“Seems dangerous if you don’t want me to go,” Tatum said.
“It could be. The hospital isn’t completely cleared out of Infected. Our friend isn’t anyone who would interest you, and the conversation will be boring. We figured you’d rather stay here and hang out. Maybe watch a good movie or fire up a video game,” Kate said with a grin.
“I wish!” Tatum sighed a laugh. “Fine, go see your friend. Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do. I’ll chill here until you get back.”
“Thanks, Tate. We’ll try to stay out of trouble,” Nick said, taking Kate’s hand as they left the apartment.
Chapter 29
The hospital—broken glass and remnants of life that was long gone—stood disheveled and quiet. The only difference was the fluorescent lights had stopped their incessant blinking. The pair wondered about the creatures that had wandered the halls before. The place seemed quiet. Had they meandered away?
Nick reached a hesitant finger out to the elevator buttons, curious if the power had reached its end. After selecting the down arrow, the button lit up.
Nick and Kate descended into the bowels of the medical space, reminiscing on their first visit. What started as a venture into a building that appeared abandoned turned into a grievous event of utter loss. The urge to hate Dr. Chamberlain lived just beneath the skin of the pair, threatening to break through and maim the relationship between them. However, killing the only person who could cure the world’s most devastating epidemic was not a wise action.
Dr. Chamberlain was immersed in a computer monitor displaying numbers and abbreviations that neither Nick nor Kate could decipher. Nick cleared his throat, startling the doctor.
“Nick! Kate! Oh my,” Dr. Chamberlain clutched his chest as he regarded the pair. “I am so glad the two of you are alive. A year ago, that would have been such a strange way to greet someone.”
“I understand, trust me. How’s Adam?” Nick asked. He almost hoped he did not cross paths with the boy. A part of him felt that the more interaction occurred, the closer Adam would get to seeing through to who Nick really was—a soiled cape and mediocre superpowers at best.
“Oh, he’s doing well. I wish I could tell you that he spends time with friends or that he’s taken up soccer, but he is not afforded that kind of life here.”
“Well, we’ve been staying at Fort Vanguard for a few weeks. The people there are nice. Not many children, but he would have a large area to play. He should come back with us,” Nick said. Then, maybe Adam could meet some real superheroes like Marcus or Yara.
“Hmm,” Dr. Chamberlain hesitated, running a hand along the bottom of his chin in contemplation. “I don’t know. It is something to think about. Have you introduced the cure there?”
“Not yet. I wanted to be absolutely sure about this. I’m getting close to that, though. We’re taking some others back with us today, and then I will start talking to Marcus, the leader of the fort, about the cure. I came back to grab some supplies, but we’ve come across a few strange things in our travels. Could we ask you some questions?”
“Yes, of course.” Dr. Chamberlain turned in his chair, giving the pair his full attention. It was evident that he lived and breathed the mysteries of science.
“We came across an Infected when we went to get you needles and supplies. We tried to inject it with the cure, but it didn’twork. I thought maybe we did it wrong or didn’t give it enough time, but the more I think about it, what if it just didn’t work? Is there a time limit between when the person is infected and when it can be brought back?” Nick asked.
“So far, I have only ever tested the cure on freshly diseased subjects. However, I feared that once the misfolded proteins took over a certain portion of the body, they would be rendered too far gone. I will have to test this hypothesis to determine the exact timeframe, but I would assume you are correct that some simply cannot be cured.”
“Okay. That will be useful when we introduce the cure at Vanguard. Another thing, Kate and I came across one that started ripping off pieces of its face. It looked like it was trying to give them to Kate.”
The doctor’s brow furrowed. He tilted his head as he thought about Nick’s statements.
“I will look into this. I hope it is not what I fear it is, but for now, just be wary of the Infected. I know this is not an issue for you, Nick, but keep your eyes open and report any more strange occurrences.”
“What do you fear it is?” Kate asked.
“I will not spout hysterical probabilities until I have conducted research. Just be on your guard,” the doctor said sternly. Kate nodded, unsatisfied with the answer.
“Thanks, doc,” Nick said.
Dr. Chamberlain returned to studying the computer screen, and the pair collected supplies to replenish their stock. Nick reloaded magazines while Kate collected a few more vials of the cure to add to her pack. Traveling with a group would result in more noise, no matter how deliberately they stifled themselves. More footsteps. More smells. More waste left behind. Nick was certain to pick up a few handguns from the hospital’s armory.The more weapons his group carried, the better chance they stood.
They strode down the hall toward the elevator and turned a corner, when they were startled by Adam standing in the middle of the vast corridor. He was motionless. A blank stare lingered on his face as he stood, gripping a superhero action figure.
“Hey, buddy. How are you?” Nick asked. The boy did not respond at first, and Nick was uncertain if he had heard him at all. Kate cast a concerned look Nick’s way. “Adam?” Nick took several steps toward him.
“I killed her, you know,” Adam said. There was no color in his tone. No inflection, no emotion. Just a raw, eerie statement.
“Killed who?” Nick tried to keep his voice light-hearted and inquisitive rather than fearful.
“I hear the way you talk to my dad. Like I’m a little boy who needs friends and a backyard to play in. But I’m not. I’m a monster,” Adam said, tears forming in his eyes.
