blockade and the guns.
“Hostages. They won’t let us through the gate. If we stay out here like this we’re dead, Homes. The infected will get all of us,” Jackie said.
A young boy pocketing a handgun came and stood close beside Jackie with a hat covering his face. The boy didn’t even reach Jackie’s massive shoulder. Jackie smiled. The boy looked up beaming at Sven from under a knitted hat and layers of bulky clothing. “Candy!” Sven exclaimed. They hugged. Candy kissed Sven on the cheek. “What about…”
“ Needles?” Candy tilted her head to the left at a man staring blankly into the gloom; his face was a blank mask and his nose was bleeding. “He’s infected.”
“We have to try to help Needles,” Sven said.
“I’m a medical doctor.” A small birdlike man walked out of the crowd slowly, but purposefully, with his hands up toward Chris and crouched over to examine him. There was no resistance. “This man must get inside and stabilized or he’s going to die. We don’t know the extent of his injuries.”
“Ok ay, change of plans,” Jackie said to Sven. “We have to get him inside now . We go in with you.”
“I’m an EMT.” A woman on the edge of the crowd volunteered, joining the doctor by Chris’ side. Suddenly, one more, then three more, then four more women, identified themselves as nurses, and also appeared at the side of the doctor.
“Clear the road ,” Jackie ordered. Sven, Jackie and Candy squeezed into the cab with Dixon. Bugs was still AWOL. Candy tried to shepherd Needles into the cab as well, but Dixon started growling and his hackles went up, which was strange because Dixon had always liked Needles. Needles would go with the doctor and nurses in the truck in front.
At the gate, the guards were firm , but nervous, about the overwhelming numbers outside. There was no way they could keep out even half this number of people, if they rushed the gate. Sven could hear the tinny voice of Susan squawking over the guards’ radio. “I’m sorry,” the guard said to the doctor, the EMT and the four nurses. “We can only let in the people who went out.”
“Chris will die, you idiot! We need a doctor ,” Sven was angry. The guards’ radio squawked more fervently.
“This is Chris, man. We need to help him ,” Adams, the other guard spoke to the head guard.
“Ok ay. Okay. Go ahead.” He turned his radio down with irritation. The doctor, EMT and four nurses went through with the injured guard Chris and Needles immediately.
“These are my friends. They’re with me.” Sven waved his thumb over Jackie and Candy beside him in the cab and drove through the gate before the guards could object. There was no way Sven was leaving them outside the gate. The first stop was the medical building that was well-stocked, clean and virtually untouched. The doctor and his assistants went right to work on Chris in the medical room. Needles stood there catatonic, his breath coming in ragged gasps. He didn’t seem to be aware of anything. He stared blankly at the floor. The doctor and nurses pushed Sven and the rest into the waiting room and shut the door.
Eve showed up within thirty seconds of their arrival. “Are you okay?” She smiled in greeting, going straight to Sven, looked him up and down for injuries, and then kissed him on the mouth, pressing her body close against him. “What happened?”
Daaaaamn ! She looked good, and she smelled good, too. He had forgotten about Eve in all the stress and mayhem and worry. “Chris was shot.”
“Is he going to be alright?”
“We don’t know yet. The doctor and some nurses are in the next room with him.”
“What doctor?”
“We picked them up outside the fence.”
Eve seemed satisfied for now. “Who are your friends?”
“Sven honey, why didn’t you tell us?” Candy winked at Sven and then hugged Eve in greeting. “I’m Candace. You’re beautiful darlin’. How old are you?”
“Eighteen.” Eve looked
“Hostages. They won’t let us through the gate. If we stay out here like this we’re dead, Homes. The infected will get all of us,” Jackie said.
A young boy pocketing a handgun came and stood close beside Jackie with a hat covering his face. The boy didn’t even reach Jackie’s massive shoulder. Jackie smiled. The boy looked up beaming at Sven from under a knitted hat and layers of bulky clothing. “Candy!” Sven exclaimed. They hugged. Candy kissed Sven on the cheek. “What about…”
“ Needles?” Candy tilted her head to the left at a man staring blankly into the gloom; his face was a blank mask and his nose was bleeding. “He’s infected.”
“We have to try to help Needles,” Sven said.
“I’m a medical doctor.” A small birdlike man walked out of the crowd slowly, but purposefully, with his hands up toward Chris and crouched over to examine him. There was no resistance. “This man must get inside and stabilized or he’s going to die. We don’t know the extent of his injuries.”
“Ok ay, change of plans,” Jackie said to Sven. “We have to get him inside now . We go in with you.”
“I’m an EMT.” A woman on the edge of the crowd volunteered, joining the doctor by Chris’ side. Suddenly, one more, then three more, then four more women, identified themselves as nurses, and also appeared at the side of the doctor.
“Clear the road ,” Jackie ordered. Sven, Jackie and Candy squeezed into the cab with Dixon. Bugs was still AWOL. Candy tried to shepherd Needles into the cab as well, but Dixon started growling and his hackles went up, which was strange because Dixon had always liked Needles. Needles would go with the doctor and nurses in the truck in front.
At the gate, the guards were firm , but nervous, about the overwhelming numbers outside. There was no way they could keep out even half this number of people, if they rushed the gate. Sven could hear the tinny voice of Susan squawking over the guards’ radio. “I’m sorry,” the guard said to the doctor, the EMT and the four nurses. “We can only let in the people who went out.”
“Chris will die, you idiot! We need a doctor ,” Sven was angry. The guards’ radio squawked more fervently.
“This is Chris, man. We need to help him ,” Adams, the other guard spoke to the head guard.
“Ok ay. Okay. Go ahead.” He turned his radio down with irritation. The doctor, EMT and four nurses went through with the injured guard Chris and Needles immediately.
“These are my friends. They’re with me.” Sven waved his thumb over Jackie and Candy beside him in the cab and drove through the gate before the guards could object. There was no way Sven was leaving them outside the gate. The first stop was the medical building that was well-stocked, clean and virtually untouched. The doctor and his assistants went right to work on Chris in the medical room. Needles stood there catatonic, his breath coming in ragged gasps. He didn’t seem to be aware of anything. He stared blankly at the floor. The doctor and nurses pushed Sven and the rest into the waiting room and shut the door.
Eve showed up within thirty seconds of their arrival. “Are you okay?” She smiled in greeting, going straight to Sven, looked him up and down for injuries, and then kissed him on the mouth, pressing her body close against him. “What happened?”
Daaaaamn ! She looked good, and she smelled good, too. He had forgotten about Eve in all the stress and mayhem and worry. “Chris was shot.”
“Is he going to be alright?”
“We don’t know yet. The doctor and some nurses are in the next room with him.”
“What doctor?”
“We picked them up outside the fence.”
Eve seemed satisfied for now. “Who are your friends?”
“Sven honey, why didn’t you tell us?” Candy winked at Sven and then hugged Eve in greeting. “I’m Candace. You’re beautiful darlin’. How old are you?”
“Eighteen.” Eve looked
Similar Books
