But at this moment, she couldn't even think of a smile.

Her face was a mask of pure terror.

She needed to put her newborn little boy into the arms of a teenage girl she met a few days ago. She had to come closer to a woman who wasn't human anymore. She admited she ate a zombie. That she could taste only meat.

And she was the one who would check if her heart was still beating or not.

If she was a monster or not.

Daisy, the woman who never was at ease in public, who couldn't produce a single word if she didn't feel comfortable in front of a person.

Her family and the few friends she had wasn't here.

Her husband wasn't here.

The only person she could fully trust was herself.

And she was locked in an hospital full of zombies. Alone with her baby.

Why did she suggest she could do it ? She saw the two sisters talk and she felt how affectionate they were. Like the zombies weren't at their door. A little second of relaxation and she let her guard down.

She wanted to cry so much, but she feared the consequences. Maybe she would wake up her son, who would cry too. The two girls could get angry at her. They could throw her and Shawn out. Right into the zombies claws.

It's not that she didn't like Millie and Nora. It was rea.s.suring to not be closed in here alone, after all. But she had been confronted to all kind of character since young, she didn't trust other people easily.

Especially women.

Those days, she had the time to learn a few things about Millie. She was funny, optimistic and full of energy. She shared gladly the snacks she had. She helped her take care of her son, giving her time to sleep a bit. Even when she clearly knew the teenage girl was as scared as her, she tried her best not to show it. She was never in a bad mood and she cheered her up with a few stories.

She mostly loved to talk about her family. Her dad was a cold but gentle middle-aged man with few words. Her mother was sweet, calm and loved to paint. Her elder sister was nice but could be a bit awkward with her choice of words.

Daisy started to like hearing about them. She liked this little girl who was more courageous than herself. She knew Millie was a straightforward person. But trust and liking isn't the same.

And listening to a story and meeting one of the protagonist in real life isn't the same.

She was too used to get betrayed to completely be at ease here.

And now that she was seated in front of Nora, the stethoscope in hand, she couldn't help but be afraid.

If Nora was a monster, what would happen ? Will she try to kill her and her son ? Will Millie really lock her in the bathroom if she becomes insane ?

The more she thought about it, the more her hand shook.

The membrane touched Nora's skin.

She focused herself on her task, hoping more than Nora herself that her heart would be beating.

As scared as she currently was, she was on the verge to pee on herself.

And then she stopped to breathe for a few seconds.

She could hear it.

It was faint and a bit unnatural. Like it was not the good rythm.

But she could hear it.

Nora's heartbeat.

She was so relieved she thought she was floating. Her body swayed and Nora held her by the shoulders.

But she wasn't that much better herself. Daisy's reaction made her misunderstand the situation.

The young mom ended up too scared and nearly fainted. And there was only one reason for it.

Daisy didn't hear any heartbeat.

She was dead.

The panic she always fought against since she woke up came back, like she received a big slap across the face.

She didn't dare to move, as she feared she'd totally snap and start to scream.

And to calm down after would be an impossible challenge.

She never felt this way before. Hopeless. Even after she woke up.

No way out.

"It's amazing, ha ha !"

Millie's sentence brought her back.

Her mind seemed to have stopped for a while because when she looked around, Daisy wasn't before her anymore but on the bed, holding her son who opened his blue eyes and Millie was bouncing with a few dancing moves.

Nora stared at her, suspicious. "It's... amazing ? I'm dead and it's amazing ? Did her brain broke or what ?!" Before she could make sense with her sister's way of thinking, Millie jumped to her and laughed.

"Your heart is beating ! It's beating !"

Nora's mouth opened on itself. The teenager continued to sing for two full minutes before Shawn decided he had enough and started to cry. Daisy's reaction was quite fast, and half a second later, she was breastfeeding her son.

And Nora was still there, completely stunned. The scene before her eyes was estranged from her. She just couldn't link all the pieces together.

Millie was so full of joy and relief she pounced on the snacks to celebrate. She knew she overreacted but all the stress of this nerve-wracking situation they were in found it's way out when she learned this good news.

Ever since her sister's accident, her family changed. It was like time stopped for them. They were always at home or at the hospital. It happened while there wasn't school, so she stayed all along with her parents. Until her father said one day he needed to deal with something and just walked out of the house like that. Her mother ceased to paint and was eating less and less. When she saw her face turning deadly pale, Millie couldn't stand it anymore and forbade her to leave the house. She needed to rest. The fact that her mom didn't win their argument that night was the proof she didn't have any strength left.

Millie realised on this cursed day that with her decision, she may have saved her mother's life.

Their house wasn't in the vicinity, so she would have the time to flee, right ?

She knew that locked in a hospital room with a woman who just gave birth and her child, her luck wasn't that great. But she didn't want to give up. She thought her dad could come here with the army or any person with a gun in hand. She knew it was exaggerated, but she coudn't help it. Maybe the zombies wouldn't be interested in her sister, since she was sleeping. The moving humans could be their only food, who knows. She could wake up just in time to hide herself, too. Her hopes were high and unrealistic, even herself could guess it. Until Daisy told her the plan her friends came up with.

She saw a little light in her not that good future.

Then her sister made that phone call.

And she started to think her hopes weren't in vain.

Even if her sister was different, she was still here. Her heart was even beating ! Didn't that just mean the plan could really work ?

Filled with a new energy, she finally looked at her sister, who was completely speachless.

"You're okay, sis ?"

Nora just stared at her. When she understood her little sister's words, she realised what was happening.

And tears rolled down her cheeks.