When the Dead Rise (Book 1): The Beginning by C.M. Fick

floor with another woman. She said the woman she was with had sustained a nasty bite but that she'd been able to staunch the flow of blood. Hugo arranged for two transport vehicles to go bring his wife back to the lab from the hospital. Three brave police officers went in to get Mrs. Farner, escorting her and her companion to safety. I do not know when or how Mrs. Farner received the bite, but it was only a small one on the knuckle of her index finger. It broke the skin, however, effectively sentencing her to death and reanimation.
    "When her transport arrived back at the building, we were already waiting in the lobby with a gurney for the wounded woman. Her transport never made it back to the office; we were told by the driver of Mrs. Farner's transport that it swerved and crashed ten minutes before reaching us. Again, we are only assuming, but I believe that the woman died and attacked her driver before we could get her into containment. When I noticed the blood on Mrs. Farner's finger, I asked her how it had happened. She explained that someone tried to bite her and caught her finger in their teeth - that is when I decided she was possibly infected. You see, all the other victims we knew of, had bites which broke the skin and all eventually died before getting back up and biting others. I asked that she immediately be restrained and taken to my quarantine lab where I could run tests in a safe environment, despite Hugo's protests."
    "But now she's experiencing advanced symptoms," Dr. Nguyen said and Dr. Alvarez nodded.
    "Within three hours of her arrival her fever spiked, and from there the symptoms progressed like a textbook case of viral meningitis. The only difference is that her body cannot fight it, as it's progressing too quickly. Fifteen hours later, and she's in the final stages."
    "How much longer do you think she has?" Dr. Nguyen asked.
    "At this rate," Dr. Alvarez ran his hand over his eyes, "I would guess, three maybe four hours. Whatever the disease is doing to her body could take up to twenty four hours given the final stage should be a coma, but I doubt her body will sustain a coma state for long. I've never been in this position before where I don't know how to fix it." He looked past the camera to Dr. Nguyen; exhaustion, frustration and grief etched into the lines of his face. "I'd like to rest for an hour; we can continue with the summary once I've had a short nap."
    "Certainly doctor." The camera angle dropped to the floor. "I'll wake you if her condition changes." Dr. Nguyen stood, still holding the camera pointed down and walked to the door, dimmed the lights, and swung the door closed behind her. She sighed, leaning against the closed door before turning the camera on herself.
    Allegra was finally able put a face to the voice behind the camera. Dr. Nguyen was of Asian descent; her dark hair cut in a sensible bob with a heavy fringe of bangs. Her hooded, almond shaped eyes had dark smears beneath them but the woman couldn't have been much older than thirty.
    Dr. Nguyen pushed her bangs from her eyes with the back of her free hand. "I never thought I'd see the day when the dead rose up and killed the living. Hugo locked down the building just after ten this morning. Only half of our employees came into work today and now they are trapped here with us. They are unable to leave - unable to return to their loved ones.
    "An hour ago I went up to the lobby to take some time for myself and there was a group of people at the security desk shouting. The guard was doing his best to calm them but all they wanted was to get out. Of course he couldn't accommodate them, igniting their fear and irritation over the situation further. One of them noticed someone stumbling through the parking lot and cried out, diverting the group's attention from the guard and out the large windows. It was a man in a business suit. He staggered closer, everyone falling silent when they saw the blood dripping from his chin and the tear in