The lab coach crossed his arms, his expression hard. "If I'm going to work with you, I refuse to work with this man!" He pointed at Edward, his voice rising. "This evil man is a rapist! He abused his wife repeatedly until she died!"
Fred turned to Edward, his face twisted with disbelief. "Is it true, Edward? Answer me now!"
Edward hesitated, his voice barely audible. "I... I'm sorry. It's not like that. I made a mistake. I know I did."
Fred's eyes darkened with rage. "No excuses!" Without hesitation, he drew his gun and fired a single shot into Edward's chest. Edward staggered and fell to the ground, lifeless. Fred turned back to the lab coach, his voice cold and resolute. "Now, do we have a deal?"
The lab coach stared at Edward's motionless body, then looked back at Fred. After a long pause, he replied, "Deal."
The coach led Fred and his team deeper into the facility, showing them around the high-tech lab. "We'll need a zombie to test the vaccine once we produce it," he explained. "But that won't be a problem. We can capture one outside."
Fred frowned. "What about Edward? I shot him in the chest, not in the head."
The lab coach froze, his eyes widening. "What the f***?! What If he wakes up and bites someone—"
Before he could finish, the group rushed back to where Edward's body had been left. To their horror, Edward had already turned. He staggered, his eyes vacant, searching for someone to bite.
The lab coach didn't hesitate. He drew his gun and fired two shots, shattering Edward's legs and leaving him immobilized. "Bind him!" he barked. The team quickly restrained Edward's hands and mouth before locking him in a secure room.
The next day, the lab coach called a meeting, gathering the scientists and doctors. Standing before them, he introduced Fred and his team. "These people are now part of our team. Together, we will produce a vaccine to change the world. Let's restore humanity!"
The room erupted in agreement. The scientists nodded, their resolve visible. They returned to their workstations, ready to begin the monumental task.
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Meanwhile, back at the family community, Juliet packed her belongings and carried Susan's child, Alice. Her neighbor noticed her and asked, "Where are you going?"
Juliet replied with determination, "I'm going to find my husband."
The neighbor shook her head. "Are you out of your mind? The world is hell out there. No one survives."
The head of the family overheard the conversation and approached. "Juliet, where do you think you're going with that child?"
Juliet stood her ground. "I'm going to find my husband."
The head of the family shook his head. "Fine, go. But you're not taking Alice with you. If Fred comes back and finds out, he'll blame me. Leave the child and go look for your dead husband!"
Tears streaming down her face, Juliet placed Alice on the ground and walked away. The head of the family picked up Alice and took her into his apartment.
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Back at the lab, the team worked tirelessly. On the first day, experiments began in full swing, with the lab coach closely supervising. By the second day, everyone was still hard at work, pushing themselves to the limit.
On the third day, the guards outside the lab continued eliminating zombies around the perimeter while the scientists pressed on inside. The head of the family played with Alice, and Juliet wandered the desolate streets, surviving on ants and grass.
On the fourth day, one of the scientists made a breakthrough. He secretly produced a vaccine, injected himself, and slipped out of the lab unnoticed. Driven by curiosity, he entered the room where Edward was restrained. A loud scream erupted, echoing through the facility.
The team rushed to the source of the noise but couldn't locate it immediately. Minutes later, frantic banging came from a door. Assuming Edward had broken free, they approached cautiously.
When the lab coach opened the door, he was shocked to find the scientist had turned into a zombie. Yet, inexplicably, the zombie walked past the coach without attacking him.
Fred was stunned. "What the hell just happened? He turned into a zombie and didn't bite anyone. How is that possible?"
The lab coach inspected the scientist's workstation. "Let's check his table." There, they discovered multiple vials of the vaccine he had secretly created. Returning to Edward's room, they found an empty syringe on the floor. The coach's face turned grim. "He must have drawn Edward's blood and injected himself. That's why he turned."
Despite the chaos, Fred was thrilled. "We've got the vaccine! Now we can mass-produce it and save everyone!"
The lab coach nodded. "Let's get to work."
The team chained the scientist-turned-zombie and began producing large quantities of the vaccine. Once they had enough, everyone in the lab was vaccinated. They prepared even more doses to distribute to the world.
Fred, Michael, Cassandra, and Jane packed their belongings, loaded the vaccines into their van, and headed back to the family community. When they arrived, Fred honked the horn.
The guard at the gate called out, "Family number?"
"Family number 4! It's Fred, Cassandra, Jane, and Michael. Open the gate!"
The gate creaked open, and the head of the family greeted them warmly. "Welcome back!"
Fred approached him immediately. "We need to talk."
"Of course," the head of the family replied.
Fred wasted no time. "We've got the cure."
The head of the family's eyes widened. "Are you serious?"
Fred pulled out a vial of the vaccine and began distributing it to everyone in the community. Cheers erupted as people took the vaccine, and the head of the family released those who had been quarantined.
The joyous atmosphere was interrupted when Fred asked, "Where's Susan's child?"
The head of the family sighed. "I've been taking care of Alice since Juliet left."
Fred's face darkened. "What? You let her go? Why?!"
"She wanted to find her husband, and you did not ask me to babysit her!" The head of the family explained. "She's a grown woman. There was nothing I could do to stop her."
Fred clenched his fists. "Do you know how dangerous it is out there? She could die!"
The head of the family shrugged. "It was her choice. Let her be."
Fred shook his head in frustration, muttering under his breath. "You're unbelievable!"