Level 37

Loud, motor-like snoring echoed through the room, emanating from a cell phone. Positioned on a pillow beside the sleeping patient. The screen of the phone illuminated the darkened room, casting a soft glow as it displayed the source of the noise: a partial view of a sleeping boy's face.

Lights activate and illuminate the chambers where the sleeping patient, a woman, lay curled up beside the phone, her head resting close to the device. Despite the noise, she appeared undisturbed, lost in the depths of sleep.

The nurse hesitated, her gloved hand hovering over the door handle, uncertainty flickering in her eyes. She glanced back at her colleague, a silent question passing between them.

"Should we wake them?" she whispered, her voice barely audible above the hum of the hospital machinery.

Behind the nurse, stood a shorter doctor also suited up. An annoyed look grew on her face the longer she waited. “Either open the door Nurse Rue, or I push you through it.”

Rue bit her lip, then replied: “And a good morning to you, Doctor Isla.” Rue exhales out, then enters the patient’s room. Bright lights activate above and fill the room with harsh light. Apart from the tangled mess of toffee-colored hair that spills over the white bed sheet. The entire room was like a plain canvas. If it weren’t for the crowd of tech around the hospital bed beeping away, the room would be completely silent.

A tranquil melody played over the device. No doubt the reason both fell asleep on a call. The closer they got, Rue could see a red hair tie within the patient's grip.

Such a little thing had the greatest sentimental value…

“Can’t we come back?” Nurse Rue hesitates when they approach the bed. “The patient deserves rest, especially after yesterday’s events.” Rue looked to Doctor Isla who delivered a venomous glare.

“I decide what my patient needs, Ms. Rue.” Isla says in a hard tone. “What Cole needs is thorough and consistent care. She is one of six surviving patients, and this is the last hospital standing between Liberty Island and Malibu... Cole is one of thousands suffering. Most of the medical professionals we know have contracted the disease and are useless now or dead."

Nurse Rue turned her gaze to the floor when Isla mentioned the others. Then she lifted her gaze again, finding a pair of cloudy gray eyes staring up at her and Isla.

“This contagion will be the end of mankind if we stop what we are doing." Isla turns and starts to prep, unaware that Cole was awake, shaking fearfully in her spot.

“Cole?” A voice interrupts just when the snoring ceases. “What’s going on? Why are there people in your room?”

Cole was about to speak when the doctor spoke for her. “My patient is undergoing treatment. Talk to her later." Isla hits the 'End Call' button before the boy could say anything more. “Now, Cole…” she exhales and turns to find her tools. “Let’s start this.”

Cole’s gray eyes met Rue’s soft brown ones, just as the treatment began. It was a look that weakened her every time. The same look the other five patients gave before the process…

--

“There...” Nurse Rue carefully sets Cole in bed after helping her to the bathroom. She may not be particularly tall or strong, but she could lift Cole. “We got through another day, baby dove”. She whispers, moving the wild hair away from the patient’s face. Earning a soft sigh from the patient as she relaxes.

Cole remained silent as Rue tucks her in. Rue could understand the drained look she wore and didn’t try to press her to talk. “You’re leading the battle now... so don’t go fading on us yet. You’re almost through it”. Rue whispers before leaving.

Cole was already drifting into sleep when the door was shut. Sounds of rushing water and crinkles of plastic were faintly heard. A normal thing to hear while the nurse cleaned up. At the same time, a ringing tune played from Cole’s phone. She knew it was him calling again, but Cole couldn’t bring herself to answer it.

She was minutes into sleep, when a violent crash shatters the peace.

Crash!

“Oh my god…”

A loud metallic clash rang through the hospital. It stirs awake every patient on the 37th floor. Cole sat up, eyes darting around as she tried to see through bleary vision. “Rue?” She called out but heard no answer. Cluttered noises echo beyond the locked door. Seconds later, it's followed by screams and several bright red flashes.

“Oh my god…” She hears a gasp that turns into a scream. “No! Oh god!”

“R-Rue?” Cole shivers as she slips out of bed. The lights were no longer white, instead, Cole’s vision was a blur of red and black. A red-light flickers on and off again. Cole knew what it meant and paced with panic. Unsure of what to do.

Bang!

The unmistakable crack of a gunshot echoes. Cole gasps again as her fright doubles.

“STOP! Don’t shoot!” Someone screams. The sound makes Cole freeze, inches away from the glass door. From this distance, Cole could spot several shadows moving. Heavy footfalls rumble in the hall and screams erupt.

“Where’s everyone going?” Cole says out loud, her heart thumping with panic as Rue’s voice echoes over the other noises of commotion. “Hey asshole! There’s infected patients on this floor-”

Rue's shouts are followed by a separate scream and a clashing noise.

“AH! STOP! THAT’S OUR SUPPLY! I WON’T LET YOU TAKE I-”

Crash!

“N-No”. Cole shivered as glass shattered and a burst of gunfire cracks. Instinctively, she stoops down low. Looking up to the window, she could see the shadows of people falling, others fighting back, flashes of gunfire…

Chaos consumes the entire ward.

Then something hit the door of Cole’s room. She scattered away but could not find her bed. Cole crawled around the floorspace, until she felt the wall and pressed her back against it. Keeping herself as small as possible, she tucks her knees under her gown; close to her chest. Through noises of gunfire, she hears the chime of her phone as the same ringing tune plays again. Cole was too scared to go to it and stayed curled up, until the hospital went silent.

The lights continue to flicker red against the darkness. A distant buzz repeats over and over. Cole knew the alarm would not stop until the danger was gone.

Moments pass as silence settles, only to be broken again as a parade of footfalls tread. Crunching over shattered glass and debris.

Cole stayed frozen in her spot and listened. The footfalls were coming closer.

“There’s more on the 41st floor”. A male voice echoes. “Get it and find Doctor Isla. Don’t let her get away this time.”

“Doctor Isla?” Cole whispers to herself when the footfalls pass. A memory flashes through her mind. She remembered when Doctor Isla was attacked -months ago- by crazed attackers. A man with white hair was their leader. He left Isla with a scar across her neck. He would've taken her life, if a guard never intervened.

After a while of silence, Cole lifted her gaze and willed herself to move away from the wall. If only little by little. Cole felt around as she crawled, desperately trying to figure out the room; under intervals of red light. She observed the echoes from her left and remembered the door was there. Which meant the bed was to her right. She crawls toward the right, feeling the floor with her hands; until the tips of her fingers find another wall.

Bang!

“Ah,” Cole covers her mouth to muffle the sound that threatened to escape. A gunshot echoed near her room, followed by startled screams of other patients.

Tears well in her eyes as she thought the worst. She took a shaky breath and willed herself to move again. Cole kept going until she was close enough to see the silhouette of the bed. She crawls next to it and reaches up to grab her phone. Cole held it with shaky fingers as she dialed one of her contacts.

“Cole?” The call was answered after the first ring and a familiar face appeared on the screen.

A man, slightly younger than Cole appeared with a look of concern on his face as he sat up. He was shirtless and quickly got out of bed. Pacing the room as he questioned her. “Cole? Where are you? Why are the lights red? What is going on?”

“Oliver,” Tears spill when she opened her mouth to speak.

Bang!

Another gunshot.

Oliver froze from his pacing and stares at Cole. Panic was clear on his face. He watched as she trembled, her back against the bed while more shots echoed. One after the other.

“Oliver, s-something’s wrong. The hospital… T-There’s…” Cole took a shaky breath and continued to speak. “There’s people looking for Doctor Isla. I think it's the same people from before."

"Where's the others? Why are you alone? Can you get out?” Oliver wondered.

“I don’t know… Oliver”, Cole took another breath and then told him. “Oliver, I can’t see very well… a-and these lights are not helping… I… I don't know where to go. I d-don’t think I'll make it anywhere."

“Okay.” Oliver nods. “I understand. Rue told me about your eyes… Just…” It was Oliver’s turn to take a few breaths while he tried to keep his thoughts together. “Just don’t hang up. Okay?”

“Oliver, I need you to be my eyes. Please”. She whispers her plea, and immediately Oliver nodded and told her to hold up the phone.

With trembling arms, Cole held it up as she got to her feet again. She moved the phone around so Oliver could see the whole room. “Stop, right there... Move closer," Oliver instructed, “the door is too far away.”

“Okay”, Cole moved closer until Oliver told her to stop. “You’re in front of the door, the window is to your right."

Cole took a few steps to the right and held the phone to the glass.

“Christ...” was his first reaction to the sight of the bloody hall floor. “C-Cole there’s so many nurses. They’re not moving." His voice got shaky the more details he gave. “I... I see... I see a doctor among them... he- he’s holding keys."

“What else?” Cole whispered eagerly, moving the phone so that more of the hall could be viewed.

"There's someone to your right. I think she's evacuating the patients."

Cole waited, holding the phone more to the right so Oliver could see.

“That one." A female voice echoed. “That door, get it open."

Clank!

Noises of metal striking metal reached Cole’s ears as Oliver explained what was happening.

“Cole? They’re... They’re breaking into room... 209... Room 209... and... there’s nine of them wearing masks."

“Room 209?” Cole repeated. “Nathaniel is in there..."

Oliver pressed his hand to the side of his face. Disbelief mixes with shock as the group hauled out loads of equipment. "Cole... they're... they're looting."

Cole was speechless while she continued to listen. She never understood why some break in to steal, while risking infection.

“Stop!” A shout came from inside the room. The patient, a young boy, runs out and swipes a crutch from one of the deceased. He lifted it and swung, hitting a man’s shoulder.

A shot rang out, Oliver watched as the boy collapsed. Unable to blink as he spots a woman approach and stand over him. She levels her weapon again as she spots the slightest movement in his fingertips.

Bang!

"N-Nathan" Cole shivered hearing it, while Oliver’s eyes went wide. “Cole?” Panic grew in his voice, as a shadow moves in front of the window. “Cole! COLE GET AWAY FROM THE-”

Crash!

The window shatters, glass rained down like glitter as the moment stretched.

As if lightning struck, Cole was shunned backward, feeling the pain burn through her chest. Shock fills her mind while the blast filled her ears. After, there was ringing and the hard beats of her own pulse. They were in sync with the red lights, flickering on and off again. Her chest burned, while the force of the blast sends her body flying.

In her mind, pours a flood of glimpses of people she lost. As her feet are no longer touching the floor...

The phone slips from her fingertips. A current of toffee hair pours over her face. Just before her back slams to the hard floor. Cole's small body made a loud thump. Toffee hair falls around her small face. The wild strands obscure part of her vision. While fiery hot pain sears in her chest. Blood pools beneath her frail body.

Cole’s gray eyes stare at the ceiling. Terror frozen in them as shadows enter the room.