the stainless stee

with a heavy fever. When she gently pulled back th

k, spiderweb-like veins were creeping outward fr

ion was pr

g two fingers against his weak pulse.

mpty cabinets, the glowing blue screen ma

ic bell chimed di

on: Save the pat

Use emergen

Abandon t

ating words. Her jaw tig

ught, her eyes narrowi

nd. She reached out and pressed her f

n A Se

r decisive action: Em

l counter beside the boy. When the glow faded, a smal

hock. She reached out with trembl

a clear, glowing blue liquid, alongside fresh antis

elief. She had thought the system was some kind of stress-induced hallucinat

d the boy's skin with an antiseptic swab, lined up the nee

veins surrounding his wound

rigid muscles relaxing as his rapid br

his forehead cooled d

oy su

heavy breath she didn't realize she was holding. She careful

und came from th

a chorus of panicked, hushed whispers and frantic t

woman's voice sobbed qu

w. She looked through the small view panel. In the di

clutching armrests, metal pipes, and

an older woman was leaning heavily agains

opened

ly," Rachel whispe

doorway like terrified animals, pi

the threshold, Rachel closed the doo

t there?" Rachel asked, he

m his face. "We ran from the lobby when those... those things broke thro

the counter, and then on the glowing blue syringes sticking o

es turned into raw

hel, pointing a dirty finger at her che

ning cold. "I have basic supplies res

e. "My arm is scraped and I'm covered in blood! Hand over those syringes ri

t to grab her

, slapping his hand away with a sharp, lo

, her voice dropping to a low, dangerous r

eat the injured. If you only want

rm finger toward

t the sturdy scalpel tucked into her belt, and finally at th

wing hard, and lowered his gaze to the floor, back

eep breath, her

tling in her mind. 'Fear makes people selfish. If we don't stand toge

me wash and bandage wounds. The rest of you, move those heavy

orders without question. Under her calm direction, Rache

ng, two figures hurried through the diml

oming in heavy gasps. Beside him, Mira stumbled inside, cl

ed. She swept the flashlight beam across the room.

over the wooden partition and pulling open the

h smaller than expected. Th

stic wrappers lay strewn across the floor. The main vaults were locked t

s fist onto the counter. "There should be rows of

sour. She rounded on Derek, her eyes narrowing with risin

r survival!" Mira hissed, stepping cl

down! But she had the administrative keycards, Derek! She knew how to o

ice shaking with stress. "She was trapped! If we sta

room with no medicine!" Mira spat

cked her in that storage room, we'd ha

to shout back, his fa

RZ

from the ceiling speakers mount

ed, spinning around to loo

ice echoed clearly through the speaker, re

If you can hear this message, gather at the secondary treatment room near

ened in complete, speechless horror as

was a