It's the next morning, lights are on. Bethany yawns, still feeling sluggish and weak. She feels someone beside her, accidentally swatting him in the face.
"Sorry." She whispers.
"It's okay." Slate tells her, very sleep deprived from lying awake all night.
"Are we getting up? What are we doing today?" She asks. "I don't know." Slate yawns back.
"Where is everyone?" She asks seeing their roommates, empty and messy beds.
"Don't know." Slate says again.
"What time is it?" She asks.
He shrugs, not bothering to move when there is a knock at their door. Slate can't be bothered to move and climbing over Slate is to much energy.
They hear their door beep, someone over-riding it and coming in. Ester and Grayson poke their heads in, being very quiet.
"Morning, how are you both?" Ester says gently.
They don't say anything and Ester and Grayson slip in the rest of the way. They gently help the two out of bed, to sit up. Ester fetches new clothes for them from their lockers as they never changed last night.
Beth and Slate slowly change and when they're done, sit back down again. "Umm, so, listen. We're not mad at either of you, but stay out of Solayo and Mikey's way if you can help it.
Shower tonight as you didn't shower last night before bed and I have medication and food for you both."
She holds out two small cups with seperate meds and vitamins for them both while Grayson holds two burritos and some bottled juice.
Slate quickly takes his cup and downs them while Bethany refuses. "You want me to take them, you can hold me down and inject me. Go to hell." She whispers.
"That's okay." Ester says, putting Beth's meds and vitamins away. Grayson hands each of them their food and juice.
"You both missed breakfast. It's 11 a.m, you need to get out of bed..." Grayson whispers.
"Why bother? When we can't really tell if it is day or night. We're underground." Beth says.
Our leader pairs sighs. "I know, but you both need to get up. Listen, I can put you both on free duties today meaning no work, but you will have to get up and do some work tomorrow.
And Bethany, we do need to find you a job to do as well." Grayson tells them. "Uh, Murphy also has something for you, Beth. It's in the music room." And Grayson hands Slate a keycard pass.
"For today only, you both can chill in there. I'll bring you lunch later. But at dinner, you need to go to the food hall, return the key to me and also shower."
Then Grayson and Ester leave. Beth and Slate slowly make their way to the 'music room'
She's shocked to see it has some instruments, but it's very small. Lying in the corner is her guitar, what's it doing here? She left it in Slate's apartment back in Hope-Thorn.
Wasn't able to get back there as the place was over run with zombies. Slate takes a seat on a plastic chair as she picks her guitar up.
"I..." He doesn't finish. "I asked Murphy to break into my apartment. He agreed and bought back your guitar for you."
"Thank you so much, you didn't have to do that for me. Him as well."
"Thank him next time you see him."
"I will."
"You can take it back to our room at the end of the day. Just try not to annoy everyone with it, and don't smack anyone with it either. Otherwise it will get taken off you."
"I'll try to handle my anger urges."
"Thank you."
And sits down, lightly strumming while Slate leans back in his chair, nodding off from no sleep last night. Midday comes not long after, about 1 p m, Grayson brings food. He delayed lunch for them as they had a late breakfast.
Two small tubs of salad, some banana bread to share and two bottles of water.
The day passes by quick, turning into evening again. Our pair head back to their dorm, Beth sliding her guitar under their bed while Slate leaves to return the pass to Grayson.
Alone, Bethany heads to shower. When she walks in, it's quiet, no one here. Looks like she has the place to herself. Everyone is likely at dinner.
She turns the water on and begins her shower. Halfway through she hears someone come in, and oddly enough they don't announce themselves. She hears footsteps coming towards her and then hears the sound of clothes falling.
She sees some clothes right in front of her stall. Looking at the door lock, it doesn't exactly lock. None of them do. She gets worried and hurriedly pulls on some of her clothes, not caring they get drenched by the water.
She's cups her hands over her mouth and steps back even though she has nowhere to go. She hears her door open and closes her eyes.
"Open them."
She opens one eye to see Murphy there semi-naked. But he still has boxers on and approaches her. "How'd you like your gift? Breaking into Slate's apartment wasn't easy. So many zombies."
"Uh- Thank you? I appreciate it. Um, can you get out?"
"...."
"Somehow, I don't think that is what you want."97Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡK7Z3qMvV3i
"Very clever, I want you."
And he mashes his lips onto hers, she gags from feeling his tongue slide in and he pulls her close, not letting her go anywhere.
Time passes and blood mixes with the water, going down the drain. He gets sloppy, they fall to the floor and she sees he has a flashlight on his belt he left outside. She tries to reach for it and when her hand firmly grasps around it, she pulls it in striking him repeatedly against the side of his head.
He falls there unconsciousness and she backs away, exiting the stall in just her shirt, covered in blood again, her blood and his, sees his keycard on the floor. His a much higher level than her and Slate. She takes it and runs from the bathroom.
Crying, as she flees down the corridor, heading for roof access she runs past a small group of people coming back from dining which elicts some shrieks.
"Hey! Halt!" Comes a voice. No doubt that is a member of Military who said that. She makes it to the roof, swiping Murphy's pass and it unlocks the door thankfully.
She stands at the edge of the rooftop, actual wind blowing through her short hair and blowing her shirt which is just covering anything. Looking up she can actually see out the top of this place.
Clouds and stars. A crowd is growing below her on the farm, workers finishing for the day, people muruming and panicking. She seems Mikey below sprinting through the crowds inside, on his walkie talkie. But she doesn't care.
She takes a step, preparing to go over the edge while looking up at the sky when the door behind her fly's open.
"Bethany, don't do it, please!"
"Come on, yeah, can w-we talk?"
The voices are different, but familiar. She stops and looks behind her. Two old friends she hasn't seen in ages, one the twin of Paisley who ran leaving Beth alone again in this hell of a world now.
"Lyla, Gideon?" She says, seeing they have really changed. Lyla is so much skinner than she remembers, her cut short and Gideon has ballooned significantly in weight, face covered in acne.
"Why are you so fat?" She says, then curses herself and prepares to take a step again.
"No, no, no! Stop, please! Let's talk, can we talk?" Gideon begs, arms flailing around. "Bethany, I know we haven't come and said hi to you before now, and that was a mistake. We're sorry-" Lyla begins.
"I already knew you both we're here, and I don't care. They told you not to talk to me, right? The leaders."
"Yes..." Lyla trails off.
"By the way, Paisley is alive. Bit me superficially and took off." Bethany says, ripping the bandage from her arm and letting it sail away, carried by the wind.
"What?! They didn't tell me!" Lyla cries.
"Yeah, learnt who the leaders really are. Now if you will excuse me-"
"Bethany! Listen, please do not jump." Gideon begs. "Who's blood is that? Do you need a doctor? Cause w-we can get Ester and she can check you out-"
"It doesn't matter! Nothing matters anymore!"
"It matters to us! We're here to help, we're your friends. Can we please talk? Like really talk? Come down from here, we can take you to our room.
We have a small hidden stash of snacks. Can we snack and talk? They're sugar free... do you want some?" Gideon offers.
Gideon holds out his hand to a drenched, blood dripping Beth while Lyla stays back, eyes wide.
Beth takes a deep breath in, reaching for Gideon's hand. "What happened to you? Did someone hurt you?" He asks gently.
Bethany stumbles into his arms, crying again and collapses to the concrete ground. He sits there, letting her crying. Doesn't hug her or anything so she won't panic and try to flee, but is prepared to grab onto her if she changes her mind and tries to jump again. Lyla walks up them, joining Beth in crying and hugs her. Beth hugs her back.
"I really missed you." Lyla sobs. "I missed you both as well. It's so scary out there alone and I barely know anyone in here." Beth responds.
"We're here now and we're not leaving you. Avoiding you was a mistake, we shouldn't have listened to-" But Lyla doesn't get to finish, the door opening.
The leaders, security and Slate. "Stay back, I'll talk to them. I'm a negotatier." Grayson says to his friends while slowly edging close to Gideon, Lyla and Beth.
"Hey, guys." He says.
"Stay back!" Bethany yells, aiming the flashlight she stole at Grayson, but quickly realizing how useless it is. She tosses it at him instead, him barely dodging it.
"Beth, you don't want to hurt me and I don't want to hurt you or see you get hurt either. Can you please not throw things at me?" He asks.
"Sorry." She says.
"It's okay, we're going to work this out. Do you want to tell me what happened? We found Murphy bloody and out cold in the bathroom, water still on. He has some 1st and 3rd degree burns to his face and torso, but he'll live. We can do some skin grafts.
I can see you're drenched and bloody too. Ester is a doctor, but you know that. She can help you and I want to help you to.
What happened?"
"I don't want to talk about it!"
"In-front of Lyla and Gideon? It's okay if you don't want to. We could go somewhere private, a safe place. Ester could help you and we could talk?
How about that?"
"No!"
"Okay, okay. We don't have to do anything you don't want to do. Is there someone else you would feel more comfortable to talk to? Maybe Slate?
He is right behind me, his here if you want to see him."
"He hates me. All I've done is cause trouble for him the moment I got here."
"Beth, that's not true. I don't hate you." Slate says slowly, walking beside Grayson.
He goes to take another step when she yells at him. "Don't come any closer or I really will jump!" She threatens, standing back up, but Lyla lightly grabs her bitten wrist.
"Please don't, please don't leave me here alone. I need you." Lyla cries. "I need you just as much as I need my sister. A-and you could help me find her!"
"Paisley?" Grayson says confused. "She's the one who bit me. She took off after Slate found her and me." Bethany tells him.
Mikey and Solayo glare at Slate.
"See, I ruin everything! I just got Slate in trouble again!" She yells, forcing Lyla to let go of her and stepping back close to the edge.
"Beth, please!" Lyla screams.
"Lyla, honey, come here. Screaming at Beth won't help her." Ester speaks up, holding her arms out. "Do you want a hug?"
Lyla looks to Ester. "Mum?" And slowly stands up to approach Ester. "What? Lyla, Lyla. That women isn't yours and Paisley's Mum." Beth says, sliding infront of Lyla to stop her from going to Ester.
She's further enough from the edge and close enough to be appthended now. Bethany is crashed tackled to the ground by Grayson, Mikey and others. Lyla starts screaming and crying again, she runs to Ester and who hugs her close letting Lyla bury her face into her shirt.
Gideon steps over to the group, not say anything.
"Get off me! Get off!" Bethany yells, being carried and forcibly carried away off the rooftop. Slate steps back, letting them pass.
"Where is the rest of her clothes?" Ester asks. "Uh, I think there still in the bathroom where we found Murphy.
"Okay, can you go get them and wash them, Slate? I'll get Bethany something clean and dry." Ester says, trying to excuse herself.
"Don't leave me!" Lyla cries. "Lyla, I know you're scared, okay? But I do need to go help, Beth." She says, gently removing Lyla off of her.
"Can you go with Gideon back to your room? When I'm done for the night, you can come hang out in my room, okay? I'll read you a book of mine." Ester promises, gently brushing a stand of Lyla's short hair aside.
She looks to Solayo who nods. Lyla leaves with Gideon downstairs. "Come on." Solayo says, gently pushing Slate back down the stairs. Hand on his shoulder as Ester locks the rooftop door.
---
Bethany wakes up in a white and light blue room. It's small, just a bed, blocky matress with rip proof doona and two doors. One has a window in it, but it's closed right now and the other door has a symbol of a toilet on it.
Sitting up, she has a patient hospital gown on and ankle socks. She's dry and not covered in blood anymore.
She stands, and opens the door for the toilet, looking in, the handle sloped down. A toilet, small sink with sloped down taps and the shower is the same. Harm proof.
She closes it and heads to the other door. No door handle on this side. She pounds on the door, it's plushy. "Hello?! Let me out of here!" She screams for five minutes and no one comes. She can't even hear anything outside the room.
She sulks back to the bed, curling up on it under the doona. The door opens sometime later, two people coming in.
"Beth?" Says Ester, gently shaking Beth awake. She yawns, opening her eyes and sits up. But she pushes back against the wall, trying to be as small as possible when she sees Solayo.
He doesn't look angry, but he doesn't look happy either. He kind of looks neutral?
"How are you?" Ester asks her.
"Where am I? Where are my clothes? Where's my friends? Can I leave, please? I want to get out of here."
"So many questions." Solayo responds. "One at a time.
Ester takes a seat beside Beth on the bed. "Bethany, you're on the psych floor. Do you understand what you did?" She says gently.
"What did I do?" She asks.
"You attacked, Murphy. His recovering in Medical, his going to be there for a while.
And trying to kill yourself is a really big deal. Why did you do it?"
She opens her mouth to speak, but nothing comes out. Solayo crosses his arms, leaning against the wall, raising an eyebrow. He now doesn't look impressed.
"Let's just go, this is a waste of time, Ester. She can just spend time in here, she's shown she's violent in a short period of time. We can get her on meds and play the waiting game and assess for what underlying psychiatric condition she likely has."
"No! Please, you can't leave me in here!" Bethany begs Ester, placing her hands on her. But Ester removes her hands. "I'm sorry, Bethany. But right now, here is the safest place for you. You're a threat to yourself and others.
We'll work this out, okay? Having a mental illness is nothing to be ashamed of."
"How long do I have to stay here?"
"Uh, we'll start with 72 hours and go from there, okay?"
Bethany lays back down and curls up, pulling the doona up over her. Ester stands up. "I'll get you some sleep meds, and some dinner. I'll be back in a minute and we'll continue talking tomorrow."
She goes to leave with Solayo about to close the door when Beth calls out. "Wait, please."
They stop for just a second, the door almost closed. Ester looks to Solayo who shrugs and they both look back in.
"Can I have the morning after pill, please?" Bethany doesn't say anything else.
"I'll get it for you and bring it to you with dinner and sleep meds." Ester responds, then they finish closing the door, leaving Bethany alone.
ns 18.68.41.137da2
