The Apocalypse: Race For The Cure

The Waiting Game

"How long do you think it'll take to work?" I turn to ask Dr. Johnson as the zombie snaps and chomps at me.

"Hard to say." He shakes his head and shrugs, readjusting his glasses on his face. "Could be hours, could be days."

"But if it doesn't work and we have to start over, without the generator we'll have nothing."

"Angel told me about the generator situation. Are we completely against re-entering the basement?" Dr. Johnson turns and asks. There's idle chatter going on around the lab. People wandering in and out to check on our progress.

"Not unless we want to kill a bunch more zombies." I shake my head.

"No." Dr. Johnson sighs. "We don't want that. Those are my friends and co-workers."

"How'd you all get down there?" I question, curious about what happened here after I left to find my parents.

"We couldn't get out." He shakes his head as he pulls up a chair and sits down. "Those things, they were everywhere." He tells the story like he's replaying the memory of it in his head. "They told us over the P.A to head to the basement, that it would be the safest place until they could clear the building." He pauses, looking down at his hands. "It wasn't... no one thought to clear the basement before we went down there. We practically gave ourselves to them. We went down there and some were waiting, those of us that didn't get eaten tried to hide anywhere we could. I found solace a break room with a few other people." He pauses, clearing his throat. He was the only one alive down there when we found him. "They went out one by one, thinking they could maybe go for help. None of them came back." He adds sadly.

I feel bad for him. He was down in that basement all alone for almost a year. It must have been horrible.

"Wow." I breathe out. It's all I can think of to say. It must have been hell living down there for that long knowing that there's dozens of walkers right outside your door.

"Yeah." He nods, glancing up at me then to the walker.

"Well I'm glad you made it out of there alive, I'm not sure how we would have-"

"Ashley." He cuts me off. The tone of his voice causes me to look at him. He's not looking at me though. I follow his gaze to the walker we caught earlier today. My breath hitches at the sight.

"It's working." I breathe out as Dr. Johnson and I both move closer to him. He was changing.

His skin is becoming clearer.

He's looking... less dead. As the man eyes flutter open, he stares at us. We don't say a word, not wanting to scare him. We're not sure what exactly he remembers, if anything at all. As he stares at us, staring at him, Dr. Johnson moves a bit closer.

It startles the man, his eyes grow wider and he whimpers.

"We're not going to hurt you." Dr. Johnson whispers to him. The man just whimpers before shutting his eyes again. I lightly shake him, he doesn't move. I guess he's asleep again. I'm not entirely sure what any of this means.

"Four hours and twenty-two minutes." Dr. Johnson says, looking down at his watch. He turns and looks at me, giving me a big smile.

I know what he's asking. "Do we want to wait a day and see if there are any adverse reactions first?" I question him. He thinks for a moment before nodding.

"That'd probably be best, I guess." I know he just wants his granddaughter back as soon as possible, but we need to make sure everything is gonna work how it should before we give it to her.

"I'm gonna go let the others know." I tell him with a smile, thumbing towards the door.

"I was just coming to bring you this." Spencer says, holding up a big of chips and juice when I run into her on my way to the community room. Well, the room everyone has seemed to meet in when we're not sleeping.

"It works." Is all I get out as I scoop her up into a hug. "It freaking works!"

"Oh my God, really?" She smiles down at me, giggling as I spin her around in the air.

"Yeah." I smile, sitting her down. "It works. I can't believe we actually created something that's gonna save people. I never thought..." I pause, shaking my head. Spencer urges me to continue. "I just... I never thought that I would be apart of something this special. After what happened the first time around I guess I just, had given up hope." I shrug.

"Well here you are, right now, saving the world." She smiles. "You and your hero complex." She jokes.

"Hey!" I shriek, slapping her on the arm. "I do not have a hero complex."

"Okay baby." She nods. "If you wanna go with that we can. It's cool." She finishes with a smile. I roll my eyes playfully at her. "So what happens now?" She questions as I take the bag of chips and juice from her. I'm starved.

"Now we wait." I reply simply.

"Ugh!" She groans. "More waiting." I chuckle as we head back to tell the rest of the group.

–

"Really it works?" Tim asks with enthusiasm. Everyone looks at me, waiting for my confirmation.

"Yes." I say and the group cheers and high fives one another. Francisco and Jessica start running around in circles. "But, we're not sure what the after effects will be. We're waiting to finding out. So there's a possibility that-"

"Way to be a buzz-kill, Ash." Aiden says and shakes his head.

"What?" I ask raising my hands. "I'm just telling you guys not to-"

"Be human and celebrate the fact that we may be able to go back to normal... to civilization?" He questions with a raised brow. The rest of the group chuckles at our banter.

"Fine." I tell my friend, shaking my head and smiling. "Live in your little bubble." I push up from the table I was leaning against.

"What happens now?" Jo questions. See! A responsible adult like question.

"Well, Dr. Johnson and I are gonna watch him, make sure everything goes okay before we officially declare that we've created the cure." I explain.

"Sounds like a plan." Tim smiles at me.

"Just remember that promise you made to me, Tim." I point and smile at him as I start for the door.

"You're not holding me to that now are you?" He questions with a chuckle.

"Most definitely." I tell him with a nod and smile. I hear and Jo laughing as they explain to the rest of the confused group what we're talking about.

"What promise?" Spencer questions as we head back to the lab.

"I made him promise to run for president when this was all over." I tell her.

"Oooo!" She says clapping her hands together, practically bouncing up and down. "Tim would make an awesome president. And I'd technically be kinda like a first daughter since he's kinda like my honorary dad and all." I chuckle at my adorable girlfriend and pull her into a hug.

"Ugh! Your cuteness is way to much for me to handle right now." I tell her before kissing her lips.

"You love me." She says pulling back.

"You don't even know." Is my reply before kissing her again. When we pull back I lace our fingers and we head to the lab.