A week or two had passed – I lost track - and I figured it best to not tune into the radio stations for a while. I took The Doctor to the beach, where we had to fight off about a hundred zombies but managed to kill them all throughout our first week at the beach. We slept on the roofs of some of the beach houses until we found one that was empty and didn't have any zombies in it. The Doctor unlocked the door with his screwdriver and while he worked to get the power running, I searched the house to see if they had any fishing gear; if not, I would have to find something to make a spear from. Since they didn't have any rods, spear fishing it would be. Hopefully, I wouldn't have to go too deep for substantial fish. I checked the closets to see if they had anything I could wear while in the water. I found a rash guard – they had longboards, too, which I would use to paddle out if I needed to – and a bathing suit that looked like it would fit me well enough.
I had missed being out in the water. The bathing suit was a little tight but the rash guard fit well enough to cover my mostly exposed chest. Spear fishing went better than I had expected, especially considering I had only done it before on the banks of the Caloosahatchee River. Our Archer, Duke, was really good at it and taught everyone how when our whole pack was still together. I still clearly needed practice, but over the span of a few hours I managed to catch enough fish for the both of us. They sat on the paddleboard beside me where I could make sure they wouldn't fall off. The Doctor came to enjoy the beach from the shore, waiting for me to come back with our dinner. After I caught enough, I just sat on the board for a while, enjoying the sunset with the pier in the distance. A dolphin swam by me – I could see it from under the water – and it poked its fin up as it continued to swim past me. After the sun had set – it must have been around eight o'clock now – I paddled out to shore and The Doctor helped me carry in the fish. After I put the board away, I cooked it and we sat out on the back deck, enjoying whatever it was that I caught. He had a large pile of custard on his plate alongside his fish.
"What are we going to do?" I asked almost blankly. In my peripheral vision, I saw The Doctor turn to me with a sad expression. My eyes were focused on the gulf.
"We're going to have to gas the planet with that vaccination," The Doctor shrugged. "I don't want to kill the living, but it looks like the zombies are doing that for us already."
"What about all of the animals?" I asked, thinking of the dolphin I saw in the water. "Will they be okay?"
"I'm not sure," The Doctor frowned. "I just know that it will wipe out the zombies and probably the other humans, if any are even left."
"I can't just let them all die, Doctor," I gasped. I wiped my eyes with my sleeve before the tears could start falling. "I feel like their life is my responsibility. You must feel that every day. There has to be a way," I shook my head. We probably couldn't fit thousands of people into the TARDIS. That option was ruled out. We didn't have time to get them to another planet; the zombie infection was spreading far too rapidly. "People are getting infected or dying as we speak. It's going to stay that way until they're all dead and gone, isn't it?" I realized. The Doctor nodded.
"Not everyone is as clever as you, Runner," The Doctor sighed. "While you were fishing, I thought everything over. They're all damned. They changed into zombies because of that bit of Gallifrey in them. We Time Lords have regenerative properties, as you know, and that's what that rock gave them."
"So we have no other choice," I concluded. "There is no Plan B."
"No Plan B," The Doctor confirmed. "Except for maybe join the undead."
"Don't even joke about that," I jokingly glared at him. He gave me a warm smile.
"We can save a few people along the way, I suppose," The Doctor recommended. "Grab a few strong survivors. That way you won't end up totally alone."
"Probably a good plan," I nodded. "Should we crash here for the night and then head back for the TARDIS tomorrow, then?" I suggested. The Doctor nodded.
"You need to sleep. Your eyes are heavy. Please don't take that offensively."
"I know they are," I chuckled. Things weren't really funny to me anymore and The Doctor knew it. When we had moments of down time he'd do his best to cheer me up, and it helped, but never completely made me laugh. I didn't want to lose any more people, but they were all going to die anyways. For all we knew, they might all die tonight.
I tuned into the radio station but didn't say anything. I just listened for once. They discussed the mass amounts of people who had died over the course of the last week or two, however long it had been since I spoke to the journalists in New Jersey. This broadcast was in Region IX, but I wasn't sure exactly where in Region IX. Based on how the woman spoke, it sounded like New Mexico. She had the same pitch to her voice as one of my sisters from Albuquerque. The Doctor must have heard me listening to the news cast in the bedroom I was staying in, because he came to the door and stood, listening with me.
"You can't blame yourself, Runner," The Doctor spoke up as the journalist began listing the amount of confirmed losses of human life in their area. The United States population was dwindling. More people were tuning into radio stations that never did before, and their number was decreasing too.
"I'm trying not to," I replied, lowering the volume of the news broadcast just as she stated the date. "Funny. It's my birthday today, I guess."
"It is?" The Doctor's face immediately held an expression of excitement. I laughed.
"Yeah. The journalist in Region IX just said the date. I'm twenty-one today."
"Well!" The Doctor beamed. "We have to celebrate! You can legally drink today, am I right? That's how it works in the States?" He had me laughing. I nodded. "Well, I'm going to raid this house for something great to drink that isn't past its expiration date, and if I can't find anything we'll make it work!"
"I haven't had alcohol in so long," I laughed. "I barely had a few sips of that beer Alex gave me that day. It's probably better if I don't. The last thing I need tomorrow morning is a hangover."
"No excuses, Miss Runner!" The Doctor called out; he was already halfway down the stairs. "You're going to celebrate and you're going to like it! I'll be doing most of the work tomorrow anyways!"
"I'm only having one drink!" I insisted with a laugh. The Doctor came up with two shot glasses and a party hat – he must have rummaged through their cabinets – causing me to laugh. "Only one drink!"
"Then enjoy your shot," The Doctor smirked. "Happy birthday, Runner."
"Eve," I corrected him. The Doctor looked confused for a moment before the realization finally hit him.
"That's your name, isn't it?" His eyes lit up. I smiled and nodded.
"Eve Beathan," I confirmed. It was the first time I had heard my own name in what felt like forever. "That's me."
The Doctor looked so happy that he could cry. He held up his shot glass, and I held mine up to his. "Happy birthday, Eve. Cheers to you."