Zombie Soap 2: Conspiracy

Six

Monica

Something about Dr Sheldon Benson didn't sit right with Monica. He was too well groomed, too calm, too...serpentine. Jayson had been unsteady on his feet when he came out of the office, barely making eye contact with her before he was forcefully led out of the room where everyone else remained.

Whatever Dr Benson did had set Jayson off, and Monica strongly suspected this would come back to bite him. The doctor didn't appear to be very interested in helping, despite his smooth words.

His smile made her feel exposed, and she couldn't help folding her arms across her chest. "You have nothing to fear from us, Monica. We only want to help."

She swallowed past the painful lump in her throat, still reeling from the past he'd dredged up from a world that no longer existed. Her breath shuddered as she said, "Digging up my past isn't very helpful, especially since I've worked very hard to move on from it. What happened nearly a decade ago is no one's business, and I honestly find it disturbing you have so much access to our information while the leadership here refuses to show us any transparency."

The man regarded her for a moment with shrewd eyes before responding with a sympathetic smile-one she knew all too well from the last time she went through extensive therapy. "Monica, this is a bit of a unique situation that the government prepared for in case it ever happened. A lot of people on the outside are dying, and it's not something we currently have a cure for. In order to maintain a sense of normalcy here, this process is crucial to successfully place everyone in a role where they can contribute.

'As for you, I'm sure that given your background, you're probably aware that you'll be in the labs. Before you go to work though, I have to know how you're feeling after your experiences. You were involved in a very high-profile case."

Heat seared Monica's cheeks, and she took several deep breaths before responding. When she was certain she could speak without throwing something, she evenly said, "That happened over a decade ago, and it's not something I choose to relive. Honestly, I'd be more concerned about how people are feeling regarding watching their loved ones torn apart by cannibals."

She purposely left out the part where she'd been blacklisted from working in any field related to scientific medicine, despite her innocence, but the damage had been done by the end of her trial. The media had painted her out to be a party girl, crying for attention because she had sex and changed her mind. Her ex-boyfriend's guilty verdict and the truth had meant nothing, especially after he committed suicide in prison. In the end, Emmett had won and destroyed her reputation.

She didn't need to relive that again with anyone. Jayson, maybe, but only when she was ready. She wasn't going to rehash her past with some creepy psychiatrist with a hidden agenda.

Doctor Benson sighed. "Why do you and your friends distrust us so much? We're ensuring everyone's survival while we take your safety into account. We are not your enemies."

How honest should she be? Jayson wasn't known for his diplomatic approaches, and something about the way this place was run gave Monica a bad feeling. If she didn't say anything though, they wouldn't trust her or any of her friends, and she needed answers.

She contemplated her answer before responding, looking for the right words. Finally, she said, "I don't believe you are our enemy. I think...everyone has been through a lot without much time to process what's happened, the staff has mistreated us and abused their power as survivors come in, and people are afraid because they don't know what is going on. I personally witnessed a nurse harassing a fifteen-year-old girl yesterday, and right now, the last thing she needs is more fear after being on the run for a week."