Chapter 12:

Chapter 12 - Facing death

Infection


Entering between the white doors I stopped for some reason, my body did not respond to my orders, my chest hurt, my heart felt pressured wanting to escape, as if it could not beat properly and suddenly the blood began to flow between my lips. -What's wrong? ...  Adam we have to go - she said worriedly without looking at me properly.-Can you take care of him? - I answered almost without being able to mention the whole sentence. She nodded and took Frank inside the lab. I immediately lowered my head, looked directly at my chest and noticed that there was what at first glance looked like a gray stake through my body.Almost to the edge of my thorax.I slowly turned around crestfallen.- You son of a bitch...I'm sure you enjoy it.He was a few steps away and both his eyes and body showed his victory. - I don't understand what your problem is, you can't kill someone without torturing them.The gray one approached me playing with his arms, getting ready to have fun and settle a score with me. He grabbed me by the neck roughly and lifted me into the air with one of his big hands, with the other he played with the stake he had thrown at me, which I didn't know where he could have gotten it from. I couldn't help screaming.- ahhhhhhhh! ahhhhhhhh! - I fell into despair , the idea that I would die was inevitable , there was no way to survive this so this is my end , the truth is that I regret many things , I would have liked to see Olivia one last time , how much I would kill to drink a beer in my house but maybe I will when I die .I closed my eyes slowly accepting the fate of this lonely soul trying to protect the people he met by fate .- Adan... Adan Adan - I heard the desperate cries of Angela and Serene although I didn't know if they were real or figments of my imagination produced by the delirium of an almost dead man . Right, right there follows my promise I made to her, I bet coming back from hell to kill these fuckers would be too hard, so I can't die, not like this, I have to go help them. Grrruu - he ordered his little squad of 10 grays, who threw something at him that I didn't know what it was, I only noticed that it left a trail of small drops of blood in the air that fell to the ground. He caught it with the hand that played with the stake stuck in my body, when I saw it clearly it looked like a throat, transparent color bathed in vital liquid, and the smell of burning was unbearable, the smell of chemicals was toxic but put all this together with the putrid smell of dead blood was even worse, my sense of smell just wished I didn't have to be here. He opened his big lips and an oval tip slowly emerged, it expanded like a medium sized snake, having it near me was even worse because it reeked of shit, he took the extracted throat and put on the tip of his tentacle, the oval tip was too big for that small space but he managed to get it in, once ready his foul smelling serpentine tentacle slithered back inside him.In the atmosphere you could only feel the overwhelming embarrassment produced by the flames, the suffocating smell of burning, all accompanied by the rhythmic pounding of the body drums the grays had and how the flammable structures were being undone by the fire in the middle of this awake and starry night.The gray that had me hanging by my neck through his prosthesis made no sound. I twisted in the air trying to free myself until something disturbed me even more.- Ha, ha, ha, ha - it sounded like a robotic laugh - insgnificant human ... I won't kill you because first I want you to watch me having fun with your friends. He started to give his villain speech with a strange tone of voice that I couldn't take seriously, he was cutting like a child threatening me which made me let out a small disguised smile, Really this is possible, I thought amazed by his ability to adapt but no, I can't stay here even if I don't keep my promise - in my head the voices of Angela and Serene echoed like a voice message asking for my help - I have to collect my debt with Angela and see all the people I want to see, even if it's just to say goodbye. As a last act I reach into my coat pocket.- No no. you know I can think of something better - her lip improved - how about I infect you and force you to outrage your friends, yes that would be much better for me .All his escort pronounced with loud clicks but none bothered to see the action of my hands.I looked all around looking for anyone to notice, but my idea that no one had seen me was just an illusion, the previous gray who had fought Frank just nodded his head and retreated. Turning back to the gray that had me imprisoned between its large boxing glove-like hands, it opened its ugly mouth and let out its serpentine limb. I held up my free hand, index finger.- I can think of ... something better ... why don't you ... you're going to hell -  I concentrated all my anger on the last word.I quickly threw the bottle of chemicals into his exposed mouth , it contained , hydrochloric acid , metallic sodium and water , the latter exploded at the bottom of his mouth . He immediately let go of me.I fell on the door abruptly , from my position I could only watch as the gases came out of his mouth , as his snaky tentacle stretched more than it already was and as this member of his anatomy moved uncontrollably hitting the walls , from left to right , in circles , fluttering in the air like a fish out of water , until he simply fell silent .It had detached from the body of the gray , as the host lay motionless in front of me , the gas increased until a small hole began to show in the throat , extending down . He fell to his knees in front of me .His companions , the gray squad that had supported him moments before , ran desperately to him . Without hesitation, I got up with great effort and entered the laboratory, with a loud and shuddering bang I closed the door, grabbed the chairs that were on one side of the entrance and closed the door so that they could not enter. I fell to the floor immediately, my body was asking for it -rest, rest- I think that's what my wounded body was saying, dripping vital liquid in the wound produced and covered by the stake embedded in my thorax. I covered the wound with my hands and sighed heavily, with my eyes on the door I watched as the shadows on the other side of the door that could be seen through the small slot moved uncontrollably, they gave me the impression of moving, of hitting something but there was no blow on the door, not a single sound came out of it. I was a little more impressed, a small stream of gray liquid was sliding across the ceramic floor of the lab into a puddle. Instinctively I crawled backwards.-Are you all right?" someone asked, the same female voice with a cold tone. - Better than that gray I think... ah - the wound burned and felt a little icy.I turned to her as I crawled like a worm - you can pull this out - I pointed to the stake embedded in my chest.She was stunned for a brief second as if she had lost her cool, but a few seconds later she returned to the cold stare that was a little unsettling as she nodded her head.It seems that having Frank around has some effect on her because she acts very differently than when the two of us were in the hallway.She approached me very quickly, grabbed me by the shoulders firmly to force me to lie face down, and in position sat on top of me in a way that looked like she was riding me. - What are you doing? - I asked. - It's so you don't move when I pull it out, I don't want to damage any major arteries or organs.He placed his delicate hands firmly on my body, with the right one he held my torso, with the left one he held very tightly the stake that was embedded in that place.When he touched it, the slight movement produced in me an incomparable pain that shook my whole being so I couldn't help but scream. - Well, are you ready?" She asked.- Yes on the count of three.Ahhhhhh! -with a sharp jerk he pulled it out of me demonstrating why he had chosen his profession as a nurse because he had the precise and strong touch, the pain produced was worse than the one I could feel seconds before. - Hey, you know you missed the count of three - I laughed painfully as I began to tremble from the loss of blood.I stood up, she stood in front of me and said: - Turn around, don't look at me -.I still didn't know why she said it, I was just concentrating on the idea of how I was losing blood and why Angela and Serene weren't here.

She took off her duster, gave me a murderous look emphasizing her words just by looking at me.

I ignored her and did not look at her, I looked at the door, I saw how the shades of gray remained static, peaceful one could say, but at the same time I was worried about the puddle of solidified gray on the door.

- Catch it - she said.

When I noticed I had her bluish colored blouse over my head that had a delicious caramel scent conbined with a bit of her body odor that gave a stimulating touch to my sense of smell, besides it was the best I could smell now since so far I had only received burnt, blood and dead smell.

- What is this for - I turned to her, when I saw her she was covering herself with the duster but I could see her pink bra that matched her skin tone and some freckles.

- You're a fucking pervert - she glared at me and continued buttoning her lab coat - cover your wound and let's go, I don't want you to pass out and be another burden - her tone was contemptuous towards me - hurry up cover your wound, we have to get out of this place because those things are very likely to come in at any moment.

This attitude would be a small attitude of kindness, I think that even if she pretends to be someone cold she has her human side and I think it is the right thing to do because if not, there would be no reason for her to study a career dedicated to health.

- We are leaving but where are there no other places to go, where are Angela and Serene? - I asked.

- They went out the emergency door that leads to the storage room and then to the faculty exit.

- Which exit?

- Hurry up asshole, cover your wound, we don't have much time - she yelled at me approaching Frank who still looked a little disoriented on the floor.

- hmh how do you think I'm going to dirty your delicious fragrance that only excites me - I made a kind of ball in her blouse and brought it to my nose, there I sucked hard - with my smell of blood, you're crazy - I returned it with a throw - give me a few minutes, I have a better idea but it won't be much fun to say it, I walked slowly but my steps were those of a turtle - you can reach me the rum and the lighter that are in the closet - my tone of voice had lowered.

She looked at me in a contemptuous way when she saw me smelling her body odors but then she understood my intentions or so I think because her face reflected a little pity towards me .

She obediently approached the meza, took the rum from the cupboard next to the lighter.

- You're an idiot - she said as she handed them to me.

- Yes, I am - I laughed ruefully.

I rubbed my wound with the rum, the rum irritated the wound on contact, the reddish blood started to come out with more force while the tissue turned a reddish tone showing irritation, I swallowed saliva because of the pain I felt, the rum reeked of alcohol, it wasn't burning rum but the drinkable one.

- Fuck it, why not - I took a sip of this rum with the intention of making the situation less painful and give me a kind of prize, its bitter taste produced a burning in my throat. I offered the bottle to her in case she wanted to drink it.

Glup - I swallowed saliva taking courage, lit the lighter and began to cauterize the wound bathed in rum.

It was hell in miniature, the fire stopped the bleeding and closed the wound but the pain was so much that it pushed me over the edge into the realm of pain tolerance, almost to the point of wanting to pass out but I couldn't allow it I was my own surgeon so if I passed out I would fall right in front of the lighter.

I didn't know which of the two sensations was worse, but now I could only empathize with what Serene had to endure when I cauterized her arm.

In the middle of the treatment the door began to unfold sounds produced by the blows , until it was pierced by a fist leaving a large hole in the wood .

- Shit - I left the cauterization process half done, I got up, broke the glass lighter over the chairs, the fuel I had spread all over the wood so I set it on fire,

- Let's go - I walked slowly towards Frank, I bent down although my face reflected the pain as I did it, but it was something I had to endure from now on until I found them and a place where we could be safe for the time being. .

I put one of her arms around my shoulders, she did the same.

-Will you be able to walk? - she asked, no longer as unresponsive as before.

I nodded without hesitation, the three of us walked out of the lab as it began to burn in the fire.

At the back of the lab were two white doors that functioned as one, besides having the emergency exit sign above them.

The three of us entered through those doors without hesitation, with the only thought of getting away from the grays and finding them.

The flames slowly burst out, igniting all the chairs in an instant and chasing us through the emergency exit, the fire approached us without hesitation like a determined hunter.

Sweat produced by the heat and danger brushed my forehead, as I walked hugging Frank, who was still breathing but unconsciously.

Frank's breathing was quiet as he was unconscious as I watched the path, the hallway back and forth, worried about the creatures to come.

What the hell was that, I still don't know how the three of us are still alive with so many dangers around every corner, maybe it's luck although I prefer to think we made our own luck, damn what I wouldn't give to drink more of that rum.

- mmm -Frank was producing almost incomprehensible mumbles at the time, I stopped watching the road to see if he was in any trouble but he just came to, his eyes blinking slowly .

-Frank, are you all right? -Her friend was the first to ask excitedly about his state of health due to the heavy blow that had knocked him unconscious a few moments ago. She paused for a moment because she was anxious to hear his answer.

- Hey... if you don't remember those things are still haunting us.... So let's move on - my words came out with difficulty.

- ohm what happened? You... What am I doing like this, why am I being charged?- he was shaking his head in all directions, disoriented and intrigued by the fact that they were helping him to walk -Lucía, what happened ?-he asked while observing his lower body, seeing how his legs were moving strangely as if he had no joints- and - he tilted his gaze towards me- Adan, you look awful, old man.

-Another time I'll explain it to you- answered her friend who turned out to be Lucia.