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Author's Chapter Notes:
Sorry about the delay! Finally an update is here, and we hope it was worth the wait.

Also, "Song For The Undead" won Runner-Up for best Thriller/Suspense, and Julie and I were Runner-Up for best Collaboration team! So we wanted to take this moment to thank everyone who voted! We work so hard on this story so it means a lot!
Chapter 94


Answers.

Did anyone ever think we’d actually get any?

I’m pretty sure I gave up on that months ago. Rye kept trying to figure it out. Why we survived. Why we’re here. Brian believed there was a purpose, once he found his faith again, anyway. Me, well, I tried not to think about it. I was here, I was alive. It was enough, ya know? I always think more about those fucking seizures that make life hell. But now, we’ve found other survivors. We’ve finally got answers in our hands. The whole thing is just crazy.

Here’s one thing I’ve realized since the dead rose: I can’t waste my life anymore, because it’s a damn miracle I’m here to begin with. I’ve made the most of every moment I have. It sucks that it took an apocalypse to make me appreciate things, but it is what it is. I’ve had my close calls, but I’m still alive, still here. For a guy who never had a break in the world before, it’s like karma’s making it up to me.

It was only just today I realized it…

I’m the luckiest son of a bitch in the world.


Song Quote Of The Entry – I gotta say, that’s one of the things I miss the most anymore, being able to turn on a radio and jam to whatever music is playing.

Anyway, this song is by a band called “Live.” They weren’t appreciated much here in the US, but man, I fucking loved their music. This song in particular was one of their best!

I will go on like a soldier
Through the storms of love
And I take you back
Take you away from here, my friend
And charge you up again

We just come down from the mountain
Where the breezes were blowin'
And everything was growin'
Like some tree in the bush

Still, I gotta live my life here
With some pretty scary brethren
But now I'm a rebel on a mission, baby
To live and die by my smile
- Live, “Like a Soldier”



Sunday, January 13, 2013
Week Thirty-Nine

It had been about an hour since the group had sat down in the lodge with their two new visitors. A lot of idle chatter had gone on, but not about anything that mattered. There was some drinking, but the tension hadn’t eased much, despite Nick’s efforts. How could it? Everyone was anxious to get some answers. They had been waiting for so long, but at the same time, it seemed like there was hesitation to actually ask the questions now that they could. They all sat around two tables pushed together, eleven pairs of eyes nervously skipping around. Nick glanced over at Riley, who looked lost in thought. His hand took hers, squeezing it gently in the awkward silence that had settled over them all. Nick looked at Kevin, who seemed to be mulling over the way to shift the conversation to what they wanted to know.

“Selena, right?” Riley started, her tone becoming more brisk, professional. Nick’s mind flashed to an image of the workaholic reporter she’d once been in the life before the dead rose. “You guys seem to know so much. How is that? Why are we all the same blood type? Why are we immune to the zombie virus that wiped out everyone else? How did you find us? You’re clearly British – well, you and Shaun, anyway – and… Dr. Kwak In-Su, how are you connected to all this?”

Kevin cleared his throat. “We just have a lot of questions. We haven’t found more survivors since last April.”

“I understand,” answered the soft-spoken Asian. “It is not a story of which I’m proud… but it is a story I know must be told.”

“You said you came from North Korea?” Brian interjected, his arm around Gretchen as he pulled her closer.

He nodded solemnly. Shame was written clearly in his small, dark eyes.

“It’s okay, Ducky,” Nick said with a comforting smile. “We just really wanna know.”

“Ducky?” The scientist’s brow furrowed with a look of confusion.

“Yeah, ya know… Kwak? Quack? Like a duck?”

Laughter followed. “Ducky… I think I might like that. It is a comfort to see more people alive in the world, despite everything that has occurred.”

“Same shit can be said for us. Fuck, we almost lost half our group as a goddamn zombie buffet because they tried to find others by traveling across the fucking country.”

Selena shook her head, a small smile forming, despite herself. “You won’t find anyone here in the States, I don’t think. You’re it.”

“But how do you know? Like I was saying before, you know way more than the rest of us.”

“Let me tell you my story, Miss…”

“Blake. Riley Blake.”

“Miss Blake. I’m sure it will answer all your questions.”

The scientist leaned back, and Nick’s hand reached for Riley’s, squeezing it before it could even begin to flutter about nervously. The two shared a comforting smile before refocusing on the man before them. A man with answers.

Howie took another swig of his beer, as if attempting to steady himself with the alcohol for what they were going to hear. He caught AJ eyeing the bottle enviously for only a moment before he began to pick at his nails idly, obviously in need of something to distract him a little.

“I was considered one of the top scientists in North Korea. I knew it; I perhaps even reveled in my superior intellect. One of my proudest days was when I was handpicked by Kim Jong-Il himself to work on what was only described as a Special Project.

He paused. The room was silent, as everyone listened with rapt attention. Nick tried to hold it in, but when he belched, it seemed to echo around, announcing his presence. Everyone started laughing, momentarily breaking the calm.

“Sorry,” he apologized with a sheepish grin. “Keep on talking, Ducky.”

“There were ten of us, each the best in our little corners of Korea. Our leader wanted us to create something, something deadly enough to not only wipe out America, but to make the rest of the world watch and live in fear of my country’s wrath. Part of me knew this was wrong. But that part was quite, quite small. I loved the intellectual challenge, so sadly, I was unable to care at the time how wrong it was. At least not until…”

“Until what?” Gabby piped up.

“Until the day it was created. With the help of one of my colleagues, Dr. Shin Young Ji, we created the…” At this point, the doctor trailed off again, unable to finish.

Kevin’s mouth dropped open. “You created the Osiris Virus.”

A dry, almost bitter-sounding chuckle followed. “Is that what you’ve come to call it?”

“A lost friend of ours coined that term.”

“I suppose it rather fits.”

“You’re… you’re the monster who did this?”

Nick felt Riley begin to rise, a temper flashing through her stormy blue eyes that he hadn’t seen in a long time. His hand clenched hers tightly, and she stayed in her seat. There had to be more to this.

“Let him tell his story,” Selena shot back with a glare, her British accent sounding short and clipped.

“It is okay. I deserve to be judged for what I have done. I did not know at the time just how deadly of a super-virus we had spawned, only that death came, torturous, swift, and inevitable. That, once infected, there was no cure.”

“No cure?” Gretchen asked, sounding hopeful, despite knowing the answer. They all knew, but they had to hear it, once and for all.

“No. We studied it in animals, and it killed them well. But there were signs it would react differently in humans, so we began to run tests in a prison, on what you would call ‘death row.’ We injected the prisoners with the virus. At first, it seemed to have the same results. But then...”

“Then, they started rising,” Brian finished for him, his eyes taking on a familiar, haunted look.

A sigh followed. “Yes. It was a miracle we kept the virus contained and the undead quiet. I suspect it is because we injected the patients directly into the bloodstream, so that there was no chance for it to go airborne. The incubation period was far shorter with injection, though, from our studies, we knew it could go airborne.”

“You saw all this, and yet you still kept at it?” Riley demanded incredulously.

“You Americans, you have had it so good. You do not understand existing under a true dictator. I was horrified when I saw the bodies reanimate. Our leader was pleased with the results. One of us actually protested, and he was beheaded by the guards. Dr. Shin and myself were the only other ones frightened of this plague we had wrought. But our true feelings had to be kept silent, for, dead, we could do nothing.”

Looking around the room, Nick could easily see that the truth they had once so desperately sought was now taking its toll. As it was, he had to keep Riley’s hand in his own in an attempt to keep her calm. Brian’s eyes were downcast, his arm tightly wrapped around Gretchen, who was murmuring in his ear. Howie’s eyes were distant, clearly lost in thought, where none could touch him. AJ was distractedly rubbing his legs, though his line of vision was focused on one of the newcomers, Selena, who was ignoring him and whispering to her friend Shaun. Shaun himself was glancing around a bit, looking unsure. Kevin stood, keeping his eyes on Gabby, who was keeping silent, though Nick knew she was paying more attention than the others suspected. He thought of Jo then and hoped she was keeping a watch over her daughter, over them all.

Kevin cleared his throat, catching everyone’s attention as he filled the awkward pause. “I think we need a break.”

“Thank you,” the doctor replied, as he slowly stood and made his way outside for some air. He was soon followed by Selena and, oddly enough, Howie and AJ.

Shaun looked at Nick with a nervous smile. “Go easy on him till you hear the rest of the story. He hasn’t had it easy.”

Nick nodded, idly playing with his girlfriend’s hair. “None of us have, but at least we’re here. We’re alive.”

“Are there more of you guys?” Gabby asked, sounding hopeful for the first time in a long while.

“A few back home. We came to find others and got lucky enough to catch your broadcast.”

“I’m sorry about your loss,” Brian said softly. “I was once a minister. Once we’re done talking, I can hold a service for him, for you.”

A nod. “Thank you.”

“Have you found others? Or are your group and our group all that’s left? I’ve had so many questions, but we gave up on finding more survivors.”

“We know where others may be, but you’re the first we’ve actually found. I’m just happy to see other people.”

“Same here,” Brian replied, with an unconscious glance down towards Gretchen’s stomach.

Before anyone could say anything more, the others came back inside, lead by Kevin. A sudden silence came with their entrance, the slight ease in tension vanished instantly, and the air thickened amongst them.

“I think we’re all ready to continue,” Kevin stated, while Selena and AJ took their seats. Dr. Kwak In-Su chose to stand, looking to be readying himself for the rest of his undeniably tragic tale that had inevitably doomed them all.

“So you wanted to stop… but you couldn’t,” Howie prompted, finally sitting down.

“Not without being killed, no. Now that we had the virus, we were looking to create a vaccine, something to inoculate us so that we, my country, could stay immune, in case the worst scenario came to fruition. That is, if the virus did spread globally – which, at the time, we thought was highly improbable.”

“And you did…” Nick said slowly. “That’s why we’re here, why we survived.”

“Yes, Dr. Shin and I were able to crack the key that granted us immunity to what you call the Osiris Virus. I made sure the work the other scientists did hit roadblocks; I sabotaged their efforts. We gave false results to their research, gave credibility to a preventative measure that would not work. This was so that…” Another sigh followed. “So that those who rejoiced in this horror would risk suffering its fate as well.”

“So why us?”

Kwak’s eyes turned back to Riley, forever thirsting for the truth. It was written so clearly in her eyes. She was a reporter at heart, even now, even after the world had moved on.

“We had to be careful, so careful. There was so much risk. One night, after much planning, we fled the country with our papers, after giving ourselves the vaccine we had created. We could not travel with any; we could not bring vials or anything with us. We were fugitives in our own homeland. We hid in London for some time.” His eyes darkened. “We started sorting through our notes, if only to keep us from being too idle, to keep us in our love of science. And that… that was when we spotted it.”

AJ smirked. “You realized how fucked we were once this shit went airborne, didn’t you? You didn’t know that before, but then you saw that once that psycho bitch launched it at us, the whole world was fucked.”

“Yes. We did not know what to do at first. We could not go back, only to be killed, and we knew that doing nothing was not an option. The window of time we had was unclear. It seemed fruitless, as we had no way of telling the world without being captured and blamed and, thus, unable to help. Finally, the best solution we discovered was a weak one. The best we could do was spread the immunity as far as possible… and pray.”

A fuzzy brow quirked. “How so?”

This time, it was Howie who answered, having had far too much experience in this area. It was ironic, he knew, that something he hated so much about his life was what had kept him alive. He didn’t want to think about it. “They donated blood. Those who received it also got their immunity. It’s like what happens when patients who get transfusions end up with HIV.”

“Correct. There was no recovery from this plague. You either were killed and reanimated, or you never became sick at all. Each of you I know must have had a transfusion within the year before the Osiris Virus struck, yes?”

Each of them nodded.

Much to Nick’s own surprise, it was Gabby who spoke up first. “The man who killed my dad, he tried to kill me.” She sniffed as she lowered the choker she always wore to reveal the scar. Tears shone in her eyes, but didn’t fall. “He almost killed me, too. My-my mom, she kept me alive till the ambulance came…”

AJ sighed. “I was… I was suicidal.” He kept his gaze on the floor. “I slit my wrists, and they had to pump a shitload of blood in me to keep me alive.”

Nick sat there, stunned, trying to wrack his brain on where he’d gotten the vaccine. How was he here?

“I had major surgery after one of my last stints overseas. That’s why I was here when the virus hit; I’d just got cleared to return.”

He hadn’t had anything major happen to him, like an accident or a surgery, or a condition like Howie’s hemophilia. Around him, the others continued.

“I haven’t told anyone but Brian this, but…” A pause followed. “I was pregnant once before, and I miscarried. I lost a lot of blood…”

Gretchen was saying more, but it was hard for Nick to focus then, still troubled about how he’d acquired his own immunity. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw his girlfriend touch her stomach, where he knew the scars still remained. He thought of that stormy day, their first day together, in the Target, where she told him about the car accident. It was so long ago, like another life, on the day after he awoke in that horror of a hospital…

The hospital.

Nick gasped, as the realization slammed into him. So close. For him, it had been so very close.

A hand took his own, gently, lovingly. “What is it?”

“My bar fight, Rye, my head injury. Remember how I woke up in the hospital? It’s cause that bar fight happened after midnight, the morning of Infernal Friday. Like, hours before that shit hit. If it hadn’t happened, if that college prick hadn’t slammed a bar stool into my head, I’d be munching and moaning right now.” Nick shivered. “I’ve been cursing the shit out of that day, cause of my goddamn seizures, and it’s what saved my life.”

Her arms wrapped around him, and Nick was grateful for the comfort that that simple gesture brought. “Jesus fucking Christ, Nick, I’ve never seen a luckier son of a bitch. I’m about ready to chop off your leg and use it as my lucky rabbit’s foot.”

Laughter filled the room.

Brian’s gaze met his. “I know the feeling. I knew open-heart surgery would help me live longer. But somehow, this wasn’t the way I pictured it.”

“There should be little pockets of survivors everywhere they donated. We decided to start looking; you’re the first we’ve found. It’s still too easy for people to die because of those ghouls,” Selena told them bitterly.

“We split up; I stayed in the north, while he went south of the Equator. I know not if he is even still alive. I was only back in Europe for a short time before I saw them strike your country.”

No words were spoken, as each of the survivors mused on the finality of it, the fact that they had finally been given the answers they’d been seeking. And yet, it changed nothing now. It only brought down the fact that this had been the fault of cruel human nature, not God.

Brian stood, reaching for his wallet. Inside, he stared at the memories of the family and life that had been stolen from him. He swallowed hard, and Nick knew he could very easily become the broken man he’d met when he first arrived. He tucked his wallet back away, his resolve strengthening.

“Why don’t we go prepare to give your friend a proper service?”

***


That night had the four of them sitting on the porch out in the backyard. It was a warmer winter night, the breeze gentle and refreshing. It was a night for thought, a night for reflection. Brian and Gretchen were curled up in the swing chair together. Both looked to need close contact and the relief it gave them from cruel reality. Riley stood behind Nick with a brush and scissors on the small little table beside her. He had to admit, his hair was pretty wild and shaggy now. So, he’d conceded to letting her give him a trim. That, and he knew she could use something to focus her attention on. He gave it to her without question.

“So what do you guys think?” he asked, trying to sit still, something that had always been hard for him.

“I think… that doctor’s the reason the world’s gone to shit, and he’ll burn in Hell for it.”

“Harsh, Riley,” Gretchen said with a yawn. “I think he’s tried to redeem what he’s done. I mean, he’s the reason we’re still alive.”

“And why everyone we loved is now dead... or undead. What about you, Brian?”

Brian stared up at the stars as he spoke. “I don’t know. I’m… I’m just relieved that my child will be born immune.” His voice spoke in the familiar, haunted tone it once had, though his eyes still shone with hope, as his hands rubbed Gretchen’s stomach.

Before Nick’s eyes, bits of golden hair fell to the ground. “And finally, we’ve found more people. Well, they found us, anyway.”

“Except they want us to go with them. And while I know I don’t have your fear of flying…” She kissed his cheek. “…I don’t like the idea of traveling the world again. Too many close calls last time.”

“There’s always close calls now.” Gretchen’s hands rested on top of Brian’s as she lay her head back against his chest, her brown hair cascading down in loose waves.

“But we’re alive,” Nick reminded them, “and that’s something.”

No one replied. Only the soft sounds of snipping could be heard above the moans of the undead still wandering around the base, a reminder to them that tomorrow was not a guarantee. But Nick knew that having today was a miracle in and of itself.

He didn’t intend to waste it.

***
Chapter End Notes:
And...Happy Birthday Brian! :)