The Venom Will Spread, but Still Walk the Dead

Ray's P.O.V:

Mikey really needs to be careful with what he says.

I'm sure she'll be fine.

Of course, like a jinx, Frank discovered the bite mark on the back of the girl's calf muscle. Eliza then informed us that it was a few hours ago that Lindsey had been bitten and ever since then she'd been sweating up a fever and complaining about the itching sensation that seemed to smother her entire body.

Everyone seemed to jump a step back as Eliza informed us. She looked at us all in confusion, her eyebrows crossed.

"Is that a bad thing?" She questioned.

"Bad. . . potentially!" Gerard replied.

Frank looked Lindsey over, brushing her hair back from her pale face. She stirred. Every one jumped to attention, hands on weapons, ready to shoot if necessary. Hearts pumped. Was she safe? Was she a threat? Frank got down onto one knee again, lifting an eyelid and looking into her eyes. Then he checked for a pulse.

"She still has a pulse," He said "And her eyes respond to the light. Maybe she treated it?"

"What?"

"She's a Doctor," Frank said "Maybe she treated her injury?"

Lindsey shifted, stirring slowly. We watched on, praying she was okay. Frank had made a fair point! Maybe she had treated her injury. After all, she was a doctor, right? That made her capable of treating an injury, right?

She stirred again, her eyes fluttering open. Everyone seemed to lean closer hopefully, breath held. Perhaps we were lucky.

Her eyes started to focus. She didn't move. Frank didn't dare move closer to her. He watched as her eyes began to move, taking in her surroundings slowly. She let out a slow exhale. Frank spoke.

"Lindsey?"

No visible response from the dark haired beauty.

"Lindsey? Can you hear me?"

Her eyes flicked to him. She nodded slowly.

"My name's Frank. I'm a S.T.A.R.S officer," He explained gently "Can you tell me how you're feeling?"

Her lips parted as she attempted to speak. She struggled at first. Then she managed a whisper. Then she managed to croak her words out.

"I-Itchy."

"Itchy?" Frank repeated as if checking we'd all heard her right "Anything else?"

"Itchy. H-hot. Skin. . . really tight."

"It's okay," Frank shushed gently "We're here to help. We'll get some medicine or something. . ."

She didn't reply.

"Can you stand?"

"I. . . can try."

"C'mon, arm up over my shoulder," Frank encouraged, hauling her upwards while she rested on him.

The smell was the first thing we noticed. A kind of disgusting decaying smell. It was emitting from Lindsey. The skin around her injury was pale, her veins showing through the skin. It featured patches of purply blue.

Frank ignored the smell like the gentleman he was and tried to walk her forwards. Lindsey's leg moved and a chunk of flesh fell away, rotten and smelly. We stared in horror. Blood trickled from her wound.

"C'mon," Frank urged "You're doing fine."

"Itchy. Itchy. . ." She rasped.

"I know," He replied in a soothing tone "Don't worry, we'll get you fixed up and you'll be fine."

Eliza started fretting as she walked alongside Gerard and Mikey. Will she be okay? What's the matter with her? Stuff like that. No one said anything. We'd end up jinxing ourselves.

Lindsey continued to rasp at Frank. It started to sound like some kind of incantation. Itchyitchyitchy. . . you get my meaning. She leaned heavier and heavier on him with every step they took. Frank did everything he could to encourage her and keep her awake. She only seemed interested in the itching sensation she was feeling.

A soft creaking sound as we walked along the road. No one paid it much attention. Just like we did with Lindsey's growling rasps, we switched off and didn't register it. It was probably just something in one of the buildings. An old fan or something.

Lindsey continued to rasp at Frank. Itchy. . . itchy. . .

But then something caught our attention. A new word. . . Tasty.

Frank looked at her glazed eyes with a deep frown of confusion and attempts to understand.

"What, Lindsey?" He questioned.

She didn't reply.

"What's tasty?"

"Tasty," She growled as if agreeing with something he said.

The creaking got louder.

"What is that?" Eliza questioned, looking around.

A groaning creak. Like something metal struggling to hold weight. Gerard looked up.

Eliza screamed.

Crash.

The Earth around us shook.

Eliza whimpered from underneath Gerard. The dust began to sink, revealing the billboard behind them.

Everyone shrieked and rushed over to them. Gerard stood up, brushing himself off and offering Eliza a hand to help her up. She allowed him to pull her up. Her blue eyes sparkled as she looked at him with adoration.

"Thank you."

"I didn't do anything no one else would have done."

She nodded, her eyes still twinkling.

Frank squatted down to look at the thick metal stands the billboard had been resting on. He touched them carefully with one finger.

"These should have been holding it up just fine," He stated "They look fairly new."

"So what do you think happened?" Bob questioned.

"Look at these claw marks," Frank said, pointing out a set of deep thick marks in the metal "Something must have cut through them!"

"But what? What in the city could do that?"

I looked back at Lindsey where Frank had laid her down to run over to help Gerard and Eliza. She was on her front, crawling towards us. She had a manic determined look in her eye. I rushed over to help her up.

"Lindsey," I started, lifting her arm over my shoulder "Let me help you, honey!"

"Itchy. . ." She rasped.

"I know, I know."

"T-tasty."

I looked at her glazed eyes. She was looking at me with a crazy expression. Saliva ran from the corner of her mouth.

"Tastyyy," She growled.

I screamed as she moved in towards me. Her hands locked around me and her teeth snapped. I screamed.

"MY GOD!" I cried "GET OFF ME YOU CRAZY COW! OFF! GET OFF OF ME! GET HER OFFA ME!"

"LINDSEY, NO!" Eliza screamed.

Bang.

I dropped her body straight away and gave it a sharp kick. Everyone stared silently. I sighed to myself and stepped away from the dead girl who'd just tried to kill me. For a moment I almost thought Frank's lip was trembling. But no, I blinked and his face was hard. He looked up at me.

"Did she uh. . . hurt you?"

"I don't think my neck's ever gonna' be the same," I responded, rolling my neck on my shoulders from where she'd grabbed me and twisted my neck.

"But you're okay? She didn't. . . well-"

"Bite me? No, she didn't."

Mikey kneeled next to Lindsey and watched her silently.

"She's dead," He whispered.

"Well done, Einstein," Frank snipped "Come on, let's get going!"

Mikey sighed and reached out, closing the girl's eyelids and brushing her hair from her face. Gerard knelt behind his brother sensitively, waiting for him to finish. He reached out and rested a hand on his brother's shoulder. Mikey nodded and slowly stood up. Gerard put an arm around his brother and led him away.