I moan, waking up to cold ass water running over me. I’m burning up. I cough gasping as I feel dark viscous fluid flowing out of my eyes, nose and ears. I wipe it away, smearing it, and look at it on my fingers confused. ‘What is this?’ My ears ring. 

The guard sits against the tub with his back to me and I start to think he might be asleep. I lean forward, rinsing my face. 

I groan loudly. The pain is pretty intense. I hiss through my teeth. I think I’d rather take a kick to the balls, or do jumping jacks with my broken ribs. I curl up on my side in a way that I won’t drown with the running water and just try to survive. 

I cry out silently realizing I'd briefly lost consciousness and writhe, it got worse with time. I arch my back, it got so much worse. Slowly a scream tears its way from my lungs up my throat and out my mouth.

The guard is up in a flash looking around fingers like claws only to see me and realize.

I tighten into a ball again struggling to breathe and then arch my back letting out another inhuman scream. He grabs me and I freak out as he goes to bite me again. I struggling with him my own teeth flashing only to go rigid, tensing up again. I struggle to breathe and he takes advantage of that by plunging his fangs into me and injecting more of the stupid, agonizing virus into my bloodstream.

I go limp and then realize…it doesn’t hurt anymore. Panting I hold my neck and then shove him away pressing against the far wall of the icy shower. I pant and try to compose myself. I’m trying really hard to understand what just happened and how adding more helped. 

“You’ll finish succumbing to the virus in a few days.” He says. He looks tired, more tired than when he just woke up or got back. Nine gets up and goes to grab a cup. He looks at me as he bites the rim. I watch gawking as his fangs release fluid. “Drink this whenever it starts hurting again. I have work.” He says while leaving. 

“Wait!” I call weakly. He stops. “My ribs, broken… place it closer…please.” I hold my chest pathetically as he places it right on the edge of the tub. He looks at me and then turns muttering, “This virus will help you heal faster if it takes.” 

I lay my head against the wall and close my burning eyes. 

I snap awake when the pain returns. Moaning, hissing, and wincing I pick up the cup hesitating with a grimace before telling myself it’s just venom. It hurts so much, I quickly take a gulp. I make a blech facial expression shuddering. It makes my tongue tingle but tastes like nothing. The pain disappears and I put down the cup leaning against the wall again. I pass out. Rinse and repeat until I struggle to get the last drop realizing it wasn’t going to be enough. 

The servants whisper about the agonized screams coming from Nine’s room. His newest toy. Someone had apparently even walked in on them collapsed on the floor beaten within an inch of their life. The servants jump as the guards return from training early. That was never a good sign. They disappear with swift, soft, steps. The screams long since gone ragged and sobbing. 

Nine ignored the aches and pains in his body. He pushed everyone hard today to finish early not wanting more people than already knew to think he had a new toy. He doesn't care that everyone thinks he's pissed he has long since stopped trying to explain to people that he had a learning disability growing up and though he's all caught up now he never quite caught on to social cues or facial expressions. He'd rather people think he was an asshole than stupid.

The fact that he could hear screams from the showers made him skip and rush to his room to shut up the specimen. He didn’t need to get in trouble for biting him out of a lapse of judgment. Why didn’t a medic intervene and knock him out by now? He was going to have words with one once he found out.

Bursting into his room he feels unsettled with how suddenly quiet it is. Going into the bathroom he stops. He slowly lifts the experiment's face. His face is slack and relaxed but his jaw is clenched, sharp teeth pierce through his lips. He bites the experiment again just to make sure, only to jerk back as his mouth burns. 

Cursing, quickly he wipes his mouth on his arm. 

The experiment stays half draped over the edge of the tub. He grabs a towel wiping his mouth and then arm as it continues to burn. 

‘I’m guessing my virus didn’t take, especially since his virus is now retaliating against my bite.’ He thinks to himself. Nine considers if he should get a medic or bring him straight to a scientist…'better stabilize him first.' 

He goes to the wall and presses the button to say, “I shouldn’t have to be asking for a doctor right now.” He growls before the other person can speak.

There's a nervous tremor when someone responds, “Of course Nine, sending one now.” Nine huffs crossing his arms. He wonders what poor sap they’ll send. He waits as his sweat soaked clothes dry on him. Maybe he should just dump the specimen on the floor and take a shower.

He starts to think it was a good idea when he hears a knock on his door. He sniffs the air recognizing the scent but not able to place it as he opens the door. Not expecting to meet the cold eyes of a platinum haired scientist as tall as him. He curses under his breath as the scientist lets himself in. 

“Where’s the patient?” The scientist asks, smirking a little bit at the guards discomfort.

“I didn’t know you were a doctor?” Nine grumbles knowing he could only wait and see what was going to happen after the head scientist found out he was fucking around with a new experiment. He wasn’t scared of torture or even death but he didn’t like making the bossman angry. The scientist walks around looking for him and then goes to the bathroom’s open door looking at the mess. Black blood leaks down the experiment's limp arm, dripping onto the floor. It’s everywhere the water can’t wash it down the drain. He looks back at nine, making an annoyed expression. 

“When I heard you got a new toy I was expecting at least some of the rumors to be false.” He lowers the medic bag he brought and then lifts the limp experiment's face. Opening his eyes and then checking for a pulse which nine times out of ten didn’t even matter. Nine leans on the door frame. 

“I can’t imagine why my business is so entertaining to everyone else.” The guard snorts.

“Tortured screams coming from your room for a full 2 hours. You kind of forced everyone into your business.”  He retorts with monotone contempt, “If you have damaged him in some way that zero loses interest you’ll probably become zero's new babysitter.” The scientist laughs as nine growls realizing that he could very well become responsible for keeping specimen zero under control. Which was a job not many survived.

“My virus didn’t even take effect, it looks like he fought it off.”

“I meant if you fucked him. He was a virgin.” The platinum scientist suddenly looks at him very seriously, “He and zero haven’t mated yet and he might lose his mind finding your scent all over him.”

“I don’t see why that asshole is so important and more annoyingly why he gets so much special treatment.” Nine sneers knowing exactly why zero is so special and neither confirming or denying whether he fucked the experiment. ‘A virgin?’ He thinks with a growl building up in his throat, ‘You’re telling me he could have royally pissed off zero when the experiment got turned on last night?’ The scientist glances at the guard noting his change in attitude. 

Then stabs the experiment with a syringe. The sound of a whimpering whine escapes the zombies mouth.

“Why?” The scientist asks gesturing to the experiment.

“I didn’t like him.” Nine smirks. 

“So you beat him, raped him, and tortured him all night.” The scientist watches the guards expressions very closely noting him start at the mention of rape.

“How do you know he didn’t beg me for it?” He smirks a little, “He’s a horny little bitch.”

The scientist says nothing, only looking at the slowly waking up and moaning experiment and then sighing nods in agreement. 

“If that’s the case…” The scientist looks away, voice trailing off. 

I crack open my eyes and look at the blurry colors, my nose tells me I’ve been bleeding. I moan. 

“It hurts.” I whimper to no one in particular. And nobody comforts me despite there being multiple people in the room. I recognize nine’s scent and feel my heart beat as my vision fills with black shifting. I feel my teeth secrete something and I go to attack when I notice someone is closer. I pause veins pulsing black and then they make a soothing noise. Confused, I try to calm myself down. 

The zombie virus refuses and soon I realize it’s because it’s been forced out. Something had taken the reins out of my hands and I was no longer in full control. I close my eyes a little since the strange, motion hypersensitive vision gives me a sense of vertigo. I look at the person who continues to talk to me and explain something but I just want comfort. I reach for them only for them to misunderstand and stab me with something to knock me out. I guess that works.

“I can take him.” Nine smirks to the scientist as he starts to lift the unconscious experiment by his arms. Struggling a little. To his surprise the scientist nods. Stepping forward he squats, easily lifting the unconscious zombie. He turns to leave and then notes as the scientist packs up his bag. The door swishes open and the guard starts as there’re some doctors with a gurney. They look a little frightened when they see the condition the lost experiment is in.

“Strap him down.” The platinum scientist demands of them as he steps out of the bathroom. “His virus isn’t able to heal him very quickly and we need to treat his wounds quickly.” The scientist waits as Nine holds him a little longer than necessary before unceremoniously dumping him on the gurney. Nine looks pissed. ‘He couldn’t say that he was just gonna tuck him into his bed and wait for the experiment to wake up.’

I barely remember getting rolled into the mini hospital. Lights hurt my shifted vision as they travel quickly overhead. The guard named Nine stayed behind. I guess I should be happy about that since he’s the one that bit me. 

I moan and strain against the restraints, everything hurts in a way that demands I curl into a ball. I feel like I can’t even control myself as I assume the doctors are trying to help me but I growl and yelp in pain every time they stick me with something or adjust my body. I pant feeling overwhelmed and attacked. 

I snarl and bite as the muzzle is removed and then flinch when I feel something press against my teeth. I freeze not knowing what they stuck in my mouth. I don’t like that it feels like skin. I can only shudder imagining that they gave me a chunk of meat. I turn my head and spit it out.

“That’s a bad sign.” 

I hear somebody say. I tilt my head back arching my back in pain. I bear my teeth, they’re desperate to take a chunk out of whoever did this to me. 

‘Why couldn’t this viciousness have helped me earlier? Though I guess my claws did go through one of the guards' necks.’ 

‘Nine. I’ll bite him and inject him with my venom to make him feel exactly how I do now.’ 

I gargle as I feel myself slipping away, I close my eyes and then thankfully I get some pretty heavy painkillers. 

I jerk awake and sink back against the bed slowly, panting, opening an eye as I catch my breath. There was a group of doctors messing with vials, another group looking at blood, I noticed one of the vials is mostly clear with a little red, another one looks normal and the last has black goop floating around in it. Weird. One near me is setting up some sort of IV in my arm. 

I croak, unable to speak. Nonverbal again great. He looks up and I start. It’s the first half-zombified doctor I’ve seen so far. Quickly I switch to growling hoping he can understand my inquisitive noise. He approaches somewhat cautiously and I wonder why since I don’t recognize him. 

His throat has a massive scar and he smiles awkwardly pointing to it, “Wasn’t careful enough with one of you while trying to stabilize them.” He has soft, humane, shifting eyes. I relax a little bit unknowingly letting out a relaxing rumble that takes the edge of his nervousness. He looks around hesitantly, “I should probably let the others know-”

“Wait.” I manage finally throat unconstricting with a gasp. I close my eyes trying to stay calm. “I need a minute.” He looks at my claws twitching and then nods. 

“What exactly are you feeling right now?” He tries to use a soothing tone.

“The viruses.” I feel my throat hitch, “Really don't like being told what to do.” I laugh a little bit. 

“It’s probably still worked up about you getting hurt.” He rubs his neck subconsciously.

“I’m starving.” 

He perks up cause apparently I hadn’t eaten anything for a while.

 “For human food, please.” I think it’s bizarre that I have to specify. “Like a hamburger.” I groan, throwing my head back as my teeth hurt; they feel like they’re falling out. ‘Damn I haven’t had one of those in a while.’ 

“Really?” He says, stepping forward. Folding his arms he gestures with his hand. He leans over a tiny bit as I tilt my head, my zombie letting out a warning growl. ‘Don’t get too close. I’m scared.’

“Don’t worry I’m not going to hurt you,” he soothes. “Your zombie has eaten human before.”

I start and then look away disturbed and ashamed, “By accident, I, I didn’t have control over it at the time.” 

He makes a pitious look and then smiles, “I’ll get you that hamburger.” I brighten. “But,” he gives me a more serious look I see the zombie veins throb from his left eye and focus as I look deep into it, “It’s not good to starve your virus, it’ll become weaker and easier to control yes but…” he taps his fingers nervously looking back at the others before letting out a breathy sigh, “It’s not the case with everyone you might be an outlier.” He turns to leave. 

I call, “What, what will it do? Force me to…eat?” He looks back and nods, “That’s one possibility, you could also lose your humanity completely and become one of the mindless hoard…or you could kill it.” 

I feel my eyes widen realizing I might be able to beat the zombie virus just like a normal one and what, go back to being human? I still have the nanobots. I stare at the curtain as he closes it and look up at the ceiling, everything is white. I’m bored. I rub my face against the pillow at least I’m not forced to wear the muzzle right now.