D E A D H E A D

Chapter 14

The group cleaned up the mess and disposed of Jason's body in a proper manner. Peter went back into the room where the horrific events happened to get away from everyone and to clear his head. He grabbed the pillow from off the bed and muffled his pain and agony with it. After he was finished he went to go check on Zora.

Zora was in the cafeteria staring at all the loved one's names graffitied on the wall, holding back the urge to breakdown.

"You don't have to if you're not ready," Peter said while coming up from behind her.

"Jason's name should be up there," she replied. "How does someone that doesn't have diabetes end up getting gangrene and the one who does is perfectly fine?"

"Luck wasn't on his side I guess."

"Wow, harsh."

"Sorry"

"I can't do this anymore. I'm losing everyone I care about in the cruelest ways possible. I'm all alone at this point."

"That isn't true. You have me and everyone else."

"It's not the same." A tear started to trickle down Zora's cheek. "I wish that there was something I've could've done or said to stop all this from happening."

"Zora, we are not equipped to handle the infection that Jason had and we sadly can't change what happened in the past."

"I wish we could."

"Jason was going to die either way. It was better that he gracefully died fast then suffer." Peter's words are now turning into reassurance for himself. Peter and Zora heard a loud thump.

"Here we go again," Zora groaned while taking a weapon with her to investigate the noise. Peter came with. They thought the noise came from the teacher's lounge and when they looked into the window they saw a group of strangers. Then they felt a tap on their shoulder. Zora whipped around and held up her crowbar.

"Guys! It's me!" Nelson reassured with his hands in the air. "I got them." Nelson held out the antibiotics with a heroic expression. Zora nor Peter's looked amused.

"Jason's dead," Peter informed. Nelson was taken back from the news. His face growing to disappointment.

"I was taking my time loading up on candy while Jason was dying." Nelson turned his back to them a punched a locker, leaving a dent.

"Hey! Don't beat yourself up. Jason needed a hospital if you would've came back an hour earlier, the results were still going to be the same," Peter said.

"What I want to know is who the hell are the four strangers in our teacher's lounge?" Zora asked in frustration.

"You mean the survivors I came across? They needed a place to stay," Nelson replied.

"So you thought to bring them here?" Zora asked.

"I wasn't just gonna leave them in the drugstore."

"We have limited resources and we don't even know them," Peter added. Peter drugged Nelson to a more appropriate place to talk with him. Zora went into the lounge and she was immediately interrogated.

"So, you've been here this whole time? Since the explosion?" Jessica asked. Zora nodded.

"Where have you guys been?" Zora asked.

"I was at the hardware store when it happened. I warned people not to go out but I guess people can't think straight when under pressure," Liam said.

"It was like living in your worst nightmare," Ashly said.

"Nightmares are better than this," Jess commented. Mike walked into the room.