Mark Clodi - Undead Advantage, a Zombie Chronicles Novel

"Jeff, what are we supposed to do with you?" asked the man.

Spying other men, rough looking men, behind the guy, Jeff swallowed visibly and answered, "Nothing. You, uh, heard what Hank said, he would decide what to do later."

"That is just the thing Jeff, you may not have heard but Hank left, took the guy you shot over to the hospital. He is not here right now."

Letting that sink in, Jeff tried to answer in a confident voice that sounded all too whiny and pathetic to his own ears, "Well, he'll, he'll s-sort me out when he comes back. W-won't he?"

Shaking his head the man said, "No, no, see we all like Hank, but he is a nice guy, too nice maybe, Kevin told us some stories about Hank's life and while we trust him to do what needs to be done, we think" the man gestured over his shoulder at the other men behind him, "he might be a little soft on you. You see I don't have my two kids with me Jeff, I don't have a wife anymore, or parents or a sister or a niece and nephew. You follow me?"

Nodding in confusion, Jeff answered, "Y-yeah man I get you, you lost a lot of people in this mess, I did too, you know I had a girlfriend and…" this was a lie and came out like a lie, which seemed to make the man happy. Jeff's voice trailed off, then he asked quietly, "No, no I guess I don't get what you are driving at?"

"I said it already, I lost everyone, until I found these guys, they are my family now, I know that and they know that. But you, you, don't seem to know that. Anyone here would have laid his life down for yours last night, before you shot a guy this morning, but now? Now I don't think anyone can trust you, no one wants you in the family anymore. You're a fuckup, you shot your brother. You shot my brother. You want to know what is worse? You could have shot my kids, who are the ones we have found around the area. You could have killed my kid. You have shown that you could still kill my kids or my brothers and sisters or parents again. You are worse than they are Jeff."

Jeff didn't have to ask who 'they' were. He saw the look of resolve in the man's eyes and he knew, knew something really bad was going to happen. In a quiet voice he asked, "What are you going to do to me?"

The men moved forward and closed the door behind them.

It was mid afternoon, several hours after visiting with the Major and ironing out plans, several more bus-loads of people had been driven over to the hospital and the mob of zombies that the group had led away from the facility were being led further away and shot to pieces one undead body at a time. Hank was sitting with Juan at a normal looking hospital bed, if it were not for the fact that Kevin, who was laying in the bed flipping the channels on the remote, could not get a single signal the scene could have been one set weeks before the zombie outbreak.

"So you sure you're gonna be okay, huh?" Hank asked Kevin for the third time.

Kevin rolled his eyes and said, "Man, you know I am feeling weaker now, I think you are wearing me out asking me that question. The docs here said I should be fine, they should know. They even x-rayed me to see if anything showed up, that pea shooter Jeff had would have had to hit something key man, like my head or heart or atorta or something."

"Atorta?" Nanci asked and giggled, it was a refreshing sound to hear.

Kevin pretended to go into a funk and slumped over, "Yeah, yeah, I told ya I was not an ace at school huh? Why do you have to dog me like this, I mean I am okay my atorta wasn't shot up and the docs said I need rest, like real rest, you guys only got in 'cause I told em you were like my family now. Don't make me take you off the list."

Laughing Hank said, "Aorta. Okay, okay, I'll lay off too, you are going to be fine, we'll lay off you and heck if you wanted you could probably be the one operating on aorta's, things are going to get worse before they get better, I think, and the doctors will need all the help they can get, even if it means training someone without a medical background how to operate."

Kevin perked up at that, "Hey you think so Hank? You really think so? My mama would be so happy if I were a doc, I mean really happy."

"The world is changed Kevin, who knows what opportunities are going to be there in the future? If you are interested I will talk to the nurses and docs, if this goes on awhile I can't see them not relying on their assistants more and more as time goes by. I wish I was wrong, I don't think I am. I think all of us had better be looking out for the future in this new world. Things are not ever going to be the same again."

"Yeah Hank? What about you, huh? Are you going to change too?" asked Nanci softly.

Hank knew she was talking about Evaine, or any woman for that matter, he smiled and said, "Nanci, Nanci, Nanci, will you ever stop trying to settle me down? I am a bachelor and I love the life I have now."

"Bah! Men, you always think it is about you, it is about the woman too, not just about men or being alone. So are you?"

Laughing Hank said, "You never give up? How'd we put up with her all these years Juan?"

"Don't you get me into this, you talk to her, leave me out." Juan said taking a step back and putting his hands out in front of him in a defensive manner.

Nanci, on the other hand, sensed weakness in her prey and pressed her attack, "Answer the question gringo!"

Hank smiled, about to give another evasive reply, then looked from Juan, to Nanci, to Kevin and the words died on his lips. He licked his lips nervously while Nanci put one hand on her hip and pointed the other one at him, "I have seen you with the ladies, you don't touch them, not just with your hands, but not with your heart, you love Juan and me and even, Kevin now." she pointed at the black youth as if to demonstrate a point, "You love us more than you allow yourself to love a woman. Why is that Hank? You can't go on grieving forever. You said it yourself it is a new world and you should be looking out for your opportunities. You better be looking out for them? Do you hear me?"

Swallowing, Hank could not say anything he just gave Nanci a short nod, she smiled triumphantly and announced, "Finally! Sense! I cannot sit in this room talking all day, there is still work to be done." She raised a hand to the men, "No you stay, it is good for Kevin to visit with friends while the doctors allow it. I have to go.", so saying she abruptly left the room. Leaving a vacuum of silence behind her.

"I think…", started Juan, before being interrupted by Kevin who said, "You're doomed now brother!"

Hanked nodded wearily in agreement. He walked over to the second bed in the room and sat down on it wearily. The talk then turned to discussing the girl Kevin had run into, his potential to become a medical assistant and how Hank was going to handle the upcoming elections. Hank and Juan discussed Michael a little bit, Kevin had never met the kid, who was only a little younger than he was. It seemed that he might be okay, if there was no infection or other problems from the surgery. The bullet wounds were terrible, one of his lungs had collapsed, he had multiple broken ribs and he still might die. Even with that the doctor who had spoken to Juan had said the would give better than two to one odds that the young man pulled through, Michael seemed to have a very strong will to live. Eventually Kevin asked Hank what he was going to do about Jeff.

A troubled look came over Hank's face and he replied, "Kevin, funny thing, I shoulda mentioned this before, but I got a little sidetracked by Nanci and well, there isn't a good way to say it, Jeff is gone."

"Gone?"

"Yeah, they put him in the office like I said and when I spoke to the Major he mentioned they had a brig they could secure him in until we figured out what to do. Well, I called back to the Mike's Club and asked them to send Jeff on over so they could take him out of here, you know, before anything happened to him and they said Jeff had taken off."