Plot summary

Twenty years ago, an initial outbreak of a new virus occurred, which turned its victims into flesh and blood ravishingly zombies. One hundred million people died in that initial outbreak. Ten years ago, a natural protein was discovered at least to be a way to manage infections, as that protein, administered initially within thirty-six hours of infection with a booster every twenty-four hours keeps the virus at bay. Any missed dose of the protein leads to irreparable damage by the virus in its host, turning him/her into a zombie. There is still no known cure for the virus. Researchers are working on creating a synthetic version of the protein as the medical community is aware, but what is only rumored to be the case within the public consciousness, is that there are depleting sources of the naturally occurring protein. Those infected are treated at special hospitals and clinics to control the distribution of the protein, and so that the authorities can track those infected, who are called The Returned. Kate, a physician who treats The Returned and advocates for research funding, knows the dire situation of needing to develop a synthetic alternative of the protein. She has a personal connection as her live-in boyfriend, music teacher Alex Green, is a Returned, information which only those that need to know are aware, they only recently having told his longtime best friend, Jacob. Kate has been purchasing doses of the protein on the black market just in case. There are already those who are vehemently anti-Returned and want draconian measures to deal with them, but if the rumors do come to the public consciousness regardless of their accuracy, all out paranoia may ensue, which may place both Kate and Alex's lives at risk, especially if it is discovered that Alex is a Returned and that Kate is stockpiling the protein for Alex's use.—Huggo