The Walking Sidemen

Chapter 13: Decontamination

Today was the day. They had to leave.

Doctor Phillips seemed rather flustered and all over the place. He was pacing up and down the corridor outside their rooms, waiting for them to be packed.

Once the boys had packed what they had into their backpacks, they were rushed out of the rooms and up the stairs. They were taken to the smaller lab which they had previously been using as a place to eat. They all sat down and be doctor provided them with some food supplies for their travels. There wasn't much. A few cans and packets.

But suddenly Harry noticed something in the room. There was a timer and the time was counting down.

"Ehm, what's that?" Harry asked nodding towards the timer.

"The reason you need to leave" Doctor Phillips spoke coldly.

"But what is it?" Harry persisted.

"It's a countdown. It's counting down to when the generators which run the electric and water run out, and to when the decontamination of the whole institution is executed." He explained.

"Decontamination of the whole institution?" Josh said in confusion.

"The institution will self-destruct so as to not let any of the diseases or chemicals out of the vicinity. It will destroy the whole building and its contents, blowing it up. There is little time left. You are welcome to stay but if that's not what you wish then you must leave. Now." The doctor fully explained sending the boys into a flurry of panic.

"We need to get the fuck out of here" Vik said whilst standing up and grabbing his backpack.

"Agreed" Simon said, Josh helping him up.

Harry also stood up, but did not offer any words to the conversation. There was little point.

The boys began to pile out of the room, but Harry stayed briefly for a second.

"I'll be with you" Harry said, sharing a nod with the Doctor before rushing out of the room and catching up with the three others.

The boys rushed through the maze of labs, offices, and corridors and until they were nearing the exit.

As they were approaching the door Harry began to slow down at the back, but not enough to be noticeable.

Josh, Simon, and Vik entered out onto the street but Harry did not. He flung his backpack out onto the street then locked the door. Locking himself in the institute and the others out.

The three other boys turned around and saw Harry on the opposite side of the glass.

"Harry.." Simon said, his eyes wide.

Vik ran to the glass and started banging on it.

"Harry, Harry what are you doing! Open the door!" He began, continuing to bang on the door and look at the boy inside the building.

Harry just shook his head as a tear rolled down his cheek. He didn't want to continue.
He mouthed 'I love you' to Vik and continued to stand staring outside.

This made Vik begin to cry. He was no longer banging but pawing at the glass.

"Harry......Harry I love you please don't do this.....please.......Harry!" Vik spoke through sobs.

"I LOVE YOU!" Vik shouted angrily, continuing to sob.

"We need to go" Josh said quietly, looking worriedly between all of the boys, even Harry.

No one was going to be able to change Harry's mind. He was staying. He had made his choice.

"Harry!" Vik wailed, banging at the glass again.

"We can't leave him!" Vik said, still staring at the love of his life.

There was no other choice. Josh grabbed Vik pulling him away. Vik thrashed and cried out, struggling in Josh's arms.

"Harry please! We can't leave him! No! Harry I love you!" Vik shouted and sobbed as he was pulled away from the building and thrown into the car.

Josh got in the drivers seat and Simon in the back with Vik. He turned the engine on and glanced back at the building, back at Harry. He sighed a sorrowful and pained sigh. He couldn't believe Harry had chosen not to be with them, not to try. They were letting their friend die but there was nothing they could do.

He began to drive off, knowing that any second now the building was going to blow.
And so it did, as soon as they were a safe enough distance down the road. Bang.

Josh looked in the wing mirror, seeing the scene of flames and smoke. He felt a knot in his stomach. The thought of Harry in there was awful.

Vik was sobbing in the back, looking at the mess from which they had come. You could see the heartbreak and pain in his eyes. This was his breaking point.

Simon sat next to him, his hands over his ears and his eyes squeezed shut. He didn't want to think about Harry back there. He didn't want to think about anything.

Josh focused on driving. Navigating streets full of cannibalistic monsters, dead bodies, and car wrecks was difficult.

They were also running out of fuel too.

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