Maynard looked up. Carson stood in the doorway, nose bloody and swollen, his weapon unslung and pointed at the doctor. He snapped a magazine into place. His eyes darted from Frankie and Maynard, to the zombie, to the discarded condom, and then back to the doctor.
'What the fuck are you doing, Doc?'
'This-this doesn't concern you, Carson. She's dead already.
Complications from her wounds. I'm just incapacitating her before she can come back.'
'By cutting her throat? I don't think so, dude. Last time I checked, that didn't stop them from coming back. Drop the scalpel and step away from her.'
'Stay out of this, Carson. I'm warning you.'
'No, I'm warning you. I ain't playing, dog. You drop that knife and step the fuck away from her, or so help me God, I'll shoot you.'
Maynard hesitated, then dropped the scalpel and slowly stepped backward.
'You don't know what you're doing,' he pleaded with the young man.
'You're hurt. Not thinking clearly. She's dead. And unless you want her getting back up again, you need to shoot her-now!'
Carson wavered, unsure.
Frankie's arm twitched.
'Do it,' Maynard hissed. 'Destroy her before she gets back up.'
Carson's finger tightened on the trigger.
Frankie moaned, and then her eyes fluttered open.
'Where ... am I?'
'You're in the laboratory, ma'am,' Carson answered.
'Where?'
'Ma'am,' Carson stuttered, 'are you-you, or are you one of them?'
Frankie didn't seem to understand the question. 'Last
thing I remember is that fucker with the needle.'
Carson fingered the trigger more.
'What happened?' Frankie asked groggily. She tried to sit up.
'That's what I'd like to know,' Dr. Stern said from behind them.
He strode into the room, glancing around in bewilderment.
'Joseph, what's going on here? Carson, what are you doing with that weapon?'
'I-' the young soldier was unable to finish.
'She attacked me again!' Maynard shouted. 'It was self-defense, Benjamin.'
'Liar,' the zombie mocked. 'The female interrupted us while we were fucking. He was going to kill her. Go ahead and kill him now, so that one of our brothers may have the body.'
'Shut up!' Maynard screamed.
Carson and Stern both stared at the used condom, leaking its contents onto the floor, and then at the zombie. Her insides still glistened with lubricant.
Stern grew pale. 'My God, Joseph, what have you been doing?'
'Don't fret, boys,' the zombie snickered, 'there's enough of me to go around. Who wants sloppy seconds?'
Not taking his eyes off of his associate, Stern picked up the telephone.
'Who are you calling?' Maynard demanded.
Stern didn't reply.
'Who are you calling, Carl?'
'You need help, Joseph. I'm calling-'
Suddenly, Maynard leapt for the scalpel. Seizing it, he charged at the other doctor, screaming with incoherent
rage. Stern dropped the phone and screamed along with him.
Carson fired three controlled bursts. The rounds slammed into Maynard's back, punching through his chest. His feet went out from under him and he fell to the floor. The scalpel slipped from his crusty fingers and slid across the bloody tiles. He did not move.
Calm and detached, Carson stood over the dead doctor and fired another round into the back of his head. Then he walked over to the zombie and placed the smoking barrel against her forehead.
'Go ahead,' she hissed. 'I'll be back, and so will my brothers. Our number is more than the stars. We are more than-'
Carson squeezed the trigger. Then he leaned over and threw up all over his boots.
