Then, seemingly out of thin air, John was there. He delivered a swift kick to the zombie’s head, which freed up Craig’s arm. He pulled Craig away from the zombie before it could recover. Craig crab-walked several yards and got to his feet as the zombie started to sit up.
John landed another kick, sending the zombie back down onto its back.
“We need a weapon!” He called out.
Melissa came into the room and pulled Jack away. “Stay back.” She said. Then stepped around her husband.
Patrick’s face was messed up. But it seemed unperturbed as it again tried to raise itself into a sitting position. Melissa stepped up and kicked out with her heel, connecting against Patrick’s elbow. With a loud snap the joint buckled and the zombie fell back again. Its arm flopped around uselessly as it sought to gain purchase on the floor and rise up again.
Just then, a chair slammed down on its head. Rosa stood behind the thing that used to be her husband and brought the chair down once again. She was naked and bleeding but continued to hit the zombie repeatedly, yelling incoherently, until the chair started coming apart in her hands. John and Melissa could not approach closer for fear of getting hit by the frantic woman.
Then Keith was there. In one smooth motion, he stepped up to Rosa on one of her backswings, took the chair leg from her and pushed her towards Melissa. Melissa deftly caught Rosa, as Keith turned and brought his hammer down hard on Patrick’s forehead. The hammer blow crushed Patrick’s forehead and splashing into his skull. Jack watched in morbid fascination as brain matter sprayed out of the wound. Patrick instantly stopped moving.
Before anybody could react, Keith grabbed the blanket off the bed and walked over to Rosa, draping the blanket over her naked body. In the next instant, Rosa started wailing.
“Get her out of here.” John said to Melissa, who was still holding on to the panic-stricken woman. Melissa guided Rosa out of the room and was quickly joined by Sarah. The two women took Rosa away, having to nearly carry the stricken woman. Jack heard Shelley calling out, instructing the women to take Rosa down to the clinic. John limped after them.
“Are you ok, son?” Craig stood over his son; concern etched on his face.
Jack blinked and looked up. “Dad...” Jack got up and hugged his father tightly.
“I know, son. It’s ok.”
“You’re hurt!” Jack stepped out of the embrace and grabbed his father’s arm.
Craig looked at his arm. The sleeve of his pyjama was torn, and blood was dripping from puncture wounds just above his wrist. He winced slightly when he got a good look, then shrugged for his son’s benefit. “It’s nothing son. Are you hurt?” He put his hand behind Jack’s ear and came away with fresh blood.
“I’m ok.” Jack said. He hesitated a moment as he checked himself. “Yeah.” He nodded. “I’m not hurt. Just a couple of bruises.” He reached to the back of his head and his hand came away with blood as well. “I guess I must have cut myself. But it’s nothing serious dad. It doesn’t even hurt.”
He looked at his father’s injury again. “You’d better head to the clinic, dad.”
Craig nodded. “Of course. Not without you though. Let’s go together, ok?” They turned to leave. A large group had gathered at the entrance to the room. Folks parted for father and son. On their way out, Jack heard Ern asking what had happened. Joe’s deep bass voice could be heard clearly. He said he had seen the whole thing.
“If he was there, and saw the whole thing, then how come he never helped us?” Jack said to his father as they got to the stairwell.
“Don’t worry about it, son.” Craig said. His face betrayed his distaste though.
LATER THAT MORNING, all injuries had been assessed and treated.
Rosa had a laundry list of injuries. Her nose had been broken and she had also broken two fingers of her left hand, including the pinky finger, which had also been severed down to the first knuckle. She had a deep laceration near her collar bone, where Patrick had bitten her. Several ribs were bruised or cracked, and her face and head were a mess of cuts and bruises. Shelley feared that she also had a concussion and said that somebody should stay with Rosa to keep an eye on her. Rachel and Christine volunteered to take turns staying with the distraught woman.
Craig’s bite wound required several stitches. He had also torn open several knuckles on his hands. He was bandaged, pumped full of antibiotics and sent on his way.
John had broken a toe and suffered a mild ankle sprain. He had not had time to put on shoes, so his kicks had been barefoot. His foot had swollen up considerably.
Jack had a few bruises, a minor groin pull, and that mysterious cut to the back of his head. He did not remember hitting his head at all, but when Shelley discovered the cut, she had Joe put in a dozen stitches.
Keith had a small cut on his hand from the chair that Rosa was swinging around. Otherwise the stoic man was uninjured.
Melissa was the only combatant that was completely uninjured.
Jack had to admit to himself that Joe had done a great job fixing everybody up. It was almost enough for Jack to feel respect for the big man. Almost.
Jack got to experience something totally different that morning though.
Christine sat with Jack on a small bench outside of the clinic as he was waiting to get his stitches. Out of the blue she grabbed Jack’s hand. Jack turned his face towards the woman. Loose curls of ebony hair framed the fine
