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."