Sky Corruption (Past Tense)

Chapter Thirty-Three

"You check the bathroom, I'll check the rooms." Jay instructed Faith, who stood at the end of the hospital hall. The lights had already went out so their flashlights were the only beacons for the deserted facility.

"Be careful." Faith added before she pushed open the door to the bathroom. Jay glanced down the other half of the hallway, the stretches were scattered everywhere, dried brown splotches along the grey walls, glass and paper strewn all across the white tiled floor, not to mention, the caved in window revealing the sun that dared peek through the melancholy clouds. Jay sighed and continued down the hallway, his gun up and ready over his hand that held the flashlight. He proceeded to walk.

It was just a normal Thursday morning for them, the bunker was being adjusted and their new recruit needed several things in order to perform her part of the group which meant all the medical supplies that they could find.

Hushed footsteps followed him as his hand grazed over one of the doors. There was a dry erase board next to it, in faint red words, it had said: Scott Dean.

There was no point in entering the room. Jay had thought to himself, but pushed open the door anyway. He still had to be silent-this was a place ravaged by the outsiders after all.

There was a bed, an IV pole followed with a heart rate monitor, and a dormant tv hoisted in the very corner of the room. Jay stepped inside completely, the door slammed shut on its own.

Jay continued to walk around the bed, there was a computer at the edge of the room, parallel to the empty hospital bed. Beside the computer laid a few notes.

Patient name: Scott Dean
Age: 16
Height: 5'7
Blood type: A positive

A few more lines followed by Jay paid no mind to it...except one little detail.

Diagnosis: Opioid overdose.

Jay lowered the clipboard in a huff, slightly affected by the patient being so young and having to suffer from a drug overdose.

A loud yell broke the silence, Jay gasped out as pain exploded in his left shoulder, he glanced over to see a mop of red locks and a row of teeth that had attempted to break through the fabric of Jay's shirt, Jay quickly threw a punch directly in the boy's forehead, which caused his attacker's head to snap back and collapse onto the ground.

The boy had been pretty frail, his blue eyes bloodshot red and foamy drool escaped the corners of his mouth. A hospital gown covered the upper half of his body as a pair of black boxers covered the over half. A collection of freckles covered the bridge of his nose and his frail arms.

"Christ, you bit me!" Jay hissed in a blazing fury. The boy opened his mouth and raised his hand to shield his face as Jay stepped closer.

His dialated blue eyes met Jay's, his lips chapped, inner elbows were bruised up and swollen as low sounds emerged from his mouth.

"Christ kid...how long have you been here?" Jay asked finally.

"Ever since I was brought here." The boy reluctantly answered back.

Jay continued to stare at North, who had his hand over his eyes, a dejected smile spread across his face as he held on to his gun for some sort of support.

"I thought for sure you were gonna kill me, or beat the shit out of me at least." North admitted with a dry laugh.

"How could I when someone shot me a mug like that?" Jay retorted.

"It would've done you good to walk away." North shrugged with another half laugh.

North removed his hands to meet the blazing, angry eyes of Jay Bailey. Jay's jaw was clenched, he was fuming slightly.

"I ought to punch you for just letting that thought cross your mind." Jay growled. "Leaving you behind would leave us out of a good marksman."

North let out a laugh, a real, genuine but pained laugh. "You never cease to find some sort of importance to me."

North's smile faded into a small grin. "Thanks Jay. Needed the comfort."

"So did I." Jay agreed.

--

Ezra had made the last few hours calculating everything that had just happened. He had checked the rest of the place for any lingering creatures before toting an unconscious China up the stairs. After he had rested China on her jacket, he had looked around the room.

The room had been devastated beyond belief. Papers were all across the carpet, bookshelves had been split in half, revealing splinters and crooked nails, the desk was turned upside down and the window had been locked down, Ezra had found an outdoor staircase just by peering through the glass.

He made a glance back at the girl who was curled in the fetal position, her braids were combed over her face and her lips were formed in a small pout.

I surely can't leave her behind. Ezra thought to himself.

How could that woman just leave her here with me without a second thought? I thought that she would at least have China's back.

China groaned, her body had slowly started to move and Ezra was pulled away from his thoughts. Her eyes slowly fluttered open as she propped herself up on one elbow.

"Try not to move too much." Ezra quickly stated before rushing over to her.

He knelt down and carefully examined her face by holding her chin. "What's up?" China sheepishly yawned as her eyes still held a somewhat exhausted look. Ezra furrowed his brow before taking his hand off her face.

"Don't 'what's up?' me, you got knocked the hell out!" Ezra grumbled. China giggled in response.

"You getting slammed by that thing must've knocked you silly." Ezra remarked as he inched away from her, giving her room to recollect herself.

China, now sitting criss-crossed, gave him a large beam. "You saved me?"

"By the skin of teeth." Ezra responded in mock enthusiasm. "I had to kill that thing."

China's smile slowly wavered. Her eyes darted to every corner of the room, she fixed her gaze back on Ezra. His hair was in a disheveled low ponytail, his face was flushed and his shirt clung to his body due to sweat, he had his hand on his knee and his eyes never left hers. The silence was uncanny, both of them knew that someone had to break it. China decided to break the silence with a dreadful, but predictable question.

"Where is Faith?"