Mayhew responded to Doc’s request with a deafening roar.
“A fair point,” Doc replied. “But consider this. My legacy as a world class thinker is at stake. No matter how wise I am, no matter how many suffering I have saved with the curative properties of cocaine, no matter how many women’s lives I have saved through gynecological examinations, I shall forever be remembered as the imbecile who caused a zombie apocalypse to grip the burgeoning Western region of the United States of America.”
The henchwolves roared.
“Ergo,” Doc said. “You are dealing with a man with nothing to lose. Relinquish the box.”
It was a three way standoff and no one was budging.
“Very well,” Doc said. He blasted both henchwolves dead then trained his guns on Mayhew.
Before Doc could get off a shot, his left leg was severed clean off by Mayhew’s claws.
The good doctor fell to the ground. Mayhew ran.
“Thought you’d get away that easily, did you?” Doc asked as he fired three silver bullets into the fleeing werewolf’s back.
Mayhew whelped. He too, was on the ground.
Doc used his hands to drag himself down the bridge. Blood poured from the werewolf’s wounds, but that didn’t stop him from getting up and slowly walking away with the box in hand.
Though Doc was falling apart, his mouth was still operational as usual.
“One can only presume that there is very little difference between human and werewolf anatomy,” the good doctor surmised. “Therefore…”
Doc took a shot and sent a silver-tipped bullet through Mayhew’s left ankle. The beast was immediately grounded.
“Would that you would have only turned over the device and vacated the area,” Doc said as he pulled himself over to the werewolf. “But like so many in this world, you too underestimate my resolve.”
The werewolf rolled over on his back and breathed heavily.
“Rest now, my good man,” Doc said as he put a silver-tipped bullet through Mayhew’s skull.
The train whistle blared.
Doc looked down the track. The Marvel was on the bridge now, about twenty feet away but gaining speed.
He picked up the detonation box and wrapped his hand around the plunger.
“And so ends the journey of Doctor Elias T. Farraday,” Doc said. “A misunderstood genius, reviled by the dimwitted masses of the time he had the misfortune of being born in, but once the dust settles and the history books are written, the open minded masses of the future will no doubt look upon him with great reverence as the man who destroyed the Sturtevant Bridge, keeping the zombie hordes away from the East and…”
The train whistle blared again.
“Oh for the love of God,” Doc complained. “A man can’t even finish a monolog around here.”
The good doctor closed his eyes, gripped the plunger tightly, then pushed.
Bookshelf Battle 
aw doc had a soul
Yes. Well the other characters questioned his motives but all along he had felt bad about what he’d done.
He does consider himself this great man who should have a place in the history books so he’s very deluded. He may have done in the hopes some history writer will note that he sacrificed himself but in general, you get the feeling he also realized it was the right thing to do and he needed to do it since he was the one who was duped into unleashing the zombie menace.
By the way, I put so much thought into this. It probably doesn’t show at all.
But pretty much the whole story was written to get them to this final train explosion showdown.
I thought about the many ways in which the train and or bridge would explode.
Maybe Slade would blow up the locomotive or something.
I also had an idea where Doc steals a bunch of dynamite and rigs the bridge himself but there didn’t seem like there’d be enough time for all that.
Finally, that Army dudes had started and then were bested by werewolves leaving Doc to have to do it seemed fitting and gave the opportunity to explain how the East cuts off the West.
In the rewrite, I do have to make some decisions about how long this bridge is and exactly where everyone is when the various actions happen.
And does a bridge explosion actually kill all those zombies? do some get thrown onto the east side to claw their way slowly up and out of the water….
That comes next!
I was also hoping people would realize Culpepper and Bartlett were but one army unit of many rushing to the east side of the river.
There’s just happened to be the most important as it was near zombie central.
There’s actually many bridges over the river. I think it is mentioned in the govt decree that they all get blown up.
I thought about a scene where they see another bridge get blown up in the distance and Culpepper complains that unit is more competent is.
Also that scene in the beginning where Slade meets army dudes as a hint to the reader of impending zombies. I might make those dudes Culpepper and Bartlett instead of the randoms they are now.
I found them funny the way Culpepper keeps heaping abuse on Bartlett who graciously takes it
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