Killjoy (A Lesbian Story)

2: Ashley

The next day, I actually stayed in the hotel to get breakfast instead of immediately running over to the hospital. There was a slow flow to the residents of the hotel. It seemed as if they all took side glances of me, watching me as I walked and keeping their distance. In their eyes, there was sympathy and anxiety. Like they saw me as a sad time bomb. News spread quickly throughout the hotel like wildfire. With us being the newcomers, of course they held us at the center of their gossip. Paula was most likely the middle of it.

I ran in to her in the lobby. She was running around rolling baskets of laundry on a cart. As she looked to see me, she almost turned the cart over.

"Ashley! My dear!" She wrapped her arms around me in a strong hug. She swayed me from side to side as she patted my back, "Oh I heard about everything! I am so sorry!"

I patted her back softly, "Thank you, Miss Paula. I'm doing alright."

She held me by my shoulder at arms length. Her eyes went over me, filling with the same looks that the others give me, "I'm glad to hear that, dear."

"Ashley!" Another voice called out. Trish rushed over to us and stood by her mother as Paula let me go. She looked me over, "Damn. You look like shit."

"Patricia!" Paula gasped and slapped her daughter's shoulder.

That made me laugh slightly and shake my head, "It's okay. She's right. I haven't been able to sleep that much. It's hard to."

"I get why." Trish nodded, eyeing Max's leather jacket on me, "And I don't blame you."

"Honey, you need to take care of yourself." Paula said softly, her kind eyes meeting mine. She took my hand in hers and rubbed my knuckles with her thumb, "Can't do any good on an empty stomach and no sleep."

Trish hooked her arm with mine, "I'll make sure she eats, Mom. She's in good hands."

"I know, sweetie." Paula winked at us and went back to her cart, "You better take care of yourself. If you pass out from exhaustion, I'll have to tan your hide."

"Yes ma'am!" I responded as she walked away and Trish started pulling me towards the cafeteria. Paula actually cared about my well being. She was motherly. More of a mother than my own mother was. It was refreshing.

We stepped in to the cafeteria, which was busy. Busier than I've ever seen it. Than again I've never really been in the cafeteria during breakfast time. Sitting at one of the tables, was that Amelia girl. She sat with a woman that looked like an older copy of her. Amelia saw me and stood up immediately.

"Any word?" She asked.

I shook my head, "Hardly. Same condition as she has been."

"Dammit." Amelia whispered softly, looking down. In the passed few days, I've only spoken to her once. She apologized to me, speaking as if it was her fault Max was infected. At the time, I was almost angry enough to blame her. Now, I can't help but feel sorry for her. With her shoulder being fucked up, she could've been infected for days. The only person to blame would be Blake and his crazy ass is dead.

"It's going to be okay." I assured her. And myself a little bit. I let a smile form on my lips to try to convince her, "She's a fighter."

"I found that out as soon as I met her." Amelia smiled softly back. She looked back at the older woman, who was sitting there patiently watching us, This is my mother. I wouldn't have made it back to her if it wasn't for Max."

"I'm Andrea." Her mother extended a hand to shake mine, "It's a pleasure to meet you, Ashley. Amelia has told me a lot about you."

"All I've heard from Max." Amelia admitted, glancing at me, "You mean a lot to her."

Imagine how she means to me.

"She means a lot to me." I nodded, steadying my gaze on her. I searched to change the subject, "How is everyone? Your people from the mall."

"We're adjusting." Amelia nodded, "We haven't seen this many people in one place since before the plague hit. It's refreshing. Comforting, almost."

That's exactly how I felt when I came here for the first time. The Homestead was a home to these people and they definitely make other people feel like they're at home at well.

"I'm glad you're family is safe here." Trish spoke up. I almost forgotten that she was there next to me. She stepped forward to shake Amelia's hand, "I'm Trish. My mother is Paula. She's the main housekeeper here. You've probably already met her."

"She showed us to our rooms." Andrea nodded with a smile, "Your mother is very kind."

"We do our best to welcome to newcomers." Trish nodded with a slight smile, "Everyone deserves to be welcomed with open arms after experiencing horrors out there."

I guess I had to agree with her. With the type of world we live in, there's got to be some kind of hospitality to keep humanity alive. People need to be kind to each other. The evil is out there, swaying and starving for brains. They're also out there in the form of crazy scientists. We have to stick together in a time like this.

It's too late, they know.

The note from the man rang in my ears. Those scientists were coming for Max. The government was coming after Grace and her team of doctors. People were coming from us at all ends.

And our only chances are comatose in the hospital.