Little Mouse

Bang

"Worse," Shane answers, and I hear a chair scrape along the floor to my right. I jump when I feel his arm wrap around my waist.

"Where'd you get those scratches?" T-dog asks. I look up. Sure enough, there's three red scratches going from his cheek to his neck. Sitting down, he just shrugs it off.

"Must've done it in my sleep." He mutters, taking a drink of coffee.

"Never seen you do that before," Rick says.

"Not like me at all," Shane agrees, glaring at Lori. She has her head down.

"Are you ok?" I ask, continuing to rub Daryl's shoulder with one hand while I used my other to tilt Shane's head to the side.

"Yeah. Just tired." He mutters, pulling me closer. My hand leaves Daryl's shoulder, causing him to look up. He narrows his eyes at us, before lowering his head again. I feel torn. On one hand: Daryl's suffering through a hangover and needs some support. On the other: Shane is suffering through a hangover, and has scratches. Daryl can wait a little.

Suddenly, Jenner enters the cafeteria. "If ya'll follow me, please." He says politely. Not questioning him, we get up. Although it takes a second for Daryl to follow. Shane keeps me glued to his side, and I don't fight against it.

He needs someone. We all do.

Jenner leads us to the control center. "Vi, pull up Test Subject 19's video." He orders. The enormous monitor displays the footage of someone's skull. Underneath the skull, is the brain.

While the video plays, Jenner explains what's going on.

Bright waves play through the brain, all linking to the brain stem. "Experience, memories. Somewhere in all that organic wiring is you. The thing that makes you unique and human," Jenner explains. Then the video shows a black cloud-like thing spreading throughout the brain, starting from the brain stem. It's attacking the brain. I conclude, my eyes widening. So this is what it looks like when someone's infected.

"During the first event, the brain goes dark; the body dies. Everything you were or ever will be - gone," Jenner says.

"Is that what happened to Jim?" Sophia wonders innocently. Turning around, I see Carol nod. Letting my eyes wander for a moment, I see Daryl gazing in amazement at the screen. When he feels me watching him, he turns his head towards me. I smile, but he looks away, something flashing in his eyes.

"Her sister died two days before." Lori explains in a whisper, causing me to look at Andrea. She looks broken as she watches the screen. This is what happened to Amy.

Jenner approaches Andrea. "I lost somebody, too. I know how devastating it is." He says.

Then he fast-forwards to the "second event". The subject starts stirring, and moves. It's jaws open in what looks like a roar. "It restarts the brain?" Lori asks.

"Just the brain-stem," Jenner corrects. "The human part - the you part - that doesn't come back."

For some reason, that part terrified me. I snuggled closer to Shane, and in response, he hugs me tighter. With his other hand, he rubs my shoulder. I feel his lips press against the top of my head. It sends chills down my spine.

A bullet flies through TS-19's head in the video playback. "I don't know what the disease is or how to treat it. I lost contact with other research facilities. I've been in the dark for almost a month." he admits.

"There's nothing left anywhere. That's what you're really saying, right?" Andrea accuses him.

The room is shocked into silence, and I snuggle closer to Shane, feeling safer.