ReAnimator/ Walking Dead: DeadFall

One

Outskirts of Boston

        The overwhelming fear of being mauled by the dead made his gut clench. That is until he heard a woman tell him, "Duck." It was either be lunch for the dead man in front of him or let this woman pick him off. Herbert quickly ducked out of reach of the dead man's hands, the bullet whizzed by his head between the man's eyes. His mottled body fell backward into the bushes with a heavy thud. "You alright?", her southern twang sounded out, as she holstered her gun and offered a hand. Herbert knew not to look a gifted horse in its mouth. Looking up, he used her as leverage to get up. "Yeah, thank you.", he said adjusting his glasses. A curvy petite woman wearing blue jeans, a red hoodie, and boots, her hair pulled back into a ponytail, she cocked her head, her hair swinging. "Welcome. Don't stand there like a deer in the headlights. You got a car or truck?", she asked. "No, my car broke down right out of town.", Herbert pointed behind him. "C'mon. I have a truck just over there. Do you have any weapons?", she replied. "I had a gun but I left it in the car. By the time I figured that out you saved me.", Herbert blushed in embarrassment. "Well, shit happens. Get your bag.", she indicated the black bag discarded near the body. Herbert hurried, cautiously grabbing his bag and running to keep up with her. "I'm Dr. Herbert West.", he said when they reached a blue Chevrolet pickup. "Mischa Anderson. I was on my way to Georgia. My brothers are there.", she hopped in with such ease it amazed him that a short woman could do so.

    He quickly slipped in, buckled his seat belt and set his bag on the floor. "I hope you don't mind if I speed. I'm not in the mood for a Sunday drive. Times wasting.", she put the truck in gear and peeled out of the gravel driveway of an old house. He didn't have time to answer, it was all he could do to keep himself from hitting the back window with his head. Mischa drove at breakneck speed, even plowing over a few dead people milling about. Herbert cringed when someone's skull bounced off the hood. "Disgusting.", he muttered. "That it is. Honestly, the only dead body I am used to is the ones that stay on the slab.", she replied. "You're a doctor?", he sounded surprised. "Shocked? Yes, I'm a Forensics Coroner.", Mischa smiled. "Were you at the Miskatonic University?", he asked. "No, I worked for Boston PD." "Where did you study?", clearly interested. "Johns Hopkins in Minneapolis. Does it really matter where I studied? This isn't exactly the best place to discuss our medical studies. It's getting late, maybe I could find us some shelter for the night. Keep your eyes peeled for anything.", she suggested. Herbert hadn't actually realized how late it was.

    They both spotted a small hotel off the main highway. She quickly jumped the grass divider and over to the parking lot. Herbert had to hold onto the hand grip provided in the truck to stop from bouncing. "Damn, do you have to drive like a nut?", he barked. "Relax! Don't be a douche bag.", Mischa snarked. She pulled in. "Here.", she handed him a Colt Python. "What?", he almost dropped it. "Hold the gun, fella. Just don't shoot yourself.", she pulled her own gun out and got out. "If we're lucky this place will be clear.", she said. She motioned for him to get against the graying siding of the office, held her gun up and edged closer to a nearby window. Peeking around the sill, she looked in. Inside two elderly people, obviously dead were wandering around, occasionally knocking something over. "Two inside. Both elderly.", she turned to Herbert. "Remember head shot." He nodded, steeling his own shaky nerves, followed her lead. She twisted the old door knob, it squeaked slightly, "Crap." It drew the attention of the dead inside. Jumping in front of the door, Mischa kicked the door open and nailed the old man clacking his teeth, his dead eyes gleaming, in the forehead. He fell forward revealing who must have been his wife, her neck ripped open, black blood dried on the open wound. Herbert took the shot and hit her dead on. She fell forward as well, landing over her husband's legs. Mischa stepped back, the woman's head cracked open when she hit the doorframe. Gore slowly dribbled down the wooden frame. Holstering her gun, she grabbed the collar of the woman's nightgown and pulled her body up of the way and beside the office. "Get him.", she said coming back wiping her bloody hands on the grass. Herbert stuck his gun in his waistband and used what strength he had to pull the old man out next to his wife. "Gross.", Mischa stopped short realizing she'd stepped in brain matter. She hopped over to the grass and wiped her left foot on it to get rid of the brain material. Herbert walked in behind her, shutting the door. Mischa found a flashlight on the counter, turning it on, it had a strong beam. She searched the back apartment, finding wall to wall nothing. Aside from a first aid kit, empty cans of beans, SPAM, and vegetables, these old folks were most definitely not prepared, but then how could anyone have been prepared for something that hit so fast.

     Herbert came back to find her digging through the kitchen cupboards. She did find a few boxes of snack crackers, a jar of jelly, unopened, and about seventy bottles of medication. "Jeez, these people were walking pharmacies.", she commented. Each pill was for some ailment that could have been solved with possibly one drug or another. She found a bag and stuffed all the drugs inside. "What are you doing?", he asked. "Called in case. Some of this is useful. For instance, the woman must have had Rheumatoid Arthritis, she was taking Hydroxy Chloroquine. This drug has multiple uses. Her husband was taking heart pills, blood thinners, and this for his prostate.", she showed Herbert a large bottle of blue pills. Herbert shrugged, walking into the bathroom. There he found his face was speckled with dried blood. Grabbing a wash cloth, he ran it under the water and squeezed out the excess and washed his face. This wasn't exactly how he planned his day. He barely made it out of town, his car broke down, then to have this woman save his life. It was almost too much for him to process. But he was thankful nonetheless. Sighing, he almost jumped when he looked back up to see Mischa staring at him in the mirror. "I found some food.", she said turning back.