Wife/Kids/Family as Zombies

[ApocalypseZero]

This seems to be a reoccuring statement within all of the posts in the DR forum. So why keep beating around the bush, why not just start a thread on the subject.

Would you kill your Family (whatever relation) if they were Zombies?

My answers, yes and no. First off, I'd likely try to imprison them. Seclude them from all others and look to keep them out of danger to myself or to themselves. A jail cell would be good for that. Just means that you have to procure the jail and keep others from killing them. Capture wouldn't be to terrible if one put some thought into it. Hell, as long as the Zombies aren't capable of destroying modern body armor, finding some sort of full suit of armor (although I know that joints would always be a week point). Maybe just a full suit of chain mail with a helmet? Or perhaps muzzlings and restraining the zombies? Plenty of thoughtful ways for Zombie catching (how about the dog catcher rope pole?)

Now, that is only in the response that I'm looking to 'cure' them if it's possible. Sadly, after so long, if a cure was not plausible, termination would eventually come as leaving them to die on their own isn't possible and why let someone else do it...so it would fall to me to make it happen.

[DtMK]

I think in most cases, people would be convinced that once bitten, people will turn. Once turned, what kind of hope would there be? This is something people would face with strangers, but with family? Would people have the heart to put a loved one down? Or worse, would they make like in Resident Evil: Apocalypse did with a priest feeding his restrained sister? It can seem like a slippery slope, going from caring for a loved one to an enabler.

Me, I'd have to go with putting them out of their misery quickly and painlessly. If there was any sign, portent, intuition or glimmer that there was a cure, then I'd have to see what I can do to restrain them. But after a few days, with no P.P.E.(that was in the original Rifter, of course as players, we wouldn't know that), they'd eventually start dying. Could people live with the moans, seeing their family descend into an animal-like state? I'm sure it might be easier if they were Thinkers, at least they could tell you how they feel and be reasoned with. Well, as reasonable as a flesh eating undead that knows you intimately can be....oh god! I just creeped myself out with two words together! Undead, Intimate...ew! Ew! Ew!!!!!

[Captain Shiva]

This issue has been addressed in a few zombie movies, and it never turns out well. The people who try to save their loved ones are always in some serious denial, and the zombies always get loose. Keeping zombies=bad idea.

[Rahmota]

Well first off I have to say that I am a firm believer in a quick and painless honorable death, especially in the event of a terminal illness. So yes I would put an end to my families suffering if there was no hope at all for a cure, and they me. Or at least I would hope so. I know that if there was the slightest glimmer of hope of a "cure" that I might have a problem. I know my wife would being a CNA and trained to save lives with CPR and all that jazz have a bit of time to do it.

It's hard to imagine something that is outside the realm of comprehension... a person being so changed as to become inhuman.

I guess the closest thing that I can come to imagining a loved one, especially your own flesh and blood, becoming a zombie would be suffering a severe brain trauma that changed their personality (minus the eating of flesh at the whole undead thing). Or maybe multiple personality disorder or some such thing.

One word Alzheimers. My mother and I with the help of Hospice (who are angels sent from heaven above and deserve nothign but help and respect.) took care of my grandmother through the terminal stage of Alzheimers. This was back in the early/mid 90s so there was not much one could do except provide comfort and care and as family takes care of family a nursing home was not an option. But that would definately be a slow long term change in a person that defiantely "kills" the original spirit/person/mind and leaves something else totally there. And definately some stress and mental issues on the caregiver/family members. Lets just say that the 5 stages of grief are gone throuhg on a daily basis. And dont take this the wrong way but when her body finally died it was almost a relief as her mind and spirit and the soul of who she had been had already died and gone. Just a strange shell spewing obsenities and insanities with rare glimpses of the familiar and friendly.

Anyhow sorry for going off on an emotional tangent like that but that is the sort of thing that the change would be. The way one should run it so that such an emotional kick in the head means something to the character. A world shattering event such that a character has to truely evaluate their world, their life and their motivation.

[Tearstone]

If my dad were to become a Zed... I'd pop a bullet through his eyeball and brainstem and be done with it.

If it were my girl, I can't really be sure. I think that would be a moment of truth, a test of my ability to survive at any cost. How would i cope with it? I have no idea.

If there was a cure? I might try to imprison. The other thing about the cure is though... how effective is it? Does it restore the person completely? They're already dead to begin with and have no oxygen in the brain tissues. Haven't they experienced brain-death? Wouldn't a cure just make them a veggie, or at least make them mentally handicapped? Is that really living? Would you want your wife, or your child restored to being a drooling, crapping idiot, not able to take care of themselves, without the biteyness?

[Severus Snape]

I love my wife dearly, and would never wish her any harm. But should she become one of the walking dead....bang. Right between the eyes. Prevents her from trying to snack on me (or anyone else. Keeping her around is just plain stupid. And dangerous.

[The Dark Elf]

This seems to be a reoccuring statement within all of the posts in the DR forum. So why keep beating around the bush, why not just start a thread on the subject.

Would you kill your Family (whatever relation) if they were Zombies?

My answers, yes and no. First off, I'd likely try to imprison them. Seclude them from all others and look to keep them out of danger to myself or to themselves. A jail cell would be good for that. Just means that you have to procure the jail and keep others from killing them. Capture wouldn't be to terrible if one put some thought into it. Hell, as long as the Zombies aren't capable of destroying modern body armor, finding some sort of full suit of armor (although I know that joints would always be a week point). Maybe just a full suit of chain mail with a helmet? Or perhaps muzzlings and restraining the zombies? Plenty of thoughtful ways for Zombie catching (how about the dog catcher rope pole?)

Now, that is only in the response that I'm looking to 'cure' them if it's possible. Sadly, after so long, if a cure was not plausible, termination would eventually come as leaving them to die on their own isn't possible and why let someone else do it...so it would fall to me to make it happen.

I'd let em eat me. If they're dead - **** it!

[Tearstone]

We're all mad here.

[Vrykolas2k]

They're already dead, so I wouldn't be killing them.

[BookWyrm]

Sorry, but if my loved ones go full zombie, they're going down. If there was an actual, confirmed cure that would restore them to normal, OK I'd try to save them. Otherwise, they're being laid to rest.

[azazel1024]

Wife and I have talked about it. Neither one of us is going down as a zombie and the other one would make sure of it.

I have a harder time conceiving of my wife or kids walking around eating other people and their possible suffering than I do of doing them in if they turned.

Afterall, who know what goes on when they become a zombie. Is any of their conciousness still there, but twisted? Are they completely gone anyway? Is their conciousness there completely, but submerged by the 'zombie brain' so they aware of everything they are doing, but are trapped?
-Matt

[Ronin Shinobi]

They're gone and would not think twice about putting a bullet into their head to end their eternal suffering. I would be remorseful afterward though.

[asajosh]

Now for all those people saying they'd put their infected wives/husbands/children to a quick death: I get it and I'm totally with you.
However I dont necesarily want them doing the same to me... Maybe being a zombie is very relaxing. shuffle, eat, moan, shuffle, eat, moan. Sounds like life in an assisted living facility really...

[Arnie100]

Did y'all watch the first episode of The Walking Dead? Where one of the character's wife was a zombie?

[Severus Snape]

I caught the entire season of The Walking Dead, and I have to say that I really enjoyed the emotional torment the guy was under when confronted with his wife being a zombie. It was interesting to watch, and yes, I agree that this is how most people would react when faced with this situation.

Myself, however....I have actually had this discussion with my wife. I love her dearly, and would never wish her any harm. But if she becomes a zombie, she's no longer the woman that I am in love with. If she turns, she is no longer the person I remember. She is already dead, so putting a bullet in her brain-pan won't bother me. I would definitely cry over the fact that she became a zombie and I had to put her down, but I know that putting her zombified corpse down for good is the best thing.

[ZorValachan]

Well, as reasonable as a flesh eating undead that knows you intimately can be....oh god! I just creeped myself out with two words together! Undead, Intimate...ew! Ew! Ew!!!!!

I went to B&N yesterday and saw no less than 3 books about Zombie loving.... And it was not from trying to find them, they were just in the normal fantasy section. Zombies are the 'next' vampire in popular SF-lit and it zombie romance is becoming the next "Twilight"...


Necrophilia-"Crack open a cold one"

[Aku-Arkaine]

Well, as reasonable as a flesh eating undead that knows you intimately can be....oh god! I just creeped myself out with two words together! Undead, Intimate...ew! Ew! Ew!!!!!

I went to B&N yesterday and saw no less than 3 books about Zombie loving.... And it was not from trying to find them, they were just in the normal fantasy section. Zombies are the 'next' vampire in popular SF-lit and it zombie romance is becoming the next "Twilight"...


Necrophilia-"Crack open a cold one"

Zombiplhilia is wrong, no matter how many people want to sleep with Edward Cullen. At least with necrophilia they don't bite.

[Mech-Viper Prime]

i love my woman and her son , i love my parents, i love my grandma , i love my friends and if any of them become zombies then without a doubt and with no malice in my soul I would put them down quick.

[Killer Cyborg]

Would you kill your Family (whatever relation) if they were Zombies?

If they're zombies, they're already dead, and they're no longer my family.

[Killer Cyborg]

fight or flight is a strong force to fight

Or to fly from.

[Ravenwing]

It's funny, that no one thought of this sceniro. So let me ask it.

You are, for whatever reason away from your 'Zombie fort'. While you are gone a zombie gets in and kills you family, they turn.
But not into slouchers, they become mock zombies. They kill the zombies before you get back, and hide their affliction. They haven't changed as far as you know.

Now you're family is walking, talking and acting like normal....but they are rotting and starving and wanting to eat you. Could you now kill them? Afterall point a gun at your child, and they burst into tears and ask you why you don't love them anymore?
I don;t think I could. Infact thinking of it just scares me.

[The Dark Elf]

My wife has just said that she would kill us all when we were alive and use the zombie apocalypse to get away with it!

Can I stay at yours for the next few days.......

[batlchip]

Hopefully I do the right thing if not...Well it sucks to be me.

[Nightbreed]

Well, since i have no wife, no kids and no family in the entire state i'm in, i'm mostly off the hook.

My friends.... well they'll be harder, but as we always have this discussion, they'd understand if i had to put them down and vise-versa.

[ingexthefuryhunter1]

There really is no question I would put a bullet in there head and double tap the corpse to be sure I did the job correctly. Once they turned they would no longer be family but some unholy hell spawn,

as for me if I was bitten/ or infected in a way I knew was irriversable I would do my self to save my family the trouble or heart ache of having to do it for me.

[Illendaver]

Um, I don't own guns. I have metal baseball bats and a few hatchets for when the zombies rise... If we had made it to a group, then I would have to ask one of them to put my wife down. I would be able to take care of my children by myself, but my wife would get me if we were on our own.
Ouch, that sucks to admit... I might not make it in zombie apocalypse.

[Razzinold]

I would end my wife and two daughters if they became zombies, they are already dead and no longer have a soul. I would move on and try my best to survive. Would I be sad ? Of course I would be sad they are gone (as would anyone would be at the death of a loved one) but I wouldn't blame myself for killing them (the zombie killed them not me). Later on if by some miracle there turned out to be a cure, then there would probably be massive amounts of guilt and stuff like "why did I do that? Why didn't I try harder to save them?" Then I'd probably eat a bullet