Psych Ward Zombies (8 page)

Dave searched his person for anything else he could throw. His pockets were empty and he stood there clad only in socks, trousers, and a simple undershirt. He realized he still had his watch. It was a nice watch with a metal band. Dave had paid several hundred dollars for the watch a few years ago. It was a present to himself when he finished medical school. Although it was one of his favorite possessions, he was in a desperate situation. Dave took careful aim and launched his timepiece at the door. It hit the window with a sharp thwack and fell to the ground in several pieces. Chester turned his head to look at the door but did not move his body. Dave’s heart stood still
.

“Come on, Chester! Go to the door!” he screamed. Chester turned, sat down at the desk, and picked up his newspaper again.

Back on B Ward, Mel continued to rip and tear at the Luther’s defenseless body. He gnawed at Luther’s upper torso, pulling strips of skin and meat away with large bites. Despite having a significant portion of his chest and shoulder chewed off, Luther remained awake and alert. He raised his head off the bed to look at Mel. Mel was busy trying to pull one of Luther’s ribs free in order to gain access to the more tender internal organs.

Luther roared at Mel and flashed his teeth in a menacing snarl. The smaller zombie was not terribly impressed, but sensed the threat of a bite attack. He repositioned himself to a point farther from Luther’s mouth, settling on the more delicate parts of the left hand. Luther did not clench his fist or try to avert his fingers. Instead, he seemed to intentionally present his left thumb to Mel’s voracious gnawing. Bones crunched and tendons ripped. Luther watched, expressionless, as Mel devoured the digit and a small portion of the wrist. He turned his hand to allow Mel easier access to the fleshy palm
.

All at once, Luther yanked the mangled hand from Mel’s grasp. Without the thumb and part of the wrist, Luther’s arm was now free to slide out of the leather straps that had held it. He had only the four fingers remaining on his left hand, and one of those was flopping around uselessly due to the severed tendons in the wrist. Still, the hand retained deadly functionality. He lashed out with his newly-liberated limb, connecting with the side of Mel’s head. There was a sharp cracking sound and Mel tumbled onto the floor with a broken neck. The spinal injury had severed all nerve impulses to Mel’s body, rendering him paralyzed. The loss of innervation to the heart and diaphragm would have killed any normal human, but since Mel was already mostly dead he did not require blood circulation or respiration. He lay on the floor with gnashing teeth and eyes flailing, but he was otherwise immobile.

With his left arm free, Luther could now lean up onto his right elbow. His right hand and both legs remained strapped down. He stretched his left arm out and grabbed Mel’s shirt. He then dragged his paralyzed attacker’s limp body onto the bed with him. Luther used the surviving fingers of his left hand to rip the key ring from Mel’s belt loop. The restraint keys were distinct from the others, since the restraints still relied on old-fashioned skeleton keys.

Trying to unlock restraints using only three fingers of the non-dominant hand would probably frustrate most people. However Luther was in no hurry. An eternity as an undead creature lay before him, so haste was not necessary. His movements in manipulating the lock and key were glacially slow and methodical. The adrenaline that causes a human’s heart to race or hands to shake was no longer flowing through his body, as all blood flow had stopped. This allowed Luther to possess a death-like calmness as he proceeded to free himself. Once his right hand was free, he dropped the key to the floor. He sat upright and reached to his right ankle strap with both hands. While his movements in unlocking his hand had been uncannily smooth and almost graceful, he took a different approach to the restraint on his right leg. Grasping the strap with both hands, he drew back and pulled with the force of two draft horses. The thick leather strap groaned and began to stretch slightly. However, the point of failure turned out to be the stitching that attached the leather strap to the nylon webbing at the foot of the bed. The strap broke free from the bed. This allowed his right foot to move freely now, although his ankle was still encased in the leather cuff. He repeated the process for his left ankle.

Luther was no longer tied to the bed, but the door to the restraint room remained locked from the outside. He rose to his feet and approached the door. There was no door handle on the inside and the hinges were inaccessible. He stood there facing the door for several minutes. Quick thinking and contemplation no longer came easily to him, but time and persistence brought a faint idea to his decayed neurons.

He turned back to the large metal bed in the middle of the room. The bed was not attached to the floor, as staff members would sometimes remove the bed and use the room for seclusion. Seclusion basically meant locking a patient in the rubber-walled room where they had no means to harm themselves or anyone else. The heavy bed normally required two strong people to move, but Luther’s mind did not grasp the concept of impossibility. Besides, he was incredibly strong even in this partially decomposed state.

He grabbed the bed by the sides and picked it up over his head. He rotated to face the door and hurled the bed. The impact was enough to bend the metal door frame, but the door remained essentially intact. Again, Luther lifted the bed and threw it against the door. The heavily-reinforced door itself continued to hold fast, but the door frame was bent even further. Luther repeated this process over and over. He did not grow tired, frustrated, or angry. He was motivated by his desire to get to the other side of the door and feed on the living. Two dozen attempts later, the door frame had split apart and Luther walked out onto D Ward. Inside the restraint room, Mel was crumpled in the corner like a discarded rag doll. His jaw opened and closed wildly while his milky white eyes twirled in their sockets.

Dave sat atop the crow’s nest, cornered like a raccoon in a tree with two baying hounds below. In this time of crisis, he comforted himself by reflecting on the simple blessings in life, such as the fact that zombies can’t climb ladders. He remained perched there for what seemed like a good half hour. He was not really sure, since he had tossed his beloved watch at the door. He spent some time reflecting on how much fun zombies are on television, but what a bummer they are in real life
.

Suddenly Janet’s face appeared in the window. She motioned to Dave while trying to remain hidden from the zombies. The zombies were still trying to figure out a way to climb up to where Dave was. Dave jumped to his feet and flung himself onto the metal slide. As he slid down, he passed both zombies. They seemed to stare at him with a combination of hunger, bewilderment, and jealousy
.

“A zombie who cannot climb ladders will never know the joys of a playground slide” Dave mused, thinking that would make an excellent fortune cookie. He ran, shoeless, across the coarse pine bark playground mulch to the door. It felt like running across broken glass
.

Janet let him inside, pulling the door shut behind him. As Dave entered the building he realized he had just passed by his shoes. He started back toward the door, hoping to run outside and recover the shoes. However, both snarling zombies had followed him to the door and were standing in his way. He did not want to risk his life again, especially over a pair of shoes.

He turned back to Janet and thanked her for coming to his rescue. He was grateful that she had noticed his absence and had come looking for him. Dave was much less pleased with Chester, who was still engrossed in the newspaper. He did not say anything to Chester because he knew the big man’s inaction had not been intentional. He was sure Chester would have made every effort to save him if he had realized there was a problem. Still, he could not resist a little sarcasm.

“Hey, Chester. I’m glad you enjoyed your newspaper while I was outside fighting for my life,” he chided.

“Sorry, man. I had to poop. I didn’t know you were out there.” Chester raised his hands in an embarrassed gesture.

Dave let him off the hook, as there was no reason to press the issue. “No worries. Just giving you a hard time.” He looked to Janet. “Where are the kids?”

“I had to do something with them, so I told them to play hide and seek in their rooms. I guess I’d better go find them.” Her voice betrayed some reluctance. Dave figured Janet was enjoying the break from the group of rowdy youngsters.

Janet headed toward the residential corridor while Dave walked over to the pile of furniture that was blocking the door. He looked it over to ensure it was secure. He could hear a variety of muffled noises outside the door, but at this point the zombies were not making an active effort to enter. When he returned to the nursing station Janet was back and the kids were running around the ward to burn off restless energy.

Dave poised his elbows on the desk and pondered aloud. “There are some things I don’t understand. Doesn’t it seem strange that both the power and the land line telephone system both went out at the same time? Those should be separate systems.”

Chester interjected, “That’s right. I worked for the utility company about ten years ago, and what you said is true. But both wires run on the same poles out here in the boonies. I’m guessing a tree fell and took down a pole.”

Dave continued, “Okay, so that would explain it. But what about the way this disease has spread? Luther was the first one to get it, and he got sick here at Eldemere. Maybe he brought the zombie disease from jail, but I don’t know. Anyway, he apparently gave it to Jason and Amber. Jason ran off to D Ward and spread it over there.”

“That makes sense,” Janet added. “Then the people from D Ward migrated to C Ward. It sounds like it spread over there too.”

Chester confirmed with a nod.

“Here’s the problem,” Dave said. “What about Mel, and Mert, and the two orderlies here on E Ward? Why did they get sick? And why aren’t we sick? Or the kids?”

Chester suggested all the sick people must have had a common contact - someone or something they were exposed to that the healthy people were not. However, the only person to visit E Ward earlier had been Dave, and he was not sick. The child he visited, Samuel, was not turning into a zombie either. Also, when Dave had visited E Ward earlier he had dealt with a different nurse, not Mert.

“Wait! The other nurse. I think his name was Steve. Where is he?
”

Chester pointed to the trash can. “You should ask Mert.”

Dave glanced at the trash can briefly but then did a double-take. He walked over to the can, opened it, and peered in. Chester and Janet looked to each other quizzically as Dave rummaged through the receptacle.

“Hey, man, I was just joking about asking her. I don’t think she’s going to tell us anything now,” Chester said.

The purpose of Dave’s dumpster-diving became clear when his hands emerged holding Mert’s shoes. They were ugly brown flats, which Mert had probably purchased on clearance at a discount store.

“Thank God she had really big feet for an old lady,” Dave quipped. He sat down at the desk and tried to slip the shoes onto his feet. The shoes were very snug, especially on his toes. Chester
noticed Dave’s discomfort and produced a small knife from his front pocket.

Dave took the knife, but threw a facetious barb at Chester. “Don’t you know knives aren’t allowed in the hospital?”

“Fine. Give it back and tell my boss. Oh wait. My boss has probably turned into a zombie,” Chester fired back with a playful snort.

The small knife made quick work of cutting the ends off Mert’s shoes. The holes allowed Dave’s toes to spill out the end. It was not pretty, but at least he had shoes now. Dave handed the knife back to Chester, but Chester told him to keep it
.

“You hang on to it. You might run across a pair of high heels that need to be customized.”

Dave curled his upper lip into a fake sneer and put the knife in his pocket. He stood and walked around the desk, modeling his new footwear. Janet joked, “I’m glad you didn’t throw your underwear at the door. Watching you prance around here in a pair of granny britches would just be too much!”

Dave cringed.

Their attention turned from Dave’s wardrobe to the child standing at the desk. Samuel had been listening to the recent conversation.

“Are you guys talking about Mert’s underwear again?” he asked. “Where is Mert?
”

Each of the adults waited for someone else to answer the question. Eventually the silence became uncomfortable. Chester pointed to the trash can in the corner and replied in a matter-of-fact manner, “She’s hiding in the garbage can.”

Samuel looked at the trash can, then back at Chester. Chester stared back, straight-faced. The child turned to the trash can and took one step toward it before stopping again. He paused, then swiveled to confront Chester. “No she isn’t. You’re playing a joke on me!”

Before Chester could say anything, Dave interjected, “That’s right. He’s just kidding. Mert went home to feed her dog.” Samuel seemed satisfied with this answer, although he cast a suspicious glance at Chester
.

Dave asked the child why he had come to the nursing station.

“I came to tell you we built a better play fort,” Samuel replied.

“That’s nice. I’m glad you kids are staying out of trouble.” Dave tried not to sound insincere but he had other things to worry about besides children’s games.

Janet, however, seemed to take a peculiar interest in what Samuel said. Instead of being playfully inquisitive, however, her demeanor had suddenly turned very serious.

“Samuel, what did you guys use to make your play fort?
”

Samuel skipped away, back toward his fellow patients. As he departed, he said, “We took your fort apart and used the pieces.”

The three adults looked to one another in sudden awareness of Samuel’s words. They all bolted down the main corridor and found the ward entrance no longer barricaded. A pile of furniture was placed about ten feet from the door. This new arrangement was actually a very nice play fort, but the ward’s doorway was now completely unobstructed. A zombie had been leaning against the door, causing it to open several inches, and others had started to notice the gap. They surged toward the unimpeded portal and were beginning to push into the ward. There were dozens of zombies now. Many wore patient clothing, but a large number wore staff ID badges.

The adults screamed to the children, directing them to run to their rooms. “Shut your doors and don’t come out until I say it’s safe!” Dave shouted. He and Chester started dismantling the new play fort and tossing the furniture into the path of the zombies. Children screeched and ran in various directions. Janet started grabbing the children who were either too confused or too afraid to run to safety, and she shepherded them down the corridor to their rooms. Once they were all secure, she returned to help Dave and Chester with their makeshift blockade
.

The adults were making every effort to stop the horde, but the zombies were steadily plowing through the pile of furniture. Dave yelled, “It’s no use! We’re screwed!”

Chester threw one more chair at the invaders and turned to the others. “I’ll be right back!” he panted. He bolted down the main hallway behind them.

Dave and Janet were running out of things to hurl at the mob and their desperation was becoming intense. Chester came running back, carrying an aerosol can of adhesive remover he had fetched from the supply closet. It was normally used for removing gum or sticker residue from the floor of the ward. Chester reached into his pocket and produced a cigarette lighter. Holding the lighter in front of the can, he sprayed the aerosol. This created a makeshift flamethrower. Burning vapor spewed at the attackers
.

The zombies who were leading the assault were quickly engulfed in flames, as their clothes and desiccated skin were easily ignited. These first zombies fell onto the piles of furniture, forming a sort of fiery barricade. Some of the zombies behind them were ignited as well, while the others backed away from the flames. For now, the plan had worked in keeping the ghouls at bay, but the ward was quickly filling with putrid smoke
.

“Don’t you know lighters aren’t allowed in the hospital?” Dave prodded, reviving the joke he had made earlier about knives.

Chester grinned. “Kiss my ass, Doc.”

“If we get through this, I just might,” Dave grunted.

The trio back fled to the nursing station and halted there to regroup.

Dave turned to Chester and asked, “How much of that aerosol do you have left?”

Chester shook the can, trying to sense how much fluid remained. “Maybe about a quarter can. And there was only one of these in the supply room.”

Dave kicked the desk in frustration. “Crap! We’ll need to think of something else. We’re trapped in here!”

A small voice broke in, “Why don’t we go out the back door?” Samuel had been surreptitiously eavesdropping again, counting the adults’ words on his fingers.

Chester glared down at the child and snapped, “There is no back door! The wards only have one way in or out!”

Samuel, in a calm voice, replied, “No, our ward is different. It has its own cafeteria. You can go out through the cafeteria.”

Dave scanned his memory, trying to picture the layout of the hospital. He recalled the E Ward cafeteria being accessible via a nondescript door located near the entrance to the ward. He thought maybe the cafeteria abutted the main corridor near the central hospital area. Dave was not sure, but he thought Samuel was probably correct.

“Chester, you try to hold off the zombies while Janet and I round up the kids. It’s our only chance,” Dave directed.

Chester stopped by the supply closet to grab a broom and then proceeded to the burning mound of furniture and bodies by the ward entrance. He stuck the broom into the fire, turning it into a crude torch. He waved it around at the zombies at the door. They staggered backward. It seemed like the fire confused them more than scared them, but it was effective regardless. Meanwhile, Janet and Dave gathered the kids from their rooms and did a quick head count. Finding all ten kids, they herded them to the cafeteria door, just yards from where Chester was swinging the burning broom at the invaders
.

As the children were fleeing into the cafeteria, the ward’s sprinkler system was triggered by the fire. A heavy downpour of water spilled onto everything. The wall of burning zombies was quickly extinguished and Chester’s blazing broom weapon had become a smoldering stick. Chester continued using the broomstick to bat at the advancing zombies, but yelled to the others, “You’d better hurry! I can’t hold them off much longer!
”

Dave and Janet prodded the remaining kids through the door to the cafeteria. Once all the kids were through, the adults followed. Chester brought up the rear, slamming the door shut behind him. He and Dave pushed two heavy cafeteria tables in front of the door to block it.

The cafeteria was a generously sized room with colorful murals on the walls depicting various nature scenes. One end was an open area with a microphone, seemingly used for presentations or skits. In the middle there were several long tables arrange in rows. On the far end was a serving area with its line of empty food stations covered by sneeze guards. The place had already been thoroughly cleaned and stowed away for the night, awaiting preparations for tomorrow’s breakfast. Dave spied a door on the opposite wall with an exit sign above it. He decided to pause here and make a plan before venturing into the main hospital. The group seemed safe. For now.