Enter Stage Left ...

     Bob noticed a low moan coming from behind the doors leading to the morgue vaults.  To Bob's right was the morgue office door with the lights off.  That was odd since Nathan should be down here.  "Nathan should be down here. His office is to the right." Bob whispered.  The two moved to the office door.  The officer drew his weapon and flashlight.  Bob opened the door ever so slightly.


     "Nathan?" Bob whispered as he entered the office. 

• Notice Roll - Rolled a 4, Needed a 4 - Passed

     Bob noticed a figure huddled under an office desk with two more shapes lying nearby.  "Nathan?" Bob whispered again while his eyes searched in the light of the officer's flashlight beam.  The officer moved towards the desk as Nathan peeked around the corner.  Bob knelt down next to Nathan and could see he was bleeding from his lower leg.  "Damn things attacked me!  I don't know what the heck is going on but get me out of here!" Nathan loudly pronounced.  It was obivous that rescuers made Nathan forget the situation at hand.  The officer turned and made a face.  Bad enough it was dark in here and now the civilians are talking out loud.


     The group made its way back to the elevator.  It seemed to take forever for the elevator to make it to the bottom floor.  Bob looked down and saw Nathan sitting with a look of despair on his face.  With a oddly cheery tone the elevator announced its arrival.  Bob and the officer dragged Nathan into the elevator and placed him on the ground.

• Bob's Notice Roll - Rolled a 5, Needed a 4 or > - Passed

     Bob heard movement coming from down the hall.  "Did you clear the rest of the area Officer?"

• Officer Notice Roll - Rolled a 3, Needed a 4 or > - Failed

     "I didn't hear or see anything else.  Besides, we need to get Nathan here up to the ER.  I will advise my supervisor what we have when he gets here."  The officer didn't even look out the elevator doors as they closed.  Bob could only hope he was just nervous and hearing things.  The night was only just beginning.


     Once off the elevator, the group got Nathan into a wheelchair and moved towards the ER.  As they entered the ER, the group of nurses and techs were still at the nursing station.  The charge nurse pointed towards an empty room.  The nurse, tech and doctor followed in the room and closed the curtain.


     Bob helped Nathan on to the bed.  Hospital staff began to hook up monitors to Nathan as the doctor approached.  "What happened Nathan?" the doctor asked.  Nathan looked around and began to relax.  "I am not sure.  One minute I was looking at an open door and the next thing I see is walking corpses everywhere."


     The nurse and doctor exchanged looks of concern and doubt.  They assisted with helping Nathan into a hospital gown and began the medical exam.  The nurse grabbed the coat of the doctor and nodded towards Nathan's leg.  Torn flesh and scratches were present.  The nurse began to clean the wound and dress it as Nathan explained one of the "walking corpses" had bit him as he was escaping to his office.  "Get some blood work going nurse as well as some penicillin on-board."  The nurse nodded and continued with her work.

     The "walking corpses" were moving.  Due to the officer's failed notice check, the movement Bob heard was the dead on the move.  20 corpses were present in the morgue at the time of the incident.  The hospital was a prime location for the dead invasion.  Night shift and the dark hallways only aided in the movement of these horrible creatures. Patients in various states of healing and bed status only aided in targets of opportunities.  The ER didn't know what terrible things were about to begin in the next hour.

Code Red ...

     Bob was running full speed up the 4 flights of stairs from the security office to the ER.  It was amazing how adrenaline would push anyone farther and faster.  Bob was past his prime as far as fitness goes.  He turned the corner into the ER with a purpose as the the staff wondered what the rush was.

     Bob was about to have a heart attack and bent over to catch his breath.  One of the RNs came running over and helped him to a chair.  "What's wrong Bob? What the heck are you killing yourself over?"

     Bob looked up and said "Where is the off-duty officer? The morgue has something bad going down."

     The off-duty officer walked over to Bob and glanced down.  It was not like Bob to get overly excited.  "What's going on Bob? Why the rush up here?"

     Bob took a deep breath and shot off the phone conversation he had with Nathan.  The off-duty officer looked around and saw the nursing staff huddled around listening to the story.  He glanced over to the unit secretary. "Mary, call the off-duty sergeant and advise him I want him to come out here so I can tell him what's going on.  Meanwhile I am gonna go with Bob and check on Nathan.  I know how his coffee gets the best of him at times."  The sly comment caused some to chuckle and others to smirk.  A little humor goes a long way.

      Bob let the officer walk ahead of him as they walked fast in the direction of the morgue.  Bob was unarmed and only had a small Motorola radio so he felt more comfortable with the police officer in front of him.  The elevators were a tad slower than taking the stairs.  The off-duty officer felt Bob needed a couple of minutes to recover from his earlier sprint.

• Off-Duty Police Officer - Lazy
• Attributes - Agility d6, Smarts d4, Spirit d5, Strength d7, Vigor d5
• Skills - Fighting d6, Guts d6, Notice d6, Shooting d6, Stealth d4
• Pace: 6"
• Parry: 5
• Toughness: 5

     The elevator doors opened to the hallway of the morgue.  The off-duty officer stepped out and stood for a second to listen and gain any knowledge of the situation.

• Notice Roll - Rolled a 1, needed a 4 - Failed

    
     The officer moved forward noticing nothing suspicious.  Bob stepped out from behind the off-duty officer and turned down the volume on his radio.

• Security Officer Bob - Gung ho 
• Attributes - Agility d4, Smarts d6, Spirit d6, Strength d4, Vigor d5
• Skills - Fighting d5, Guts d6, Notice d6, Stealth d5
• Pace: 6"
• Parry: 5
• Toughness: 5

     Bob listened for anything that would possibly hint towards trouble.

• Notice Roll - Rolled a 6, needed a 4 - Passed

     Bob noticed a low moan coming from behind the doors leading to the morgue vaults.  To Bob's right was the morgue office door with the lights off.  That was odd since Nathan should be down here.  "Nathan should be down here. His office is to the right." Bob whispered.  The two moved to the office door.  The officer drew his weapon and flashlight.  Bob opened the door ever so slightly.
 

Hospital Lockdown

     1 hour to go, coffee is low. Not his best status post to date but it will work. Truth behind it since the coffee was horrible but free. Nathan was about caffined out and leaned back into his chair. The shift was slow. This was a good thing in terms of life in a hospital but bad for his slow shift. Nothing to do leads to boredom which leads to naps. Nathan already had 2 naps recorded on his performance apprasials.

     Spinning around in his chair, Nathan reached out for his iPod to help finish out his shift. Without warning a thunderous noise arrupted from the bay containing the body of the paramedic. The coffee suddenly went to his bladder. The lack of sleep and caffeine overload must be getting the best of him. Shrugging his shoulders, he walked over to the body storage area and noticed the storage door open.

     Turning on the lights exposed more horrors. Numerous doors to various lockers were open with bodies laying in various positions. At that moment one body sat up with a look of anger and hunger. A moan let out with others responding with a sick chorus of similar moans. Nathan didn't need a second look before running. Pain shot through his leg with lightening speed. One of the bodies had latched onto his ankle with fierce strength. Nathan reached for a fire extinguisher and slammed it into the monster's head. Blood shot everywhere as Nathan repeatedly assaulted the beast in an effort to escape.

     The target finally released Nathan due to the fact that no head remained. Nathan dragged himself across the office and reached for the phone. Numerous shadows could be seen moving towards him.

     "Security, this is Bob speaking". Nathan couldn't speak fast enough. "Bob, get some help. Something is not right and we have bodies down here eating each other!". Bob looked at the phone and smirked. It wouldn't be the first time someone has called security on nightshift goofing off. He looked at the switchboard and saw it was the ring down line from the morgue. He couldn't remember ever getting a call from them before. He didn't get a chance to answer. A loud scream came from the phone and disconnected. Bob ran to the ER looking for the off duty police officer.

Night terrors ...

     Terror spreads fast.  Whether by word of mouth or be it by another media, panic always ensues. In this case, terror was a nightmare that came calling during the night !

     The nursing home was conveniently located in a neighborhood as the developers had planned.  Surrounded by numerous neighborhoods, families and a decent wildlife interface had allowed a major selling point for families wishing to place their loved ones into a skilled nursing facility.

     Night shift allowed the zombie plague to spread at an alarming rate.  By the time staff had noticed a problem, they were either victims themselves or wounded and running.  Those whom ran didn't realize that time was against them and soon they would be part of the problem.

      The first zombies to wander out into the neighborhoods didn't have to walk far to find victims.  The houses were less than 50 feet between each other.  Those whom left their doors unlocked fell victim first.  The ones whom had more secure residences were alerted to noise or barking dogs.  Screams filled the night.

     The 911 center began receiving numerous calls for service.  All lines both emergency and non emergency were lit up.  The supervisor stood up to advise the call takers of the situation but he could see that they were actively trying to answer call after call.

     "Sir, we are receiving numerous calls for service in the same service area. We may have a fight or something larger."  The dispatcher advised his supervisor and tagged another line to answer.

     The dispatcher watching over the service area began to dispatch units to the area of trouble.  At the moment there was more calls for service than units available to respond.

     Unit 282 was the first unit to receive and respond.  The officer knew this was an awkward call type in this area of the city.  Middle class homes and businesses mostly, not the type to be having a gang war starting in the street.

• Officer 282 - Experienced
• Abilities - Agility d6, Smarts d6, Spirit d6, Vigor d6
• Skills - Fighting d8, Guts d8, Notice d8, Shooting d8, Stealth d6
• Pace: 6
• Parry: 7
• Toughness: 6

     "282 to radio, you can show me in the area." the officer advised as he turned the corner.  He rolled down his window to be able to hear or see any suspects.  Oddly enough he heard screams. Numerous screams in the neighborhood.  "282 to radio, be advised numerous screams in the area. Upgrade all incoming units code 3 till I advise further."  Radio copied and informed the other units of 282's message.

     Officer 282 stopped his car and open the driver door.  An elderly gentleman wearing a hospital gown was limping towards his police car.

• Elderly Male - Zombie
• Abilities - Agility d6, Smarts d4, Spirit d4, Strength d6, Vigor d6
• Skills - Fighting d6, Intimidation d6, Notice d4, Shooting d6
• Pace: 4
• Parry: 5
• Toughness: 6

     "Sir, are you ok?" the officer called out.  The elderly male didn't answer but continued to limp forward.  Officer 282 figured the subject didn't hear him and proceeded to approach the man.  The patrol car's headlights were still on allowing the officer to approach and see approximately 10 feet in front of him.  Something wasn't right, the officer noticed  blood on the elderly males hands, face and gown  

• Notice d8, rolled a 6. Needed a 4 or >

     Immediately the officer drew his weapon and advised the elderly male to halt. At that time the male glared at the officer and let out a horrific scream, blood and spit coming from his mouth.  The officer fired one shot and hit the male. 

• Shooting d8, rolled a 1 and a 5 on Wild Die d6. Needed a 4 or >. HIT
• 9mm Damage Roll 2D6, rolled a 2 and 5. Total 7
• Zombie toughness 6 vs Damage total 7 = ZOMBIE DOWN 

     A burst of blood and bone sprays as the officer's shot hits the subject in the head.  The effect creates a crumpled mass of human.  The officer approaches and nudges the male with his foot. No movement.  "282 to Radio. Shot fired, male down. Roll fire to this location reference to man down."

• Notice d8, rolled a 5 and 8 on Wild Die d6.  Needed 4 or >

     282 rolls the subject over and about screams.  He notices that this male is pale and cold.  His skin had numerous claw marks and bites all over his body.  Sections of flesh and muscle were exposed and hanging from his small frame.  An unpleasant feeling shot through his body.  A feeling of unknown and fear of what else is out in the dark screaming ... 

No hope ... plenty of fear

    



     The morgue was quiet on the night shift.  People think a hospital morgue is always a busy place but if that was so then the hospital wouldn't be doing what it was tasked to do, save people.



     The technician pushed the last gurney into its resting place to await the autopsy scheduled in the morning.  This poor paramedic was also tagged as a crime scene investigation.  The other victim or subject was parked next to him as well for the investigation.  The tables were locked and the technician went back to his computer to attempt staying awake.  Facebook was calling and the coffee was sub-par.



     The virus was moving before all these events took place.  The nursing home had numerous infections that they were not aware of.  Patients were already becoming moving dead.  The hospital was just the next chapter in a virus that no one was aware of but would be soon enough.  Night shift at the nursing home was as eventful as the hospital.  Sleeping patients and boredom are the normal pace. 


Room 10 was the first of the walking dead to stir. The elderly zombie got up and moved into rooms 9 and 8 without anyone noticing. The elderly were easy targets. The nightshift LPN heard a scream and looked up from her paperwork. Picking up her radio she walked down the dim hallway. It was not uncommon for these patients to stumble out of bed. Entering room 8 the LPN saw a patient hunched over the far bed. "Ok, let's get you back to bed." the LPN muttered as she placed her hand on his shoulder. The patient spun around and revealed its true form. The LPN screamed as the patient growled, blood all over his face and clothing. The LPN stumbled back and ran for the door. The door was useless as the other patient from Room 10 appeared. The LPN felt herself starting to blackout and knew she was better off as she slid into darkness.

Similar events were occurring throughout the nursing home. It wasn't long before the whole facility was zombie infested or food. 8 hours later the day shift would start to arrive and become the second round of victims. Unfortunately the nursing facility was located near neighborhoods. Zombies wander and wander they did.

Paperwork ?!?!

Greetings troops,


I would like to welcome you to the first installment of Zombie Friday - a weekly blog post set in a post apocalypse zombie world.  The story, rules and characters are developed with the Savage World Rules.


Sit back, grab a cold adult beverage and enjoy ...


Mezz

"You forgot the paperwork?!?!" - Nursing Home LPN

     Sirens and red lights cut through the night as the ambulance screamed down the empty road.  The initial call came out as a routine transport call from the local nursing home facility.  Routine meant a one unit response and didn't require a fire department unit to respond as well.  The call was upgraded to lights and sirens about a mile before the location.

     The Paramedic and his EMT partner arrived to find out the call was more than routine.  The elderly patient appeared to be having a stroke or heart failure.  The patient's skin appeared pale, skin cold to the touch and mouth gaping wide open.  The crew didn't waste anytime loading the patient to the stretcher and running past the nursing station.

"You forgot the paperwork!" The LPN shouted to the crew as they hurried by.

"Couple more minutes and we will need the funeral home Ms." shouted the Paramedic.

      The crew loaded the patient into the back of the ambulance and climbed in back to begin patient care.  The medic looked up and nodded to the front seat.  "Get us to the nearest hospital Jimmy. I will get things straight on the way en route to the hospital."  Jimmy nodded and climbed up front.  His partner had more years on the job than him so no questions were needed.  The ambulance surged forward.

     The medic began to get his equipment ready as the ambulance moved down the road.  A sudden toss and bang reminded Harry that his partner was still wet behind the ears regarding his experience.  "Jimmy, don't kill me getting us to the hospital." shouted Harry from the back.

     Jimmy rolled his eyes.  "Don't worry Boss, I got ya covered." Jimmy replied.  Harry had been riding him all day about his driving and lack of compassion for his partner in back.  Jimmy reached over and turned on the radio and adjusted the volume as Guns N Roses' Welcome to the Jungle started.  Welcome to the jungle indeed thought Jimmy as he hit the gas pedal.

     Harry reached over and turned on the EKG monitor.  He quickly placed the pads and leads on the patient and began to get his IV supplies ready to use.  He glanced up and did a double take.  The monitor was showing flat line.  Quickly he reached over and hit the button to charge the defib.  As the machine was charging he felt for a pulse.

     Without warning, the patient's arm shot out and grabbed Harry by the neck.  With an intense strength the patient began to pull the medic closer just Jimmy hit a rough patch of holes in the road.  Harry screamed as the elderly patient pulled him in and took a huge bite out of his neck.  Jimmy shook his head but didn't look back.  "I told you relax Harry, I got ya covered.  We will be at the hospital in 5 minutes."

     The ambulance arrived in the ER parking lot and backed up to the doors.  Jimmy ran to the back of the ambulance and opened up the doors.  The cold air was the only thing that kept Jimmy from passing out.  The back of the ambulance looked like a deer was field stripped.  Blood was everywhere.  The patient or what he could figure as the patient was in the corner with his head bashed in.  Harry was on the floor bleeding heavy.  He was placing direct pressure on the neck wound and breathing heavy.

     Jimmy ran for the ER staff to help.  Quickly they rushed Harry into the ER but it was too late.  Harry died within 10 minutes.  Both bodies were placed into the hospital morgue as the police began to investigate the ambulance and crime scene.  Unfortunately, the state's coroners office would have to come get the patients in the morning.

     8 hours ... it was all that was needed.  It was too late.