“I told you I
heard something!” Jason exclaimed.
Sam, “Pipe down,
you didn’t hear shit.”
Wes jumped into
the fray, before the bickering truly began, “Who are you with?”
Looking bemused,
Franklin did his best to answer. “With?
I’m not part of a rescue crew if that’s what you mean. I actually just busted
in here to scavenge what I could. Figured you all were dead meat.” Franklin,
raised a hand to slow himself, “No offense.”
“None taken,”
Wes said and meant it. “So you’ve been surviving out there?” The final two
words took on a dreadful tone as they left Wes’s mouth.
“No sir. ‘Out
there’ as you call it is no place to survive. I have a house in the ‘burbs.”
The group look
shocked. No one spoke for enough time, so Jason filled the gap. “You still live
in a normal home? We thought people would be hiding out in bunkers or military
controlled outposts or living in some Mad Max-style dystopia.” Jason, pushed up
his glasses, snickered, and when he realized no one else was laughing, stopped.
“Hey how’d you get in anyway?”
“Open window. And
by the way, were all living in a Mad-Max style dystopia.” Franklin turned his
attention back to Wes. “You must be the leader. What’s your name?”
“Wes.”
Franklin
recalled the plaques that decorated the office through which he had entered.
“Ah, okay then Wes, I was never one to waste time, and the current state of
affairs has made me fairly impatient- what with dead people deciding to not stay
dead and all, so I’m going to get right to it: Why do you have a room full of
zombies locked up in room 124?”
Some of the
group gasped in shock, others rolled their eyes. Sam cried out, “Thank goodness
Warren isn’t here to hear that.”
Nancy, looked to
the school principal for action, “Wes, we need to make a decision about this before
it’s too late.”
That was the
trigger; a flood of questions came, reigniting the debate yet again. How could you put us in danger like that?
What gives you the right? Why didn’t you ask everyone’s opinion? Why leave them
there? Are we safe?
With every inquiry,
Wes began to feel the stress, like a greasy wet ball roiling in his gut. “Stop,
shut up and let me explain.”
The crowd was
agitated; Franklin pulled a pistol from his satchel, brandishing it so everyone
saw. “Remember the impatient dynamite-wielding, well armed guy with the face
paint….” The staff hushed in an instant. “Ya, thought so…let the man speak.”
Wes’s voice lost
its frustrated edge, “The medical staff and infected children. They turned,
became zombies…God, listen to me, it sounds so ridiculous…zombies. We had nothing to combat them with. No arms, so we
corralled them, locked them up in the science room. Van, Jackie and I.”
Wondering eyes went from the nurse, to the gym teacher, and back to Wes. “But you
can’t blame them, it was my decision.” Wes’s head hung low as he finished.
“Who the hell
put you in charge?” Sam leapt up from a cafeteria bench, shoving a finger in
Wes’s face.
Wes pushed the
school counselor in retaliation, “You did god damn it!” Wes quickly turned to
the rest of the group, letting his words wash over them. “You all did because
nobody else would stand up. If I hadn’t we’d all be dead by now.”
Amy, diminutive,
but assured of her control over Sam, stepped between the two men. “Sam let it
go, let it go please. He’s done a lot for us. Wes helped us get this far.”
Sam righted
himself, but didn’t throw a punch, “Fuck you! You self righteous prick, you lay
a hand on me again, I’ll bury your sorry ass.” Sam took a deep breath, slicking
back his hair, “But you’re right Amy, you’re right.”
Franklin jumped at
the opening, “Alright glad to know where you all stand on Wes’s leadership
abilities. So let’s get down to it people, I only have two questions; are you
all planning on staying here, and is this the whole group?”
Jason answered
for everyone, “I don’t get it, why’s that important?”
“Because if
you’re staying here, every creature in that room is a threat. And we’re going
to need the entire group to deal with it efficiently, and safely.” Franklin
minced no words, and punctuated by saying, “Since I’m here, I’ll help you do it,
in exchange for supplies, food mainly.”
Wes thought it
over, but only for a second. Extending his hand, “You’ve got a deal.”
“Wait a second,” Bernadette, quiet until now
finally spoke. The woman stood, walked confidently to the center of the floor
where everyone was gathered. “Now wait a second, what makes you think you are
still the leader?”
The group waited
for Wes’s response, but it was Franklin that replied. Looking directly at the
3rd grade teacher, “Are you volunteering?”
“No.”
“Then
sit back down.” Franklin watched as the woman returned to her lunch table
bench. He then shook hands with Wes, sealing the deal. “Thanks. Hope you got
some of that pizza left, but we’ll discuss specifics later. Back to my
questions, answers please.”
Wes
looked around, at the group that he had managed to keep alive all this time.
“The plan- if you can call it that was to hold up here until help arrived.”
“There
is no help out there, no cure.”
Wes didn’t seem
surprised, and if the remaining staff members were, they didn’t question it.
“Regarding
the group, this is everybody.”
“No, Warren took
off remember.” Jackie added.
“Oh yes how could
I forget. We have one more.”
“That
the antsy looking guy, walks like he has a stick up his ass?”
Jackie giggled
and affirmed with a nod.
“Well
then that’s a problem.” Jason seemed shocked at the sound of his own voice.
“Why?”
Franklin and Wes asked together.
“Because
where do you think the pissed off Mr. Warren Allen is likely headed right now…”
