Act 4 “Contagious”

“Is the sewer still far?” Changmin asked in spite of Jaejoong; he knew the oncologist was tired because the broken legs but the man just wouldn’t admit it or ask for a rest time. Neither that he knew they could waste any precious time of trying to get the hell out of that hospital of the dead. Changmin swallowed hard as he looked around him. There’s define landmark of Yunho’s invasion before; dead zombies were everywhere with every of them had broken skull and blown up brain. Nonetheless, he was in relief they hadn’t encountered any zombies since the time they got out from the therapist office.

“It’s not that far,” Yunho whispered as he put his finger on his mouth; signaling the others to be quiet as he proceeded alone first, making sure the passage was safe enough. The others could hear cocking sound from Yunho’s gun; it’s a gun with soundproof. Yunho shot two bullets to two dying zombies he found as he told the others to hurry. The zombies would send waves for the others and they would be surrounded in no time if they didn’t rush.

Jaejoong was on his hardest breath; he felt exhausted and he knew he couldn’t run any faster. He was a burden; yet, he kept trying his best to be not left behind with those monsters. Memory of three years ago was still there fresh on his mind as he struggled to survive that very second. No way would he be left behind alone with those zombies again. Yet, his leg giving up as he felt the ground was ready to hit him when he lost his balance.

“Are you okay?” Yoochun, who’s the nearest to Jaejoong, managed to catch the oncologist in time. Yunho took fast reflect of the situation as he told Jaejoong to get on his back. Jaejoong wanted to refuse but he knew he would only dragged everyone down if he did, besides the picture made him remembered the last time Yunho piggybacked him; it was also to save him from those monsters.

“Thank you and sorry,” Jaejoong muttered softly as he surrendered on Yunho’s back. Just when he felt a bit better, hoarse screams were chasing them from behind. Cursing, Yoochun shot few nearest zombies and so did Changmin.

“Come on!” Junsu shouted as he followed Yunho to the parking area; they rushed into a restricted door that connected them to the sewer between the hospital and the outside world. Changmin broke the door, preventing the zombies to chase them as they rushed into the dark and cold tunnel. Not forgot to mention, the awful smell.

“Don’t let your guard down,” Yunho whispered,” They might even here and we’re at lost because of the darkness.”

“They are here,” Jaejong’s sentence was definite,” Especially the moving corpse. Another access to this tunnel is from the corpse room.”

“Damn it,” Yoochun cursed as he pulled Junsu and Changmin to walk in front of him,” I’ll take the back as Yunho takes the front.”

“I’ll take left,” Changmin spoke as Junsu took the last option, right. Pointing their guns to all direction they could, slowly, the moved forward as the cold water beneath them started to wet their shoes, socks, and pants. It’s until tight deep that they started to smell something funny and the tunnel divided into two branches; left and right.

“We should go right, since the left is leading to the corpse room. It’ll be suicide,” Yunho ordered as he looked at his map, using his small flashlight. They walked for a few more meters before Junsu started to recognize the smell.

“Chunnie, is the smell iron?” Junsu whispered as he saw some shadow moving on his direction,” Oh God! It’s blood!”

Terror burnt them up as the shadow turned out to be a zombie busy eating a man’s stomach. Yunho planned to shot the zombie with a soundproof gun but changed his weapon into machine gun as bunches of zombies showed up. The others kept firing as well, including Jaejoong, who’s on Yunho’s back. Rushing, their feet began to move in face rhythm as their gun blew up the zombies’ head again and again. Yet, the number didn’t seem to be decreased.

“Junsu, look out!!!” Yoochun shouted as he pushed Junsu away, making the nurse fell on the water wet. To Junsu’s terror, Yoochun was proctecting him from zombies sudden attack from the other direction. Getting up as soon as he could, Junsu shot the zombies dead and helped Yoochun, who fell down on the water and as wet as him.

“Hurry up!” Changmin shouted as he helped the nurse and the surgeon to get up and they ran as fast as they could.

“Here!” Yunho’s voice was almost like whisper but they managed to hear it and turned dramatically to the small tunnel on the right. A propeller was on their way but they managed to get through it because it was off. Just when the three men got into a round room after the propeller, Yunho switched on the fan and caused the zombies that after them cut into pieces. They’re dead but they’re not that dumb, the other zombies growled angrily as they left and searched for another way in.

“Are you okay?” Jaejoong asked as he managed to walk by himself now. He observed Yunho and the man nodded. They sighed as they looked around, there’s only one way out of that room, it’s a stair leading upstairs, into another tunnel that wasn’t in Yunho’s map.

“We can’t go back so this’s our only way out,” Changmin spoke the truth as Yunho nodded. They just hope this room would lead them to an exit door of this madness; especially because now, they’re blind without proper light and map. They decided to take quick rest before resuming their journey.

“Yunho,” Jaejoong sat near Yunho who’s busy filling his guns,” Thanks for coming again.”

“Jae, you know it’s my job to deal with those monsters,” Yunho smiled,” In fact, I was surprise to see you there. It’s like déjà vu, you know…”

Jaejoong smiled back as they didn’t utter any other words. Changmin was observing those two men silently, he tried to figure out their relationship but twisted chemistry was all he got. The silence suddenly broke down as a hissed came from one of them.

“Yoochun! Are you okay?” Junsu, who’s sitting next to the surgeon, was dead worried when the man growled in pain. Yunho immediately got up from his spot as he kneeled near Yoochun, pulling out his left arm that he had been hiding.

“What’s wong?” Jaejoong asked.

“He’s bitten,” the sentence sent tremor to all the man there, especially Junsu. He couldn’t think of other scenario of Yoochun being bitten, except when Yoochun covered him before. Junsu blamed himself for every reason Yoochun got hurt.

“I’m so sorry! It’s my fault! I---“ Junsu cries was stopped as Yoochun put his finger on Junsu’s lips; telling him he’s going to be okay and it wasn’t his fault he got hurt.

“But---“

“Junsu hyung, enough,” Changmin spoke up as he pulled the nurse, making some space for Jaejoong and Yunho to examine the wound.

“He’s not fully bitten,” Yunho’s spoke,” Teeth mark is definite but only a quarter of it bleed him out.”

“Then the virus already---“ Jaejoong felt his heart shrink.

“It’s in his body and he’ll turn into them in about one hour, another plus fifteen minutes if he’s lucky,” Yunho stated the fact,” But we can prevent it if we get out of here before that and treat him with the antidote.”

“Where’s the antidote?” Junsu asked.

“It’s right in front of the hospital; where the army set their tents,” Yunho explained as he continued when he saw a definite question on Junsu’s eyes,” I can’t bring them with me because they need to be completely frozen all the time.”

“I’m okay,” Yoochun forced his voice to obey him,” The pain only shows up once in a while. Don’t worry.”

“Then we better get the hell out of here as soon as possible!” Junsu declared as the others agreed. They collected their stuff and started going up the stairs. Jaejoong somehow could move his legs better this time so he didn’t need anyone’s support.

Opening a door above them, Yunho pointed his gun in all direction, making sure it’s safe. They got up and walked to the right, using common sense to get out of the place except a dead map. The formation was still the same, except that Jaejoog was the one on the back now; the oncologist insisted he was okay and could fight to protect them from behind.

There was no zombies spotted as they moved into another round room and the passage branched into four; it’s a junction. They could go straight or left, because the right was a dead end and they were coming from the other branch.

“Straight or left?” Junsu asked the question as Yunho thought for a moment. To be frank, he didn’t have any idea where he should go, till someone spoke up.

“We should split up,” Changmin suddenly gave a solution that no one liked, including himself,” I once read a drain system map nearby this hospital for a reparation stuff, I remember this junction and only two of them aren’t dead ends. One is the one we came from and another one is either straight or left.”

“But that’s suicide. If the zombies got us in a dead one, we’re dead.” Jaejoong stated.

“How about this?” Yunho suddenly got an idea,” It’s only me and Changmin, who are fast enough and not hurt. Both of us will split up and we’ll come back running as soon as either of us knows which one is out. If Changmin’s is the way out and he manages to come back before me, you should follow him out and vice versa.”

“Okay,” Changmin immediately agreed because he knew it’s the best plan. He was dead scared and hell, he hated the plan, but he didn’t have any better idea. Jaejoong was hurt as well as Yoochun and Junsu, he’s dead worried of Yoochun; which meant he wasn’t in his sane mind.

“No!” Jaejoong immediately protested but Yunho’s stern voice got him.

“Jae, listen to me, we don’t have much time. Wait here and protect Junsu and Yoochun,” Yunho spoke,” I’ll leave them in your care.”

“But, wait Yunho ah, and Changmin ah, both of you can get kill---“

“I’ll take left,” Changmin cut Jaejoong’s sentences as he glanced one last time before he ran as fast as he could to the tunnel; saying, or rather, lying he would be fine and came back safely to Jaejoong.

“Don’t worry, Jae,” Yunho smiled for the last time before he also disappeared to the dark tunnel,” I promise will get all of you out safely.”

“Hyung,” Junsu’s voice echoed from behind Jaejoong as the oncologist turned back, facing the crying Junsu and half-consciousness Yoochun,” Yoochun, he’s…he’s cold…”

Terror and fear was clearly shown on Junsu’s face. Jaejoong wasn’t feeling better either but he got to be strong for them. He nodded and opened his jacket, using it to keep Yoochun warm. He checked Yoochun’s pulse and it’s still strong, yet, he knew it got weaker and weaker as the time passed. Cursing inside his heart, Jaejoong swore he was almost tearing up. No, he didn’t want to see this again; not after everyone in the same room as him turned into zombies one by one in front of his eyes three years ago. The pictures were deep clear and he hated him. Praying, he held Junsu’s and Yoochun’s hand, asking if there’s God in this doomed world, he wished for all of them to get out from there safe and sound; alive as a human beings.