Someone Coughed

 By Randy Mong 

Someone coughed. 

Silence crawled. Joanna felt it creep towards her, invading the spaces left between joints and ribs, crawling up her spine like a ladder, permeating her brain with panic in the dark void of the bunker. Coughing just a couple of weeks ago would’ve led to a passing worry about catching a cold. But here and now, food and water scarce, with gnashing teeth just outside? 

Coughing was a death sentence. 

“Who was it?” asked her friend Sonia. 

A dim light broke the darkness with a faint click. Joanna had become acquainted with the void of the windowless room that now the light made her wince. Sonia’s flashlight illuminated their tiny space. Shadows lurked in corners. 

“Who?!” 

Joanna watched as Sonia shot glares around the group, something Joanna had seen her do many times before. No one spoke. Silhouettes danced on the walls as she moved. Carmen was curled up by the fireplace where the flames were dying and turning to smoke. She stared into a space bigger than this room, silent as she had been since they had all first holed up in here, forced together by circumstances and zombies on their heels.  

Then that observant, fierce gaze was on Joanna. Sonia was pre-law. They all thought she’d be a great lawyer. Sonia had said so too once before, confident as ever. Too bad that they would never know for sure.  

But more importantly, Sonia’s piercing blue gaze settled on Eileen. Joanna’s arms curled tightly around her friend; Eileen’s head nestled into the juncture of her neck. It was the only comfort Joanna had. Joanna found her voice when her best friend began to shudder. 

“What does it matter?” 

Sonia’s brows furrowed, casting deep shadows over her eyes.  

“I’d rather three out of four make it out of here than zero. Coughing is the only warning we get.” 

Joanna felt Eileen shift against her side, and she looked down, meeting warm brown eyes that hardened in fear. Dread gathered in Joanna’s belly. 

“Wait a minute,” Eileen began, voice quivering with oncoming tears.  

“Yeah, let’s just think about this,” Joanna snapped, glancing at Sonia, though she could feel Eileen’s hand curl around her forearm and squeeze. A warning. “It could’ve been anything.”  

A nod from Eileen, instant and desperate in its velocity. “Dust.”  

“Exactly! Hell, we’ve hardly had anything to drink for days.”  

A pitied glance crossed over Sonia’s face, one of understanding with the hesitancy of a scared girl in a dark room. It was replaced with resolve as quick as it came. “We all know what the first sign of infection is. I am thinking. Thinking about how much I don’t want to get turned into one those things out there!”  

Where Sonia was acceptance, Joanna was resistance. It was how it always had been since they had first met in their Philosophy 101 course. The ‘Why?’ to her ‘Just because?’. 

“We can’t just kill someone because of paranoia! God, what the fuck is wrong with you?!” 

Sonia flinched, hurt breaking through her determined facade before her jaw clenched for a moment. She spoke slowly, voice shaking in a way Joanna had never heard before.  

“If you’re stalling so much, maybe it was you.” 

The air stilled as gazes trained on Joanna, and like a cornered cat, she revolted, rising to her feet, leaving Eileen abandoned on the floor. 

“Are you serious right now?!” Joanna demanded.  

“No one else is fessing up!” 

Joanna felt a hysteric giggle burst from her lips as she shook her head in disbelief. “Oh, fuck you, Sonia!” She approached Sonia, who stumbled back nervously, but Joanna continued to pursue. “I’m sure we’re all lining up to be slaughtered in here like fucking animals. You can’t even ask Carmen!” 

“Guys…” Eileen began, voice small behind Joanna, but Joanna’s rage smothered it quickly, sharp breaths leaving her nose as she felt icy hot rage make her hands tremble.  

“We can’t just sit here and wait!” Sonia insisted, voice bordering on fearful, which made cruel satisfaction pool in Joanna’s stomach. Good, she thought. “Time is running out.” 

“Is it? Or are you just trying to rush us, so we don’t think it’s you!” Joanna felt her hands collide with Sonia’s chest, shoving her back with strong arms. Sonia stumbled into the wall, foot knocking into the flashlight, which made the shadows spin and spin, until they finally settled. Joanna felt her teeth grind so hard it nearly ached in her gums, an uncontrollable rage beginning to boil over. From the look on Sonia’s face, she could tell too, and she raised up her hands, which had begun to tremble. 

“It wasn’t me. Jo, just think for-” 

“Don’t call me that,” Joanna spat, voice venomous but frighteningly steady. “You don’t get to call me that, you fucking coward. You’re a liar, and you’re gonna get us all killed in here if I don’t stop you.” 

Sonia’s jaw opened, but no words came forth. Eileen’s voice, suddenly confident, filled the gap. 

“I coughed. It was me.”  

Joanna turned and gaped at her friend, eyes wide with shock and horror. Eileen pushed dark hair from her face and met her horrified expression. Joanna hadn’t seen such a look on Eileen since she’d come out to her in the quiet of Joanna’s middle school bedroom, when Eileen took Joanna’s face in her careful hands and smiled, telling Joanna that she loved her. 

“I love you. It’ll be okay.” 

“Eileen. Don’t be fucking stupid. I was right here the whole time, you didn’t.”  

The tears returned to Eileen’s cheeks again. “The reason she was being so defensive was because of me.” 

“Don’t listen to her. Don’t.” 

Joanna felt a squeeze to her hand, cold in comparison to Eileen’s skin, and she looked over to Sonia, who had moved from her spot against the wall to stand beside Joanna.  

“Her mind is made up. We’ll have to-” 

A mournful sob-like noise left Joanna as she shook her head, torn between taking in every bit of Eileen as she could and struggling to return her gaze. 

“My skates. They’re still in my bag,” Eileen whispered, eyes glassy. Eileen had been going to take Joanna to the rink before this shitshow.  

Sonia turned to dig through Eileen’s backpack, returning in a time that seemed too short to Joanna, “Eileen, sit up and put your head up against the wall. It’ll be… quicker.”  

Joanna met the eyes of the girl she loved. Eileen had taken Sonia’s advice. They stared at each other silently for a moment. Eventually, Joanna found words, as insufficient as they were, “I’m sorry. I love you. I’m so sorry.” 

“I love you too,” the other girl replied instantly, voice shaking. “Jo, it’s okay. Just… make sure you take care of yourself when this is all over.” 

“I promise,” she whined, nodding. She took one of Eileen’s pristine skates in her hand, blades glinting. She took careful aim, wanting to make it quick. Eileen deserved that much. When she was sure she’d connect, she spoke, “Cut the light, Sonia.” 

The flashlight glow disappeared. 

Years of volleyball had honed Joanna’s muscles, making her arms strong, perfect for the job. She clenched her teeth, sobbing as her arms rose above her head, ice skate in her shaking hands, before they jerked down as she let out a mournful cry. The blade of the skate connected with Eileen’s skull, that she knew from the soft hair skimming against her fingers. An odd squelch was accompanied by the sensation of warm droplets splattering across her face as she yanked the skate up and out of skin. It was followed by a high-pitched shriek from the agonized girl below her. Joanna brought the skate back down without thought, a primal panic that swelled in her needing an end to the noise. The cries had turned to gurgles after the third but were still persistent to be heard in their suffering. 

On the fourth, the room went quiet with a crunch. She stood shaking, her heart beating against her ribs. Her hands were sticky and warm. She wondered whether the mess would stain, whether her skin would always bear the residue of her actions.  

She wept quietly to herself.  

Someone coughed.