The New Dead World

Chapter 10: Don't Fear The Reaper

A large bump rattled the truck waking me back up. My shirt was off, and fresh scrapes and bruises littered my chest. A spare shirt was duck taped to my side. The tape was wrapped around my chest a few times. The white shirt was stained red with my blood. The truck rattled again, and I managed to move my head.

Wren was close to the steering wheel, her face had fresh blood smears and tears. Her eyes were wide, and in a panic, as she drove. The engine was roaring and shook with every bump in the road. Her hands were shaking so hard the steering wheel couldn't keep still.

With a heavy arm, I reached up and touched her shoulder. "Wren... focus... don't lose... to your... emotions..." I struggled to say.

"Saren!" She said surprised. "Stay awake! No matter how tired you are, stay awake!" She demanded.

But my eyes got heavy, and my strength was failing quickly. The darkness slowly closed in, then enveloping me.

WREN

I managed to find a veterinary clinic that was about 40 miles from where we were attacked. I quickly walked through with Saren's sword to see if the small building was clear. No Freaks and no one living inside. I ran back to the truck and opened the passenger side door. Saren spilled out and I quickly managed to hold him up and set him back in the seat.

I grabbed my sleeping bag and zipped it closed around Sarens body, then carefully dragged his body into the clinic and onto a metal table in a dark room that looked like a lab. I turned on the lantern and set it on a desk; it lit up the room.

The room was pristine with metal cabinets that had glass windows to let you see in. Inside were untouched medical supplies. I guess this town fell before anyone had the idea of looting here. Grabbing the handle and pulling hard, it rattled and did not budge. It was locked.

I unzipped the sleeping bag from Saren and held it up to a cabinet window. I used the butt of his sword and smashed it into the sleeping bag-covered glass. The sound of the window breaking was muffled, and the shattered glass fell inside the cabinet making next to no noise.

I grabbed gauze, a needle, stitching wire, and a small tub of petroleum jelly. Sitting on a roller stool, I got near the blood-soaked shirt I taped to his wound. I carefully cut the tape and slowly removed the shirt. The blood looked like it stopped bleeding for now.

I rolled to the sink and pulled the handle, but no water came out.

"Shit!" I said quietly.

A fancy bottle with a clear liquid sat on a desk nearby. Quickly rolling over to it, my hand snatched the bottle off the desk.

"Vodka..." I flipped it over and searched for the small white print. "Forty percent alcohol. Good enough." I quickly wheeled back to the unconscious Saren.

I poured some of the clear liquid over the needle, string, and my hands. Setting the bottle down, I grabbed the end of the string and the needle. My hands were shaking so much, it was impossible to get the string through the eye of the needle.

I quickly snatched up the bottle of vodka and took a swig. The liquid burned everything on the way down. Closing my eyes and taking a slow deep breath, holding it in, then slowly releasing the breath.

My eyes shot back open, and I managed to quickly get the string through the needle and tie it off. I grabbed the bottle again and held it over the hole in his side.

"I'm sorry sugar, but this is going to hurt," I said softly and poured a good bit of vodka onto the wound.

Saren woke up and started to scream in pain. I quickly covered his mouth with my hand and shushed until he passed back out.