Brian
Brian Taylor
Their eyes were blank, their skin normal, but for the strange grey hue. Movements jerky, they’d kill as soon as look at you. The radio reports were terrifying, but it wasn’t going to happen to him. This, this infection - spread, was not going to get him.
Brian walked across the once cream, threadbare carpet, his shadows dancing across the smoke stained walls making him start. Carefully he checked each of the numerous heavy duty locks on his front door, making sure they were shut fast.
No one was getting in.
He sat down in a corner of the room, the remains of their food rations close-by. These would have to last until Moira got home, whenever that would be.
She’d know what to do. Then it dawned on him, “What if she’s one of them already? What is where she is is worse than here?” A sea of panic washed over him.
“Calm down Brian. We need to stay calm and think clearly.” Val almost whispered.
But Zack jumped in, “Think about what? They should have killed the lot of them before they had a chance to get this close.”
Val gasped, horrified, “Kill them? They’re still human beings! They’re just ill.”
“Shut up! Both of you, you’re giving me a headache." Brian’s eyes were dark, more with fear than anger, as if a great cloud was over him.
He took a bite out of his last slice of bread, ignoring the beginnings of its breakdown into dust. His last perishable food for a long while. Glancing over at the rations he sighed, one almost empty can and not even half a bottle of water left, the water from the mains having been cut off by Zack last week to prevent water borne infection.
“How long do you think that will last us?” Val asked quietly.
He almost shrugged, down but not defeated, “I’m not sure. Not long. Probably not long enough.” he smiled, Val was always the worrier out of them all.
"Whatever is in that can will probably be finished tonight, as will the water. Face it, its over.”
Zack growled, “We need to stick together and find more food!” He was starting to get increasingly agitated.
“No!” Val shrieked, once again. “I mean, we can’t, Brian you can’t…” Her voice thick with emotion etched its way around his brain the words taking permanent residence. She was right.
“Val’s right, Zack.” his eyelids drooping slightly. “We stay here, I’m sure Moira’ll be back soon, we can hold out.
“You won’t be able to, you’re weak already-”
“You two seem fine,” he cut him off, annoyed that Zack thought him weaker than the others. He shut his eyes - it seemed pointless to argue an longer - and fell into a deep, dreamless sleep.
Upon awakening, he ate the last few scraps of food and the last of the water. The lack of food and water were getting to him. The pounding of his head and the blurring of his vision were making it near impossible to turn over and fall back to sleep, Val murmured words of comfort in his ear.
***
Moira Banks stepped out of her car on her first day back at work after her three week holiday, she was already running late, but she was sure Brian wouldn’t mind. She almost trotted into the chemist and stood in front of the counter, “I’m picking up a prescription for Brian Taylor.” The woman behind the counter disappeared and returned a few moments later with three bags of prescriptions, Moira looked down, “Brian only receives one type of medication.”
“We are aware, however, no one has been in for weeks, these pills that are backdated from the week beginning the tenth.” Moira’s eyes widened, he hadn’t had his meds since before she left.
This was disastrous.
Moira hurriedly thanked the woman, and drove the ten minutes to Brian’s house, with a nagging sense of anxiety.
With a barely suppressed sense of urgency Moira opted for walking briskly up the path instead of running so as not to cause alarm. Praying she was in time, she knocked on Brian’s front door. Locked. She stepped across the hedge towards the living room window and peered inside. Directly opposite where she was standing, she could just make out the slumped figure of Brian. Slumped in the corner, head rolled to one side and deathly pale.
Brian walked across the once cream, threadbare carpet, his shadows dancing across the smoke stained walls making him start. Carefully he checked each of the numerous heavy duty locks on his front door, making sure they were shut fast.
No one was getting in.
He sat down in a corner of the room, the remains of their food rations close-by. These would have to last until Moira got home, whenever that would be.
She’d know what to do. Then it dawned on him, “What if she’s one of them already? What is where she is is worse than here?” A sea of panic washed over him.
“Calm down Brian. We need to stay calm and think clearly.” Val almost whispered.
But Zack jumped in, “Think about what? They should have killed the lot of them before they had a chance to get this close.”
Val gasped, horrified, “Kill them? They’re still human beings! They’re just ill.”
“Shut up! Both of you, you’re giving me a headache." Brian’s eyes were dark, more with fear than anger, as if a great cloud was over him.
He took a bite out of his last slice of bread, ignoring the beginnings of its breakdown into dust. His last perishable food for a long while. Glancing over at the rations he sighed, one almost empty can and not even half a bottle of water left, the water from the mains having been cut off by Zack last week to prevent water borne infection.
“How long do you think that will last us?” Val asked quietly.
He almost shrugged, down but not defeated, “I’m not sure. Not long. Probably not long enough.” he smiled, Val was always the worrier out of them all.
"Whatever is in that can will probably be finished tonight, as will the water. Face it, its over.”
Zack growled, “We need to stick together and find more food!” He was starting to get increasingly agitated.
“No!” Val shrieked, once again. “I mean, we can’t, Brian you can’t…” Her voice thick with emotion etched its way around his brain the words taking permanent residence. She was right.
“Val’s right, Zack.” his eyelids drooping slightly. “We stay here, I’m sure Moira’ll be back soon, we can hold out.
“You won’t be able to, you’re weak already-”
“You two seem fine,” he cut him off, annoyed that Zack thought him weaker than the others. He shut his eyes - it seemed pointless to argue an longer - and fell into a deep, dreamless sleep.
Upon awakening, he ate the last few scraps of food and the last of the water. The lack of food and water were getting to him. The pounding of his head and the blurring of his vision were making it near impossible to turn over and fall back to sleep, Val murmured words of comfort in his ear.
***
Moira Banks stepped out of her car on her first day back at work after her three week holiday, she was already running late, but she was sure Brian wouldn’t mind. She almost trotted into the chemist and stood in front of the counter, “I’m picking up a prescription for Brian Taylor.” The woman behind the counter disappeared and returned a few moments later with three bags of prescriptions, Moira looked down, “Brian only receives one type of medication.”
“We are aware, however, no one has been in for weeks, these pills that are backdated from the week beginning the tenth.” Moira’s eyes widened, he hadn’t had his meds since before she left.
This was disastrous.
Moira hurriedly thanked the woman, and drove the ten minutes to Brian’s house, with a nagging sense of anxiety.
With a barely suppressed sense of urgency Moira opted for walking briskly up the path instead of running so as not to cause alarm. Praying she was in time, she knocked on Brian’s front door. Locked. She stepped across the hedge towards the living room window and peered inside. Directly opposite where she was standing, she could just make out the slumped figure of Brian. Slumped in the corner, head rolled to one side and deathly pale.