The Virus Within (Original rough draft)

Chapter 45

I tilted my head as I started picking up two sets of approaching footsteps. I pulled the silly grass crown off and dropped it on Nicky's head in a swift move. Nicky opened her mouth to protest me removing her creation and I jerked my head to the corner of the chicken coop. She immediately caught on and closed her mouth.

She leaned back against the coop and put on a bored look as she gazed at the distant trees. It surprised me as to how fast she played along. She must have been the top student in drama, provided they could get her to actually stay in the role they wanted her to play and not turn into a serial killer in the middle of a romance.

A minute later Daniel and Nina rounded the corner. Nina looked relieved, "Oh, here you are. I was beginning to get worried when I couldn't find you. I had to ask Daniel to track your scent. Why are you over here?"

I made a face, "I made the mistake of entering the mess hall during supper."

Nicky looked over and chuckled, "Don't worry, there weren't any casualties. But I don't think it is something that we should ever try again. In the future I will bring her a plate."

Nina and Daniel looked surprised. Nina looked at me in curiosity and concern, "Did something go wrong in the mess hall?"

I shrugged, "Nightstalkers and crowds simply do not mix. Have you ever gone into that place during the supper rush?"

Daniel replied, "Yes, it is louder than is comfortable and the amount of control I need to use is quite noticeable, but I have never had any real problem unless someone bumped into me. That only happened once or twice, even then they were only growled at."

Daniel was either far more accustomed to bustling humans than I ever had been or he was so far out of touch with his zombie instincts that he really wasn't bothered by that part of his instincts. It was probably a combination of the two, although I wasn't sure how solitary feral Terrors were.

Nina shrugged, "It isn't a problem for us to bring you a plate if you don't want to go in there. I came looking for you because I want to check your injuries."

My instincts may have settled down from supper, but I didn't want her poking my injuries at the moment. The fact that she had gone to the effort of tracking me down meant that she wasn't going to be dissuaded easily. "You checked them yesterday. I can tell that they are healing. Is this really necessary?"

Nina nodded. "I'd like another look at the wound on your back. I can put more salve on it at the same time to keep it from sticking to the bandages."

It irritated me that she kept wanting to tend my wounds. Zombies didn't get infections, so my wounds would heal without someone checking on them daily. Daniel leaned against the coop while watching me. I suspected that he was her backup as well as her tracker. I knew I wasn't going to be able to back out of this.

With a faint growl of irritation, I stood up, "Fine..."

Nicky yawned, "Well, I am going to head back to the archery lane and pick up where I left off. See you tomorrow."

Nicky stretched before heading off. I walked back with Nina. I kept my pace to the slow one I had used earlier. I didn't want the people here to realize that my leg was healing faster than before. I didn't feel like explaining how blood helped wounds. I also preferred it when people underestimated me. Either way, simply walking still sent pain lancing up and down my leg. It hadn't healed that much yet.

We went back to the room Nina had used yesterday. Daniel took a seat in the hallway outside. I sat on the wooden stool as Nina got me to take off my shirt. She unwrapped the numerous layers of bandages. I inspected the scabs even as Nina looked them over. The damage I had done yesterday was mostly reversed. By tomorrow morning the ones on my chest should be at the point it had been at when I first entered this place.