The factory we were in used to be a battery manufacturer and already had two nurse’s offices and a human resources office in this area. Where they used to test the workers blood samples. The military had adapted one of them into an operating theatre and the HR office for a patient room. It was the last door on the right and was quite large. Eight beds occupied the room, four on each side. Seven of them unoccupied, each made meticulously with white sheets covered with what looked like an itchy grey blanket. Like the ones we had in our rooms.
I was only concerned with Nia, she looked tiny laying in the bed. She was covered up to her chest and seemed to be sleeping. The doctor was with her, checking her pulse and blood pressure.
The nurse walked up to the doctor and spoke quietly in her ear, she nodded slightly and held up two fingers, gesturing for me to join them. I took a deep breath in relief, although my heart still pounded in anticipation as to what she was going to say. I heard shuffling behind me and saw Will and then Billy.
“How is she doc?” Will asked quietly before I could.
“She was incredibly lucky, it was a deep cut but she missed any major veins or arteries. I’ve stitched her up and gave her a tetanus shot. She will be on a small dose of antibiotics as its all we have. I want to keep her in here for a few days to rest and because it’s the cleanest room we have and the risk of infection here is lower than anywhere else.” She spoke quietly but confidently, maintaining eye contact the whole time. I liked that.
I nodded, that made sense. “Ok, what can we do to help?” I asked, my eyes flickering to Nia who had started to stir.
The doctor led us all outside and closed the door to the room gently, she didn’t speak but instead inclined her head towards the offices. Indicating that she would like us to follow her, which of course we did.
She moved behind her desk and sat in a blue plastic chair. “Hi all, you know that I’m Doctor Wells. I know that you all want to visit her but I’ll need you to go in just one at a time. We don’t want to overwhelm her ok? Also, don’t forget that she is still under quarantine. Only the three of you will be permitted to enter and there will be a lock code on the door that only myself and my nurses know. Is that understood?” she gave each of us a pointed look.
We three, nodded in return, we would have agreed to anything just to see her for even five minutes.
“Billy? If you’d like to go in first” he smiled apologetically to myself and Will but disappeared through the door quickly.
“Now, you two. The reason I let Billy go first is because I have a request...” she trailed off, waiting for us to reply.
I looked at Will who raised his eyebrows; he didn’t know what was coming next either.
“Ok” I nodded at her to carry on, she had gotten our interest.
“Well, this injury of Nia’s is going to take up a lot of our antibiotics and pain killers. We will have enough to give her a full dose but not anyone else who may need them which is why I explained earlier that I’ll have to scrimp on them.” She waited for us to nod our heads, indicating that we followed her so far and that we understood her predicament.
“Now I used to work at the following private lab around an hour from here, providing it hasn’t been ransacked they should have a lot of what we would need. For now, I’d say it’s our best bet”
“Have you spoken to the Captain?” Will asked
“We have spoken about it in the past, but our main priority was fortifying this compound and trying to find survivors and food. Now that we are running low we need to make this our number one priority” she looked between us both
“I’d like you both to run lead on the next mission” she leaned slightly forward in her chair, obviously eager to hear our reply.
Well this was new, a doctor giving orders regarding missions instead of the Captain.
“Uh, forgive me for asking but shouldn’t the captain be giving the orders and not the doctor?” Will was thinking the same thing as me.
“Yes” she smiled and inclined her head. “But if I go to him with names of people that are willing to go out on a supply run then he may be more willing to agree to it.”
I looked at Will, shaking my head from side to side, I’d been going crazy within these walls, maybe it was time for a little road trip. I nodded slowly, Will nodded back,
“Ok, and this will help Nia too?” if we were going to risk our lives for this medicine then I wanted Nia to benefit from it.
“Absolutely! It means I can give her the full dose that she needs. I’ve written up a list of items we will need and things that would be useful”
“Ok, talk it over with the captain and get him to contact us with the details” I confirmed.
“Will do, you can both go and see her now. Tell Billy I’d like to see him please” she beamed at us.
We didn’t argue, both of us were out of there like a shot, we opened the door to the ward quietly but needn’t have. Nia was sat up, eating scrambled eggs and laughing at something Billy had said.
Her face lit up even more when she saw Will and I at the door, Will practically ran at her. I held back to
