Hell Bound ( A Vacation from Hell): Hell Bound, #1

By kathy dinisi

Hell Bound is the first novella in a post-apocalyptic series... 

How far would you go to save your family? Sam and Mathew finally get a chance to go on a train ride to the Grand Canyon alone leaving their two kids back in California, When a zombie apocalypse breaks out. The couple must try to fight their way back to California to see if their kids are still alive, In this harrowing story of love and survival in a world that is crumbling by death and destruction. Follow Sam and Matthew through their struggle to reunite with their children.

• Language: English
• Publisher: kathy dinisi
• Release date: Apr 28, 2015
• ISBN: 9781516350490

Book preview

Dedication

To my wonderful husband and boys for inspiring me.

Table of Contents

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Chapter 19

Chapter 20

Chapter 21

Chapter 22

Chapter 23

Chapter 1

"The world began without man,

and it will end without him."

-Claude Levi-Strauss-

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Thank God! Only one more day until vacation. I’m so tired of seeing sick people for twelve hours a day. It would be nice to have a change of scenery, something other than these plain white walls with depressing pictures of happy people.

I can use some fun and alone time with Mathew. It was so sweet of him to get us a three-day vacation to the Grand Canyon, and what is even better, no kids! BEEP! BEEP! That very annoying sound that I dread comes from my phone, breaking my train of thought.

My alarm is telling me my break is over already! I slide my finger slowly along the screen of my phone, turning the alarm off. Gradually getting up and chugging the last bit of my coffee before throwing it away. John, another nurse walks into the cafeteria; I wave as I walk by him, not wanting to make small talk. I’m not in the mood and John is such a chatter box, I’ll never get back to work.

Slowly dragging my feet as I enter the elevator I push the little round button for the first floor. I could just take the stairs, the hospital is only two stories, but I’m just way too lazy for that.

Waiting patiently for the elevator doors to open, I pin my waist length hair up in a bun. I exit the elevator and proceed down a long hallway towards the E.R. I glance down at my watch, its six o’clock.

Only three more hours until I’m off work! Then I can go home where I can finally relax and get some much needed rest before our vacation.

Samantha! I look up to see Jennifer, another nurse at the hospital, calling my name in a panic. Her eyes are wide with fear.

As she runs up to me I notice her blonde hair is in a French braid. She has the prettiest sky blue eyes that I have ever seen. She has a natural beauty about her, that anything she does, she looks perfect. Unlike me, I have to wear makeup and style my hair. Or else I look like death.

Hurry we need your help. Just got an emergency call, an ambulance is on its way with a man who was shot twice.

My heart jumps into overdrive and I put my game face on, it’s time to get to work. Unfortunately, we are so understaffed tonight that my twelve-hour shift might turn into a fourteen-hour shift, or longer. As we rush to the emergency room we patiently wait for the ambulance to arrive. They said they are about fifteen minutes out, down Highway twelve, Jennifer mentions.

Oh ok, not too far then, I reply.

So are you excited about your vacation? The Grand Canyon is so beautiful. Jennifer said to me, but before I can answer her a loud BOOM echoes through the hall.

We turn as the paramedics burst through the double doors and they have the shooting victim strapped to a stretcher. As we take him to a room, I notice something not normal about this patient.

Before I really have a chance to think about it, the man starts to scream. It’s not just a scream though, it’s the loudest, blood curdling and horrific sound I think I’ve ever heard. I’d rather hear nails against a chalkboard than to hear his screams.

The man flails about trying to escape the restraints of the stretcher. Jennifer and I grab his arms as two other nurses come running into the room to grab his legs. The man is still screaming while a doctor tries to put him under with a shot of Propofol.

He’s so strong he manages to break the restraints, throwing Jennifer and I off of him. I slam against the floor and bounce back up as quickly as I can, grabbing his left arm again before he’s able to take a swing at the doctor. Finally, with the help of the paramedics that brought him in, the six of us are able to hold him down long enough to put him under.

Thank God!! He’s finally under and that freaking screaming is over. I say as I lean in closer to the patient. Besides the fact that he has been shot twice, once in his left shoulder blade and again in his right leg, the corners of his eyes have puss and blood oozing from them.

But that’s not the only weird thing about this patient, he also has a unique odor and not unique in a pleasant way either. Nope, we’re not that lucky. He smells like rotting flesh as if his body was decaying like three-day old road kill along a highway. It’s weird that I didn’t notice the stench before; I have a very sensitive nose. I guess it must have been the adrenaline rush. But my rush faded quickly once he was subdued.

My stomach lurches, twists, jump, and turns inside out. I can’t stand the smell! Oh God! I turn to rush out of the room for some fresh air before I vomit all over the poor guy. I think he has suffered enough I don’t want to add that to his grief. I have been a nurse for three years and I have seen some very disgusting stuff, but I have never seen, or smelt anything like this before.

I turn to see the other nurses taking care of him. Swallowing back the need to vomit, I grab some medical instruments from the medical table and hand it to the doctor. Standing off to the side of the room, I get a better look at the patient.

His skin looks really saggy and pale as if death is already at his doorstep. He’s also foaming at the mouth. I don’t think I’ve ever seen anyone like him before. And he was freakishly strong; he threw Jennifer and me around like ragdolls. He doesn’t look like he works out. That’s so weird. He’s probably on drugs, PCP maybe.

Once we have the patient stable, I leave the other nurses to get him patched up. I walk back down the hall to do my rounds until my shift is over.

Yawning, I look down at my watch, nine o’clock, my shift is over. Wow three hours went by faster than I expected, time flies when you’re busy. God!!! I cannot wait to leave this place, and go home to a nice warm bed with Mathew and fall into a deep slumber.

Dragging my tired feet to my locker, Jennifer walks up to me, Man that guy is in bad condition, doctors say it’s not just the two gunshot wounds, but he might have rabies.

I snap my head up in surprise. What!!? Rabies!? You’ve got to be joking...right? We haven’t had any cases in the U.S. in years. How did he get it?

I wish I was joking. As of now they’re not sure how he contracted it. He got out of surgery about an hour and a half ago and he’s still knocked out. They want to try and ask him what happened once he regains consciousness. They aren’t even sure if its rabies, but he is showing all signs of it. Foaming out of the mouth, aggressiveness, along with bloodshot and puss filled eyes. The doctors have sent a couple different tests to the lab they should know what it is within a few days. Jennifer adds.

Wow, crazy. Well do me a favor and let me know what he has once you find out. Okay?

No problem, Sam. But you’re going on vacation, are you sure you want me to bother you with work stuff?

Yeah, it’s fine. One little text isn’t going to ruin our vacation. Please, I really want to know, I beg.

Ok, chica will do. Have fun on your vacation and tell Mathew I said hello and to treat my girl right, she says as she pulls me in for a big hug and squeezes me until I have to push her away. I love this girl; she is so fun and easy going. She’s been a nurse a lot longer than I have, but she was beyond sweet when I first came to this hospital three years ago. She taught me so much and helped me learn the ropes. I am blessed to have her as a friend.

Chapter 2

"When there is no more room in Hell

the Dead shall walk the earth."

Unknown

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Hurry up Samantha the kids and I are ready to go! Mathew yells impatiently down the hall.

I’m coming! I scream as I study myself in the mirror one last time before we leave. Dressed in a pair of my favorite blue jean shorts and a black tank top, nice and comfortable, just the way I like it. My mid length brown hair is put in a neat braid that lays smoothly on my right shoulder. I’m ready to go, and after my busy work week I’m in need of this vacation. I slip on my favorite pair of flip flops as I walk out of our bedroom.

I have been looking forward to this vacation for three whole months. Thinking back to when Mathew surprised me with this three-day trip to the Grand Canyon. Even though, it’s only three days it still seems like heaven. It will be so much fun just me and him. I try to think of the last time Mathew and I went out by ourselves anywhere. The sad thing is it has been so long since that I can’t even remember the last time we went anywhere alone.

The only alone time Mathew and I ever get are the couple hours when our kids are at school. And usually this time alone is spent doing chores around the house. No wonder why I get so irritated so easily.

This mini vacation was definitely needed, by all of us, as I’m sure the kids will love the time away from their moody parents and enjoy their time with grandma and grandpa. Thirty-five minutes later we are pulling into my parent’s very long, boring, and rocky dirt driveway to my childhood home. My parents have lived in this house for thirty five years. My father built this house from the ground up and I still remember all of us helping in any way we could. I look at the bedroom window that I once called mine; the windows used to be covered with pink curtains, but now they are bare. I had a cute twin bed with pink flowers all over it. I remember my father had to make me a bookshelf