"You don't have to do that. No one would expect you too. It would be too suspicious. We want to set up a lab for you. Hidden in plain sight. Just like Karen and Tom would have done."
“I know the perfect place." I reply.
Chapter Seven
Emma, present day
C ome with me Emma. I need to show you something. I think you're ready. " Mrs. Norris said. Science club was over. All of the students were walking out of the door. We headed in the opposite direction. We walked out the back door and across the soccer field. There were a bunch of trees at the end of the field. Amongst the trees was a large maintenance shed. Mrs. Norris pulled some keys from her pocket and unlocked the padlock that was securing the door. We walked inside. It had things you would expect within; a lawnmower, weed eater, shelves with tools and miscellaneous objects. We walked to the back of the shed. I hoped she wasn't going to make me mow the soccer field. I saw Mrs. Norris moving a dusty rug at the very back of the shed. I went help her. We lifted it up and moved it to the side. Underneath the rug was trap door. It was metal and looked very old and heavy. We both lifted it open.
I looked down. To my surprise, there was a staircase. It was all very bright, white and clean. Mrs. Norris grabbed the handrails and started walking down the stairs. She said, "This isn't my favorite entrance. This is the one Mr. Thatcher uses. I prefer the one in the library.”
"What is this place? What are these tunnels?" I asked.
"There were many tunnels and underground passageways beside the famous Seattle underground tour. They went on for miles. I think most were forgotten or too dangerous to use. Seattle was built on top of the old city. We utilized the space that was already here." Mrs. Norris replied.
We walked into what looks like a living area. It was very large and open. It has a small kitchen, some couches and a TV. Mrs. Norris opened the refrigerator and handed me a bottle of water.
"Down the hall from here is a laboratory. Much of the equipment you will see was your parent's."
It was a lot to take in. My mind swarmed with so many questions. I had always wondered what happened to my parent’s lab equipment. I knew my parents were gone but I hoped being around belongings of theirs would help fill the gap in my heart.
"Can we look please?" I asked.
"Yes. This way."
We walked down another large bright white hallway. We walked up to a glass wall with a white door. Mrs. Norris says. "We can't go in this laboratory right now. We would need to wear suits to enter. There is another smaller lab down the hall. It's just extra equipment. It's used for less dangerous substances."
We walked in as I was looking, and Mrs. Norris was talking. "That sample you found. You and I both know it's something dangerous. Just by my first look at it, it looks to be a strain of a zombie virus."
I'm starting to get the feeling of Deja vu again. It all seems familiar.
"Why is my parents lab equipment down here?"
"Well, it's an interesting story. You know your parents were eons ahead of the scientific community. After they passed, their lab was searched."
"Everything was gone." I replied.
"Not everything. They found a folder. Along with Mr. Thatcher."
"Mr. Thatcher was there? He knew my parents?" I wondered why I never knew this. I supposed it was because he couldn't speak. "Why would a folder and that man be a secret?" I asked.
"He knew your parents. Bob was your father's second cousin. He was there because he's a zombie. The folder contains information for his medical care. He-"
I interrupted, raising my voice, "You let a zombie walk around the school? How has he not eaten anyone's brains?"
"I was trying to explain. The folder had a note left by your parents. They explained there are different strains of the zombie virus. They developed an antiviral medication for him. The medication suppresses the zombie virus enough, so he won't act aggressively. It's taken years of medical therapy."
"What if he bites someone? Won't they turn into a zombie? What if he starts an apocalypse?" I ask. I freak out. I'm terrified.
"Don't worry Em. The US government also panicked when they found out Mr. Thatcher was the janitor. I was sure Special agent Patrick Fitzgerald was going to have a heart attack. With his weak zombie strain, no. Even without the medication, it's not contagious through the saliva. The concentration levels are too low. I was able to determine that through research I've conducted. It could only be contracted through an injection with a high concentration of the virus. "
I have so many more questions, "How did Mr. Thatcher get the virus? Was it an experiment of my parents?"
"Unfortunately, Mr. Thatcher can't remember what happened. The government has investigated that question thoroughly. Your parents didn't use live test subjects. Unless it fit under a microscope, they didn't use it. He might have been a victim of a crime. It could have been the creator of the virus."
"So, what is this place? A zombie factory? Are you injecting people with the zombie virus down here?" I asked.
Mrs. Norris laughed, "I , like your parents, don't use live test subjects. It's quite the opposite of a zombie factory. I continue your parents' unfinished work. They were studying ways to combat zombies, should an outbreak occur. They had several antidotes, antiviral medicines and vaccines they were working on. There are so many zombie strains they were never able to finish."
My heart felt as though it started to heal. I knew my parents weren't the ones making zombie viruses. They were trying to find solutions. That's what they wanted to warn the public about. And for the risk, they paid the ultimate price.
"Why hasn't there been an outbreak yet?" I asked.
"Your parents only explained about the different zombie virus and left the possible solutions. If they left what they knew about making the viruses, that information could have fallen into the wrong hands, it could have been devastating. The government doesn't know if whoever's behind this knew how to make it transfer through the saliva or they haven't released it yet."
"What does Mr. Thatcher eat?" I asked.
"After a zombie turns, it changes their digestive system. Much like a carnivore, he eats raw meat along with brains. He can't digest grains & vegetables."
I turned white. I hoped she hadn’t brought me down here so he could eat me.
"Don't worry Em. We have never fed him humans. Your parents didn't either. Luckily for us, the local beef and pork farmers don't ask questions."
We walked back to the living area. Mrs. Norris started talking again. "That virus you found today. It looks similar to what Mr. Thatcher has. It's a zombie virus. But it could have not come from him."
"I found a zombie virus?" I was shocked.
"Yes, you did. You are bright and smart like your parents. I shouldn’t have underestimated your discovery." She continued. “I also wanted to mention. When your parents left that folder behind, it had my name on it. They knew several trustworthy scientists. I wasn't sure at first why they would want to leave this to me. One day suddenly, I remembered a code Karen and I made up in college. We used it to pass notes in class. I found hidden within the notes, a message. It either says ‘Em Virus Z’ Or it says ‘Em's magic virus’ I don't know if it's just a coincidence or not.”
I was totally overwhelmed with everything I had just learned. Some of my questions had been answered, but they were replaced with even more questions.
"Where did you say you found that sample?" Mrs. Norris asked.
"It was on Ben Hudson's pencil. He said he wasn't feeling well. I was curious why."
"We need to find Ben Hudson now." Replied Mrs. Norris
Chapter Eight
Emma and zombies
L ucky for us, Ben was still at school. He had detention because of his outburst in science class. Mrs. Norris and I walked back across the soccer field. We go to find Ben Hudson. He was in the homeroom, where detention is served. He was sitting in a chair, sweating. He was pale, breathing hard. He looked at me, then Mrs. Norris and s
aid, "I don't feel good."
“I know Ben. Come with me so we can run some tests and-" Mrs. Norris said. Suddenly Ben attacked her. He shoved her against the wall. He bared his teeth. He snarled. "No Ben!" I shouted.
Mrs. Norris pushed back. I ran and grabbed him and pushed him away from Mrs. Norris. He stumbled back a little but just came back. He slammed me with full force. I stood between Ben and Mrs. Norris. Over the top of my shoulder, he kept trying to bite her, but not me. I'm not sure why. Maybe my brains wouldn't taste good. Whatever the reason, I'm grateful. I was able to block him from biting her. I was pushing him with all my strength, but he wouldn't budge.
Mr. Thatcher must have heard the commotion. He walked in the room. For the first time ever, he suddenly looked like an aggressive zombie. He looked scary. He ran towards all three of us, hands out and growing loudly, mouth wide open. I closed my eyes. At first, I thought Mrs. Norris might feed me to him. Then I realized he might just make his own choice. I heard someone hit the floor. The pressure of Ben was off my body. I opened my eyes.
Mr. Thatcher had hit Ben full force and he had slammed onto the ground. They looked like they were having a wrestling match. I must have been like a deer caught in the headlights, just standing and staring at them. Mrs. Norris grabbed my arm and pulled me towards the door, "Run, Emma Run! Bob can hold him off!"
I ran next to Mrs. Norris. We headed towards the library. I remembered she had said there was another entrance to the underground lab. We got to the library and headed to the librarian’s office. There was a bookshelf on the back wall. Just like a movie, she pulled a book from the bottom shelf that opened the door.
The hallway was bright and white, just like the other ones. We ran down the stairs. On the wall was a first-aid kit. I remember thinking, I’m not sure what good band aids are right now. She opened it anyway. Inside, I saw what looked like EpiPen’s. "It might already be too late for Ben, but we have to try. He needs this injection."
I grabbed the device and ran. I knew I could get there faster than Mrs. Norris. "Wait Emma! It's too dangerous!"
"No, he wanted to eat you, not me. Stay here."
I ran up the stairs and back through the library. I ran down the hall and into the classroom. Mr. Thatcher had Ben pinned to the floor. Ben looked like he had tired himself out. He was moving slowly, still growling. "Here goes nothing." I said. I took the cap off and plunged it into Ben's arm. He groaned and closed his eyes. He went limp.
Mrs. Norris finally caught up and walked into the room. She was winded. She walked over to Ben and got down on her knees. She was feeling for a pulse. "I feel a faint pulse, although I'm not sure it will work. This antidote is completely experimental, since I've not had a fresh bitten zombie to try it on.
"We should get Ben back to the lab." I said.
"Bob, can you please carry Ben for us?" Mrs. Norris asked.
"Since you're already a zombie, he can't really do anything to you." I said the obvious out loud.
Chapter nine
Emma, underground
W e went back underground, in a room next to the laboratory. It looked like a hospital room. Mr. Thatcher was standing guard in the doorway. Ben was restrained on a medical examination table. He had several IVs. There were other machines hooked up to him. They were beeping and humming. I sat on a chair, eating snacks. Mrs. Norris came back in to see if Ben was awake. We talked quietly. Several minutes passed.
Ben opened his eyes. He looked around. He tried to move. He looked at all three of us. I saw panic in his eyes. He definitely didn't like being restrained.
"Hey! What are you guys doing to me? Have you gone mad?” Ben shouted
We all rushed to his bedside, undoing the restraints. He sat up and puts his hands on his head. "My head hurts. I think I'm going to be sick."
I handed him a small trash can. Mrs. Norris went to get Ben a ginger ale. He sipped it quietly. A few minutes passed. He looked dazed. He finally asked, “What happened? Am I at the hospital? Where's my dad?"
"I've called your dad, he's currently on the ferry, on his way to pick you up." Mrs. Norris said.
"You turned into a zombie, so I injected you with an antidote." I said, proudly.
"Wait. What? Zombie? I wasn't bitten. Are you sure?" Ben asked.
"Yes. We are sure. I've already looked at your blood & saliva samples. They match what Emma found on your pencil." Mrs. Norris said. She continued, "Ben, movies might make you think a bite is the only way to contract a zombie virus. That's not true. Try to remember, have you come into contact with anything suspicious? Injected or ingested, anything unknown?"
He was thinking. Mrs. Norris pointed at a symbol on a red container hanging on the wall. It was a biohazard symbol. "Have you seen anything with this symbol on it?" She asked.
"Oh, that thing? Yes. This morning. At Frank's house. We always walk to school together because I live two houses away. I was outside waiting for frank. The garage door was open. So, I wanted to see what his dad had in the spare fridge. I thought it would have beer in it. But it didn't. It had box with that symbol on it. I opened it to see what was inside. It had 6 vials. I took one out to see what it was. I dropped it. The liquid splashed on my shoes."
"Did anyone else come into contact with it? " I asked.
"I don't know. I just left it there. I didn't want to touch broken glass." Ben said. He continued, "So, you mean to tell me I was the first zombie? That's so cool! How awesome!"
"I hate to burst your bubble Ben Hudson. You are not the first zombie. Mr. Thatcher takes that title. He is patient zero of his zombie virus strain. You are patient zero of yours. You might be contagious. To be quite honest, I'm not sure if the treatment is permanent or not. In my tests, the chances of the antidote working were extremely low. Around two percent. For it to have a chance to work, it must be administered immediately. You were extremely lucky. You might need weekly treatments like Mr. Thatcher. Without his medication, he would regress into an aggressive zombie. His bites could become contagious. There are a lot of unknowns and I'm not willing to test that theory out."
"How cool! I was a zombie" He said again.
"I can assure you Ben; this is neither cool or awesome." Mrs. Norris replied.
"So, did I die and come back to life?" Ben asked.
"Great question. Zombies aren't the undead, as much as movies claim that. They are quite alive. They are people with a terrible illness. The term undead comes only from the decayed appearance, which can happen to any zombie.”
"Hey Emma, Mr. Thatcher. I'm really sorry. I didn't know what I was saying." Ben said.
Mr. Thatcher just waved a hand in acknowledgment. He left and walked into the kitchen.
"It's ok. No one knew the truth. We still don't. Thanks to my parents, you had a chance." I said.
Ben can see the kitchen from his room. Mr. Thatcher is sitting at the table eating.
"What is he eating? Is that what I think it is?"
"Yep. It's brains. Not human though." I replied.
“I will send a hazmat team to clean up the broken vile and retrieve the rest. All we can do is hope it’s not too late. Emma, Ben. You better go home and get some rest. Who knows what tomorrow will bring? We all need to be ready."
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Here is the series so far, it’s not over yet.
Before the outbreak
Patient zero
Creation and execution
Outbreak
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Virus Z | Book 2 | Patient Zero Page 2
