Stella the Zombie Killer

Stella the Zombie Killer Part 15

Hook strolled back through the freezer room, swinging his bag of diced beef and a cabbage from his left hand, potatoes and carrots from the other. He had herbs in the rotunda. Cooking was easier there, the kitchen too far away from anywhere, and it was good to be together as much as possible; remind each other that not everyone was dead. Although, he supposed, now that there were going to be six of them it would be best to either make more use of the kitchen or shift a table down to the rotunda.

'Hey, Gregor,' he said as he walked up to the circular desk. 'What do you think, start eating in the kitchen or move a table through here? I think we should still keep eating together when Robocop and his girlfriend join us.

Gregor shrugged. 'Up to you. I don't care.'

'Yes you do,' he said, staring at the other man. 'C'mon, Gregor, we can really make this place work for all of us. Maybe we could make more use of the cafeteria.' He paused thoughtfully and then shook his head. 'Suppose it'd still seem way too big even with six of us.' He glanced towards the main entrance and listened to the noise coming there. 'Someone in the shower? Stella back?'

'Jared.'

'Captain JJ's up? How's he doing? He looked deader than a dead earlier.'

Gregor shrugged. 'Seemed a bit better.'

'You know, I was thinking...'

'Steady on.'

'Yeah, thanks,' said Hook sarcastically. 'I was thinking that we haven't had it that bad, you know? When you think what he must've been through, we've done pretty well in comparison.'

Gregor nodded but scowled. 'No one helped us. We earned all this.'

'I know, I know,' said Hook hurriedly. 'I was just taking the time to be thankful, you know?'

'Found some religion in the freezers did you? Is Jesus in the diced beef?' he nodded at the bag in Hook's hand.

'That reminds me.' Hook popped the beef into the microwave and started the defrost function. The oven whirred into life. He looked up and waved his vegetable knife in the direction of the shower. 'How long's he having? Seems a bit longer than thirty seconds.'

'Thought he needed our share,' said Gregor.

'Fair enough,' said Hook. He smiled at Gregor. 'Good idea.'

Gregor returned the look. 'What's up with you?'

At that moment Jared emerged.

The other two gaped at him. He was a different man; face clean and shaved, clean clothes, combats and a loose green shirt, clean hair, still long but combed, and new boots that made him walk with a confident stride.

'Hey, Captain. Feeling better?' Hook asked.

'You've no idea,' Jared replied.

Hook nodded as Jared joined them at the desk. 'Can we trust his cooking?' he said to Gregor and nodding at the tiny vegetables in Hook's hands.

'He does okay,' said Gregor.

'Sounds like high praise from you,' said Jared. 'Will there be seconds?' he said to Hook.

'I doubt it,' Hook replied. 'But I'll try to make sure the firsts are first, second and last.'

'That would be marvellous.' Jared smiled. It was a little forced but it was there, like a sign on his face that said, that's it, I'm here now, let's make it work.