Ten

For nearly half an hour, they all just sat and stared. Behind the three shut glass doors, people moaned and ran their hands along the glass. Angie moved her gaze from one door to another as she leaned against the nurse's desk.

“Call the cops again,” said Sam.

“They're not answering,” said Angie. “But surely they know. The whole hospital is under attack. Surely they know.”

“What about your kids?” said Freeda beside her.

“No answer at home. They're probably out getting pizza or something. Brooke said they might. I just hope they don't see this on the news and freak out.”

Kristen was leaning on the handles of Mr. Paulson's wheelchair. “I bet the cops are outside right now.”

“They're dead,” said Park, standing just inside the doorway leading to the empty hall. Moe was in the first patient room, resting. Freeda patted Angie on the shoulder, then walked down the hall to tend to Moe.

“How in the hell would you know whether the cops are dead?” said Sam.

“Not the cops,” said Park. He took a step into the room and nodded at the glass doors. “Those fuckers. I think they're dead.”

Mr. Paulson let out something between a laugh and a snort. “Listen, son. I know I may look dead, but I'm actually not. Know how you can tell, dumb shit? I'm fucking moving.”

Sam chuckled.

“You can shut up too, shit bag,” said Mr. Paulson. “You wouldn't know shit if it came out of your ass and slid down your leg.”

Sam glared at Mr. Paulson. Kristen shook her head at Sam, then stroked her father's head.

“Now, Dad, don't get excited.”

Park ignored all this and stepped closer to the doors. “Some of these fuckers are hurt. Too hurt to be walking.”

Angie looked. Park had a point. A ridiculous point, but still a point.

“My god,” said Kristen. Angie looked over to see her staring at the doors. Angie followed her gaze to a teenage girl standing outside one of the doors. The girl was wearing a torn and dirty dress and her lips looked glued together.

“I know her,” said Kristen. “I mean, I knew of her. She was killed in a car accident. I saw the burial notice in the paper.”

Angie saw Sam look and frown. He said nothing.

Park looked at Sam and Mr. Paulson. “You think she got better? Maybe she should have told the mortician before he glued her mouth shut.”

“That must not be her,” said Sam.

“It's her,” said Kristen.

“For shit's sake,” said Mr. Paulson. “If she's walking, she's not dead. I can't walk and I'm not fucking dead.”

Park snorted and looked at Angie. “You got one of those stethoscope things?”

Angie opened a drawer in the nurse's desk. “There's one in here. Why?”

“Here's why,” said Park. He walked to the glass door and pulled open the locks.

“Hey!” said Angie.

“Hold your shit, this'll be quick.” Park pulled the door open, yanked the teen girl inside and shut the door before any of the others could get in.

“Catch,” said Park, pushing the girl at Sam.

“What the hell is the matter with you!” yelled Angie.

Sam took a step back but caught the girl by the shoulders. “You crazy fuck!”

The girl moaned through her glued lips.

Park locked the door and turned.

The girl's lips separated, thick black blood and dried glue falling from her mouth. She groaned at Sam.

“Shit!” said Sam.

“Here,” said Park. He grabbed the girl's shoulder from behind and kicked her legs. Sam let her go and the girl fell backward to the floor. Park held her down by her shoulders, kneeling behind her.

The girl hissed and bit at Park. “Shit,” he said, avoiding her mouth and struggling to keep her down. “She's stronger than I would have thought.”

“Get her the hell out of here!” said Angie.

“One second,” said Park. He looked at Sam, who was staring down at him and the girl. “Hold her fucking legs, genius!”

Sam flashed red. “Fuck you, asshole.”

“Unless you want her to get up and eat your fucking dad or whoever the fuck that is in the chair, hold her fucking legs.”

“You're out of your goddamned mind,” said Sam, getting down on his knees and taking hold of the girl's kicking legs.

Angie was stunned at the stupidity she was witnessing. “What the hell is the point of all this supposed to be?”

Park smirked at her. “Proving a point. Get the stethoscope.”

Angie rolled her eyes. “Are you shitting me? That's what you risked opening the door for?”

“Just get it.”

Angie sighed and took the stethoscope out of the nurse's desk. She walked over to where Park and Sam where holding the girl down.

Angie knelt and looked down at the girl. Seeing her up close made Angie feel cold. The girl's skin was gray and pasty. Her eyes were clouded and vacant. And she looked familiar.

From an obituary in the newspaper.

Angie put the stethoscope in her ears and leaned over the girl.

The girl hissed and snapped her teeth at Angie as she put the stethoscope to the girl's chest and listened.

She listened longer than she needed to.

Finally, she sighed and sat back, removing the stethoscope.

“And?” said Park.

“No heartbeat,” said Angie. “Nothing. And except for when she makes noise, it doesn't even sound like she's breathing.”

“My god,” said Kristen.

The room was quiet for a few moments, save the hissing and moaning of the girl.

“Ok,” said Sam. “She's dead. Great. The whole world's gone fucking crazy and I'm holding a corpse down to keep it from eating me.”

“Yep,” said Park.

“Ok, genius,” said Sam. “You let her in. She's dead. How in the holy fuck do we kill her again?”

“I know,” said Angie. She stood and strode back to the nurse's station. She pulled the fire extinguisher from the wall and stepped back over. She slammed the extinguisher down on the girl's head.

“Jesus!” said Sam, letting go and sitting back.

The girl gurgled and moaned, moving more slowly now. Angie heaved the extinguisher back up and brought it down again. The girl's head collapsed, brain and black blood shooting out to one side.

“Jesus!” repeated Sam, jumping up and backing away.

The girl's hands fell to either side. She was still.

Park let go of the girl and raised his eyebrows. “How'd you know that?”

“Rick,” said Angie, standing and dropping the extinguisher.

“What?”

“At the dispatch desk. His...head was crushed by the ambulance. He's the only one who didn't get back up.”

Park nodded and stood. “Well, okay. Hopefully the cops bring lots of fire extinguishers.”

Mr. Paulson snorted. “Those dick-sniffers. What passes for cops around here probably got eaten in the parking lot half an hour ago.”

“They have guns,” said Angie. “I bet just shooting the brain would kill these things.”

“This is crazy,” said Sam, pacing and continually glancing down at the dark slick of blood and brain on the floor. “In-fucking-sane. Where in the hell are they all even coming from?”

Park shrugged. “This one was buried, right? Isn't there a graveyard right by the hospital?”

Angie nodded.

Mr. Paulson laughed. “Sure as shit there is. Always thought the peckers here got a little something if they let patients die and gave the mortician some business.”

Angie felt cold. “Oh shit.”

“What?” said Park.

“There's graveyards all over this town.”

Park shrugged again. “Lots of old people. Lots of dying.”

“What if this is happening all over town?” said Angie, pulling out her cell phone. “Oh shit. I have to call home.”

She dialed and waited.