Seven

Fifteen Minutes Earlier

“Dammit,” said Park as he paced the waiting room. “How in the fuck could it possibly take this long?”

Moe was still grasping his arm. “It's only been a few minutes.”

“Few minutes of pissing me off.” Park looked back to the emergency room doors and scowled. The fat old bitty at the reception desk glanced at him, then looked down. Park snorted and turned to pace the other way.

He took one step.

An enormous crash came from the emergency room.

Park whipped back around. “Shit! What the fuck was that?”

The fat old bitty rushed to the doors. “I'll check. Stay here.” She pushed her way into the emergency room and the doors swung shut behind her.

Park watched her go, then turned to pace some more. He heard Moe stand and he turned back.

Moe frowned at the doors. “What do you think's going on, Park?”

Park shrugged. “Fuck if I know. Hopefully it clears a spot in there.” He looked at the doors for a second, then sighed. “I guess let's see.”

He walked to the doors and Moe followed. He pushed the doors open a crack and peered inside. Moe looked over his shoulder.

The emergency room was in shambles. An ambulance sat in the middle of the room. A large hole was ripped in one wall. Angie, the aide Park had talked to, was running to the ambulance.

“Damn,” said Moe. “Maybe we should help.”

“Fuck that shit,” said Park. “We need to get you to another hospital.” He stepped back from the door and turned to Moe.

Moe frowned. “But the nearest hospital is hours away.”

Park nodded back toward the emergency room. “I think here will take longer.”

Moe winced and looked pale. “Okay, but let's hurry. I don't feel so good.”

“Sure thing,” said Park. They both went toward the exit doors.

And stopped when they reached them.

Outside in the parking lot, two girls in cheerleader uniforms were ripping a grown man apart.

The man stood screaming as the girls tugged at him from either side. One ripped a chunk of his chest free and stuck the bloody meat into her mouth and chewed. Blood ran down her chin and she looked toward the hospital. And at Park.

Behind the cheerleaders, a crowd of people slowly drew near.

“Shit,” said Park.

A screaming mob of people burst from the emergency room. Park had less than a second to look back before the mob swept him and Moe outside.

“What the fuck?” yelled Park. He grabbed Moe and yanked him to one side of the parking lot, out of the way of the rushing mob.

The front of the mob ran into the crowd that was slowly coming the other way.

The mob started screaming.

Park stared as he watched one group of people eat the other.

“Park...” said Moe.

“Yeah,” said Park, still staring.

An old man missing one eye bit into a young girl's cheek. He pulled away a long strip of flesh and chewed. The young girl shrieked.

“They're eating them,” finished Park.

“I think we should go back inside,” said Moe.

“Yeah.”

They turned and tried to push their way back into the hospital. The back end of the mob was still trying to push its way out. They were screaming about whatever had sent them running from the emergency room. The front of the mob was screaming as the approaching crowd bit and ripped at them. The whole world was full of screams.

Moe stopped in the middle of the mob. He swayed back and forth. “Park...”

“Not now!” said Park, grabbing Moe's collar and pulling him toward the doors.

“I don't feel so good,” said Moe.

“Turn around you dumb motherfuckers!” yelled Park as he forced his way through the mob.

“Park!” Moe screamed.

Park turned back. One of the crazy cannibals - a fat woman in a rotting dress - had hold of Moe and was pulling him down to the asphalt. Her mouth was open and she was straining to bite.

“Shit!” yelled Park. Moe fell out of sight, lost in the dark of the parking lot and the shadows of the surrounding mob. “Moe!”

People pressed around Park. Moe's hand slipped from his grasp. Into darkness.

“Damn it,” said Park, fishing out his lighter. He shoved people aside and flicked the lighter on, bending down to where he had last seen Moe.

Moe was struggling with the fat woman, who was doing her best to bite but hadn't succeeded. The woman pulled away from Park's lighter, hissing at the flame and letting go of Moe.

Park grabbed Moe's hand and pulled him up. “Come on!” He snapped the lighter off and dropped it back in his pocket.

The woman grabbed for Moe again.

“Fuck off!” yelled Park, punching the woman in the face. Her head snapped back, then slowly righted as if nothing had happened. She groaned at them.

Park looked around. The crazies were closer. They were working their way through the mob, drawing nearer to the doors. Blood was everywhere. The thick smell of it stung Park's nose.

Finally, the remaining mob behind Park realized what was happening. They screamed and changed direction, running back into the hospital. Park almost fell backward at the sudden shift.

“Hurry!” he yelled, pulling Moe toward the hospital. The crazy woman grabbed at them but missed.

Park and Moe spilled back into the waiting room.

“Shit fuck hell,” Park muttered, looking around. The mob was rushing back into the emergency room. Park saw nowhere else to go, so he followed, pulling Moe with him.

As they entered, he almost collided with Angie and some other aide.

“We got problems,” he said.