The Strong Will Survive

Chapter Twenty-Five - Lilith [EDITED]

 After being called back into the lab, I grabbed the vial of zombie blood from KC. It was a much darker red than human blood, almost black.

I dipped one finger in. It was also a little thicker than regular human blood, but still quite recognizable. I made a face and wiped it from my finger back into the tube as best I could.

Luckily, there were several liquids still preserved and useable in the lab. Unluckily, none of us had any clue as to what they were, even after studying them under a battered microscope.

I experimented with bleach a little bit, knowing that usually, it mostly dissolved blood (I was not a murderer, just a science nerd). Maybe since zombie blood was thicker it would do...something that would give us real information?

No luck. The zombie blood molecules looked no different after the treatment, and the bleach had still dissolved a lot of it, meaning KC had to take another sample.

Suddenly, I had a thought. Maybe if I could compare healthy blood with the diseased...

Casting a furtive glance around, I saw that everyone else was preoccupied. KC and Jared were talking quietly, glancing around to ensure that their conversation remained private. Lydia was softly asking Benji for food, looking like she was in a much better place mentally - both of them were. I was alone in my studies.

I found a small multitool in a cupboard. I wiped the microscope and my own skin clean with alcohol swab that was teetering on stale. Then, I gritted my teeth and slashed a shallow cut across my pinky finger with the knife. I watched as thick drops of blood fell slowly onto the tiny piece of glass. Carefully slipping it under the microscope, I zoomed in and looked closely at all the molecules. My memory was horrid, however, and I knew that I would never remember exactly what it looked like.

Paper. I need paper.

Glancing around desperately, I found a torn prescription sheet trapped under some syringes. I flipped it to the backside and hunted around until I found the writing half of a snapped pencil.

I scribbled a rough sketch of my blood molecules onto the paper and then wiped the glass clean, replacing my blood with that of the zombie.

As I sketched, I noticed something.

Tiny particles were attached to the diseased blood cells where there was nothing on mine.

I turned to my friends, clearing my throat to get their attention. "I've found a few things."

*

We had brought protein bars with us from our Costco. Lydia munched one contentedly while the rest of us distractedly picked at ours - all but KC, who devoured hers. They all listened intently as I talked, even though there wasn't much that took a deep understanding.

"Little particles on the blood cells," I finished once I had explained my procedure and Benji had grabbed me a bandage for my pinky. "That's all I could find."

"And it's probably information scientists already had," Benji pointed out.

"You think they bled a zombie? Wouldn't they get very ethic-y about that?" KC asked.

We thought about that for a second before I said thoughtfully, "To save the lives of thousands? They must have at some point, government-approved or no."

"I wish we knew how far they had gotten," Jared murmured. We nodded in agreement. What I wouldn't give to talk with one of those scientists for five minutes...

"For all we know, some are still alive and working," I pointed out. "We don't know anything for sure."

"That's the problem, isn't it?" Benji snapped, running a hand through his hair. "We don't know squat!"