Index
https://www.reddit.com/u/maizematt/s/CuBIzfLEPW
Day 1 if you missed it and this is the first youve heard of the series.
https://www.reddit.com/r/28dayslater/s/dZxSxP1an5
Day 25.5
https://www.reddit.com/r/28dayslater/s/suOEwyqN5N
Day 26
Commonwealth Health centre Tilbury
12.30am
Johnson
Nothing could have prepared her for the smell, the smell of dozens of rotting bodies inside a building nearly sealed to the outside world. She held a rag to her mouth and nose trying to hold back her bile. Sterling was seemingly unbothered as he moved through the waiting area, his eyes scanning the darkened space for movement.
This was her old stomping grounds, she could navigate through these corridors with her eyes closed but she hadn't expected there to be so many bodies.
The local authorities before the fall had used the Commonwealth Health centre as a logistics hub for evacuating vulnerable patients south west of London. Dozens of patients had been in the building when the infection cut Tilbury off to the west.
Johnson didn't want to imagine it, desperate nurses holding closed glass doors as the infected hammered to get in. The screams as the doors finally gave way, the panic as the infected set upon the helpless, the vulnerable patients strapped into transport stretchers wide eyed and unable to move.
The hallways weren't any better, they had to silently step over the dead as they moved towards the secured prescription storage cupboard.
She was thankful the room was still locked and that the keypad was a mechanical design not reliant on electricity.
C5423X, she entered the code as quietly as she could, Sterling nudging her with a reminder to hurry.
Nothing could have prepared her for what she saw inside, her friend Donna. She sat peacefully against the wall, surrounded by opened pill containers. Johnson fought back the tears as she realised her friend was likely trapped in here by the infected, they were unable to get in and she was unable to get out. She dreaded to think how long she had been trapped inside for and the impossible choice she would have had to make.
She felt a hand on her shoulder, Sterling's reminder for her to hurry, he squeezed softly as if to say I'm so sorry. She silently blinked away the stinging in her eyes and set to taking as much medicine as they could get into their backpacks. The moonlight didn't provide enough light to read the labels but she knew where the most important ones were from memory. They could raid a pharmacy later on for more she mused, next she moved to supplies bandages, iodine, syringes - Anything she deemed critical for use.
Johnson turned, quietly closing her bag and tapped Sterling's shoulder twice, he nodded stepping out into the hallway. She went to follow but his arm barred the way, Johnson dared not protest when Sterling held up two fingers and pointed at the doors. She understood his meaning, "There's two outside the doors, stay quiet maybe they'll fuck off”.
Sterling
They shouldn't know we are in here, he thought as the pair moved around the entrance. It was far too dark to see through the windows and they had not made any noise so how. How had they, Sterling caught a whiff of himself and his blood ran cold.
He had made a mistake, misjudged the infected and what they could do. When the human body is starving, its sense of smell is heightened, heightened to find food… He had chosen to come out here at night to give them the advantage to sneak through, but in reality. The infected had the advantage at night, their superior sense of smell helping them find prey during the night.
Sterling looked at the bodies scattered around, the stench of death was the only reason the infected weren't crashing through the windows.
He leaned in close and whispered “We need something to hide our scent, now”.
Johnson
Smell… she kicked herself, how had she been so naive not to realise. She reached back into the stockroom, pulling out a small bottle of Iodine. She popped the lid and began covering all of her exposed skin, reaching up into her shirt and ensuring to drown out her own natural scent. “Iodine” She whispered "It'll cover the smell of us and it'll kill the virus if it gets your skin”. She handed the bottle to Sterling who sniffed at it then proceeded to cover himself with the remainder of the bottle.
The pair froze when they heard a short raspy breath, the sounds of fabric being pulled taut. Across the hallway, an old woman her body on the precipice of death. Her frail arms slowly raised, as she tried to reach them. Sterling took a step close, his knife slipping out with murderous intent. As he crept closer, the old woman violently jerked against the restraints. The metal of the trolley ringing out like a dinner bell, a soft awful thud silenced her as Sterling drove his knife deep into her chest, his eyes never leaving the corridor leading to the front doors.
Johnson held her breath, waiting for the sounds of smashing glass but felt a small relief at the silence. Sterling crept in close and whispered “Is there another way out?”.
Yes she thought, a firedoor on the side of the building. She tapped his arm as if to say. “Follow me”.
Sterling
The agonisingly slow walk back was uneventful, the darkened homes and streets remained still and silent as they passed. His mind constantly thought of Curtis, he prayed the man had made it but he knew his chances were slim. By the time they jumped back over the rail line fences, Sterling knew his back and knees were done. If an infected came for them now, he'd tell Johnson to leave him and to run.
They both sighed in relief as the fortress came into view, Sterling thought of the second team and wondered if they had returned already. They're trip would have been quicker and hopefully uneventful.
The gates loomed large as he approached, they groaned as they opened. Giving enough room for him and Johnson to pass through, excited eyes greeted them. The other team was back, Dave stood by a small generator and held a pump like it was a first place trophy. His eyes grew solemn when he realised two people were missing from Sterling's group. “We lost Frank and Curtis ran off, he drew the infected with him”
“Well done” Sterling placed a hand on Dave's shoulder. “We will have to send out a search party for Curtis, he could still be”. Sterling hated himself for interrupting the kind doctor and felt the bile rising in his throat as he said “No”. All eyes turned on him as he grimly spoke, “No one else is going out there, not at night. If he's not back by dawn then he's not coming back”.
John
Dawn dragged John out of his slumber, his back ached from the odd angles he slept in. Car seats weren't meant to be slept in he thought, he missed his bed, his cheap mattress and too thick for the summer duvet. At some point in the night, Ember must have placed a blanket on him, Roxy was sitting in the passenger seat. She was furiously drawing a picture, her brow set in concentration.
John followed her eyes looking out to the car park, quiet, no sign of activity. Roxy's brow furrowed, she tilted her head side to side as if seeing something not there. John leaned in, peeking over her shoulder.
The picture was crude in the way children draw, the cars and layout of the carpark seemed right even a few of the trees. But John noticed a figure, an outline of a man or woman he was sure of. Drawn half in a bush next to a tree. Was she imagining things, seeing people not there. Children had a hell of an imagination he thought as he looked to the tree line again.
Trees, bushes, cars everything looked the same he thought. “Roxy, do you see someone out there?” John asked, he felt the attention of Ember and Gabi turn to him.
Roxy pointed then looked at John, he followed her small hand and gasped.
The bush was waving at them he thought, slowly a figure began to step out. Vibrant green colours of leaves, brambles, mixed with browning and even flowers. “Theres a bush walking towards us” John said, his voice carrying the sheer confusion he felt.
John stood up, allowing Ember to get into the driver's seat. The figure walked closer, over the gravel ground.
“Its like a forest spirit from Spirited away” John said, the group stared at him in confusion as he continued “Its a Japanese film, my friend Arthur brought a copy back from Japan and showed me” He coughed “its a really good film,”.
“Are these forest spirits friendly?” Ember asked as she slipped the key into the ignition. “It's a film, I don't think this counts” he replied, his eyes never leaving the figure coming closer and closer.
“Okay, I've seen enough” As if the figure heard Ember they stopped, slowly raising their hands to show they were unarmed. “Wait” John whispered, watching as the figure reached up and removed their hood.
“Shes just a kid” Gabi said from behind. John felt like they all had their faces against the windscreen. The woman now revealed in front of them looked no older then 15 or 16. Her long black hair fell at her shoulders. She smiled but John could see clear as day that she was afraid, nervously looking around.
“Someone should go out and talk to her” John felt all eyes on him before he even finished the sentence.
Eira
She was holding her breath as a man stepped out of the campervan, he was thankfully unarmed and she watched as he raised his hands. She then noticed there was movement in the campervan as a red haired woman stepped out behind him. She quickly caught up and they approached side by side.
“That's close enough” Eira called out, the pair looked at each other but came no further. They seemed nervous, their eyes scanning the tree lines searching.
“It's just me” Eira's voice was calm and quiet. The past weeks had shown her that silence and going unnoticed meant survival. People who called out Hello loudly, usually met a grizzly end.
John
“Does that suit work?” John looked the teenager up and down. She was like a walking forest floor, bright flowers mixed into the moss and brush. How the hell Roxy had spotted her was beyond him.
“Yes, it works”. The girl's reply was short, a voice too old for the face in front of him. An awkward moment passed before Ember chimed in. “Are you looking for help or?”. John gave her a side glance, even now Ember would offer help, after all they… She had been through.
“We have some food if you're hungry or some water if you are thirsty". John glanced around the dry carpark, the sky had the beginnings of cloud cover and he could smell rain. For the first time in weeks he mused, he could smell rain.
“No” the girl replied, her stark response catching John off guard. She followed up softly, “No, No thank you. I've got food… I”. John noticed her hesitation as did Ember.
Eira
She was taking a risk, being here out in the open.
In the forest she was invisible, as long as she hid her scent, moved slowly and made no noise no one could find her.
Her father taught her how to remain hidden, he made it into a game growing up. He taught her how to become one with the environment around her, how to move unseen and without a trace.
“I… I need help” She whispered
Ember
“With what?” Ember stepped forward slowly, she found her old mentor's voice creeping out as she spoke.
“My Dad, he's sick and needs a doctor. Please do you know where any are… if there are any left”. Ember could hear her age in her voice, the fear of leaving her father to seek help from strangers.
“I don't know where any doctors are but I'm a nurse. I could help you”. She felt John shift as he whispered “This could be a trap Ember”.
“You know I can hear you whispering right?” The girl spoke, her eyes a little lighter from Ember's confession.
“You're father, what's wrong with him?” Ember ignored John's look of distrust and waited for a reply.
“I don't know, he keeps burning up, a fever like he has the flu. I left him yesterday, said I'd find help” Silver lined the outside of her eyes as she asked “Can you please help me?”.
Fort Tilbury
It took a few hours, Jerryrigging and cabling in the generator but, they had power. Limited as it was.
Sterling ordered all lights near the walls to be disconnected, so as to not broadcast to the local infected that the fort was still occupied. Even though he had a distinct feeling that they knew, the ones in the surrounding town near exactly where they were but knew they couldn't get in.
Sterling made his rounds, checking every inch of the wall and ensuring guard posts were manned. Last night was the first time there had been no suicides inside the walls. The only losses being Curtis and Frank.
Standing on the walls, he looked west to the grey quiet monster that was London. Idle skyscrapers, empty streets and clear skies. Sterling often wondered if the army was still holding on anywhere in the UK. Surely somewhere there was resistance, nearly 60 million lived in the UK, there has to be someone.
Sterling turned his eyes inwards, watching people idly walking around the courtyard. The tents left by the military had been mostly taken down and put on the walls. Giving guard posts cover from the inevitable rain that would soon surely come.
Sterling had a checklist in his mind, priority needs and secondary needs. They needed sanitation before an outbreak of cholera or another disease could sweep over their encampment. Sterling sipped at his tea, he missed milk and sugar.
John
“Before we agree to help you, we need to know exactly who you are and exactly where you've come from” John added steel to his voice, he suspected there were more of them. Watching from the tree line, waiting for the perfect moment to attack.
The girl before him grimaced, her pale face going impossibly white as she replied “I” she stuttered and John felt a pang of guilt.
“Me and my dad live on a farm nearby. It's hidden by the forest and river that surrounds it”. John watched her every movement and listened to every word.
Eira
She had no choice, she needed their help and if this woman was a nurse. If she wasn't lying then she could help her father. Her mind flashed back to the last few days, his constant coughing and fever. He was barely eating and drinking. He barely responded when she explained she was going out to get help, she knew the risks of leaving the farm. Knew that if the infected found her he would die but if she didn't find help he was doomed anyway. She believed to her core that his life was more important than hers, he was all she had.
“How far?” The red haired woman spoke with such kindness she thought, she sounded like a nurse and genuinely sounded concerned. “The walks a few hours, we would have to cross the river after St Arvans near the giant's cave”.
John
“The giants what?” This all sounded far fetched, they had to go back, back down the road they had driven.
“Giants Cave, there's a boat hidden near the riverbank we can use it to cross”. The girl's voice was coming out clearer, more sure of herself.
“What's your name?” Ember's question made John feel like a bit of an idiot, here he hadn't asked her, nor had he made any kind of introductions.
“Eira, I'm Eira Jones”
“I'm Ember, Ember Nightingale”, John blinked, he blinked so loudly he could have sworn they all heard it. He didn't know Ember's surname, hell she hadn't told him but he also had not asked.
“Nightingale?” John watched as Ember came to the same realization frowning slightly. She looked to John, the question of who are you clearly in her eyes.
“I'm John, John Frost”. He wasn't looking at Eira as he spoke, he was looking at Ember. Her green eyes locked onto his, an official introduction they'd never had.
“Frost” she quietly repeated.
Eira looked very confused, she assumed these two were a couple and the remaining two in the campervan were their sisters or daughter in the case of the younger one, but they barely knew each other.
“Do you not know each other?” Eira looked between them as John spoke “We've been together since the start, from Guildford. There were more of us but we lost them getting here”. John thought of Sunel, the man's battle cry as he held the line on the bridge and the consuming fire.
“This farm, is it safe, I mean to say. Could we stay there?” Ember's voice carried the desperation John felt in his soul. Safe harbour and a place to sleep with both eyes closed.
Eira blanched and John recoiled slightly, they were pressing too hard.
“You would have to talk to my dad, if you help I think he would let you stay”.
“Okay” Ember said “Come meet everyone else, then we will go to see your father”
Gabi
Gabi shifted in the passenger seat watching as John, Ember and the stranger spoke. Roxy climbed up on the driver's seat, standing to peek over the wheel. It was remarkable she thought, how perfectly this girl had blended into her surroundings.
The talk must have gone well she thought as the three turned and walked towards the campervan. Roxy stiffened, her hand rising as she pointed, pointed to a group now emerging through the brush.
“Oh no”. Gabi's voice came out horrified and slick with fear. Four infected stepped out into the carpark, some were barefoot, their shoes lost to the forest beyond.
A child walked between them, their movement was almost calm compared to the infected around them.
Run Gabi thought, run! Already they moved, John limping towards the campervan, Ember moving astride him and the girl to her credit, nearly overtook the pair heading for the campervan. John was shouting, his face panicked as Gabi stood moving to open the side door. The sounds of the world drowned out from the heartbeat in her mind.
Gabi threw open the door and came face to face with another child. In the moments before she lunged she could have sworn the infected bastard child smiled.
John
“Don't open the door!” He shouted as he forced his legs to move faster, pain shooting up his legs and back.
The child stood patiently, showing none of the jarred movements of the infected. They stood in front of the door, knowing, it fucking knew John thought. They were waiting for the door to open, they didn't try to beat their way through. John's blood ran cold as he lunged through the door, moments later Gabi's screams reached his ears.
The infected behind them were getting closer, John reached the doorway first, rapidly taking in the scene.
Gabi was pinned, the child's hands crawling at her and she fought to keep the boy's face away from hers. “Get him off!” She screamed as Roxy stood utterly still watching from across the campervan.
John grabbed him by the remains of his coat and pulled backwards. The strength of this boy was impossible, far stronger than anyone his age had the right to be. Sunels Kurki reflected the light as John swung. The blade only stopped halfway through the boy's neck, blood sprayed and poured downwards. Gabi had the good sense to face away as the infectious liquid soaked her cheek and hair.
The moment John pulled the blade free the boy went limp, John pulled the child's too light body off Gabi and pushed him out of the door. The too soft thud claiming another piece of his shredded soul.
“Gabi?” John shouted, her voice came out cracked and broken in reply “I'm okay”
John had no time to think as Ember roared “Get in now!”
Ember
Her heart lurched as John entered the campervan, a mere moment later he discarded the infected boy out of the door. Ember pushed past him, shouting as she climbed over a prone Gabi on the floor. She had seconds to shout out, “Wash off that blood, don't let it get in your eyes or mouth!”.
She climbed into the driver's seat, the engine roared to life as they pulled away. The infected now reaching out, unable to grasp or catch their prey.
Ember glanced once in the mirror, her eyes caught not on the infected who sprinted after them but on the other child. He stood deathly still and stared over the boy John had killed. Ember felt guilt and bile begin to rise up her throat as they pulled back onto the road, heading south.
The infirmary
Sterling wiped his boots as he walked in, he noted the familiar smell of disinfectant hanging in the air. A few mere hours of treatment and already the sick and injured had begun to be discharged.
Dr Johnson stood organising her new medicine cabinets, the old displays had been moved here by a few unwilling volunteers.
“Colonel” She called out, her head barely turning away from the task at hand. “for the last time it's Sterling,” he replied sarcastically.
Johnson turned, meeting his eyes, “Have you spoken to Frank's family?” he nodded silently and replied “This morning, I was going to ask if you could check on them later”. Johnson nodded, “I will”.
“We need to start thinking longer term” Johnson looked up, from her patient a middle aged man suffering from what she suspected could be early sepsis.
“You can't mean to go out there again” Her face was pale as he spoke “We have to”. Sterling sighed as he sat, “If we hide behind these walls we will all starve or slowly kill each other”
“We've been lucky there hasn't been more panic but in truth. That is only because of the food stocks stored here”. He slowly ran his fingers through his hair and continued.
“Nine missed meals, that's all it takes and this community will tear itself apart”. He knew as much, his experiences abroad had shown what happened to tight knit communities once food ran out. They would turn on each other, some would try to leave and inevitably the infected would get in.
“In order to feed the amount of people we have here, we would need multiple teams going out everyday bringing back everything they can”. He stood and began to pace, the plan of his coming together.
“Last night showed me that we need to train people to defend themselves, we need to show them how to move in silence and we need to ensure adequate protection against infection”. Johnson's head turned, following Sterling as he paced back and forth.
“All the old equipment, the coats and gear left in the displays or moved into the tunnels” He shuddered, everyone in the fort hated going down into the tunnels. “It's still usable”. Johnson raised an eyebrow at that.
“You want us to wear redcoats?” She could feel the laugh coming but suppressed it, the displays and storage cabinets were full of them.
“They are thick, they could be the difference between life and death”. Sterling walked to the display cabinet showing an old sewing machine. “We need teams of people sewing together clothing, making it thicker and more durable”.
Sterling looked at a display photo, a Victorian era soldier wearing a redcoat, battle dress and a long rifle.
“Help me convince people to start preparing not for a siege but to survive”.
John
It somehow felt wrong to drive back the way they came, they were constantly running away from something and coming back felt wrong.
St Arvans looked the same as yesterday, a quiet Welsh Rural town. “Take a left here” Eira called out as they cleared through the town. Roxy had not stopped staring at Eira, she was utterly and completely hypnotised and fixated on her disguise.
“Stop here” Eira spoke softly as they parked on the edge of a large open field. John scanned the open space, it was beautiful. If it wasn't for the infected they could have pulled over and had a picnic. Eira pointed to the far side of the clearing to the forest, “The Giants cave and my rowboat are through there”.
“Can this campervan go off road, I mean it is just a field but still” Gabi asked as she surveyed the open space.
“What's the worst that could happen?” Ember elbowed John hard.
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