Journal of the Undead (Book 1): Littleville Uprising (37 page)

“For God’s sake, Emma. Put that thing down before you shoot someone,” the grungy man muttered, “and go get Kate.”

“Major Stone? Is that you?”

Stumbling, the major fell forward, clutching the wall. Rushing to his side, Emma caught him firmly around the waist to stop him from falling to the floor. She helped Major Stone into the exam room and sat him in a chair.

“You’re bleeding. Let me take a look.”

“Never mind that, go get Kate.”

“Let’s get you cleaned up first. If Kate sees you like this, she’ll be worried. Besides,” Emma added, wrinkling her nose, “you really need a shower.”

Frank chuckled, agreeing it would be best to wash up before seeing Kate. To appease Emma, he allowed her to remove his bandages and check his wounded shoulder. His stitches remained intact though there had been a considerable amount of seepage.

“Most likely it’s from exertion,” Emma determined. While applying new bandaging, she managed to check some of the major’s vital signs. She covered the wounded area with plastic wrap to keep it dry during Frank’s shower and he promised to keep that shoulder away from the shower spray. Since each of the exam rooms had been equipped with a full bathroom, Frank didn’t need to go far to shower. He found shaving cream and a razor in the cabinet. Emma handed Frank a hospital gown and matching pajama bottoms along with towels and a washcloth. He objected to the hospital gown and insisted that she find him some regular clothes.

“I’ll find you something,” Emma lied.

Once Major Stone disappeared into the bathroom, she punched the lock code into the panel by the door and sat down. Telling the major he would not be able to see his family for three days filled her with anxiety. When he returned, Frank was shocked and a little angry to see Emma sitting on the stool where he’d left her.

“Emma! Why are you still sitting there? You were supposed to find me some clothes and get Kate.”

“I’m afraid I can’t do that, sir. It’s against protocol. All outsiders have to be quarantined for at least three days.”

“I am not an outsider!” Frank spat angrily. “I helped build this place and, in case you forgot, that’s
my
family you’ve been staying with these past few months!”

“That’s not what I meant. Outsiders, hmm, it’s not a very friendly term, is it? We’ve been saying that for a while. Anyone who hasn’t been living here inside the cabin from the beginning is being called an outsider—I’m afraid that includes you. It’s for our safety. We have to make sure you’re not sick or carrying any germs.”

“Oh for heaven’s sake! I’m not sick, Emma.” Frank sounded annoyed as he crossed the room and tried to open the door. Attempting to regain his composure, Frank took a deep breath.

“Unlock the door and let me out.”

Emma’s eyes pleaded with the major for understanding. Instead, he glared at her and repeated his demand to open the door. Hoping to trick her, the major softened his expression.

“You’ve been here in the room with me and you’re just fine.”

Sighing, Emma replied that she would also be quarantined and, undoubtedly, Doc would be livid. She’d failed to follow initial protocol by not protecting herself with a mask, gown, and gloves. When the major started to fall, Emma had rushed to his aid instead.

Every tactic employed by the major to coerce Emma to do his bidding failed. She ignored polite requests, defied harsh orders, and even the threat be removed from Evan did not dissuade her from adhering to protocol. Emma knew she had let Doc down and she refused to make it worse by endangering the lives of their entire community.

“Major, you of all people should understand that I have to follow orders. It’s only three more days so, please, just let me do my job,” Emma pleaded as she gathered a specimen cup along with some tubes and a syringe from the cabinet. “I just need to draw some blood and we’ll need a urine sample.”

“How many times do I have to tell you? I’m fine!”

“I’m sure the Pilgrims thought the same thing but that didn’t really work out so well for the Native Americans, did it?” Emma muttered. “They had no idea they were carrying smallpox, measles, mumps, and the bubonic plague. It nearly decimated the indigenous population. God only knows what you’ve been exposed to out there!”

“Damn it, Emma! You open this door right now or else!” Frank ordered as he rattled the knob and slammed his fists against the door.

Emma couldn’t look the major in the eye. She knew the heartache of being separated from family. In a last ditch attempt to make Emma comply, Major Stone glared hatefully at his captor.

“I could snap your neck in seconds and there’d be nothing you could do about it.”

The color drained from Emma’s face as she took a fearful step backward. Her wide eyes glistened with unshed tears. A frightened voice inside her head whimpered,
I don’t want to die
. Filled with shame, Frank sighed heavily. He took a step forward, his arm outstretched to offer comfort.

“Emma,” Frank said, as soothingly as his gruff voice could allow. “I’m sorry.”

Panicked, Emma’s hand plunged into the deep pocket of her lab coat. In a flash, a Taser connected with bare skin on the major’s outstretched arm. As he fell to the floor, Frank wondered how many weapons were stashed in her pockets.

Knowing she had only a moment to act, Emma pulled a tube from her pocket and withdrew a pre-filled syringe. She yanked the cap from the tip of the syringe, plunged it into Frank’s deltoid muscle, and injected the full dose. Emma jumped away from the major’s sprawled body and waited for the medication to take effect. With her eyes fixed on the second hand of her watch, Emma counted down the seconds. She checked the major’s breathing and heart rate before running to the storage room for the lift. Emma rolled his limp body onto the straps and raised him up onto the bed. She bound his arms and legs in restraints and attached them to the bed rails.

“Major, I injected you with a mild neuromuscular blocker. The paralysis will wear off soon, but in the meantime I’ll be monitoring your heart rate and respiration. I’m also going to start an IV and draw labs before I patch up that gash on your head.”

Setting the vials on the counter, she knew she needed to notify Doc immediately. She would need his help once the injection wore off. Emma unhooked the small walkie-talkie from her waistband and hoped Doc’s was turned on.

A month prior, the use of the handheld communicators had been implemented in the cabin and this was the first time Emma had needed to use hers. She and Doc had worked out an emergency code to prevent panic over the airwaves. Doc knew Evan would come running if Emma called for help and that wasn’t necessarily the best thing. She nervously selected the correct channel and called Doc’s name. A crackle of static was the only reply and Emma’s heart sank. With no reply after her second attempt, she switched to the main channel to try again.

“Emma, I told you Doc was resting,” Ray’s voice broke through the static. “Is everything okay?”

“Um, yeah,” Emma lied. “I was studying one of Doc’s manuals and I had a question.”

“Well, I think you’ve done enough today,” Evan broke in. “Call it a day, Emma.”

“I think there’s too much chatter on the line,” Doc grumbled. “But if you want to call it a day, Emma, go right ahead.”

“Doc!” Emma exclaimed. “Thank God.” Controlling the worry in her voice, Emma spoke quickly. “I was studying your protocol manual and I have a question on page 505.” Emma prayed Doc remembered their code. They had both agreed that using 911 as a code was far too obvious. The number 505 slightly resembled S.O.S. and seemed like a better cover.

“Page 505? That’s a complicated chapter. I’m on my way.”

Doc’s heart leapt into his throat as he ran toward the exam room. His mind raced with possible reasons for Emma’s code. Was she sick? Having a miscarriage? As he turned the corner, Doc saw the quarantine gate had been closed and he knew there was trouble. When the hospital wing was being built, Doc had Jimmy install a motorized bulletproof glass partition to seal off the back exam rooms in the event of quarantine.

Doc punched in his code to move the partition then sealed it behind him. He pulled on a mask, gown, and gloves as he rushed down the hall. Keying in the override code, Doc burst into the exam room to find Emma applying a Dermabond to the gash on the major’s forehead and looking relieved to see him.

“Well, well, I see the prodigal son has finally returned.”

Doc was elated to see his dear friend alive and well but his smile faded quickly and his brow furrowed when he saw Emma’s Taser on the counter next to an empty syringe and Frank bound in restraints. She had just placed a sterile bandage over Frank’s forehead then moved to check the stitches in his shoulder.

“Dear God! You shot Frank?” Doc gasped, seeing the bullet-sized wound in Frank’s shoulder.

Emma explained that the major’s gunshot wound had been sustained before he arrived. The gash on his head, however, happened after she used her stun gun. Doc checked the major’s heart rate and respiration then asked Emma for the rest of his vitals. Emma rattled off blood pressure, O2 saturation, temperature, and the list of tests for which she had drawn blood.

“I asked him for a urine sample but he refused.”

“This might be your lucky day then, Emma,” Doc laughed. “Frank, that son of yours has been a big help. He’s volunteered every time Emma needed a guinea pig. He’s had more labs drawn and IVs started than anyone. Sure, Matt has been bullied into his fair share, too. Even Mike and R.J. joined in, no doubt spurred by infatuation, but they all drew the line at catheterization. So, if you refuse to provide a sample, I’ll just have to let Emma learn on you.”

The effects of the injection were beginning to wear off and Frank slurred an unintelligible protest. Doc smiled, knowing Frank would have complied without the threat. Continuing to evaluate his patient, Doc ordered Frank to try to move his toes and then his fingers.

“And in your condition, why the hell don’t you have a mask and gown on?” Doc growled at Emma. “Wait, let me guess.
You forgot,
right? You’ve been awfully forgetful lately.”

Stinging from the forgetful jab, Emma hadn’t noticed Doc’s remark about her ‘condition.’ She tried to justify her lack of protective gear by explaining how the major had just appeared out of nowhere and she hadn’t had the time to suit up because she had to help when the major fell.

“I didn’t want him to get hurt.”

“An effort you negated after you tased him and he split his head open,” Doc replied sharply, and Emma’s head hung low. “Thanks to your foolishness, you’ll have to be quarantined for at least three days. In the meantime, go start those labs and, for God’s sake, put a damn mask on!”

With Emma gone, Doc was able to get the low down on the situation beyond their borders. Once the paralysis wore off, Frank relayed the dire news. In return, Doc got Frank up to speed with what had been going on at the cabin. For now, Doc chose to withhold his discovery about Emma. He had no interest in bearing the brunt of Frank’s anger, especially when Evan deserved that honor.

Emma waited at the doorway with a fluid bag for Frank’s IV. After Doc waved her in, she attached the tubing and regulated the flow.

“Now Frank, I want your word as an officer. If I remove these restraints, you’re not gonna let the kid have it for zapping you. I know she probably deserves it, but Ray’s partially to blame. He got these kids all wound up.” Then, turning to Emma, Doc continued, “You were only supposed to use that stuff if you were threatened—or in danger.”

“He said he would snap my neck,” Emma answered, never raising her eyes from the floor.

“I said I
could
. Not I would.”

Doc was aghast. “You threatened her? What the hell’s gotten into you?”

“Well, I was trying to apologize when I got hit with 50,000 volts,” Frank laughed. “You know, I tried to avoid situations like this when I came in through the emergency exit. Maybe I would have been better off strolling through the front door, but there were so many unfamiliar faces out front and I wasn’t interested in wasting time answering a bunch of questions; I just wanted to see Kate and the kids.”

Doc sighed and removed the restraints from Frank’s hands and feet. He tossed the specimen cup to Major Stone and ordered him to fill it. As Frank rose gingerly from the bed, Doc motioned for Emma to wait in the hallway and then joined her once Frank disappeared into the bathroom. Just to be safe, he punched the lock code into the keypad. Noticing that Emma was still shaken, Doc assured her that Frank would never hurt her.

“You did exactly what you were trained to do; Ray will be very proud. Now, quit moping and look at me. I need you to tell me the truth. Is Lucy down here with you? And don’t go telling me that Lucy’s not allowed in the hospital wing. I know what I told her but I also know that when I’m not in here, you let her. So, was she down here with you today?”

Emma shook her head no and insisted that she hadn’t seen Lucy all day. Doc fixed his dark eyes on Emma to search for a hint of deception, but saw only earnestness. Lines of worry etched Doc’s forehead. Just before Emma had called him, he had been in the kitchen getting coffee when he learned Lucy was missing. Casually, he informed Emma that Kate was looking for Lucy. He asked her to do a thorough search of the hospital wing.