November 12, 20XX - B City's Base Hospital - West Pantry.
Inside the medium-sized pantry, two women were in a silent battle. One was in a deep trance, and the other one was throwing worried looks onto the other. Finally, the latter couldn't help but open her mouth and voice her thoughts.
“You know what, friend? How about taking a leave? We know you're in a very low mood because of what happened, no one would blame you for taking a rest. Even if they try to say something, I'll teach them a lesson. I'm afraid that you'll die sooner or later with what you're doing right now. See how you look right now, it's obvious you have been skipping rest...”
A mellow, kind, and full of concern voice of a young woman pulled Farrah from her deep trance. Farrah frowned, blinking a few times before looking straight back at her friend.
Break? It's not that she hadn't thought of that—but knowing that the person that used to stay up late in that house just to wait for her to come home was now gone—Farrah can't find herself to come back.
Farrah gently shook her head, twirling the old black ballpen in her fingers. She noticed her friend's concerned eyes, and it made it even harder for Farrah to meet her eyes. Those blue orbs were full of pity, which stung Farrah so much she could only turn her back on her.
“There's no need for that, Eden. I can manage, and I know what I am doing.” Not to mention the patients. Everyone in this hospital needs Farrah. In times like this, she can't afford to stay away from the hospital.
Farrah heard her friend sneer as if she couldn't believe Farrah would say these words. Soon enough, Eden's slightly raised voice sounded inside the cramped room. “Do you? Do you know what you're doing right now? I think you don't know so let me tell you, girl. You've been staying up night and day for almost a week! Do you want to die early? The world has faced a lot of troubles—floods, earthquakes, storms, and even a freaking zombie apocalypse! But then what? You'll die staying up late?”
Facing Eden's rockets of accusations, Farrah can't find herself to argue. Eden's words were nothing but facts, there's no denial in that. It's been almost a week since she had a full night of rest. She could survive these days probably because of her excessive caffeine intake. Eden was right, she'll eventually die if she continues living this kind of lifestyle.
She also wanted to rest, but every time that she'll lie on her bed, it reminds her that from this moment on, she'll be alone in this cold and vacant bed because the person who she used to share this bed with was gone. In the end, she would fall into the reverie of memories. She would sit there, dazed, in tears, like a devastating mess she had become—until another day comes.
She just lost her best friend, her enemy, her lover, her husband, and the father of her son—a few days ago, exactly on her birthday.
When Dior barged into Farrah's life, her once monotonous birthdays were slowly replaced with joyful ones. The moment Dior accepted Farrah as his other half, there's no sad birthdays for Farrah no matter what crisis they faced. However, at this moment, Farrah's birthday will slowly turn back to the way it was before. Monotonous, plain, and boring.
Farrah, at the age of 27, is now a widow.
It's been four days since Farrah received the heartbreaking news of her husband's death. Exactly on her 27th birthday, Farrah received the cruel verdict of reality. Farrah's mind was in chaos, her thoughts a mess—her heart shattered. According to Dior's teammates, to protect the weaker ones in their team—Dior fought with a Level Four Zombie and lost. He died with a bite on his neck, striving hard to eliminate a threat to humanity.
It was a powerful blow, enough to disassemble Farrah into shattered pieces. She's been trying to calm down, and be tough knowing that she wasn't the only one abandoned by her husband. There's still David, their son, whom she needs to protect.
But no matter how she pretends to be tough, to be strong—she's nothing but a human being. A person with a heart and mind, not a block of metal without a single speck of emotions.
Only she knew that there's only a thin barrier between sanity and lunacy inside of her.
Eden saw Farrah's silence as a guilty conscience and felt that she was a bit excessive, so she cleared her throat and softened her voice. “...Don't get me wrong, dear. I'm saying this because I'm worried not only about you but also about your son. You're not alone, darling! You have a kid and a father waiting for you at home. What do you think will happen to DaeDae when you fall ill? He just lost his father, and he needs you.”
Farrah chuckled without joy in her voice, only she knew how bitter it was for her. But then again, she knew Eden was right once again. David needs her, now that Dior is gone, all the responsibilities fall on her.
“...Okay. But what about the patients? Who will attend them, then?”
Tsk, Tsk. Even in this kind of situation, she really can't stop acting like a holy saint! Eden rolled her eyes and patted Farrah on her shoulder. “Let us handle it—don't act like a holy saint here, you're snatching my patients! What you should do right now is lie on your bed, cuddle your son, rest, and sleep. Forget other people, what you need is your son's warm hugs.”
“...I'm just scared that when I step into that house, all my suppressed emotions will break out...”
“It's normal, darling. Emotions should be expressed, not suppressed. We're humans, we are allowed to grieve, to cry, to rest, and to prioritize ourselves. Let me tell you something, babe. It hurts, yeah, it really damn hurts. However, to go forward, you must face the problem head-on. Only when you can face it straight with heads up can you go forward.”
*
In the end, Farrah was persuaded by Eden to take a five-day leave. She regrets it a bit but since everyone said they can manage the hospital, she has no longer any reason to refuse going home.
Even if some people were dissatisfied, they couldn't argue with the Director. Not to mention Farrah's well-being, she indeed looked like shit right now and not in the right mind to work. Farrah could only thank them in embarrassment. When she arrived at their house's doorway, what she noticed first was her son's laughter and her father's pampering voice.
There's a painful feeling that began to dominate Farrah's heart once again as if stabbed by something sharp, she couldn't but wail in agony deep inside. There's a voice that keeps asking, what will happen when this ignorant little thing knows that his father will never come back anymore?
Well, he doesn't have to know. At least not now.
Ferdinand has been sleepless these past few days, not only because of his busy work but also because he's been worrying over his daughter and grandson. He was also very sad, due to his son-in-law's unexpected passing. He's been observing his daughter, and he knows she's been trying her best to remain calm.Ferdinand sighed as he arranged his thoughts. He keeps thinking—human life is indeed so fickle, so fragile and so easy to take. No matter how humans have evolved this far, humanity is still in a disadvantageous position against the millions of undead, awaiting them just outside these tall walls that are protecting their base. Everyone knew that sooner or later, they would lose their lives in this huge battle against fate, but when it really comes to the time that people lose someone they love along the process—it is still very hard for someone to accept it.Ferdinand could only wish that Dior would find his peace, as Ferdinand
Chapter 3: Ghost CallThe government, to save the remaining survivors, decided of making safety bases in each city. This way, they can protect those who need protection, but despite the ‘safety’ it promises, there’s no reassurance that these bases wouldn’t fall.Just 2 months after G City’s base was founded, an infected person slipped into the base. She ate her family and the other people. Because of the poor skills of the G City soldiers, the spread of the virus inside the G City was too late to stop. In just 2 months of operation, the G City’s Base fell. It made other bases pay attention to the matter of allowing people to enter the base. The rules got tighter, yet no one has any opinion. It was the government’s idea—even if the people wanted to raise some scruples; they had no right when it was the government who’s protecting them from death.6 months after the break-out of the virus
When Farrah finished dealing with all the patients that needed treatment, it was already midnight. She haven't had dinner and felt hungry so she decided to retire first. One of the soldiers offered to send her back to her house but Farrah politely refused. She can defend herself if needed, there's no need for a 'tail' to protect her.As she was about to walk on the exist door, she heard some people, precisely two young women, chatting about her. How did Farrah know? Because the moment she neared them, she heard her name being mentioned loud and clear.“It seems that Dr. Cherry hated Dr. Lee so much huh, she's even thinking of replacing Dr. Lee as the Assistant Director of this hospital!”“F*ck, that's too scheming of her. But why? Ever since I worked here, I haven't heard much about the reason why she hated Dr. Lee...”“Have you heard about Dr. Lee recently d
“Then who? Who’s calling me nonstop these past few days then?” Farrah clutched her head in confusion. Ferdinand saw his daughter like this even felt indeed more obliged to investigate the matter deeper. As long as this issue remains unfixed, they were bound to lose sleep these incoming days.“We don’t know for sure. Don’t stress too much,” Ferdinand patted his daughter’s head. Sitting down on the bed beside Farrah, he couldn’t help but to sigh. “We’ll get to the end of this matter, eventually. Don’t think too much. If Dior’s here, he’ll never allow you to waste your time in things like this. Focus on self-recovery, time will heal you.”Farrah pursed her lips, just nodding to express her agreement. She didn’t plan to waste her time thinking of this matter, for it will only make her more confused. “Alright. Let’s talk about
Ferdinand couldn’t believe what he saw when he came back to the laboratory. On a huge cylindrical glass tube was a zombie, based on its appearance. She was a girl probably around 12-14 years old when she was still alive. There’s a rotting wound on her shoulder, smeared with black blood, and her eyeballs turned white all over. Her skin was bluish-pale, while a sticky dark liquid continuously sliding down to her chin. She was groaning, growling, banging on the thick glass and glaring at all the researchers in pure greed.Ferdinand felt so disturbed even though he has seen kids turning to zombies before. It was probably because he was staying inside the base for a long time that he had an illusion of peace—forgetting that beyond these tall walls were monsters capable of turning a young innocent girl into what she was now.Looking at his superior, Ferdinand couldn't help feeling confused. His superior was a
Farrah’s eyes widened in disbelief. She subconsciously raised her voice, asking: “What did you just say? Laboratory?!”The moment she heard this word, she immediately thought of her father. Fear sprouted inside her heart, but Farrah forced herself to calm down. Looking at the fleeing residents, she fired another question. “… Where’s Mr. Luman and the other researchers?”The soldier replied, “The researchers are fine! Please, madam! Leave this place!”Farrah believed the soldier. Looking at the man’s eyes, he didn’t seem to be deceiving her. Even if she had doubts, Farrah had no courage to entertain negative ideas. She also trusts her father very much. He might get older, but he’s also an ability h
It was Ferdinand’s stern yet inquiring face and David’s tight hug Farrah saw when she finally regained her consciousness. When she remembered what had happened before she fainted, she couldn’t help but to gasp.“Awake? Are you okay? Can you tell me what happened to you?” Ferdinand fired a lot of questions at once, not caring whether Farrah heard his words clearly.“... Dad,” she called out, devoid of strength.“Yes?” her father immediately responded, holding her hand.His eyes seem to look inside of her head, trying to see what she was thinking. Farrah suddenly didn’t have any idea whether to tell him what she had discovered, or keep it to herself until she have enough evidence to prove that her conjectures were true.Looking at her father, she knew there’s huge possibility that her father would just br
Farrah and Ferdinand had a fierce quarrel, yet no matter how much the older man persuaded his daughter, Farrah remained steadfast in her decision.It resulted in them ignoring each other.“Friend, did you quarrel with your father? He looked pissed when I encountered him by the road earlier. He looked like he’s ready to punch someone!” Eden yelled, eyes brimming with curiosity.Unfortunately for her, Farrah is not in the mood for a storytelling. She just sighed. She didn’t like that they fought, not even a bit—but she had to do this for Dior.She had to disobey him this time.“It’s nothing. Simple quarrel, that’s all.” She answered, looking away and focusing on her work.Eden merely said “ah...” while nodding her head repeatedly. Her curiosity wasn’t satiated, but has she didn’t pry