J. Knoll - Zoe, Undead

Drawing a deep breath, Rachel tried to calm herself and said with strain in her voice, "Okay, so let's get the story straight. You allowed a seventeen year old girl to go along with you just to check out what was inside the school, but you got sidetracked to a sporting goods store where she got in the middle of a firefight and she was shot four times." She held a finger up. "Oh, and then we have to consider that the zombies don't use guns, so she was shot four times by our guys. Now explain to me why I shouldn't be upset by this."

"Wasn't exactly like that," Tex informed. "It's all there in the report."

"I read the report," she confirmed with a sweet tone. "The only thing it doesn't tell me is why a seventeen year old girl was shot four times by people who are supposed to be friendly troops."

The Colonel pointed out, "Let's bear in mind, Doctor, that she's technically a zombie and she's already healed up from the gunshots, just like any zombie would be that was shot anywhere but the head."

"I still don't want her going out there again," Rachel informed with clenched teeth. "Zombie or not she's a teenage girl, an autistic teenage girl, and she does not need to be exposed to things like that."

Captain Langley countered, "She's also our best bet for getting effective recon into possibly hazardous areas without putting lives at risk. Let's face it, Doctor. She's the only one who can go into an area that is infested by moaners and not have to worry about not coming home."

"And," Tex added, "she's more than willing to help, and to be brutally honest, we need all the help we can get."

Doctor Caswell fired an angry look at him and snapped, "And an autistic girl is the best help you can get?"

"Doctor," Colonel Halstead cut in, "we are sorely outnumbered and we're losing this war. Like it or not, we need to use every advantage we can get, and if that means your teenage zombie goes in to recon for us, then that's what it means."

Rachel wheeled toward him and cried, "Like it or not, Colonel, she's still a child! Mentally, she always will be, and exposing her to combat situations will likely scar her for life! It's not ethical!"

Captain Langley laughed and slapped the Lieutenant's shoulder. "Ethics! She's talking about ethics!" He looked to the doctor and shook his head. "I guess we need to have that talk about survival again. Do you think that moaner that's stalking you out there or the one that comes crashing through the door to eat you is worried about your morality? We're on the losing end of a war here, and if your autistic teenage zombie can help us out then she needs to help us out! For God's sake, other areas are arming twelve year olds and throwing them at the zombie mobs!"

"I don't like that, either," Rachel protested softly.

"Morality aside," Colonel Halstead grumbled, "we're in the middle of a war and we have to do whatever it takes to win that war. We lose, we're extinct. It's that simple. How's she doing?"

Huffing a breath, Doctor Caswell looked to the floor and replied, "She's doing okay, I suppose." She looked to the Colonel and warned, "Just be aware that she is still autistic. Asperger Syndrome is not something that can be played around with and it is not something you can predict. If she has an emotional meltdown then whoever she's with could be in a lot of danger. If she goes off and bites somebody, then where are you? And bear in mind that she's a teenager who has all kinds of things happening to her body and all kinds of hormones and emotional turmoil that a child without autism can barely handle. That's going to complicate everything even more."

Colonel Halstead raised his head and asked, "Do you think that's a possibility?"

"Of course it is," Rachel confirmed. "Colonel, the medication she's on will only level her out so much. If something sends her into emotional overload then there is no telling what could happen or who could end up being hurt. I want more time to study her, her condition, the extent of her autism, the whole works."

Captain Langley asked, "What could set her off?"

"For starters," the Doctor replied, "loud noises—like gunfire."

With a slow nod, Sergeant Morris confirmed, "She did seem mighty tense when we were in heavy action." He looked to Rachel and added, "But she knew to stuff gauze in her ears and keep doing what she needed to."

"That time," Doctor Caswell added. "You also need to look out for other quirks she'll have. People with Asperger's are typically very tactile defensive, which means a simple touch could really set her off."

"I haven't noticed that," Tex reported.

"Two reasons," Rachel informed. "First, you probably didn't do anything that would startle or surprise her. Second, she has a crush on you."

He rolled his eyes and looked away. "No she doesn't."

"Open your eyes, Sergeant," the Doctor advised. "That girl is fixated on you, and that's another issue those with Asperger's have to face. They fixate on something or someone and that becomes all important to them."

"Great," he snarled, looking to the floor.

With a smile, the Lieutenant said, "You could do worse, Sergeant. She's a little young for you and she's a zombie, but she's a hot little number."

"Down, Lieutenant," the Colonel warned. Looking back to Doctor Caswell, he raised his chin and informed, "You need to come to grips with something, Doctor. She's an advantage, and I intend to use that advantage against our enemy. Get your assessments done, but she's going back out into the field as soon as she's ready."

Rachel forced a breath through her nose and just stared across the room, then she finally looked to the Colonel and said, "I want her here tomorrow so that we can test her properly. It will take some time and I'd rather not have her pulled away in the middle of it."

Colonel Halstead looked to the Sergeant, only getting a shrug from him. "Okay, Doctor," he conceded. "We don't have any operations planned for tomorrow, we've resupplied with ammo and food and it looks like we've rescued nearly two hundred people. I guess the rest can wait."

"She's asking about her family," Doctor Caswell informed. "We'll need to tell her something soon one way or another."

"I'll take a strike force out that way in the morning while you do what you need to with her," Sergeant Morris said. "She doesn't live too terribly far from here and we can recon the area and be back in a couple of hours." He turned his eyes to Rachel and continued, "No matter what we find, that's one mission she definitely does not need to go on, just in case."

She responded with a slight nod.

Doctor Kavorski finally arrived, closing the door gently behind him as he held a palm to them and offered, "Sorry I'm late, people. Had a little issue with our girl."

Raising her chin, Doctor Caswell barked, "What issue?"

"Something you can talk to her about," he answered. "Apparently she's not fond of the idea of wearing certain undergarments, and the white tee shirt we found for her fits a little… Well, snug."

Closing her eyes, Rachel shook her head and assured, "I'll have a talk with her."

Kavorski looked to Sergeant Morris and informed, "She's in the cafeteria, and she's been asking about you."

He rolled his eyes and nodded.

CHAPTER 7

Zoe had never liked hospital gowns and found herself sitting cross legged in one of the waiting room chairs in Radiology wearing one. The doctors were both in the lab looking at the results of her MRI. She still had the ear plugs in and was still a little unnerved about all of the noise in the confinement of that tube she had been in. MRI's were nothing new to her, but she did not like them, and only participated as she had with the promise of sprinkles with her ice cream after lunch. That would surely make the whole ordeal worth it! She was also accustomed to being bribed for her cooperation and knew exactly how to negotiate to get what she really wanted, and a pouty lip and a few tears were not beneath her.