A/N: I'm so sorry I haven't updated in so long! One of my family members is losing their home due to overpriced housing, and I was helping them for a week. I kind of fell out of my routine, but am trying to get back into it.
On a different note, the picture above is the cover for the previous version of this book, along with this chapter's song! Other than that, enjoy the chapter!
7/8/22: Grammar updates, made dialogue clearer.
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[Harrison Frost]
{Location: JZCF}
"I'm here," I say.
The lights turn on, as well as the machinery.
"Send any articles to the Lab, please."
I walk to the empty lab area, where Heath and I once used to develop the Cure. This is where he tried to develop a True Cure, but dad found him out and destroyed everything before he could test his first rendition.
But I know Heath. He probably kept a backup of everything that he can access from anywhere. It's probably in his office somewhere. I leave the room and head to his office, which is far messier than mine. I sit at his desk and dig through his drawers until I find a flash drive buried under a bunch of different bags of unopened candy. It's only been a couple of months since he disappeared, so some of it is still somewhat good.
I take the flash drive and put the candy back in their original positions, then get up and go back to the lab. I plug it in at the large Holo-Table and sift through the files that are filled with audio recordings, research, and a formula for the first rendition of a cure.
"Looks like we've got what we need to make it. Let's just hope dad doesn't find out that I'm doing this. I can't do this without his authorization, but I know he won't let me if I ask him," I mutter to myself.
I look at the formula one last time before taking out the required E-Cells and medicine. I take out a syringe, being sure to get just the right dose of medicine, and then inject it into the container of E-Cells. The millions of tiny, artificial cells soak up the dose of medicine and I set the cells on the table.
The E-Cells were made to mimic real cells so they can repair things we can't get to with surgery, and can be programmed to affect a specific organ or the whole body overall. The zombies need a whole-body dose, which will take half of the small bottle. Not exactly efficient, but I can try and improve it after I test it.
I dispose of the syringe away to be cleaned and pocket the bottle of E-Cells.
"Lab, play the first audio file, please."
"Okay."
My heart pounds in my chest as I hear him clear his throat.
"This is Heathcliff Frost, it is currently August eleventh, 2080, and this is my first attempt at trying to return the zombies to normal. This is an unapproved project, so nobody can know. Not even Harry.
Anyways... the Toxin has properties that are unknown to science. I have no idea how well a cure will work without any further research on the Toxin, but I can try..."
I laugh as I listen to him opening a bag of candy, "It's been... at least a year since our older sister died, and six months since Harrison's wife, Heather, died. God... that's the third woman in his life that's died."
Heath takes a deep breath, "Mom used to tell us stories about how some people used to use magic until its use was outlawed fifty years ago since some people were just getting too strong. Anyone who was caught using magic was sentenced to death."
I listen to him eat a piece of whatever gummies he's eating, "I won't use magic unless I have to. I don't even know if I can use magic. Some people could harness it, and others couldn't. Well, I'm going to get to researching. Lab, end the recording."
Heath was my twin brother, and even if he didn't show it, loved me dearly. We were born as conjoined twins and separated at two years old. And now that I think about it, that's why I always pressed my leg against Heather's. I was the left twin, and the leg pressing reminds me of being joined at the hip and downwards with Heath.
"Doctor?"
I turn to the door and see a nurse.
"Yes?" I ask.
"One of the zombies is in labour."
"Okay, I'll be there in a minute."
She leaves and I take out a new syringe and take the bottle with me to the ward, where the patient is laying on one of the beds.
"How long has she been in labour?"
"She just started, sir."
"Alright. Let's get her prepped. I've got something experimental to give her to help her."
"Would you like us to administer it?" the nurse asks.
"No, I'll do it myself."
The nurse walks away, and I prepare a dose of the E-Cells. I wipe down her neck with an alcohol swab and slowly give her the shot, setting the syringe down when I'm done. I watch her for a couple of minutes before she tilts her head toward me and moans quietly.
"What in the world did you give her?" the nurse asks, "They don't usually acknowledge people like that."
"It's just something that Heath came up with before he went missing. Supposed to... help them with labour," I lie.
"Was that what you were doing in the lab?" she asks as she commands other nurses to do certain tasks.
"Uh... yeah. I was making some to use for later." I mutter "Let's get her ready for a C-section."
"Okay, sir."
I help them transport her to the operating room, where I get ready for the surgery that I've done tons of times. I go inside and watch her face as one of the nurses administers an anaesthetic. I grab her hand she squeezes it lightly as she closes her eyes.
I take a deep breath, grab the tool I need, and begin.
[45 minutes later]
A sigh of relief escapes me as I leave the room. The baby is out, and she's closed back up, and is now in the ward, still out from the anaesthesia. I'm not going to even try to find the father, as it's probably some criminal who took advantage of her not being able to fight back effectively.
It's devastating, really. People take advantage of the Zombies all the time. It's part of the main reason why they're holding so many zombies. Some of them get too angry for the Mist to work on them. Heck, sometimes I can hear them screaming and growling from the cell block.
I walk back to the ward and watch her vitals while waiting for them to return with the baby. When they come back, the baby is cleaned off and wrapped up. The nurse hands the newborn to me, and I look down at them.
"Boy or girl?" I ask.
"Boy."
I turn to the unnamed zombie beside me, who is now looking at me, "Do you want to see your son?" I whisper.
Her hand twitches and she groans quietly. I can't really tell what she's saying, but I take it as a yes and lay him down on her chest.
"I'm sorry, but I can't keep her here for very long," I whisper, "Protocol says we have put her up for adoption after two days of monitoring. Unless someone here takes him in, which rarely ever happens."
I watch her as she slowly reacts to him. She cradles him in her arms for a couple of minutes, until dad comes in.
"What's going on in here?" he asks, looking at the zombie in the bed.
"I was just-"
I'm cut off by him as he walks over to the bed and picks up the half-empty bottle of E-Cells.
"What did you give her?" he asks sternly.
"I was just something Heath made! It was meant to help her," I say. It's not a lie, but not exactly the truth either.
"Unauthorized experiments and research are illegal.
"I know that dad! I just wanted to keep her alive long enough for her to see her child before it was taken away. 98 percent of zombies that go into labour don't make it out because their systems aren't able to handle it."
"I don't care about statistics, Harrison. You know the policy against unauthorised experiments."
My body goes cold, and I pick up the baby, quickly backing away. I turn away from him and hear a small click and a loud bang. The child starts to squeal as I turn around to see blood pouring from her head.
Dad turns to me and slowly starts walking toward me, "Harrison... give me the child"
I start shaking my head as he continues to cry. I can't hand him over. Dad wouldn't hesitate to kill him.
Tears sting my eyes as I charge out of the ward and make my way to the front door. I scan my ID and leave, getting into my car. I hold him to my chest and rub his back until he stops crying, then set him down in the passenger seat.
"I... don't know what's going to happen to you, but I promise I'm going to keep you safe from dad," I say.
I really need to get a car seat for this kid, but I can't leave the poor kid alone. I take a deep breath and close my eyes. I need to go back home and activate the caretaker robot, Circuit.
I put the newborn in the passenger seat and start the car, pull out of the parking lot, and drive home. Once I'm there, I stop the car and take the newborn inside.
"House, activate the Caretaker unit, please."
"Okay."
One of the cabinets opens, and a robot flies out, taking its place in front of me.
"Hello. I am Circuit, the built-in caretaker unit. You can take me where you want, and I will assist you," the robot says.
It looks down at the sleeping child in my arms, "Circuit, I need your help taking care of the boy. I... need to go buy things for him, but I don't know where to go or what to get."
"That's okay, I will help you find the right items for the child," Circuit assures.
"Thank you, Circuit."
"If I may ask, boss... does the child have a name?"
"No, not yet. It'd be lame to name him John Doe... do you have any suggestions?"
"I can pull a randomized name from my database."
I sigh, not knowing what else to do, "Fine."
He floats there for a second before a name pops up in front of him. Rufus.
"Really?" I mutter.
"I can always pick another one."
"No, Rufus is fine for now."
"Rufus Joe Frost it is, then."
"Joe?" I ask.
"For his middle name, since you mentioned the name 'John Doe.'"
"Okay then... well, let's go."
I leave the house with Circuit behind me and get into the car. Circuit gets in on the passenger side and I give him Rufus before starting the car and driving off.
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