Psych Ward Zombies (9 page)

The trio’s next obstacle was to calm the mass of panicked children. Most of the kids were crying, and at least one had soiled himself. Dave was clearly terrible at telling lies and Chester seemed to scare the kids more than calming them. Janet intervened and instructed all the kids to sit at one of the cafeteria tables.

“Do you kids remember my story about the fairy princess and the zombies?” she asked. The crowd nodded and mumbled, meekly affirming that they recalled the story. “Well, I have a secret to share. You have to promise to tell no one. This is a Super Secret.”

Janet knew kids generally like to hear secrets, but their reaction suggested they were too upset to be intrigued by the mystery.

“Does everyone promise to keep the secret?” There were a few weak murmurs of agreement, which was good enough for Janet. “Okay. The secret is that I am that fairy princess. I have taken a human form and have come to Earth to help the human race.” The kids stared at her blankly, but Janet was bolstered by the fact that she had their attention at least.

“My name is, uh, Farielle. I am accompanied by my sidekicks.” She pointed to Dave. “Here we have Vomitus the Elf. He possesses the power of incredible speed, endowed by his fairy slippers.” Janet drew the kids’ attention to Dave’s unusual footwear.

Dave scowled at Janet.
“I’m not an elf. I’m a dwarf, dammit. A dwarf.”

Janet
ignored the comment and waved her hand toward Chester. “And I have also brought a very special companion.” Chester stuck his chest out with an air of pride. He expected to be introduced as a famous professional wrestler. Janet continued, “Everybody say hello to Gorgus the Ogre! His unusual power is the ability to create massive winds of smelly gas with his bootie!”

Several of the kids cheered. Chester’s pride deflated like a whoopee cushion. Sensing her momentum, Janet kept going, “We are here to battle the evil zombies. Fear not, for we will protect you with our magical powers! I will now cast a magic spell of protection on you.
”

Janet had slipped some packets of artificial sweetener from the table into her hand. Tearing the packets open, she sprinkled the sweetener on the heads of the children. She began to chant, as if casting a spell. “Magic Fairy Dust! Protect these kids with your wonderful and powerful
... uh... magic!” She finished by blowing a small cloud of the powder into the air from her palm. Half the kids smiled, while the other half rubbed the stinging powder from their eyes. Although a couple of the kids still had a look of fear on their faces, Janet had succeeded in calming almost everyone. She knew children will generally follow the crowd. As long as the majority were under control, she expected the group to do fine.

“Now, you kids stay right here. Vomitus, Gorgus, and I are going to step over here and talk about some fairy business,” she said, turning to the other adults and pointing to a corner by the serving area. The three convened in a huddle away from the kids
.

Once in the corner, Dave began, “Nice job with the kids, Janet. I don’t really like my elf name though.”

“You’ll get over it.” Janet was unsympathetic.

“Yeah, I guess we have other things to worry about,” Dave said. “We need to decide on how we’re going to keep these kids safe.” His statement was punctuated by a banging noise coming from the door to E Ward, from whence they just arrived. The tables that had been pushed against the door did not seem to be a long-term solution.

Janet summarized their predicament. “There’s no way out of the hospital until the power is restored. We don’t know if anyone is even aware of the power being out, since we’ve lost all contact with town. The morning shift will be here in a few hours, but they won’t be able to get into the building until the power gets fixed. So we have to keep ourselves out of trouble until then, and nobody knows how long that will be.”

They all turned to look at the table full of children. The kids stared back, their faces showing signs of uncertainty. Janet gave a fake smile and waved at the kids like a homecoming queen on a parade float. A few of the kids waved back.

Dave spoke up. “There are two doors to this room. That means we have an exit path if one of the doors gets breached, but it also means we have to defend two fronts. With just three adults, that’s going to be pretty difficult.”

“What are you saying?” Chester asked.

“I think we’re probably better off looking for a more defensible space. I’ve got an idea that might work.”

“We’re all ears,” Janet replied. Neither she nor Chester had any good ideas at the moment.

“Well, when I was trapped outside on the playscape earlier I noticed that the zombies had a really hard time climbing up things like ladders. I’ll bet they would have problems with stairs too. What do you guys think about going to higher ground, like the Administration Tower?”

Chester had never been in the Administration Tower, but Dave and Janet knew that access to the upper level was only by the elevator or by a tight stairwell. With the power out, that meant the stairs were the only way to get there
.

Janet agreed with the plan. “That seems like a reasonable idea. Even if we have to fight, it will be easier if we have the height advantage.” Chester could not argue with the logic, so he agreed by default. From the cafeteria it would only be a short distance to the stairwell, which was located by the hospital lobby
.

Dave hoped the zombies had all gathered by the door to E Ward and would not be milling around by the Administration Tower. The continued banging at the E Ward door indicated that at least some of the zombies were playing along with his plan. Dave carefully approached the door to E Ward and tried to peer through without getting too close. He wanted to estimate how many of the zombies were still in that area. However, he could not get a good look, and his presence by the door intensified the efforts of the zombies trying to push their way into the cafeteria
.

Janet re-joined the children and told them of the plan to seek refuge in the “Queen’s Tower”. She said it was an enchanted place where zombies could not enter. The kids were told they would have to make a quick sprint down the corridor and then they would all be safe in the tower. The children were initially reluctant to leave the cafeteria, since there were no zombies inside this room at the moment. They soon changed their minds when they saw the face of a zombie who had succeeded in pushing his head through the doorway from E Ward
.

The adult
s knew the zombies would be completely through that door soon, so they quickly gathered the children and directed them to the far side of the cafeteria. Here, the other door led to the central hospital area. Dave slowly pulled this door open and peeked outside. Although the hallway was nearly dark, no zombies were visible in the area around the door.

Dave stuck his finger in front of his lips and whispered, “Okay everybody, walk quickly but quietly to the next hallway on your left. Don’t make any noise.”

The children began to exit the cafeteria in single file. In the midst of their orderly progression, the zombie who was pushing his way into the cafeteria shoved aside one of the tables that had been blocking the entrance. This allowed the door from E Ward to open completely, and zombies began to pour in. The children saw this and began screaming. They stampeded through the door, pushing and battering one another as they went. Panic spread like wildfire. The adults tried to calm the children again but the image of a marauding zombie behind them was too much to overcome. The sound of hysterical shrieks and bawling filled the corridor, drawing the attention of numerous hungry ghouls who had been lurking in the shadows of the central hospital area.

As the scattered group approached the stairwell to the Administration Tower, several zombies emerged from the darkness. The zombies seemed to be moving much more quickly than Dave expected. Perhaps the ten little screaming appetizers were giving the zombies a boost of motivation. Dave yelled to the kids, “Run up the stairs and don’t stop until you get to the very top!” The last child started up the stairs just as the zombies began to close in. Dave pushed Janet and Chester ahead of him on the stairs, staying at the bottom until his friends had passed by
.

One of the zombies lurched ahead of the others. He was moving with surprising agility and seemed to dwarf the smaller zombies around him. Dave noticed the large zombie’s left hand appeared mangled. The zombie hurled himself forward and reached out for Dave, just as Dave ascended the first several stairs. Dave winced, expecting a clawed hand to tear through his back and rip out his kidneys in one motion. As he bounded up the stairs he looked back and saw that the huge creature had tripped on the first stair and fallen face first onto the steps. The fall had busted out many of the zombie’s teeth, but the huge zombie did not seem to notice or care. It arched its back upward and continued reaching for Dave, although by now Dave was safely beyond reach
.

Dave paused on the first landing of the staircase, examining the monster and the rest of the zombies who had now amassed at the foot of the stairs. Dave chuckled to himself, quite proud of his discovery that zombies were unable to perform complex climbing movements. He wagged his butt in front of the mob, teasing them. He yelled, “Come and get me, suckas!”

His feeling of amusement was replaced by a sharp jolt of terror as he noticed the partially-eaten torso of the largest zombie. Dave stared, wide-eyed, at the restraint cuffs on the zombie’s ankles. He recognized the creature as Luther. Dave was astonished that Luther had freed himself from the restraints and from the locked room. Dave had started to grow complacent with the apparent mindlessness of the zombies, but Luther seemed to possess a dangerous degree of resourcefulness. Dave shuddered, glanced again to make sure none of the zombies were following him up the stairs, and scrambled to the second floor.

The kids and adults gathered at the top of the stairs in an open reception area. This room seemed far more elaborate than the rest of the hospital, with fine furniture, expensive decor, and various luxury items. Much of the room was lined with large windows. A carved mahogany secretary’s desk was situated along one side of the room. In the middle of the room, a leather couch and two over-stuffed leather chairs surrounded a low table. A number of travel magazines were neatly arranged atop the table. Various potted plants were placed in the corners, and a water cooler was positioned just to the right of the elevator doors. On the far side of the area was a large wooden door with ornate framing. A placard on the wall beside the door said, “Medical Director”.

Chester spoke up, “That must be Doctor Devlin’s office.”.

Janet patted the big man on the back. “Brilliant deduction, Sherlock,” she said, eliciting a good-natured scowl from Chester.

The kids scattered around the room. Some huddled on the couch, while others were drawn to the windows. It was still dark, but the faint moonlight provided some modest visibility outside the building. Dave put his palms on the glass and peered down at the roof of the main hospital building. His eyes followed the rooftop, with its various pipes and utility boxes, to the edge. Beyond the edge of the roof lay the parking lot and the woods. The cars in the parking lot and the vastness of the woods both represented freedom. All that lay between Dave and freedom was half an inch of unbreakable glass. Dave’s hands were pressed flat against the pane, but it felt like they were curled around iron bars
.

He cast his gaze to the north and saw the outline of the old hospital building standing like a giant mausoleum in the moonlight. A tiny glimmer of light caught his eye. He put his hands to the side of his face, shielding his eyes from any reflection of the interior emergency lights behind him. He saw a twinkle in a window of the fifth floor of the old hospital. It was a small light, with the cool white hue of an LED. Dave knew the electricity to the old building had been shut off almost a year ago, so if it were an LED light it would most likely be battery-operated. Dave suspected someone was inside the old building with a flashlight or small lamp
.

Dave pounded on the glass and waved his arms frantically. The old hospital building was too far away for anyone to hear any of his rapping on the window, but he hoped that whoever was there might notice his movement in the tower window. As he jumped and waved, he shouted to the others that a potential rescuer was outside. Janet, Chester, and the kids joined in the effort to draw attention. The light did not move, nor was there any indication that anyone was noticing their frenzied movements. After several minutes, the group’s enthusiasm waned with the realization that there was no sign of life other than the small light
.

With a cloud of defeat hanging over his head, Dave walked back to the stairwell. He was concerned that all the yelling and activity might have spurred the zombies to climb the stairs. He listened for footsteps or breathing, but heard nothing. He crept down the stairs as slowly and quietly as possible. As he approached the landing, he peered over the side of the railing at the zombies on the ground floor. Most of them were milling around, seemingly lacking any purpose. One zombie, Luther, stood stationary at the foot of the stairs looking up at Dave with cold determination. His eyes locked with Dave’s, and Dave somehow knew that this particular creature was not nearly as mindless as the shuffling beasts around him. Despite being clouded over, Luther’s eyes still conveyed a crude sense of cunning
.

Dave hurried back to the top of the stairs, but Luther continued to look fixedly to the place where Dave had stood. His eyes slowly drifted down to the stairs in front of him. His decaying body remained still, but the primitive parts of his brain remained active. A small spark of an idea emerged in his cortex,
and then flickered out. The idea struggled to re-ignite in his damaged brain, resulting in tiny glimpses of feet landing on stair treads. These images were random and broken into irregular chunks like pieces of a jigsaw puzzle. The pieces of this puzzle were scattered about Luther’s afflicted mind and he could not put them together. But, as with the restraint room, Luther possessed the patience that comes with being set free from the responsibilities of mortal life. He had the rest of his undead existence to work on this problem.

Meanwhile, Chester advanced on the door to Devlin’s office. He had heard Devlin was eccentric, and his past interactions with the doctor had made him suspect the old man was losing his grip. This opinion was further supported by Chester’s discovery of a padlock on the outside of the door. The lock was the simple kind found at most hardware stores, secured to the door and frame with a thick metal bracket. The shiny metal bracket was installed with tamper-proof screws. It sat slightly askew and clearly had not been installed by someone who took pride in their work. It looked as if it had been installed in a hurry. The lock set-up seemed particularly out of place in this rather luxurious setting of fine carpet, leather furniture, and ornate interior trim work
.

“Hey Dave, come look at this,” Chester called
.

Dave walked over to examine the lock. “What the heck is that?”

Chester had never been particularly adept at the fine art of recognizing rhetorical questions. “It’s a lock,” he replied.

Dave gave Chester a pained look. “Why wouldn’t he just use the normal lock? Who would want to break into his office anyway?” Dave did not really care what Devlin kept in his office at the moment. There were bigger fish to fry. He grabbed Chester by the arm and tugged him tow
ard the center of the room. “Come on, help me push the couch and chairs in front of the stairwell. I’m pretty sure the zombies won’t climb the stairs, but I can’t guarantee it.”

Chester and Dave shoved the heavy couch in front of the stairs and piled the chairs on top. This essentially sealed off the doorway leading from the stairwell. Some of the kids were sitting on the floor while others climbed atop the secretary’s desk. Chester shooed the children off the desk and slid it across the floor in front of the couch and chairs. Janet handed out small paper cups of water dispensed from the water cooler
.

The area had been secured. The group felt safe from the zombies at the bottom of the stairs, and if any zombies happened to climb the stairs they would be stopped by the barrier of heavy furniture. The only other way to enter the tower was via the elevator, but there was no chance it would be operational before they were all rescued. They had water and the kids would be able to nap fairly comfortably on the room’s carpet.
The children had begun settling down, and several were already asleep.

Dave sighed and let himself relax a little knowing everyone was safe. He sat on the floor with his back resting against the wall. Janet and Chester joined Dave in his seat on the floor. No one talked for a while. They just enjoyed the quiet and the feeling of security. The entire room was quiet, aside from the soft snoring of the sleeping children
.

Chester turned to both Dave and Janet. “If we get out of this, the first thing I’m going to do is call my momma,” he said. “I haven’t been in touch like I should have been.”

The group sat in mute contemplation for a while, letting Chester’s words linger in the air. Janet eventually offered her own thoughts.

“I think I’m going to start spending some of the money my parents left me.
And I’ll start by buying the doc here some new shoes.”

Her attempt at humor was lost on Dave. He sat slouched against the wall, staring at his feet.

“I know what I’ll do if I make it out of here alive,” he said bitterly. “I’m going to burn this place down and piss on the ashes.”

With that, the conversation ended. The group slipped back into silence.

Several minutes later, they heard the faint sound of someone calling out for help. The voice had come from behind Devlin’s door and was so muffled that the words were almost unintelligible.

The three adults jumped to their feet and took defensive stances. Dave tiptoed over to the Devlin’s office. He held his ear to the door and listened intently. From beyond the door came a faint shuffling noise, like someone walking on thick carpet. The muted voice appealed for help again. Chester and Janet joined Dave by the door
.

Dave thought out loud, “Maybe the lock isn’t to keep someone out of his office. Maybe the lock is to keep someone inside!” He yelled toward the door, “Who’s there?”

A weak voice from beyond the door answered, “It’s me! Horton!”

Dave felt a sense of urgency. His friend was in trouble and sounded like he was hurt
.

“Hang tight! We’ll get you out!” Dave shouted. The three adults scanned the room, looking for some way to circumvent the lock. There were no windows into Devlin’s office from this room, so the door was the only means of access
.

Dave pulled a drawer out of the secretary’s desk and dumped it on the floor. He reached into the pile of office supplies and produced a pair of heavy-duty scissors. He also grabbed a bulky metal paperweight. He jabbed the sharp end of the scissors into the gap between the bracket and the door, and then hammered it in tightly with the paperweight. The scissors were now wedged snugly between the bracket and door, with the sharp end of the scissors sticking out the bottom
.

He pulled the water tank from the top of the water cooler and
set it aside. Dave grunted, yanking the refrigeration compressor free of the cooler and setting it beside the water tank. What now remained was the cooler’s metal stand. It stood about three feet tall, and was constructed of tubular steel. Dave carried the metal stand over to the door and turned it upside-down. His companions watched in bewilderment.

Sliding one of the tubular legs over the sharp end of the scissors, Dave created a large lever between the bracket and door. He stooped to grasp the cooler stand at its lowest point. “Why worry about the lock, when you can just break the bracket?” he grunted, pulling on the cooler stand with all his might. The bracket bent a little but held tight. Dave tugged, jerked, and even put his foot against the door to get more leverage. Nothing budged. His plan had failed.

Chester stepped forward and proceeded to nudge Dave out of the way. “I’ve got this, Doc,” he said with an air of absolute confidence. Chester grasped the metal stand, bent at the hips and knees, and set his jaw. He gritted his teeth and attempted to stand upright. His eyes bulged, and it looked like he might pop a brain aneurysm at any second. However, Chester’s knees slowly straightened and he rose to his full height. The movement was accompanied by a splintering noise from the door and bracket. The screws holding the bracket to the door pulled free, leaving the lock and bracket dangling loosely from the door frame.

Dave gave Chester a smile of gratitude and stepped forward to open the door. The door did not budge. The padlock had been removed, but the door’s handle was still locked.

“Great,” Dave grumbled.

Chester dropped the metal stand and started backing away from the door. He held his head down like a bull about to charge. “I’ll bust it down,” he said. “Y’all stand back.”

Janet stepped in front of Chester and put her arm out to stop him. Without saying a word, she strode over to the door and inserted a key in the lock. With a turn and a click, the door was now fully unlocked. Janet looked back at her friends and shrugged impishly. “The key was in the secretary’s drawer.”

Dave stepped back to the door and grabbed the door handle. He alerted Horton of their entrance. “We’re coming in!”

Horton yelled back, his voice still muffled, “Wait! The other doctors are here...”

Dave did not grasp the meaning of his friend’s warning. He assumed Horton was trying to share good news. The idea of having additional reinforcements seemed like a good thing. Dave twisted the door knob and pushed the door open. In his mind, he would be waltzing into the room like an action hero who had just saved the day. He expected his fellow physicians to swarm around him and give him hearty pats on the back. He thought they might even carry him around on their shoulders. Dave stepped into the room to receive his celebration.

Doctors Golski and Hassan rushed toward him. Dave instinctively held out his arms to hug his rescued colleagues. He shut his eyes, savoring the moment. His sense of sight may have been temporarily out of order, along with his common sense, but his olfactory perception remained intact. Just as the two doctors converged on him, his brain was triggered by the pungent odor of decayed human flesh. Unfortunately, the trigger came too late for Dave to react.