Irate, the petite figure wobbled back to her room.

The conversation between them went from good, to horribly wrong in a matter of seconds. She'd been so close to telling him how she felt and then he had to interrupt her, messing it all up.

Teal huffed a warm, little breath mumbling to herself. With difficulty, she got back up on the hospital bed. Based on all those psychology books she'd read at home, as a human, he must've been bipolar. Or maybe, multiple personality disorder, because of his unpredictable, hot, and cold personas.

Now she certainly had no idea where they stood because she couldn't pretend what happened five days ago, didn't happen.

The irrefutable fact, he would have died, to save her life.

Were they friends with benefits? Only friends? Business partners? Or, was he going to kiss her whenever he thought it was okay, regardless of their status or whether or not she wanted him to?

Although she always seemed to want to. And, she couldn't blame him for that reaction. That was an entirely different matter, she must deal with herself.

He was always so guarded. Perhaps, it was a good thing he'd interrupted her when he did. How humiliating would it have been for her to say yes to his suggested relationship, to then have him confess what he just had?

Laying on that hospital bed, she tossed and turned for a while fuming at herself, and at him. And, although she didn't want to, Teal also simmered over her birthday, her mother, her brother, and yes, even Samantha.

She was vexed at the world!

"Teal?"

"Marc?" She sat up stunned by the softness in his voice. Her raven hair a matted mess of waves floating around her pale face.

"Can I come in?" his voice was quiet but strong. Almost as if saying "I'm coming in" instead of asking the question.

She hesitated and peered at him skeptically from under the covers.

"Sure."

He was without a shirt. The veins on his chest roads under the thin, translucent skin. Both of his arms sported tattoos but one of his shoulders was bare. She saw where he'd been shot once, some time ago.

It was obvious to her he did not want to ink that part of his body. As if he wanted to forever remember that it happened. The other shoulder had intriguing, black inked tattoos spiraling down his arm.

Using a single crutch for support and with some effort, he made it to the chair beside the bed. As he stood facing her, she gazed over his trim, firm body.

Probably shaped that way from all that running around saving zombies and lifting heavy things, she digressed.

Studying the profile of his face, Teal took a sharp intake of breath. A shudder controlled her body from crown to pinky toes, making her feel weirdly aware of his presence. As she watched his stone-cold face, she thought that even at his weakest point, he looked handsome and fearless.

When his deadpan eyes traced her semblance upward and reached her eyes, she could tell he was anxious.

"Teal, it didn't sit well with me the way I ended our conversation just now. I- I am the way I am and-" he hesitated. "What you see is what you get. I feel like I keep disappointing you over and over, without wanting to. I want to be open and honest about who I am. So, whatever you need to know, I'll try to answer, if you wanna talk."

She nodded blinking a few times before she shifted in her bed and sat up straighter. Clearing her throat, Teal pondered on the questions she should ask. She'd had so many before, and now, her mind was blank.

"You're going to answer every single question I have?" her voice was skeptical.

He slowly nodded. "As best I can."

"Okay..." Her torso lifted and a new breath of air made its way up her strangled lungs. "When and how did you turn?"

He looked at her knowing she would want to start there.

"I was seven when the virus broke. It was chaotic and out of control. Slowly, as they kicked out the zombies from their side, things began to regain some normalcy bu without a cure, people who were not careful, were still getting it."

"I contracted it about ten years later. A girl we used to hang out with in school, got infected somehow. It got passed on to every single one of us, except my brother Art, Gisela and her twin."

He breathed in painfully remembering that dark time in their life.

"Art was fifteen, the twins sixteen."

Briefly closing his eyes, Marc tried to relax.

"My mother was in the military. She is also a believer in holistic and alternative medicine. She tried every single remedy on me. Especially anything that could build up my brother's, and my immune system. The stuff worked considerably, delaying the symptoms. It wasn't until two years later my internal organs began to shrink and malfunction. Afterward, my skin began to thin out and pale but my motor functions and brain were noticeably intact."

He took a seat by her side on the bed and stared pointedly at her face.

"I needed to get out before the full transformation took over and I called too much attention to myself. Nineteen and no longer human, I knew it was time to cross. Leave the human world behind."

He took a deep, long breath.

"Art refused to leave my side. Luckily, my mother not only prepared us mentally and physically for two full years but she taught us everything she knew about survival."

Counting with his fingers he resumed, "She taught us how to access items we would need on this side of the fence as zombies. How to build human connections, get ourselves situated comfortably, and trade goods for food among other skills."

He rested his head back reminiscing.

"My mother allowed my brother to come with me. He was to help get any items needed from the human side. She gave me all her natural recipes to keep healthy, plus all the herbs, supplements, and oils I need," he shrugged.

"At the time, the border wasn't as tight as today. The humans were still trying to control other humans from coming through their borders, besides zombies. The added stress and economic crisis of the added burden they didn't know how to control. So we took advantage of it."

Enthralled by his story, Teal sat up on her elbows, the neck of the gown she wore hung low on her chest. The look in her eyes went from defensive to empathetic.

He briefly peeked at her and smiled before looking away.

"It created an opportunity for me. For us. For a while Art, Gisela, and her twin worked with the government. Eventually, they let my team down. On their own. Forgotten. But we were in too deep. I had too many contacts. I knew too many tricks and too much in general. The rest is history." He shrugged.

Before he closed them, his eyes were sad and distant looking at the space in front of him. With no purpose. Forcing them back opened he stared at her, only this time his pupils were gentle.

"Anything else?"

"Where's your mother?"

Sadly, he sighed. "On the other side. We have communication, we speak on the phone. She is OK. She gets to see Art when he crosses over."

"How does he cross over?"

"Carefully. As I mentioned, there are areas with gaps. Also, a tunnel that can take us halfway safely. The average zombie is not interested in crossing. They don't even think about humans or their old human life. And, not many humans try to cross either. The ones that do though, are not safe unless they do it with someone like me. Most who attempted it alone, have died."

"How-how have they died?"

"The journey is treacherous on foot. Also, there's the Unearthly Void."

"The what?"

He chuckled bitterly. "I can see why you've never heard of it. It's where hostile zombies are released."

"What?!" Did such a thing exist?

"Many experimented-on Zs, gone-wrong, are dumped there. They can become aggressive, avid killers, and even lethargic. It depends on what the scientist did to them. Plus, there are aggressive zombies within us. Just like humans have good and bad, we do too."

Teal couldn't believe her ears. Hostiles of her kind? Why hadn't her mother said anything about it? "How is it they all ended-up there?"

"The military ran the one-hundred-acre detention center across a large section of the border. They deter humans from helping us or crossing, by showing how evil we become when turned. It also is the area approved by the government to be televised. It's set with cameras for people to watch us on TV. It's mainly why we get a bad name. It's an easy way for them to run a humongous Dr. Frankenstein lab, take zombies, or dump their mistakes, without attracting attention."

Teal was horrified. She wanted to know everything about it. Pushing aside her feelings for him, she concentrated on learning all she could at that moment.

"Is this why you do what you do? Why your team has humans and why there are so few of them helping us?

Marc nodded. "Unless they prove to one of us they want to really help, without us, they won't make it through. There are many people who cross with the idea of destroying us. Homemade bombs, guns... The government pretends to care, but they have no concerns about who comes in. Only, who, or what gets out from our side."

"That is amazing. I knew nothing of this. I wonder if my mom does."

He sat quietly staring at her. Marc never said more than he needed to.

"That's not a question for me, but for your mother." Looking across at her, he wondered what else she'd like to know. "Anything else?"

The world she thought she clearly knew, was nothing as it seemed. Feeling like a fool she nodded. "I want to know everything. I didn't realize I knew so little. I've been so guarded."

"Can you blame your parents for doing what they did? Keeping all the information on you, quiet and you, in a glass case, after learning what I've just said to you?"

Quickly she retorted in a firm voice. "I cannot. I see why my mother deflected my questions with food. Why she wanted me to keep quiet, and why she allowed me to dream through the many books she taught me to read."

Pensive for a while, Teal realized her mother must know much more than she ever leads to believe.

"Marc?"

"Hmm?"

"What am I to you?"

"What do you mean?"

"Why are you really helping me cross?"

His lips refused to speak. It was unusual for him not to be direct but with her, for many reasons, it was difficult.

"No matter what, I must remember I am here to help our kind. Crossing over is dangerous and I realize you might do it regardless of what I or your mother think. Your life will be exposed at every turn. The sun, the heat, the damned Void, and then, the humans."

He ran a hand across the back of his neck, massaging it. "Once there, you have to avoid all human contact until you reach your aunt. Then, you must convince humans you are one of them."

Gently her head bobbed up and down in understanding, quickly realizing real life was not as enchanting as she thought it to be. As romantic. As simple.

"If it were up to me, I wouldn't let you go. But, you know what you know and you're your own person who has the right to make decisions for herself."

"Why do you care?"

"Why do I care what?"

"What happens to me."

"Ah, well, you know- I care, for all of our kind."

"Would you think the same way if Jax decided to go?"

"Oh, zombies no!" He chuckled. "I would be concerned differently though. I would think The Unearthly Void became enchanted with fairies, and the humans opened their borders."

He laughed a little harder and Teal couldn't help but laugh with him.

"Bad example." She giggled. "But, you know what I mean."

"I don't." He feigned.

"Am I your friend? A colleague? You obviously don't see me as your equal. I am likely the smartest zombie you know. More so than you." She teased.

"If you want the truth, I don't really have an answer for you."

Her eyes hung on his face. That answer, if you could call it that, was not going to be good enough for her.

"You almost died to save me! You say you want nothing but sex, then save my life heroically, only to offer me friendship without giving me a choice." She pressed on. " You've never asked me once, what I want."

Her voice trailed off, but her eyes kept glued to his.

"How can I ask what you want, when I don't even know what I want myself?" He confessed inching closer.

"So? Which is it?" Teal's words were defiant. "I want to help. I want to be part of all this."

Marc quickly shook his head. His cool breath could be heard as he exasperatedly looked around the small, dingy room. His eyes shifted from her face to the curb of her almost exposed breast. Then back up, to the center of her forehead.

"No?! Why not?" Her fists balled. "Why did you come to save me? Risk your life? Your brother's life? Your friends?!" Teal's frustrated voice bounced off the empty hospital walls. It trembled with confusion and passion.

"I-felt guilt. You almost died and it was my fault."

"Their lives can be spared but mine cannot? Why am I different in your opinion?!"

"You-you may be the cure."

"I might be an ingredient to a cure? That's it?"

The silence that followed grew heavy. Neither moved or spoke. One wanting answers. The other, not ready to give them.

"I loved someone, once ..." he began. "When I was human. She was the reason I tried so hard to get back to, normal." 

Music By:
Billy Idol*Postcards From The Past