The Contagion

CW: This page contains mild gore (as described in Quirks) and depictions of degenerative symptoms of disease.

Of the few records salvaged from the beginning of the end, zombie-medical science lays the smallest claim. What scraps of information about the contagion do exist are in the charge of Naomi D'Ambroiso – most of these are remnants from her profession, taken during the emergent period of the contagion.

STANDARD CERTIFICATE OF DEATH [FIELDS 34-42 of 109]
MANNER of DEATH: [This field is blotted out from water damage.]
CAUSE of DEATH: [This field is left blank.]
ADDITIONAL OBSERVATIONS:

Patient reported experiencing nausea and a sense of dis-orientation for nearly a week prior to seeking treatment. Patient also exhibited unusual hair loss, starting the morning of check-in.
Symptoms seemed to be alleviated for brief few hours after check-in, but worsened noticeably the next morning, and continued to worsen for next three days up till death. Patient had lost majority of hair by second day and was in considerably low spirits.
Patient occasionally “lost in thoughts” or, as described by personal aide, “staring blankly” for brief snapshots of time by day 2.
Exact intervals between onset and subsequent worsening of symptoms unclear; short-staffing made consistent observation difficult.
Entirely new symptoms emerged over course of day preceding death. No change was made to patient diet or conditions.

Patient began exhibiting intermittent signs of distrust of nurses, leaning away from personal aide despite developing positive rapport on day 1. Patient “snapped” jaw at aide on a few rare occasions.
Patient arrived in low spirits but speaking clearly. Reduced verbal coherency observed for first time on morning of day of death, and rapid decline was observed from symptom onset til death.
Patient skin (of a medium-brown colour) became covered in red sore-like patches. Patches appeared first on the hands, at least as far as verifiable – nurses instructed not to approach without protective equipment and no recorded attempts were made to turn patient over or make any physical contact at all.

At around 19.15 on the evening preceding death, patient ceased to communicate responsively to nurse prompts.
At 21:31, 21:57, and 22:06 on the night of death, each time with increasing intensity, patient strained to leave bed. Final attempt successful. Door bolted pre-emptively from outside at 22:03. Patient's howling and slamming on the door was audible from across the corridor.
Slamming on door continued for the better part of the next hour. Complete lack of patient-to-nurse communication. Patient appeared red-eyed as though exhausted and did not make steady eye contact when spoken to. Pupils dilated and eyes darted frantically.
Security personnel brought on-site at 22:46.
Two casualties among security personnel occurred between 22:46 and 22:59.
Patient wrenched door handle such that the deadbolt was dented beyond use. Maximum floor-wide lockdown protocol engaged at 23:00.
Patient escaped from room at 23:00.
Patient was shot dead on sight.

WAS MEDICAL EXAMINER or PATHOLOGIST or CORONER CONTACTED: No.

[IF NO] REASON: None remain.

SIGNIFICANT DETAILS of AUTOPSY: No investigation conducted.
METHOD of DISPOSITION: [This field seems to have been deliberately expunged by scribbling.]
SIGNATURE of MEDICAL PRACTITIONER: [This field is blank.]

– The earliest death record from the contagion available in the Bastion substation storage rooms. This report is known to have been printed and hand-filled some 5 years ago (2099).

“[inaudible] listening to this, if this is the record you've managed to get your hands on, you have to understand, first of all, this is not endorsed by the Taline healthcare system in any way, shape, or form. My [inaudible] and I speak entirely anecdotally, but I [inaudible] statistical insignificance doesn't convince me. I have to tell you what I know. I have to put it down somewhere, or else, I [inaudible] so listen very, very closely.

“Red welts on the skin. That's how you know. Sores, welts, they vary in appearance but by the time they show up [inaudible] and you better drop your shit and run as far as you can [inaudible] go. Seriously, don't look back, just go. It spreads like the devil, and once it's got that bad, there's no way of getting through to them. I've seen too many cases now where someone tries to reach out, say something like their name or something to placate them, but no beans, no success, ever. It can look like mould, too. Changes to the texture are equally [inaudible] do not take risks and do not approach them under any circumstances.

“Things go downhill so fast after the first instance of symptoms that you may as well consider them gone. Most of the cases seem to start with nausea, easy to mistake for a simple stomach bug. Once they start spacing out, or forgetting where they are, you know for sure. Past hair loss and rashes, they're a lost cause. And don't even think about [inaudible] won't recognise it and for [inaudible] know, they'll just try and bite you like they got to [inaudible] Don't let them touch you, don't let them bite you, don't let them get anywhere near you, don't get anywhere near them. If you do, you can start counting your days because you're [inaudible] oh shit”

– A transcript of a phone recording, made by a speech-to-text programme and printed out onto paper.