Entry 23

I walked up to Fish who was staring down at this man who had most of the back of his head missing. Fish was weeping and his tears were going down onto the dead mans face.The man on the ground was open eyed and didn't have what I would call a look of a "thing" , he actually looked quite good considering everything , everything except the back of his head missing. I called out to him " Fish , Fish man you OK"? He didn't respond , so I asked again with a little more authority in my voice. Fish turned to me and nodded yes then turned back. I knew what I had heard but didn't want to flat out ask him so I diverted my question to the "thing" premise. "I see you nailed that thing was it giving you trouble"? Fish wiped his eyes got up and said "no it didn't even fight me". And then he walked past me to the stairs and went down them to the lobby.

I heard Fish say dad and he never even asked what I saw dealt with or ran into and I am covered in sewerage, I would certainly ask. Something was up and while Fish was out of here I took a better look at the man on the ground. He was an older man and was wearing a flannel shirt and jeans and looked like he was just dirty but the eyes the teeth and the skin didn't have the look of a "thing" no where on him at all looked of a "thing" . If this was really Fish's dad he has an odd way of showing his old man some love. That was when I noticed something even more disturbing, the footprints Fish was following kept on going down the hall and around the bend they weren't from the man I was now leaning over.

I checked my gun and then got up and started down the hall, whatever left those prints is still leaving them and while the Oprah moment with Fish and his old man was confusing as hell the ode phis complex wasn't going to change the reason we were looking around for this "thing". It could kill everyone in this hospital, I mean the soldiers didn't shoot that kid back there because he was bitten and needed medical help. It was becoming clear to me if this "thing" started biting people in the hospital before long the place would be overrun with the little bastards. It was time to put foot to ass and in a big way. I turned the corner following the footsteps and then watched them lead into a room on the right. Just great its in a small area , I have all the luck. The closer I got to the room the darker the area was getting, these emergency lights keep the main areas bright but once you get off the beaten path you are on your own.

I got the flashlight in the direction I was heading in but kept it off, if this "thing" wasn't hip to me being there it wasn't getting any chances to find me out until I was right on his case. I turned into the room entrance and there it was , looking like it was sitting on the person in the beds lap having a feast on them, poor bastard couldn't get out of bed or fight it off, if only Fish would have come sooner. I drew the gun up and took aim and just as my flashlight got a good bead on the "thing" as well as my gun and it turned to look right at me I noticed something that put a damper on my activity. A giant "danger oxygen no flame" sign just past the "thing". My gun would definitely be causing some fire and I was not looking to blow the wing of the hospital apart. I put the gun down to my side and stepped back slowly, the "thing" dismounted the patient and started doing a Michael Jackson Thriller limp towards me. I almost giggled it was kind of funny I half waited to see if it would break into dance.

I moved to the hallway and then turned to my left and backed up a little more, this "things" fearless and wreck less abandon would be the best gift it could give me. As soon as the "thing" was in the hallway I put it down like a deer in the woods that no one wanted to mount the head of. I walked past it and looked in the room and that was when I saw the most disturbing thing that night. The woman in the hospital bed who now had no face at all was out of bed and coming towards me, pulling her I.V. with her. I am not sure exactly how to feel threatened by this , with no mouth I guess the "thing" could suction hickey me with its open jaw line but without the teeth an denture laden zombie wasn't going to make me run for the hills.

As the thing came closer it was turning from funny to sad, this was someones grandmother, mother, wife, not a comedy act for me to laugh about. What was I saying , I laughed my ass off and then blew the rest of the "things: head off and it dropped as it left a small blood sprinkler in its wake. Whatever humanity and morality I had it was leaving fast as I was slipping into a weird survival madness. I turned and started to walk down the hall towards the stairway, maybe I could find Fish and dance around the issue I witnessed and maybe he wont think he needs to explain himself to me. As I walked down the staircase I was feeling cold and hardened , the staircase was different this time going down it was safer in my head no more looking for where footprints lead just looking for where this whole disaster that's called life now lead. Opening the door at the entrance to the lobby I was greeted by Fish who immediately said to me "Sorry you had to see that man, it was tough to do but once you get infected your screwed" I nodded agreeably and we started the walk to the ambulatory center. People were everywhere down here which confused me so as we passed the head of the hospitals office I walked in.


 I asked him why everyone was on ground floors if the cafeteria and patients were on upper levels and he said if we were up we were trapped. I explained to him once you barricade your stairwell doors they have no way of getting to you but down here your a victim at every window. he disagreed and me and Fish started swearing at him , the frustration of someone who had a bigger station in life than you now thinking they no more about a situation they are clueless to was getting us both to boil over. Me and Fish left him but reminded him that when and not if the "things" start coming it will be on his head. He waved us off like children bothering a busy dad and went back to his paperwork. As I left I also commented to him that while he put everyone in the hospital in danger thank god he had all his paperwork done for a world that didn't give a crap about it. he looked angrily at me and we left. As me and Fish walked down the hall Fish had a devilish grin and said to me " we didn't leave empty handed" and showed me the lighter from the heads desk. I smiled and we both lit up on our way out the doors.