Survival Inc.

Chapter Thirteen

I reach my arms under my sister and gently pick her up, mumbling an apology as she winces and groans in pain due to her still-injured shoulder. I softly set her on her feet and, gripping her own shoulder, she makes her way to our mother, shock and indescribable awe written all over her face. Tears are leaking from her eyes, and a few feet away from where are mother stands, she lets out a sob and lurches forward, into our mom's arms, crying hard.

A reassuring hand squeezes my shoulder and I glance back, with my own tears in my eyes, to see Tucker standing there. He gives me a face that says 'Go to her.' I comply and rush to my sister and mother, wrapping my arms around them and holding tightly, letting the tears flow stronger.

"Over two years mom... two years..." I say after at least two minutes, pulling away. "Please tell me what happened."

"I couldn't stand not knowing where you were. Losing a child... I had to find you, but after combing the city, my heart broken, and I went back home to find your father d-dea...," she pauses. "... and your sister gone, along with a ton of supplies... I thought I wasn't going to make it. A group found me in the city, and we made our way through the states to here. Most of the doctors here were already gone because this is probably where the infection hit the hardest. We only had about twenty real doctors, but they are working on... other problems... They got word that someone... good... was taking care of the emergency patient, which I just found out was my little Riley." 

"I looked for so long... I found Riley, and didn't. Stop. Looking. A year of looking... I gave up, and I learned to accept the loss, and when we left, I had already pushed any thought of you out of my mind," I say wiping tears from my face. "I'm so happy we've gotten you back."

"I'm happy, too. Now, get your sister back in bed and get on out here, we have preparations for the feast tomorrow," she says and I look at her in shock.

"There's that much food?!" I gasp and she smiles at me.

"Nashlie, you've read too much zombie fiction where they have no food or it's scarce, this is real life, we have stores and houses that were stocked, as well as hotel stock rooms and things along those lines. Along with food, we have moved every medical object of importance to this hospital, and have put all survivors in the closest hotels. One is full, the other is filling, and we are considering opening another. Since we don't know how long we will be here, we are keeping the food in one specific place."

I nod and look at my sister. She is holding her shoulder and a sweat is starting to seep out on her forehead. My arms wrap around her in a hug and I pick her up and place her on the hospital bed to make sure she's okay. After getting all of the monitors back attached to her, I give her one last hug before walking into the hallway to meet Tucker and my mother.

Once we get to the parking lot, I remember my phone. No, I don't expect to actually contact anyone, it's just nice to have it in my hand.

"I've gotta go back for my phone. It's in my hospital room. Just... send someone to get me, I might be a while," I say and they look at each other warily before nodding.

Upon reaching my room, I see a man standing out in the hall. His eyes lock with mine and I notice the gun in his hand. My heart takes over before my head and I throw myself to the door, slamming it open and jump onto him, eventually kicking the gun out of his hand and let go landing on the ground and I grab it. The man lunges at me, but I chuck the gun at the window with all the strength I can muster. It shatters the window and the gun falls.

I duck out of the man's grasp with my heart now racing. I uppercut his jaw and he stumbles back, but returns with a punch. I dodge for the most part, but his fist collides with my bullet wound and I yelp in pain, realizing he has a ring on, and it cut. He glares at me, pulling out a knife and says, "I'm not going to do anything wrong! I'm taking care of someone in this hall! It's under direct orders from our leader!"

"What? Let me come," I demand, clenching my side inconspicuously.  I look down and notice a dark crimson seeping into my shirt, but I curl the bloodied edge of the shirt up in my hand and follow the man down the hallway. We stop at the room before my sister's. 208.

A cruel looking man is sitting in his hospital bed reading a dark red book.

"Our leader-" the man I fought with starts.

"My mother," I interrupt and glare at him, clenching my teeth to prevent any more signs of pain.

"This man has done some awful things. Crimes are not acceptable in the New World, and our leader, your mother, has ordered me to kill him."

"The New World? What- how- okay, what?!" I exclaim.

"I thought your mother would've told you. Where she was a nurse, she and her very intelligent fellow surgeons decided that humanity in the United States needs to turn over a new leaf, and they started this plague." he says and looks me dead in the eye.

"All hail the New World."