They Walk (26 page)

When we are finished eating, I’m just getting up to leave when I catch Hunter’s eye from across the table. From the way he watches me, I have the feeling he’s been staring for a while, and I wonder what his problem is. I ignore him though, and let Gabe lead me from the room. From the way everyone was talking the plan for the day was to just get some rest, which is fine with me.

My head hasn’t stopped pounding.

My legs are wobbly as we walk back to the Pal Hop Stadium.

Chapter Forty Six

Later that day when we are at dinner, I finally have my chance to see if anyone is game to join me to go to Bates College. I almost didn’t have the nerve to even bring it up, but Gabe had convinced me to earlier when we were alone. All day I spent brewing to leave right away, and Gabe noticed that I was more upset over something and I had to explain why to him.

I have to give him credit; he listened to me rant and raves about my crazy idea.

He didn’t interrupt once. I knew I had a good reason for caring about him, when he tells me he’d follow me to the end of the earth if he had to. This sent me blushing and wanting to laugh, if he didn’t sound so serious, I probably would have. Instead, I felt my eyes fill with tears, and slammed into him with a hug.

He went on to tell me that we should approach the group before we make any solo plans, which I ended up agreeing to. That’s how we are now surrounded by the others at a table and I’m left trying to figure out how to bring it up. They all seem happy, or as happy as we can be after a disaster, and it makes me hesitate. Gabe keeps giving me reassuring looks like he’s trying to let me off the hook and will fill them in, but I shake my head no. I have to be the one to ask, since it’s my fault if they decide to join us. It’s my parents I want to go off to find, and they have no reason to risk their lives for me.

With my head still throbbing, my stomach starts to roll.

I have a flashback of standing in front of my high school class having to give a speech. Regardless of wanting to do this myself, Gabe broaches the subject for me, after I keep stalling.

“
So Noah, is there any word about the Bates College survivors?” He says as he interrupts his conversation with Hunter over the proper usage of a gun versus knife.

“
I asked the Captain about it last night, but he said it’s the same. Some of the guards are talking about it though, saying there is more of a horde of the dead there than here.” Noah says as a matter of fact.

“
Doesn’t seem possible does it? There being so many here and all.” Hunter says.

Everyone at the table goes quiet for a second, and Gabe flashes me a look as if saying now is your chance, so take it. Before I can even change my mind, I jump in.

“
Is it possible to make it through them and onto the campus?” I say with a shaky tone to my voice.

Claire fixes me with a sad expression that I try to ignore, and just focus on Noah, who is also watching me like he can see where I am going with this.

“
It could be, if you had the right weapons and the bodies to back you up. It wouldn’t be easy though.” Noah says.

In my mind I remember bagging the larger guns from the armory with Gabe, and that they are still hiding out in Noah’s car trunk. This makes me grin slightly, and the way Noah sits back suddenly with wide eyes, I know he remembers the sub-machine and Uzi guns.

“
So if we had the right guns, we might be able to make it through then?” I say again as the others glance between Noah and I in confusion, except for Gabe who is watching me intently.

“
Maggie, what is this all about?” Claire asks from beside me, breaking the silence at the table.

Turning to her, I take a deep breath and try to contain my excitement.

“
My parents might be at Bates Claire. I have to go after them if I can.”

Her eyes go even wider than Noah’s did, and she leans around me glances to Gabe.

“
You can’t possibly be thinking of taking her back out there are you?” Claire says angrily.

Before Gabe can come to my defense, I interrupt him.

“
If it was your mom that was still out there, tell me you wouldn’t want to go after her?”

She visibly flinches and glances to her other side where her mother has been quietly listening to us talk. The way Claire’s face softens when she faces back to me; I know she would leave if she wanted to find her mother.

“
It’s dangerous Maggie, and what if they aren’t even there, what then?” Claire says so softly.

“
This is my parents we’re talking about Claire, and I can’t leave them no matter what. I promised Dan I would find them, and that’s what plan to do, even if I have to do it alone.”

Gabe wraps his arms around me from behind and pulls me back against him.

“
Not alone, I’m not going anywhere.” He whispers into my hair, causing me to deflate and sigh into him.

“
You guys won’t be going alone, I’ll take you there.” Noah says determinedly across from us.

Gabe and I both turn to him in shock, and his sister is also looking at him in confusion. I have to say, I’m a little confused myself, and I would have never thought he’d be willing to help.

“
Why, would you risk it?” I can’t help asking him.

“
Maggie, you and yours helped me get here and I finally know my sister is safe. I owe you one, and I have to do all I can to help you find who you are looking for.”

I can’t breathe for a moment, and we are all watching him in awe. Hanna seems slightly hurt by his admission, but she’s not telling to not go, which makes me think more of her. I do notice that Claire seems hunched over and scoots closer to her mother, and I realize then without asking, that she won’t help us.

I can’t blame her though, I wouldn’t want to if I was in her position.

What surprises me and probably all the others, is when Hunter speaks up and says he’ll help us too. He says he knows the campus pretty well, and won’t have a problem showing us around. Even if he keeps giving me these weird looks as he explains, I can’t turn away the help he offers.

As I sit in my own bubble of hope, Gabe and Noah make plans to go over some maps of the college in the morning. Apparently some of the soldiers have all sorts of street maps and even land layouts and blueprints, which come in handy for us now. I want to insist that we get started right away so that we can leave tomorrow, but I’m already getting help and I don’t want to ruin my chances.

I just have to get through the next couple of hours, and try not to burst with excitement.

Chapter Forty Seven

When I wake up the next morning the sounds of the sleeping area in the Pal Hop, are already becoming familiar. Without opening my eyes I can hear some people snoring from sleep, and I can hear children trying to be quiet when they giggle. I can hear different people coming in and out on the large room. All of the noise, may it be soft, but still sounds loud to my ears and it makes my head throb.

Rolling over in the cot, I finally open my eyes, and have to squint against the dim flickering candle light.

If none of the shades are open on the windows above, then it must still be early. Beside me, the little girls and their mother are sound asleep clutching one another tightly, and it makes me smile sadly. Across from me on his own cot, Gabe is still sounding asleep. I can’t help too notice how much more calm he looks in him sleep, almost peaceful. I know I should probably wake him, since he’d only worry if he woke up and I was gone.

But I know he’d be even more upset to know where I plan to go off to.

I’ve been trying to ignore the fact that I haven’t been feeling any better since the accident, but I’ve been getting worse. This headache for example, just isn’t going away and it’s starting to affect my sleep and even my awake time. There is too much to do, and have to worry if I’m going to pass out. So, I thought since we’re in a place where there is all the medical staff handy, I’d get a second opinion of my concussion. This will be my only chance to slip away before we leave, and I’ll have to be quick.

If that’s even…I don’t know…remotely possible?

Trying to be quiet and not to disturb Gabe, I slowly shift into a sitting position and swing my legs around so my feet touch the ground. Quickly, so that I avoid the cold stone floor, I slip on my sneakers. Standing up now, I grab my hoody that is lying at the end of my cot where I dropped it the night before, and throw it on. Glancing back at Gabe, I swiftly make my way to the double doors on the other side of the room. I have to zigzag around cots and playing children, and have to walk around the stage that is now being used for extra cots and blankets. I finally reach the doors I grab one of the many flashlights littered in a tote by the door. The guards stationed at the doors don’t stop me as I turn it on.

I pull open the door with a slight squeak and sneak through before I change my mind.

Out in the hallway its pitch black, and I grip the flashlight and raise it high so that I can see a clear path in front of me. The medical treatment is being done in one of the smaller stadiums upstairs on the second floor, so I have to use the stairs to the right of the small lobby I’m now in. As I start toward the door, I can’t resist the urge to look over my shoulder and glance behind me. Creeping along in the dark is never a good thing, especially when there are actual monsters outside. Since it’s still early, there isn’t anyone loitering around, so I make my way to the stairwell door without any interruptions. Once I’m stepping up the stairs, I want to change my mind and go back.

The air feels tighter here and it makes me feel claustrophobic.

Sweat pools between my shoulder blades, and I have the awful idea that the dead could be down below at the bottom of the stairs. Shaking my head, I know we’re as safe as we can be here, and I push myself forward.

I practically throw myself at the second floor stairs, and fling myself into the dark hallway. This area isn’t as vacant as downstairs, and I can see the flickers of flashlights as people in scrubs walk in and out of rooms. Raising my own, I walk down the hall and look from door to door trying to figure out where I need to go. I’d assume there would be some sort of waiting area, but things aren’t exactly to code these days.

So I shouldn’t really expect much, I’m sure.

I must look pretty lost or confused, because one of the guys in scrubs shines me with his flashlight.

“
Can I help you with something?” He asks in a deep baritone voice.

“
I hope so I was hoping to see a doctor, if there is one free. I don’t want to intrude or anything, it’s not really an emergency.” I say in a rush, and try to not look like a crazy person.

“
Well you came to the right place. And don’t worry, you’re not intruding it’s what we do here. If you go down the hall a little more, take a left and there will be a set of double doors. Go right inside and someone can help you.”

He gives me a patient smile, and as his light pulls away, he makes off in the opposite direction of where I’m going. I guess it’s no going back now. When I get to the end of the hall, I turn left and sure enough there is a set of doors. Taking a deep breath, I push them open and step inside.

The room is bright with artificial light, and as I scan the room I see the kerosene lamps all around. This must be the stadium, since it’s designed almost the same as the ones downstairs. Except this one is half the size and there is no stage. The floor is littered with over a dozen hospital beds, and only half are occupied. I feel my pulse quicken at the thought, that someone in here could have been bitten. But then I remember how Sam was treated when we first got here, and I know no one infected would make it inside.

Along with the beds, there are a handful of people walking around in scrubs checking on the patients.

At the back of the room, there are a couple desks and a few people wearing lab coats sitting at them. Not wanting to disturb the nurses with the patients, I make my way to the back of the room towards the people I’m assuming are doctors. Only one of them looks up as I approach, and I think she’d be a good one to talk to, since she looks friendly enough. She has short brown hair and bright blue eyes behind wide rimmed glasses. She looks like she could be young, but who really knows, I notice a nametag that says ‘Becky’.

I come to a stop in front of her desk.

“
What can I do for you sweetie?” Becky asks.

“
I was hoping to get you opinion on something, if you’ve got a second or two.”

“
Of course, if you could have a seat on one of the empty beds and I’ll join you in a moment.”

As she gives me a bright smile, I turn away and pear around the room and try to decide where I want to go. Figuring it would be best to be away from the other patients; I choose a bed on the far side of the room and plop down on it. I’m not eve sitting very long, before Becky comes over to me carrying a clipboard.

“
So how can I help?” She asks again, crossing her arms over her chest with the clipboard between them.

“
A couple days ago I was in a car accident, and I got a pretty bad concussion trying to break a window with my head.” I say as I lift my hand and point to the still tender gash along my left temple.