Complicated ✔

Ch. 2 - He's Dead?

KATHRYN’S POV

“Kathryn, wake up,” came my step-mother’s annoying voice, “now Kathryn!” “I’m up,” I shouted back as I rolled over to glare at her, “damn what’s so fucking important that I can’t sleep?!” “First off you will watch that language young lady,” she said glaring down at me, “secondly something’s going on. I need you to pack some clothes.” “What do you mean something’s going on,” I asked sitting up in bed but still glaring at her. “I mean there’s some kind of public safety announcement being aired on the TV and radios about some kind of epidemic and they’re urging for everyone to stay away from those infected,” she said before turning and walking out of my room. “Hey,” I shouted after her as she just left. I threw off my covers and followed her out of my room in nothing more than my tank top and short shorts I wore to bed last night. “What kind of safety announcement,” I asked as we came to a stop in the living room and the TV was on with people in a news room talking.

I walked to stand behind where Carl was sitting on the chair, watching as these people talked about some epidemic as they were calling it, spread across the United States. There was nothing said as to what caused it, just that for some strange reason people were dying and their corpses were being reanimated somehow. “They’re saying to head to secluded areas,” I said looking back to Lori, “or to the refugee center in Atlanta. What about Dad? He’s unconscious right now.” “Shane is as the hospital now trying to find out what’s going to happen,” Lori said calmly as she turned and headed to hers and Dad’s room to pack. “Carl,” I said turning to face him, “go pack a couple bags of clothes.” “Okay,” he said nodding before running off to his room to pack his things. After he was off in his room, I quickly ran to mine to change out of what I was wearing and into a white crop t-shirt, faded blue jeans, and my Timberland work boots Dad got me about a year ago to wear whenever I was at the station with him for the day.

After I was changed I grabbed two of my duffle bags and began stuffing them with clothes for however long we’d be stuck in that refugee camp until this all blew over. As I walked back out of my room, Lori and Carl were both walking out of theirs with bags of their own. “We’re going to go meet Shane at the hospital,” she said as she headed for the door, “find out how we’re going to get Rick up to Atlanta.” “Well let’s go then,” I said as I walked past her and out to her car. I walked outside, threw my bags in the back and climbed into the front passenger seat, waiting for her and Carl to come out and get into the car so we could go. After they climbed into the car and Lori got it started, we headed off towards the hospital and everything around us just seemed to be falling apart. I watched as our friends and neighbors shot each other, while others were eating on people. “Carl close your eyes,” I said turning around to see him staring out the window. He looked at me before nodding and quickly closing them.

LORI’S POV

I glanced over at Kathryn as she looked back to her younger brother, telling him to close his eyes so he didn’t see what was going on around us. Even though we fight constantly, she does look out for him and for that I’m grateful. “You know Kathryn,” I said after a few moments as we drew nearer to the hospital, “they’ll most likely medevac Rick to the hospital. He won’t be left behind.” I looked over at her when I didn’t get a reply, seeing her to be just staring out the front windshield and ignoring the gory scenes going on around us as we drove by. The moment I pulled into the parking lot for the hospital, before I could even stop the car, Kathryn hopped out and was running towards the door.

SHANE’S POV

How the hell was I supposed to tell Lori, Carl, and even Kathryn that Rick was dead? I quickly ran out of there, blocking off his door so that at least those things couldn’t get at him, and made my way down and out of the hospital. As I was heading to the exit, the sound of gun fire all around me, I spotted Kathryn’s reddish brown hair running into the building. “Kathryn get out of here now,” I shouted at her as she continued to run towards me. “No,” she shouted back, “not without my dad!” “Now damn it,” I shouted as she went to run by me but I quickly stuck my arm out, catching her by her waist before lifting her off her feet and dragging her out. “No,” she shouted, “not without Dad! Dad!” “I’m sorry Kathryn,” I said hating that I was about to do this, “you’re dad’s dead.” “What,” she said going slack in my arms, “no that can’t be. No! Daddy!”

KATHRYN’S POV

I continued to struggle against Shane as he pulled me out of that hospital, but my struggles weren’t as strong anymore, not after saying my dad was dead. He just couldn’t be dead, he couldn’t leave me alone with everything that’s happening now. Shane picked me up in his arms when I started to slow him down, carrying me out and back to where Lori and Carl were standing by the car waiting. It was almost like everything was muffled as I sat there in his arms, no longer struggling as I just wanted everything to end. I could just make out the sound of him telling Lori and Carl what he had told me inside an I could only imagine their reactions were the same as mine. I felt myself being sat in the car and buckled in while I continued to stare straight ahead, not seeing anything. I was virtually alone, my dad was dead and I didn’t know where my mom was at this point.

When I finally snapped back to reality, Carl was sitting next to me in the back seat while Lori and Shane were in the front and it was dark outside by now. I felt a single tear slip down my cheek as I lowered my head to look down at my hands in my lap. My dad was dead, I didn’t know where my mom was, and the only person left with me I considered family was Carl. Lifting my head up slightly, I looked over to see Carl just staring out the window with his hands on his lap. Moving my hand over, I placed it over his catching his attention instantly. He looked over at me with his sad blue eyes that we both shared from Dad before quickly unbuckling his seat belt and scooting over to the middle of the backseat so that I could wrap my arm tightly around his shoulders as he cried into mine. If I thought he had been heart broken when we found out Dad had been shot, then that was nothing compared to hearing he was dead.

The sound of Carl unfastening and then refastening his seat belt gained the attention of both Shane and Lori, Shane driving while Lori was in the passenger seat. I ignored their stares as I tried my best to comfort my brother while all I wanted to do was continue to sulk and cry over the loss of my father. I leaned my head back against the head rest while Carl continued to rest his head on my shoulder, causing me to dose off with him wrapped tightly and protectively in my arms. I could still hear the hushed whispers between Shane and Lori, and at that moment I didn’t care what they were talking about as long as they left me out of it.

LORI’S POV

As Shane continued to drive on into the night, headed to Atlanta like the broadcast said to do, I glanced back to see that Carl had moved over and was now resting his head on Kathryn’s shoulder and she was laying her head back against the headrest to the backseat. “Hey,” Shane said looking over at me to see I was watching the two in the back, “I’m doing what Rick would have wanted me to do. And that’s get you, Carl, and Kathryn to safety.” “I know Shane,” I whispered looking back up to him before turning fully around in my seat and staring out the window ahead of me, “I’m just worried how Kathryn’s going to act now that he’s gone.” “What do you mean,” he asked looking over at me as I sighed. “I really don’t think she likes me for some reason,” I said, “she gets along with Carl just fine, me it’s almost like she hates me with every bone in her body.”

“Just give her some time,” he said looking at me and grabbing my hand to give it a reassuring squeeze. “Shane she’s had 13 years. I’ve been in her life since she was 5. And ever since she was old enough to understand, she has not liked me at all. She’ll act all nice and everything when her dad was around but then soon after he was out of the house or something she’d act the way she’s been since Rick was in that coma. Shane I don’t know if I can handle her acting like that now that he’s gone and everything seems to be falling apart in the world.” “She’ll change after she finally comes to terms with the fact that you and Carl are all the family she has left. Just give it a bit more time.” I sighed and nodded before turning my attention back to the road to just stare off into space while Shane drove closer to Atlanta.