These Different Times (Nick Clark FF)

11.

this is just a short chapter but i thought i'd just put it up

"Miss Nelson, take a seat."

Just like Dave said, a couple of doctors came for me and led me to a room on the other side of the containment unit where inside, there was another soldier but this man had an impressive amount of medals and badges attached to his jacket.

Something told me that this dude was the man who was in charge of everything around here.

I wordlessly took a seat, glancing at Dave who was standing at the side of the door before focusing on the table in front of me.

"Would you like some water?"

"No. I'd rather you just get on with it."

He gave me a smirk and sat back in his chair, "Do you know why you're here?"

"Not really but I'm sure you're going to enlighten me." I said sweetly.

He shuffled some papers on the table, "You told the men and Doctor Exner that you had been in contact with the infected, yes?"

I nodded, "Yeah, but hasn't everyone by now?"

"We mean proper, physical contact," he explained, "You were grabbed? Correct?"

"Yes," I repeated, "But it had hold of my hair."

"Not your head?"

"No."

Dave stepped forward to stand beside me, "Sir, she may not be infected now but it will happen. Remember what Doctor Hardvick said."

A grim expression crossed the other man's face, "Ah, yes."

"What?" I asked quickly, "What does he mean by that?"

The two of them shared a glance, "She may as well know."

"Well," the man in charge said, "First thing's first. My name is Michael. What Dave means is that no matter what happens to you, how you die. That doesn't matter. You die, you come back as one of them."

The atmosphere in the small room had definitely changed.

What was a tense feeling in the air was gone, replaced by a different array of emotions floating around.

I stood, silently heading towards the door again and Dave let me out.

**

On the way back to the holding pens, I thought about the information I had just been given. That couldn't be true, could it? No, they had to be lying. They were probably just trying to scare us.

But then I thought about Calvin. I didn't know the full story but Nick had told me that he had died from a gunshot wound. Now, unles he was already bitten, Calvin should not have come back, meaning that this theory about coming back however you di, was completely possible.

I was startled out of my thoughts by gun fire coming from outside and Dave's radio crackled to live.

"Multiple infected...Northside...urgent backup required."

Cursing, he pulled me to a stop and began unlocking another pen; an empty one.

"What are you doing?" I asked, pulling the door open.

Instead of giving me a verbal answer, he gently nudged me inside, "It's for your own good."

"Wait, no!" I yelled but he closed and locked the door before I could move, "Dave, wait!"

Seconds later, he was gone and I cursed, kicking the metal bucket by my feet.

Across the room, I could just see Nick talking to the guy who was in the pen with him and when everyone saw that the guards were leaving, they started panicking.

"What's going on?" a woman in the next pen asked as three guards ran by us, "Is everything okay?"

I didn't even look at her. No, I kept my eyes on the man with Nick. Watching in disbelief as he opened the door to their pen and casually strolled out.

"Nick" I called, desperate to get his attention as he followed behind the man, "Nick!"

By some strange miracle, he heard me and he tapped the guy on the arm before rushing towards me and the guy rolled his eyes but followed.

"Tay," Nick breathed when he reached me, "You're okay. When you didn't come back, I panicked."

"I'm okay," I whispered, resting my hands on the fence between us, "Who's that guy? Where are you going?"

His eyes lit up and he turned to the guy who was stood behind him, "This is Strand. He's got a key. Strand, let her out."

"I'm sorry," Strand said smoothly, "I can't do that."

Nick stared at his back as he retreated then looked back at me, "I-I'll go after him."

"What? Nick, no! You can't leave me!"

He looked so torn, his hands coming to hold mine, well, the best he could with the stupid fence in the way, "I'll come back for you. I'll get the key and I'll come back."

"Promise?" I whispered, "I don't want to die here, Nick."

"I promise."

"Okay," I nodded, "Then go but please hurry."

He gave me a soft kiss before running after Strand and I moved to sit down on the bench. May as well get comfortable 'cause all I could really do was wait.