Dale pulled into the sheriff's department parking lot and I let out a breath, waiting until he parked the car before I unclipped my seatbelt. "Megan, wait for me." Dale said shaking his head as I opened the passenger-side door, climbing out as he stared at me.
"Dale, hurry up or I'll leave you behind." I teased jogging ahead of him and he sighed, pushing the door open. After he closed the door to his car he followed me reaching my side when I stop at the door leading inside the building.
"Thank you for waiting." Dale said and I just shrug following him into the building walking up to the reception desk where I see Lucy sitting at her desk. Once I noticed that she's reading a book I peered at the title.
"Tibet." I read out aloud and Lucy looked up, setting it down with a smile once she saw me standing there. "Good morning, Lucy."
"Good morning, Megan. Special Agent Cooper." Lucy said and I turned slightly giving Dale a smirk. "Feeling better?"
"Great thanks, Lucy. Have you seen Harry around? We have something to tell him about a man that was brought into the hospital." I told her only to see Harry walking towards us along with Deputy Hawk and Deputy Andy all rushing towards the entrance. "Perfect timing." I greeted them though my good mood faded
"What's happening, Harry?" Dale asked as I stood there meeting Harry's eyes when he frowned at us.
"Coop, the receptionist at the hospital just called. She told me that a man who wandered into the waiting room there attacked a man who picked him up after he collapsed. She said that he bit one of the man's fingers off." Harry explained everyone looking at me when I stepped back my eyes wide as they stared at me.
"He was infected and now he's one of the living dead." I groaned, shaking off Dale's hand when he set it down on my left shoulder. "You told me no one else had access to David!" I shouted at him my eyes narrowed until Dale held up his hands.
"Who's David?" Hawk asked and I rubbed at my face not even looking at Dale who just shrugged.
"He was the man who tried to attack us in the park. He's highly infectious with a virus and just a scratch from him with infect you too. I tried to warn you that this could happen and you didn't listen, Harry. I wish you had because now you're going to see exactly what happened to me in Raccoon City." I told them noting the look of confusion on Hawk and Andy's faces.
"Megan, you stay here. We're going to the hospital." Dale told me and I nodded as I moved back towards Lucy who was kept looking between me and Andy then back again.
"Lucy, we'll be fine." Andy assured her and I just sighed, crossing my arms though Dale was the only one to see my hands shaking. "Be back soon okay?" He told her and she nodded through after he left with Hawk and Harry she was chewing her lip.
"We'll look after him, Lucy." Dale told her giving her a thumbs up before he followed giving me a quick smile as he left.
"Do you really think they'll be alright?" Lucy asked me the moment they left her book all but forgotten as I wandered around to where she was sitting.
"I hope so, Lucy. I really do." I whispered unable to meet the receptionst's eyes when I finally answered her. I didn't want to worry her so to distract her, and myself, I asked about the book and with a faint smile Lucy started to explain about Dale and his experience in Tibet.
As she talked I tried to focus but my mind kept going back to what Harry had said and when I frowned slightly Lucy sighed. "You haven't heard a word I said have you, Megan?" Lucy asked and I caught myself glancing at the calender pinned to the back wall of her office.
"Sorry, Lucy. I was just thinking about my hometown or what's left of it anyway." I apologized giving her a weak nod when she leaned over to lightly pat my shoulder. "I know that Dale and Harry, well everyone here can handle themselves I'm just..." I trailed off when she gave me a smile. "What?"
"I just noticed you said Dale's name first." Lucy commented and I blinked, feeling my face heat up as I rested my hands in my lap. "I can keep a secret you know."
"Lucy, I respect him but that's all. I certainly don't like him in that way if that's what you're suggesting." I grumbled and she just shrugged, picking up her book and as she pretended to flick through it she kept glancing at me as I stared down at my hands.
"I mean he is kind of nice and he has nice eyes...if you like that sort of thing." I said, jumping when Lucy actually let out what can only be described as a squeal. Setting her book back on the desk she pulled het chair towards mine and I sighed, running my fingers through my hair.
"You have a crush on Special Agent Cooper don't you?" Lucy asked and I groaned, hiding my face in my hands when she laughed. "You can tell me."
"Maybe a little one but he's been so pushy and he keeps going on about what happened to me, what the virus does to people, how to spot an infected." I complained and Lucy started to frown looking at me when I uncovered my face. "Oops. I wasn't supposed to tell you that." I muttered knowing that Dale wouldn't be happy with me when he and the rest of the sheriff's department returned.
Arriving at the hospital, Dale climbed from his car barely waiting for Harry who pulled up seconds after him. As soon as Dale saw the sheriff and the two deputys join him they headed towards the front entrance only to nearly get knocked over by a middle-aged man who blood splattered across his shirt. Dale quickly reached out grasping the man's shoulder and the man whirled around eyes wide until he saw Dale. Breathing hard he stared at Dale.
"What's going on in there?" Dale asked and the man just shook his head, looking back towards the front entrance where Dale and Harry could hear groans.
"A man wandered in, sweating and looking really pale. When he fell over a man tried to help him up and he just went for the guy taking off his finger. Then he...he..." The man swallowed, pale and Dale kept staring until he managed to speak. "He started eating the guy. He was eating the guy's throat out." Breaking free from Dale's grasp he rushed past a confused-looking Harry.
"Megan was right. This infection's spreading." Dale muttered more to himself as he took his handgun out of its holster, checking it was loaded as he approached the entrance. Dale carefully pushed open the door his eyes widening once he saw the pool of blood that spread across the floor.
"Coop, be careful." Harry warned, stepping up behind him along with Hawk and Andy whose eyes were scanning the room. "Something's not right."
Dale just nodded, looking around until he saw someone sitting behind the receotion desk and as he slowly approached it he ntoiced it was a young woman who was trembling. She let out a shriek covering her face until Dale reached over, lightly tapping on the glass. "It's alright, miss. We're here to help." Dale assured her and she raised her head, Dale paling when he saw a small bite on her left cheek.
"He...he started attacking anyone who tried to tear him away from the man he started to tear apart. I don't know what was wrong with him but when I tried to help he bit me too." She whispered, indicating her cheek which Dale saw had a red infected look to it. "I...didn't know what to do. What was wrong with him?"
"That's what we're here to find out." Harry told her as she sniffed, scratching at the bite mark. "Just stay here. Can you tell us where everyone went?"
"Most of the patients in the waiting room fled when that man went after Richard, that's the man who tried to help him up when he tripped at the entrance. After that I...don't know. Three people tried to help Richard but Jim went for them too. Then Richard...got up and he came after the ones that were trying to fight off Jim. After that I don't know where they went."
"We'll find him, Miss. Hawk, Andy stay here and look after Miss...?" Harry ordered and the woman sniffed again, her hands shaking.
"Miss Alexandra." She offered and he nodded, both deputies moving to stand at the desk. "Just...be careful. That man's still wandering around the hospital...along with Richard. But it doesn't sense."
"What doesn't make sense, Miss Alexandra?" Dale asked and she raised her head to look at him, her eyes haunted.
"Richard had his throat torn out so how was he able to get back up?" Miss Alexandra answered and Dale felt a shiver run down his spine, his attention moving to the back of the room when he heard a moan of pain. Or maybe hunger and as he and Harry started to head that way a group of five people pushed their way into the room, blood splattered across their face and hands. When they stumbled closer Dale raised his handgun his hands shaking slightly when he saw what looked like flesh between their teeth. One man, who Dale guessed was Richard, was missing most of his throat just a strip of flesh keeping his head attached.
Once they saw Dale and Harry they groaned raising their arms in unison as they shambled closer and Dale gripped his handgun tighter, aiming the muzzle towards the closest zombie a young man who looked at him with cloudy eyes. "Sir, stop right there." Dale ordered but the man ignored the weapon trained on him, shuffling closer and Dale sighed.
When the gun went off Harry's eyebrows shot up unable to move as Dale fired a shot towards the feet of the clearly infected man. "Coop, what are you doing?" He shouted but Dale ignored him, taking another shot at another infected a woman in her late teens who moaned as she shambled towards Dale.
"Harry, they're infected and won't listen to reason. Megan told me that once they turn you need to shot them in the forehead." Dale shouted back, taking aim at the man who reached for him with bloody fingers. The moment he fired the man moaned blood splattering as a bullet ripped through its deseased brain. As it fell to its knees the teenager kept coming and Dale sighed, opening fire.
She fell landing inches from the man but as the last three grew closer Harry intervened. As Dale watched he picked up a chair and Dale watched as he smacked it at the zombies, knocking them down. "Harry, watch yourself!" Dale shouted as one grabbed for the sheriff but Harry kicked it, knocking it back and away from his legs.
"Dale, what did you do?" Harry told him and Dale shook his head, the sheriff surprised to see that Dale's eyes were wide and unblinking as he looked back at the fallen zombies.
"I saved our lives, Harry. Megan was right all along. They can't be reasoned with and if they bite you." Dale answered, aiming at the zombies and Harry shot forward placing a hand on Dale's handgun before he could fire again. "Harry?"
"We'll keep these ones in isolation until we know for sure what's wrong with them. Besides we barely know Megan, Coop." Harry told him, turning back to call for Hawk and Andy.
"I trust her, Harry. Megan lost her town to this virus. Why would she lie about what it can do? You've seen the fear in her eyes when I asked her about what it can do." Dale answered, holstering his handgun when Harry slowly shook his head. "Fine but make sure they can't bite anyone."
"I trust you, Coop but it'll take more than just her word for me to trust Megan. She's been in this town for two days. But I'll make sure they're bound and gagged even if it doesn't seem right." Harry agreed and Dale nodded, pushing one of the zombies away from his shoes when he felt fingernails scratching at his feet.
Getting the order to bind and gag the three remaining infected townspeople didn't sit well Deputy Hawk and Andy but they trusted Harry. After a struggle they managed to use police tape to wrap the zombies' hands behind theit backs though gagging them proved very dangerous. Dale dug around in the hospital until he found some electrical tape and after a few close calls all three undead were now bound and gagged, their groans muffled.
"Now what, Coop?" Harry asked and Dale rubbed at his face, quiet as he stared at the once living people. He jerked back when Harry tapped him on the shoulder and Harry steadied him shocked to see that Dale had a thin sheen of sweat along his forehead. "Coop?"
"Sorry, Harry. I just can't believe that these are...undead. Thought this kind of thing only happened in the movies." Dale tried to joke looking over when Deputy Hawk and Deputy Andy walked over, Miss Alexandra stumbled in front of them still scratching at the bite on her cheek.
"We still don't know if they're zombies, Coop. It could just be some disease that makes people agressive." Harry commented and Dale shook his head, his gaze moving to the receptionist who coughed. "Miss Alexandra, let's get Doc Hayward to look at that wound." Harry suggested and she nodded, wincing as she followed him towards Doctor Hayward's office.
"It itches." Miss Alexandra muttered and something about her voice made Dale pause, looking towards Andy and Hawk both deputys looking at the zombies who moaned. "W..what about them?"
"We'll find somewhere in the hospital to keep them away from other patients until we can figure out what's made them sick." Harry told her though he didn't sound very confident as he led Miss Alexander further into the hospital. Once they were gone Andy looked at Dale who was now kneeling beside the two infected he'd shot.
"Agent Cooper...are they really sick?" Andy asked, trying not to look ill as Dale examined the zombies making sure they were really dead.
"Andy, I didn't want to say it in front of Harry but these people are infected with a virus that makes them look dead. It makes them attack anything that's not infected like them and if they managed to scratch or bite you..." He trailed off when Andy actually swallowed. "But we caught it in time so we're going to be fine, Andy."
"That's good to know." Andy agreed and Hawk nodded, looking at the zombies who were shambling around the room bumping into walls. Even when one of them fell over it just dragged itself back to its feet and he stared as one wandered close enough for him to smell it.
Even Hawk seemed unnerved, the smell of rotting meat coming from the undead wandering around them.
Harry found Doctor Hayward in his office and he looked up, alarmed when Miss Alexandra followed. "Miss Alexandra, what happened to your face?" He asked and Harry sighed, guilding her towards a chair as Doctor Hayward stepped out from behind his desk.
"Doc, there's been an attack in the hospital. Two patients are dead and three more tried to attack us. We managed to tie them up but I don't know how long they'll stay safe. Is there anywhere we can keep them?" Harry explained as Doctor Hayward pulled out a pair of rubber gloves, pulling them on before he checked Miss Alexandra's bite wound.
"Jim, that's the man who works for me, well he came in here earlier. Miss Alexandra called me saying something about him looking pale and sweating. I was busy with another patient so I asked her to tell him to take a seat in the waiting room but the call cut out." Doctor Hayward replied, grabbing an antispectic before he gently dabbed the wound.
Once he was done he placed a patch of gauze over the wound. "There, does that feel any better?" Doctor Hayward asked and Miss Alexandra nodded, trying not to scratch as the wound itched.
"I called out, telling Jim that he needed to wait until I saw him stumble. Mr Richard helped him back to his feet and Jim just...went for Mr Richard. He...tore off his finger and while he was screaming Jim just...he tore out his throat." Miss Alexandra panted, squeezing her hands together. "Then Jim went after three more people and he..."
"It's okay, Miss Alexandra. Those poor people are safe now." Doctor Hayward answered, lightly patting her hands before he looked at Harry. Waving him over he walked out of earshot of Miss Alexandra who stared at the floor.
"Doc, those people tried to assault us in the waiting room and Dale shot two of them. One of them was...Jim." Harry explained and Doctor Hayward stared at him as he took a breath. "Megan's the one who knew about this virus. It makes people aggressive and when Dale told them to back off them kept coming."
"Harry, if this virus really is making people act crazy we need to warn the town." Doctor Hayward said but Harry shook his head, looking towards Miss Alexandra who grimaced her hand scratching at the gauze.
"We can't start a panic, Doc. Let me and Dale handle this. Besides we have the ones Jim bit so we're safe." Harry reassured him and Doctor Hayward nodded, moving back to Miss Alexandra when she coughed.
"The morgue is probably the best place for them. It's cold but if they're as dangerous as you told me everyone will be safe if we keep them there. Plus it locks." Doctor Hayward agreed as he moved back to his desk. "Here there's the key. Now be careful and I'll be in later to see what I can do for them."
"Thanks, Doc. I'll be back as soon as I can lock them in. Can't believe I'd be saying that about my own people." Harry answered, leaving the room and as he walked back to Hawk, Andy and Dale who grimaced.
He found Dale kneeling beside the bodies of the two people he'd shot, unable to believe that Dale would turn a gun on an unarmed civilian. Then he remember that one of those 'civilians' torn a man's throat our and infected three others along with the poor receptionist and he steeled himself as Dale rose from his crouch.
"Save it, Coop. Let's just get these people into the morgue and lock them up. Then you can explain why you shot two people." Harry said when Dale opened his mouth and the Special Agent nodded instead. Herding the three infected into the morgue involved pushing them mainly in one direction and once they reached the morgue Harry opened the door, keeping his eyes on the infected as they stumbled around.
"In you go." Dale said, pushing them towards the open door and they moaned shambling forward. Once they cleared the door Dale shut the door, taking the keys from Harry's outstretched hand before he quickly locked it. "Now we need to make sure no one else is infected."
"Coop, that's all of the infected other than Miss Alexandra." Harry told him and Dale shook his head heading in the direction of Doctor Hayward's office until he grabbed Dale's hand. "Coop, she's fine." He insisted and Dale shook him off.
"Harry, the infection can be spread through bites. Megan told us the symptoms to watch out for and since Miss Alexandra has a bite from Jim..." He stopped when Harry raised an eyebrow at him.
"We're not locking her in the morgue with the other un...infected." Harry sighed not liking the way Dale narrowed his eyes. "Coop, listen to reason. No one else is infected."
"I want to believe that, Harry I really do. But if even one person gets out and they're sick with this virus..." Dale sighed, shaking his head at the sheriiff.
"If I have to go door to door to check if anyone has the same symptoms as these people I will, Coop. But I don't want to cause a townwide panic. Now let's make sure someone comes and cleans this up." Harry told Dale and Dale just nodded, following the sheriff towards the waiting room and the bloodstain on the floor.
I looked up when I heard footsteps, unable to hide a smile when Dale stepped through the front door followed closely by Harry, Andy and Hawk. "There you four are. What happened?" I asked, hoping they couldn't see my hands shaking as Lucy waved to Andy.
"Megan, can I see you alone in the confernace room for a minute?" Dale asked and I quickly nodded, following him when he walked past us heading deeper into the building. He opened the door for me and once I stepped inside he followed closing the door behind us.
"Dale, tell me what happened in the hospital." I said, meeting his eyes when he took a deep breath.
"The morgue attendant, Jim must have been infected with the virus because he attacked several of the patients at the hospital. We managed to...subdue him and the first man he attacked but we had to lock up three more people in the morgue when they tried to bite us." Dale explained and I stumbled back until I bumped into the table.
"Did anyone else get bitten?" I asked and he let out a breath not meeting my eyes until I walked over staring at him. "Dale, you need to tell me?"
"The hospital receptionist, Miss Alexandra. She said that Jim bit her on the cheek but Doctor Hayward's looking after her." Dale finally admiteed and I shook my head, lightly tapping my fingers against his chest.
"She needs to be quarantined, Dale. Unless you want a massacre in that hospital. I've seen it happen and it's a terrible sight." I explained when he started to pace. "You need to trust me on this. I hate to say it but it's the truth."
"I know, Megan. I can tell when you're lying because you don't meet my eyes. But Harry keeps insisting that these people are only sick and just need to be restrained." Dale told me and I groaned, rubbing at my eyes.
"In Raccoon City they said people were just suffering from the flu. When does the flu make you want to eat people?" I pointed out and he gave me a weak smile, moving close enough to lightly pat my shoulder. "So you really do trust me?" I asked and he nodded, not taking his hand away.
"You lived through this once. I just hope we don't have to as well, Megan." Dale answered and I reached up covering his hand with my own. "I had to put two people down, Megan." He whispered and I swallowed noting the way he was looking towards the floor.
"I'm sorry you had to go through that. Hopefully you never have to put down anyone else whose infected. It's not an easy thing to do." I replied, giving his hand a qucik squeeze.
"I know the last few days have been difficult for you and I haven't made them any easier. It just didn't seem logical that people could really become zombies but now I know better. I'm sorry that I've been so trying." Dale apologized and I just grinned at him, squeezing his hand again.
"I get it, Dale. You want to keep Twin Peaks safe and so do I. Just don't be so pushy okay? I already punched you once don't make me do it again." I teased, giving him a smirk when he managed a faint laugh.
"I'll remember not to make you mad again, Megan. I like your softer side better." Dale agreed and I blinked at him my cheeks feeling warm when he smiled at me. "It's true. You're pretty when you smile."
"Th...thanks, Dale." I whispered unable to believe that I was blushing at being complimented and by Special Agent Cooper no less. Though before I could think of a response we heard someone clearing their throat and I removed my hand from Dale's as we turned to find Harry and Hawk standing in the room.
"Coop, Doc Hayward just called. Miss Alexandra's taken a turn for the worse." Harry explained and I swallowed the lump in my throat as Dale stood at my side. "Doc Hayward said she was complaining about being itchy then she just collapsed in his office. By the time he could get anyone to help carrying her to a bed she bit the orderly who showed up to help and just missed taking a chunk out of Doc Hayward. She's strapped to a gurney now but the orderly's not doing so good. The bite wound on his arm's already infected and he has a high fever Doc Hayward said."
"She should have been locked up. Now that orderly's going to turn and infect anyone who comes into contact with him. You need to quaratine them both and make absolutely sure that no one who ran from the hospital has a scratch or bite wound." I told him, hoping that for once Harry would listen to me.
"We need to find that witness who bumped into us. He could have a bite or a scratch and not know he's infected." Harry finally agreed and I let out a shaky breath, feeling Dale's fingers wrap around my own. "Guess it's not over yet."