3 Days BZAD (Gallion, Ohio):

Georgette:  "Seems your fever has gone down at least."

Jana:  "Yeah, though I'm still drowsy and have a major headache."

Georgette:  "Well, you still need rest and the asprin should help with the headache."

Jana:  "Nnn.  Probably right.  Going to take another nap."

SFX: Static

Cal:  "Alex, you there?"

Alex (over radio):  "Got-" *crackling* "-message.  Glad she's-" *crackingly* "fine.  We're good over here, the store is mostly sold out of a lot though, storm picking up-" *crackling* "your way I think."

Jake:  "Damn.  I thought I saw the rats leaving for a moment, but they just started carrying in some of the snow and eating it."

Georgette:  "What did you say?"

Jake:  "I thought I saw the rats leaving, but I was wrong."

Georgette:  "No no, what were they eating?  Snow?"

Alex (over radio):  "Same going on over-" *crackling* "water sold out.  People eating-" *crackling*  "didn't seem to matter if it was clean or not."

Cal:  "You think that's important?"

Georgette:  "Maybe."

Jake:  "What are you thinking?"

Georgette:  "The snow... It's mostly just water.  Despite their survival instincts to stay away from humans, the rats aren't completely devoid of them...  They know to keep hydrated instinctually still...  To eat, though they won't turn on each other..."

Cal:  "Even though they've got to be starving."

Jake:  "Maybe they're eating insects and such?  I mean, except for them all going to get snow they haven't left as a group, but there are enough we probably wouldn't see if one or two went underground for a bit..."

Georgette:  "Probably, makes sense anyways, but they somehow see humans as better food since they still keep swarming around the stairs...  I think the fungus I extracted from Mr. Barker I told you about, the one the rats seem to have is making it so they don't smell each other as food...  But what if it's also making them drawn to our own scent?  Like some kind of parasite..."

Alex (over radio):  "Soldiers keep trying-" *crackling* "medics and the CDC, but-" *crackling* "through.  Gotta change batteries and get rest.  Will radio again in a few hours."