Zombies! (Episode 6): Barriers Collapse Read Online Free
fear-filled early days of his return to society, he had found peace through planning. Peace through action.
"Sorry…" she began.
"No sweat," he told her, extending his hand. "Peter Ventura. I'm a doctor over at Sisters of Charity ."
Halfway to shaking his hand, she halted and started just shaking. He withdrew his hand quickly, allowing her to settle back into her comfort zone.
"It's okay," he said. "Maybe I shouldn't have come in."
"No," she said tentatively, desperately trying to collect herself.
"Hey, Abby!" the guy using the weights called out. "You okay?"
She looked up at him, trying to sort through her thoughts and emotions. He must have noticed her reaction to Peter. "I'm okay," she said. "Thanks."
"You let me know if you need me," he said back to her, eying Peter warily.
"Sorry about that," she said to Peter, lowering her voice. The little spark of altercation seemed to settle her a bit. Peter wondered what a giant explosion would do.
"It's okay," he said, eyeing the weight lifter. "I didn't mean to upset you."
"I remember you now. You hit the button, the one that locked us in."
This gave him pause. Her tone was so even that he didn't really know how to interpret what she had just said. Though there wasn't even a hint of blame, neither was there any indication that she agreed with the decision he'd made. But he remembered that day very clearly. Those times of action had been his best. In the moment, with the adrenaline coursing through his system, he'd been strong and decisive. Only afterwards had he collapsed and broken down. Only afterwards had he learned to seek the solace of that action.
He dropped his head. "It was meant to save people."
"And it probably did," she said. "Why are you here, Dr. Ventura?"
"Peter. Please," he said. "I haven't told anyone this because there's no one to tell. The others that were with us in the ER have all left the city. After that day, when we were all released, I went home and locked myself in. I stayed in my apartment for a week and I won't tell you what that week was like. I only left because I finally realized that the world hadn't ended."
Abby listened with a forced sort of detachment. What had buoyed her after the event was the realization that Sammy, her son, was going to be all right. He'd been sick that very morning and she had been worried that he was infected with the zombie plague. But his infection had been nothing more than strep throat. Ten days of antibiotics had made him well again.
"I just…" Peter began and then turned as the door behind him opened and in walked Martin Benjamin.
Abby's husband was a big man with thinning hair. He didn't work out, had never set foot in a gym other than to see Abby. But a high level of tension and an inability to eat large meals kept his weight down. He was in his mid-forties but showed few of the telltale signs of his years. Trained as a computer network technician, he'd seen some good times during the economic boom of the 1990's and even early in the twenty first century. With the economic collapse, however, he'd lost his job and his livelihood. Now he was part of Best Buy's staff and feeling miserable about it. Underneath his long winter coat, the bright blue of his shirt was just barely visible. He wore the khaki pants that all of the employees wore.
"Hello, love," he said to Abby.
Bewildered at his appearance, she came around the counter and embraced him. Peter's appearance had put her ill at ease and seeing Martin brought back some stability to her psyche. She squeezed him hard and reached up to give him a kiss on the cheek. When she pulled away, he was smiling.
"It's nice to be appreciated," he said. "Who’s the bloke?"
Peter pushed out a hand. "Peter Ventura."
Martin took it. "You a regular here?"
"No. I actually came by to see Abby. You must be her husband."
"That's right. Martin Benjamin." He was
"Sorry…" she began.
"No sweat," he told her, extending his hand. "Peter Ventura. I'm a doctor over at Sisters of Charity ."
Halfway to shaking his hand, she halted and started just shaking. He withdrew his hand quickly, allowing her to settle back into her comfort zone.
"It's okay," he said. "Maybe I shouldn't have come in."
"No," she said tentatively, desperately trying to collect herself.
"Hey, Abby!" the guy using the weights called out. "You okay?"
She looked up at him, trying to sort through her thoughts and emotions. He must have noticed her reaction to Peter. "I'm okay," she said. "Thanks."
"You let me know if you need me," he said back to her, eying Peter warily.
"Sorry about that," she said to Peter, lowering her voice. The little spark of altercation seemed to settle her a bit. Peter wondered what a giant explosion would do.
"It's okay," he said, eyeing the weight lifter. "I didn't mean to upset you."
"I remember you now. You hit the button, the one that locked us in."
This gave him pause. Her tone was so even that he didn't really know how to interpret what she had just said. Though there wasn't even a hint of blame, neither was there any indication that she agreed with the decision he'd made. But he remembered that day very clearly. Those times of action had been his best. In the moment, with the adrenaline coursing through his system, he'd been strong and decisive. Only afterwards had he collapsed and broken down. Only afterwards had he learned to seek the solace of that action.
He dropped his head. "It was meant to save people."
"And it probably did," she said. "Why are you here, Dr. Ventura?"
"Peter. Please," he said. "I haven't told anyone this because there's no one to tell. The others that were with us in the ER have all left the city. After that day, when we were all released, I went home and locked myself in. I stayed in my apartment for a week and I won't tell you what that week was like. I only left because I finally realized that the world hadn't ended."
Abby listened with a forced sort of detachment. What had buoyed her after the event was the realization that Sammy, her son, was going to be all right. He'd been sick that very morning and she had been worried that he was infected with the zombie plague. But his infection had been nothing more than strep throat. Ten days of antibiotics had made him well again.
"I just…" Peter began and then turned as the door behind him opened and in walked Martin Benjamin.
Abby's husband was a big man with thinning hair. He didn't work out, had never set foot in a gym other than to see Abby. But a high level of tension and an inability to eat large meals kept his weight down. He was in his mid-forties but showed few of the telltale signs of his years. Trained as a computer network technician, he'd seen some good times during the economic boom of the 1990's and even early in the twenty first century. With the economic collapse, however, he'd lost his job and his livelihood. Now he was part of Best Buy's staff and feeling miserable about it. Underneath his long winter coat, the bright blue of his shirt was just barely visible. He wore the khaki pants that all of the employees wore.
"Hello, love," he said to Abby.
Bewildered at his appearance, she came around the counter and embraced him. Peter's appearance had put her ill at ease and seeing Martin brought back some stability to her psyche. She squeezed him hard and reached up to give him a kiss on the cheek. When she pulled away, he was smiling.
"It's nice to be appreciated," he said. "Who’s the bloke?"
Peter pushed out a hand. "Peter Ventura."
Martin took it. "You a regular here?"
"No. I actually came by to see Abby. You must be her husband."
"That's right. Martin Benjamin." He was
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