Age of zombies

[63] First month of work (part 2)

The hospital had become a battlefield in its own right. The smell of blood and antiseptic hung heavy in the air, a stark reminder of the chaos just outside the walls. Yabe moved quickly through the corridors, her dark skin glistening with a thin sheen of sweat, but her movements were steady. She wasn't the same nervous girl from her first day—no, now she was focused, controlled, and calm, even as the wounded poured in.

A gurney rolled past her, a man clutching his side as blood oozed between his fingers. Another stretcher followed, this one with a woman whose leg had been torn open, bone visible through the flesh. The sight of such gruesome injuries would have made her stomach churn a month ago, but now Yabe barely flinched. She had learned to compartmentalize—to push the panic aside and get to work.

Hazuki, the petite nurse with long white hair, was by her side, calm and collected as ever. They had become an efficient team, Hazuki guiding Yabe through the tougher moments when she first started, and now they worked in near-perfect sync. The only thing that slowed them down was the shortage of supplies.

"We're running low on gauze," Yabe muttered as she passed a tray of bloodied bandages to Hazuki. "And we're almost out of antiseptics."

Hazuki nodded, her expression serious but still unflustered. "I know. We've been rationing since last week. Make do with what we've got."

Yabe sighed, frustration gnawing at the edges of her calm. "We need more supplies. If this keeps up, we're going to lose people."

Hazuki gave her a sidelong glance. "We're always going to lose people. But let's try to keep that number as low as possible."

Yabe nodded, taking a breath and pushing her frustration down. There was no time to dwell on what they didn't have. They had to focus on what they could do.

Another patient was rushed in, this one missing an arm. Blood pulsed from the stump where his forearm used to be, and his face was twisted in agony. Yabe immediately moved to his side, her hands moving with precision as she applied a tourniquet to stem the bleeding.

"We need to get this bleeding under control," she said, her voice steady. "If we don't stop it soon, he's going to go into shock."

Hazuki was already on it, grabbing the remaining gauze and pressing it tightly against the stump. The man groaned in pain, his body jerking, but Yabe kept her hands steady, her focus unshakable.

"It's going to hurt," Yabe said, her tone firm but compassionate. "But we need you to hold still. We're going to stop the bleeding, okay?"

The man nodded weakly, his teeth clenched as he tried to hold back a scream.

Yabe looked to Hazuki, their eyes meeting for a brief moment. "How long do you think before we get more supplies?"

Hazuki shook her head. "Could be days. Could be longer. We're on our own for now."

Yabe gritted her teeth but didn't let the frustration show. She couldn't. Not here. "Okay," she said quietly. "Let's make it work."

They worked quickly, securing the tourniquet and cleaning the wound as best they could with the little antiseptic they had left. Yabe could feel the pressure mounting, but she kept her breathing steady, her hands precise. This was her job now—this was the world they lived in.

After what felt like an eternity, they stabilized the man. His breathing had evened out, and though the pain was still etched across his face, the bleeding had stopped.

"We'll get you patched up," Yabe said softly, wiping her hands on a cloth. "You're going to be okay."

The man nodded weakly, his eyes filled with gratitude. "Thank you..."