At the first aid station a medical officer was doing a quick visual inspection of each person. We joined a queue of around ten people. They were all civilians like us and all looked terrified and haggard. I am sure Mina and myself gave the same first impression too. Someone in the queue closer to the front was in obvious distress as they had started to moan loudly. The medical officer walked up to them and quickly signalled the attention of two soldiers who escorted the individual back towards the tent we had just passed.

Mina leaned into me. “Bitten?”

I looked back at the tent where he was taken. “I think so, and he wasn’t the only one. That tent seemed full of people in the same condition.”

Mina looked back towards the medical officer who had just waved two more people through.

“It looks like this is compulsory to get through the cordon.” She looked at me. “Let’s hope it’s quick.”

The line moved slowly. It looked like the medical officer was asking an array of questions in addition to visual observation. The noise within the cordon would rise and fall. Sporadic shooting was still occurring causing everyone to turn in the direction it came from, pausing momentarily before continuing with whatever they had been doing. Shouts and cries would carry during the lulls and I could feel my anxiety building. We were now two away from speaking to the medical officer.

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Mina turned back to me. “Thanks again for getting me this far.”

"Your welcome", I said. “And had you not given me shelter overnight who knows what would have come of me. “

She smiled with sadness. “That was the worse night of my life. But I am glad you were there. Had Alistair arrived, and you not been present I would...” She stopped, and I reached out to touch her shoulder.

“None of this is going to be easy for any of us to process once this is over.” I said.

The medical officer waved through two more people and we were next. He looked from Mina to me. “Are you together?” Mina and me exchanged a quick glance and nodded.

"Names?"

"Mina Oroju...Bradley Young"

"Have either of you been in direct contact with the infected?"

We exchanged another look.

"Yes?"

"More details please? Any injuries or open wounds? Have you come into direct contact with their blood?"

We have no injuries, no open wounds.

And have you come into direct contact with their blood?

We exchanged another look between us

"Ummmm....."

Behind us there was another volley of shots, and screams. We looked behind and saw someone in military uniform stumble from the first aid tent covered in blood. A zombie followed, this time the lumbering variety, who latched onto the stricken soldier biting into his flesh.

Further screams were rising in a crescendo from the tent. Soldiers were running towards the tent while additional shots could be heard coming from the barricades. As we watched two fast zombies emerged from the tent.

One raced towards the oncoming soldiers and one raced towards us.