Read Chapter One

Doctor Igor Frankenstein arrived quietly in the night 24 hours later, and it was raining hard when his taxi pulled up to the hospital.  As he stepped out of the taxi a flash of lightning revealed he was a tall man wearing a dark trench coat. In his hand he held a large leather doctors bag, and a small suitcase in the other. He made his way quickly inside where Doctor Mills was waiting for him.

“Doctor Frankenstein thanks for coming on such short notice.” Doctor Mills said.

“Where is the child? I need to see him immediately. I assume you have been unable to feed him, and anything he does actually eat he eventually will throw up….yes?” Doctor Frankenstein said.

“Umm yes Doctor that is correct. The child is only two days old, but he looks like he is on death’s door. I have never seen such a decline in health. When I delivered him he was healthy as an ox I assure you. I had him moved to the ICU 24 hours ago as a precaution. I never expected such a rapid need for him to be there. Anything you need just let me know, the hospital’s resources are at your disposal.” Doctor Mills said.

“Thank you Doctor, as a matter of fact there are some things I will need. I need full access to the hospital’s blood bank supply. I will also need the child set up in a private room away from anyone who might have wandering eyes. Oh and I will also need a list of the recently deceased in your morgue who are donors. I appreciate your hospitality, and understanding in this sensitive matter.” Doctor Frankenstein said.

Doctor Mills just nodded his head. Over the last 48 hours he had hardly slept, and spent most of his waking hours researching information on Zombies. Most of what he had found he was sure false, and superstitious nonsense, but some of what he had found had to be truth. The information on diet was what frightened him the most. From what he was able to gather Zombies lived off the flesh and blood of dead humans. For unknown reasons this seemed to sustain their bodies, and keep them alive. Several sites even suggested that brains were a popular favorite of the Zombie race. Reading that helped Doctor Mills understand why many Zombie infants were killed. He was ashamed to admit to it, but even he had thought about ending Harold’s life. If Harold was going to grow up to kill and eat humans, would it not be better to stop it now before he was overcome by hunger and hurt someone?

“You’re welcome. I will be happy to arrange all these things for you. Now if you will follow me I will take you to the child.” Doctor Mills said.

As the two started walking down the hallway of the hospital Doctor Mills couldn’t help but wonder what Doctor Frankenstein’s plan was. In his entire medical career he had never come across something like this. The idea that he had delivered a Zombie both frightened and excited him. He had so many questions he wanted to ask, and so many questions that he feared the answers to.

“Doctor Frankenstein, would you mind if I asked you a few questions about Harold?” Doctor Mills said.

Doctor Frankenstein stopped dead in his tracks, and turned to face Doctor Mills.

“Harold? His parents named him?” Doctor Frankenstein said.

“Yes sir. They named him after one of their fathers. I don’t remember which one, but his parents are very concerned about Harold. Since putting him in ICU George, that’s Harold’s Father, has hardly left the observation window. His mother Louis has made it as often as she can, but she is still recovering from the birth, and with the transfusions of blood, her body is just not strong enough yet. She needs her rest.” Doctor Mills said.

Doctor Frankenstein looked stunned. “Did you tell the parents what he is?”

“Yes sir. They took it as well as one would expect, but after an hour or so of thought all they could think about was the well being of their child Zombie or not.”

If Doctor Frankenstein had looked stunned before now he really looked stunned. He had been studying Zombies for most of his adult life, and never had he run across a couple that cared about the child after they discovered what it was. Most had succeeded or tried to kill the child, given the child up for adoption or in some cases just abandoned the child somewhere. Never had he run across a couple that, even knowing what the child was, still cared about it.

Shaking his head he snapped himself out of the shock, and focused back on the task at hand. He needed to get to Harold, and fast. Two days without food for a Zombie newborn could not lend itself to good things.

A half hour later Doctor Frankenstein had Harold in a private room, fresh blood, and was working on a list of body parts he needed brought up from the morgue immediately. Doctor Mills had no idea about the list, but he was watching anxiously to see what Doctor Frankenstein planned on doing. After a few moments the list was finished.

“I need this list taken down to the morgue immediately. These items are to be taken from donors, and brought up as soon as possible. No questions are to be answered about why or where. Is that understood?”

Doctor Mills looked at the list, a kidney, 2lbs of brain, an arm, and a leg, one eyeball, and finally a heart. “What are you planning on doing with all of these things Doctor Frankenstein?” Doctor Mills said.

“My dear boy, I thought you said on the phone that you had knowledge of Zombies?” Doctor Frankenstein said

“Well I do, a little. Everything I know I learned in the past 48 hours. I read a lot on what a Zombie eats. But Harold is only a child. Surely you don’t think an infant could eat all this do you? It is your intention to feed this to Harold, isn’t it?”

“My good doctor, there is so much about Zombies we simply don’t know. With only a few documented cases, and most of them dead it’s hard to say what our little Zombie infant here is capable of. For now I know one thing he needs food. Blood should get him back to health, but after that it’s going to be a wondrous adventure into the unknown and only so far theorized.”

The impact of that statement hit Doctor Mills like a baseball bat. “You mean to say Harold could be the first recorded Zombie ever to be studied…ALIVE?!”

“Yes! Yes! Now you understand. I have traveled the world studying Zombies. Every lead or even hint I would follow. I have found dead Zombies and studied their anatomy, I have researched far into the legends, and superstitions, I have even gone as far as studying the occult and necromancy to try and understand these wonderful creations of nature. But despite all my searching, studying, and travels, I have never been able to come upon a live Zombie. Now Doctor I need to work. Please see to getting me the items on that list. There isn’t a rush, but I will take them as soon as they are reasonably ready. No need to tick off the morgue staff.”

Doctor Mills hesitated in the doorway. Doctor Frankenstein turned and saw Doctor Mills still standing there. “What are you waiting for my dear boy?”

“With all due respect Doctor, I would like to stay and see you work. I delivered Harold, and he is still in my care. I want to know that he is ok. You may have not found anyone who can care about a Zombie, but Harold’s parents are not the only ones who would like to see that child live!”

“So it would seem. Come doctor you may watch, but stay clear of me. I need room to move.”

Doctor Mills hesitated for only a second before coming into the room, and setting himself on the far side near the window. Doctor Frankenstein pulled a small knife out from his back pocket, and sliced through the top of the first bag of blood. Slowly he poured the blood into a small metal bowl. Reaching into his bag he pulled out a small dropper, and placed the tip of the dropper into the blood. Using the suction of the dropper Doctor Frankenstein pulled the blood into the dropper. He then turned his attention to Harold.

Harold looked sick and dying. Only 48 hours ago he looked, and sounded like any other new born. Now his skin was pale and ashen, his lips were cracked, and he hardly made sounds past whimpers. Doctor Frankenstein gently tilted Harold’s head back and placed the dropper of blood to Harold’s lips. Slowly drop by drop Harold started to feed on the blood. It took a few minutes, but it seemed that with each new drop Harold started to seem more active. At first it was just a hand or finger twitch, and then it was a leg raise, but slowly Harold started to move. After 30 minutes the entire first bag of blood was gone, and Harold was sucking the dropper dry in a matter of seconds. Doctor Frankenstein looked up at Doctor Mills and said “We are going to need more blood, and Doctor you better get me a bottle.”

An hour later Harold had gone through 5 bags of blood, and was looking healthy and alive. Harold was even smiling. Doctors Frankenstein and Mills sat back and laughed.

“Doctor Frankenstein, how on earth did he do that? He was on death’s door step, and with a hour and a half we seem to have brought him back from the dead.”

“Yes it does appear that way doesn’t it my dear boy. You see the answer is within Harold himself. Zombies are incapable of producing their own blood, much like vampires. Zombies need the blood to survive; they are born without a stomach or a heart as you and I are. Instead they are born with a hybrid heart and stomach. The two are linked, and helps the Zombie transfer fresh blood directly into their veins. Further this stomach heart combination helps the Zombie digest flesh. Flesh that is so desperately needed to rebuild, grow, and repair its body. It really is very fascinating!”

Doctor Mills swallowed a nervous gulp of air. “Did you say Vampires?” Doctor Mills had always been afraid of Vampires, ever since his older brother had scared him wearing a vampire outfit when he was younger.

“Is that all you absorbed from my previous statements Doctor? Of everything I said the ONE thing you focus on is there are Vampires in this world! Good God man, get some perspective. Of course Vampires are real. You stand in the same room as a Zombie, and you really have to wonder if Vampires exist. You call yourself a Doctor. You see there are a lot of things about this world that many people don’t know, or choose not to know or to believe. Zombies and Vampires are just two examples. Honestly!”

Doctor Mills looked like his entire world had just been shattered. Never had he really thought that these things could be real. And now Doctor Mills was right he was standing in the room with a Zombie, and a Zombie expert. He had so many questions he wanted to ask, but since most of them were about Vampires he decided to hold his tongue.

“Doctor you still have not explained why Harold was on death’s door only a short time ago, and now seems healthy as any baby his age should be.” Doctor Mills said.

“Ah that’s right! I do apologize I have a tendency to run off on terrible tangents. Now where was I? Yes, I remember. You see when a Zombie drinks blood the blood is then immediately transferred into its veins which distributes the blood to the whole body, the body then absorbs the blood helping it to create new cells and grow. Now while a Zombie could very much survive on blood alone, which is why many may be confused with Vampires I suppose, Zombies require a varied diet of fresh blood, human flesh, different kinds of organs, and above all brains.”

“Brains, why brains?” Doctor Mills said.

“That’s a very good question. We are not really sure. Keep in mind that Harold is the first living Zombie anyone has ever been able to study. Perhaps Harold holds the key to unlocking many of the great Zombie mysteries. What I do know is that many believe that without a rich and balanced diet the Zombie will suffer some terrible side effects. Rotting flesh, decrease in memory and intelligence, slurred speech, and above all cravings.”

“What do you mean cravings.” Doctor Mills said. “Well you see Doctor without a balanced diet a Zombie will start to feel cravings for those things he is missing in his diet. It’s very animalistic I suppose, and theory is that eventually it will drive the Zombie mad causing the Zombie to seek out and find the thing his body is craving. Unfortunately this generally means that someone will have to die in the process.”

“I guess it’s hard to reason with a Zombie if they see you as food.” Doctor Mills said.

“Exactly!” Doctor Frankenstein said.

“So what do we do now? What happens to Harold now?” Doctor Mills said.

“Now we talk to the parents. I am very interested in meeting these fine people who care for their child despite the fact that they know what he is. Remarkable, simply remarkable.” Doctor Frankenstein said.

Read Chapter Three HERE