The Virus: I'll just explain the virus for a moment because some of you might not understand how it works. When bitten by an infected, the wound will not stop seeping blood, and the virus attacks their body, slowly killing it, and when they die of blood loss, they are fully 'transformed' so to say. When the victim 'dies', the transformation is complete. So when the people bit in the throat transform almost immediately in to zombies, it's because they died almost immediately. Alright. All good. :D! Oh, and by the way, thanks to those of you who reviewed! I won't keep making chapters unless people want me to. I'm currently writing my second novel right now so I'm a bit tight on spare time.
Warning! Possible Character Death! (undecided)
Chapter 2
The Spread
"What are you talking about?" He looked amused and grinned for a moment, but the grin fell short when he saw her expression. "Really?" He peered over her shoulder in to the hallway, hearing screams from down the hall.
Is everyone going crazy today? Everyone knows zombies don't exist! He thought, moving past her to round the corner.
Nurses were charging down the hall looking pale and scared.
Behind them, he saw a dark shape emerge. It seemed to stumble and drag itself, its head bowed, but looked up when it passed in front of the hall. It's eyes were red and seeping and it's mouth was stained with blood. It's skin was black and purple and the same coloured liquid dripped from its arm.
"What the hell?" He felt Thirteen's hand close around the sleeve of his lab coat and pull him backwards.
"Run," she hissed through her teeth.
The creature, eyes on its fleeing prey, began a speedy sprint – zombies could run?
Apparently so. He turned and ran straight for the elevator. They had to get up to House's office and tell him what was going on.
There were more screams. He turned his head just in time to see the zombie-creature burying it's teeth in to the throat of a nurse, whose blood seemed to change colour as soon as the flow slowed. Her skin turned dark, and her eyes went red.
The zombie released her, and both began racing down the hall as the nurse's skin turned black and blue all throughout.
"My God!" Chase exclaimed. Behind them, more and more nurses were turned. For whatever reasons, these zombies were faster than most people which went again all the TV shows where they stumbled around like fools.
The elevator came in view quickly. He slammed the button and waited impatiently, watching the growing crowd of infected heading towards them.
"Oh, come on!" He shouted at the doors.
By magic, they opened. He would never know why, but he wasn't going to wait around. The infected were nearly on them.
He and Thirteen entered the empty elevator. He was about to go up when he heard someone's yell.
"Chase! Wait!" Wilson appeared at the entrance, pushing a young woman in front of him, and he darted inside just before the doors closed. He looked breathless and pale, and the young woman cowered in the corner away from them.
"She's a patient... What's happening?" Wilson looked around at everyone's stunned faces. The day could not get crazier. He hoped.
"Zombies... I think." Chase stared blankly at him.
Then he turned to Thirteen.
"What happened?" She had come racing down the hall ahead of everyone else. She was leaning against the back of the elevator, eyes half closed. She opened them fully when he looked at her.
"I was doing House's clinic hours. I went to a patient named Mr. Reynolds who looked really sick. He was bit by a rat and I saw that a lot of his arm was dead and the flesh around the hand was peeling. The idiot never got the bite inspected," she allowed a hint of annoyance in her voice, but then she blinked and her eyes grew moist. "It peeled off the bandage and the wound was dripping black and blue liquid... It was like blood, but not red. And then I looked up and he attacked me, sort of. He didn't bite me though. He just shoved me away, as though he knew what was about to happen. A nurse ran in to the room and he turned and bit his throat."
Chase closed his eyes. This was fantastic A new disease which was started by the world's most disgusting and repulsed rodent. He tried to pretend that he wasn't shaking with fear, but for whatever reason, he couldn't stop his body from trembling. He opened his eyes to look around, and realized that everyone else was shaking too. He felt a bit better.
He looked at the young woman in the elevator – Wilson's patient. He looked extremely pale. It was probably fear, and he thought I saw something black staining the sleeve of her shirt. She'd probably gotten some of that zombie blood on her when trying to flee them. He shrugged it off, not noticing he bite-sized tears in her sleeve because of the growing stain. He noticed how bloodshot her eyes were becoming, but it was probably crying that caused that.
When the elevator stopped, they all hurried out, relieved to see normal people.
Wilson grabbed the woman's arm and led her straight to House's office. Everyone looked scared, and then Chase saw Cuddy approaching.
"Dr. Chase, Dr. Hadley..." She looked pale and he noticed a slight shake in her hand as though she couldn't believe this was happening in her hospital. Other doctors looked on, and he realized that the entire floor was hiding up here.
"We just came from the clinic... Or rather, escaped. They're zombies, but not really, because they move really fast," he felt breathless.
Cuddy nodded quickly. "The CDC has declared lock down on the hospital, and the city. No one knows where the infection came from. The national guard has been deployed. No zombies have escaped in to the city yet, but it's only a matter of time. God help them..."
Out of the corner of his eye, Chase saw Thirteen stir.
"The man who was infected first was bitten by a rat," she murmured quietly. Cuddy stared at her for a second, then turned and ran to her office, probably to make a call. Neither Chase or Thirteen seemed to understand the importance. People were infected now. A rat bite doesn't change that.
Feeling released from some kind of spell, however, they both turned and rushed to House's office. For whatever reason, whenever things went wrong, they always turned and fled to House. As much as the guy drove them nuts, he always knew what to do. Around every corner they met a nervous looking guard who had his hand on his holster. Protection.
Chase felt a little better.
Entering House's office, they saw House jabbing Taub, who was sitting in a chair, in the chest with his cane. Foreman was pacing the office looking extremely agitated. Wilson stood off to the side, hid hand on his head. His patient sat in a chair alone, shivering and sweating.
Chase didn't look at her long enough to realize how much larger the black stain was on her arm.
"House," Chase announced, walking through the door and startling everyone.
House stopped in mid-jab, looked at Chase and Thirteen, and dropped his cane. "Well, you two certainly look like hell," he scoffed. Chase would have responded, but he had known House long enough to know how he acted when under stress.
"We just came from the clinic. That's hell down there," Thirteen remarked.
Chase thought he saw a flicker of guilt in House's eyes as his boss turned away. He understood. It was House who had sent her down there in the first place.
"I think they're all-" she broke off at the loud groan from the side of the room.
The patient had risen and was staring at them all red extremely red eyes. Her skin was ashen and black in places.
Oh shit, was Chase's only thoughts.
She stepped forward slowly, wheezing for hair, something dark running down her arm and dripping on the floor.
He felt Thirteen stiffen at his side.
"Wilson!" House limped forward quickly and pointed his cane at the woman. "Didn't you check to make sure she hadn't been bitten before bringing her up here?" He snapped. Wilson went rigid with alarm.
The woman let out an angry scream and Taub stood and rushed over to her.
"What do we do?"
He yelped as she ran forward biting down hard on the arm that he threw up in self defense. A moment later, Taub fell to the ground with the woman tearing hungrily at his flesh.