Amnesia

Insane

I immediately ditch Todd and run up the stairs in panic. I feel like everything is racing around my mind, but I can barely even think. I can't focus. A wave of worry rolls over me like a dark cloud threatening the innocent trees with lightning.

When I arrive at the top, I see the group fighting off a few of the last infected. I look for Chris, searching the floor. I finally lock eyes on him.

He has a large piece of the fallen ceiling pinning him down to the floor. Dead infected surround him, their blood pooling close to his limp body. He doesn't move.

An infected that is yet to have been killed crawls towards him with its hands. I run over to him when I see he still isn't moving. I kick the infected in the face, causing it to slide back. Then I kick it again and again until it has gone far enough away from Chris where it can't reach him. I stab it in the head and push it away with my shoe in disgust.

By the time I'm finished, everything is quiet. I turn to look at everyone. They're staring at Chris who's limp on the ground.

"Chris?" Anne calls to him softly.

I kneel down next to him, lifting the fallen debris from his arm. A chunk of his arm is scraped and bloody. There's a gap in his flesh from where it hit the hardest and heaviest. Dust and small pieces of the ceiling continue to stick into his wound.

I flip him over onto his back so I can see his face. Blood runs down his forehead and cheek, dripping onto the floor. "What happened to him?"

"Ceiling caved in," Anne informs. Her cheeks are red from the effort to save herself and her group. "It must of hit him in the head."

"It did," Jose says, looking up. "The infected came down, putting too much weight on the already caving in ceiling. He wasn't bit, Alice. He ain't dead yet."

Anne lays her head on Chris's chest and stay there for a minute, listening. Then she pulls her head back up and nods. "He's okay. Just unconscious."

"What if he goes into a coma?" I ask, breathing heavily. "What if the same thing that happened to me happens to him?"

"Alice," Anne says calmly. "He's just unconscious."

"We need to get out," Jose says. "Where's Todd?"

"Still on the third floor," I reply, trying to lift Chris up in hopes that he'll magically wake up.

"You left him down there?" Jose nearly shouts. I cringe at the sound of his voice. "Is he okay?"

"He's fine," I say, distracted. "Someone help me."

Jose walks over and pushes me sideways. I fall onto my side from the force of his push. I get to my feet, wiping my leg off as I watch Jose grab Chris and sling him over his shoulder. I wonder how he can do so much heavy lifting. He looks nicely toned, but he lifts more than the eye would believe.

Why didn't he pick me up like that? Instead he dragged my ass to safety.

I blame it on the stairs.

"Todd?" Anne calls down. "Are you okay?"

As we arrive at the bottom of the stairs we see Todd leaning against the wall. His eyes are red and blotchy from crying. He has his eyes locked on the ceiling above, as if praying. He doesn't say a word nor even look at us.

"Todd?" Jose walks over to him and pokes his cheek. "Wake up. This ain't praying time."

Todd's eyes lower to Jose's and they look at each other for a moment. Todd then lets out a small laugh and suddenly becomes him again. "Sorry. I had to pray."