salvation → g. rhee

cdc

Aubrey held her hand up to her forehead like a visor in an attempt to block the light.

"Daryl, you cover the back," Shane ordered, barring his arm protectively across Aubrey's chest.

"Hello? Hello?" Rick called.

"Close the doors, watch for walkers," Dale advised.

The group entered the building, walking carefully down a long hallway until they found themselves in some sort of lobby.

"Hello?" Rick called again.

The cocking of a gun answered him. A man stood in a doorway, holding a rifle. "Anyone infected?"

"Just one. He didn't make it," Shane replied.

"Why are you here? What do you want?"

"A chance," Aubrey said, stepping away from Shane and forward cautiously, swallowing her feelings of distrust.

"That's asking an awful lot these days," the man said dryly.

"I know," she said. The man studied her for a minute before his gaze traveled around to everyone else.

"You will all submit to a blood test. That's the price of admission."

Aubrey looked at everyone over her shoulder before looking back at him.
"We can do that."

The man lowered his weapon. "You got stuff to bring in, do it now. Once those doors close, they stay closed."

They all ran through the doors and followed the strange man into an elevator.

"VI, seal the main entrance, and kill the power up here," he said to no one in particular. His order was met with rattles and clangs.

Aubrey, ignoring the warning look from Shane, stuck her hand out to the man. "Aubrey Walsh."

The man looked at her hand and looked away. "Dr. Edwin Jenner."

"Doctors always go around packing heat like that?" Daryl scoffed.

"There were plenty left lying around. I familiarized myself. But you look harmless enough." Jenner looked down at Carl. "Except you. I'm gonna have to keep my eye on you," he said with a smile. A small smile tugged Aubrey's lips when Carl smiled up at the doctor, though the second Jenner looked away, the man's smile died.

"Are we underground?" Aubrey asked.

"Yeah. You claustrophobic?"

"A little," she mumbled.

"Try not to think about it."

Aubrey went to say something else when the elevator doors opened and they walked into a large, darkened space.

"VI, bring up the lights in the big room," Jenner ordered. "Welcome to Zone 5."

"Where is everybody? The other doctors, the staff?" Rick asked.

"I'm it. It's just me here."

"What about that person you were speaking with? VI?" Lori asked. When Aubrey glanced at her, she saw her eyebrows were drawn together.

"VI, say hello to our guests. Tell them... Welcome."

"Hello, guests. Welcome," a monotone voice rang out.

"I'm all that's left. I'm sorry," Jenner said flatly. Aubrey frowned; that seemed to be the extent of his personality.

〄

Jenner took Aubrey's blood for a sample. Everyone else had been done.

"What's the point?" she asked. "If we were infected, we'd all be running a fever."