07 - HIGH WALLS
A NEW DAWN
They arrived shortly at the soldiers’ camp. It was indeed the safest. It was surrounded by high walls with electric barb wires on top, huge metal gates and security cameras. How come they hadn’t thought of the military base in Seoul? Their car followed the truck as it entered through the huge gates. The front of the gate was free of zombies. How was that even possible? Jiyong wondered. He then he saw snipers on top of big trucks, behind the walls shooting every zombie that came close to the gate. Jiyong felt like he was watching a movie except that, he was actually in that movie.
All of them were at awe when they saw the facility, there were people, civilians, mostly children running here and there, laughing. When was the last time they heard laughter again? None of them had laughed after the plague so it was comforting to hear such boisterous laughter after a long, long time.
“Yah! Lee Sungmin!” a loud voice made them turned their heads. A tall man, a few inches taller than TOP, came rushing towards them eyebrows mashed together and face in scowl.
The pretty feminine looking man immediately hid behind Donghae, the captain.
“Oops, Kyuhyunnie’s mad. You didn’t tell him you were going with us?” Donghae whispered.
“He wouldn’t allow me if I did.” The pretty feminine looking man answered. It turned out that the Lee Sungmin that the tall guy was calling was him. The tall guy pushed past them and immediately went towards the captain.
“Calm down Kyuhyunnie…” Donghae had to approach the raging man before it could reach the trembling Sungmin.
“Captain, why did you bring him with you? You know he’s sick! He could collapse! You know how his epilepsy attacks without warning. It could’ve jeopardized his life and the life of the group!” The tall guy spat. He must be a person of higher rank to be able to talk to the captain like that, Jiyong thought.
“I know, but Sungminnie just wanted to help.” Donghae answered in his calmest voice.
“He isn’t a ing soldier! He’s a military nurse who doesn’t even know how to hold a freakin gun!!” The tall man’s voice was echoing in the compound. The children started to scamper away sensing the rage of the tall soldier.
“Ooops..he's cursing. He's really mad. Sorry, I taught him how to.” The monkey looking guy with a gummy smile, who introduced himself as Eunhyuk awhile ago, raised his hand and butted in earning a glare from the Sungmin guy. The tall man then faced the captain, face devoid of emotions.
“Captain, I thought I made myself clear that NONE, NONE of my staffs should hold a gun. Their hands were made to heal not to kill.”
“I know Doc, but it was Sungmin’s decision. Everyone knows that killing right now, in this situation, is not an option. You have to know how to defend yourself.” Donghae then patted the tall guy’s shoulder. “Let’s talk about this later. We have people who need rest.” Donghae turned to the group who was just watching them awkwardly.
The tall guy’s face didn’t change a bit. His face remained impassive, stoic as he spoke “I’m sorry you have to see that and also for not introducing myself. By the way I am Dr. Cho, Cho Kyuhyun at your service. I am the head of military medical team.”
“Dr. Cho is a good person. Do you have anyone in the group that needs medical attention?” Donghae spoke stepping forward and placing an arm around the doctor’s shoulder which the doctor shrugged off immediately.
TOP raised his hand, “My wife here is pregnant.”
Bom jabbed him on the rib. “I’m fine.” Bom smiled but the doctor didn’t buy it.
“You might have been through a lot of stress being out there and pregnant at the same time. You will have whirlwind of emotions caused by hormonal changes. You will be naggy, irritable and your mood swing varies from being happy to being sad to being mad.”
“No, she’s always mad.” TOP said earning chuckles from the group. He received a slap at the back of the head from his wife as a result.
“It is not very common during the early stage of pregnancy but due to stress it has a high possibility” The doctor cleared his throat. “Progesterone and another hormone, relaxin, enable the muscles of the uterus to relax to make room for the growing baby. The change may affect other muscles in the body, which can sometimes make your joints and your back ache. Are you having such discomforts?”
“N-“ Bom was about to say NO but the doctor immediately intercepted.
“Yes right? Your belly is still small but you will feel discomfort. Based on my calculation, depending on how you look. You’re lacking vitamins that you and your baby needs. You need Vitamin D, E, C, Thiamin, Riboflavin, Niacine, Pyridoxine, Fol –
“Multivitamins right?” Bom cut him off. The words that the doctor was saying were making her head ache. She might get really sick if she continued listening to whatever alien words were coming out of the doctor’s mouth.
The doctor’s eyebrow arched more.
“Yes, multivitamins. More so, a general check up is still highly needed. I bet you haven’t had decent meals for days. A balanced diet is the best way to receive nutrients, but in your case vitamin supplements are a must. So, you’re going down in my office later together with your husband and you’re having a check-up. I may not be an OB-Gyne but my knowledge and experience in medicine are enough.”
Bom stood dumbfounded.
Donghae then smiled apologetically. "Sorry, he speaks a different language when he's on his doctor mode."
“How about the rest?” Kyuhyun eyed the others after glaring at the captains remark.
Daesung was about to raise his hand and point Minji but the younger was fast enough to elbow him on the rib making him crouch in pain.
“Ah, physical pain inflicted by a blunt trauma which causes damage through physical compression is nothing a cold ice can’t fix. But you my dear needs to see Dr. Lee.” The doctor looked at Minji squarely. “That old retard may look dumb but he knows how to fix people. Don’t look at me like that, I despise using language in such a way but that retard likes to call his consultations ‘fixing people’. Arguing with him is a losing battle. But don’t worry. He’s good. The best if I may add. If only he’ll stop calling himself Tablo and stop wearing that reggae bonnet I might respect him like how a hoobae should respect his sunbae.”
“You never respect anyone.” The guy with a gummy smile, Eunhyuk, whispered.
“Yeah, and I will never call you hyung.” The doctor said with a smirk.
“Enough of that.” Donghae squeezed himself in the middle of the two. “By the way, Siwon here will show you you’re rooms.” A tall handsome man stepped forward smiling at them. “And, just to inform you, males and females sleep in different barracks.”
“What??” TOP exclaimed. “Even though we’re married?”
“Yes, sorry to tell you that. There are other women in the room so it’s not possible.” Siwon answered. “Don’t worry, they are safe.”
The guys faces scrunched, they seemed not to like the idea of separating beds:
TOP held his wife’s hand and asked if she would be fine being alone. “We’ve been sleeping together for years can you sleep without me?” Bom shrugged him off saying, “I’m happy I wouldn’t hear you snoring for the first time in our years of marriage. Finally I could sleep in peace.”
Seungri on the other hand hugged Chaerin screaming ‘You can’t separate us!’. Chaerin had to push the panda away in embarrassment. “Oh please, go away rat. You stink!”
Daesung pouted at Minji holding the younger’s hand tight. Minji rolled her eyes in return. “Oh please don’t say anything dumb.” Daesung did not say anything.
Yongbae groaned in annoyance cursing under his breath, muttering how life was so unfair to him and how he hated being ing single. “Why do I have to be single my ing entire life?”
Jiyong was also not so very happy. He tugged Dara by the waist and leaned down whispering “Babe, if you want I could sneak into your room.” Dara glared at him in return.
“We’re totally fine with it.” Dara answered escaping his grasp and pulling the other girls with her, asking which way to go.
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The soldiers’ bunk beds weren’t so bad after all. It was clean with new bed sheets and comfy pillows. It wasn’t as bouncy or as soft as their beds at home but it was nicer than hard concrete or car seats. It was the comfiest they had for the longest time. They couldn’t complain more.
“I really don’t understand why we should be separated with the girls.” TOP hissed pacing back and forth while biting the nail of his thumb.
“I really don’t understand too.” Seungri said sulking on his bed.
“I’m missing my chubby cheeked Minji already.” Daesung pouted, hugging his pillow while lying on the bed. Jiyong whacked him in the head.
“Shut up, you don’t even sleep beside her.” Jiyong muttered retreating back to his bed and slumping down.
“Could everyone please stop all the whining? Seriously it’s annoying!” Taeyang threw his riffle on the bed on top of Jiyong’s bunk and climbed up.
“You don’t know how it feels coz you are single!” Daesung piped up.
“Look who’s talking.”
“I have my Minji.”
Taeyang chuckled, “How many times have you held her hand? Have you kissed her or were you even in a relationship?”
Daesung fell silent and sulkily went back to his bed clutching the pillow again close to his body. Jiyong sighed. He couldn’t hide the fact that he too didn’t like the arrangement. Dara being alone in a place filled with soldiers (not just soldiers but handsome soldiers) was bothersome.
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After having the long warm bath Dara was dying to have for days she decided to stroll around the compound. She noticed that soldiers were everywhere and each of them was armed with a rifle. There were also trucks by the walls with soldiers on top guarding. It didn’t seem to bother the children inside the compound. They were happily running around seemingly unaware of the things beyond the high walls. The place is very safe and well guarded, she thought.
A tall tree out in the yard made Dara stop on her tracks, she hopped happily towards it and sat on the stone bench under it. She closed her eyes and spread her arms. She couldn’t remember the last time she did something like this, simply seating on a bench under the warm sun, eyes closed and arms wide inhaling the woody and grassy scent of summer air. Surprisingly the air still smelled fine.
“Catch!” A voice interrupted Dara’s peace and disturbed the serenity of the place. Her eyes snapped open immediately and a scene of a flying apple towards her direction caught her eyes. She scrambled to catch the apple in midair. A sigh of relief escaped her lips when the apple landed straight on her open palms and not on her head. She looked up in search of the person who threw the apple.
“Sorry did I scare you?” the captain came towards her with a worried expression. Dara wanted to shout at him and tell him how utterly wrong it was to throw an apple to an unaware person especially when that apple could end up landing on that person’s head and giving that person a concussion.
“No. Just.. uhmm.. surprised?” she ended up saying. Well, you couldn’t actually scream at the person giving you a nice place to stay right? No matter how annoyed you were, could you?
“Sorry, really” the captain looked genuinely apologetic. “By the way I am Captain Lee Donghae”
“Yeah I know. I’m Sandara Park.” Dara bent her head slightly.
“Weird name.”
Dara chuckled and mouthed a low ‘yeah’.
“You can eat it. I washed it.” The captain walked closer and for a moment Dara thought he was going to seat beside her but no, he plopped down on the grass beside the stone bench and leaned back on the tree trunk.
“Ah yeah.” Dara wiped the apple on the newly washed pants that one of the lady soldiers gave her and took a bite. “Hmm..this is sweet. I can’t remember the last time I ate something as fresh as this. I am starting to get sick of canned goods.”
Laughter was heard from the captain. “Yes, good thing we found you. How long has it been since you started to wander around the city.”
Dara took a deep breath. “Two days. We were stuck in the rooftop of our company for a week after that…that thing happened. The people…it was scary…” Dara felt her body tremble, recalling the past events for her was quite painful. Seeing her co-workers, the people she worked with, lash out at each other was traumatic. Their faces had been hunting her in her dreams for nights now.
“I know what you’re feeling. I was in trauma for a few days. I couldn’t eat, I couldn’t sleep.” The captain looked up at the sky.
“Why? What happened?”
“We were the first one to be informed that something went wrong in the research facility. We were warned first so we were able to quarantine and close the gates. We saw everything. We saw how it started. We deployed our first batch of soldiers in hope to stop it before it goes out of hand. But, we were already late. The first few individuals that got bitten went crazy grabbing anyone they could grab and biting them. I saw my men got eaten and die. It was the worst thing I have ever seen. It was horrible..it was gruesome.”
The captain shut his eyes tightly. The images of his men dying in front of his eyes, getting bitten and eaten alive flooded his brain. He had recovered from the trauma but still the images remained.
Dara saw how the captain’s face contorted as if he could see the images clearly. She thought she had seen enough but she was wrong. The captain’s face showed how he was still experiencing trauma even though he said he was fine already. Her trauma couldn’t be compared to the trauma the soldier had experienced. She still had her friends and Jiyong. But the captain lost his men, his friends.
“Your family.” Dara suddenly asked being the curious person that she was.
The captain smiled. “I’m an orphan. This is the time where I am happy I am one. I used to envy people with family. But seeing the things that are happening right now, I am happy I don’t have one. I have seen my soldiers cry thinking of their family. We did try to rescue them. We were able to rescue some but there were some who weren’t lucky.”
Dara nodded. She was an orphan too and she was happy she was.
“I am an orphan too.” Dara answered though the other one weren’t asking.
“It isn’t too bad being an orphan right?”
“Yeah.”
Silence bathed them but it wasn’t uncomfortable, surprisingly. Dara glanced at the captain. She noticed how young the soldier looked. Was he in his middle twenties? He didn’t seem to look like someone with a high rank. The other soldiers looked older than him.
“You must be wondering about my age right?” the captain suddenly spoke cracking an eye open and catching Dara staring at him. Dara felt embarrassed being caught staring.
“28.” He revealed smiling at her.
Dara didn’t want to admit it but, the soldier was handsome. Actually, handsome was an understatement. He was….hot? His facial features are of good proportion; thick eyebrows, dark eyes, straight nose, small lips and sharp jaw line. Good boy type. Wasn’t her type actually, she liked bad boy type, Jiyong type.
“I’m older by one year.” She said.
“Ah..then we should drop the formalities and talk with me comfortably. Should I call you noona?”
“Oh no captain. Dara’s fine.” Dara waved her hand frantically. It wasn’t right to talk to a soldier with high rank informally much more call her noona. Just wasn’t right in Dara’s opinion.
“I’ll call you Dara if you call me Donghae. I really hate it when people call me captain. If you notice only Dr. Cho calls me captain.” He then muttered something along the lines of ‘that stubborn brat’. “The rest calls me hyung or Donghae.”
“Ah, the doctor awhile ago? He seems a bit scary?”
The captain laughed. “That fellow is just weird but he’s nice. He’s younger than me but he treats me like he’s older.”
“Yeah, seems like it.”
“So is it a deal? Call me Donghae.”
“Do I have a choice?’’
“Uhm…no.”
“Then deal.” They shook hands and laughed after realizing how childish their conversation was.
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They had the best meal after more than a week of canned beans and sausages. It was like a feast for them though the foods were just simple. They ate together with the other survivors that the soldier took and the soldiers themselves. No one dared to talk about what was happening outside. It was like everyone had shut off everything that had to do with the things that were happening outside the walls of the camp. Most of them were still in trauma so it was an unspoken rule that no one should talk about it, especially when eating.
After the meal Jiyong and Dara decided to take a short walk around the compound. Dara brought Jiyong to the tree that she found at the yard. Instead of seating on the bench they both lay down on the grass, Dara rested her head on Jiyong’s right arm while Jiyong rested his on his left arm. Jiyong threaded his fingers through Dara’s hair. Looking up at thedark sky Jiyong thought he wouldn’t be able to do this again.
“Babe, how’s your room?” Jiyong asked.
“Fine.” Dara answered wrapping her arm around Jiyong’s waist.
“I could really sneak in if you want.”
“Don’t you dare Kwon Ji Yong. I’ll kick you of the bed.”
“Just joking.” Jiyong chuckled. “Donghae told me earlier that he needs men for tomorrow.”
“For what?”
“They will go for a run. It seems like the supplies won’t last so they need to go to the supermarket downtown. Yongbae, Daesung and I volunteered.”
“What?!” Dara exclaimed a bit loud.
“Sshhh… don’t freak out.”
“Are you seriously telling me not to freak out?”
“I need to help. I can’t just stay here and let them feed me. I’m strong, I can fight and I know how to fire a gun. I need to at least help them.” Jiyong pulled Dara closer and hugged her kissing the top of her head. “I’m with soldiers no need to worry.”
“I know but I can’t help it.” Dara sat up rubbing her temples. She thought she wouldn’t have to worry now that they were in a safe place. But it seemed like peace was still too farfetched.
Jiyong sat up to and rubbed her back. “You need to stop worrying.”
“I know.” Dara hugged him in return. Jiyong chuckled. Having Dara in his arms like this was still the best thing on earth. He could sleep anywhere, be it concrete, car seat or grassy land. As long as he was sure that Dara was in the comfort of his arms and chest he was fine. Whenever Dara wasn’t within his sight he gets scared. He needed Dara to be always beside him, to be near him. That was the reason he couldn’t accept that she wouldn’t be sleeping beside him. Not that he was a ert or anything, but he just wanted to make sure that Dara was safe and having her beside him was a form of security.
Night was still the scariest time of the day. The creatures outside the wall were hungrier and crazier at night. They groan louder and were more desperate for food.
“Just be careful okay?” Dara spoke leaning back, staring straight at Jiyong’s eyes.
“Okay.”
“Promise me.”
“I promise.” Jiyong smiled. “You know if you’re worried that much we can sleep here if you want.”
Dara hit his shoulders.
“No, I want to sleep on a bed with pillows and blanket.”
“You’re so mean you know that?”
“And you’re a ert.”
“ert huh?” Jiyong suddenly leaned forward and captured her lips. Dara yelped and was surprised for a moment. She kept hitting Jiyong’s arms but that didn’t seem to stop him from ravishing her lips. Jiyong tightened his arms around her waist not letting her go. Dara gave in – there was no point in fighting. Her hands unconsciously found their way to Jiyong’s nape as their lips melded together. She parted her lips and responded just as eagerly as the mouth that was on hers.
It was quiet and peaceful. It was perfect. It was always a question of ‘When were they like this again?’ They couldn’t even remember the last time they shared a passionate kiss. They couldn’t care anymore, they had now and that was all they needed.
Dara wrapped her arms around Jiyong’s neck and pulled him closer, letting out a moan, encouraging him to the life out of her. Jiyong was happy to oblige. She lifted her off the ground and placed her on his lap without breaking the kiss. He tilted her head kissing her deeper and giving his tongue a chance to explore . This was the intimacy that they were both deprived off for days.
“Noona!!!” a loud shrieking voice snapped them back to their senses. They immediately turned to the source of the voice and there on their right was a boy around six or seven years old, eyes wide, staring at them.
“What’s wrong Yoonjae-ya” the noona came to the side of the boy. The boy pointed a trembling finger at them.
“That bad ahjusshi is eating that pretty noona’s face.” The boy said.
“Ah-ah-ahjusshi?!” Jiyong gasped dumbfounded. He couldn’t believe that the boy just called him ahjusshi (old man).
Dara immediately slid off Jiyong’s lap in embarrassment. She stood up and bowed apologetically to the older sister of the boy. The boy just saw something he shouldn’t and it was because they were careless.
“We’re really sorry.” Dara said.
The older sister laughed and for a moment Dara thought that the laugh was very familiar.
“Sandara Park, how nice to see you here.”
Dara looked up and was shocked to see the greatest flirt in their office alive and in front of her.
“Sohee??”
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END OF 07
C O M M E N T
S U B S C R I B E
&
U P V O T E
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