A Different Virus - Laura's Story

Chapter 93

"Ahhh! What the-" Todd's startled and sleepy voice was loud enough that other people started to stir as they woke up.

I started giggling uncontrollably and ended up rolling off the stump I had been sitting on. Todd's tousled head popped over the side of the trailer as he stared at me in disbelief, "You are aware that the girl is supposed to kiss the frog to get a prince, right?"

I rolled around and giggled again, "I made sure it was a girl first!"

Todd looked dumbfounded and glanced back down at something beside him. He looked back up, "I am not even sure I want to know how you found that out."

I managed to stop giggling and sat up as I grinned at his expression, "Only the girls get that big with that species."

He glanced down and picked up the very large, fat, and wart covered toad and examined it, "I will take your word for it, but I am not going to kiss it."

I fell back down as I dissolved into a fit of giggles again. He was never going to be a prince at this rate. After Todd's rude awakening, others had also woken and were coming down for breakfast. Todd brought the toad down, much to the amusement of the others watching.

"Here is your friend back."

I held up the bucket and Todd the toad back inside of it. It didn't take me long to exit the fence and go to the river that was just on the other side of the some bushes. I carefully put the toad in the damp grass under a bush and washed my pail in the cold water before heading back to the camp.

I sat by Diane who was dicing up more roots for trail snacks later on. Todd came over and grabbed my bucket, "I'll grab some more water and help scrub these pots. Only seems fair since you always cook for us in the morning."

Diane nodded, "Thank you."

I piped up, "You might want to rinse the bucket first, just in case the toad peed in there."

Todd made a face and shook his head as he headed outside of the fence. Of course, I had already washed the bucket out well. I just didn't tell him that. I started bagging up the diced up roots while Diane cut more up.

A worried voice called out, "Todd! What's wrong?"

I looked up in worry, but didn't see Todd through the number of people who were already getting up to investigate. Sometimes being short had its drawbacks. Diane glanced over in worry before carefully putting the blade away and getting up. I followed her.

Everyone was just outside of the fence. I could hear people whispering here and there, but the overlapping murmurs were too low for me to make out. Diane walked around the semicircle of people until we could see Todd.

He had tears running down his face as he sat on a low rock. He held his hand over a spot on his arm as blood dripped slowly past his fingers. I blinked in shock, how had he gotten hurt with a bucket? Had he fallen and landed on a sharp stick? Why was no one else helping him wrap it up?

Diane frowned and started walking towards him. I quickly followed her, concerned for Todd. He glanced up and shook his head, "Stop. I've been bitten by a zombie."

Diane came to a stop and I almost bumped into her. I looked towards the nearby creek, I could see parts of it through the buffalo bushes that grew along its banks. I didn't see or hear a zombie though...

"I managed to push it into the creek and it was going downstream when I got up on top of the bank. Took a big chunk of my arm with it though."

Diane shrugged off her pack and dug out a large handful of gauze padding. She passed it to Todd who took it, taking care to not touch her skin just in case it transmitted the virus. Everyone had gathered in a loose and mostly silent semi-circle around the rock.