Mark Clodi - Undead Advantage, a Zombie Chronicles Novel

"Aw, well, you seemed like a pretty nice guy. I mean there we were on top of the gas station, there you were running in the alley away from a few fast zombies, heading right towards the pack that had us treed. I said to myself, 'I could just let him run into the pack, distract them so me and Juan could get away.' But then Juan, that old softy, said, 'Give him a hand up Hank'. So what could I do? I didn't want to look bad in front of Juan."

Kevin snorted, "Yeah right old man, I don't believe that for a second!"

Hank smiled, "Oh no? You don't think I can be ruthless?"

"Oh no Hank, you can, but not to anyone younger than you are, which is most of the population now." that brought another laugh to Hank and after awhile they started chatting about what they were going to do if the hospital was clear and what they would do if it wasn't. Eventually word reached them that the scouting party had found survivors in the form of doctors and nurses and new mothers, and there were babies who could not be moved from the hospital.

The doc, old man Gonzales and Beth came over to talk to Hank about it. Kevin stayed in his lazy boy, so he could add his two cents in and Evaine was shadowing the group, keeping one ear on them while both eyes were on the toddlers in their makeshift pen.

Doc started the conversation off, saying, "They found eleven survivors in the hospital, and an unspecified number of babies, we have to decide what we are going to do. It took them about an hour to go the four miles and lead a pack of slow zombies away from the emergency room entrance. I think we could send a relief force to them with some of the able bodied men and women, plus all of our walking wounded, food and ammo. No kids or anything yet, just people to clean out Sky Ridge and hold off any hordes of zombies. The rest of us lay low here, even if we send out fifty people there will be over two hundred and fifty of us left, and at the rate survivors are trickling in we'll replace the fifty by sundown. Those are my thoughts, anyone else got an opinion?"

"You were thinking fifty people then? We got enough cars for that?" asked Hank.

Gonzales answered "Not without taking some off the line, giving up a little space, we got drivable vehicles, but that would take, what? A dozen cars?"

"Okay then, how many free vehicles do we have?"

"We-ell" Gonzales began in his Spanish accented drawl, "I got nine I could spare pretty easily, plus we got the semi and trailer, but we need a bus, you know?"

"But if we send all the cars to the hospital, how long will it take to get, say another ten cars ready to go? If we need to caravan to another place."

Gonzales thought about it for a minute, his wrinkled forehead flexing while he thought, bringing his gray white eyebrows almost together, "About forty minutes, is all. For the good ones, I mean we are putting a lot of em into the wall, but we try to hold back the better vehicles."

Kevin volunteered an idea, "So send eight cars, while Gonzales starts pulling ten from the line, send em in twenty minutes so at least half the cars are ready in case of an emergency and get the truck ready to roll in case we have to bail out of here."

"That is a pretty good idea, anyone see anything wrong with it?" asked Hank again.

"No, well, we won't be able to send fifty people though, not in eight vehicles, figure four each, that is thirty two people, I can ask for volunteers, but probably half should be the worst hurt, we have a lot of broken bones and that guy who got electrocuted trying to hook his generator up, he should go now, they probably can't do anything for him, but they can do more than I can." said Doc.

"Good, that all sounds good to me. Do I qualify as one of the most wounded?" asked Hank.

"No!" the others said in unison. Doc continued, "You are stable, probably a second tripper, unless you start going all pale and pissing out blood. Yeah I want to get you checked out better, but we have bones that need to be set, they take precedent. You stay. For now."

Sighing, Hank conceded with bad grace, "Fine. You get me to stay here, any ideas on who else should go?"

"You better send Nanci!" Evaine called over, then returned to watching the toddlers.

Hank thought about it and nodded once, "Yeah, we better do that. Gonzales you and the doc get the people worked out, you know who is who and who we still need here better than I do, then you work on getting some basic supplies sent over, maybe some of the shotgun ammo, I bet they could use it. Kevin why don't you help him by either pulling the cars or the supplies, you volunteered an idea, so now you get to do some of the work."

Kevin smiled to show his willingness and soon the three men moved off discussing what to do and how they were going to get it done, leaving Beth to check Hank's bandages and smile at him, "Trying to weasel out of here huh? Why don't you like us?" she held up a silencing finger, "Don't deny it! Oh I know you just want to be reunited with Juan, we all want to cover our friend's backs, so I get it. You really should have time to rest though; you have done your part, right? Killed a hundred zombies with your bare hands, fought Dave to a standstill inside the Quick Trip. You are like a living legend already!"

"Aw now, don't you start in, people are not really saying that are they?"

"Well, no really the kids though, you rescued Cage and Sylvia, well they are talking you up a lot. The stories get back to the adults who are taking care of them and then get talked about more, so you are practically a legend. Not quite there yet. You mind if I ask you another question?"

"Sure, shoot." said Hank a little puzzled.

"How many zombies did you kill since you left the clinic anyway?"

"You're pulling my leg right? I mean, you think I kept track? Juan and I shot a lot of them, I had a lot of head bashing to do, probably a couple dozen shots and eighteen or twenty head bashes. Does it matter? There are surely a lot of guys out there that have taken down more than that. Juan, for one."

"I suppose it doesn't matter, but I can at least tell everyone the rumors are wrong. Yeah, you killed more than we all gave you credit for. So how do your ribs feel?"

"Well better, now that you have tightened the bandages. It's the fact that I can hardly breathe that bothers me now."

"Deal with it, hero. I will be back to check up on you before you hit the hay. Unless I am wrong your lady friend wants to talk to you without me around." Beth glanced briefly at Evaine, who was still standing close by, near the children. "I will leave you two to it, no rough activity though, got it?"

Hank's face turned red and he nodded, "Nothing like that, she is just a friend I dated a couple times."

"Sure, Hank, sure." Beth nodded and walked away.

It took about five minutes, then Evaine managed to find her way over to Hank's chair. Hank had picked up the latest and probably last 'Field and Stream' magazine someone had left nearby with another cup of juice and was reading an article on Bass fishing in Michigan. Evaine stood near the foot rest, put her hands on her hips and said, "So, you know that woman?"

"Beth? Yeah, sure Doc's nurse, we rescued her and doc out of the clinic, gave 'em our car and directions on how to get here. Why?"

"I think she is too old for you."

"Oh?" Hank didn't really know what to say to Evaine. Sure, they had dated, but that was about it. Hank liked her, thought she was great, and had no intention of saddling her down with a man thirteen years older than she was. Not even if it would make Nanci happy. "Ah, what makes you think I am interested in her anyway?"

Evaine made a slightly rude noise and said, "Maybe not you so much as her, but every man has needs Hank, even cold men like you, I just don't want you suckered in by the first thing that comes along."