The Virus

Twenty Five

After about half an hour of despair at our situation. I decide to try a few of the cars in the surrounding area. If any of them works we can get home easily.

There are plenty of cars to try and over the next three quarters of an hour, I try every single one. They're all dead. The Land rover was definitely a lucky find. I resort to the manual but even that provides absolutely no help. I manage to push the car along the road for a while but it soon stops working and we seem to have no other options. I check to make sure there's fuel and oil and anything a else a car needs. There's plenty.

"Wait, Claire, what if I went back the school on my own. It's only five miles, if I go as fast as I can, it should only take half an hour. I'll get a car and we'll come and get you." I say. 

She looks at me. "Do you promise you'll come back for me?" She asks. 

I nod. "Wouldn't leave you for the world." I say. 

She smiles at me. "And I'll leave Kay with you. Do not leave whatever happens." I say. 

She agrees. I gather a few items and start walking. I start thinking about shortcuts and realise instead of going right through where the herd may be, I can cut through a residential area and a few alleys and get to the school in barely twenty minutes.

I try to shorten the journeys duration as much as possible. Instead of walking, I push myself to jog with short sprint. I need to get to the school. I can only hope Noah and everybody else is okay. I cut through an alley which comes out in front of the school. I sprint down it as fast as possible and see a car going into the gates. I sprint for it before they shut it. "Wait!" I shout. Alex sees me and keep it open. He stares at me completely speechless. "Noah? Where's Noah?" I ask breathlessly. He motions to the car that just entered.

I run over and swing the door open to a startled Noah. He jumps out of the car and scoops me up in a tight hug. I can hear him crying. I let my tears spill over too as we embrace each other. "I thought I lost you. I thought you were dead." He murmurs into my neck. 

We let go and I turn to him. "I need to go back. I met a girl, she's hurt. She can't walk so i came to get help. She's about five miles off." I say. He nods and circles around to the passenger side.

We leave the school and I crawl along slowly, trying to make sure I take all the the right turns. I can't get lost this time. It takes a while but eventually we spot the black Land rover. Claire is still inside with Kay. We put them in the cargo bed and take everything with us. And drive back. "Go slow. The herd." Noah warns. I nod. He's playing with a piece of paper. "You drew this?" He asks, motioning to the sketch. 

I nod. "This morning." I reply. 

"I love it." He announces and I giggle. Soon we're back at the school.

I get a few medicine booklets and start tending to Claire's injuries. It takes a while but I manage to create a semi acceptable cast for her leg and we find a wheelchair in the nurse's office for her to move around in. I give her my wrist brace to help it heal. Afterwards, I go downstairs with her to get something to eat. Noah won't stop hugging me but I know he was probably worrying to death while I was gone. Everybody talks to Claire and asks her questions and she answers happily.

When they ask her if she's staying she says she staying for as long as it takes for her to heal. I guess that's probably until around January. Then she'll be gone. I can't imagine being alone this whole time, it scares me just to think of it. The loneliness, the danger, the fear. I was glad I had people around that I could trust to keep me safe, and I with them.

I set up Claire in the room opposite to me, I give her plenty of blankets duvets and ask Terry to make sure the heating is on. I tell Claire to wake me up if there's any problems. She agrees to and goes to bed. It's only late evening so I just sit with Noah with on the sofa for a while.

"You don't even know how glad I am that you're back." Laurence says. 

I chuckle. "I think I can guess." I reply. I pull Noah into a hug. 

"I love you." He says into my ear. 

"I love you too." I murmur back. I sneak a bottle of wine from our stash and we share it before falling asleep on each other.

Later, I feel myself being shaken. "Ophelia. Ophelia, sorry to wake you." Claire says. I blink several times and Claire comes into sight. 

"Yeah?" I ask. "Uhm well I've encountered some lady problems. Do you have any-" 

I jump up. "Yeah, yeah. Follow me." I say. Noah stirs. "Ophey..." he murmurs while searching around on the sofa for me. Suddenly he jumps up. "Ophe- oh." He stops, relieved. I give him a quick hug. 

"Go to bed. I'll be back in a minute." I say. 

He nods and heads towards the bed.

Luckily, the school was made for wheelchair users so Claire can get around relatively easily. We get to the office and I pull open the drawer. She grabs various items and we leave. "So how did you-" she interrupts me. 

"Don't even ask." She replies. 

I chuckle. We make our way back upstairs and I say goodnight to Claire.

I enter the bedroom and Noah is fast asleep. I slide into bed next to him and he wraps his arms around me, still asleep. I smile to myself and settle in for sleep