AM13 Outbreak Shorts

Crackdown - Twelve

Over the next couple of days, we welcome more people into our fold making it impossible for me to get any time alone with Katie. While out trying to secure the prison a little better, I found a group of teenage boys. Rhys, Jordan, and a few others who's names I can barely remember, and the were struggling. The signs of dehydration and lack of sustenance were apparent, so of course, I invited them in despite the fact that we don't actually have a lot of space for them.

My humanity might have left me once before, but it won't happen again.

So, in between trying to fit them all in, keep the prison as safe as possible, and dividing up labor in the fairest way, I haven't had even a second for the woman I'm falling for. She's on my mind all the time, all I really want to do is see her, but somehow all these responsibilities have been shoved on my shoulders and they must come first.

"So, Rhys and the others are out boarding up the windows," Rachael tells me with a smile. She's taken it upon herself to become my second-in-command which I'm absolutely fine with. She might be young but she's got nerves of steel. She also has this way of making people do what she wants to without any hassle. It's admirable, really. "What's next on the agenda?"

I roll my eyes and rub my forehead, trying to ward of he headache that's threatening to burst free. I was good at being a cop, but I didn't ever yearn for more. I didn't want to be a part of the admin and delegation side. Yet here I am, doing all that I didn't want.

"What's everyone else doing?"

By this, I mean 'what's Ryan doing?' but I'm too afraid of the answer to ask outright. I already know where he'll be, glued to Katie's side, probably winning her around. If he has the answers to all the struggles that she's been going through since everything went wrong at the specialist medical facility then he's already got something over me, and that might well be enough to win her over.

"I'm not sure about everyone. I can find out if you like, let you know?"

I nod gratefully and let my head fall into my hands for just a moment. With every second that passes by, rescue seems less and less likely. This is something I've considered before, but now I need to really think about it. I need to work out a real way to live in this new environment.

If our group keeps getting bigger, the prison isn't going to cut it. It just doesn't have the room. But then, I can't exactly send people away, can I? Judging by the increasing number of shambling flesh-eating monsters outside, if I do then I'm sentencing them to death. There's no way I can live with that.

But where else can we go?

I grab my list of scribbled ideas, trying to work out if any of them are appropriate, but I'm just not sure. I don't want to make the call and end up losing lots of people along the way. I don't want to be responsible for endless deaths.

It's hard for my brain to focus on such a life-changing operation when really my brain wants to think about something, or more someone else. I can't get Katie out of my brain and it's killing me. Maybe I should just go and see her, even if Ryan's there, what's stopping me? There's no reason I can't go...

With a surge of determination, I stalk towards her cell. I won't cause any trouble, I don't need to act out or anything. I can just casually stop by and say hello. There isn't anything confrontational about that, is there? And if it ends up getting nasty, well that'll be Ryan's fault, not mine.

"Oh..." I mutter to myself as I arrive to find her cell empty.

That throws me a little. It's very rare for her to be out since I don't think she's totally let go of the notion that she's going to be infected and die, even though I've told her that she's fine a million times. Maybe if Ryan can at least convince her that she's okay then it won't all be for nothing. Him being here won't be the worst thing in the world.

What's that?

All of a sudden, something catches my eye. A white piece of paper, discarded on the floor, filled with what appears to be Katie's handwriting.