5 Chapter 3: Kids with Green eyes

One month after the Outbreak.

The day was no more.

In the head physician's office, a large mattress was laid. The room had a desk with a butterfly glass case on, close to a gun. The mattress was covered by a cotton drape. Under it rested Michael. Whereas, David stood up in front of a planked window, naked. The latter's eyes were pinned toward the outside. It was a forest made of bricks and concrete set on fire. He watched it, like a kid who burnt ants under his magnifying glass.

"Hey," Michael said, as he hugged David from behind. "I missed spending time with you."

David rubbed his left hand on his lover's right arm, while he still contemplated at the scenery.

"Sometimes, don't you think that it would be better if it would just be the two of us?" asked Michael.

David observed the pavement. On it was an ablaze body. The ligaments of the carcass seared into a glittery red.

"Michael, we can't leave behind so many people," David said.

Michael caressed David's chest, while his gaze wandered.

"If it was somebody else who said this, would you have accepted?" asked Michael.

David stared at the flames that consumed the flesh of the body outside.

"Michael, this isn't about you," he said.

"I know," Michael said as his eyelashes lowered. "It's never about me."

David shifted his attention toward him. "I promise that I'll never leave you."

David's left hand stroked Michael's right cheek as the young man smiled. Michael had the most innocent smile. David wished he could frame it.

In the children's ward, Peter put a blanket on a little girl with the same brown eyes as he. Next to him, a woman with a sepia skin tone watched the scene with a warm smile. The wallpaper soothed with old blue, sparkled by the radiance of a desk lamp. When the child closed her eyes, the woman stood up and put a fairy tale book in a drawer. A sigh left her mouth as she leaned against the piece of furniture. Peter walked toward her, coiled his right arm around her shoulders and kissed her on the forehead.

The basement of the hospital was unique in that it was the inhabited area of the safe haven. Its lights were feeble, which gave to the metallic hallways a yellowish beige. A cold room, stored with food, blew an icy mist through its closed door. Whereas, water dripped from its plumbing and tapped on the ground. Its echoes rushed the whole place. A woman was there. She headed toward a dark corner. Out of the pocket of her flower-themed shirt, she grabbed a key to unlock a rusty door. On the other side was a rather sizeable janitor closet with a single hung light bulb, which irradiated a mite vermillion hair.

It belonged to a teenager.

He was sitting against the opposite wall. A deep breath scraped as the woman closed the door.

"Calvin," Lily said. "It's mom."

The boy titled his head up, his porcelain face cracked, his teeth gritted. Shadows of spider-webs on his khaki shirt. He missed the skin on his left brow, with thin strings of derm left on the rotten flesh. He dragged himself to his feet and stood up. Then, he quickened his steps toward his mother. Lily stepped back as he charged at her.

A clatter sounded as the boy got stopped by the chain around its neck. Lily forced a smile on her face as she gently threw next to her son a piece of meat. Before she closed the door, she peered inside one more time, her eyes pink.

"You know the rules Lily, only once a week," said Michael, arms crossed.

"He, I-I know he is hungry, I can feel it," she said as tears poured from her eyes.

"This is the last warning." Michael snatched the key from Lily as they left.

The sun crept into the cafeteria, through the wooden planks on the windows, large enough to welcome at least thirty people on each of its four-seat tables. Circular lights floated above, reflected on the grey tiling, the floor appeared as a cloudy sky. On the east side, Ariel ate a salad while Michael had his head steady on his crossed hands, his glare on Jack and Marian, who chatted together.

"You're aware that lasers won't come out of your eyes?" Ariel said.

"Look at her, since the first day she had her nails clawed on him." Michael lumbered his head toward Ariel.

"They spend weeks stuck together, some bonds were deemed to be created between them," she said.

"You too, but I don't see you breathing the life out of him." Michael pointed at Marian.

"I... I wouldn't flirt with your ex, Michael, this is logic," said Ariel.

Ariel was alien to the concept of flirting. It just seemed strange to her. However, Michael's bombastic behavior always made her feel less introverted than she felt on her own.

All of a sudden hollers resonated from the main hall of the hospital.

In the children's ward, Peter's wife, Caroline, slept in the blue room, her left legs touched the ground, a plush near one of her hands. Her daughter pulled her shirt to wake her up, to no avail. The small girl stopped when she heard a noise in a nearby room. She peeked outside; people were running. But the noise was different. As if someone tried to scream, but with their mouth muzzled. She remembered a similar sound at the zoo, inside the animal cages. She walked toward the source and saw a man who lied still at the end of a hallway.

On top of him, there was a boy.

In the hall of the hospital, a man tottered around. People surrounded him, yet moved away when he got too close to them. The man had wrinkles and white hair. His right shoulder was covered by his left hand. His fingers were pressed against small holes in his jacket, while blood seeped from them.

"You have to help me, we got attacked!" the man said as he clutched Marian by the wrist.

"Where did that happen?" Peter asked.

"In the children's ward, we-"

The man lurched to the floor. Peter had his gun pointed at him, the cannon still hot. The former had a red circle of smoke in his left temple. Some parents covered their children's eyes, while Marian stumbled, her right hand on her trembly mouth. Ariel walked toward her and embraced her head between her arms.

"Why did you do that?!" asked Jack.

"My family's back there," Peter said.

In the children's ward, Peter's daughter watched the boy. His back was turned to her and his hands were dug inside the man's torso. She could hear the noise for what it was now. A ripple blended with the boy's weeping. The boy stopped as he sniffed around. His lips were inky-red. He turned his head and growled.

He noticed Daisy.

"Daisy!" screamed her mother.

A breeze of wind brushed the girl's brown curly hair. She got grabbed. Then, she was picked up. Her view of the wall flew fast. Her mother carried her. Caroline pushed her into their room and closed the door.

"Daisy, block the door!" her mother said.

From behind, the creature lunged at Caroline. She slumped on her back and seized it by the wrists as its jaws slammed at her.

Quick steps resonated. Jack and Peter had just arrived. On their way, they saw another man. He limped. Stomach open. His bowel swung, touched the floor like a pendulum, and left a red trace on the floor.

The man eaten by the boy was no longer dead.

He jumped at Peter and they both fell. Peter used his arms as a flesh shield against the infected. His gun dropped on the floor. Meanwhile, Jack watched them, paralyzed by an emotion he did not want to name.

"Grab my gun," Peter said with a breathy voice.

Jack took a handful of the weapon with hesitation.

"Save my wife, now!" screamed Peter.

"But-"

"Now!" Peter cut Jack.

Jack gave one more look at Peter before he ran toward Caroline. He should have shot, but instead, he observed the monster. The boy was around thirteen years old or less. Jack lifted the gun and aimed, his hands fidgeted. He put his finger on the trigger, but could not press it. Caroline is human, her strength could be bent. But, the boy could attack forever. His eyes closed, Jack shot.

Caroline saw the bullet passing above her forehead before it went into the wall. Jack breathed without delay and forced himself to stare. He walked closer for a better aim and pulled the trigger again.

A splash of blood blew on the wall.

The boy was dead.

A bang detonated behind Jack. David had just shot the other infected. Panting, Peter stood up, almost unable to stare at the boy. Peter turned his head. Then, he rose his right foot and stomped the boy's skull. Jack watched the scene, unable to move.

A crowd gathered, Lily among them. Peter could not even glimpse at her. She traveled the scene with her vision and spotted a khaki shirt, painted in red.

Calvin's.

Her eyes would have screamed if they could. The woman put her left hand on her mouth, tears dripping, and ran away.

Jack was in his room, located in the cardiology unit. His room was grey and missed any decoration. He wanted to build himself a new home here but never did. Sat on his bed, he peeked through the wooden planks at the sky. He glanced at his left hand, it was shaking. Jack wished he could control his hand. He wished he was not that weak.

"Everyone at the hospital talks about you," a poisonous voice spit. "Jack, Jack, Jack... If only they knew who you were deep down inside."

Jack closed his eyes and repeated in his head what he had just heard.

"Michael," Jack paused. "I'm sorry... Ok, I'm sorry! You know, I'm not Ariel, I'm not gonna kiss your ass just because you play the victim again."

Slowly, the smile on Michael's face faded. In pupils, a black fire extinguished. He walked to the door with his head down, like a child who has disappointed the teacher.

"I..." Michael said.

He has stopped in front of the door, his head turned toward Jack. Half of Michael's face was in the light.

"I'm glad that you're safe," Michael said with a voice, so pure and innocent, it was almost as if someone else spoke.

Jack watched Michael leave the room. He watched, imagining that Michael was still here.

In the pharmacy, Ariel nursed up Marian and she washed the blood on her arms. Ariel paused. Her gaze was on Marian's left wrist.

"Marian." Ariel pored over her. "You got scratched."