Surviving.

Chapter Eleven: Waking Up

I gape at the large shadow of a man standing in the light of day as i sit back, feeling a searing pain coming from my shoulder once again. Little Matthew keeps hold of my hand tightly as my eyelids start getting heavier. A smaller, less intimidating shadow of a woman steps out from behind the man and rushes towards my side.

"I need more bandages and more morphine!" She yells as one by one more shadows come from behind the man. I catch a glance of the woman, tall and tan with bouncy brown curls and big doe eyes, just as my eyes fall closed; pulling me into a deep sleep.

I wake to the sound of whispers. I am not a heavy sleeper, i'm telling you. So i forcefully open my eyes, surprised i haven't been blinded by the white florescent lights over my head yet.

"Oh you're awake!" The woman exclaims just now realizing it. The man she was speaking with looked at me with a look of pity. The woman shoos him out of the room as she peels the bandage off my shoulder. I cry out in pain and tears come to my eyes. "I'm sorry darlin'. It'll be over soon." She shushes me, placing a new bandage onto my wound. I try to bite back my pain and hold in my tears. She hands me one plump pill and a glass of water, "Gulp that down. Oh, and i'm Shannon by the way."

"Lainey." I reply in a croaky voice. My throat tightens when i say it.

"Get up, get up! Let's go introduce you to my family!" She says, taking hold of my arm and pulling me up. I shake my head and try to get out of her hold. She chuckles under her breath and pulls me through the door.

After Shannon brought me some new clothes and i changed, we went to the hospital lobby; which was considered the 'main headquarters'. Everyone in her group is standing in a semi-circle with all their eyes burning into me. There are a total of 5 people (other than Shannon) to meet. The first to walk up to me is a middle aged man with a shaggy mop of blonde hair and the stubble of a soon-to-be beard. He sticks out his hand and a smile that lit up his entire face.

"I'm Michael, but please call me Mike." He says as he shakes my hand roughly.

After my arm feels as if it was out of it's socket, he stopped, that smile never leaving his face.

"I'm Lainey." I reply simply, realizing my voice is stronger than i thought.

"Welcome to the family, Lainey." He says before pushing me towards the rest of the group.

After i met everyone, we all sat in the hospital's cafeteria which was considered the dining room. I sat in between Matthew and Tommy, a gangly fellow with spiky black hair and more height than he needs. He was by far the sweetest man i've met out of the group and we already considered each other the best of friends. Tommy was 23 and he was the youngest out of the group besides me and ,of course, Matthew. Three other people were seated at our table besides me and Tommy; Shannon, Mike, and Matthew. We all chatted about our stories of where we were when all hell broke loose. Turns out Shannon and Mike were a thing a long time before it all went down. Matthew was at his day care when a walker attacked and bit his day-care teacher as all the pre-schoolers cowered under the tables. All i could think about....was how terrified those poor little children were.