fight each other, of course, over the women. Dumbasses.” She grinned at Cal. “At least you and Mitch won’t do that.”
“Is that why you let me stay?” he asked.
“It was a factor,” she said.
“What else was?”
“The doctor needs to follow up on her vaccine with you. You’re part of her research now. If that vaccine works, it will change everything. Also, you look like you’ll make a good soldier, when we get you in shape.”
“Hey!”
“And gotta admit, having an ass that fine around the place makes a nice change.”
Chapter Seven
Mitch came into the gym to find Cal chatting to a couple of the girls on the exercise bikes. He’d better only be chatting and not flirting.
“Come on through here,” he ordered Cal and marched to the large open space they used for PT when it was too cold or raining heavily outside on deck.
“Good afternoon, Cal,” Cal said, imitating Mitch’s accent. “I hope you enjoyed your lunch, Cal. Why yes, I did, thank you, Mitch, and thank you for asking.”
“You done?” Mitch pulled the hooded top he wore off over his head, leaving on the thin T-shirt he wore under it. “We’re not here for a social visit. Drop and give me twenty.”
Cal stared. “You actually said that? I can’t believe you said that.”
“Make it twenty-five.” Mitch didn’t wait for him to obey. He kicked off his shoes, dropped himself, and started doing push-ups. After a second Cal was beside him, doing the same. He was in excellent shape, but he’d been inactive and sick, so he started to struggle as he hit twenty.
“You need to get your name on the schedule for the exercise bikes,” Mitch said. “You get thirty minutes a day. Don’t miss your slot.”
“Okay.” Cal sounded short of breath. “Twenty-two.”
“And you’ll start attending Bren’s daily PT sessions. She will really whip your ass into shape.”
“Bren happens to think my ass is in fine shape already. Twenty-four.”
“Twenty-three.” He wouldn’t distract Mitch by trying to make him jealous.
“Fuck you.”
“Not now. We have work to do.” Aw, hell, like that wasn’t blatant flirting? He’d kept away from Cal as much as possible, and now as soon as he couldn’t avoid him he was flirting.
“Later, then.” Cal grinned as sweat broke out on his face. He made the last two push-ups, then flopped on the mat. “Shit, I am usually in way better shape.”
“You will be again soon. Get up. Stretches.”
He led Cal through a stretching routine, unable to avoid looking at him, having to make sure he had the right form. Cal grunted as he stretched muscles that had stiffened from inactivity. It was an animal sort of sound. Too close to something else. Ignore it. We’re not here to fuck. We’re here to fight.
“You feel okay?” Mitch asked. “Loosened up?”
“If I got any looser, parts would fall off me.” Cal bit his lip after he said it and shook his head. “Shit.”
Not the best way to put it when he could have ended up a walking corpse with parts indeed falling off him. Maybe the words reminded him of his mortality. Mitch would give him a few more reminders in a moment.
“Do you know any martial arts at all?” Mitch asked as they moved to the center of the room, onto the big square of mats.
“Sure,” Cal said. “I’m an expert in the way of the knee to the balls and the eye gouge.”
“A dirty fighter, eh?”
“Fighting with rules isn’t fighting; it’s just a rougher version of ballet.”
Mitch chuckled, then realized Cal was entirely serious.
“Look, man,” Cal said. “Why are we doing this? Who the hell fights hand to hand with a zombie?”
“I have,” Mitch said. “And yeah, I wouldn’t want to if I can possibly neutralize it before it comes close. But you might have to. Anyway, it’s not only zombies. You know that. What about that group that took you prisoner?”
Cal nodded. “Okay, I guess you’re right.”
“Do you know how to fall?” Mitch
“Is that why you let me stay?” he asked.
“It was a factor,” she said.
“What else was?”
“The doctor needs to follow up on her vaccine with you. You’re part of her research now. If that vaccine works, it will change everything. Also, you look like you’ll make a good soldier, when we get you in shape.”
“Hey!”
“And gotta admit, having an ass that fine around the place makes a nice change.”
Chapter Seven
Mitch came into the gym to find Cal chatting to a couple of the girls on the exercise bikes. He’d better only be chatting and not flirting.
“Come on through here,” he ordered Cal and marched to the large open space they used for PT when it was too cold or raining heavily outside on deck.
“Good afternoon, Cal,” Cal said, imitating Mitch’s accent. “I hope you enjoyed your lunch, Cal. Why yes, I did, thank you, Mitch, and thank you for asking.”
“You done?” Mitch pulled the hooded top he wore off over his head, leaving on the thin T-shirt he wore under it. “We’re not here for a social visit. Drop and give me twenty.”
Cal stared. “You actually said that? I can’t believe you said that.”
“Make it twenty-five.” Mitch didn’t wait for him to obey. He kicked off his shoes, dropped himself, and started doing push-ups. After a second Cal was beside him, doing the same. He was in excellent shape, but he’d been inactive and sick, so he started to struggle as he hit twenty.
“You need to get your name on the schedule for the exercise bikes,” Mitch said. “You get thirty minutes a day. Don’t miss your slot.”
“Okay.” Cal sounded short of breath. “Twenty-two.”
“And you’ll start attending Bren’s daily PT sessions. She will really whip your ass into shape.”
“Bren happens to think my ass is in fine shape already. Twenty-four.”
“Twenty-three.” He wouldn’t distract Mitch by trying to make him jealous.
“Fuck you.”
“Not now. We have work to do.” Aw, hell, like that wasn’t blatant flirting? He’d kept away from Cal as much as possible, and now as soon as he couldn’t avoid him he was flirting.
“Later, then.” Cal grinned as sweat broke out on his face. He made the last two push-ups, then flopped on the mat. “Shit, I am usually in way better shape.”
“You will be again soon. Get up. Stretches.”
He led Cal through a stretching routine, unable to avoid looking at him, having to make sure he had the right form. Cal grunted as he stretched muscles that had stiffened from inactivity. It was an animal sort of sound. Too close to something else. Ignore it. We’re not here to fuck. We’re here to fight.
“You feel okay?” Mitch asked. “Loosened up?”
“If I got any looser, parts would fall off me.” Cal bit his lip after he said it and shook his head. “Shit.”
Not the best way to put it when he could have ended up a walking corpse with parts indeed falling off him. Maybe the words reminded him of his mortality. Mitch would give him a few more reminders in a moment.
“Do you know any martial arts at all?” Mitch asked as they moved to the center of the room, onto the big square of mats.
“Sure,” Cal said. “I’m an expert in the way of the knee to the balls and the eye gouge.”
“A dirty fighter, eh?”
“Fighting with rules isn’t fighting; it’s just a rougher version of ballet.”
Mitch chuckled, then realized Cal was entirely serious.
“Look, man,” Cal said. “Why are we doing this? Who the hell fights hand to hand with a zombie?”
“I have,” Mitch said. “And yeah, I wouldn’t want to if I can possibly neutralize it before it comes close. But you might have to. Anyway, it’s not only zombies. You know that. What about that group that took you prisoner?”
Cal nodded. “Okay, I guess you’re right.”
“Do you know how to fall?” Mitch
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