Insulin

      I parked my truck in the dilapidated lot behind the pharmacy facing the back entrance. The door was propped open by a large rock and it beckoned for me to go inside. A warning painted on the wall next to the door read, All Dead Here. It had been a week since my last insulin shot and my body was feeling the effects. The fatigue was overwhelming and I contemplated taking a nap, but the fear of slipping into a diabetic coma petrified me enough to keep me focused. Chloe sat in the seat next me and stared out the passenger window with her ears propped up as if she was trying to listen for something. She was a beautiful German Sheppard mixed with Black Lab and although she was as hyper as Lab could be, she was as disciplined and sharp as a full-blooded Sheppard.

     “What is it, girl?” I asked her as I pet her smooth black fur. She gave me a subtle glance as she licked her snout and stared back out the window. Chloe and I were the first to go beyond the green zone in nearly a decade. I peered out along the back lot looking for any signs of zombies. It’s been five years since my group at the Air Force Base has seen one but no one has ventured out this far to double check. No signs of life were in the back lot other than the grass growing through the cracks on the pavement and I felt it was as safe as I could hope for.     

     I slung the strap of my M16 around my shoulder as I stepped out of the truck and whistled for Chloe. The weapon was for last resort purposes; I still had my baseball bat for the silent stuff. As I stepped towards the pharmacy I grew nauseous. I keeled over and emptied my lunch. Each time my body heaved I could feel my energy draining. I dropped to my hands and knees for a moment to recuperate. I felt weak as my arms shook beneath my weight and my eyelids grew heavier. Every fiber of my being was screaming at me to sleep, but I couldn’t rest until I had my insulin.

     Before the world turned upside down I didn’t have a problem refilling my prescription and I never realized how easy it was for me to stay alive. I settled in at the Air Force base and managed to crack into the hospital’s pharmacy for all of my insulin needs. Now I’ve run out of it and having type 1 diabetes has become a bigger threat to my life than the walking dead. I picked myself up with the aid of my truck while Chloe zipped over to investigate the scene.

     “Leave it,” I snapped at her. She looked up at me before turning around. I leaned on the truck while I double-checked my weapon. After making sure I was okay I began creeping towards the open door. Someone had clearly been here before and all of the medicine may have been gone. I got ten feet towards the door before I called Chloe in to investigate.

     “Pssst.” Chloe’s ears perked up as she marched ahead of me with her nose investigating the air. Once she neared the threshold she stopped. Her ears folded down and her tailed shot between her legs. A deep growl emerged from her throat as she stared inside the door. There was nothing but darkness inside so I pulled the flashlight off of my belt harness and turned it on.

     “Someone in there?” I pointed the flashlight inside as Chloe’s growl turned into a soft whine. She backed away from the door as I heard a shuffling noise from inside. A blood-curdling moan cried out freezing me in my tracks. The shuffling and moaning grew louder as the dead man walked into view. His tattered clothes were smeared in dry blood. His face had massive gashes and the skin looked gray and rotted. The decaying flesh drooped off his cheeks as he snarled his brownish teeth at me. The top of his left foot dragged on the ground as he stepped closer.

     I hoisted the bat up in my right hand and kept the flashlight pointed at the man with my left as he drew closer. I took one step forward and swung the bat into the man’s head. His soft skull caved in with the blow and sent him colliding with a desk on his right. As he lay on the ground I took another step towards him and swung the bat into his face one more time to make sure he was gone.

     I backed up with Chloe to catch my breath. Adrenaline or not, my body was quickly running out of energy. After not seeing one of these things in years it was easy to forget how petrifying they can be. I double-checked to make sure I hadn’t wet myself and then worked up the courage to re enter the building. Chloe stood guard at the door as I disappeared into the darkness. Papers littered the floor along with empty bottles and needles. Dried blood stained the areas of the floor that were visible. Someone had ransacked this place already.

     I made my way to the right where I caught a glimpse of a refrigerator. That’s where insulin would be kept. I knew it was probably expired, but I had to take my chances regardless. I walked over to open it and stumbled across a decomposed body. Controlling my gag reflex, I stepped over the body and opened the fridge. I let out a sigh of relief when two bottles of insulin greeted me. I collected them and made my way back to the truck. I sat in silence for a moment as I stared again at the sign, All Dead Here. I wasn’t sure if this insulin would work, but not everyone here is dead, yet.