Chapter 8: How did I get myself into all this?
We slowly made our way over to Dana's, avoiding the National Guard and Blackwatch as best we could. It was already late evening by the time we got near MidTown West. I made my way to the alleyway nearby and we got quite a few stares from a few people.
"He just had a little too much to drink," I said loud enough so that they could hear. Alex groaned which made my little lie more truthful. People stopped looking at us after that. Once I reached the alleyway, I walked a bit farther inside so that the evening's shadows could hide us. I repositioned Alex on my shoulder and sized up the jump. The building was about five stories high so that was a little over a hundred feet. I braced myself for the jump and launched up. I was bout five feet from the edge when I began to loose altitude. I quickly dug my fingers into the side of the building to hold on. I felt Alex's hand dig into my shoulder when I scrambled for purchase in the wall. I scrunched up my legs again for another jump and was up and over the wall in less than a second.
I sat Alex next to the side of the safe house and looked around. Alex got shakely to his feet and rubbed his right shoulder. My eyebrows furrowed with concerned which he waved off when he looked at me.
"Don't wave me off like that," I said, irritation leaking into my voice, "I just pulled your ass out of there. I have a right to know how you're feeling."
"I'm fine," he said. I glared at him.
"Alright. Fine. I'm not. I feel like shit. I don't know what the fuck he injected into me and I don't know what the hell it's doing to my body. And I want to know if there's someone who can reverse it," he responded exasperated.
I smiled. "See? Was that so bad?" I asked. Alex grumbled something under his breath that hardly sounded like a compliment. I snorted quietly as we entered the safe room. As usual, Dana was at her computer. She looked up when she saw us.
"I think I found someone who could help us shed some light on this thing. Like a cure," Dana said.
"Where?" Alex demanded as he strode over to the computer quickly. Dana looked taken aback and threw me a glance. I shrugged in response. How the hell could I explain her brother's weird behavior if I didn't understand him myself?
After a couple seconds past before she responded. "His name is Ragland. Last I checked he's working down at St. Paul's Hospital across town."
"Good. I know where that is," Alex said and turned around to leave.
"Alex, wait," Dana said, "You've been out all day and you look really drained. You need to sleep."
"I don't need sleep. What I need are answers." He moved for the door. I stepped in front of him and blocked his way. It was now his turn to glare at me. I meet his gaze without flinching.
"Stop being all heroic and acting like you don't need help," I muttered under my breath, "You need resting. Sleeping will get your strength back and god knows you need it what with this thing in you."
"This... thing is exactly why I need to see Ragland now. He could help figure out what it is," Alex replied quietly.
"Ragland's hospital is probably surrounded right now. We go in the morningthe patrols will be sleepy and we'll have an easier chance at slipping in," I said raising my voice a little so Dana could hear.
"She's got a point, Alex," his sister said. Alex threw a look at her. Dana shrugged and turned her attention back to her computer. Alex looked back at me.
"Still ain't moving, my friend," I said and crossed my arms over my chest. If he wanted to get out of here while he was still in a vulnerable position he was going to have to go through me. And it looked like he was contemplating just that. Just then, a flash of pain crossed his face and his knees buckled. I grabbed hold of his shoulders just as he was about to hit the ground. I was grateful that Dana had her back turned to us.
"Okay, okay. Easy," I murmured as I half dragged Alex over to the couch. He nodded once before closing his eyes. He knocked out a five minutes later. I breathed out.
What the hell have I gotten myself into?

When morning came, it was early; the sun hadn't even risen yet. This was what? Day eight? God... I was shaken awake by Alex who still looked a little worse for wear.
"Let's go. I want to get there early," he muttered. I nodded, yawned and stretched. I fell asleep on the floor and woke up with a stiff back. I stood and swung my torso back and forth to crack it. I was rewarded with a resounding crack! that reverberated up my spine. I stretched my arms over my head, happy to feel loose again. We left the safe house in search of Dr. Ragland. We ran over the rooftops. It was a bit dangerous, what with helicopters and hunters milling around but it was easier to travel and we didn't have to keep ducking into every alleyway whenever a military or Blackwatch patrol passed by. We reached St. Paul's Hospital in recording timing. We had to cut our trek over the rooftops short since we didn't want to fly over and land in the middle of a public area. We slid down a fire escape and tried our best to blend in with the morning crowd as we made our way over to the hospital.
There were hardly any people out this morning. Most had either fled, became zombies, or died. We were lucky in that there were very few marines out around the surrounding area. We were able to slip past security and made it inside. Again, very people milling about. There was an elevator nearby which we entered.
"Where do you think the good doctor would be?" I asked Alex.
"Basement probably," he replied hitting the button that would take us to the bottom floor.
"Of course," I muttered. The elevator then began to drop into the depths of the hospital.
"God, I hate elevators," I said under my breath.
"Why?"
"'Cause bad shit always seems to go down in them..." I stopped for a second, opened my mouth and then closed it. Alex snorted.
"Unintentional pun," I said before continuing, "Anyway... I just hate them! But they're not as bad vents. Oh god! How I HATE vents!" I shuddered. Alex rolled his eyes.
"You think vents aren't scary? They are! They make you feel so claustrophobic it's not even funny."
"Since when I have you been in a vent?"
"Uh, only in games but still! It's not like I'd go into one. Yeesh, who do you think I am?"
He shook his head. "I'll take your word for it."
"Damn right you will!"
The elevator doors beeped open before we could say anymore. Outside we could hear someone muttering under their breath. It sounded like someone was busy. Alex stepped out with me close behind him. The lighting was shit where we were but it got brighter as we ventured in. It looked like a typical hospital basement-morgue-thing. Grey walls, gray floors, gray ceilings. It also looked as if someone hadn't cleaned it within the last week. Papers were strewn everywhere, labels littered the area, and no one had taken out the trash recently. It had a lovely smell too.
We entered a small room where a cadaver laid on a gurney with a man bustling around it. He hadn't noticed us yet. Alex and I shared a look before Alex broke the silence.
"Dr. Ragland?" he asked.
"I told you people I'm not-" Ragland broke off when he looked up. Recognition lit up in his eyes.
"What do you want?" he asked guardedly.
"A cure. You could say I'm... symptomatic," Alex explained while allowing small tentacles of the virus ripple across his body. Ragland looked Alex up and down and noticed me behind him.
He placed a hand on his chin, contemplating. "We could try gaining genetic material from you," he said nodding in my direction. I looked at him. There was no way in hell I was going to go under the microscope unless I really had to.
"Buuuut, her virus may make yours unstable. I'd rather not risk it until I know more about it," Ragland continued. I breathed a quiet sigh of relief.
"So what do we need to do?" I asked.
"We need to go over to Penn Station and locate Patient Zero. There, with the original virus strain, I'll be able to make a cure. If I can. I just need the genetic material," Ragland replied.
"But Penn Station is probably heavily fortified by now," Alex pointed out.
"That's why you're going to commandeer an APC. That'll guarantee us a safe travel over there," Ragland said.
A tank? Well, shit. At least those things aren't in low supply.