Brie sat with wide eyes.
No way.
No way was this real.
On the computer screen, flashed four big words.
"THE WORLD IS ENDING."
She scrolled through twitter, seeing tweets on how to stay alive. Apparently, it was a virus only caught if the body fluids of a carrier entered your body. Brie glanced at Adam, thinking about his wound. What about Melissa?
"Okay... Focus." She patted the desk and continued to read. Hopefully, there'd be something helpful, something to keep them alive. She spotted a specific article a stranger had made a few hours ago.
'Everything you need to know to survive the walkers.'
Brie frowned. "Walkers?" She shrugged and kept reading.
'1. Walkers are attracted to noise, movement, and smell. If their body isn't damaged enough, they will have enhanced senses. Avoid contact at all times.
2. DO NOT touch them. Stay away from any saliva, blood, or disconnected body parts. It WILL infect you if it enters your body. It is giving the virus easy access.
3. If your companion, pet or family members have been in contact or are showing any of these symptoms (coughing, seizures, foaming at the mouth, fainting, vomiting) stay FAR AWAY, or if possible, kill them.'
Brie sat, unmoving. Kill them? Could anyone with a heart even do that?
She leaned back, letting out a deep breath. She couldn't stop thinking about Adam. There must be a way to stop this terrible virus.
Brie shook her head. He doesn't have the virus! Stop assuming things. She stood, glancing back to Adam with a sad expression.
"I hope you're okay." She crouched down and checked his bandages. They were getting bloodier... Maybe she should change them.
Suddenly, Adam's body jerked. His eyes fluttered open and he started to breathe quickly and look around with a panicked expression.
"What- Where am I? Am I dead?" He stuttered out, feeling frantically for his face and sitting up with urgency.
Brie rushed forward and pushed his shoulders down, worried he'd hurt himself more. "Don't." She begged, putting her hands on his cheeks in a comforting manner.
His breathing began to slow and she smiled, knowing he was calming down. "Thank god you're awake." Brie sighed, feeling her eyes watering already. She squeezed them shut and opened them to see him smiling weakly.
A few seconds passed as they took a moment to think back on what was going on.
"You bandaged these?" His voice cracked. She grabbed a bottle of water and nodded. "You might need stitches..." She mumbled, passing him the bottle.
He tried to sit up, groaning loudly in pain. She quickly shushed him.
"Look over there." She pointed to one of the surveillance monitors. It showed the side of the store. It was surrounded by those 'walkers', stumbling around like they were in a trance.
"What are they?" He breathed out, staring in disbelief. He chugged some water, letting out a sigh of hydrated relief.
"They call them walkers." She pointed the screen down slightly to allow him to see easier and switched to the website she was reading. "There's information on them, finally."
As Adam read, she watched his expression change from confused to terrified. "This is like an actual zombie movie." He spluttered, barely able to get his words out.
Behind them, a stirring caught their attention.
Adam shifted his body awkwardly to see Melissa standing up, gaping at him. "You're awake!" She whispered, even breaking a smile.
"I'm sorry you had to see me like this." Adam hissed in pain but held his hand out for a high-five. "I'm breathing, so that's good." Somehow, while sat there, he kept up his comedic personality. It amazed Brie.
She'd noticed how they bonded over the last few days. Melissa was part of the family now. Brie suspected Mel knew her family was dead, and simply didn't want to accept it, so she forgot. It would've been an easy move for an eleven-year-old to make.
As Melissa and Adam chatted, Brie checked the cameras over once again. The inside of the store looked thankfully deserted. There was a fire exit that could let them escape once Adam was feeling better, but it was currently swarmed with walkers. The entrance was also busy, which put them in a sticky situation. They had no escape.
Unless Brie could find a distraction.
She scanned the aisles through the screen, noting that the blind man was now outside. As she watched him through the camera, he swayed and fell occasionally, struggling to pick himself up. The virus had taken him fully.
She stood and turned to Adam.
"Take off your bandage so you can check it out." She crouched and helped him unwrap the bandage carefully.
He grunted and looked down at the gash sliced into his stomach.
"Oh god, okay. It needs to be stitched," he paused for a moment to breathe. "and it definitely needs to be cleaned, otherwise it'll get infected," He sighed, "If you can, get some alcohol to clean it with... preferably vodka." He winked, causing a scoff from Brie.
"We aren't drinking, you idiot." She chuckled and walked back to the computer. "Plus, I don't think using alcohol itself would help, we need wipes or something." He nodded in agreement.
She quickly did a google search and found that stitching a wound was more difficult than it seemed. She would need some sort of suturing kit, and there were a lot of instructions.
"I'll read this once I'm back." She mentally took note of the items she'd need and turned to the door.
"I'm going to get what we need. I'll be back in ten minutes, don't worry. You can check the cameras to know I'm safe." She smiled, turned, and pulled the table away from the door.
"I'll probably be able to find a needle and thread. Maybe some alcohol wipes as well."
Holding onto the doorknob, she pushed it open quietly and glanced back at the door. The outside was covered in dried blood, probably from the crowd they attracted earlier. She noticed claw marks, bites and the trail led away to the fire exit, which was surprisingly closed tight.
Brie glanced up at the aisle signs and saw the medical aisle at the very left.
"Let's go." She spoke to herself confidently, knowing she was going to be helpful for once. At times like these, she needed to pull herself together.
Brie sighed as she thought deeply. Would she be able to stay strong?