DS Chapter 12

‘What the…?’

How had Logan been treating me when I was a zombie for him to be this casual about ruffling my hair? Even his tone felt oddly strict and authoritative, almost like he was used to being in charge of me.

Despite the discomfort rising within me, I stayed quiet. I had no idea what had happened in the past year. Until I understood the situation fully, I had no choice but to tread carefully around him.

Even though I wasn’t too thrilled about it, Logan was now my guardian, and I had to follow his rules.

Finally, he took off the uncomfortable straitjacket.

“Behave yourself.”

He warned me in a low voice as he removed the straitjacket. I guess he was still worried since I wasn’t fully cured yet.

After being restrained for so long, my arms and legs were numb, and I could barely muster any strength. Still, I felt a sense of relief, a small sense of freedom, after shedding the heavy and thick garment.

“Haah.”

I let out a long sigh, letting my arms go limp. I felt like collapsing into a puddle of jelly. If the floor hadn’t been sticky and covered in dirt, I might’ve just let myself fall to the ground.

With the straitjacket removed, I realized my limbs were gaunt. I had lost all muscle, leaving only skin and bone behind.

‘Life as a zombie wasn’t easy, huh?’

I must’ve eaten something, though. After all, I survived for a whole year. Surely I didn’t resort to cannibalism? Zombies only attack humans, after all… No way, right?

The thought sent shivers down my spine, and I shook my head to dispel the disturbing idea.

Logan watched me in silence for a moment before turning away with a look of relief. He pulled out a syringe from his bag.

It must’ve been the medicine I needed to take every day. The needle was long, about the length of two fingers, and it scared me a little.

I hate pain, but if I want to become human again, I’ll have to endure it.

Clenching my eyes shut, I extended my arm. I felt his rough hand grip my wrist, followed by a sharp sting. The long needle pierced my skin, and I braced myself for the unfamiliar sensation.

“Ugh.”

I held still, enduring the strange feeling, not moving a muscle. I had been warned that the drug was strong and could cause dizziness and fatigue.

If I have to take this twice a day, I’ll probably spend all my time feeling lightheaded. It’s like I’m a cancer patient going through chemotherapy. What a drag.

“You can open your eyes now”

Logan’s voice prompted.

I cracked my eyes open. Glancing down at my arm, I noticed a faint trace of blood. Logan wiped it away with a sterilized cotton pad and then applied a bandage.

Once again, he ruffled my hair like it was the most natural thing.

“You did well.”

I blinked at him, surprised by his affectionate expression.

As much as I found his attitude ridiculous, why did my heart feel oddly touched? Before I knew it, a small smile crept onto my lips. It wasn’t something I consciously decided on—my body just reacted on its own, as if wagging its tail at him.

Hmph. Was I like Logan’s little dog when I was a zombie?

‘Annoying.’

My mood sank just as quickly as it had lifted. I had no intention of liking Logan anymore. Even if he had saved me, it didn’t matter.

How could I ever love someone who killed my mother? No matter how much of an accident it was, it’s something I can never accept.

So, I’d shake off that wagging tail of mine. Now that I was human again, I needed to pull myself together.

“I’m… so tired.”

Sleepiness washed over me once more. I had slept the entire way here, but this time, it felt like the medication was to blame. I closed my eyes, giving in to the overwhelming drowsiness.

‘Ah, that delicious smell.’

Once again, I found myself sniffing. Whenever I felt drowsy, his scent became even more intense.

‘I want to eat, to swallow, to chew… If not that, at least let me lick it. I bet it would taste amazing. Ugh, I can’t hold back. Just come a little closer. Just a bit…’

Swallowing the saliva that had flooded my mouth, I collapsed into sleep.

Logan smelled so appetizing that I thought I might dream about eating him tonight.

* * *

The pale dawn light filtered through the dusty window.

Though I had slept for quite a while, I still felt stiff and sluggish. I groaned, stretching my body as far as it would go.

“You’re awake?”

An all-too-familiar voice spoke from beside the bed. I opened my eyes to see Logan, already up and changing into fresh clothes.

It wasn’t until the next morning that I took in the layout of the room. It was quite spacious, with two single beds placed side by side.

The two beds were about 50 centimeters apart, and it seemed like Logan had slept on the other one.

Had we always lived like this? Why were we sharing a room? Sleeping in the same space with a zombie… that had to have been unpleasant, right? I glanced back at Logan with these thoughts in mind.

“Where are you going?”

“Work.”

“You’re working? What do you do?”

My voice sounded better than it had the day before. I figured with a few more days of good food and rest, I’d be back to normal soon.

“I do a little bit of everything. Mostly repairing machines and cars, patrolling the area, and taking down zombies that can’t be saved.”

“Huh.”

Sounds like a busy job.

“Can you get up?”

Logan, now dressed in black work clothes that resembled a military uniform, approached me. I tried to move at his prompting.

I barely managed to lift my upper body. It took every ounce of strength to stop my arms from trembling, but I considered it a significant achievement.

“Haah.”

Once I had propped myself up, I let out a long sigh, as if I had just finished a grueling hike. It felt like I needed rehabilitation therapy at this point. I probably needed a walker too.

“I’m exhausted… Ah!”

As I wiped the cold sweat from my forehead, Logan suddenly slipped his hands under my armpits and lifted me up in one swift motion.

“Try to put some strength into your legs.”

My legs trembled just as much as my arms. The moment he let go, I’d probably collapse like a deflated balloon.

“You’re going to need some exercise.”

Logan clicked his tongue as he watched me wobble. How could he expect me to exercise when I could barely stand on my own? It seemed like he was moving too fast.

Logan sat me back on the bed and stepped out into the living room. When he returned, he was holding a syringe.

It was time for my medication. The sight of the syringe filled me with unease.

‘I’m going to pass out before the day even starts.’

But refusing wasn’t an option, so I obediently extended my arm. He carefully avoided the spot where a scab had formed and slid the needle in smoothly.

If I kept getting injections like this every day, my arms would soon look like those of a drug addict, covered in bruises.

“Take it off.”

“…Why?”

“We need to do a physical exam.”

Why do I have to take my clothes off for that? As I just sat there staring at him, Logan didn’t bother repeating himself and swiftly pulled off my shirt. I was only wearing a large white t-shirt, so in one quick motion, I was completely naked.

Why did he suddenly strip me? My heart pounded, and my face flushed bright red.

I instinctively covered my chest, and Logan, with a blank expression, pressed down on my head.

“I’ve seen it all before, so don’t worry about it.”

When? Why? Why had he seen me naked before? What had he done while I was a zombie? My head spun with dizziness.

It might have been familiar to him, but with no memories of the past, it was shocking and embarrassing for me. Logan, however, showed no sign of understanding my feelings.

“Look at me.”

“…”

He grasped my chin and lifted it to inspect my eyes. He seemed to be checking my pupils. Though my eyes were trembling like there was an earthquake, Logan remained calm and composed.

He continued by taking my pulse, measuring my temperature, and examining my skin from head to toe. He was so thorough that he even checked the soles of my feet, under my arms, and even my buttocks.

What was it about a zombie’s skin that required such a detailed examination? Would I have to be naked in front of him like this every day?

I felt increasingly ashamed, my body shrinking in on itself. I kept telling myself this was just a medical check-up, that it was purely clinical. I tried to find some comfort in that thought.

“All done.”

It wasn’t until my face and neck were flushed red that he finally finished the examination. Logan helped me put the oversized t-shirt back on and then straightened up.

“Behave yourself until I get back. You’re still in the early stages of treatment, so I’m going to lock the door. I’ll leave water and food on the bed, so eat if you get hungry.”

How many times was he going to tell me to behave? I must not have been very well-behaved during my time as a zombie.

“What about… the bathroom?”

“There’s one in the room. That door over there.”

Would I even be able to walk to the bathroom? That worry crossed my mind, but I’d have to crawl if I had to. I certainly couldn’t just go in the bed.

Logan gave me a few more instructions before turning to leave. At the door, he glanced back halfway.

“…I’ll be back.”

For some reason, his voice trembled slightly as he said his goodbye.

“Be careful out there.”

I replied, tilting my head in confusion as I watched him leave.

At my words, his shoulders twitched. His hand tightened on the doorknob, blue veins popping along his skin.

“Yeah, I’ll be back.”