Infectious

Chapter 12: Jax

Standing beside Barak and Ollie in front of the clinic I thought I would have been able to breathe better. Some sort of relief would have washed over me knowing Drake would be on the other side of these large tinted windows. No such luck as Kai hangs limp in my tired numb arms. Reflection shows her breathing shallow, her heart beating at a staggered pace, and the color in her face drained to a pale ghostly white. She doesn't have much time left.

    "Jax, we should get her inside." Barak coaxes. I simply nod. As we take our first steps toward the front doors they swing open wide. A lanky frail man stands holding a taser and a can of pepper spray. The thin boney hand gripping the can of spray shakes with nerves as he desperately aims it at us. Barak glances at me before chuckling to himself. His eyes wrinkled from the humor he found.

    "Stop right there! Don't take another step unless you want me to use these!" He croaks in a sad attempt to be intimidating. Shaking both of his hands at us. Barak shakes his head laughing a little harder now. One hand gripping his belly while he half bends over onto his gun.

"Seriously?" Barak looks at me with bewilderment. "This must be a joke! You do realize I have a gun? Right?" His eyebrow arches, teeth shining bright in a painfully wide smile. "Your little zapper..."He has to catch his breath," and pepper spray..." His words fizzled out into a wheeze, " aren't exactly a match to this!" He snaps the sawed-off barrel upwards. Closing the two bullets inside. Locked and loaded. The man in the doorway visibly jumps. His nerves have to be running haywire. My almost nonexistent patience has run out.

"Enough!" I shoot Barak a cold look as his face stills. All the laughter washed away. "Both of you, put down the weapons. Kai," I readjust her in my arms. She grows more and more heavy as this annoying encounter is dragged out. "She needs our help." I use every last bit of anger within me, "And you are going to help her!" The man drops what he had been holding, readjusts the small framed glasses back onto the bridge of his pointy nose, and finally sees what is in front of him.

"Yes, of course." He moves aside holding the door open wide. "Please, come in quick." Barak gestures his hand motioning for me to go ahead of him. Ollie stays close to my heels through the threshold. "Sorry about that... I'm Dr. Jonah Wright. Why don't you follow me? Room 8 should suffice down the hall on the right." He clicks the multiple locks and deadbolts behind Barak.

"What's with all the locks?" Barak asks what we are both thinking.

"You're the one joking now, right?" He scoffs, "You all clearly have dealt with... them. They are everywhere. Around every corner of this god-forsaken city. As soon as the commotion erupted I got to work making this place a sanctuary for those who didn't turn into flesh eaters." His eyes drop to the floor, unable to hold eye contact.

"Sanctuary? Wouldn't that mean there are more people would have to be here?" Barak asks looking around, "You're the only one here doc."

"I'm not alone, but this place definitely did not turn into a sanctuary..." His lips tighten into a thin line, "We can worry about that later. You said her name was...?" It takes me a moment to realize he's asking me a question.

"Kai." I mutter, "Her name is Kai."

"Alright, Kai here looks like she could use that help you so kindly requested." He clears his throat, "Right this way." Swiftly he walks us down a long corridor to room eight. Lights flickered dying out. Just like Kai. I feel a hand on my arm squeeze a few times, "Hey, are you there? Can you put her on the table please?" Jonah's hand keeps ahold of my arm. Guiding me over to the cold metal table, an almost sheer paper laid across the top giving an appearance of a mortuary rather than a doctor's office. He helps me lay her gently down, "Good, now step back and let me work."