Twenty Nine

Angie raced down the hallway, Park and Kristen behind her. The fire alarm kept up its shrill clanging, all throughout the hospital. Smoke was coming from the hallway behind them.

"How much further?" said Park from behind.

"Not much," said Angie. "Just around the corner is the..."

And she stopped.

Park and Kristen drew to a halt behind her. "What?" said Park.

Angie stepped around the corner. "The maternity ward."

Park and Kristen came up beside her.

A small room stood just to Angie's right. She stepped inside.

"I forgot," she said, cold dread creeping over her. "I can't believe I forgot."

A group of white hospital cribs stood in the room. The three closest ones rocked slowly from side to side.

Park and Kristen stepped in after her. "Forgot what?" said Kristen, her voice raw and thick.

Angie stepped over to the cribs and looked down. "The Wilson triplets."

In the cribs lay three identical infants. All three were gray with clouded eyes. They worked their toothless mouths open and closed. They fumbled at the air around them.

And Angie couldn't hear it over the loud and constant fire alarm, but she could tell they were moaning.

"Shit," said Park, looking down over Angie's shoulder.

"Oh god," said Kristen, stepping back. She put her hand over her mouth. "Oh god," she said again, muffled by her hand.

"How'd they die to begin with?" said Park.

"Who knows," said Angie. "They've been alone in here most of the night. Could have been anything."

"Oh god oh god oh god," Kristen kept repeating into her hand.

"Fuck if that ain't awful," said Park quietly.

They both looked at the babies in silence. Smoke built up in the hall outside and the fire alarm blared.

"Come on," said Park. "Let's go."

"No," said Angie, shaking her head. "I can't leave them like this."

Park looked at her. "They're already dead..."

Angie snapped her gaze to Park. "Do you have any children, Parker?"

Park looked at her for several seconds. The alarm blared and Kristen sobbed into her hand. "Yeah," he said finally. "Yeah I do. Haven't seem them for a long time, but yeah."

"Could you leave them in this state?"

Park looked at the cribs, then back at Angie. He nodded and took the rifle off his shoulder.

Angie shook her head. She felt like crying but pushed the tears back. "No. We're almost out of bullets, right?"

Park frowned and re-shouldered the gun. "Yeah. Just what do you have in mind?"

Angie swallowed and popped the lid off the remaining jug of alcohol.

"Oh god!" said Kristen from behind them.

Angie looked at Park and bit her lip. He looked at her and sighed. "Better than just leaving them like this."

Angie nodded and turned back to the cribs. The babies thrashed around and kicked their gray legs. They blinked their clouded eyes.

"I'm so sorry," she whispered down to them.

Then she poured the alcohol across all three cribs. The babies showed no reaction to the splashing liquid.

She took out Park's lighter. "We are sure they don't feel pain, right?"

"Pretty sure," said Park.

Angie took a breath and flicked the lighter on.

"Oh god oh god oh god," said Kristen.

Angie held the flame to the edge of the sheet hanging out of each crib. Flames quickly engulfed all three. The babies showed no reaction. They continued to move around slowly, chewing with their toothless mouths at nothing.

A few moments later the babies were still.

Then they were lost in flames.

Angie turned to Park and Kristen. Park's face was blank. Kristen was looking at her with wide, accusing eyes.

"Let's go," said Angie, dropping the empty jug and moving for the door.