In Emily's classroom.
The air in the room was oppressive and thick, heavy with the collective breath of twenty-one people and the growing stench of despair.
All eyes were fixed on Professor Morales, his body trembling with uncontrollable spasms, his skin looking pale. I observed the faces around me: fear, worry, some with a resignation that chilled me to the bone. Since the afternoon, it had been a whirlwind of life-or-death decisions, and I felt the mental exhaustion weighing on me, an invisible and overwhelming slab.
My eyes landed on Alex.
His expression was complex, truly indecipherable. He had already instructed all of us, including me, about the inescapable effects of the bite, the brutal and raw truth of this virus. And we witnessed it firsthand. But reality, sometimes, was too difficult to fully accept.
"There has to be a solution!" I exclaimed again, my voice broken by emotion. "We can't just… We can't just leave him like this, without doing anything!"
Amy and Sophie, beside me, nodded with obvious desperation, their own expressions betraying the terrible truth we already knew.
We tried to convince the others, the new faces present, those who still clung to the hope of a miracle, that there was another way. But their gazes, fixed on the professor, already knew deep down. Alex also perceived it, but said nothing, his silence was a heavy and eloquent presence.
Amidst my deep anguish, Alex intervened with a grave voice, but for the first time, I perceived a nuance in his tone that wasn't solely pure pragmatism.
"We can't leave him here," Alex stated, his gaze seriously sweeping the room. "He needs attention, yes. But we cannot risk the rest of the group. Not in this place, not in this refuge."
I lifted my head, my eyes pleading and full of uncertainty. "But, Alex, we can't just…"
"I'm not saying we abandon him, Emily," Alex interrupted me firmly, his gaze fixed on mine. "We are going to treat his wounds. I have antibiotics and painkillers. We will provide him with everything he needs to be as comfortable as possible."
He paused significantly, the most difficult part of the conversation.
"But it must be in a completely isolated place. A room where he can recover without putting anyone else in the group at risk. And someone will have to stay with him, in rotating shifts, to ensure he is well cared for."
An internal sigh of relief escaped me, almost imperceptible.
It was a genuine consideration, a spark of humanity amidst desolation. I instantly understood the situation. It was an ethical way, yes, but a way to isolate him, to ward off the inevitable and dreaded transformation.
The hope of his recovery remained minimal, almost nil, but at least it wasn't the immediate sentence I so feared.
Alex moved with a resolute decision. Tim and Marlon, with their serious and focused faces, approached to assist Alex.
Between the three of them, with utmost care, they lifted Professor Morales.
I watched as they carried him to a nearby room, adjacent to the previously cleared faculty lounge.
On the professor's face, despite the cold sweat and extreme pallor, I saw a heartbreaking mix of terror for his impending fate and deep gratitude for the compassion that, in our own way, we had offered him at that critical moment.
I remained in the main room, the weight of collective responsibility on my shoulders. Despite the widespread exhaustion, there was no time for rest.
"We need to rotate the watch shifts," I announced, my voice sounding firm and clear.
Those who had been on watch before had barely slept a couple of hours; their bloodshot eyes clearly showed it. Now, they would rest. Those of us who had searched for supplies and supported Tim, George, and Alex would take over the watch. The newly 'awakened' would depart to continue searching for supplies in the already cleared rooms, making the most of every valuable minute of this uncertain night.
As Amy, Sophie, and I prepared for our vigil in the main room, the tense silence was broken by the soft murmurs of conversation.
"Do you think… that Professor Morales…?" Amy began, her voice barely a whisper laden with uncertainty.
"I don't know, Amy," I replied, the truth weighing heavily in my throat. "But Alex… he knows what he's doing. At least, we gave him a chance, a small hope."
Sophie joined us, her eyes visibly tired and worried.
"This is an unprecedented catastrophe. I never thought something like this… And our families? Do you think they're okay, that they've managed to survive?"
The concern for our parents, siblings, for the world we knew, was an open and bleeding wound in all of us. Uncertainty was a slow and corrosive poison.
After a few minutes, the weight of Professor Morales's situation and the urgent need to ensure everything was under control spurred me to action. I couldn't stay here without knowing for sure.
"I'm going to go watch Professor Morales," I told Amy and Sophie with determination. "George, are you coming with me?"
George, who was checking a nearby barricade, nodded immediately, without hesitation. Together, we headed towards the room where Professor Morales awaited his inescapable fate.
The atmosphere felt even denser with each step we took, as if the very air was charged with the imminent and palpable tragedy.
Upon reaching the door, the professor's groans were more frequent, more guttural and disturbing. His breathing, agitated and shallow, clearly filtered through the crack in the door.
Alex was already inside, standing next to the professor's hunched and suffering figure. His face, illuminated by the faint light of a flickering fluorescent, was a mask of absolute seriousness and concentration.
As soon as I set foot on the threshold, Alex pushed me aside with a firm and decisive hand, his gaze fixed on mine, a silent and forceful warning. There was no time for sentimentality, not in his world. I felt my pulse quicken and pound in my temples.
He pulled a radio from his backpack, turned it on with a click, and quickly brought it to his mouth.
"Ron," he said, his voice clear and concise, cutting through the accumulated tension in the air. "Do you hear me? Alex here. Do you copy, over?"
There were a few seconds of white noise and static, then my father's distorted voice broke through, a momentary relief that my heart could barely register amidst the tension.
"Alex, thank God! Are you okay? And Emily? Where exactly are you?"
The concern was palpable and overwhelming; it could be felt even through the radio static.
"We are at the high school, Ron. Emily is with me, she's safe for now." Alex summarized the situation with a coldness that chilled me to the bone. "The situation in here is a complete disaster. There are infected individuals everywhere, and the lack of clear information is causing uncontrollable panic. People are transforming, and no one seems to know what to do. Outside, in the city center, the situation is even worse. Absolute chaos, with massive traffic jams. The percentage of zombies on the streets is gradually increasing. The police and military have withdrawn or are regrouping, there's no effective containment… At least not for now."
I felt a knot in my chest as I listened to Alex's description. It was much worse than I had been able to conceive.
Without hesitating for a moment, with an intense pang of desperation, I snatched the radio from his hands.
"Dad! It's me, Emily!" my voice trembled slightly, but I forced myself to keep it as firm as possible. "I'm fine. Listen, I've been thinking… We have to turn the school into a safe place, a refuge. There are numerous students and teachers here… We can't just abandon them. We can fortify it, we have supplies, we can defend ourselves effectively. We can rescue more people."
Hope, that stubborn companion, clung tightly to every one of my words.
There was a momentary silence on the other end, broken only by a crackle of static. Then, my father's voice, tense and laden with that unmistakable nuance of concern I knew so well, abruptly interrupted me.
"Emily, listen carefully. I know you want to help, but it's not a sustainable option. High School is a high-risk point, a true magnet for the zombis. We don't have the resources or enough personnel to maintain it long-term. It's extremely dangerous. Your mother is hysterical, dear. She just wants you to come home, completely safe. That's all that matters to me right now."
I felt a sharp pang of pain. The emotional card. My parents' concern was a heavy anchor dragging me down relentlessly.
I looked at Alex, who was observing me with his impassive face. His presence, along with his unwavering pragmatism, reinforced every one of my father's words. He approached, his gaze meeting mine directly.
"Emily, your father is right in certain aspects. We cannot sustain this situation indefinitely. It is imperative that we have an exit plan. We can help secure a provisional zone for those who remain, but the fundamental priority right now is your own safety."
I knew Alex was right about the long-term infeasibility, and about the scarce and limited resources. The guilt over what happened with Sonny mingled with the deep anguish of having to abandon my initial vision.
"Okay, Dad," I said, my voice barely an almost inaudible whisper, with defeat clearly coloring my face. "But… what about the others? I can't simply abandon them to their fate."
My father let out a sigh of relief.
"You won't abandon them, my daughter," he promised. "Alex, help them establish a safe and provisional zone. Fortify everything possible so they can resist a few additional days. Then, you, Emily, and Tim, return. Once you are here, completely safe, I will organize a rescue operation. We will go in search of the rest of the students… I promise you."
I felt a certain relief, on the one hand, because Alex would help. But on the other hand, the hope of establishing a permanent refuge completely crumbled, leaving a deep void in my chest.
I nodded, my eyes full of unshed tears. My father's promise represented comfort, but the sacrifice of my idealism was a bitter pill to swallow. Alex took the radio. The communication ended.
After the call, Alex and I returned to the room where Professor Morales continued to writhe. His condition had noticeably deteriorated; the tremors were now more violent, and his groans, sharper and more penetrating.
Alex signaled to Marlon, who had already returned from the clearing task. "Marlon, come with me. We will continue consolidating the area towards the cafeteria. George, Emily, you two stay here, watch the professor."
Marlon nodded seriously, and they both left.
Tim had already returned to the main room to rest, preparing to relieve Alex later.
Silence settled in the room, interrupted only by Professor Morales's groans.
George and I sat on the floor, our backs against the wall, our improvised weapons resting on our laps. The air felt oppressive and heavy, charged with a macabre and ominous expectation.
"What happened, Emily?" George asked in a low tone, his gaze visibly anxious. "What did Alex say? And your father?"
I told him the truth, every word an overwhelming weight on my soul.
"The high school… it cannot function as a long-term refuge, George. Alex says resources are scarce, and the threat is simply too great. My father… he's very worried. My mother, of course, too. They want me to leave here."
George frowned with concern, his expression visibly altered. "Leave? And the others? And all those we rescued?"
"Alex… Alex will help us secure this place as best as possible. Functioning as a provisional base," I explained, my voice barely an almost inaudible whisper. "And yes, Alex will get us out of here. Some of us. Those he can. You, Amy, Yuki… a few more. But not everyone, George… It's impossible."
His face was visibly contorted. First disbelief, then palpable fear, and finally, a mix of deep disappointment and a cold understanding of reality.
"A temporary base? And the others… will they stay here?" His voice became a thin thread of pure desperation.
"I don't know, George. I don't know," I replied, tears stinging my eyes persistently. "But Alex promised to make the high school as safe as possible before we finally leave."
At that moment, Professor Morales began to cough violently, a deep, wet cough that quickly transformed into a series of uncontrollable convulsions. His groans became even more exaggerated and heartbreaking.
A sudden panic completely seized me.
"George, go get Tim! Quickly!" I shouted, my voice sharp and shrill. I stayed outside the room, my heart pounding wildly against my ribs.
"Professor Morales! Are you okay?" I tried to ask, knowing it was useless, my voice trembling. I simply didn't know what action to take.
Suddenly, an unnatural and absolute silence fell over the entire environment.
The most terrifying silence I had ever heard. Although I knew I shouldn't enter, that Alex had been clear with the rules, desperation and an irrational need to see, to understand, propelled me forward. I advanced slowly, leaving the door open, ready to escape.
"Professor Morales?" I called softly, my voice barely a whisper in the darkness.
Suddenly, a figure lunged from the shadows.
It was the professor. But it wasn't him.
His eyes were white, empty, his mouth open in a guttural growl, his hands outstretched towards me.
I was paralyzed with fear, my feet glued to the ground.
My life flashed before my eyes in a split second: my mother's worry and care, my father's pampering, Alex's warnings about the infected, and finally, the image of Sonny saying goodbye with his bleeding neck.
Just as Professor Morales's teeth were inches from my neck, an arm intervened in the path of the bite.
A choked scream escaped my throat.
It was Alex.
With contained fury and brutal efficiency, Alex quickly dispatched the zombie, his knife in a lethal flash.
He looked at me, his dark eyes filled with cold anger, a mix of frustration and concern for my recklessness.
My desperation transformed into pure horror.
My eyes fixed on Alex's arm, the arm that had intervened.
Had he been bitten?
.
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[A/N: CHAPTER COMPLETED
Hello everyone.
Here's a new chapter about Emily. She faces new challenges every time, and they're beginning to shape her character.
However, this latest event could change her personality forever.
What will happen to Alex?
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Read my other novels
#The Walking Dead: Vision of the Future (Chapter 69)
#Vinland Kingdom: Race Against Time (Chapter 67)
#The Walking Dead: Patient 0 - Lyra File (Chapter 2)
You can find them on my profile.]