Gerry dragged me back into Bundo's by the collar of my shirt. He tossed me against the front tables, and without stopping, rushed to the windows, and closed the blinds and curtains. He locked the door next.

Flesh. Blood. You need more.

With my hands gripping the back of a chair, I watched him. And heaved. Jimmy's remains poured out of me in chunks, with hot, splattering blood.

I was in pain, sweating profusely.

"Shit, shit, shit, Axel." Gerry turned his back against the door and watched me. The knife he had fell to the floor. He kicked it away as if it scratched them, then squatted, hands on his face. "What the fuck happened?"

I gagged at the last bits of Jimmy slipped off my lip and stumbled back into the table behind me. My hands shook as I wiped at my mouth. My vision blurred. Thoughts of Jimmy's screaming face, the invigorating feeling of his blood sliding down my throat, and Riley's terror flooded my mind.

What is happening to me?

"I told you to throw out the trash, Axel! Not—" Gerry hissed. "Why the hell is—how are you like this?"

Pulling a chair close, I sat down. I needed to. My legs were giving out. "I saw Riley," I coughed.

"Your girlfriend? Your infected dead girlfriend!"

Yes, my infected girlfriend.

"You opened the door to your infected girlfriend?" Now he was shouting. Pushing up from his knees, he crossed the front of the shop and grabbed me by my collar. He disregarded the blood on my clothes. It stained his shirt, drenching his chest, even.

I squeezed my eyes shut as he shook me. "I couldn't help it," I whispered. "She said something, I caught a whiff, and—"

"You smelled her?" Gerry let me go and stepped away. His hands shot up into his short hair. The few strands he had, he tugged, grunting. "Fuck, Axel."

The rumor was their scent; infections passed in the air. They carried it with them, releasing it into the air when they spoke when they breathed. It floated in the wind, and it spread like wildfire if there were enough of them.

Based on what Jimmy said when he told Riley to go back to the safety zone, there had to be.

"Okay, this is fine." Gerry turned and doubled checked the front door. "No one knows what happened. I just..." He sighed. "I'll call Mertz in the morning. He's my doctor. He'll be discreet."

Pushing off the door, I thought he was walking toward me. But walked past me. He rounded the counter and grabbed a garbage bag. "I just need to get rid of the body."

My breathing slowed. The pain eased. I stretched my fingers to crack my bones before rolling my shoulders back. "The body?" I asked, my voice hoarse.

Flesh, nourishment.

"Yes." Gerry faced me, shaking the bag open. "What do you think? Should I cut it? Wrap it?" He held the bag open in front of him. "I'll wear a mask."

He was calm; panicked but calm.

"Gerry," I pushed up from my seat and walked to him; struggling with each step, "leave it alone."

"Leave a dead man with a half-eaten body outside our back door?" He blinked at me. It did sound ridiculous when said out loud.

"Gerry," I huffed.

Why was he helping? Getting rid of the body meant he was covering up the crime. When the infected passed through our gates, it was all over the radio; HazMat came in and cleaned up the pieces. In this case, I would be a piece; I would be tossed, burned, and removed.

What if what Riley said meant something?

My gaze slid back over Gerry.

She knew something, didn't she?

"I think there's something to the infected," I whispered.

Gerry turned to the mini fridge, opened it, and grabbed a bottle of water. Spinning fast, he tossed it at me. "Yeah, a virus. But drink this. All of it. Flush out the shit." He licked his lip. "I'll be in the back."

I reached out and grabbed his sleeve. "Listen to me, Gerry. Riley said something and—"

"And you're not going home tonight, hear me?" Gerry blinked, unbothered. "I have an extra room upstairs. You'll stay there until Mertz comes in the morning."

I bit the insides of my cheek, still tasting blood. He wouldn't let me leave. I shouldn't complain; I was safe in his care, wasn't I? Gerry always looked out for me.

"So, sit tight, this shouldn't be more than an hour."

I blinked at him as his panic faded completely. How could he be so calm? He found me outside eating a man, and if he hadn't stopped me, I would've dived into Jimmy's intestines. My mouth watered at the thought.

Slowly turning the water bottle's cap, I kept my eyes on Gerry's back. "Have you done this before?" I whispered.

Gerry looked back at me but didn't say a word.

*

The second my head touched a pillow, it didn't matter that it wasn't my apartment; I was out like a light. The pain traveling up my body faded away, drifting into nightmares that felt like dreams. Images of blood, screaming people, and ripping flesh should terrify me. Instead, I slept through it all and awoke the next morning refreshed.

Morning breath mixed with Jimmy's flesh filled my mouth. Staring at the ceiling, I wanted mouthwash. Something, anything, to get his taste off my tongue.

What if it was Riley? She must taste delicious.

Voices traveled from the hallway. I glanced at the closed door. An old miniature basketball hoop hung on the wall. Posters of Disturbed and Slipknot covered the walls. Whose room was this?

Gerry said it was a spare, but someone lived in here. A teen?

"Did he display any other behavior after the attack? Did you check his temperature?" I didn't recognize the voice. It was deeper, older than Gerry. This voice sounded impatient and worried. That wasn't a good combination.

"He was boiling, yes." Gerry's voice responded. He was calmer than the other man. Was that Mertz? His doctor? Had to be.

"I made him guzzle water," Gerry added.

"Good," Mertz muttered. "Good."

I may have slept great, but I sweated my ass off. Sitting up on the bed, the clothes Gerry had me change into stuck to my skin. I peeled away the shirt and fanned myself.

"And how is he now?" Mertz asked.

I glanced at the door.

"He's sleeping," Gerry said. "I gave him Jonathan's old clothes to change into last night and he's in my boy's old room now."

Jonathan? My gaze passed over the posters, and the basketball hoop then landed on the school sports trophies, and the certificates on the wall; this was Jonathan's room. Or was it someone else's?

"Oh, Gerry," Mertz sighed. "I'm sorry. This time it'll be different. We know what mistakes happened before. Keep him here. Don't let him go outside." A bag clipped shut, like a doctor's bag; never seen one but the sound had to be it. "And make sure he drinks a lot of water. The blood will dehydrate him. I'll be back tomorrow to get a thorough exam."

My brows pinched together. Did they know of the mistakes that happened before? What happened? And whatever it was, did it happen to Jonathan? I bit my lip and slid off the bed.

Dr. Mertz and Gerry knew something about my sudden change last night. Were they going to keep me in the dark, craving my girlfriend's blood? I wasn't sure what was worse:

The fact that I killed and ate a man last night, and it didn't seem like a problem?

Or the fact that I wanted to kill and eat Riley next, and they knew why?

My hand hovered over the doorknob and I contemplated interrupting their conversation. But the front door to Gerry's apartment opened and he and Mertz muttered quick goodbyes to one another.

Couldn't catch them, couldn't question them, so when the door closed, I opened mine.

Gerry quickly turned and looked at me with wide eyes. "Oh, mornin'" kid. When did you wake up?"

I leaned against the doorway and crossed my arms over my chest. "Early enough to listen in on you and who I assume was the doctor."

Gerry turned the lock on the door. "How much did you hear?"

"Enough," I lied because it wasn't. I was clueless, confused, and wanted answers. So, I'd fish until he bit the bait.

Passing my tongue over my teeth, shuddering at the remnants of Jimmy's taste in my mouth, I shook my head. "Who's Jonathan?"

Gerry pushed off the door. He started toward me but stopped a good foot or so away. Then he sighed and rubbed his forehead. "My son," he said, holding my gaze. "Jonathan was my son."

*A/N:

ONC Total Word Count: 7743!
After what Riley said in the previous chapter... what Gerry says adds more suspicion.
What are he and the doctor hiding?

And why does Riley know?
{And someone, please, explain to Axel why he keeps craving flesh?!?!}
-- if you're here, thank you for following along with my ONC story! <3 I appreciate you --