The Virus by Lee, Damien (summer books txt) 📕

“Now all three of us are stuck,” Ben said.

“So what do you suggest we do now?” Terry retorted, turning on Ben once more. “We have no way of getting out of here and we’re surrounded by zombies.”

“Well, there are only two ways off this floor. We can either call the lift or take our chances down the staircase.”

Amy didn’t favour either option.

“Don’t be stupid.” Terry spat. “Both will get us killed. We can go down in the lift and die, or, we could take the stairs and die.”

“You got any other ways off this floor?”

“Yeah. We can break a window and climb down a drainpipe.”

Ben burst out laughing. “Now I know you’re kidding. That might work for Amy, but I doubt the plastic drainpipes could support your fat arse.”

“Fine!” Terry snapped. “Then let’s just stay here and starve to death. Either that, or we could resort to a bit of cannibalism; those guys seem to like it!”

“Sounds good to me! Why don’t we start by eating you, you fat bastard. You could keep us going for weeks!”

“Stop!” Amy yelled, jumping between the two men who had almost come to blows. “We need to think clearly, otherwise we’re going to end up killing each other.”

“That’s fine by me,” Terry said. “It looks like it’s survival of the fittest anyway.”

He paced over to the elevator and pressed the call button. Amy watched the illuminated figures increase as Ben strode over to him.

“Survival of the fittest? You won’t last five minutes on your own.”

A prompt ding announced the elevator’s arrival. The doors slid open.

“We’ll see.”

Terry turned to enter the carriage, only to be grabbed by the eviscerated corpse they had disposed of earlier. Ben jumped back in surprise as the zombie seized Terry.

“Help!” he stammered, struggling against the creature’s grasp. Ben lunged forward, pushing the eager corpse away from its victim. In a fit of rage, the snarling attacker whirled around. It ran at Ben, but was met with a forceful right-hook, sending it reeling into the wall. It collapsed in a heap.

“You got the fucker,” Terry gasped, rushing over to the downed corpse. He booted it in the head.

“Terry, stop,” Ben said, but the warning fell on deaf ears as the man continued to stamp on the corpse.

“Try to bite me?” He snarled through kicks.

“Get away from it!”

Finally, as the sound of cracking bones rose from the corpse, Terry ceased his brutal assault. Breathing heavily, he turned back towards the pair.

“Why? I had to make sure it was dead.”

“We don’t know what kills these things.”

“Relax, he’s dead.”

As if to mock Terry’s judgment, the zombie lurched forward and tore into his leg. His screams made Amy’s hair stand on end. Both she and Ben rushed over, kicking out at his assailant. Its grip on Terry was lost and it rolled onto its back. In an instant, Ben stamped on its head. Once. Twice, with the third time crushing its face inwards. The movements ceased, but Ben kept stomping.

Terry staggered away from the elevator, whimpering as blood poured from his leg. Amy helped him to the ground.

“You’re going to be okay,” she said as he lay back against the floor.

She delicately rolled up his trouser leg. The wound was the size of a tennis ball and was close to the bone. She looked over at Ben, who continued to stamp on the head of the corpse. Its features had been smashed into a bloody pulp, the skull shattered into fragments.

“Ben, I need your help over here!”

She took off her cardigan and wrapped it around Terry’s wound. The white fabric instantly shone red as the blood seeped through.

“What do you need?” Ben panted.

“I need gauze and bandages.”

“We haven’t explored this floor yet. There might be more of them.”

“I need bandages otherwise he could die.” She whispered through gritted teeth. They looked down at Terry. His face had adopted a pale white hue, his breath laboured.

“Okay, I’ll go,” Ben said. “Where will I find them?”

“Look for a supply trolley, I need gauze, bandages and sterile water.”

Ben nodded and rushed away, leaving Amy with the stricken man. She crouched beside him.

“Stay conscious, Terry.”

“It hurts,” he mumbled, his eyes beginning to falter.

“I know. Ben has gone to get bandages. In the meantime, focus on your breathing. I want you to take slow, steady breaths.”

She monitored his inhalations, breathing in time with him as the man began to calm.

An almighty bang echoed around the ward. The pair flinched. Amy stared at the barricaded door. Another crash shook it in its frame, causing the metal cabinet to rock.

“What the hell is that?” Terry gasped. He tried to look up as a third strike echoed around the room, louder than ever.

“Shit!” Ben sprinted past the door holding a handful of materials. “They’re going crazy out there.”

Amy tried not to listen as she gathered the supplies. She flushed the wound with the sterile water, causing Terry to hiss in pain.

“We’re nearly done,” she said, raising her voice to be heard over the clamour. She packed the wound with gauze before wrapping it in bandages. Satisfied the blood was no longer seeping through, she looked around the ward and saw an upturned wheelchair in the corner.

“Ben, I need that wheelchair.”

He nodded and duly retrieved it before helping Amy lift the wounded man. Terry hissed in pain as they lowered him into the chair, but the crescendo of blows from the door drowned out his protests.

“We need to do something fast,” Ben said. “That door won’t hold much longer.”

Amy followed his gaze and found the door buckling. Even as she looked on, the upper part started to crack.

“Damn!”

 Ben darted over and pressed his weight against the cabinet, using