Brent Acuff - Undead Nation 03 Read Online Free

private. Your job is observation only. I'll hand you a weapon when you need it." Donovan finished strapping on his gear and reached out to turn Jackson around. Pointing ahead of him he said, "There's your charge. You keep an eye on them."  
    The group of survivors that had just been brought in stood in a tight knot outside a white tent. "Step two, private. Physical exam. Every person brought into this area is subject to a full body physical examination. No questions, no refusals." Donovan led the private towards the tent. "You will make sure you that everyone of those people go through and are cleared by the docs. If they don't," Donovan paused to let everything sink in. "Well, we will deal with that if it comes up."
    The line of survivors were slowly being issued into the medical tent. Once inside everyone was separated and shown into individual rooms. Each room was no more than a six-by-six foot area, partitioned off with heavy canvas hanging from rods which crisscrossed the ceiling. Donovan followed Jackson inside as they kept close to their cache of survivors.
    "Take all of your clothes off, please," came the orders from multiple rooms throughout the examination area. Most people complied, their faces turning red with embarrassment as they began to undress. Only a few refused. After multiple requests, armed guards were called in to force their compliance. No one refused at this point.
    Private Jackson remembered his time in quarantine. Though the time he spent there was long and boring, he still had no idea what really took place in the camp. Everyone who made it out of examination was placed with others who had passed. It was those diagnosed with the infection who were segregated from the general population. This was where the nightmares lived.
    Jackson's attention was drawn to a young girl who was just now being summoned into one of the partitioned areas. Tears welled in her eyes as she sought encouragement from her mother who gently pushed her into examination room before being escorted to a separate area. Jackson's eyes then roamed the line of strangers, stopping at each of their faces. All of them kept their eyes on the ground at their feet.
    "Doctor, we have a wound here." The announcement caused everyone in line to whisper quiet prayers under their breath. Jackson looked where the announcement had come from, and his heart nearly jumped out of his chest. An older man in white scrubs and two armed guards hurried quickly to the examination area where the young girl had entered. Jackson's breath quickened and he felt as if he was about to faint. Donovan touched his shoulder.
    For what seemed an eternity, Jackson waited for the doctors to finish their examinations of the young girl. Finally the doctors exited the area. "She's fine. That gash is on the bottom of her foot, and it looks pretty old. I'd say it was at least five or six days old, and the blood in her shoes is probably from tearing it open again when they were escaping. We'll separate her from the general population, but keep her with her family. If she made it past the dogs, then I seriously doubt she was infected."
    The younger doctor nodded, accepting the diagnosis of the senior doctor before turning back to the waiting girl. "There are clean clothes in the cabinet behind you. You can get yourself dressed and we'll get you back with your mother just as soon as she is finished."
    Jackson pressed his hand to his heart trying to stop its maddening beat. He started to turn to face Donovan, but his world turned dark. His last vision before passing out was of Donovan lowering him to the floor.  
    -----
    Jackson's eyes fluttered and opened. Donovan sat in front of him with his attention focused on the MRE in his hands. Slowly, Jackson glanced around him, trying to gain his bearings. He could see he was in a lean-to, but could not determine where he was. The sounds of camp life drifted in to meet him, muffled and indistinct.
    "How are you feeling?" Donovan asked