WalkerZ - A Zombie Apocalypse Story

Chapter 14 - Corporal Punishment

Hope had a quick discussion with Stan and then turned and nodded. "Stan's quite happy outside."

"Well he's got his own shed, so I hope he likes it." Mal looked at the grey-skinned man and nodded at him. "Welcome to base Stan, I'm Mal."

Stan nodded and walked up the hill behind the others.

~

"Stan settled in okay?" asked Merryn, dropping her plate of food onto the table next to Hope's.

"He seems fine. You can't really tell with Stan to be honest. He's hard to read."

Merryn laughed and spooned a mouthful of food into her mouth. "The others are coming now," she said in between bites.

For a while the team ate in silence, enjoying the luxury of being in secure surroundings and feeling clean. Andrew took his empty plate up to the kitchen and returned a short time later with what looked like a bowl of custard. He sighed happily and was about to spoon some into his mouth when his expression soured. "I guess there must've been a shift change up at the castle, here comes Corporal Numpty."

Merryn reached across and patted him on the hand. "Keep your eyes on your food Andrew, I'll deal with him if he decides to start."

"Not if I get there first," muttered Hope.

"Easy tiger. Not a deadhead remember, he's on our side." Merryn cast Hope a warning look and she subsided, muttering under her breath.

The Corporal walked past them and his expression darkened for a moment but he kept walking, intent on food rather than fighting.

Eddie breathed a sigh of relief as did Andrew, and the conversation returned to normal levels until a few minutes later when the Corporal walked past them on the way to drop off his empty plate.

"Bloody zombie lovers," he muttered.

Merryn stood up. "Corporal, do you have something to say?"

The soldier stopped, dropped his tray on a nearby table, and turned to face her. "Yeah, I do." Corporal Rimmer moved towards her, chin jutting pugnaciously as conversation in the refectory stopped and people listened in. "You and your little pet here," he gestured at Hope. "Brought back a deadhead that we now have to look after. You're risking our lives for a creature that's probably killed people, killed soldiers, and we're expected to be grateful and happy. Well, screw that. You're not even army, just some junkie who came here and banged on the gate screaming to be let in because you'd wet yourself."

Merryn eyed the corporal. She knew his reputation within the barracks was as a bully. He was a stocky bruiser of a man in his mid-twenties. But as she opened her mouth to reply, Hope pushed past her and faced the man. Her chin was at his chest level and she glared up at him.

"What's the problem, big man? Are you scared that you're going to wake up with a straw in your ear? Do the moans of the deadheads keep you awake at night? Must be easy to have a pop at other people when you're sat here in the safety of the barracks. What is it you do again? Polish the gravel of the parade ground and stuff your face with whatever the scavenger crews bring in? They're out there risking their lives to gather food so you can grow your backside, and pretend to be a soldier. You're nothing but a parade ground wanna-be sergeant. But you'll never make the grade because none of your squad respects you enough. Do you want to test it? Shall we see how many step up to help you when a woman half your size knocks seven bells out of you?"

"Hope," said Merryn. "That's enough, you don't have to challenge this scumbag."

"Back off Merryn." Hope's eyes were lit with fire, anger spilling into the gap between her and the larger frame of the corporal who had involuntarily taken a step back.