The Virus Within (Original rough draft)

Chapter 120

Nicky eventually sighed as she both finished her breakfast and gave up glaring at the window at the same time. She flopped backward and I growled faintly as her head rested on my leg. She ignored my faint protest. Her eyes closed as she pulled a blanket over herself. How can she sleep again so soon after waking up? Honestly, it shouldn't be possible...

I exhaled slowly as I suppressed my instincts. They did not like any kind of contact. I had never really been the huggy kind of person as a human either. I didn't like it, but I could probably tolerate it if it meant that Nicky would sleep. I could only imagine how she would react if I shoved her head off my leg. I really didn't feel like dealing with any more drama today.

The hours passed by far too slowly. It was easier than when Liz had sat on my lap and I had battled the bloodlust, but it was still no walk in the park as my instincts objected to the contact. They were slightly confused though, and I knew why.

Zombies were normally very touchy about their heads and necks, and yet Nicky had her head resting on my leg while her neck was exposed as she slept. I watched the scenery go by as I wondered which was worse, sitting in the back of a truck with Nicky using my leg as a pillow or arriving at a new Stronghold filled with strangers.

In the end I decided that the Stronghold was the greater evil. I glanced at yet another normal zombie as we passed by it. There were quite a few on this road. If I needed any proof that this was a commonly used highway, then the number of zombies around would suffice. Lots of zombies usually meant larger Strongholds. Oh goodie... Just what I needed to make this day go even peachier...

I wasn't even sure how large the biggest Strongholds were. I knew that most ranged between a hundred and four hundred. The air swirled around me as the truck kept driving and it brought me the slowly increasing scents of civilization and humans. We were approaching our next target.

I nudged Nicky awake as the walls came into view, "Rise and shine sleeping beauty. We are to be dignitaries in this new kingdom, so you must look the part."

She blinked sleepily at me, "Since when do you attempt to crack jokes?"

"You must have been dreaming if you think you heard me making jokes."

She sat up and rubbed at her eyes, "No kidding. It must have been part of my dream. I initially wondered if someone else had joined me back here. A growl, sure; a snarl, fine; but a joke? That is so not Trinity."

I chuckled at her view of things. Leave it to Nicky to be more worried about a joke than a growl or a snarl...

Nicky yawned, "It is far too early to be smiling."

Considering it was almost noon, it could not be called early. I shrugged, "Life is short. Smile while you still have teeth."

She gave me a funny look before scooting away and knocking on the cab window. Nina opened it a crack and Nicky wasted no time warning them, "Guys we got a problem."

Daniel glanced in the mirror while Nina looked concerned, "What is it?"

"Trinity is cracking jokes back here and it is freaking me out."

Daniel rolled his eyes, "She is yours to deal with. For once you can have a taste of your own medicine. Now you know how your mood swings make us feel sometimes."

Nicky sat up straight in an attempt to glare at Daniel through the rear view mirror, "My mood swings are not weird. They are limited edition."

He snorted, "Then consider Trinity's jokes a rare change from her growling."

I narrowed my own eyes at that comment, "I have been attempting to be polite and have not growled that much. I think you need to go hang out with ferals for a while to get your perspectives straight."