The stairwell door burst open as Shihab and Jawad emerged onto the fourth floor landing, their weapons raised and breathing ragged. The smell of decay hit them like a physical blow, rotting flesh mixed with the coppery tang of old blood. Below them, the relentless scratching of claw-like nails against concrete and the guttural moaning of the zombies created a horrifying symphony that echoed through the hollowed-out hospital corridors.
Jawad ejected the empty magazine from his rifle with a sharp click, the spent casing clattering against the tile floor. His dark eyes scanned the stairwell as he slammed a fresh magazine home. "They're piling up at the roof access!" he shouted over the din, his voice hoarse from smoke and exhaustion. "If we don't do something now, that door won't hold much l
