Hard Reboot Episode 01

Chapter 7

Brita brushed a tear from her eye, and ran from the room. She turned right at the first open door, turned around and shut it. She slid down the door, hugging her knees and sobbed.

"What's wrong?" David asked.

Brita looked up, realizing what room she had run into.

"My mother's dying. The officers and staff are trying to quarantine me when I'm not sick. And I don't know what's wrong with my sister. They said she's patient zero." She wiped the tears from her eyes and looked up at him.

"I'm sorry," she said drying her eyes. "You're about to be arrested after being brutalized. And all for just missing the stupid memorial service. I can't even imagine what you're going through."

David held up his arms. The restraints rattled against the sidebar. "I'm already arrested." He grinned. The smile dropped from his face. "Sorry about your mom."

She rested her head on her knees.

David gasped.

Brita looked up.

"If they are trying to quarantine you, you need to get out of here."

"That's why I ducked into your room." Brita got up for a tissue.

"No," David exclaimed. "I mean get out of this room. They're coming back." He glanced at the door. "Like any minute now."

Brita whipped her head around.

"I've got to get you out of here," Brita said turning back. She ran to his side, looking the restraints over. They looked sturdy.

"What? No!" David exclaimed. "You have to leave. Now."

Brita ignored him and started searching the drawers for anything that would help. She found a lot of medical supplies in the drawers beneath the sink: bandages, tongue depressors, tape, gloves. She couldn't find anything metallic that could help her pick the lock - not that she knew how. She stopped, staring off into space.

"What?" David asked.

Brita went back to the drawer. She grabbed one of the tongue depressors, snapping and twisting until she got a long thin sliver of wood. She grabbed David's arm and inserted the sliver under the locking mechanism, wedging it up until the lock sprung free. She pulled the hinged piece back and released his arm.

"Whoa, where'd you learn to do that?"

Brita blushed. "I like to read," she said.

David climbed off the exam table, rubbing his wrist. "Come on," he said. He took a step and his knees gave out. He grabbed the side of the table on his way down.

"Here," she said, "Lean on me." She pulled his arm around her shoulder supporting him.

When they got to the door, Brita set him in the corner while she listened at the door. Nothing. She cracked the door and looked into the hall.

"Come on. Let's go."

She put his arm back over her shoulder and they stepped out into the hall. She heard a muddled conversation down the hall at the attendant's station. She turned them in the other direction.

The stairwell sounded empty when they got inside. Brita led them down. She hoped it led to a parking garage or some other avenue of escape. David limped beside her as best he could.

They rounded the first half of the flight and saw there was no escape this way. The stairwell ended in a blank wall. Brita exhaled sharply. She shook her head and looked up. Still empty.

"Up?" she asked.

"Don't look at me. This is your escape plan," he chuckled. "I would have been happier if you went without me."

"You know what they would have done to you?" she whispered.

David shrugged. "But you would have been safe." He smiled. "Well, safer. But, we seem committed, so..." He turned back up the stairs, offered his other arm for support.

She draped it over her shoulder helping him back up.

Two floors up, Brita suggested going in, and looking for another way down. She glanced through the window. The hall looked empty. She eased the door open leading David in.

"If I remember correctly, there is an elevator two hallways away."

She retraced her path from earlier and one floor up. Monitor beeps surrounded them down the hall. They passed an unoccupied attendant station halfway down the second hallway before reaching the elevator banks. Where is everyone?

Brita leaned David against the wall and pressed the down button for the elevator. A few moments later, they were riding the elevator down to the ground floor. She felt a momentary disappointment to find there was no parking garage under the hospital.

The elevator doors opened off the waiting room. Two attendants were waiting to get on the elevator as they left it.

"OK, the cafeteria is down this way," Brita said as the attendants stepped aside letting them off. "We'll see if we can't get some food in you as well as exercise."

The two attendants smiled at her. She smiled back as if getting David to eat something was the real challenge of the two options.

They headed towards the cafeteria until she heard the elevator doors close. She glanced back, then steered them to the Exit. She encouraged his steps as they got closer, both as a ploy and to urge his strength and hopes.

The doors slid open at their approach.

"Hold it," a voice called from behind them.

Brita and David looked over their shoulders. Officer Johnson stood behind them with his fists planted on his hips. They started to race forward when five more peace officers ran in blocking their path.

"Looks like you are well enough to get around now, doesn't it?"

David groaned.