”
It was like talking to a call center in Bangalore. He couldn’t deviate from the script.
Resistance is useless...
“Look, that’s all well and good, but I need to pee, okay? Unless you have a bedpan handy, I really need to get to a bathroom—like now. ”
Gabriel opened his mouth to argue, came to his senses and snapped it shut again without further discussion. When I started to stand up, he helped me to my feet. And for just a moment, the strength of his arm around my shoulders was a momentarily safe haven against the uncertainty rocking my world.
He opened the door and led me out into a hallway which was lit by the same unforgiving fluorescent bulbs. Down at one end a pair of double doors swung open and I could see the makeshift medical ward. People in hazmat suits and others dressed like Gabriel were bustling around, and a low hum of continual conversation wasclearly audible. I also heard moans, and some screams. Disturbing splashes of red were clearly visible on the floor and bedclothes.
“Come on.”
Gabriel steered me in the other direction. The hallway was lined with doors sporting little view-panels like the one in the door to my room. We reached the restrooms, clearly marked with the ubiquitous man-in-pants and woman-in-dress outlines. Gabriel stopped outside of the women’s room.
“Will you be okay on your own?” He sounded suspiciously sincere.
I nodded and stepped away from the security of his arm. I wobbled slightly, but used the door handle to steady myself before he could grab me again. I didn’t care if I passed out; no way was Gabriel coming in with me. There are some things a girl has to do on her own.
I did my business as quickly as possible and washed my hands thoroughly, as if to scrub away what had happened. Splashing water on my face, I made the mistake of looking at myself in the mirror. A ghastly pale face with hollowed eye sockets stared back at me, total “heroin chic.”
The bandages on my shoulder were flecked with red at the point of the wound. Not too badly, though. Just a few dots of blood soaking through the gauze to remind me of what lay beneath.
I poked experimentally at the still pristine dressing covering my forearm. Ouch! Yes, it still hurt, but no blood came through. I flashed back to the moment when the fat zombie had sunk his teeth into my flesh. At the time it’d felt like he’d torn away half my arm, but maybe it wasn’t so bad.
I shivered, and noticed that my backside and legs were colder than the rest of me. That brought the realization I was wearing one of those flimsy hospital gowns that tied at the back, leaving the butt hanging out when thetwo sides inevitably flapped open. And at some point or another someone had removed all of my clothes, leaving only my pink lace thong.
Great.
A fist pounded on the door, sending a surge of adrenaline through me.
“You okay in there?” Gabriel’s voice, sounding more impatient than ever.
Jeez frickin’ Louise, can’t a girl pee in private?
“Yeah, I’m fine,” I said. “Give me a sec.”
I had a perverse desire to take my sweet time. But I really needed to lie back down, so I stifled my petty impulse and rejoined Gabriel in the hall.
He put an arm around my shoulders again, but any hint of warmth was gone. If I hadn’t needed his arm for support, I would’ve shoved it off.
Before we reached my room, the double doors at the end of the hall crashed open and a gun-toting, hazmat-suit-clad soldier burst into the hallway. He called out to Gabriel.
“Captain! We have a situation!”
Captain? Since when did a teacher’s aide earn a rank? I filed this away for later.
Gabriel’s arm immediately dropped from my shoulders.
“I’ll be right there.” He turned to me. “Ashley, go back to your room.” Not bothering
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