Rachel - Interactive Story - scene 15

Continued from scene 14

Rachel scoops Daisy into her arms and feels the limp weight of the girl as she struggles to maintain her balance. Daisy squirms and moans softly, but at least her pain is dulled by the drugs coursing through her system. "Easy, love," Rachel murmurs, but Daisy's eyes remain half-closed, her head lolling against Rachel's shoulder.

"Come on, Bailey," Rachel says. Together, they dart around the back of the house, moving quickly towards the side street. The sounds of chaos echo around them—distant screams, the growls of the infected, and the sharp crack of glass shattering.

When they reach the alleyway leading to the street, Rachel pulls to a quick stop. A car careens down the road, it's tires screeching as it barrels out of control. They press back against the wall, watching as the vehicle hurtles through a red light and slams into the side of a passenger van. Metal crunches, and the van spins wildly before tipping over onto its side.

Rachel doesn’t waste a second. "We need to move," she says to Bailey. They run back through the alleyways, with Rachel carrying Daisy. All around them, they see the outbreak escalating as infected lunge at fleeing survivors, dragging them down, while others chase the living in the distance.

Rachel keeps them out of sight, weaving between buildings, and ducking behind parked cars when necessary. The weight of Daisy in her arms is exhausting, but she pushes through the strain. Finally, they reach her house, slip inside, and bolt the door behind them.

Rachel lowers Daisy gently onto the couch. Daisy let out a little grimace, and Rachel places her leg on a pillow. The unnatural angle of her leg looks horrendous. "Hold her down," Rachel says to Bailey, who kneels beside Daisy, gripping her shoulders as Rachel prepares to set the leg.

With a quick, practiced motion, Rachel realigns the bone. Daisy’s eyes snap open, a scream tearing from her throat before she slumps back, unconscious from the pain and the drugs. Rachel works quickly, binding the leg in a makeshift splint.

Bailey’s voice trembles as she watches. "Do we need to take her to a hospital?"

Rachel shakes her head and wipes sweat from her brow. "Hospitals are likely overrun by now. We’ve got a few choices—stay here and try to wait out the worst of it, head out of the city to the forest where there’ll be fewer people, or try to find some sort of medical help for her."

Bailey looks at Daisy, worry etched on her face. "What do you think we should do?"

continue to scene 16