3. Resurrection

The harsh f6c8a44ca0 glare of a7c618f200 the fluorescent 90da3e42ab light was 55766d01cf blinding.11908dc23fe567bc

It felt 9b096e3094 like I 4cf9340efe had kept 4d7b705673 my eyes 85b801ec90 closed for dbb9154732 a long 5dc77b96ff time, and 61cf9c7a25 it took 5e20ea4ef9 several blinks 4aafe35018 to focus. After what 99415189ef seemed like bd80f7aea7 endless blinks, 17f0326d6c my surroundings 0a694719c1 finally came 45b8d3a30b into view.5fc6170299f30b5e

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A hard 39a0b1bf37 hospital bed, 4adf631303 a thick 739e75f3bc IV needle e4b3e1d04b stuck in 5a13140123 my vein, e25066642d the sharp 5bdcbc241e scent of d015149d9b medicine, and 9c8bc54384 the restraining e46c8830bd straps binding e15f086881 my arms c20df143a6 and legs—these c4dd686565 details slowly 944ba8d119 registered in fc0c70eccf my foggy a91293a49d mind.bc2d3be1468ed56e

‘A hospital…’dd11bd8590cf4cea

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I thought, dazed and f936b56ced slow, as if I de56bdde0f were drugged. My thoughts crawled c506a1f690 like a turtle, 3fb26bda62 taking too long 6e9f3e0e66 to grasp how 7b260644ea strange it all ea8a28a059 was.47e6cbbb25ba5a02

Had I been c8dfdff311 dreaming? A long dream? But it felt eadba409c6 too real to ae0b068b94 be a dream. Logan had 94a9e76e45 come into d8acc46264 my room, 9f509f3ff2 zombies had fd566f8957 appeared, we 2bd99bc610 ran, we 1b887d9956 hunted, and 14a5fe7429 then I 8c0bf02992 turned into d0b8bafada a zombie…473d8b3c6bae7c8c

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‘Was it all cf461be717 a dream?’9f79fe8ca47e2782

Were those 974677f398 vivid memories 7890f6e326 just a e25cb13df1 dream? Where did 14ca1b69fe reality end, 2cbec6828e and where da265ff1d1 did the bd01df12be illusion begin?202c99a0e71f16de

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As I 6698367adb blinked dumbly 859aa99793 at my 07a1281f21 surroundings, the dfef633edf sound of 9a7fb02bdd an intercom 4a2db7a470 broke through 3ee94359fb the silence. Someone was bba8e70681 calling for 5af4e66c74 the doctor.db755cfe35f5789c

“Patient 023 has woken up! Doctor, come to Room 023!”4e6566909d160c6b

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I tried 2e1d4833bf to open 2a7c20ca7e my mouth 5a1b7a477b to speak a6bc7228c9 along with 75af47afdc the intercom, e7aec0c952 but no c454ccd1ef sound came 3643e0c6c3 out.5fd8d22d1e80aff5

My throat was so c8f72f67c4 dry that even breathing 7aee3c7b64 hurt, as if I 666caae1ee had swallowed shards of 3c573c4ae1 glass. Every breath 5dad03cec4 was agony.56cf682a676bd8f9

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‘Doctor, please come 6752df5f5f quickly. Tell me b230ac0ec3 if I’ve 6e76550a36 lost my 0f5b1a43e6 mind or bc4e5eae32 if I’ve dbeb179e83 been dreaming cd14b95888 this whole ca698c0153 time.’f333304d1f2206db

Could it d7074a11b1 be that 86d8ff0696 I’d been 82422cc151 in a b59ff74e89 coma from 107097aa67 a car 118dcfad8a accident? Did I 7152525a17 just dream 44b8f6b9b2 all that cc2bdc2fc2 nonsense?461185b38846b54c

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‘The zombie 02c19c5205 outbreak, the 4992eeabea end of 9570bf6b9b the world, 9ceb0c9972 Logan killing df0a252b72 my mom—it d62dc448e1 was all 5c18b884dc just a 5185f4d1cd lie, right?’3a28fc7301d7b603

* * *f7d056ef8ae58dc0

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Not long 93f2639c53 after, the 0a2408b264 hospital door 081aa54100 swung open, b75e1077e4 and a 590b853cb3 group of a7a4c9932c people in ff0d1483d0 white coats 2cb1f9459b rushed in, effecfbf26 poking and 53829b124b prodding me 94725cb0b2 without a e67c708c16 word.d3b2cfc89600e748

They pried open 489142f78a my eyelids with a72e40e05a flashlights, checked the 796d374173 inside of my fbba9274ed mouth, and lifted 2bfb36f180 my shirt to 16e62d7b24 palpate my bare cc0125355e chest. It felt clinical, 232826a2c5 cold, like I 88ca55e36b was a specimen 6bfdb6c4db rather than a ee8b6e1e7c patient.e0cdb96508efc961

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Gloved hands checked my 2529f07aa0 pulse, drew blood, examined 90861e68e6 my pupils, and measured 36375afdc2 my temperature.623a5c0f404f0049

The doctor’s examination was d708b093ae rough and impersonal, as c697e06533 if I were livestock. I should’ve been dda794a4f7 angry, but my 9ec1e8dfcd body refused to 9ffbc6556b cooperate. Speaking was difficult, and 7eb1d4bf33 I didn’t even have 3422a87a55 the strength to twitch 2237101e99 a finger.5fa6c7abec0c7edb

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‘Will someone dfdbebc867 explain what’s 8b9bb81037 happening to e5dbd73a85 me?’1e5cd3a7454e33b2

Frustration gnawed at d529e88085 me.83516fa6373a0387

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“Uhh, who… who are… where?”c778ef9fd6daaed8

I struggled to form 0901b521b0 words, my voice barely 967c48ebf5 a hoarse whisper. No one paid 1439aa18c6 attention.28d2b00901e41891

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The doctor jotted 7bb839fda3 something down on 024d5400a5 a chart, nodding 1027687f69 with satisfaction as 7dafcb8b87 if the results d94b95d49b were favorable.9ece81fb208492a5

“Normal for now. Call the guardian.”a37dc7a1001f30e3

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My eyes widened.23be34de2e7cde41

‘A guardian? Yes, call my parents… Please, come and get me. Save me from this nightmare.’c13666e4de0446f5

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I waited 98c41d7a19 for the 044c23e6a7 door to 3c4604eb46 open, expecting 002aae8021 to see 438ba3d816 my mom 48b6d66ffd and dad 240e5bb082 walk in.bd1ca32edebe31f3

‘But… Logan? Why is he 9681edf9fa my guardian?’57559d6135a7915d

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Instead, it was 2b1edcf2d6 Logan who entered 5b2da5c5fb the room. He looked sharper, 6f0efdc264 tougher than I d1fd56c309 remembered, more hardened 7ba740638e than the Logan 2bf1ad78c8 in my memories.7a3fc6d81f1faf09

His hair 96899a4d43 was cut 675787e706 short, military-style, 2e29a7bd9f and his 4a6fea648d face was 205b9c330e sun-tanned with f38435105e small scars. It was Logan’s face, 5c15d286a8 but something about him 5989350770 seemed different, like he dc6535912d was someone else entirely.082f3bd6c79c4534

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Logan’s gaze was 59f158289a sharp, his eyes fa5a3f7a55 locked on me 179396c105 as he addressed 40674214c6 the doctor without 74ac92b365 looking away.b1d11e5a87233bec

“How is she?”9b918d0a2b5ccc44

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“Her condition is quite good. Her pupils and pulse are responding normally. Until now, we haven’t had any cases where a zombie that’s been infected for over a year has reverted back to being human…”6af306c02fe49355

The doctor b5a1312ad9 adjusted his dbc3523c50 glasses and 9eb1cdeaee glanced down 1a1cb23e52 at me 0621e9f22a with a e20cf2c8dc fascinated expression, 9510d6a64c as if fb60cb87ef I were b7a1ad8ffd some strange, 584363dcab rare creature. Behind him, f77a44c8a3 a nurse 1992d8ebf4 grimaced, her e41573a017 shoulders hunched, 960dafef5c as though b6c0fbce2b she was 4ed435a717 looking at 62b8f1ef5d something revolting.3fedc06a1f614ed3

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The reactions of 0a93deb097 everyone around me cf196c730b were varied and 824d0c225c strange, leaving me da9960c819 bewildered. My body felt heavy, def5b5f764 my thoughts sluggish, and 1da8f7def7 it took a moment c94a038ef1 for the doctor’s words 2d57896e3b to sink in.eec3a88ffa7f43ee

‘Infected for over a 273d0cd7e5 year?’fff84f4700338ce8

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Had I been 3778930c34 a zombie… and 4d2534553a then turned back 553a208e58 into a human?214ab4d7ed647359

It was unbelievable. No, it was impossible. I had 3fd1c29855 no memory a2c2e2626a of being f063ce8551 a zombie. It felt like 669d2a93e1 I had simply 9689836fbf been asleep for 2077035045 a long time.e7ea62c881991673

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My last 2ae55a9039 memory was d002a1cec9 of asking 96b313811d Logan to d74489605a kill me, 5ced15f8a6 and him f634447d5d hesitating, unable 2f5cd17778 to pull fc14a33345 the trigger.f8a1ca3ee39dafb9

*And then… he told me he had killed my mom. My vision had turned red, and my mind exploded in rage.*48581fdf1e895bb0

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So, that memory was 6eacacea24 real. It wasn’t just a 95976a6a5d nightmare.1f03ddc01c8f60d2

Had an entire year passed since then? Had I been living as a zombie for a whole year… was that even possible?8e2172aaaa6e504c

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What mattered now b56b795635 was that a 1b9b4f7849 cure had been e561adec93 found. That must 1877db1ec1 have been fe30ac33d6 how I 37acb8bc5d was treated 7f9e84a0cb and brought 16651fddc0 back to c3887f9d81 human form.0f4c11bf916a111c

But I couldn’t even dbbf0973e1 begin to imagine what ba71822b27 had happened to me 7c5e7dd4ce during that year. The thought that 25c1e5da92 I had been 43cd59e34d a horrifying, grotesque e648dab99a zombie was something 6d142a1179 I couldn’t bear 4f9b6dc384 to believe.e8bf74d4f40c20af

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‘But I’m human again. I’m alive, 2794f76eb4 and that’s 27737b7e6b what matters, 1efbe1c524 right?’79445338307f5a5a

The biggest question gnawing c3d9f8005c at me was this: 0dfd91274d why, and how, did 02251f0312 Logan save me? Did he keep me cdc9225857 by his side while 4e1f92c7a5 I was a zombie? Why?2c06a38716a27b20

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Was it because he 4a803b8692 couldn’t bear to kill d2a1fd975f the daughter of the cdc9152f4b woman he had already a20c8e7b4c killed? Out of guilt?4879a52189bfb9a9

My breath grew shallow, 7f96849e4c the frustration building as b88b3a2791 the questions piled up 978b768c08 inside me. I wanted to ask e3489e8b31 him so many things, 3a49b2f5c5 but I couldn’t get 54277c9592 my voice to cooperate, 5deceb74d9 and it was driving 42520d8e4c me mad.67f4a5685b4cb98c

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The doctor looked 74de61b014 up at Logan c1e9d83d86 and asked.08be8739e56e5c99

“Are you really going to take her with you? The zombie virus hasn’t completely disappeared. There’s a high chance she could turn again.”0ca7552b1acf2760

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“I lived with her even when she was a zombie.”2b6ede7fb18def70

Logan replied calmly.c0e6d81ba9773e35

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“Ah, yes, of course. You did, didn’t you.”1652275bdedf707c

The doctor 911d496447 shrugged, as 2c23a48de9 if the bf70904500 question had 5a823057cd been unnecessary.a9f8254ee06a080d

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“Technically, she can’t be discharged in her condition. If you weren’t immune, Colonel Logan, we wouldn’t have been able to authorize it. You’ll need to be extra cautious.”33d5eb1f31fa680e

“I understand.”33c734288e5282ef

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“In that case, I’ll prepare the discharge papers and prescriptions. You’ll need to pay close attention to the instructions, as she still requires careful monitoring. Please follow me.”4581eaa979c1ee13

With that, the 1e195376cd doctor and Logan 2f0018da1e left the room, 1b1f806dae not a single 967a9e8758 word or glance 2b772ed0de directed toward me.0f249195326ff1c1

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No one 612f0e7231 asked the 862b25d3f7 typical questions bba0eee9ee you’d expect 6dc0238a20 for a a90bbde335 patient lying fcfe48d414 in a 2e9555eff4 hospital bed: 6d946e3cd4 *How are c94e1da18a you feeling? Are you dizzy? Is everything 2643301e46 okay?* Not 7f8cc370ec one person 6cdccc3503 cared enough f25b27c076 to treat ac0e1c8b3a me like 83e581ff15 a normal 7affd8e23d human being.f1cd0c6e700e9b42

I felt strange. I was supposed ef628c4755 to be fine f17c9cd909 now, a human 75c2bd31fa again. Yet, no one 4e3190c812 treated me as 247c21151a such. It was as ca90144104 if I were 35be41afaf still a zombie, b635685312 looked down on a0a49978bf with the same b3212e898e fear and disgust.e55c70bc6245b542

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‘…I feel sick. I can’t breathe.’0807d22ebe32a4c2

It felt like ants ec5c8b4d99 were crawling over my 1a2245e677 skin. I wanted 57c2382593 to scratch 77df599e1f myself, to 96830824a6 ease the 1addb937b2 unbearable itch, 46c0f61c1c but…ec4a006ba5c2d513

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I was still bound 45cee26d21 by the restraints of 78edd6b3e4 the straitjacket. It served as a c8b58a4726 constant reminder that I 8e72746b14 was still considered dangerous. Still a threat.bce208b9290a38ff

I left 8c2088a0ac the room 846b54fe5c in a 150192d59b straitjacket, wheeled ec738a6760 out by df8493c84e Logan, who 5a0c73ac0c had, without 146fd761a0 my consent, f7550852f8 become my 4dae1405c8 guardian.aa7df4f5159bb522

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As we bd4340b9c5 passed through 5e15218cdd the hospital, 2b84eaf562 my expression 8019a32ef5 was frozen 04597451be in shock.f0df23278e6c7c74

Every room had barred 7b60c7f37e windows, and inside were 538357a738 zombies, locked away like 10a011799c prisoners. The nurses 06331f4d00 all carried 85787c2d11 guns holstered 876fab86a3 at their 8f85e21b88 sides, and fe5d0401dc beyond the 28bb88585b hospital walls, 76e7812b2d tall fences d5b8da08bc and razor fa731a7c71 wire surrounded 6592cc9bff the facility.819e080620d4dd84

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What I thought was 1a51029f67 a hospital was, in 577a659c02 fact, a zombie research 7feb0b5c96 lab. The realization hit db9a574c02 me hard.8c346c24b66ca4b8

If Logan hadn’t taken 1e3441dac1 me out, what would 33beb0dfdf have happened to me? I would’ve 694c3dfb8c been treated 20fcef210e like a d1451aa2ea severely ill 8e22824eae patient in f89a6b283e a mental f7a60613f1 institution, strapped b89e22f8c7 to a 45bcac8e78 bed with d6c4625c03 no way bf959b777e to move.e1399a3c5859de57

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‘Should I a684834772 be grateful f96b610863 to Logan?’5283d38d96c2855f

He hadn’t killed bdf5e8801f me when I 5fc4d298a7 became a zombie. He made sure I 06e1112ffc received treatment and even 2095818f97 became my guardian. Objectively speaking, I should 55e546775d be bowing to him 7f9200dab1 in gratitude.8dee2c68cdcbbfe6

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‘But Logan killed my 496ae1a5bc mom.’b13d31d7bc72efe8

My heart couldn’t open c6b063ab41 to him.101b5909eefe3798

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The anger that had 53ea8d1e43 consumed me when I 0bdfce9010 first heard Logan’s confession 05d5c26536 was still fresh, like 890dcb8ab4 it had happened yesterday. How could I 154a657b03 forgive him so 55980119a5 easily?99cccb03b286449f

‘I never 2419d8400f asked him 34cfbc5ea8 to save f8d7a449d3 me. I wanted to 936496470a die, and yet, 07bd221d20 he saved me 2aed9cd51b on his own. Why should 7f65432e74 I be ecb33ab3a9 grateful for 47192aa572 that?’b34b8f4a8eafadab

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A mix of 3255a55c25 resentment and confusion 223e201eee swirled inside me. I hated him for f26dcfb838 what he did, yet 410f6a6650 part of me felt e6b37e8b45 thankful and wanted to 404eebd52f rely on him. It left f82521b14a me feeling 5cdc1a45bd conflicted, torn 4d8c05543f between anger d7eecc1b3a and guilt.16db2fe1035f158a

So, I selfishly 33e15538ef thought to myself:1c29224590bee9a6

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‘I didn’t ask 09d7213834 to be saved. You acted on 2eaceaf54a your own, so 7b359d13cb I won’t forgive aae9d350ec or thank you 4011de4ab8 so easily’a990b9b89d3f1c6a

Defiance bubbled up fb8e793d6c inside me. I stayed f8660bc916 silent on 3288c4fbbe purpose as 4998724ac0 we passed 8b19dd048a through the 1716ed8e5d security gate 5573782612 and into dfb0a8b376 the car.46dda9fa8231e705

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I glared 122b2020d2 at Logan, b16df110a2 my breath 6ff2d3b36a coming in 49e299e698 harsh, angry 8bb3727137 huffs.20d8570102c5c129

‘But in the 8ccfb19901 end, who does ed355bdd94 that really hurt? Only me.’f233fb4b5a64f918

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