“What the fuck do you think you’re doing?” said Randy gruffly.
Rosemarie winced at the pain as Randy’s fingers clamped on her arm. “Get off,” she jerked away.
His eyes had a wild anger that caused a vein at his temple to poke out. “Are you trying to get us all killed? Are you that much of a fucking bleeding heart?”
The venom in his voice caught her off guard and she struggled to respond.
“My wife and kid are here and you drag a zombie back to camp?” he growled. “Now you want to make it a bed like it’s part of the fucking family?”
“It?” Her stomach began to churn. “His name is Mark Somerset. He’s still human.”
“For how long!” he practically yelled.
“Until he turns,” she spat back. “Then you can do whatever it is you think you have to do.” She stepped back, putting some distance between herself and his rage.
“Look,” she said, trying to hide the tremor in her voice. “We’re not bringing him in the treehouse. He’s not staying the cabin.”
“I’ll shoot him before that happens,” he interrupted.
Rosemarie took a deep breath and choked down the urge to run away. “Please...I just want to make sure his last days...hours...who knows how long the man has...I want to make him comfortable so he can go in peace.”
He stood and stared at her. Not at her, but through her. “We’re in danger.” His eyes shifted back and forth as though he were thinking.
“He’s lost everything,” she pleaded.
Randy’s eyes jerked back to her. He turned away and stormed back to the injured man.
Rosemarie stumbled trying to catch him, almost running into him as he stopped in front of the man.
“When were you bitten?” he growled.
Mark stirred. “Wha?”
“When were you bitten?” saying each world with emphasis.
“This morning...my son...he didn’t mean to.” he choked out an answer.
Randy jerked back his camouflage sleeve to expose his watch. “Six, maybe seven or eight hours ago.” He started a timer then spun back around to Rosemarie. “The second he starts to change, you come get me. Understood?”
His voice had an edge to it she’d never heard from him before and in his eyes a touch of something that shook her to the core.
“Understood?” he repeated.
She opened her mouth to speak, but could only manage to nod.
Randy pulled out a cigarette and lit it as he stalked off to the other side of the cabin.
Rosemarie stood shaking as she watched him go.
“I’ve got ‘em,” said a voice behind her.
She spun and then caught sight of Neil.
“Don’t sneak up on me like that.” Her hand covered her heart as she tried to catch her breath.
“Sorry,” he said, moving closer to her. “You okay?”
“Yeah,” she answered, her voice betraying how shaky she felt.
She grabbed one of the cushions and began to walk back to Mark.
“Rosemarie,” Neil called after her.
She knelt down and began to arranging the cushions, taking the others from Neil as she needed them.
“We’ll use the blanket to move him,” she said, standing up.
Neil put his hand on her shoulder. “Rosemarie, are you okay?”
“I don’t know,” she said as tears began to stream down her face.
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