Forfeit ~Shane Walsh/OC~

Chapter Six

            We all rushed in but we kept our guard up.

            “Hello?” Rick yelled. We heard a gun cock and we all froze.

            “Anyone infected?” A man stood at the top of the stairs holding a gun.

            “One of our group was but he didn’t make it,” Rick told him.

            “Why are you here? What do you want?” the man asked us.

            “A chance.” Rick told him seriously.

            “That’s asking an awful lot these days.”

            “I know.” The man studied us all slowly before speaking again.

            “You’ll all submit to a blood test. That’s the price of admission.”

            “We can do that,” Rick agreed. The man lowered his gun finally.

            “You got stuff to bring in, do it now. Once this door closes, it stays closed.” The men quickly rushed outside to grab anything they could. Once they returned to the door, the man slid a card and spoke into a security device. “Vi, seal the main entrance. Kill the power up here.”

            “Rick Grimes,” Rick introduced himself.

            “Dr. Edwin Jenner,” the man returned the introduction and led us to an elevator.

            “Doctors always go around packing heat like that?” I asked as we descended.

            “There were plenty left around. I familiarized myself. But you look harmless enough.” He smiled at us all until his eyes met Carl’s. “Except you. I’ll have to keep my eye on you,” the doctor joked and Carl smiled. And Carl’s smile made me smile.

            “Vi, bring up the lights in the big room,” Jenner said once he led us into a huge research room. The place instantly lit up and it was completely empty. “Welcome to zone 5.”

            “Where is everybody? The doctors and staff?” I asked him. Jenner walked to the center of the room and held his arms out.

            “I’m it. It’s just me.”

            “What about the person you were speaking with? Vi?” Lori asked him.

            “Vi, say hello to our guests. Tell them welcome,” Jenner said with sadness in his voice.

            “Hello, guests. Welcome.” A robotic voice was heard above our heads.

            “I’m all that’s left. I’m sorry,” Jenner told us again. We just looked around at each other. We started the blood testing right after all that was settled. One at a time we lined up to get blood drawn. None of us wanted it considering we knew we hadn’t eaten in days.

            “What’s the point? If we were infected, we would be running a fever,” Andrea asked Jenner once it was her turn.

            “I’ve already broken every rule in the book letting you in here. Let me just at least be thorough.” He finished her testing and sent her to sit with the rest of the group. I volunteered to help him if I could since I had a little experience with this stuff. Andrea slowly stood up and had to catch her breath. I held her up right and the doctor asked if she was okay.