"Oh, you're looking through my papers? They're just some silly theories I work on to pass the time." Mercy said, trying to play off her embarrassment, but Varryance didn't seem convinced. He gave her a skeptical look.

  "Anyway, this is Felicia, the nurse. Felicia, this is Varryance." Mercy introduced them, but after her words, the room went dead silent. Felicia stood there, frozen, clearly taken aback by Varryance's appearance. He wore nothing but the shorts Mercy had given him. Mercy led them into the living room, ready for another round of explanations.

  "So... tell me what's going on, sir..." Felicia stammered, nervously avoiding eye contact with Varryance as she tried to keep it professional.

  Varryance responded with a calm, almost casual tone. "Well... I'll tell you what I remember. I woke up in a container at the... IARO facility, or whatever it's called, somewhere in the mountains. They had pipes running through the container, one up to my nose for oxygen, one to my mouth for food, and... one to the other end for... well, you get the picture."

  Felicia blinked in surprise, still processing his words. She tried to focus, scribbling notes on her clipboard as Varryance continued, his voice steady but matter-of-fact.

  "Two guys in white coats—presumably lab workers—said something about a daily check on my status... though I don't remember them coming every day. It's like I forget what happens each day. They mentioned something about a neuro parasite."

  The word "parasite" made Felicia's face go pale. She seemed to freeze, a look of panic overtaking her calm demeanor. "Y-You've got the parasite? But how... how are you still sane?"

  Varryance and Mercy exchanged a confused glance.

  "You don't know what that is?" the nurse asked, clearly surprised. Mercy and Varryance both shook their heads at the same time, muttering "Nope."

  Felicia blinked, almost shocked that they didn't know. "The neuro parasite... It's a technological parasite that enters the brain through the veins at the back of your head. Once inside, it manipulates the host, usually taking over their mind. Most of the time, the host loses their sanity and ends up... well, like zombies. But it's not the same as what you see in movies. The thing is, you shouldn't even be alive, let alone sane."

  Mercy and Varryance both stared at her, trying to piece it together. The nurse went on, her voice clinical.

  "Neuro, as in nervous system, and parasite... well, I thought that part would be obvious, but I guess not."

  Varryance furrowed his brow. "What year is it?''

  Felicia glanced toward Mercy, waiting for the answer. Mercy responded bluntly, "2186... Why?"

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  Varryance's face froze. His heart skipped a beat. "Wait... You're telling me I've been in that container for nearly 100 years?! That doesn't make sense! I remember everything falling apart in 2080!"

  His voice grew louder, his frustration growing, but Felicia quickly tried to calm him down.

  "2080, huh? That... actually makes sense. Before zombies were real, they were just something in movies. But the liquid you were in probably worked like a cryo freezer... You know, the kind that keeps you technically alive but frozen? That way you don't age and can survive for decades without dying."

  Mercy blinked in surprise. "That kind of thing exists?"

  Felicia nodded. "Yeah. A lot of things the government hid from us. We're only starting to learn about them now."

  Varryance processed the information, but it still didn't sit right with him. "You mentioned zombies... but these neuro parasites—they don't actually turn us into zombies, do they?"

  Felicia gave a small, nervous laugh. "Well, for someone who lived before the flash, this must sound crazy. But these days, there are two types of zombies. The technological one, which I already described, and the biological one. The biological one, you might remember."

  Varryance looked more confused than ever. "I don't remember much... but what's the difference between them?"

  Felicia took a deep breath, then explained. "The biological one is caused by a toxin—Tetratodoxin. We don't know where it came from or how it developed, but what we do know is that it targets the nervous system, sending fake signals to the brain. It makes the infected behave like zombies. The toxin is highly infections, which makes it harder to treat."

  She paused, then added, "It's actually what I'm studying right now."

  Varryance took all of this in, his mind racing. He looked at the floor, trying to digest the overwhelming amount of information. Mercy, though, seemed almost unaffected by the news, as though it was something she'd already grown used to.

  "That's a lot to take in, huh?" Mercy said, trying to make light of the situation, but Varryance just nodded, a little too overwhelmed to even respond.

  Felicia suddenly brightened up, her nervousness giving way to excitement. "Actually... I could run some tests on you!"

  Varryance raised an eyebrow. He looked at her with mild amusement, though her enthusiasm seemed genuine.

  "I'll think about it... but right now, I just need some rest. This is... a lot for me to handle." Varryance said, feeling drained after everything he had just learned.

  Felicia nodded quickly, her expression falling slightly, and she rushed out the door, waving goodbye. Varryance watched her go, a little confused.

  "What was that all about?" he asked, watching Felicia disappear down the hallway.

  Mercy, still calm, replied with a grin. "She's had a crush on you since you first walked into the nursery. Trust me, you'll get used to it. But anyway, since people here can be rude and ask you dumb questions, you can stay with me in the hut until you get back on your feet."

  Varryance raised an eyebrow, surprised by her trust in him. "Thanks, but... why trust me so easily?"

  Mercy smiled, giving him a reassuring pat on the shoulder. "Gut feeling. I always trust my gut."

  She walked toward her bedroom, leaving Varryance alone with his thoughts. He sank back onto the couch, letting out a deep sigh as he tried to make sense of everything that had just happened.

  "This feels like some messed-up movie... I'm stuck in a dystopian wasteland, surrounded by zombies, cults... what the hell is going on?" he thought quietly, a tear slipping down his cheek. The weight of everything was too much, and his mind felt on the brink of breaking.

  "Maybe if I just sleep... I'll think more clearly. I'm too stressed to keep up." He closed his eyes, hoping rest would bring some clarity, as he drifted off, the overwhelming tension of the day finally taking its toll.