chapter 9

As I wander away from the room that held Casey. I move from door to door in hopes of finding my family alive and well. It took longer to check the doors in the hallway. Casey could help but I needed her to rest and stay safe right now. She's been through a lot and I didn't need her to go through anymore for tonight. Tomorrow would be different but for right now she needed rest. I know I needed the same thing but I couldn't stop until I knew my family was safe. I keep looking until I stop. I heard growls and a soft cry. I was near the part of the hospital where there keep the newborn before there release to their families. Oh no, that sound cry couldn't be what I think it is. I look over the concert I was hiding behind and saw a growler pressing its head against the window.

I took in what it was wearing. It had on blue scrubs and a lad coat. This was a doctor. Must've got beat trying to save someone. I wanted to move closer to it and take it down but then stop dead in my tracks when that thing turned around. It was my brother. "Greg" I whisper to myself. I felt the water behind my eyes and I blink them away. I didn't want to think of this thing as my brother. It wasn't my brother! I took out my baton with shaky hands. I moved closer to him. The closer I got the more flashbacks I would see of us growing up. One time he and I pull some pranks on our dad and instead of yelling at us he would prank of back. Or that time we came out together. It was such a messed-up day but at the end of it we came out to each other and then we came out to our parents. I couldn't stop it the tears started to fall from my eyes. I remember the day Greg got into medical school, I was so proud of my big brother. He was doing what he wanted to. I also remember the first time I was in a shot out and I got hit in the vest and the person who saw me was him. I saw the worried look in his eyes but he keeps it profess ail until we got home. He cried his eyes out but it was just a broken rib, but I understood where his emotions were coming from. I whipped my tears away and raise my arms above my head gripping the baton hard. I swung and hit this thing that wasn't my brother anymore. Its blood sprays and hits my clothes and face. As I looked at it go down I saw my brother and I playing bad guys and robbers, I was always the robber because I was a fast runner and as we grew older instead of becoming the bad guy I was the good guy in uniform. I drooped to my knee and let the tears fall from my eyes. I grabbed his hand and held onto it as if my life depends on it. I could only hope that our parents were safe.

I still heard the soft cried of the baby that was behind the glass window. I couldn't take care of a baby, I just couldn't but I couldn't leave it either. But I couldn't take her without finding my parents and making sure we were all safe and sound. it had a pink blanket on so I'm guessing it's a 'she'. I couldn't risk her or my safety if she started crying out of nowhere. I shook the thoughts out of my head and moved on. I was about twenty feet away from where my dead brother lean when I saw her hair.

"Mom," I said. She turned around and her yes was leaking the black blood. She took off after me like a banshee coming for the dead, warning of death, she came crashing into me. I fall over with her on top of me trying to take a bit out of me. I couldn't do anything except hold her from biting me. The tears were back and all I saw was my mom taking care of me. I just saw everything she has ever done for me. From coming out and making me a rainbow beanie to helping me get through my first heartbreak. And everything in between. I just saw my mom. "Mommy!" I yelled. And this thing just tries to take another bite out of me and trying harder to skin its teeth into me. I just remember the loving women with bright brown eyes and an accent yelling at my brother and me for tracking mud throughout the house or how she cried when I first put of my police officer uniform and looked like dad. I remember how she was there when I first got hurt on the job and she worried for me but understood that I was a cop and I would willingly put myself in harm's way to help anyone. I saw the pride and hope her eyes as she saw my march in pride with the other cops. But now all I saw was this thing trying to take a bite out of me. I couldn't look at her. I couldn't see that this thing looks like my mom! I push her off and her head hit a wall. I got up as fast as I could and kick it to the ground. I stomp on its head. I stomp and stomp until it wasn't moving anymore. I want to yell and cry out in pain. I didn't want this! I didn't want any of this! I just wanted it all to tend!

I wanted to break but I couldn't. I had Casey and she needed me until we got to softly. I had a newborn in a room in a hospital full of the undead! And now half of my family is dead and gone. Dad. I needed my dad. I wanted to yell out my father's name but I couldn't. I just went from room to room looking for my dad. I needed to find him. I was reaching the end of the hallway when the last door open. I stop and waiting for whatever was going to come out. Whatever came out of that room was going to die.

"Daddy?" I said. He turns and I notice he looked pale and weak. "Dad, what happened?" I ask him. "Everything was going to be alright," he said. "Dad what do you mean?" I ask him. He shows me his arm and I saw a bite mark. It was black and my heart broke. "Sorry honey I can't be with you anymore. I love you" he said. "Dad wait let me help you" I beg him. He just shook his head. He reaches behind and pulls a gun from his waistband. "Daddy where did you get that," I ask him. "Off on a dead cop," he told me. "I'm sorry honey I've seen what happens when they bit you, I sorry I couldn't protect your brother or your mother. I love you never forget that. I am so proud to have seen you grew up in this fine young lady. You'll always be a baby girl and I'll always watch over you. I love you" he said one last time and put the gun to his head. Before I could even more he pull the trigger and fall to the ground. I couldn't help it. I yelled out in pain and anger. "NO!" I yelled. Then I heard the clicks and growls coming from inside as the room and some of them running around on this floor. Shit, I said to myself. I ran to the room my father came out of and hind in there until the noise died down. It took a couple of hours for that to happen.

I didn't know what was waiting behind the door for me. But all I knew was that I had to get back to the baby and Casey. I didn't know how to calm a crying body down but I wasn't going to leave her for dead. I just kill my brother and mother and watch my father take his own life, I sure as hell was going to let this kid died here like that.

I slowly open the door and just saw nothing. I open it wider to get a better look and saw a growler standing in front of the window. I move to it and took it down with a few heads to the head. I then saw my father's body lying on the ground wanted to do something for him but I couldn't do anything. All I could do was cover his body and took the gun he uses to end his life. I did the same for my mother and brother. I made my way back to where the crying little dude was and just stood there looking at her through the window. What am I going to do with a baby? How could I take care of her? What am I going to do? I kept asking myself. Fuck it I thought. I open the door she was in and made sure it was close behind me. I walked up to her crab and looked at her. I look around the thing she was in to see if she had a name. but it didn't. it just had the date she was born and the time. June 6, 2016. She was born three days ago, damn. I didn't know how to pick her up but I did know that the neck is weak and needs to be supported. "hey there little dude, um I don't know where your parents are but I take care of you. I can't promise life is going to pretty but it isn't going to be all bad. You don't have a name so I guess I'll just call you Carmen." She looked up at me with her bright honey brown eyes and grabbed onto my finger. "I'm Haley, I'm going to try and be your mom, but just to let her know you got an older sister name Casey" she started to make that baby noise that sounds cute. I laugh a little. I put her down and started to look for things that a baby needs to survive. I find a bag and started putting the baby formula and other useful things in there.

After a few minutes, I was done filling the bad and I went to where Carmen was. I pick her up and held her close to my body. I move as fast as I could with Carmen in my arms to where Casey was. I made it to the door and said "on your side" and then I heard movant from behind the close door. Casey open up and I saw her body relax when she saw me. "uh hey kid sorry it took me so long." I said to her. "No problem did you find your family," she asks me. "yea I did dude, they're all dead," I said in a small voice. The tears welling behind my eyes. I could let Casey know that I was breaking a bite. "Okay question why do you have a baby?" she asks me. "Um well, when I was looking for my family I heard her crying and then I kill my undead brother in front of her," I told her. She just had look at her that I couldn't read. I told her about my mother and ho my father kill himself because he was bitten and I let my tears fall. Casey came to me and hugged me tight whiteout hurting Carmen. "Oh, yeah this is Carmen, I named her, and well she could of dead here all alone, I mean she may not have a chance here but it's better than nothing," I said to Casey. "I know you did the same with me," she said and smile.

I was getting tired and I needed to sleep but I couldn't rest because of Carmen and Casey. I needed to stay up and look after them. "Go to sleep-wake you in an hour," said Casey. I looked at her. "You're not some superhuman get some sleep," she said again and smile. She took Carmen away from me and held onto her making sure she was ok and well. I smile at this little kid. "hey kid how old are you" I ask as I felt my body start to relax a bit. "I'm turning ten today," she said with a sad look in her eyes. "Well happy birthday even if this is hell for us when we get out of here we'll go to a toy store or something," I told her. She just laughs at me and I felt my eyes close. With one last look at Case and Carmen, sleep overcame me and took me away from this reality.