Our Expiration Date

Chapter 3

We arrived at their base within fifteen minutes.
Carly had me stay in the middle of the group, away from Sprite at the very front. It took all my strength to keep my legs from sprinting towards the large gated base.
The base was surrounded by a large concrete wall about ten meters high. Hanging from the wall were warning signs and zombies on stakes.
I had seen places like this before. Zombies as a shield, protecting a community of mainly children and their parents. It made my hopes soar.
Once again, I had to drag my hopes through the dirt and face reality. My brother was shot.

Ponyboy trembled in my grasp and squeezed his eyes shut as soon as he saw the zombies lining the wall.
"It's okay Pony, they can't hurt ya." I shushed him.
Carly raised her rifle in the air and waved it in a circle. On command, a tall tan man in a blue beanie poked his head out from behind the top right of the gate.
"Eddy," Carly shouted. "We've got wounded!"
"You got it, Carly!" Eddy shouted back.
A loud whirring noise from behind the gate caught the infected's attention.
They gurgled and roared as they reached for the people on the outer edge of our group. I wanted to decapitate them.

I entered the opened gate and made sure to keep an eye on Sprite.
Ponyboy completely froze as we walked inside the gate. I looked at their base with shock.
It was a identical to a quarantine zone.
The buildings were covered in metal sheets. Armed guards stalked passers-by. There was a line for rations.
I felt my stomach twist. My training began to return to me as we walked to the medical building.
I wanted to follow a lone man walking behind a building. I needed to walkie someone about suspicious children near the ration line. I needed to make those children fear me.
I shook those thoughts away as I felt Ponyboy squeeze me tighter. I sighed and fought back even more tears as I walked up the steps to the medical building.
Inside the building, I felt right at home. It was obvious by now that this really was a quarantine zone. It made me sick.

It took 3 hours for them to patch Sprite up. As soon as Ponyboy saw Sprite, he ran and hugged him.
Sprite, still in bed, only groaned in pain.
I walked up to my brothers, tears still streaming down my face. I wrapped my arms around their necks and kissed each on the temple.
"You feelin' alright, Sprite?" I asked.
Sprite breathed slowly. He trembled slightly. His pale face terrified me.
"I'm ok, Dex." Came his weak reply.
"Don't get shot again." Ponyboy barked, his mouth curled into a worried smile.
"Make me." Sprite's responce was his typical one. The only thing wrong was his tone. He sounded breathless.
I didn't notice a military dressed man enter the hospital room. He cleared his throat, making me jump.
"Dexter? I'm Sargent Waters." His booming voice demanded my attention.
I stood up and saluted Sargent Waters. He seemed surprised by my gesture. I lowered my hand and explained.
"Hello Sargent. I was trained in the military during my time in a quarantine zone. I was captain of sevral squads."
Sargent Waters nodded. Ponyboy stood up and faced the Sargent, holding my open hand.
"Are you aware of curfew?" He asked.
"Yes sir. 8 pm. On the dot." I replied.
"Correct. I suggest you get in the ration line." With that final statement, sargent Waters marched out of the room.
Instead of following orders, I sat down and dug through our backpacks.
Sprite and Ponyboy enjoyed a meal of canned peaches and beans. I opted out.
I wasn't about to go to that ration line. I can't go back. It hurt too much.