A Spoiled Rule

Chapter 12

Liam tore open the door and allowed all the others to barrel past him in a panic. Just as Harvey passed, Liam saw a zombie appear and he slammed the door shut, though he did not know whether it would hold. Back under the gray sky, they ran for the tunnel entrance, near where Pricilla had died. Liam could sense zombies nearby, and they were matching his speed. If he were to stumble, he'd be lost. Stopping to throw or stab a knife would not do him any good, so he continued to run. He grabbed Harvey's wrist, for he seemed to be slowing, and dragged him onward, Harvey holding onto his hat as if losing it would mean the death of him.
Liam's heart and head were pounding, and he felt as if his chest were about to explode and his knees were ready to give way. But just as the thought to turn and fight to give the others better headway came, they reached the street of the tunnel entrance. Liam sprinted past Pricilla's crumbling home, briefly wondering if he'd woken the zombie tied beneath her bed.
Jackson reached the tunnel entrance first. He bent down and stuck his pointer finger and last into two grooves. He traced the pattern etched onto the entrance door.
The snarls were as painful as Liam's headache. He turned and waited a second before the zombies reached him, and he slashed at them, one after another, twisting and changing knife hands, though his cuts were not as clear and some of the zombies did not fall.
Stephen came to Liam's aid and finished the zombies that Liam did not. Liam held Stephen's blind spots, and Stephen Liam's. However, because Stephen was not trained specifically for battle nor for the guard, the doctor sliced at limbs rather than heads, unable to gather enough courage and stamina to go for the skulls.
Stephen grabbed Liam's wrist when he found an opening and pulled him down into the tunnel. Liam found himself falling seven feet and he landed roughly. Stephen landed after, and Jackson, who was standing nearby, traced a pattern delicately carved into a stone wall.
The tunnel sealed by order of the pattern on the wall, and golden lights flickered to life. The lights sat in little niches carved into the stone.
"Is everyone alright?" asked Liam, his voice echoing.
"Can you define 'alright'?" responded Gresham seriously, who was standing near Prima.
"I suggest we discuss while we walk," said Liam. "We must make it to the storage house before rain begins again."
The group moved forward, led by Jackson, who knew the tunnels well. They were dug specifically for wartime purposes, and they lie parallel to the sewage tunnels. The storage house contained basic necessities to live for a couple of weeks in the tunnels, as maintaining them required weeks-long inspections that could not be disrupted. Luckily that inspection had not been due for a week yet, so they should not encounter anyone inside the wartime tunnels.
"What is this place?" asked Prima, leaning near to him.
"Wartime tunnels," he replied simply. "Though now I understand that Dínam also has tunnels, so it is a possibility that they could be broken through soon if digging continues."
Prima looked down at the stone floor.
They turned left.
"Where is Thorne?" she whispered.
Liam sensed that more than one was listening for this answer, and he realized it was assumed that Thorne was dead. "He has gone to steal a golden bracelet. I could not stop him." He looked at Prima, whose face was now hidden behind her dark hair. "He is a good thief," said Liam quietly. "He also knows where we will be."
"He is also injured," replied Prima. Her wide eyes suddenly scanned Liam for any signs of injury. "Your clothing is ripped!"
"I was not scratched," Liam reassured. He glanced at Stephen, who was walking alongside Ryan. Ryan had blood on his face that Liam had not noticed. Perhaps the poor man was punched by Lucas because of his gift of detecting evil. "What happened while we were gone?" asked Liam softly.
They turned right.
Prima took a breath and rubbed at her wrists, which were raw. "After you left, Lucas informed us that we would need to start rationing food. We did not understand, so we investigated. He then locked us inside the store. He forced us to see him one by one, and that is when he broke Stephen's hands. He also sliced Ryan's tongue and punched him multiple times in the mouth... For that, I do not know why exactly. Whatever Ryan said, it couldn't have been good. Lucas tied our arms and threw us back into the store."
"He did not hurt you nor Gresham?" asked Liam.
"No," said Prima, though hesitancy was in her tone. "He wasn't... He wasn't kind, and he gave us many insults, but Gresham and I have learned to keep silent in Dínam, so that is what we did, and we were not harmed."
Liam sighed with relief. "And the zombies?"
They turned right.
"When we were all tied down, Lucas entered the store and took down the boards from the windows. It was only a matter of time before the zombies noticed us. You got there just in time..." Prima shook her head and swiped at tears that fell down her face. "Just in time."
Liam waited a moment before speaking. Prima and all the others deserved a moment of silence to honor their strength.
They turned left.
Liam cleared his throat. "I am sorry we ever left you. That man could not be trusted, and I suspected so from the moment we stumbled upon him."
Prima shook her head. She looked like she wanted to grab onto his arm and give it a squeeze. "Liam, no apology is necessary! You couldn't have known. I am sorry for what that man must have said and done to you..." Her voice trailed off as she glanced at his neck.
Liam touched the nearly-dry blood on his neck. "It is only a scratch, really."
Prima sighed.
A lightning bolt of pain shot through Liam's skull. He hesitated in his step.
"Are you alright?" asked Prima quietly.
Liam nodded and continued somewhat hesitantly. "Jackson, how long until we reach the house?"
"An hour," replied Jackson.
Liam rubbed at the side of his head, where a cut was still healing from when his mask broke in Dínam.
"Liam, perhaps you should sit for a second," said Stephen despite their moving ahead.
Liam exhaled. He did not want attention drawn to him. "Your hands are broken."
Stephen shrugged, his broken hands at his sides. "I am thankful for my unruly hair to hide my painful expressions," he said. "Not all of the bones are broken. I can still move them with great effort."
Liam could hear a subtle shake in his voice. "How did he break them?" he asked, his heart saddening.
"With a knife and a shoe," said Stephen quietly. He took a deep breath, and Liam caught a glimpse of sweat on his forehead. His friend was suffering, though trying very hard to make sure Liam wouldn't notice. "Stephen, what do we need to do? Should we wrap your hands? Is there medicine you need?"
"I have gauze in my coat pocket," said Stephen with a shrug. "But I would rather-"
Another burst of pain caused Liam to waver in his step. Stephen held out his injured hand. "Liam, sit down."
Liam did so, but only to relieve his headache.
"When is it that your headache began?" asked Stephen seriously, bending down in front of him.
"It came with the rain," said Liam simply. "You believe it may be more than aches, but you aren't certain."
Stephen hesitated. "Well... Yes... I have always feared of..."
Liam had never seen his friend so speechless.
"Liam, my father and your father had talked of a plan in case you were to fall ill," said Stephen quietly.
"Ill?" said Harvey. "Are you ill, Liam?"
At that, everyone grew still and their gazed were unwavering, pointed at Liam.
"No," said Liam hastily. "I am simply tired, which is reasonable considering this day," he said, loud enough for all to hear. "That should not prevent us from continuing."
"I am tired," said Gresham simply. "Surely if this place we are going to is only half an hour away, we can rest here."
Harvey nodded and patted Ryan on the back.
"Very well," said Liam. One by one they all sat against the stone walls and conversed quietly, though Ryan, Gresham, and Jackson remained relatively quiet.
"I did not mean to direct eyes toward you," said Stephen quietly, who sat down beside Liam without using his hands. "My father was very worried of whether a day would come in which you would fall ill, and I believe I inherited his fear."
Liam cleared his throat. "That is alright, Stephen," he replied quietly. He laid his head against the stone wall. "You are simply doing your job. I haven't had decent food, I've been running in the rain, and I haven't slept much. I'm sure that's all it is. If my headache becomes a life-threatening illness, I shall tell you."
Stephen smirked. "I am certain you will." He took a deep breath. "I no longer have adequate medical tools on my person, but now while we both are in a relatively sane state of mind, I must tell you one thing: Your father wished to give you an option should you fall ill, which involves either suffering through the illness or... or having me end it."
Liam hesitated. It was not the choice of death that caused him to hesitate. Rather, it was the notion that his father had kept secrets. They were not understandable secrets. No, these secrets should not have been withheld from Liam, for they regarded his life. Maybe his father had become a different man once his wife had perished. Perhaps Liam had overlooked it.
Liam took a deep breath. "You know very well which path I would choose, if it came to that," he spoke softly.
Stephen exhaled. "I'm glad you said that, for I was very unwilling to be the cause of your death, even if it were for the better."
"I am not sick," said Liam, though the words were odd in his mouth. Deep down, in his frantic heart, he knew the truth. He could feel it slowly creeping through his blood, seeping into the edges of his mind. He felt it since the plague had been announced. "Should I wrap your hands?"
Stephen nodded. "But first, I need to... wait just a moment." He turned slightly away from Liam and moved his arms so Liam could not see his hands. Without warning, a sickening crack echoed in the tunnel followed by Stephen's grunt, and Liam quickly looked away. After the second crack, Stephen's breaths became laborious, and then the third came, and Liam closed his eyes, suddenly feeling very ill. Stephen reached into his coat pocket and dipped his head, trying to hide his winces and grunts of pain. He pulled out some gauze and let it fall into Liam's lap.
Liam could not hide his shudder. With shaking hands, he unwrapped the roll and began to secure it around the cuts and broken bones in Stephen's hands.
"Don't look at me with horror," Stephen mumbled, beads of sweat on his forehead. "I had to align the bones in my fingers."
Liam took a deep breath. "I know," he said. It was all he could say. He finished wrapping Stephen's hands and leaned his head against the wall. After a moment of silence, during which his sickening feeling lessened, he said, "I am thinking of going above for food once we reach the house. Possibly tomorrow."
Stephen nodded, blinking a few times. "We do not have many options available."
"Who said that?"
A voice echoed from some other tunnel. It was distant, though it could be heard.
Liam's heart jumped. He had forgotten about Theron. Though if the voice belonged to Theron, it would not explain how the thief managed to get into the tunnel without knowing to trace the pattern on its entrance. Nevertheless, Liam had hope. "Theron?" he shouted. He gazed at the others. Prima stood, and so did Jackson.
"Now no one is speaking!" said Theron from afar. "Where is everybody?"
"Here!" shouted Prima.
"Things must've gotten pretty bad up there," replied Theron, his voice nearing. "I didn't like that Lucas guy. He looked like a mean thief. Mean thieves are the worst kind!"
"You're an idiot," remarked Gresham.
"Who said that?" Theron came around the corner and gazed at them as if he had been amongst them the entire time. His clothes were wet from the rain, but other than that he appeared okay. "Gresham, was that you?" Theron frowned. "'Idiot' is an upgrade compared to what you have previously called me, so I shall take that as a compliment."
Jackson weaved through the group to reach Theron. "Were you scratched or bitten?"
Theron shook his head. "Nope, I am great."
"You're aware it takes only a minute scratch..." Jackson's voice trailed off. Liam appreciated his caution. Time would never be right to share with the group the fate of the little girl they had encountered.
"None reached me," Theron reassured.
Jackson stepped back and gave Theron some room, who reached into his pocket and pulled out a golden bracelet resembling the one he had drawn. "It was in the bedroom! I've never stolen something from a house that wasn't occupied, so it was simple."
"How did you get down here?" asked Liam.
Theron sat down against the wall across from Liam. "Found an opening."
At this, the entire group tensed. There was a brief silence.
"An opening?" Liam repeated.
Theron shrugged. "One of those covers was laying in the middle of the street, leaving a hole. I jumped down. Didn't see any zombies on my way here."
"We will rest here and leave as soon as we do," said Liam. "We will head to the house."
"Stephen?" asked Harvey a couple of feet away. He was sitting next to Ryan, who was curled on the stone floor in pain. Harvey took off his hat and pressed it to his chest.
Stephen knelt beside the poor man on the floor. "Ryan, spit the blood out," said Stephen quietly. "You have made it this far. The worst of it is nearly over. No, do not try to talk. Harvey, will you keep watch to ensure he does not choke?"
"Aye," replied Harvey.
Stephen took a deep breath and said, "I have two pain pills in my pocket, one of which will go to you, Liam, for your headache, the other to Ryan. Perhaps we should also visit an apothecary once we return up above for food," he suggested.
"We shall do so tomorrow," replied Liam. "Do you want me to take out the pills?"
Stephen nodded gratefully. Liam found a small golden bottle from within Stephen's coat pocket and tipped one white pill into his hand. He handed the other to Harvey, who would administer it to Ryan.
Liam sat back down and closed his eyes, leaning his head against the wall. He could hear the soft voices of Gresham and Prima, the whimpers of Ryan followed by Stephen's instructions, the jingling of gold from Theron, and the attentiveness of Jackson.
When the sickness would take him, Liam knew he must put the burden of protection on Stephen. He had known Stephen since youth, trusted him with sharing the weight of the advisors, and even educated him a bit on the rules of royalty in Harksgold. Stephen knew much and he could fight well enough for basic defense, and he cared for everyone as a doctor and friend. He was so humble, he did not want others to see his pain, for he did not want others' sympathy and worry. The only thing that troubled Liam was the notion that Stephen would not end Liam's suffering when it began. If someone were to be bitten or scratched, would Stephen end their suffering?
Liam rid his mind of the thought. Stephen would not endanger others by letting those infected live. But perhaps Liam was too trusting. After all, that is what led him to his doom in Dínam, and will lead him to his doom shortly.
When Stephen sat down beside him, Liam gave him the pill. Stephen was going to object, but Liam placed it in Stephen's mouth before he could even speak and Stephen was forced to swallow it. Liam almost laughed at his friend's face, and he closed his eyes with a smile in his head.
But the smile turned to uneasy thoughts, and he knew that sickness was coming.