Leeteuk had gone home to change clothes for the dance that night. The students didn’t have to be in any part of their uniforms for it and Leeteuk wanted to take full advantage of the privilege. His parents’ room was quiet as he stood in the hallway staring at the door. He almost wanted to walk down there, open up the door and check on his father’s condition, but if he did something like that, he’d risk his dad coming after him to beat him. Heechul did say to be careful.

Shrugging off his curiosity, Leeteuk went to the kitchen to check in on his mom. His heart sank as he heard her covering a soft cough. “Eomma, are you sick?”

“What?” His mom asked with a bright smile. “No, I just swallowed wrong.” She smiled and coughed some more.

Leeteuk laughed softly and sighed.

"Are you going with Heechul to this dance?

Leeteuk looked up at her and shook his head. "I still haven't heard anything from him." He didn't want to hear any words of comfort and advice, so he left the texting out of it.

"He must be really busy with his father's work." His mom tried.

"I'm going with Donghae though," Leeteuk changed the subject with a smile. "And they're going to force me to dance with them. So that should be a lot of fun." He grimaced and she laughed at him.

"I keep offering you lessons so you won't feel so shy asking girls to dance with you."

"Yeah, I'd look even more strange ballroom dancing at a high school thing, eomma." He teased.

She shrugged him off. "Do you need a ride?"

"No, Donghae's coming and we're gonna walk." Leeteuk said.

"Are you sure? It's no trouble."

"Yeah, we're meeting Sora and Eunhyuk halfway."

"Still."

"Yah, eomma." Leeteuk whined at her and she finally let up.

"Alright, have fun then."

"I will. And eomma?" Leeteuk looked at her earnestly. "Please be careful around appa, I don't want you sick too."

She smiled and they hugged, before he went out to wait for Donghae.

Heechul was asleep against Siwon's shoulder. They'd found a bus with a straight route to Seoul. The calmness had sent the usually light sleeper, into a deep REM. Siwon was reading Heechul's plan, scribbled on part of the map he had. It was an old code language that they'd created during a holiday retreat for the families of military staff. They still used it to hide messages from their parents. Siwon, like Leeteuk, had been missing Heechul in his life. He'd always considered Heechul one of his best friends, even though they rarely saw each other anymore.

Siwon was worrying a little more since Heechul had been growing steadily hotter against him. He wondered if the cold had affected him more than he'd been willing to admit before. Siwon chanced waking him up to place his palm on his forehead for a temperature check. Heechul was warm, but not feverish. Siwon sighed softly and shifted Heechul gently as they neared their stop.

"Heechul," Siwon said.

"Yeah. I'm awake." Heechul mumbled as he sat up right in his seat and rubbed his eyes, looking around.

Siwon tapped his shoulder and pointed out the window. A section of the city they were entering through had been quarantined. To civilians it would look like a garbage truck and sewage personnel, but Heechul and Siwon recognized it as a containment crew.

"What's going on?" Heechul whispered, not expecting an answer.

Siwon shook his head. "I don't know, but it's not good, whatever it is."

Leeteuk and Donghae met up with Sora and Eunhyuk right outside the gates to the school. Leeteuk had his eye out for any sick people and the topic of conversation was still what Jessica had that sent her home early with peeling skin. Tempted, but not wanting to sound crazier than he already did, Leeteuk didn't bring up the possibility of the zombie virus.

Kangin showed up beside their group just outside the gym where the dance was. He motioned Leeteuk aside and Leeteuk nodded to the others, waving them into the auditorium. Walking cautiously toward Kangin, Leeteuk cleared his throat.

"Hey."

"Yeah," Kangin said. "Look, I know you're closer with Heechul and all. So, did he tell you anything about what's going on?"

Leeteuk laughed softly and shook his head. "He hasn't talked to me at all. Sorry."

Kangin sighed. "But." He cut off what he was going to say and tried again. "Then have you come up with anything?"

"You'll think I'm crazy."

Kangin raised his brows. "Yeah, too late for that, ."

Leeteuk scowled.

"Sorry, sorry."

"Educated opinion? It's the zombie virus."

Kangin laughed. "What?"

"It's the only thing that makes sense." Leeteuk shrugged. "Why else would Heechul be so concerned about sickness? And if there aren't any warnings on the news, then the government's trying to cover it up right? What's more likely? Alien landing and radiation poisoning, or zombie virus?"

Taking a while to think it out, Kangin shrugged. "So, what do we do? Half the people in that auditorium have been out sick in the past month."

Leeteuk chuckled. "Have a drink and don't let anyone bite us? If it's airborne, it's already too late."

"You seriously think that's what's going on?" Kangin asked skeptically.

"I don't have the slightest idea what's going on, and I don't really care. I just don't want anyone sick near me or my friends."

Kangin nodded. "You really haven't heard from Heechul?"

Shaking his head, Leeteuk waved it off. "I don't care about Heechul. He left to save his own skin, that's just as bad as leaving me to be friends with popular people. I hope he gets whatever disease is going around."

"If I didn't feel the same way, I'd hit you for saying that." Kangin said.

Leeteuk laughed. "That wouldn't matter to me right now. Nothing does. Hit me all you want." He shrugged and turned to leave.

Kangin wanted to stop him, but didn't, sticking his hands into his pockets. He was terrified of what was going on, even more frightened because Leeteuk could possibly be right. He thought about how close Sohee had been to him recently and shuddered.

Heechul thought he was hiding his tiredness well, but Siwon could see him leaning against something when he could. Heechul's reflexes were off, Siwon saw him jumping at leaves moving in the corner of his eye. He didn't really know what to do for his friend except watch out for both of them as he followed him through the city toward Heechul's civilian high school.

As the sun passed out of the sky and night elongated the shadows around them, strange noises took up chorus. A scream cut short here, the rumbling of more quarantine units, Heechul could have sworn he heard a gunshot too. He tried to keep it out of his mind and focus on what was in their direct vicinity, but he couldn't shake the fear. Something in his primal senses was telling him this was a huge mistake and now their lives were in danger because of it. Heechul regretted getting Siwon into this with him, but he was glad for him. Knowing his own senses were wearing out as fast as his muscles, Heechul could see that Siwon still had control over his.

"Almost there," Heechul reassured in a soft voice.

"Lead the way." Siwon smiled and clapped Heechul on the shoulder, shaking him gently, in an effort to keep him awake.

Jumping at the smallest movements, Heechul's weakened reflexes turned out to be a good thing as someone lumbered up the sidewalk toward them. At first the stranger looked drunk, Heechul normally would have laughed, but his heart was pounding as something didn't smell right. "," Heechul whispered as he realized the front of the stranger's shirt was covered in blood.

Siwon tugged Heechul back as the stranger lumbered right at him with arms outstretched. That was just enough of a check to get Heechul out of the stupor the sight of blood had put him in. He pulled out his fire axe and readied himself as the stranger, a large man, stooped and as if in pain, came at him again.

Brandishing his axe in full view as he dodged the blood drenched man, Heechul gave him verbal warnings in a deadly serious voice. The stranger didn't seem to even hear him as he lumbered at Heechul, hands reaching for his throat. Heechul was shocked by the lack of humanity in the dead eyes of the man before him. When it came to it, Heechul didn't have the coldness that a soldier did for killing when necessary and he couldn't do it. Siwon hadn't hesitated and before the gunshot registered to Heechul, the arm of his fatigue uniform was covered in blood and brain matter. The zombie, because what else could it be, slipped down the front of Heechul's body and crumpled against the ground. Dropping his axe, Heechul stumbled back and emptied his stomach violently against the cold concrete of the sidewalk.