"Hey Doc...I'm sorry."

Jackaboy was lying on a hospital bed in a room adjacent to Chase's with a wet rag placed on his forehead, the torn sleeve of his red jumpsuit rolled up to reveal a series of bite marks on his unnaturally pale arm.

JJ was standing against the wall with his bowler hat in his hands, the mute watching Jackaboy with tears shining in his eyes.

"Vhy didn't you tell me sooner?" Schneep whispered remorsefully as he sat on the edge of the hero's bed, the German bowing his head with a defeated expression.

"What would be the point? There's no cure, nothing any of you can do to help." Jackaboy shrugged, wincing at the movement.

"We need to know because we care Jackaboy, you're family." Jack interjected fiercely, the hero avoiding the Irishman's pained expression.

"Is Marvin still in his room resting?" Schneep whispered to JJ, the mute's expression turning thoughtful for a moment before he nodded in response.

"So what's going to happen to me then?" Jackaboy questioned quietly, looking up at Schneep as the German let out a long reluctant sigh.

"I don't know if zhe infection makes all victims have zhe same symptoms, and I don't know if zhe multiple bites changes zhe rate or anything, but..." Schneep trailed off as he shook his head,

"I should've known zhat you vere infected." Schneep growled quietly to himself, brushing his fingertips against the rag on Jackaboy's forehead.

"You're burning hot." Schneep murmured worriedly as he removed the rag, Jack silently taking it to run it under cold water again.

"Thanks, I know I am." Jackaboy chuckled softly, his eyes barely open as he took in a long shuddering breath.

"Should we put an oxygen mask on him like Chase?" Jack whispered to Schneep as he returned, carefully draping the dripping wet rag onto Jackaboy's forehead.

"I-"

Schneep was interrupted by Jackaboy shooting up into a sitting position, the hero leaning over the side of the bed as he made a choked gagging sound while the rag fell off into his lap.

"F-fuck." Jackaboy panted, his arms trembling to hold himself up as JJ hastily pulled a trash can over to him while Schneep helped support the hero.

"It's okay mein friend, I'm here." Schneep soothed Jackaboy, gently brushing stray strands of hair out of his face while the hero gagged again.

Jack paled as he abruptly left the room with a concerned JJ following after, leaving Schneep to take care of Jackaboy as he vomited up what little food he had eaten that day.

"I don't...feel...good." Jackaboy mumbled in a raspy voice as his head slumped against Schneep's shoulder, the German delicately laying Jackaboy down in bed before placing the rag on his forehead once more.

"Rest vell, I vill find zhe cure." Schneep promised in fierce determination, striding towards the door to study Robbie's blood sample.

"Schneep...wait."

Schneep turned back to look at Jackaboy as he shakily sat up slightly, the hero's jaw trembling as his blue eyes bore into the German's.

"You have to promise me...that when I turn zombie-"

"Don't think like zhat. Vhere is your PMA?" Schneep cut Jackaboy off with a sad smile, resting a hand on the hero's shoulder before gently shoving him down so his head was lying on the pillow once more.

"Listen to me!" Jackaboy barked furiously as he shot back up, startling Schneep into silence as he instinctively retreated a step back.

"If I turn zombie, I need you to kill me before I hurt anyone." Jackaboy directed sternly, Schneep already shaking his head.

"I can't do zhat, you are mein friend!" Schneep protested as he turned to leave, Jackaboy grabbing the German's hand tightly to stop him in his tracks.

"Promise me...please." Jackaboy pleaded, his tone gentler as Schneep let out a reluctant sigh of defeat.

"Ok...I promise." Schneep assured Jackaboy, squeezing his hand before letting go and leaving to work on the cure.

"ROBBIE WANT FOOD!" Robbie snarled as Schneep returned to the zombie's room, examining the blood sample with a bottle of antiseptic in hand.

"Shut up." Schneep growled under his breath as he let a drop of antiseptic drip onto the blood sample, the German watching as the bacteria in the crimson liquid began to disappear.

"Now, how do I regenerate cells?" Schneep wondered aloud as he glanced over at Robbie, shaking his head in irritation.

"I need a drink." Schneep sighed as he jogged off to the makeshift kitchen in the hospital, which used to be the break room for staff.

Schneep snatched a partially full bottle of whiskey out of Chase's "secret" stash of alcohol out of the fridge and walked back towards Robbie's room until he passed by Chase's room, the male lying deathly still in bed.

"Chase...?" Schneep called out to Chase softly, approaching the male before lightly nudging his shoulder and waiting for a reaction.

Chase's eyes flew open to reveal dilated pupils, his breathing ragged as he tore the oxygen mask off of him.

"Hungry...need...food." Chase murmured as he staggered out of bed, causing Schneep to stumble backwards in fear and drop the bottle with a crash.

"C-Chase, zhis isn't funny!" Schneep stammered in a high pitched voice, the German nearly tripping over himself as he took another step back away from Chase while the male bared his teeth.

"HELP!" Schneep screamed as Chase lunged at him, the German defenseless against his former friend's attack.

Just as Chase started to charge towards Schneep, Marvin ran into the room and pushed the German out of the way, the magician narrowly dodging Chase's teeth.

"Run!" Marvin shouted as he faced Chase with a grim expression, Schneep watching Chase advance towards Marvin while paralyzed with fear until the magician looked over his shoulder at him.

"RUN!"

So he did.