We Can Survive

Chapter Two

Nothing seemed right, and I guess that makes sense because nothing right now is right. Yet, everything seemed off. The way the other fraternity boys watched as Connor, James and I left with packed bags out the doors. The way the other students stared as we passed them going for my car in the parking garage across from my apartment, and for the topper on the cake...the way that my psychology advisor treated us when we arrived at the activities quarantine zone.

"Okay guys, so we are in and out okay? We don't stay, we need to get out and back to the car before the roads become unsafe to travel on. There is already going to be panic in Chicago, so we are going to have to go around to get to the suburbs" I say, and adjust my winter hat on my head before we all climbed out of my small SUV.

We walked up to the entrance of the activities center, and my worst fears were already confirmed. There were hundreds of kids here, dozens just waiting to be checked in and others already on cots sprawled all over the basketball courts. This was a disaster waiting to happen, a huge meal for the infected who wanted nothing more than to get into one of these quarantine zones. We had to get out of here, or else we would still be here when this place inevitably fell. We approached a small table after waiting for 30 minutes, and sitting there was James and me's psychology advisor. He is a super funny and energetic guy, but now he seemed hard and cruel.

"Please hand me your student ID card, take a water bottle and granola bar and head in for medical and physical testing," he said, in almost a robotic way like he had said this 100 too many times.

"Hi Gary, what's going on here? This seems a bit unsafe all of us in one place" I say, handing him my ID card but I wasn't expecting when he snatched it out of my hand.

"This is, of course, the safest place, we have the military here to help. Wouldn't expect you to know what is the safest in this kind of situation...right?" He sassed me back.

I just stood there kind of taken aback as he searched for my name on the roster of thousands of students. He shoved my ID card back in my direction, and I moved on past the lines trying to wait for James and Connor who were just now at one of the tables to be checked in. That's when I'm shoved towards another room which has the door covered with cloth.

"Hey, watch it I was waiting for my friends," I say and shove off the hand that moved me, and I look up to see a very handsome young doctor.

"Sorry miss, we just have to do your physical and medical tests. My name is doctor Kristoff, and I am very happy that you made it safely here. Now have you been bitten or scratched by one of the infected?" He asks and begins to take my temperature and blood pressure.

"Um, no. Honestly, I still haven't even seen one. My friend Connor did, but he got away before the thing even moved on from it's first...meal" I say, warily, unsure about how to talk about this kind of thing. It's not really a subject I'm used to.

"Well, that is good news! You and your friends should be cleared and sent to the cots with the others just fine then" He answers, almost ignoring how uncomfortable I was as he finished up with his examinations.

Rolling down my sleeve from getting my blood drawn, I leave the examination room with a small wave to the doctor. I wasn't fond of this place, but he was at least kind to me; which was very different from the way my advisor acted. I follow the signs that they had set up to the "healthy wing" and enter a very crowded, and incredibly noisy gymnasium filled with cots. Walking up and down the rows, I begin to worry because I see no signs of any of my friends. I'm almost ready to accept defeat when I feel an arm reach out and grab my wrist.

"Alison?" I turn around and come face to face with Brian, our other close friend from home.

"Brian, hey, I am so glad that you're safe!" I say, and sit down on his cot with him giving him a quick hug.