Free LovewithaChanceofZombies by Delphine Dryden Page A

he turned around. “You
coming?”
    Lena threw her hands in the air. “I don’t know. You planning
to tell me what the hell you’re talking about?”
    “In my quarters.”
    He disappeared, and she had no choice but to follow him if
she wanted to hear more.
    It was a short, silent walk to Lucas’ quarters. Just before
he closed the door behind them, he asked her, “You’re sure you’ve gotten
everything you need out of the lab? What about out of your room?”
    “There’s nothing important in my room,” she said. “I
wouldn’t have left anything in there to get stolen while I was sleeping here.”
    “Good.”
    The door closed with a solid clunk, shutting them into the
room, and Lena reached over and turned on the overhead light. Wincing, Lucas
threw an arm up to shield his eyes against the sudden glare.
    This timing is for the best.
    “No…” she began, but couldn’t think of anything else to say.
    “Afraid so.” He lowered his arm slowly, squinting. “I didn’t
think about the headache because I’m pretty used to those, but then the fever
kicked in about an hour ago. And now this thing with the lights, I guess. It’s
ramping up quick.”
    From under the couch, Nye pulled a tattered duffel bag that
clanked when he set it on the table. He unzipped it to reveal an assortment of
easily recognizable hardware.
    “Locks. Where did you get those?” There were hasps and
padlocks, deadbolts, hotel-style latching door guards, all jumbled together.
    “I’ve been taking them off every storage room and locker,
the old offices one floor up, anyplace I could find whenever you were off talking
to Watson. Help me get them on the door?”
    Lena nodded. “I’ll do this while you get the bed set up.
I’ll just do five of them though. You know if they really want to come in, none
of this will stop them?”
    “I know,” he admitted, “but it makes me feel better. Maybe
it’ll buy us some time. If I’m already out of it and locked up, maybe Watson
can convince Cochrane to let us at least finish the experiment.”
    Lena’s hands trembled at first, making it hard for her to
manage the tools. The doorframe was wood but the wall behind was cinderblock,
and the screws were all of different lengths, so the installation was tricky.
Having a task to focus on helped. By the time the second hasp was in place and
she’d turned the key on the heavy padlock, her hands and mind were steady. She
peeked behind her occasionally, checking on Lucas as he moved slowly around the
hospital bed, setting up the IV poles and putting the monitors into place.
    The fifth lock, a thick sliding bolt, gave her a bit of
trouble. By the time she glanced over at the doctor again, he had changed into
his loose pajama pants, and Lena automatically admired his lean, shirtless
torso before reminding herself that ogling Nye was inappropriate at this time.
    Besides, he looked too thin. He hadn’t been eating well.
    “One last meal?” she suggested. She knew they had the
supplies for it.
    “Can’t,” he replied. “I haven’t eaten at all today, as it
happens. I just didn’t have any appetite, but that’s a lucky thing. Less for
you to deal with later.”
    He’d already explained the various tasks she’d need to
perform while he was unconscious, many of them unpleasant. Lena didn’t mind.
She’d dealt with worse in her time. It was no more than anyone might have to do
for a loved one who’d grown old, ill, disabled. Her willingness to do all that
just meant Lucas was a loved one, and Lena had waited a long time to have one
of those.
    It wasn’t until after she’d finished locking them in that
Lena considered her first instinct should probably have been to follow orders.
She’d been placed with Nye to protect him, but also to protect the colony. He’d
started to turn. She should be shooting to kill. She hadn’t even thought about
it though. Instead she’d just started helping him.
    As if he’d read her mind, Lucas spoke up. “You