"I heard one of them say that most of the zombies in Texas were wiped out," Doctor Caswell interjected. "I heard similar reports from people coming in from Arizona, New Mexico… Areas where it is really hot are those that seemed to get under control first."
"People can still be infected," Doctor Kavorski added, "but the virus does not seem to do well in a high temperature environment. That's why we're having such a problem here as well as north of here. In fact, one of the first things the virus does when it infects a victim is it shuts off the body's metabolism."
Halstead nodded. "That's why we don't pick them up on infrared. They don't put off body heat."
"That would be why," Kavorski confirmed. "I don't know how useful all of this is, but it's something to go on. When we find ourselves in communication with the outside again we'll share what we have and see what others have been able to determine." He turned his eyes down and shook his head. "With winter coming we could have a real problem coming with it. The zombies will be able to move around all day, and that will accelerate how fast they spread."
"Then we'd better work like hell before that happens," the Colonel informed. He loosed another deep breath and rubbed his eyes. "Just make sure we take care of what we have here, and see about doing something that will help Zoe out. We need to keep her on our side as long as we can."
"Agreed," Doctor Caswell confirmed.
CHAPTER 12
Three days later things at the hospital were relatively quiet. The team from San Antonio embarked on daily seek and destroy missions that always turned into supply runs for whatever they could find. Fresh troops were shuttled to the power plant daily, as well as the water treatment center. Making sure the zombies did not find the hospital was a priority and barricades were erected in a two block radius to redirect them should they wander that way, and it seemed to be working.
Zoe was kept under the watchful eye of one of the doctors or someone they trusted with her at all times. They noticed that she was afflicted with periodic headaches, but a little aspirin seemed to be the best cure for that. She also seemed to lose interest in the childish endeavors that she had come to be known for. Cartoon watching gave way to more advanced things. She spent as much time with Zachary as she could and there were rumors circulating that they were becoming more than friends, though with Zoe under such watchful eyes, any developing relationship would surely have been better observed. She also spent more time with Morgan, and a more open and bubbly personality began to emerge. The person Zoe was becoming was a girl that everyone was growing to love, but the doctors and Colonel could only see her evolving personality with a certain sense of dread. She was half zombie, and they expected the other half to succumb to what she was at any time.
A decision had to be made, and it was time for precautions to be taken.
Without being told why, Zoe was moved to a smaller room in the ICU where she could be closely monitored at night, and where she would be closer to the rooms the doctors stayed in.
On outings, she had collected quite a collection of clothing and shoes, and these she carried in a single big armload to the small, windowless room where she angrily dropped them on the small chest that had been moved in there for her. Setting her hands on her hips, she stared down at her belongings, and as she heard Doctor Caswell enter with a few more of her things, including her teddy bear, she grumbled, "I don't see why I have to move. Morgan and I are getting along really well and there's no reason to move me." She looked around the room, her temper boiling up as she asked with very harsh words, "Can I at least get a TV in here?"
"Next thing on my list," Rachel assured as she set the bear on the bed. "I need you to get changed into a gown real quick. We have a couple of things to do before bed."
Zoe vented a hard breath and shook her head. "You've been testing me for stuff all day! I just want to go to sleep!"
Doctor Caswell just stared down at the bear for a moment, then she turned to the door and said, "I'll give you a moment to get changed, then we should talk."
Watching with defiant eyes as the Doctor left the room, she set her jaw and finally reached for the hospital gown that Caswell had left on the bed for her. "This is bogus," she grumbled as she angrily pulled her shirt off.
Rachel returned a few moments later, this time with a couple of soldiers with her, and both soldiers were armed with pistols on their hips.
Looking nervously to the soldiers, Zoe backed up a step and demanded, "What's going on here? What are you doing?"
"Just get into bed," Doctor Caswell ordered as gently as she could. "I'll explain everything in a moment."
"Explain now!" Zoe cried.
Rachel clenched her jaw as she stared back at the girl. With a slight nod, she closed the distance between them with three hesitant steps and raised her hands to the girl's head, gently grasping the sides of her neck as she spoke very softly. "Okay. I think you deserve to know." She drew another breath. "Zoe, the virus inside of you is still hard at work. Remember how we talked about what it is doing to your autism?"
Zoe hesitantly nodded.
"I think it will completely reverse your Asperger's, and that would be great, but then your brain will function normally, probably better than any of ours, and we think that is what the virus wants to do."
Tears began to well up in the girl's eyes.
Her lips tightening, Rachel gently went on, "We think it is only a matter of time until you…"
"Become like one of them," the girl whispered.
Doctor Caswell nodded and confirmed in a slight voice, "Yes."
"But I don't want to be like one of them!" Zoe whimpered. "Can't you just make me autistic again?"
"I wish we could," Rachel said as a tear rolled down her cheek. "Believe me, we're doing everything we can to save you. That's what the tests have been about the last few days, to keep this from happening to you. I promise you, Zoe, if there is any way we can keep that from happening to you, we will find it."
Zoe reached up and grasped the Doctor's arms, turning her eyes down as she said in a very slight voice, "But for now I guess you have to make sure that I don't hurt anyone."
"I'm afraid so," Rachel confirmed. "We don't know when it will happen, and that means we have to take precautions to protect the people here, your friends."
With a nod, Zoe added, "From me."
"Yeah," Rachel confirmed. "I wish it didn't have to be this way. Look, I'm going to give you something to help you sleep, then I want you to get into bed, okay?"
Zoe nodded again.
She was given a pill and swallowed it with some of her favorite fruit juice. She and Rachel stood by the side of the bed, leaning on it and talking about matters that girl's talk about until a wave of sleepiness washed over the girl and her eyes grew very heavy.
"Okay," Rachel ordered. "Into the bed."
Laying flat on her back, Zoe settled her head onto the soft pillow and turned her half closed eyes to the Doctor who stood beside her, and she watched her reach under the bed for something. Her eyes closed fully, then she forced them back open as she felt something soft wrap around her wrist. "What are you doing?" she asked with sleepy words.
Rachel would not look at her and instead buckled the leather restraint around her wrist. "I'm just making sure you don't sleepwalk. Don't worry. You'll be fast asleep in a moment and you won't even know you're restrained."