Chapter 4

I was reclothed in black pants and a dark green shirt, carefully tucked back into bed.

The human in blue went over to the nurse and frowned as he talked to her.

“He responded to what I said.”

Everyone in the room froze and turned to the male.

“What do you mean?” The female in white asked.

“I asked him to turn and he did, when we were in the shower.”

The female frowned.

“Doctor? What does that mean….? A human slowly asked.

Doctor…. They called this female Doctor a lot or Doc.

“From what I have researched, the part of their brain that understands language is very damaged, but maybe it's possible he understands some words…..? I wouldn't think that a zombie that's been this infected for so long would…” She raised a finger to her mouth as she stared at me for a moment.

“They do….however respond to sound…… but mhm….”

“I did….. Twirl my finger?” The man in blue said hesitantly.

The Doctor paused, seeming lost in thought before he reached out a hand towards me.

I stared at her as she did a come here motion.

Slowly I sat up from the bed and stood up, walking towards her before the chains stopped me.

I blinked in confusion and tried to take another step before she did a stop sign.

I stopped.

The humans stared at me in shock.

“He…. understands signs?” The male in blue said softly, his eyes wide as he looked at me.

“I think so…. They have very good hearing but are unable to understand language or very little anymore...yet understand signs….” The Doctor mumbled.

She stared at me strangely, looking at my hair.

My hair after getting cleaned had turned a light red color, no longer brown.

She looked me up and down, appearing both confused and worried.

“Would…. Zombies be able to do work you think?” A human said.

Work, I understood that word.

The Doctor let out a sigh.

“Unlikely, skip a feeding and they would go feral again. We have enough meat thanks to the agriculture work Max…...did before….” She turned to look at me again, frowning.

“Before he died but whether we could handle feeding a lot of zombies on time when they need to be fed would be difficult.” She continued.

“Think they could be taught tasks though? Or maybe just a handful could learn to deter other zombies from us?” The same human said after a moment.

The Doc tilted her head at me.

“It's possible but would have to be a very small easily controlled group, one we can manage to feed on time everytime.”

“Why don't we try on him? He seems docile and semi intelligent.”

The Doctor frowned at the human.

“No, I need someone to test the cure on remember? I haven't been working all this time just to not try it.”

I didn't seem to actually be needed so while they talked I shuffled back to the bed, sitting and then laying down again.

Eventually after several more discussions I couldn't follow I was fed another light meal and left alone.

My body was completely relaxed, well fed, and clean for the first time in very long.

I drifted again, thinking about the supposed word on my chest, not knowing the meaning of it.

What was a Henry?

No clue.

My hand slowly raised up and rested over my heart, feeling the slow thumps as I blinked in the darkness.

I was ok with the feeling of my heart thumping and drifted as I listened to it.

More time passed and the feedings continued, I gained some weight and had more *showers*.

“I wish we could brush his teeth too.” The Doctor sighed as she looked down at me on the bed.

“I mean if you want him taking a bite out of you be my guest Doctor.” The blonde male chuckled as he stood beside her.

She looked up at him in annoyance.

“We could try and train him to do it.” He teased.

She rolled her eyes.

“I want him strapped down just like a feeding.” She ordered.

I blinked at her in confusion.

Feeding?

I had just been fed?

Another?

I was pretty full though….

Sadly I would have preferred the feeding.

My head was strapped down and my jaw pulled apart by hands.

I was a bit confused as the Doctor took something and started making weird shoowshing noises inside my mouth.

I didn't try to bite her or move though.

Again I was full and while there was a small nagging feeling that I should, it was easily ignored.

“Swallow safe toothpaste, since I can't really make him rinse.” She said with a smile.

Swallow?

There was something sharp feeling in my mouth, kind of cold but I did what she had said once my mouth had been let go.

She stared down at me.

“Ok now for his nails.” She said with a grin, looking at the blonde.

He sighed.

The muzzle was replaced and they took a mitten off.

One human held one of my hands down against the bed but I didn't struggle.

My other hand was chained to the bed.

I heard light click noises and then the mitten was put back.

They did the same for my other hand and replaced the mitten after.

“There!” The Doctor said with a smile.

“So why did you want to brush his teeth and everything?” The blonde sighed.

The woman was quiet for a moment, looking down at me.

“He looks familiar right?”

The blonde blinked at her and then down at me.

“.....Yes….”

“He looks just like Max...Henry would probably lose his mind from grief if he saw a zombie that looks so similar to him...and I just couldn't help but feel bad since I knew Max….. when I saw a zombie looking like him all dirty and weak.”

Henry, that word again.

“Max is long gone, Sarah…. It would be such a low chance of actually picking him up…”

“I...I know but…. Still I can't help but feel bad, for it.” She said looking down at me.

Bad, it.

Most of what these two humans had said I couldn't understand but I strained to.

Something was nagging at me to listen but I just could not understand them.

I let out a sigh, staring up at the ceiling as I tried to understand why there was a crack in it.

I knew the humans were looking at me but since I couldn't understand them I gave up.

Henry……..what even is a Henry.

More feedings occurred, and after some time I started to appear healthy almost.

I had just been given another *shower* and looked at myself in the mirror while I waited.

I had gained a near healthy amount of weight, my skin still very pale but not grey.

My eyes were still milky but my hair even seemed to be nearly glowing from being well kept.

There were still some small signs of weakness though.

Dark circles were under my eyes.

But since coming here I had not dealt with hunger after the first night.

I was calm, serene, well maintained, and docile as I was cared for.

“Who knew feeding and bathing them some would make them happy.” A human chuckled next to me as I was calmly staring at myself in the mirror.

Feeding, happy.

Yes I am happy I was getting feedings.

Happy………

Happy is good I believe.

I was redressed and led back to my bed.

The doctor had me sitting up and pressed something against my back for several moments.

“Mhmm…” She hummed.

I calmly waited until I was left to lay down.

She gave me one last long look before leaving my cell.

I drifted and when the sun rose the humans returned.

All of them.

I was fed like normal and she once again stuck a weird thing in my mouth making strange noises.

I swallowed the cold stuff.

Something crinkled out of my field of view and I slowly turned my head but a weird snapping sound to my right made me look towards it instead.

A human was holding their fingers up as if they had snapped their fingers.

I felt a light touch on my arm as I sat and then it was gone.

I blinked and the Doctor placed something that stuck to my arm in that area.

For a few minutes the humans watched me and I waited for them to leave or give me a sign to do something.

The Doctor looked at her watch and let out a breath, appearing relieved.

“If something bad would have happened it would have already happened.” She said.

Bad.

What was bad?

The humans filed out of the room and I was left alone again.

The next few feedings the same occurrence happened.

A strange feeling on my arm and something new stuck to it.

It was odd.

After this had happened a few times I stopped paying attention to it.

But something seemed off.

I blinked at the meat hanging before my mouth.

It was pink as always.

But something seemed…..wrong.

My stomach turned as I stared at it.

Normally I would have eaten it no question but the color bothered me, the scent was strong and I did not want it.

I refused to open my mouth as I stared at it.

The humans watched me as I just looked at it.

“Uh….. He's…. not eating it?” One of the black haired males said.

“No…. he's not…” The Doctor said slowly.

She pulled the meat away.

I was hungry for sure but it did not seem like food to me.

Oddly.

I turned to look at her.

“....Go get some cooked meat…” She said after a moment.

One of the humans left for some time before returning with a plate of something that gave off a light steam.

I sniffed, and the scent had my stomach panging.

I wanted it.

The doctor did the same with the cooked meat as she had done with the raw meat.

It was a brownish color and smelled like food so I ate this time.

The humans stared at me in mild wonder.

Afterwards I felt a weird prickling sensation at my arm and another thing stuck on me.

“This is good right?” The blonde man said.

Good, I knew that word.

“Yes…. I think so Jay…..” The Doctor said.

She placed something metallic on my shirt over my heart for a few moments.

She slowly nodded.

“His heart rate….is slow but…… might be better…” She murmured.

Slow, heart.

My heart was slow?

The humans left after a bit.

I stared up at the ceiling, drifting.

My hand moved to rest against my heart.

I somehow still remembered the word that was there.

Henry.