In our village an inexpert local doctor assumes the patient is just another plague victim and calls the undertakers. The deceased wakes up in his coffin. Eventually he suffocates or dies of thirst, perhaps biting his own tongue in the torment. Now the forces of decay take over. His skin begins to tighten and contract as it desiccates, drawing the flesh back from his nails and causing his gums to drop away from the teeth, giving the illusion of fangs.
Blood cells begin to break down into their component chemicals.
One of them, bilirubin is a brown compound. It settles in the surface blood vessels, leaving the flesh with a rusty tinge. After a few days the process of rigor mortis has ended and the body returns to its flexible state. The gases of decomposition build up in the chest and abdominal cavities. When the mourners open the coffin they see the result of this natural decay.