Little Mouse

Inside

Inside the CDC, I hunch over, panting. I breath so hard, I start coughing. A rough hand rubs my back. Glancing up, I see Shane smiling down at me. "You ok?" He asks. I nod, erecting myself.

"I need a blood test." A new voice states. Glancing at it, I see a man with light red hair. He has an automatic at his side. Glancing around, I note that Daryl is there. Letting out a breath of relief, I step forward, volunteering to go first.

...

We're in an elevator. It seemed big at first, until I'm squished between Daryl and Shane. Suddenly, I feel a hand twine myself with it. Glancing at Shane, he smiles and squeezes it reassuringly. I smile at him, then face forward.

"So, ya always go ,round packin' heat like that?" Daryl demands to doctor Jenner.

"There were plenty left lying around. I familiarized myself. But you look harmless enough." He states. Then he glances at Carl. "Except you. I'll have to keep an eye on you." He jokes, smiling a little. Carl blushes, and I think he stands a little taller.

"A-are we underground?" Carol asks, sounding nervous.

"Claustrophobic?" Jenner asks. She nods, and he sighs. "Try not to think about it."

Finally, the elevator stops. Exiting, Jenner leads us into a control room full of computers, and a huge screen. It reminded me of the NASA space station.

"Vi, bring up the lights in the big room," he says, and the lights go up. I jump at the sudden light. Shane wraps his arm around my waist, pulling me into him. Then, out of the corner of my eye, I notice that Daryl's glaring at us. "Welcome to Zone 5." Jenner greets us, turning to face us.

"Where're the other doctors?" Rick asks, looking around.

"I'm all that's left." Jenner states after a moment.

"Well, what about Vi?" Lori demands, rubbing Carl's shoulders comfortingly.

"Well, Vi is the CDC computer system. Vi, say..." He pauses for a moment, thinking. "Welcome visitors."

"Welcome, visitors." A feminine voice booms. I jump, and snuggle into Shane's side.

...

As I sit down in a chair, Jenner takes out some disinfectant. Dabbing it with a cotton ball, he rubs it on my arm. Then, taking out a rather long needle, he aims it at my arm. I gulp, and start to tremble. Jenner stops, and looks up at me.

"You alright?" He asks. Trembling, I shake my head. "Scared of needles?" I nod. "You wanna go later?" I nod, jumping out of my seat. Trembling, I start towards Daryl. Until I realize my mistake. Making a quick right, I end up beside Shane. He rubs my shoulder comfortingly.

"You're fine. You want me up there with you?" Shane asks. I nod frantically, and Shane chuckles. I turn my attention to Andrea, who's getting her blood taken. They say something, but I'm too far away to hear. When she stands up, she starts wobbling.

"She hasn't eaten in days. None of us have." Jacqui explains, letting Andrea lean against her. Jenner looks shocked by the news.

...

In the cafeteria, we are greeted with a massive amount of food. Daryl goes and sits down. I attempt to sit beside him, hoping that he's forgiven me. Unfortunately, the moment I sit down, Daryl glances at me in disgust and gets up. I feel my heart break at his rejection, and I don't feel hungry anymore. Sighing, I take my fork and stab a piece of noodle. Around me everyone is digging into their meals, eager to fill their empty stomachs. Taking a bite, I barely taste the noodles.

Then a bottle of wine is passed around, and everyone starts filling theirs to the brim. Except Daryl. He just took a whole bottle.

"Boo Yah!" He exclaimed, taking a swig from the bottle. I couldn't help but chuckle. Until Daryl glared at me. I immediately look down, excepting that Daryl hates me.

He hates me.

I sigh, taking a bottle from Glenn, who looks pretty drunk. Pouring my glass to about halfway, I hand the bottle back. I take a sip of wine, and immediately set it down. It's very bitter. Taking another bite of pasta, I hear the others talking. I don't hear exactly what they're saying, nor do I care.

...

Jenner shows us the rest of the CDC. While we're walking down the living area, he speaks.

"And at the end of the hallway, there's a recreation room. You can do anything you want, just don't plug in the video games. Trying to save power." Jenner states. "Feel free to use the hot showers." Then he leaves us alone.

"Did he say hot showers?" Glenn asks, his eyes widening.

Eagerly, everyone starts towards their rooms, screaming when they find the bathroom. Soon, the hallway fills with the sound of water cascading. I'm left alone in the hall. Slowly, I trudge to a vacant room. Opening it, I am greeted by yellowish cream walls, a queen sized bed, and a dark mahogany dresser. Also a tall floor lamp on the corner, and a white door on the left side of the wall. Shutting the door, I start towards the white door.

Opening it, I'm greeted with a fairly small bathroom. There was a standing shower, a toilet, and a sink with a cupboard. Opening the cupboard, I don't find anything. Sighing, I start to undress. Stepping in the shower, I feel the hot water running down my back. I should be joyful at the feeling of being clean, but I don't. I just can't live without Daryl's friendship. Remembering all the things he's done for me, I can't help but cry a little.

After getting out of the shower, I find a clean batch of clothes on my bed. I don't care to wonder about who's they are, I just slip them on. While pulling the shirt on, a note falls onto the floor. Bending down, I read it.

Courtney,

We're sorry about your dog. He was nice. Here's some clothes.

Sophia, Carl, Carol, and Lori

I smile at the note, and tuck it into my bag. Sighing, I sit down on the bed, pulling the covers up. Laying in my side, I close my eyes and let sleep take over.