Zone Zero (Book 1 of 3)

Chapter 32

The lights are bright as I strain to open my eyes fully against them. Pain still writhes away at my body and a dull ache fills my head.

I finally manage to take in the bright light and realize that it is coming from a large overhead mainly used in hospitals. It is blinding and I wince under it.

My head begins to spin and I try to rub my forehead only to find that I can't move my arms. I look down at my body and realize that I am strapped into a hospital bed with my hands shackled like some sort of mental patient.

The panic sets in as I struggle against the straps and try my best to wiggle my way free. The leather is so tight against my skin that I know I won't be able to get out of this that easily and feel defeat rise above me. Where the hell am I?

A door opens behind me and in strolls a short man with grey hair and a white doctor's coat as he makes his way to my bedside.

"What's going on? Where am I?" My voice is laced with fear as I ask, but he doesn't even look me in the eye. Instead he retrieves a syringe and extracts three vials of my blood before hooking me to an IV drip.

"Please, where am I?" I ask again but he continues to ignore me.

Finally he looks at me and touches my forehead with a damp cloth and wipes away dry blood. Why was my head bleeding? I vaguely remember being knocked unconscious but can't pin point as how. I try to think about the last moments before I came to wake up here when it hits me. There was a soldier that hit me with his gun after I was shot twice. And Alex. What did they do to Alex? He can't be gone, he just can't be.

I breathe in deeply and try to hide any form of tears that might wish to make themselves present and keep recalling whatever I can.

We were right near my house. Logan! Is Logan ok?

"Please, can I see my brother?"

He continues about his business as I feel tears break their threshold and roll down the side of my face and onto the pillow.

"Is he ok?" I ask again as more tears fill my eyes. Why won't he talk to me?

"Please, I am begging you, just talk to me. Please!" I plead to him hoping for some sort of contact. I need to know what's going on.

He looks me in the eye with a judgmental gleam and snickers before walking away from me and back toward the door he came in from.

"Hello? Please come back! Hello?" I scream out but the door closes and he is gone. I am alone again. Where the fuck am I?

Suddenly I begin to feel drowsy as the contents of the IV take hold. I want to stay awake but my eyes begin to close and I know that I will be fast asleep again in just a few moments.

What is this place?

...

The bed is moving as I flutter my eyes and see the ceiling seams as I am pushed down a long and narrow hallway.

I try to look around but I can't see anything that would tell me where I am. I look up and see the face of the doctor from earlier. Where is he taking me?

"Where are we going?"

He doesn't answer and I feel my panic begin to set in again.

"I want to see my brother!" I demand but he still doesn't even look at me. Why won't he acknowledge me?

Finally he pushes me through a large swinging door and stops the bed in the center of the room before exiting himself.

A minute or two of nothingness falls upon me as I struggle to look around the room since I am still strapped to the gurney.