The two of them thrashed around uncontrollably to the distant sounds of combat, then, almost at the same time, they both stopped moving. Stewart looked across at Max, she had a sheen of bloody perspiration coating her brow. Her look seemed to ask if he was okay. Max was not okay, his head was roaring. His senses were alive and questing outwards like millions of psychic worms tunneling through his surroundings. Max was able to sense everything on a much more intimate level than before. It was like going from a silent film to a three dimensional interactive entertainment extravaganza compared to his abilities before.
The process to gather the information was slower than gathering similar detail with his eyes, but so much more thorough. He knew the contents of the room as if he had brought everything inside himself. He even knew that the burly assistant had a key ring in his pocket and what the keys opened; the door on a Kia Sedona and the door of his house. He knew that the man had photos of both his wife, now dead, and his lover, also dead in his wallet. Also, Aaron had a son, a young kid who had touched both the photos. 'The kid's prints are all over his wallet. I wonder if he got in trouble for that?'
Slowly, Stewart bit down into the gag holding her mouth open. The thick red ball crumbled under her assault and she spit pieces out as she made progress. Eventually she was able to speak and said, "Max? You still with me?"
Max didn't respond, his eyes were wide open assimilating the information he had gathered. 'There is so much here. I could get lost.' He was examining the blood on the floor. It came from two hundred and thirty seven different individuals. 'I don't know how I can tell, but I know I am right.'
Stewart's voice brought him out of a detailed examination of the contents of Aaron's pockets, "Max!"
Aaron was looking at Stewart, and Bill took that opportunity to rend the handcuffs off of his arms and burst free form his gurney. He fell over as the gurney collapsed beneath him and Aaron swiveled back towards the man, raising the pistol up.
"Stop!"
Bill launched himself at Aaron and the pistol barked three times in less than a second. Aaron crumpled as Bill hit him. They went down in a tangle of limbs, but only Aaron rose to his feet, kicking Bill off of him to stand. Bill rolled over onto his back, feebly clutching his stomach with both hands, trying to hold in his life blood.
Max thought, 'I should be doing something. What's wrong with me?' He struggled with his bonds, but it was hopeless, 'Apparently the injection didn't give me any sort of physical strength.' Max screamed in frustration, "Bill! Damn it don't die!"
Across from him Stewart's arm came from where it was bound on the gurney. She calmly reached over and started tugging on the straps holding her down. Aaron shifted the gun to her, "Stop. I will kill you."
"Sentry wouldn't like that buddy, boy. I got you in a tough spot. You can't kill me, I'm one of his experiments. Kill me and you're just as dead and we both know it."
Aaron hesitated. Stewart released her other arm and with blazing speed started tugging on her chest straps, tearing them free, instead of carefully undoing them one by one.
Something in Aaron snapped, he stepped towards Stewart and raised his gun to pistol whip her, then a noise at the doorway distracted him. An old man stepped into the room, his eyes were closed and he seemed to be counting his steps, his lips were moving as he did so. When he reached 'three' he turned and counted two more steps. Aaron turned and fired at him, but the old man stepped sideways at the last possible second and the bullet hit the wall beside him.
Another shot and another miss and that was all the time Stewart was going to give the zombie. She tore off the arm rest and smashed it into the back of Aaron's head. Snarling he turned and unloaded the rest of the clip on her. Stewart calmly tore the straps off of her legs and turned sideways to let them hang over the edge of the gurney.
"I didn't miss." Aaron stammered, pulling the trigger of the pistol again and again on an empty chamber.
Stewart shook her head. Aaron reloaded and Ruben knelt down next to Bill and opened his eyes. "Aw, Bill." He said softly, "What a mess you got yourself in this time."
"Untie Max, Ruben!" Stewart yelled, rushing Aaron.
"I didn't miss!" Aaron yelled, he brought his gun up to block Stewart's first punch.
"I know." Stewart said, remaining calm as she brought a fist up into the zombie's rib cage.
The two traded blows and Ruben stayed by Bill's side. "I don't have any bandages. Why don't I have any bandages? They didn't tell me to get any. Why wouldn't they tell me I would need bandages? I'm sorry Bill." Ruben pulled the gag off of his friends head.
Bill tried to respond, but only blood poured out of his mouth.
"Shh, it's okay. You'll be okay. You were okay before, remember? You broke your leg and it healed up in only a few days." Reuben said.
Max continued to struggle with his bonds, then switched tactics and focused on Bill instead. He sent the worms into his friend and saw the horrifying damage wrought by the three bullets. Bill's body was fighting back, but the damage was severe, he wasn't going to make it.
Aaron brought his combat boot up into Stewart's groin; she turned and took the blow on the outside of her leg. She kept spinning and hooked his leg with her arm, tugging him off balance onto one leg. Continuing her effort she pulled him up by his thigh and shook off his attempt to grab her around the neck by swinging the man outward. She spun him once and took a large step toward the wall, smashing his head into it. Stewart had thought the wall was just made of gypsum, but the zombie's head rebounded off of it without doing the slightest bit of damage. Aaron's head didn't fare so well, it looked like a water balloon attached to his neck now, his shattered skull leaking fluids as Stewart turned and slammed it into the wall again. She let go of his legs and watched his body crumple into an unmoving pile at the base of the wall.
Stewart was at Max's side in an instance, tearing aside his bonds and helping him over to Bill. She brushed the blood off of his face, to see unblemished skin where his bruises had already healed. She smiled briefly and knelt with him over their fallen comrade.
Bill tried to sit up, but Max put his hand on his chest and pushed him back down. The physical touch sparked a connection between the two and for a moment Max was inundated with Bill, the two of them mingling in a way that made them one. There was no communication between them, they didn't need words; Bill was dying and Max couldn't save him. Tears came to both men's eyes and Max knew he was going to have to go back to Iowa alone, to face Trisha and the kids. Bill lay back on the floor and pulled in a deep breath, understanding and seeming to accept his fate.
"Do something, Max!" Ruben said.
"I can't."
"You have to. I…I got nothing, but I'm supposed to be here, I'm supposed…to get Bill out." Ruben's voice trailed off and he bowed his head.
Outside the room the sounds of fighting had lessened, it sounded like Sentry was talking down to someone, monologueing the error of their ways or something. A quick glance in that direction showed Max that he had a woman on the ground and was hovering over her. It was Aubrey, she was still herself, but her mind was struggling not to let Sentry inside of it. Nearby several other zombies stood frozen, watching the unfolding drama.
"We gotta go." Ruben said.
"Yeah?" asked Stewart, she looked Ruben over and asked, "Where's the bomb Ruben?"
"Gone. I only came here for Bill, you have to go…to him."
"Stewart," Max said, "He's winning, if we are going to hit him, we need to do it now, she's almost spent."