After hearing the news yesterday, Sarah was anxious to receive an update. Later the next day she decided to head over the the clinic and see if thing had moved forward.
Sarah walked into the laboratory in the clinic, her heart racing with excitement. She had been waiting for this moment for what felt like an eternity. Dr. Mullins and Dr. Merchant were standing at a table, surrounded by various equipment and contraptions.
"Ah, Sarah," Dr. Mullins said, turning to her. "I thought we might see you here today. We've made some progress. We've injected the first zombie with the new serum."
Sarah's eyes widened with excitement. "Already? Did it work, when do you think I can get a shot?"
Dr. Merchant nodded. "We didn't want to waste any time but we cant rush this. You are going to have to wait a while yet. We're waiting for a reaction, and to see if it's effective."
Sarah's eyes scanned the room, taking in the various equipment and machines. She could see tubes and wires, and what looked like a miniature MRI machine.
"How long are we waiting?" she asked, still too excited to stay focused.
Dr. Mullins consulted consulted his chart. "About three or four days to see if the zombie becomes hungry, it is a little different for every zombie, as you know. It may be different depending on the individual's reaction."
Sarah nodded, feeling a sense of anticipation building inside her.
"Once we know it works," Dr. Mullins continued, "We will do a second zombie and continue to monitor the first one. If the first remains ok, and the second is successful, then we will meet with you. I expect it could be another 8-10 days for everything to be ready."
Sarah was somewhat disappointed but still, she understood the need to be cautious.
As she walked out of the laboratory, Sarah couldn't help but feel a sense of pride as she looked around at the town. New stores were popping up left and right, each one filled with all sorts of goods and supplies.
She saw her friends, Dusty, Samantha and William, walking towards her. As they got closer, she smiled, "Hey guys, out for a walk?"
William responded, "We are, want to join us? How did your meeting go."
"It was ok," she replied, "it is still going to be eight to ten days." they could hear the disappointment in her voice.
Dusty took her hand, "That's less then two weeks, it will go quickly."
As they started to walk, they spotted the general store, its shelves stacked high with canned goods and dry goods. Next to it was the hardware store, filled with tools and building supplies. And just across the street was the grocery store, filled with fresh produce and meats.
Sarah's eyes widened as she took in the sights and sounds of the bustling town. She could hear people laughing and chatting as they went about their daily business.
As they walked down the street, Sarah spotted Alex and a couple other people who had traveled here with them sitting at a table outside the general store. They were laughing and chatting with some of the other townspeople.
Sarah pulled out a small piece of paper from her pocket and unfolded it. It was a list of credits, each one representing a certain amount of goods and services.
"Everyone gets an equal number of credits, whoever came up with this, it was a great idea." She commented as they walked into the town square. "You can use them to buy whatever you need from the new stores."
Sarah looked around at the various shops that would soon be opening around the square. There was a bakery and a fresh produce spot set to open in the next few days.
Sarah spent the next few hours shopping and walking around the town, using her credits to buy all sorts of things. She picked up a few bags of groceries from the grocery store, including some fresh bread and milk.
She stopped by the hardware store to pick up some tools and building supplies for Dusty's latest project. And she even managed to snag a few books from the used bookstore that had recently opened up.
As they walked back to their house, Sarah felt a sense of satisfaction wash over her. She had never felt so grateful for this new life they had built together.
As the sun began to set, they had walked back to their house, Sarah feeling tired but content. She had spent the day shopping and exploring the town, and she couldn't wait to do it all again tomorrow.
As she walked through the door, she spotted Dusty sitting on the couch, reading a book. William was sitting at the table with Samantha, playing a game of cards.
Sarah smiled as she walked over to them. "Hey guys," she said softly.
Dusty looked up at her, his eyes shining with excitement. "Hey Sarah," he said softly.
William nodded in greeting as Sarah took a seat on the couch beside Dusty.
The four of them sat there in silence for a moment, enjoying each other's company.
As night began to fall, Sarah couldn't help but feel a sense of unease creeping over her. They had injected that first zombie with the new serum, but what if it didn't work? What if it only made things worse?
And as they sat there in silence, listening to the sounds of crickets chirping outside... Sarah knew that they would face whatever came their way together, as long as they had each other.
With a smile, she pushed aside her doubts and tried to focus on the positive. They had made progress, after all. They had built a new life together in this small town.
Looking over at Dusty, she smiled, "What are they playing over there?"
"It's a card game, it is called, Hearts," Dusty replied, "have you ever played?"
"No," she shook her head, "I didn't play many games growing up."
"Come on," Dusty stood and lifted her from the couch and sat at the table with William and Samantha, "I'll teach you, and we'll kick their butts."
As they all began to laugh, they knew they were a family.