Before Detective Albert Rosenfield arrived two days later Harry and Dale decided, amongst themselves, to prepare me. When they sat me down in one of the offices at the sheriff's department and I noticed Harry grimacing I just knew something was up.
"Megan, before Albert arrives I thought I should warn you about him." Harry told me and I blinked, looking over as Dale who raised an eyebrow at the sheriff. "He's gotten better but he could be a little cold to you."
"Harry, he's not that bad is he?" I asked, a faint smile on my lips which immediately changed to a frown when both men looked at me without speaking for several seconds. "He'll think I'm a nut won't he?" I added with a sigh and Harry nodded, not filling me with much confidence. "Had to be the one man I needed to convince that this virus is dangerous."
As soon as Lucy called from the front desk letting us know that the detective had arrived I climbed to my feet, my coffee forgotten and my stomach curling into knots as I followed Harry and Dale towards the door, the latter giving me a reassuring smile though it didn't help when I first laid eyes on Detective Albert Rosenfield who looked me up and down.
"You're Megan, last name unknown and formally a resident of Raccoon City." He said, not giving me time to answer as he walked over to Dale completely ignoring me. "Cooper, are you sure that you don't want to get her tested for drug use?" He asked Dale and I blinked, the comment coming so quickly I could only stare as Albert raised an eyebrow at me.
"Albert, everything I told you during our last phone call two days ago was the truth. I still have the recording if you'd like to hear it." Dale replied but Albert just held up a hand looking at me with a slight smile.
"Coop, I trust you as a agent but this woman is clearly certifiable. She needs immediate hospitalization and failing that a therapist." Albert answered, looking on with a smirk as I narrowed my eyes gritting my teeth hard enough to make my jaw ache. As soon as I took a single step towards Albert I felt a hand on my shoulder and I looked up to see Harry shaking his head at me but I shook him off, nearly running at Albert who paused.
"While you did manage to convince some of the...lesser minds here in Twin Peaks I'm surprised that Cooper fell for your lies." Albert told me, not at all fazed when I stopped inches from him my eyes narrowed at his face as I resisted the sudden urge to smack him in his smug face. Instead I took a deep breath and as my friends watched I raised my head staring directly at Albert.
"Detective Rosenfield, I survived an outbreak of an infectious disease that turns its victims into uncontrollable flesh hungry cannibals. You can stand here and act like I'm delusional all you want, Albert but you weren't there and you didn't see the things I did. I still have reoccurring nightmares about the last days of Raccoon City as the city filled with screams and fire. Something that had no eyes but somehow that didn't stop it from finding my ex tearing him apart before he had a chance to scream, it found our small group of survivors and took him apart." I said, my voice clear as I glared at Albert who for once didn't interrupt.
"The second time a virus outbreak started it was in Twin Peaks and it didn't take too long for the town to be overrun with infected. Dale had to put a bullet in my skull to stop me from succumbing to the illness and tearing my friends apart but you would know that if you asked Dale." I told him, pulling back my sleeve to show everyone the visible bite mark on my wrist. "But if you want proof you should check out the body of David Bell in the morgue or better yet you could always go and find the crater a few miles out of town of what's left of my hometown. Then maybe you'll see I was right." I snapped at him, pushing the agent back several steps before he could react and as I turned around I tried to ignore the stares from everyone who had stepped into the hallway, curious about the noise and the raised voices.
As I rushed from the room my eyes blurred and I quickly brushed my left hand across my eyes, unable to hide my soft sobs as my anger faded. I stumbled into an empty room and as I slumped into the closest chair I sniffed, wondering when the nightmare would be over for me.
Shaken out his daze, Dale headed for the office where he had seen Megan run away to. Once he reached the door leading inside he grasped the doorknob but as soon as he tried to open it he found that the door wouldn't open and he blinked, curious.
Finding that the door wasn't locked Dale tried to push the door with his shoulder next, pushing it open enough to see a chair shoved in front of the door just under the doorknob. Perched on the chair closest to the table I turned my head in time to see Dale staring at me through the small gap in the door after staring at him for several seconds I sighed, climbing to my feet before I moved to the chair keeping the door closed. It took me longer than I thought to clear the doorway but once I did I stepped back letting the agent into the room.
"Megan, was that really necessary?" Dale asked but I just shrugged, my arms crossed against my chest as I stared at the table.
"I just needed time to myself to work out what I'm going to do next," I explained, turning around to find Dale staring at me with one raised eyebrow. "Now if you'll excuse me I'm going to get as far away from Twin Peaks as I can before the virus spreads again. Just need to go and pack." I told him and Dale let out a breath stepping close enough to set his hand down on my shoulder. When I didn't react he tilted his head to one side and then the other studied me before he finally spoke.
"Megan, you can't possibly mean that. You didn't leave the first time this happened to Twin Peaks, or will anyway, so why are you choosing to run away?" Dale asked but I didn't respond, too busy looking at the carpeted floor under my feet until Dale reached up with his free hand touching my chin which caused me to lift my head meeting his eyes. "Megan, is this because Albert didn't believe you?"
"Of course, it is, Dale!" I snapped and he blinked, his arms moving to his sides as I started to pace moving past the desk only to discover just how small the office was and as I let out a breath Dale stood there silently. "Albert thinks I'm completely bonkers and he was the one we needed to convince at how deadly this virus is. So I only have two options; either stay here and watch Twin Peaks end up like my hometown or get as far away from here as I can before it happens." I told Dale who after a long pause crossed his arms against his chest staring at me until I finally let out a breath.
"Megan, I know this is difficult but you need to stay here. Albert might not understand how serious this virus is but you and I have had first-hand experience with it. Even Harry and Hawk remember what happened...or what will happen if we don't stop this." Dale said, lifting his hand to my left shoulder and I exhaled when he gave my shoulder a light squeeze.
"Why do you have to be so nice to me? Anyone else would just let me hitchhike out of town." I muttered and he chuckled, mildly amused when I snorted at him. "Guess we're going back to the morgue huh?"
Even though it was my second trip to the hospital's morgue, to view the same body no less, Dale couldn't help noticing the way I kept clenching my fists. The moment we reached the morgue I turned fully around only to see Dale shaking his head at me.
"Megan, I know this is hard but we need you to show Albert the bite mark." Dale explained, taking me by the arm when I glanced back the way we'd just walked. "Megan?"
"Alright already, Dale but I don't like doing this a second time." I sighed as Harry held open the door though as soon as I stepped through it I found Doc Hayward already waiting for us. Being inside the freezing room made me nauseous but with a deep breath, I managed to walk over to the covered body on the gurney. Though when Doc Hayward uncovered it I instantly frowned and Dale watched on with some confusion as I pulled down the sheet enough to stare at his shoulder.
"Megan, is there something wrong?" Harry asked before Dale had a chance to as I wandered over to the other side of David Bell's body though when I let out a breath he blinked.
"Had the wrong side," I explained and Albert rolled his eyes at me as he stepped close enough to focus on the distinctly human bite mark on David's left shoulder just visible over his grey-green skin tone. "Hey, it was an honest mistake," I grumbled when Albert just snorted at me, focusing his attention on David instead of me.
"Other than what could be a bite from anything I don't see what the problem is." Albert finally told me and I groaned, rubbing the bridge of my nose in response to his stare. "Dale, is there something you're not telling me?
"Albert, that bite came from a human. A person who has been infected by a highly contagious virus and this same person lying dead before you tried to attack Harry and me." Dale explained and Albert raised his eyebrow at Dale as I coughed.
"It's true, Albert. If I hadn't warned Harry and Dale they would have had to be locked up." I told the FBI agent who just turned his attention back to Dale. "It's true."
"Megan, this man has been dead for days judging from the decomposition of his exposed flesh. A more detailed autopsy would be needed but it would still tell me the same thing which would be a waste of my time." Albert said, giving me a thin smile when I muttered something offensive under my breath.
"What exactly would convince you that this man lying right here survived the destruction of Raccoon City? A close encounter with a flesh-eating zombie? Maybe you'd like to see one of those monsters that ate my boyfriend, the one with massive claws and a long tongue?" I shot back, poking him in the chest and when he opened his mouth I narrowed my eyes.
"Or you could drive out a few miles and find what's left of the city," I added, not breaking eye contact with him despite Harry and Dale staring at me. "After that maybe you'd like to drive into that crater," I added with a thin smile that matched him, turning on my heel before I hurried from the room the door slamming shut behind me.
"Well, that was interesting," Dale admitted as Harry tried to stifle a smile. "I'd better check on Megan in case she tries to hitchhike out of town."
Standing outside the door I took several deep breaths trying to calm myself as I waited for my stomach to quit making me want to throw up on my sneakers. I felt a hand on my right shoulder and after I straightened I found Dale looking at me with a hint of a smile.
"This is probably a bad time to ask but how are you feeling?" Dale asked me and I rolled my eyes, rubbing at my aching stomach with one hand before I reached up giving Dale's hand a squeeze. "That bad huh?"
"Worse than you could know. You warned me that Albert would be hard to convince but I didn't think he'd be impossible to reason with." I complained and Dale just gave me a smile, patting my shoulder. "What are we going to do now?" I asked Dale in a small voice, chewing my lower lip as I stood next to the FBI agent.
Before he could offer a suggestion the door to the morgue opened again and we looked over as Harry, Doc Hayward and Albert walked through the open doorway. "I've taken a blood sample which will take some time to test for any trace of your so-called 'zombie virus'." Albert told us, giving me a smirk when I narrowed my eyes at him.
"Maybe I should let you punch him," Harry commented loud enough for everyone to hear and I snorted the anger vanishing as I tried very hard not to start giggling at the stare Albert gave the sheriff.
"You know that wouldn't be such a bad idea," I replied, a faint grin on my lips as I turned to Dale. "But right now I could use some water so that will have to wait."
We returned to the sheriff's department and after I took a seat back in the conference room I rubbed my eyes, still trying to get my mind together at the very real threat of another outbreak.
"You need to relax, Megan. Getting worked up over Albert won't do you any good." Dale told me and I just shrugged, clenching my hands together so no one could see them shaking.
"He's worse than I thought he'd be. If Albert doesn't listen to you of all people then we're doomed." I muttered, ignoring Dale who gave my shoulder a pat. "Better enjoy your last days as people because in a few days we're all going to be undead."
"That's not going to happen and you know it, Megan. Anyway, after Albert tests David's blood he'll know you're telling him the truth at how dangerous this sickness is." Harry added but I just snorted, feeling even worse as I rubbed at the bridge of my nose.
"Are you feeling alright, Megan?" Dale asked, not liking how red my cheeks were as I let out another breath the smell of the morgue and the decaying body still lingering in my nostrils.
"You'd think I'd be used to that awful smell after Raccoon and the first time I ventured into the morgue. Then that last outbreak...or possible one or..." I trailed off when I realized everyone was staring at me with wide eyes and I bit my lower lip to stop myself from adding any more.
"Never mind that now, Megan. Right now you look a little peaked." Dale pointed out and I sighed, taking the hand he placed on my own before I looked up at him.
"Just a little worn out from all of the day's excitement, Dale, and that dead body smell," I admitted, a hand moving to my mouth to stifle a yawn. "Well, that proves it. Maybe I'll go back to my hotel room and rest if everyone's fine with that."