"...Ditto Town Elementary?" the man shrugged. "And the school usually does all of the flu shots and stuff. It's required."

"We should let Neal and Delia and the others know. The school sounds like our best shot at finding the source for the infection," Annie said, turning to the others before asking the man one more question. "Is there anything at all you can think of besides that that might be a clue? Something you saw while zombiefied, maybe?"

"Zombie Chickens!" Doc gasped under her breath, but she decided to wait until everyone was together to bring up her newly forming theory. She decided to add to Annie's stockpile of questions. "By the way, what's your name? Also, how many kids do you have, and do you know whether or not your wife is infected now? And, where on your body were you bitten?"

The man rubbed his head again.

"Um, name's Bob," he said. "I have two little girls, Tina and Anne Marie. Tina bit me on my arm. I...I don't know about Jane."

He fell silent for a moment, then rubbed his head again.

"Look, I don't know what you gave me, but I have a first-class hangover. Can I get some water and an aspirin or two?"

"I'll run upstairs and get some aspirin and a glass of water. I'll let the others know what happened while I'm up there," Annie said.

Annie hurried back up the stairs. She poked through some cabinets in the kitchen for aspirin and a glass, which she filled with water. Then she detoured back to them room Delia and Neal were in.

"The ritual worked. He says his kids turned him and they came home sick from school soon after getting flu shots, which they got at the Ditto Elementary. Seems like a likely vector for the infection."

"No wonder there were so many of the little creeps..." Neal muttered before taking a final swig from his drink. "I guess the school is the place to checkout next. At least it's closer than Monstropolis."

While Annie was gone, Doc continued her conversation with Bob, "If you're well enough to answer more questions, I would like to explore the idea of contaminated flu vaccines by setting up a possible timeline:

1. Tina and Anne Marie get their flu shots.
2. They develop obvious symptoms 24-30 hours later.
3. Within a few hours after obvious symptoms appear, Tina becomes zombified and bites you in a part of the body similar to where she was infected.
4. Within the next 30 hours or so you progress to a state of severe zombification.

Is this about right?"

Annie headed back down to the group surrounding the ex-zombie. She handed him the aspirin and water.

Bryan's relief at the successful healing of the zombie - no, Bob - turned to horror as he heard the man's story of his children being infected and passing it on by biting. His own grandkids did not live in Monstropolis or go to Ditto Town Elementary, but there was no telling if they'd received flu shots, contaminated or not. He racked his brains but couldn't recall any comments about flu shots - not that his children would bother him with such routine details.

He excused himself and whipped out his phone. Please be home, please be home, he thought as he called his son.

"I'm going to go back upstairs and see if I can find where the others are at," Annie said, excusing herself. She wandered around the Mansion, looking for signs of life. "Hello? People whose names I don't remember? Anyone here? Delia?"

"Uh, yeah, sure, something like that," he rubbed his face again, then looked up at Annie. "Uh, thanks."

He took the aspirin and downed some water.

"It might have been shorter than that. I really don't remember. Can I go now?"

"Do you mean leaving the room or leaving the mansion? You're welcome to do either of course, you're not a prisoner . . . at least not anymore. It just might not be the wisest course of action to leave the building on your own. Delia and Neal said that there are zombies everywhere and the treatment I gave you doesn't provide any sort of immunity to a second infection. Think about it, and if you do decide to leave on your own, let us know." Doc started toward the kitchen before doubling back. "Do you know your way around the building?"

"Hey," Delia replied, standing up and looking at Annie, then down the hall past her. "How'd it go? Doc finish it up yet?"

"I'm guessing things went well since you're not screaming or desperately trying to lock the basement up." Neal said with a slight smile as he emerged from one of the back hallways.

"Yes," Bryan answered. "I'm no expert but it looks like the Ritual was a complete success." He pocketed his cell phone. "Also, I've contacted my kids and let them know that the flu vaccine may be a big part of how this is transmitted. They're going to spread the word any way they can."

He looked back at Bob. "I'm very sorry your kids were infected and that they bit you, but with luck this may be exactly what people need to find a way to fight this infection."

Bryan had been incredibly relieved to learn that his kids and grandkids were safe for the moment, and that they hadn't had the flu shot - and that they wouldn't get it, mandatory or not.