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“Sam, Doc says I can go, so let me out there.” It was the same argument each time. Sam was always the mother hen of Abel; ever since losing Alice, and then with the new Runner 5 being trained and all the goings on, he put up a fuss each time I asked to use a headset and go out.
“You don’t even have a proper number, I have to call you Runner X and it means Janine asks for an extra report, does it have to be today? There could be zoms, you know it’s got that sort of mist going on, couldn’t you go later in the week or something? Maybe another runner could go with you, I mean 8 is still on limited duties...”
“Sam, you know how that particular situation works out. I can barely speak to her in the infirmary since she accused me of being some sort of undercover terrorist operative allied with three completely unrelated global organizations just because she found out where my family was from and that I was here on holiday when this whole mess started. Doc says I can go, 7 says it’s mostly shamblers and very low activity right now, give me the headset and let me go alone. Same as always.”
Sam tugged at his hoodie with a lot of worry then grabbed the sort of broken headset from his pile of assorted items. It worked, mostly, but wasn’t issued because of a tendency to flicker in and out. “I wish you’d go with other people.”
“I’ll be fine, Sam. I know I’m not fast but I always get the good stuff, don’t I? I can go for miles and sometimes I even find a bicycle or something big.” Sam looked concerned again at the mention of the bicycle. “Right, but, uh, you know, don’t do anything like last time...you know you’re not really tall enough to ride a men’s 30” cycle and well, uh...”
“Sam, I know I weigh 20 stone. You don’t have to say that, I know it. Besides, I didn’t break it, there was a lot of weathering and Ed was able to salvage quite a bit, even gears are useful.”
“Just don’t do anything stupid, please.”
I headed out the gates. Sam had no idea that what I was about to do was entirely stupid. I couldn’t help it, though - the doctor and I had kept things under control so far but it was getting harder. The list was in my head. Anything else I found would be great, of course, especially broad spectrum antibiotics like clindamyacin or amoxicillin, any pain meds, things like that - but I needed these meds or soon there would be one less temporary surgical assistant in the infirmary. Diazepam, klonopin, lorazepam, any seizure medication I could lay hands on, even some of the off label use medications. Sam was chattering in my ear to be sure and watch for antibiotics because that was what he assumed I was always after, but there were other things to look for today. I kept at my bizarre loping jog which looked sort of like a limping fast march but that’s all I know how to do. I I keep heading toward the city, keeping an eye out as I go for some of my usual scavenging places, though I know I’ve cleared out much of this area. I still try to carry a yellow paint pen to mark an x on the ambulances, both civilian and military, that I’ve cleared, but there is the chance that I’ve missed one.
I slowed for a moment as I passed the assisted living center, but I could see shapes moving around inside even from here and knew that most of the meds on hand would be of minimal use in this situation. “Not yet, not reall ready for a run that might only turn up stool softeners and blood pressure regulation meds to be bitten by a denture wearing zom.”
“What’s that, X? You’re very far out, you’re nearly to that village, if there’s a zom you’d best tur backyou know we haven’t got anyone else near you. I see you’re keeping pace but, um, you’re a bit, well, you know...”
“Sam, you are chatty. Yes, I know you get distracted chatting to the others especially 5, and yes I know you’re saying I’m slow because man, I weigh 20 stone and like everyone else in Abel you’re wondering how I still weigh 20 stone when we’re in the midst of the apocalypse here. You’re just too much of a sweetheart to accuse me of stealing rations or like 8 accuse me of cannibalism I think is what her insinuation was last time she was in. Well, I’ll tell you I suppose since this might be my last run anyway if I don’t find what I’m looking for and maybe you’ll accidentally tell someone else and I won’t have to although I’m sure then 8 will be asking to have me put out and others will avoid me out of pity or fear.”
“What? Are you going Runner 3 on me? Do I need to call the doc in here? X? You’re being odd, you know I don’t handle stress well...turn round or something, why are you heading into the village?”
“Sam, I have to take medication to keep seizures under control. We don’t know what caused them, my old doctor never knew, they were just something I had to live with, but the thing is I used to just order medication and it showed up. When this happened the reason I’d come from the hospital in scrubs...well, I know my way around a hospital. I used to volunteer but I had been in the pharmacy to refill my meds while traveling when this broke out and then there was an attack, this was when the police thought it was still crazed ravers or random lunatics or something, I was taken to the hospital after I used my martial arts kick to beat one off, they were checking me to make sure I was ok but here was blood everywhere on my regular clothes...and then, well, things started happening. In the confusion...and well, then here in Abel, with the Major and “we all must earn our keep...I had taken nursing classes back home but I never graduated. I was still a student, Sam.”
Sam was silent. That was unusual but I figured I had just laid quite a bit on the poor bloke. If I managed to find any marmite at all this run and make it back I would have to sneak it over to him. I kept going, my peculiar loping jog trot along the road making strange echoing footfalls as I approached the outskirts of the village. The slight pressure of the pavement against my feet in a rhythm almost reminded me of years ago in marching band, drilling, I turned eyes left for a moment...and there it was. I took off at a dead run, starting to pant.
“...losing you for a minute there, X? Say again, you were a martial arts student? Running is not the time to josh around especially when reception is spotty. If you’re just chatting....wait, why are you running...and so fast? Are there some after you? I’ve got to get the cams better, what’s it you’re running towards, wait a moment....are you in the village? X, you’re not cleared to be in the village alone! Turn around!”
I was nearly there. I heard some noise off a few feet to my right, but glances showed me nothing humanoid, more furry and probably something like wild dogs so I just kept moving hoping whatever was in the dumpsters in the alley would ignore me. “Oh please...” I carefully slowed then rounded the corner. Corners were always the most dangerous, I hated thinking I could turn right around into the shambling hulk of what had once been human and might mean my death. Nothing...my breathing automatically tried to correct itself. Panting, I looked at the backs of the buildings, the loading docks....there! The propped chair and makeshift ashtrays from food containers told me what I needed to know.
“Right Sam, there’s my entrance. I’m headed in the service door.”
“X, you’re not even meant to be there, I know you were having a laugh earlier about being a ninja or some such but truly, you’re useful here in the infirmary, Doc couldn’t do half the training and other care she does without someone to do the things you do...”
“Sam, you got distracted. What I told you was I was a student here on holiday. And actually, yes, I did study martial arts. Including some swordplay which is why I’m always looking for another sword, Janine took the last one I found. National treasure or no it was quite handy.”
“Seriously? You took...I mean, like Bruce Lee or something? Can you do those kicks like the ninja turtles? The spinning ones, I mean, where you jump in the air? And aren’t you supposed to train to keep a lower body weight? Well I mean, of course I know your muscle mass must be something but...I’m not trying to be rude, I mean it’s just, nobody knows how you...”
“Still look like some kind of giant bloated pufferfish? No, I know everyone wonders.” I was climbing through the propped loading door - smokers inevitably left a loading door propped. “If you had seen me before this you’d be amazed at how much thinner I am. I used to weigh 35 stone and could barely move. Now I just look like some kind of strange wrestler with a tummy sticking out. I was ill, let’s put it that way.” I was careful not to cut my hand on the door - tetanus was as much a concern as a zombie bite sometimes, then had a look around.
“Well, but you’re a smashing apprentice doctor, I mean you’re getting your training and all now so, I mean, it’s not as though your medical school is finished, is it? Just, you know, different. A bit Middle Ages with an apprenticeship instead but you’ll finish. We must have a graduation party or something even, you could get a certificate or something, we could do that. Just, uh, you know, find what you’re looking for and head back this way to start talking about it. I’ll even bring some marmite and crackers.”
“Nice try, Sam. You’ve sent for someone, haven’t you?” I carefully edged my way in past the plastic loading curtains through what appeared to be the back loading area of a combination grocery, pharmacy, and takeaway. I’d been eyeing it for a while but not been brave enough to go in. You could never tell whether these buildings might be totally deserted or overrun, or occasionally home to the shambling remains of people who had tried to bunker in them until they turned themselves.
“Uh, well..oh, hello, Doctor Myers, fancy you popping in, Runner X is just...”
“Runner X is fine,” I interrupted. “Doctor, I’m searching for the specific medication we discussed earlier. You know we only have about 7 days of the most effective type left then it’s to diazepam or lorazepam and we don’t know dosages.”
“Sam, what’s the issue? You told me X was babbling about being a ninja? She sounds lucid and on task to me.” Doctor Myers sounded a bit concerned and slightly confused - about usual as far as I could tell. I started to go through the shelves and picked up some over the counter items- basic pain medication, bandages, antiseptic- things were nicely stocked and other than being dusty everything looked fairly well stocked. I came to the pharmacy portion and was actually happy to find the metal security window rolled down. “Security windows are down. Means no junkies tried to raid, we might stand a good chance.” I pulled the bolt cutters I had carefully hauled along out of my pack out and started working on the locks and the rolling door. Part of the reason my runs were always pretty successful was this pair of rusty bolt cutters - it was supposed to be share and share alike in Abel but I always stashed this pair in a tree a short way outside the gates. Made life easier to cut bicycle locks and such.
“X? What are you doing? The cams are fuzzy and you’re talking about flunking out of school?” Sam was terribly confused again. I kept cutting, trying to be as quiet as possible when cutting through metal and rolling it up. Which of course wasn’t very quiet. The lack of even crawlers in here was making me nervous. Of course if this was the pharmacy and takeaway I was thinking of, the village had essentially been evacuated - I tried to shake myself into the present. Flashbacks were dangerous.
“Sam. Send help. Send lots of help. Oh my god...”I was speechless. I couldn’t carry this. There was so much. I ran my hand across the dust in the counter, then started searching through the bins and boxes. Depakote, crude but effective...topiramate, beautiful, I could use this, I started piling the rucksack full. Then....I started laughing. I couldn’t help it.
“X? What is it? What’s wrong? Why do you need help?” The doctor’s calm voice cut through my hysterical, half sobbing laughter.
“They... they filled my prescription....it’s here in the ready to pick up bin. My name is on it.” I picked up the envelope. This was what I had been supposed to pick up the next day, right before everything went grey. I had been over on a student visa, my insurance had gone through hoops and whorls and I’d nearly run out but they had called to tell me to go pick it up at the chemist...here it was. “I bet that means there’s more here, too. I’m going to have a look.” I started to shine the peculiar flashlight I’d kept from the student center, the one I’d kept as a joke that was a squishy monkey but had been a good luck charm through so much, along the dusty shelves of mostly expired medication. This was a treasure trove. I stuffed random things into the pockets on my army surplus backpack - epinephrine self injection pens, acetaminophen with codeine, amoxicillin, mupirocin ointment, ofloxacin suspension drops....even prednisone and z-packs. There were even prescription strength vitamin D supplements which I grabbed up, as sometimes survivors who had been hiding in bunkers were a little low. But I kept looking.
“X? Are you all right? You do need to get out of there in time to get home, you can’t stay out...” Dr. Myers was sounding concerned, and she was right. I could send others back if necessary, I had at least some of what I’d come for. I turned back, carefully squeezed my now precious rucksack through the hole that was originally the counter, then squeezed myself through. I tried to quietly place the metal rolling screen back mostly in place, but the noise seemed even louder than before. I swung back out through the nonprescription section of the pharmacy.
“X? Dr. Myers and I, well, you know, there’s a a clock here and then you know, it’s getting to be very close to dusk so we’re just wondering why you’re looking for anything else in the building when you should maybe be heading back for some marmite now. We’re going to send more runners tomorrow to do a full raid, carry out whatever they can salvage. You need to get out though so you can get back before dark or even that darkish stuff.”
“Just a few things, Sam, I promise. There’s a bicycle outside. I’ll get back quickly. It was in good shape, had puncture proof inner tubes and all.” I grabbed some rolls of sport tape, a pair of crutches, and...aha. Bagged and ready to go. Loaded down, I rushed out the back, trying hard to hurry. I headed over to the bike. Locked. I laid the pile of things down and fiddled with my bolt cutters, saying a few words in Chinese as I struggled to cut the chain.
“Um, X...did you just say explosive diarrhea of an elephant?” I chuckled. Sometimes the coms worked when I didn’t really mean them to and only Sam would understand what I had said. I was mildly surprised he hadn’t picked up why I knew how to say anything in Chinese. “Yes, I did. But it’s shiny now. Or I suppose you’d say I rolled a 20 for initiative or something.” I strapped the crutches across the luggage rack to expand it, looking a bit Mary Poppins in the process, then used more of the sports tape to secure my precious bags. I put my ruck sack on, then started pedaling for all I was worth. Dusk truly wasn’t that far off.
“X, you can’t do that! You pull these stunts and sheer dumb luck is with you....”Doc was literally pulling out her stethoscope and preparing to stick it to me, hesitating only because I didn’t appear to be slowing down. I arrived back inside the gates, sweating but whole, as the sun was beginning to go down. Maxine and Sam were both standing there looking worried and relieved at the same time. I gave Sam a smile; I knew he had a thing for 5, even if he wasn’t quite over Alice, but I liked him and knew my haul today would make him both blush and be puzzled if he started unloading. Then of course I could have months of teasing him.
“It’s worth it today, Doc. Wait till you see what I have on my expanded luggage rack.” Sam moved forward as usual, ready to help. He went to lift a bulky bag, then looked shocked as he nearly tumbled backwards lifting it. “What on earth? Is this empty?” Then he peeked in, and...there it was. Bright crimson started to spread. “Uh...I suppose these are medical supplies of a sort?” The doctor quickly turned her attention from moving toward examining me to the contents of the bag Sam was now gingerly grasping. She began to warmly chuckle, seeing the brightly coloured boxes of tampons. “Running supplies for the female runners?”
“You got it, Doc. I figured it would increase efficiency and give the ladies a little ease in some cases.” Sam was still blushing. “I think there’s about 3 full bags here - that last bag is full of something random. There was a shelf of dehydrated falafel mix. Figured we couldn’t go wrong with falafel.” Sam just gawked at me. “How do you bring back such random but intensely useful items?”
“I don’t know, Sam...maybe it’s because I’m a student ninja. Or maybe it’s because I really am a leaf on the wind and you’re just watching me soar.”