We stepped around the zombie baby, and I place Germaine on the couch. Trying to keep the base of the stair case out of her line of sight. Then picked up the baby and moving it to the kitchen. Facing it towards a corner. It's biting and snapping at me the whole way.

Doing my best to keep Germaine and the baby from seeing. Though I'm sure Germaine did anyways. I drag the bodies of the family members from the base of the stairs. Ditching them in the backyard, as quickly as I can. The snow will cover them up. Not exactly a proper burial but it's the better then laying in a heap on the floor.

Once done, I join Germaine on the couch. She immediately starts asking questions.

"Why this house? why not the university? You mentioned it a few times. sounded like a pretty good set up."

"Remember how I said there's something I need to do?"

"I get it. It's a classic story. You killed this kids family. And now you feel bad. You feel like it's your responsibility to raise this kid as your own. Now your case is a bit different. Given that the child is a zombie. And therefore barely sentient. So I'm not entirely sure where you stand on this. On the one hand you completely abandoned the child in the first place. But on the other hand, you came back."

"Wow, that's exactly it. How did you know? Did you see me taking the bodies of the family outside?"

"No, I heard the commotion. It was obvious you were dragging something. And you wouldn't have brought us here if you didn't already know that any threat within had been neutralized."

"Okay, but how did you know I feel guilty about it?"

"Levi, I've been stuck in a chair for years. I've seen every movie there is to see. I've watched every series and read every book. Like I said, it's a classic story. I've seen it told a dozen times or more."

"Alright, so what do we do about it?"

I ask, still perplexed by how accurately she read the situation.

"Well, I say we just leave it. It's a zombie. There's no good that can come of it. But I also know it's a moot point. If I try to argue against taking it with us. I know you'll come back at me saying if Professor Choren's plan works then this baby will be scared, alone, and defenceless. And though I want to say, and currently feel, that it is not my problem, and we should be taking care of ourselves. Not worrying about others. I worry that if I were to say that. It would later be me who is feeling guilty. With the added points that it would. One, Cause a rift between us. as you would grow to blame me for the guilt you are feeling. And two, the child being scared, alone, and defenceless, would be very much the same as I was experiencing when you were gone for days."

"Did I just win an argument?"

I ask. Genuinely confused.

"Yes."

"So we can take the kid with us."

"Again, I'd rather not. But given it's state, it will be so low maintenance that we'll just leave it in the back seat and forget it's there. Besides, it could prove beneficial. Like if there's a case where we're stuck in the car as a hoard of zombies passes through, we can duck down and try to hide. With the hopes that any zombies passing by will see the baby in the back and figure there couldn't possibly be any survivors in the car with it."

"Great, so should we work on a plan to destroy the power station?"

"No, I'm mad at you for putting me in this situation. And if everything does go back to normal we're leaving this kid at a fire station. I want it to have a decent life, but I don't want to take care of it myself. Go get us some food then sleep upstairs. I'm fine here on the couch. We can look around in the light of day to find something to destroy the power station. There's probably stuff to make a molotov or something."

Morning comes, and I go downstairs. Germaine is still asleep on the couch. I go into the kitchen to scrape together something for us to have for breakfast. Zombie baby still in its corner. Craning its neck to bite in my direction.

While going through the cupboards to see what I can find, I glance at the stove.

12:00

blinking on the display. Germaine must of heard me searching around. She calls out from the couch.

"There should be a baby car seat in the car in the driveway. I bet we can find the keys pretty easy too."

I walk into the living room as she's still talking.

"It's happening here too."

"What is?"

Instead of saying anything I point to the lamp on the table beside her. Germaine reaches up and turns it on with a click. The lamp fills the still dim room with light.

"Oh..."

Germaine stops and looks at the light for a few minutes. Then she continues.

"I thought it was an isolated incident. One particularly clever zombie. Maybe even an accident. Now I think they're all learning. Or worse, a hive mind."

"Why would that be worse?"

"Because if one of them finds us. Even if we kill it, we're not safe. They'll all know where we are."

"Do you think we'll be safe with the baby with us? or will it tell them all where we are?"

"We don't know for sure if they are a hive mind or not. We'll just blind fold the baby for now. But it has seen us here. So we have to get moving fast."

With that. I find a scarf near the front door. as well as Three sets of keys. I take all three and head outside.

Sure enough the car does has a seat in the back for the baby. I try all the keys until I find one that works. I then go back into the house. Tie the scarf around the babies eyes. And take it out to the car. After securely strapping it to the seat. I go get Germaine and place her in the front passenger seat. Before finally getting in my self.

"Where to?"

Germaine asks.

"Home."