Mankind

Chapter Fourteen

 As the first light of dawn filters through the cracked windows of the dressing room, Cassie awakens to the sound of Ryan's labored breathing. She sits up, her heart pounding with concern, and sees him lying on the makeshift bed, his brow furrowed with pain.

"Ryan?" she murmurs, reaching out to touch his forehead. Her hand recoils at the heat radiating from his skin. "Oh no..."

Ryan stirs at her touch, his eyes fluttering open. "Cassie?" he rasps, his voice weak and hoarse.

"You've got a fever," Cassie says, her voice trembling with worry. "You're burning up."

Ryan tries to sit up, but a cough wracks his body, leaving him gasping for breath. "I'll be fine," he insists, though his words are belied by the sweat glistening on his brow.

Cassie's mind races as she considers their options. They have no medicine, no way to treat Ryan's illness. Desperation claws at her chest as she realizes the gravity of their situation.

"The Hospital," Connor says quietly, his expression grave.

Cassie's heart sinks at the suggestion. The hospital—the same hospital that was ground zero for the outbreak, the same hospital that became a deathtrap for so many. But it's also the only place that might have the medicine Ryan needs to survive.

She meets Connor's gaze, her own eyes filled with fear and uncertainty. "You're right," she says, her voice trembling. "We have to try."

With a sense of grim determination, Cassie and Connor jump to their feet. As they make their way out into the city streets, Cassie can't shake the feeling of dread that settles like a lead weight in her stomach. But for Ryan's sake, she pushes forward, clinging to the hope that they might find a sliver of salvation in the heart of the abandoned hospital.

She looks back at the theater as they walk away and whispers. "We'll be back, Ryan."

As Cassie and Connor approached a river cutting through their path to the hospital, the rushing water churned ominously, its frothy surface glinting in the pale light of dawn. It was clear that attempting to cross it would be a perilous endeavor—its swift current threatened to sweep them away in an instant.

"We'll never make it across," Cassie muttered, her eyes fixed on the raging water. "We'll have to find another way."

Connor nodded in agreement, his gaze scanning the nearby area for an alternative route. His eyes fell upon a dilapidated mall looming in the distance, its shattered windows gaping like empty eye sockets in the morning light.

"There," he said, pointing towards the crumbling walls. "We can cut through the mall. It'll take us longer, but it's our best shot."

Cassie hesitated for a moment, her heart pounding with trepidation. The thought of navigating through the decaying structure filled her with a sense of unease, but she knew they had no other choice.

"Let's do it," she said.

With a shared nod, they set off towards the mall, picking their way through the debris-strewn streets with cautious steps. As they drew closer, the looming facade of the building seemed to grow larger and more ominous, casting a shadow over their path.

Reaching the entrance, they found their way barred by a tangled mess of fallen beams and twisted metal. With a grim determination, they began to climb, the jagged edges of the debris cutting into their hands as they pulled themselves upward.

Finally, they reached the top, their breathing heavy as they surveyed the scene below. The interior of the mall stretched out before them like a labyrinth of shadows and echoes, its once-bustling corridors now silent and still.