4 Days BZAD (Gallion, Ohio):

Cal:  "Alright...  So we've got two different infections going on then?"

Georgette:  "At the very least, yes.  I honestly don't know if Jana has both or just the one... Mr. Barker didn't show signs of having the yersinia infection, but it could be whatever else he is infected with wiped it out, or that he wasn't infected by it, or even that he's one of the rare people who are immune to it regardless of the other infection."

Jana:  "Nnghhh..."

Jake:  "Hey, hey there sleeping beauty."

Francine:  "Welcome back to the land of the living child."

Ron:  "Oh good good!  Jana is up!"

Jana:  "Will someone please...  Will everyone just quiet down?  Got a major headache.  What happened?"

Georgette:  "You got the bubonic plague from one of those fleas."

Jana:  "What?!"

Cal:  "No no, you just lay down and rest for now."

Jake:  "Yeah, you're still recovering."

Jana:  "Nnghh...  What...  Whatever..."

Georgette:  "...  Well, at least she woke up, though we'll need to keep her fever down still while she recovers.  The next few days will need round the clock observation on her to make sure she gets whatever she needs."

Ron:  "Jana not going to play with us now?"

Francine:  "No Ron, she still needs to sleep.  Tell you what, I'll go with you into the room and play, alright?"

Cal:  "Alright, better tell us what you're going to need us to do while you're asleep.  Looks like you could use it too."

5 Days BZAD (Gallion, Ohio):

SFX: *thump*

SFX: *thump*

SFX: *THUMP!*

Georgette:  "Nnghh...  What's that noise?"

Francine:  "I don't know, I was reading and heard it so I came out here.  It sounds like it's coming from-"

Georgette:  "The window!  The guys must be back!  Quick, help me get them back up here before the rats start to take notice of them."

SFX: *Sliding Door*

SFX: *PAF*

Georgette:  "Fffftt..  Fffphh..  Nngh...  Stop throwing those!  We're here!"

Jake:  "Finally!  Started getting worried it'd be spring before you got out here.  We didn't want to shout in case the rats came out."

Cal:  "Yeah, and it's freezing out here, come on, let us pass up the bags so we can climb up."

Francine: "My word!  What did you boys back into these things?"

Jake:  "Medicine, both what you listed and whatever else we could find at the pharmacy that was still left.  Someone ransacked the place and no one else was around."

Georgette:  "Oooofff!  Okay, we got it.  Damn...  I had hoped that it hadn't come to that yet."

Francine:  "Where is Alex?"

Jake:  "He's over at..."

Cal:  "He's guarding the other bags we got."

Georgette:  "What?  What other bags?"

Jake: "It seems the rats are everywhere, not just in our neighborhood.  Some areas we passed had been looted like the pharmacy, the grocery stores had a lot of blood in the snow outside and dead rats.  Got a few military boys there keeping everyone in line buying things still instead of stealing it.  Must have been there when the rats came, I think they might have even let loose a few grenades or something."

Cal:  "So Alex told them about what was going on here, let them try to radio the nearest base for reinforcements and the CDC as well.  No idea if they'll get in contact with anyone, since they hadn't when we were there, but Alex made sure to get as many batteries, flashlights, radios and other devices he could and started giving them to a few people who would be going across the city to their homes so we could stay in contact.  He's got his on, along with the bag of gear, and a few assorted other things he was grabbing for some reason."

Georgette:  "Pretty sharp of him...  Uh, put your foot a bit more to the left, yeah, there."

Francine:  "I'll say.  So is he planning on coming back later tonight then?"

Cal:  "Maybe.  He said he was going to stay over there a couple of days unless the soldiers got through to someone who could come to town.  Ngh.  Phew.  Bit more tired than I thought...  Going to go lie down on the couch if you don't mind..."

Jake: "Go ahead man, I'll be laying down myself shortly.  Alright, so, here's the medicine for Jana, and the rest we can sort out later, right?  Or you two can while the two of us rest up."

Georgette:  "Yes, but we've got-"

Jake:  "Tut tut tut tut tut!  I honestly don't want to hear it right now because you'll have to explain it again when I'm not dead on my feet.  Just let us rest and whenever we wake up we can talk about it."

6 Days BZAD (Gallion, Ohio):

Georgette:  "Alright, good, good...  Mr. Barker is sleeping."

Francine:  "Are you sure it's a good idea wheeling him in here?  I mean...  His friend has been checking on him several times each day, and he's been violent and feverish the past few days."

Georgette:  "It's fine.  Trust me.  Ron is safely locked in just in case to make sure he doesn't interrupt us, and the main door is locked as well.  Hopefully we just need a few minutes or so for me to find out what is causing the scent that makes the rats ignore him."

Francine:  "I understand what you're trying to do, but...  How are you going to keep him from attacking us if he...  What's that?"

Georgette:  "This...  Is a horse tranquilizer.  As for why I have it, well...  Jana won't be missing it."

Francine:  "Lord almighty, that poor girl has some problems doesn't she?"

Georgette:  "Yeah, well, judge not and all that...  I've tried getting her help before, but...  Well, besides, it's a good thing she had it in this case."

Francine:  "I suppose..."

Georgette:  "There.  Now, I gave him a dose meant for his weight, give or take a little, but either way he should stay down for a good half hour or so, more than we should need.  Now, help me unstrap him and flip him over."

Francine:  "Nothing on the front of use then?"

Georgette:  "We can check there after, just to make sure he's properly secured again beforehand.  Not that I saw anything that really stood out aside from the stench and his own filth..."

Francine:  "Phew!  That's musty...  What is that?"

Georgette:  "I don't know yet...  But clearly whatever is making it is somewhere on his back...  Must have been too much pressure on it to let much stench get out before..."

Francine:  "Is that blood?"

Georgette:  "Mnnghh...  Thankfully no.  Though it is a stain...  Let's get the shirt off him.  Cheap enough, get me the scissors.  Thanks.  Hmm...  Now that's strange.."

Francine:  "Looks like circular scars?  With bumps in the middle?"

Georgette:  "I'd say ringworm, but the skin isn't red, it's browning there...  And those bumps...  They're black.  Some kind of fungus?  Get me the mask there?  Yes, thanks, get one for yourself too.  Right...  Now...  This might get a bit messy..."

Francine:  "What?  What might-Lord have mercy!  You just cut him without any-"

Georgette:  "Ughh...  I know.  Please, quiet down unless you want everyone to know.  It's hard enough for me not to vomit right now...  I need to make this into a culture of some kind...  The boys had some cans of tuna left, right?  And some plastic food containers?  You mind getting me one?"

Francine:  "Right.  Um.  Just a second."

Georgette:  "Well...  Mr. Barker...  I don't know what you're infected with yet...  Never even heard of anything in the textbooks about this to be honest.  But it may just hold the key to our getting past the rats."

SFX:  Creeeeak

Low Growling Voice:  "Not...  Enough.  Didn't even dull it...  Just couldn't speak."

Georgette:  "What?  Who...  Mr. Barker?!"

Mr. Barker:  "Not enough tranquilizer...  Wearing off now, but I felt...  Everything.  You...  You psychotic bitch.  You want to play doctor?  How about I take a turn...  Hold still-"

SFX:  Shlick!

Francine:  "I'm sorry!  I'm so sorry!"

Mr. Barker:  "Aaaghhh!  A knife?  Really not going to be enough...  Hfff...  Be patient, I'll be right with you..."

Georgette (gasping):  "Francine...  Nnnghhh...  Nee...  Need...  Nnghhfffhfff..."

Mr. Barker:  "What you need is to shut up shut up shut up!  All the sounds, the rats, the freak, your whining, questioning, the electricity, the wind against the windows...  It just won't-Nnghhhh...  Finally....  Hfff...  Thank you..."

Francine:  "Hfff... Georgette?  Are you..."

Georgette:  "Aaaahhhffff....  Fucking crap!  He just...  You stabbed him in the shoulder and he didn't even flinch, he just screamed and..  Fuck!  How much did you put into him with the tranquilizer?"

Francine:  "I...  I don't know.  I just drew some out and jabbed it into him."

Georgette:  "Shit...  I need to check his pulse...  Just...  Okay, I'm okay...  Let's see.  Whoa.  Come over here...  Feel that?"

Francine:  "Oh praise heaven, he's still alive..."

Georgette:  "No, I mean, yes, he's still alive but...  That's way too strong.  Especially after doses of horse tranquilizer.  He's like...  A berserker or something.  Shit.  We need to get him bound up again and...  And lock him in one of the empty rooms for now.  No one goes in there until we have enough people ready to put him down again if we need to.  Not enough tranquilizer left to rely on that."

1 Week BZAD (Gallion, Ohio):

Georgette:  "Damn...  I hope they made it safely...  Looking like a hospice out in the halls."

Francine:  "At least the snow from the roof works just fine on the cloth Ron and I put on everyone's foreheads.  I know it's just treating symptoms, but, their fevers seem to not be as severe."

Ron:  "Lotta....  Lotta ninjas on the cots."

Georgette:  "Right, right.  That reminds me...  What was the name of the guy with the chunk out of his ear?  Will?  Phil?"

Francine:  "Phil.  Phil Barker."

Georgette:  "Yeah, him.  Did the swelling around his ear settle at all with the ice?  We used a lot of antibiotics on everyone to help out with symptoms and the like...  Everything in the apartment complex really...  But I'm worried about him.  It took four men to hold him down on that table for us to strap him in and force feed him the pills."

Francine:  "Truth be told...  I've had one of the others checking on him.  He frightens me something fierce.  Melinda said that Mr. Barker keeps grimacing and trying to get off the table, but he screamed his voice hoarse before."

Georgette:  "Geeze..."

Ron:  "Mean mouse whisperer is scary."

Georgette:  "What?"

Ron:  "The mean mouse whisperer is scary.  Always growling."

Francine:  "Oh that...  Ron saw Mr. Barker hitting one of the rats with his flute and mumbling to himself.  Something about it being broken but it looked fine to me."

Georgette:  "When was this?  Before or after he started screaming?"

Francine:  "After his ear had a bite taken out of it, but before he started screaming?  Why?"

Georgette:  "The rats are attracted to food like most animals.  These in particular seem to be beyond any sense of self-preservation.  They're also supposed to hate high pitched sounds, hence the original Pied Piper of Hamelin story.  It's just that it doesn't carry very far and they get used to the sound to the point of ignoring it.  Now...  Has our Mr. Barker or anyone else tried playing the flute at them or other high pitched noises?"

Ron:  "Very shrill lady across hall.  U-Used to ask to not yell a-at television.  Screamed at mean mice, throwing pans.  Mean mice chased her in snow.  She made a snow angel."

Francine:  "Ron...  When...  When did you see that?"

Georgette:  "Crap on a stick..."

Ron:  "Bad words, bad words..."

Georgette:  "Sorry Ron."

Ron:  "Shrill lady tried running in snow yesterday.  Fell and made a snow angel before going quiet."

Francine:  "How didn't we hear her?  How?"

Ron:  "Sleepytime, shut your eyes and go to bed, wake up early, toast from bread."

Georgette:  "Rotten way to go...  But, it means that either the rats are accustomed to noise or they don't care anymore...  There goes that idea."

Francine:  "What idea?"

Georgette:  "Adjusting the flute's pitch, trying to drive the rats into a corner to kill them easier.  Still...  Ron, why'd you call Mr. Barker the 'mean mouse whisperer'?"

Ron:  "Be-Because after he screamed and screamed till he couldn't at them, the railing gave way and he fell.  He tried to scream, but only whispered for the mean mice to go away and they did.  I saw it, I did.  His friend Huck and I, we threw him a rope and Huck said a lot of bad words, but the mean mouse whisperer got back up."

Georgette:  "And no one thought to tell everyone else about this?"

Francine:  "Ron?  Why didn't you say anything to me?"

Ron:  "Huck said it was a dream, and to go to back to bed.  But I told him it wasn't and I was going to tell everyone the mean mouse whisperer could make the mean mice go away...  And he said that if I said anything you'd be mad at me for lying and that you'd stop visiting."

Francine:  "Oh Ron...  Ron, I'd never leave you over something like that."

Georgette:  "That's...  That's impossible.  Rats and humans don't even...  Wait.  Stupid stupid stupid!"

Francine:  "Georgette!  Stop hitting yourself, you're scaring Ron."

Georgette:  "Sorry, it's just...  Scent!  Rats in the same pack share the same scent and won't attack each other unless desperately hungry, or they're still infants.  These rats are...  Insane is the best way to put it.  Driven to attack humans by something.  Ravenous, but they wouldn't eat the dead rat someone threw back at them.  Why?  Because they smell the same!  Now, I know we all smell from lack of proper showering and whatnot, but even so, humans don't smell the same as rats.  Ever.  Not naturally at least.  So there has to be something else...  Something the rats have that they've associated with one another.  Mr. Barker was bit by one...  Something in the bite?  Bacteria?  Not the bubonic plague itself...  We've definitely got the symptoms of that in Jana and the others, but...  There's something else alongside it.  At least in the rats themselves.  It might be why Mr. Barker is so agitated and violently trying to get free.  If I had the right equipment...  We might be able to mark ourselves as one of them and just march right out."