Extinction Event¹ ━ FTWD

CHAPTER 13: City of Angels

EXTINCTION EVENT

chapter thirteen: city of angels

[ season 1, episode 4; not fade away ]

DAY 13

The medical center was one of many scattered around campus as part of the UCLA Medical Plaza, but happened to be the one closest to Meghan's dorm. A circular drive enclosed a garden of similar shape; a small tree hanging down over unwatered greenery on prominent display within. The building itself was sand colored cement and at least four stories high, with five rounded sections comprised entirely of windows that went up nearly the whole length of the building jutting out on its right half.

Once upon a time, Meghan was impressed at the sight. Now, she only wondered how many of the undead hid behind the glimmering blue windows.

In and out, she told herself. Just long enough to grab some antibiotics.

Before entering, she took a moment to prep her crossbow, nocking one of the arrows in and cocking the string, before bringing it up to hold, stock pressed into her shoulder and arrow pointed down. Whatever was in there, she couldn't waste valuable time preparing when she should be either, 1) fighting back, or 2) running away, probably screaming as she did.

Meghan stepped gingerly over the frame of the shattered door, wincing at the sound of glass crunching under her boot soles, echoing faintly across the linoleum.

The building appeared mostly clear, but it was hard to tell. Despite the open plan design, and excessive use of clear partitions, she could barely see around the corners past the waiting area. Still, from what she could see, she could tell that the medical center wasn't spared.

The brown pleather chairs dotted across the waiting area had been pushed aside, and overturned. One had a long scratch down the center, cotton and fluff spilling from the open seam. Meghan ducked beneath the circular modern ceiling light as she passed, still half attached by fraying wires and thin cord.

Behind the glass partition segregating the front desk, the hexagonal design proudly showcasing "UCLA Health" was riddled with bullet holes, a red smear long since dried across the lettering, splattering out at head-height, and dripped down to the floor.

Meghan pulled her shirt up over her mouth with her free hand as she approached, the scent making her gag involuntarily. A quick glance over the counter revealed why — the receptionist had been shot through the head, and decomposing there for quite awhile.

She seemed familiar, but Meghan tried not to think about why that was. Her grip tightened on the crossbow.

In and out. In and out. In and out.