Episode 89: Cleaning is Hard Work.

It took us nearly an hour to loot and scavenge anything valuable from the zombies we had put down at the hospital entrance. Now that we had a chance to assess the aftermath, I counted nearly seventy bodies in our kill zone—a staggering number for a single assault, almost unbelievable amount, and now I finally truly understood why the people of this world don't want to engage zombies with firearms, it cost way too much, to use firearms for them.

I wiped the sweat from my brow, exhaling sharply. "Fuh, that was a workout," I muttered, shifting another corpse onto the growing pile.

Natasha, ever the caring one, approached me with a bottle of water. "Honey, here, have a drink first."

I gave her a grateful smile, taking the bottle. "Thanks."

Even though she had been working just as hard—if not harder—she always put me first. She knew my limitations; with my disabled leg, I couldn't move as efficiently as I wanted to. She never made me feel lesser for it, though. Instead, she covered where I fell short, making sure I didn't push myself too hard, she really is the greatest wife ever.

Meanwhile, Layla moved with mechanical precision, sorting through bodies and gathering anything of value at a pace neither of us could match. My recent maintenance on her had clearly paid off; she was working faster and more efficiently than ever.

Natasha took a brief pause, glancing toward the hospital entrance. "Is Alfred done inside yet?"

I shook my head. "Not yet. He checks in every ten minutes to report his progress. Right now, he's secured the first and second floors and is working his way through the third."

Natasha nodded, taking a sip of her own water. "So, we wait?"

"Yeah," I confirmed. "I'd rather have the entire building fully secured before we go in. No point in rushing and risking an ambush."

She hummed in agreement. "That makes sense. We've come this far—there's no need to be reckless now."

It was true. We had all the time in the world, and no immediate threats were forcing us to move hastily. Taking things slowly and cautiously was the smarter move, and I wasn't about to compromise our safety for the sake of expedience.

I leaned against the truck, my mood lifting as I surveyed the growing pile of loot beside me. Expensive watches, jewelry, cash, and salvageable tech—all collected from the zombies. It was a strange thought, but the undead carried some of the most valuable treasures. In life, they had been peoples with wealth, status, and possessions. In death, they became nothing more than mindless husks—husks we now profited from.

Natasha picked up a diamond-studded watch, turning it over in her hands. "Some of these pieces must be worth a fortune."

I smirked. "Too bad there aren't any high-end jewelry stores left open."

She laughed and also joined in on the joke, "True...well, the world ended after all,"

Layla, still working through the bodies, didn't even look up as she interjected. "Gold and gemstones retain their value regardless of economic collapse. They can be melted down and repurposed."

Natasha arched a brow. "You really know how to make looting sound sophisticated, Layla"

"It was the truth, Madam" Layla simply said and nodded, continuing her task without further comment.

I shook my head with amusement and glanced at my watch. "Alright, Alfred should be checking in soon. Let's wrap up what we're doing and get ready to move in once he gives the all-clear."

Natasha dusted off her hands. "Sounds good to me."

The three of us continued working, gathering the last bits of salvage as we waited for Alfred's report. Despite the eerie quiet of our surroundings, I felt strangely at ease, especially in this world, silence after dealing with threats, meant it was safe. Everything was going according to plan, and soon, we would finally step into CLUB MED, fully prepared for whatever lay inside, when the time comes, I really looking forward to see what I can get inside.

As we humans, Natasha and I took a breather, stretching our sore limbs and letting the tension ease from our shoulders. Meanwhile, Layla, ever efficient, had already finished the looting process and was now meticulously separating the zombie corpses.

"Master, the process is complete," Layla reported in her usual monotone yet efficient manner. "I suggest that we burn these bodies. Leaving them as they are would contaminate the area and attract scavengers. Should I proceed with the burning?"

I shook my head. "Not yet. It's better to clear the hospital first and then burn them on our way out. That way, we won't risk attracting unnecessary attention while we're still inside, fire and smokes at this kind of time, is akin to a beacon. Besides, we'll only be in there for few hours at the very least, so it should be fine to leave the pile as is."

"Understood, very insightful decision, Master" Layla nodded her head, her synthetic eyes processing the logic in my statement, somehow her words sounded comical, but she truly meant her praises of me.

"Then I shall, continued the zombies clearing process inside the hospital as well, can I go now, Master?" Layla offered.

"Sure, why not, go ahead," I approved her request, without further comment, she turned and made her way inside the hospital, intent on repeating the same cleanup process within the building.

I trusted her judgment—she had always been efficient in handling tasks without needing constant supervision. A few minutes later, Scarlett and Selene returned, and from the looks of it, they had a surprise for me. Both of them carried sacks over their shoulders, the weight of whatever was inside evident in the way they moved. It quickly became clear that they hadn't just been patrolling the area for threats—they had been scavenging, too.

Selene grinned as she dropped two sacks in front of me. "Darling, look what we found. This place really was surrounded by loaded folks."

I raised an eyebrow as I crouched down to inspect the contents. Upon opening the sacks, I was greeted by bundles of cash and valuable trinkets. "A jewelry shop around the corner had plenty of these," Selene added with a pleased expression.

Scarlett, not one to be outdone, plopped down three more sacks beside hers and pulled them open, revealing an assortment of gold and silver jewelry. Rings, bracelets, necklaces—it was a veritable treasure trove.

She smirked, brushing a stray lock of hair from her face. "Buy me a car of my own. I want one, okay, babe?" she teased, crossing her arms in satisfaction.

I chuckled, shaking my head. "Alright, let's choose one for you when we get back home. Deal?"

Scarlett beamed, clearly pleased with my answer.

Natasha, watching the exchange, smiled softly. "Well, the day keeps getting better for us."

I couldn't agree more. Our mission was progressing smoothly, we had secured valuable loot, and morale was high. Now, all that was left was clearing the hospital and securing what we truly came here for. If things continued at this pace, we'd be heading home with more than we initially bargained for, to be honest, seeing the way thing are going, I am sure that we will be going home much richer that when we come here.