*LONG CHAPTER*
I could feel the throbbing before I even opened my eyes. Instant regret floored me as I slowly opened my eyes, hissing at the throbbing in my head as the light hit my corneas. I groaned and lay on my stomach, my head pressed against the couch, trying to block out any light that might worsen my headache. I heard the man to my left groan, his rough morning voice making his voice even deeper and, somehow, more intimidating. We lay there in complete silence, both of us suffering and debating whether to get up. Finally, after a few more minutes, I sat up feeling like absolute shit and slowly went to the bathroom. I had to feel my way to the bathroom since I didn't want to open my eyes and feel the throbbing in my head intensify. In all my years of drinking, I've never had a hangover as bad as this – I guess since I haven't drunk in a long time, the aftermath of a night of drinking is ten times worse. And it doesn't help that wine hangovers are always terrible.
I closed the door and looked in the mirror, gasping as I saw my appearance. My hair was its usual wavy bird's nest, my eyes were tired and filled with sleep, and I had dried drool all over the right side of my face. To say I slept good was an understatement; that was probably the best sleep in my life. Banging at the door made me come back to my senses and reminded me why I came here in the first place. I hastily used the bathroom and washed my hands, teeth, and face, making a mental note to brush my hair before leaving for breakfast. Daryl stood at the door and pushed his way in, not giving me his usual grunt to say morning to me. I smiled and sat on the couch, grabbing my hairbrush from the counter to my left and pulling out my hair tie. I struggled to get all the knots out of my hair, the price I had to pay for having thick wavy hair, and decided to leave it down.
The bathroom door opened, and Daryl walked out, his usual scowl in place and his eyes squinting as he looked around. I guess I'm not the only one with a horrible headache right now. I grabbed my hair tie and wound it around my wrist for safekeeping before sprawling out on the couch again, the ache in my head intensifying with my movement. I groaned and shielded my eyes with my arm, taking deep breaths to keep from puking.
"Please tell me you have a headache that's just as bad as mine." I groaned out to Daryl. He grunted, and I heard the cot squeak as he laid back down.
"Yup." That was all he answered, his voice hoarse. Look at the bright side! At least I'm not throwing up, but I'm close.
"I forgot how horrible the wine hangovers are." I muttered, "I've never felt this horrible when I drink beer or hard liquor."
"Gotta have some chemical or something to make the morning after worse." He agreed, conjuring up some sort of conspiracy theory. I breathily chuckled and focused on breathing, trying to make sure no vomit came up. "There's gotta be some pills in this place."
"You're right." I moaned, "We should get up, look for some, and eat!" I swung my legs off the couch and slowly got up, grabbing my pack and realizing I never washed clothes last night. "Shit."
"What?" Daryl groaned from his cot, his head raising to look at me. I groaned and put my pack down, not bothering to look through it.
"I never washed those clothes." I groaned, "I got so wasted that I completely forgot!" Daryl grunted, and the cot gave another squeak as he stood up.
"Nah, Carol came and offered to wash our clothes last night." He muttered, rubbing his arms. I sighed and decided I'd have to hunt her down to change into decent clothes. A knocking snapped me out of my thoughts, making me dash toward the door. Carol smiled at me with a lump of clothing in her arms.
"I was just going to go find you!" I exclaimed, a big smile on my face. "Thank you so much for doing this, Carol."
"Oh, it's nothing." She smiled at me while handing me the clothing. I grabbed the dry clothing and smiled at her again, my eyes squinting against the light, "Hungover?"
"Yeah." I groaned, "That obvious?" She crossed her arms around her chest and looked me up and down, her smile remaining in place.
"Sort of." She laughed, "Well, I'll leave so you two can get dressed. Breakfast is almost done. T-Dog is making eggs." Eggs sound wonderful about now! Once I get some food in my system, I won't feel as shitty.
"Thanks, Carol!" I exclaimed, profoundly grateful for this woman. She turned on her heel and walked down the hall, her arms still wrapped around her chest as she approached her daughter. I closed the door and separated the clothing, handing Daryl his clothes and refolding mine. Compared to Daryl, I barely had clothes! I only had four shirts - two of which were flannels- three pairs of pants, two pairs of bras and underwear, and a handful of socks.
On the other hand, Daryl had a plethora of shirts, pants, boxers, and socks. I guess he has more room since he has a bigger backpack than I do. Damn, I need to get one like his! Especially when winter comes! I turned my back and grabbed my black cargo and a fresh pair of underwear, shrugging off the boxers I borrowed from Daryl. I heard him groan and turned to look at him, bringing my freshly washed underwear up and letting them hug my waist.
"Can't you do that in the bathroom or somethin'?" He muttered, his eyes glued to the wall in front of him. I snorted and continued undressing, grabbing the closest bra and hooking it behind my back.
"Making you uncomfortable, Dixon?" I asked, suppressing a laugh as I stood half-naked before him.
"It's weird 'cause it's you." He muttered, refusing to look my way. I rolled my eyes and hastily put on my pants, leaving on my gray tank top from last night. I packed the rest of my clothing and pulled my boots on my feet. Daryl held a pair of pants and walked to the bathroom, the door slamming behind him. My head still pounded something fierce, but it was slowly subsiding, making it easier for me to function. Taking one last look at the room, I walked towards the door and twisted the knob, deciding to head to the dining area to eat and hopefully take something for my head. I walked down the hallway, minding my business, when Rick came out of his room. His hand came up to shield his eyes from the bright lights in the hallway, not noticing I was behind him. I smiled and stealthily ran to him, grabbing his shoulders and laughing. He jumped in fright and turned back, his eyes squinting as he looked at me.
"Hungover?" I asked the man. He nodded and gave me his best smile even though he was obviously in pain. "I know how you feel, but I don't think I'm as bad as you."
"Just woke up not five minutes ago." He groaned, "It's always the worst when you just wake up." I silently agreed with him as we walked toward the dining area.
"Last night was fun, though." I grinned. He looked at me suspiciously, and I could practically see his mind flashing with images of Daryl and me together. "God, no." I laughed. He sighed in relief and rubbed his eyes, trying to wake up. "It was nice getting drunk, though. I thought I would never taste the sweetness of alcohol again."
"I rather not talk about alcohol." He laughed, looking at me, "I'm glad you enjoyed yourself last night and were safe." Yeah, the same can't be said about your wife, I thought internally but kept my lips sealed. It wasn't my business to tell.
"I don't know why you keep thinking Daryl and I are together." I shook my head, pushing away all thoughts of Lori and Shane. I can't stress about that now, "We had every opportunity to hook up last night, and nothing happened. We don't see each other like that." Rick stopped dead in his tracks and looked at me wide-eyed, processing what I had just said.
"What do you mean 'every opportunity to hook up?'" He asked, his voice coming out in a whisper. He walked forward and grabbed my hand, looking at me sternly. Why is he so concerned about that? It's not like Daryl forced himself on me. And even if something did happen, it's none of his business.
"Yeah, two adults, alcohol, sharing a room," I said, feeling my eyes squint in confusion, "Didn't help that, at one point, I was basically naked."
"Naked?" His voice was thick and tense, his grip tightening around my wrist slightly, "He didn't do anything, did he?" Again, why would he care if something did happen? He's a married man, for crying out loud! He should be talking to his wife and beating the shit out of Shane!
"Woah, dude," I smiled, "He wanted to see my tattoos, and I showed him! That's all that happened." Rick looked at me strangely and loosened his grip on my hand
"I'm taking your word for it," He muttered before smiling at me, "Dude." He laughed as he pushed me playfully. I rolled my eyes and continued walking down the hallway, leaving the man behind. "But just tell me if you're uncomfortable with anything that happens. I'll be there in a second to help you." I don't know why he keeps pushing this or why he cares, but I did appreciate knowing that I had Rick in my corner.
"Well, thank you, but nothing would ever happen with Dixon," I smiled, "I think he doesn't see me as a woman, to be perfectly honest."
Rick's eyes very obviously raked over my body before he rolled them and pushed open the door, letting me go first before shutting it behind him. What the hell was that? Was he just... checking me out?! No, it couldn't have been. I'm just imagining things. Walking forward, I saw the group crowded around the table, the smell of eggs wafting into my nostrils. I approached the table and greeted everyone, making eye contact with Carl as he passed me a bottle. I grabbed it, saw it was aspirin, and chuckled, forever grateful for the boy.
"Are you hungover?" He whispered to me, "Mom said that a lot of people would be today."
"Your mom is a smart woman," I told him and opened to bottle, grabbing two pills and a water bottle from the center of the table. Rick kissed his wife, ruffled his son's hair, sat beside his boy, and massaged his temples. It looks like he's suffering way more than I am.
"Are you hungover?" Carl asked his dad loudly, making everyone laugh. "Mom said you'll be." I heard the door open and saw Daryl walking towards us fast. I pulled the chair next to me, and he gave me a curt nod as he sat in it, his eyes squinting with the light.
"Mom is right," Rick answered, reaching for the bottle and grabbing two pills before handing them to Daryl.
"Mom has that annoying habit," Lori smirked as she shoved a piece of egg into her mouth. She and I briefly made eye contact, her usual coldness towards me vanishing as a smile spread across her mouth. I gave her a weak smile and handed Daryl my water, reaching over and grabbing a fresh bottle for myself.
"Eggs, powdered, but I do 'em good," T-Dog exclaimed, walking over to Rick. "Protein helps the hangover," Glenn moaned in agony as he rubbed his head, suffering more than any of us. I laughed, grabbed the pills, picked out two, and handed them over to him. He gave me a small smile and swallowed them, moaning in pain once more before resting his head on the table.
"Don't ever ever ever ever let me drink again." Glenn moaned. I wanted to laugh at him, but instead, I reached over and rubbed his back to offer him some comfort. He relaxed under my touch and groaned again. Poor Glenn – wine hangovers are the worst.
"Where'd all this come from?" Rick asked openly.
"Jenner." Lori answered, "He thought we'd need them."
"He was right," I stated with a smirk and motioned to Glenn with my head. T-Dog set a plate in front of me, chuckling, and I thanked him before grabbing my fork and digging in. The door opened, and in walked Shane. He didn't look like he was in the best of moods this morning as he looked at Lori and me. Glenn groaned again, grabbed my free hand, and placed it on his back, so I could keep massaging him. I smiled and resumed, trying to relieve him of some pain. I shoveled another piece of egg into my mouth and watched Shane take a seat, his eyes glued to the table. I wasn't exactly hiding that he wasn't welcomed today, or any day for that matter. He went from being one of the men I thought I could trust to the scum of the earth.
"Hey." Rick finally said with his mouth full. He turned his head to look at Rick, and that's when I saw the angry scratch marks on his neck. I felt proud to have left a mark – Good, he deserves a mark to show how disgusting and lowly he is. "Do you feel as bad as I do?"
"Worse," Shane answered, grabbing a water bottle and siping. I balled my fist against Glenn's back and dug in, feeling his tense muscles. A moan escaped Glenn's mouth as my hands massaged him. Well, at least my hostility is benefitting someone.
"What happened to you?" I asked Shane, bringing attention to his neck. Shane glared at me, his jaw twitching as he clenched his teeth, "Your neck." T-Dog stood behind me and looked at Shane, leaning in slightly.
"Damn, man." T-Dog muttered, "That looks bad." Shane continued to glare at me. The air in the room grew stiff as he and I had a stare-off.
"Must have done it in my sleep," Shane muttered a quick excuse, dropping his gaze and fiddling with his water bottle before looking at Lori briefly. My jaw clenched as the urge to lunge across the table overwhelmed me.
"Never seen you do that before," Rick said, eyeing the scratch and making a face.
"Me neither." Shane asked, "Not like me at all." He took a sip of his water and shot me another glare. It's safe to say that I fell out of his good graces, but it's not like I cared much. We're good as long as he doesn't try to pull anything again. Dale slid over a bottle of water to me, motioning me to hand it to Glenn. Dale and I exchanged nods as I opened the bottle, removing my hand from the suffering man's back and handing him the water.
"Morning," Jenner said as he walked up to us. I joined in with the chorus of 'Mornings' that flooded back at him. I ate the last bit of my eggs and pushed aside my plate, feeling fairly full and content as the throbbing in my head went away completely. That's the last time I get drunk with wine!
"Doctor, I don't mean to slam you with questions first thing – "Dale began, looking at the doctor intently.
"But you will anyway." Jenner interrupted, grabbing a water bottle and looking at Dale.
"We didn't come here for the eggs," Andrea said rudely, looking at the doctor with her piercing blue eyes. I also wanted answers about why all this happened, but could we enjoy being normal for a little while longer?
"If you will, please follow me," Jenner said, turning his back to us and retreating towards the big room with all the computers. I got up and followed the doctor, leaning up against the nearest desk, and watched as he waited for everyone else to join. He instructed his computer to lower the lights and turned his back to us. "VI, give me playback of TS-19," He ordered.
"Playback of TS-19," VI repeated as an image appeared on the white wall before us. I crossed my arms across my chest as I looked at the projected brain.
"Only very few people have ever gotten the chance to see this," Jenner muttered as his eyes scanned the image. A brain appeared on the screen; the whole thing looked illuminated.
"Is that a brain?" Carl asked as he turned to look at Jenner. Jenner simply nodded before further saying,
"An extraordinary one, not that it matters in the end. Take us in for EIV," Jenner ordered VI. The brain on the screen zoomed in, giving us a better look. Lights blinked in all places of the brain, showing brain activity.
"What are those lights?" Shane asked
"A person's life -- experiences, memories... It's everything. Somewhere in all that organic wiring, all those ripples of light – is you. The thing that makes you unique and human." Jenner explained, answering Shane's question.
"Don't you make sense, ever?" Daryl asked, rubbing his chin in confusion. I knew it was just his hungover brain that couldn't comprehend all this, but a part of me wanted to tease him about how dense he was.
"Those are synapses, electric impulses in the brain that carry messages. They determine what a person says, does, or thinks from the moment of birth to the moment of death." Jenner explained to the confused man next to me.
"Death?" Rick asked from beside his wife, leaving her side and taking a few steps toward Jenner. "So that's what this is? A Vigil?"
"Yes," Jenner answered simply, his eyes never leaving the projection of the brain. "Or rather the playback of the vigil."
"This person died?" Andrea asked from her corner, "Who?"
"Test subject 19," Jenner muttered, "Someone who was bitten and infected and volunteered to have us record the process... VI, scan forward to the first event." The image on the screen changed; instead of being a brain full of light, the brain darkened to black, the light all but gone
"Death?" I asked the doctor. "The lights are gone, so they died?" He turned to me and nodded before pointing up at the video.
"It invades the brain like meningitis." He explained, "The adrenal glands hemorrhage, the brain goes into shutdown, then the major organs, then death. Everything you were or will be, gone." I bit my lip, trying to comprehend the human-to-walker transformation. This is what happened to my dad, to Jim...
"Is that what happened to Jim?" Sophia's small voice asked as she looked up at her mother. Carol nodded and wrapped an arm around her daughter, saying a quick yes. Andrea stepped back, her eyes pooling with tears as she thought about her deceased sister. Jenner looked at her, confused.
"She lost someone two days ago," Lori explained worriedly, her hazel eyes darting to Andrea. "Her sister."
"I lost somebody too," Jenner said, his eyes never leaving Andrea. "I know how devastating it is. Scan to the second event," He told Vi, "The resurrection times vary wildly. We have reports of it happening in as little as three minutes. The longest we've heard of is eight hours. In the case of this patient, two hours, one minute, seven seconds." Specks of light reappeared in the brain, but they were dark and red this time. Instead of being everywhere in the brain, they were clustered in a bundle in one specific part – probably the only part of the brain I knew – the brain stem.
"It restarts the brain?" Lori asked as she saw the lights.
"No, just the brain stem." Jenner said, looking back towards her, "Basically, it gets them up and moving."
"But they're not alive," I said, but sought confirmation from the doctor, trying to follow along and make sense of everything. It's not that I'm stupid... it's just a lot to take in – especially when you've seen someone you love go through the process.
"You tell me," Jenner said, his eyes flashing to Rick and then to the group. There's no way that they're alive after they transform. My dad didn't recognize any of us when he came back, and he attacked us. My father would never do that.
"It's not like before. Most of the brain is dark." Rick said, looking at the pitch-black brain.
"Dark, lifeless, dead." Jenner nodded, "The frontal lobe, the neocortex, the human part – that doesn't come back. The You part. Just a shell driven by mindless instinct." The person started to move before a bright light tore through their head, eliminating all the light once and for all. He put his patient down – shot them in the head.
"God." Carol breathed, holding her daughter closer, "What was that?"
"He shot his patient in the head," Andrea muttered, looking towards Jenner for confirmation. Jenner gave her a barely noticeable nod before wrapping his arms around himself and turning away from us.
"Vi, power down the main screen and the workstations." He ordered his computer, her robotic voice echoing throughout the room as she repeated what he said. Andrea paced in her spot, panic evident on her face as she turned to the doctor.
"You have no idea what it is, do you?" She asked, her voice wavering with emotion. Jenner leaned against one of the workstations and looked at her, sighing.
"It could be microbial, viral, parasitic, fungal." So, he doesn't know for sure? This thing kills people and makes them come back as mindless shells of a person who has an unsatiated hunger for flesh, and all these doctors and their fancy equipment never figured it out?
"Or the wrath of God," Jacqui added, earning a glance from the man.
"There is that." Jenner nodded.
"There are other facilities, right?" Carol asked, panicked.
"There may be some.... people like me." Again, he doesn't know. Are we really alone? Is there really no one out there?
"But you don't know. How can you not know?" Rick asked, stepping forward. Jenner shook his head, looking down at his feet.
"Everything went down; Communications, directives--all of it. I've been in the dark for almost a month." Jenner muttered.
"So, it's not just here. There's nothing left anywhere? Nothing? That's what you're really saying, right?" Andrea asked, anger seeping into her voice and face. This was information overload. We can't be all that's left in the world, we can't be, but the look on Jenner's face is enough to tell me otherwise. This is it – there's nothing out there beyond this. This is our new reality. Civilization has fallen, and the dead now rule the earth. I ran a shaky hand through my hair and looked at Rick, fear probably shining in my eyes. He met my gaze and frowned, his brow furrowing.
"Man, I'm going to get shitfaced drunk again," Daryl announced as he rubbed his face, his disbelief hidden from us but evident in his voice. Same here, buddy, same here.
"Dr. Jenner, I know all of this has been taxing for you, and I hate to ask one more question, but that clock," Dale said, pointing to a clock that read 01:00:02. "Is counting down. What happens at zero?"
"The basement generators – they run out of fuel," Jenner said, his eyes darting around to us worriedly. I walked closer to the doctor, my mind going 200 miles a second as I took in what he said.
"And when they run out?" I asked him, still trying to come up with my own answer inside my head. Before looking back at his shoes, Jenner looked at me, his arms remaining tightly around him as he refused to answer me. A place like this, where they have all these different strains of diseases – diseases that can kill people if they're ever released – it can't just power down. Someone could break in and unknowingly unleash something much worse on those who have survived this long. I looked at him, feeling panic course through me,
"Vi, what happens when the generators run out of fuel?" Rick asked, demanding answers from the computer that the doctor didn't want to provide.
"When the fuel runs out, facility-wide decontamination will occur," Vi responded in her cold robotic voice. I felt my stomach drop and let out a breath I didn't know I had been holding in; I felt like I had just been punched in the stomach. Does this mean what I think it means? Will something be unleashed to destroy everything? A gas? Bombs? Rick and I shared panic glances before we darted toward the nearest door. Footsteps sounded behind us as we all ran with one destination in mind. We have to find the generator room.
"Decontamination? What does that mean?" Glenn asked as we raced down some stairs.
"I don't like the way Jenner clammed up, the way he just wandered off like that," Shane added, trailing behind me. We need a map or something! We could be running in circles for all we know! Mother Universe graced me as a map appeared on the far right wall, pointing out the emergency exits and the different rooms in this building.
"What's wrong with him? Seriously, man." T-Dog muttered, following closely behind. "Nuts, medicated, or what?" I found our location and pointed in front of us, taking the lead as I opened the door, and the automatic lights turned on. All around us were barrels and machinery, but other than that, the room was bare.
"Check that way," Rick ordered. I nodded and walked to the right, T-Dog and Glenn following me. We scattered, the three of us shaking the barrels and feeling the weightlessness of each. I looked at the men with me and bit my lip hard, feeling anxiety fill my chest as we kept shaking the empty barrels. I shook one more barrel when the lights suddenly turned off, and Vi's robot voice announced the emergency lighting had turned on. Shaking my head, I started walking away, unsure what to do next.
"Anything?" Rick asked once he saw us.
"A lot of dead generators." T-Dog answered, "And more empty fuel drums than I can count."
"This can't be it," I muttered as I stepped away, dashing back to the main room. Are we going to stay here? Will this place blow up? Sure, I still need to ask Jenner if that's really what will happen, but if it is – we need to get out of here and get out of here fast. Rick took the lead and led us down the way we came, pushing open the doors as all the lights powered down. We walked further into the main room and saw Jenner.
"Jenner, what's happening?" Rick asked, his voice wavering with anger and fear.
"The system is dropping all nonessential uses of power. It's designed to keep the computers running to the last possible second." Jenner explained as he walked over to the computers and sat down. "It was the French." I looked at him in confusion, wondering if he's already lost his mind.
"What?" I asked him. Jenner looked at me and sighed, leaning back in his chair and taking a sip of wine.
"They were the last ones to hold out, as far as I know," Jenner explained. "While our people were bolting out the doors and committing suicide, they stayed in the labs till the end. They thought they were close to a solution."
"What happened?" Jacqui asked.
"The same thing that's happened in here." Jenner smirked, "The power grid ran out of juice. The world runs on fossil fuels. I mean, how stupid is that?"
"Let me tell you something," Shane muttered dangerously close to Jenner, his fist clenched. We couldn't resort to violence! We need to find a way out of here, not kick the doctor's ass! I ran forward and stepped in front of Shane, placing my hand on his chest to stop him from getting closer to the doctor.
"Shane, stop!" I yelled at him, "Beating him up won't do any good! What we need to do is get out of here." I shouted, looking around at the group. "Decontamination," I said, turning around and looking at the doctor, "This place is going under, isn't it?" Jenner just stared at me with dead eyes, not answering me. He lifted the bottle of wine to his lips and drank deeply. His answer was enough to tell me I was right. I don't know how, but when that timer runs out, something will happen and take us out if we don't move fast.
"Everyone, get your things!" I ordered, my voice somewhat shaky, "NOW!" Before we could run toward the rooms we were staying in, Vi's voice interrupted.
"30 minutes until decontamination." She announced as a clock displayed on the large screen in front of us. We all stopped dead in our tracks as a loud alarm blared throughout the facility. The sound set everyone in a panic, creating mayhem.
"What's going on here, doc?" Daryl shouted at the retreating man. I looked at the doctor and watched as he paused at a desk, ignoring us.
"Everybody, you heard June!" Shane shouted, "Get your stuff!" Large metal doors locked in place, trapping us with the doctor. No, no, no, no! This can't be happening! I approached Jenner, glaring down at him as he adjusted his computer and spoke into it. Daryl lunged at the doctor, knocking me down as he tried to beat the daylights out of Jenner.
"YOU SON OF A BITCH! YOU LOCKED US IN HERE!" Daryl shouted as he dragged Jenner back by the lab coat. I fell onto my hands and knees, my fist balling as I thought about everything happening. We're trapped in here; he won't let us out. When he said the doors wouldn't open again, I didn't know he meant this! A hand shoved its way into my face, catching my attention. I glanced up and saw Daryl, his lips in a tight line. Grabbing his hand, he pulled me up as Rick stalked toward the doctor.
"Jenner, you let us out of here now," Rick ordered, walking up to the man.
"There's no point! Everything topside is locked down. The emergency exits are sealed." Jenner explained. He's accepted his fate, and now nothing scares him. We can threaten him all we want, but he knows he'll be dead at the end of the day. My chest felt heavy as I processed everything. Slowly, I lowered myself to the floor and brought my legs to my chest, trying to focus on breathing. Would this be a better death? Could I even survive out in the world if we managed to get out? Do I even want to survive? I raised my eyes and took everyone's face in, my eyes pausing once they landed on Sophia and Carl. Surely, they didn't want to die. How could he force these kids to die? How can he take away their choice?! I don't want to die!
I paused briefly, realizing for the first time that I truly didn't want to die. Something clicked in me at my realization. The panic I felt just moments ago subsided as it was replaced by white-hot anger. I refuse to give up. I refuse to let this world win! I will survive, and I'll be damned if I let some cowardly doctor decide otherwise for me! I pushed myself off the floor and stomped up to the doctor, grabbing him by his collar and shoving him against a desk.
"You let us out of here now," I growled at him. He grabbed my hands, trying his hardest to pry them away from him and coming up short. "You know you can open these doors to let us get our things. If not, we'll break our way out of here."
"That's not something I control." The doctor gasped, "The computers do." I let go of him and pushed away, turning around and seeing an axe perched on the opposite wall. I pointed at it, and Daryl went running forward. As soon as he grabbed the weapon, he ran towards the steel doors and started swinging away.
"What happens?" Rick asked, "What happens in 28 minutes?" Jenner brushed off the question and set up his camera to continue with his log.
"WHAT HAPPENS IN 28 MINUTES!" Rick shouted as Shane grabbed the scientist, dragging him to look at Rick.
"Do you know what this facility is!?" Jenner shouted, losing his temper. "We protected the public from very nasty stuff!" He shouted in Shane's face. "Weaponized smallpox, Ebola strains that could wipe out half the country. Stuff you don't want getting out, EVER!" The scientist sat down, trying to calm himself down. The silence was deafening. "In the event of a catastrophic power failure, a terrorist attack, for example-- H.I.T.s are deployed to prevent any organisms from getting out."
So, I was right. This place will go under – we'll blow up. He's not even giving us a choice!
"Vi, define," Jenner shouted up at his computer. Rick walked toward his wife and son, wrapping his arms around them as Vi defined what H.I.T.s were.
"H.I.T.s, high-impulse thermobaric fuel-air explosives consist of a two-stage aerosol ignition that produces a blast wave of significantly greater power and duration than any other known explosive except nuclear." VI's robotic voice said. "The vacuum-pressure effect ignites the oxygen at between 5,000 and 6,000 degrees and is useful when the greatest loss of life and damage to structures is desired." I turned my gaze from the screen to the group of survivors hugging one another. Carol and Lori sobbed, their eyes full of fear as they cradled their children.
"It sets the air on fire." Jenner muttered, "No pain." I turned in a full circle, scanning the room to forcibly find a way out. We're getting out of here. I won't let these people die. In the far left corner of the room, three additional axes were perched against the wall.
"Shane," I called to him, pointing at the axes around the room. He nodded, intuitively knowing what to do, and ran towards the weapons. I watched as he grabbed a few and tossed them towards T-Dog and Glenn, the three beating on the metal barriers with Daryl. As the men worked on the doors, I tried to devise a plan of attack. There has to be a way we can get out! This will not be the end! I won't allow it to be the end! In my wild search for an answer, I met Carl's eyes. His precious blue eyes leaked tears, fear prominent on his face as his mother held him to her chest and sobbed.
"You should've left well enough alone." Jenner said, breaking me from my trance, "It would've been so much easier."
"Easier for who?" Lori asked, her eyes spilling tears as she embraced her son.
"All of you. You know what's out there -- a short, brutal life and an agonizing death." He turned and looked at Andrea, who was sitting next to him. I watched him try to rationalize how this death was best for us.
"Just because you're done doesn't mean the rest of us are," I spat, nearing him like a predator would their prey, "You cannot force this on us!" Jenner stared blankly at me, tipping the wine bottle as he took a deep drink. Finally losing my cool, I marched up to him and smacked the bottle out of his hands, "You let us out of here. Now," I growled at him, forcibly leaning him back in his chair as I came face to face with him.
"Even if I wanted to, I can't," He stressed.
"Can't make a dent." Shane panted as he approached me, sweat dripping from his forehead.
"Those doors can withstand a rocket launcher," Jenner recomposed himself as I let go of his chair.
"Well, your head ain't!" Daryl shouted, running towards Jenner with his axe raised. I leaped forward and put myself between the blow and the doctor's head, making Daryl stop immediately as soon as he saw me in front of him. As much as I didn't want to admit it, we needed him in order to get out of here.
"If we're going to get out of here, we need him alive." I told the angry man before me, "We're stuck here if he's dead." Daryl lowered the axe, his eyes burning with anger as he turned his back on us and stalked toward the steel doors to resume what he was doing.
"You do want this." Jenner stood up, "Last night. You said you knew it was a matter of time before everyone you loved was dead."
"What?" Rick asked, turning his gaze to his wife and son.
"What?" Shane asked, struggling for breath. "After your big speech?"
"I had to keep hope alive, didn't I?" Rick muttered.
"There is no hope!" Jenner shouted, frustration getting the best of him. I rolled my eyes and crossed my arms, having no choice but to listen to what the doctor said, "There never was."
"There's always hope," Rick told the doctor, refusing to give in to his descent into self-despair.
"Maybe it won't be with you, not here. But somebody somewhere—" Rick tried to finish, only to be cut off by Andrea.
"What part of 'everything is gone,' don't you understand?" She snapped at him. If she wants to give up, then fine. But don't force everyone else to give up.
"Just because you want to die." I spat, "Doesn't mean the rest of us do. If you want to stay here, be my guest! But don't bring us down with you." She looked at me with tears as she swallowed my words. I have no problem being a bitch if need be, and at this moment, it's needed. If that means hurting a few people's feelings, so be it.
"This isn't right." Carol spoke up, "You can't just keep us here."
"One tiny moment, a millisecond. No pain." Jenner explained.
"My daughter doesn't deserve to die like this!" Carol cried into Sophia's hair.
"Think about the children." I told Jenner, pointing at the two kids crying, "Do you think they want to die? Here, now?"
"Wouldn't it be kinder? More compassionate to just hold your loved ones and wait for the clock to run down?" Jenner asked, looking up at me. I shook my head and retreated, my hands holding my head as I continued looking around the room, hoping there was a vent leading to the outside. A gun cocked from behind me, making me look back and see Shane with a shotgun. Rick ran forward and tried fighting with Shane, pleading with him not to do anything stupid. I stayed put, eyeing Shane as he pushed Rick to the side and stepped aside once he reached me. He pointed the gun at Jenner, demanding that he opens the door.
"Brother, brother, this is not the way you do this. We will never get out of here." Rick said to Shane, desperately trying to stop him from killing the doctor. I almost wanted Shane to pull the trigger, but I knew Rick was right. No doctor, no escaping.
With Shane next to me, I raised my free hand and placed it on the gun, trying to make him lower it when he screamed, shooting all the computers behind Jenner. I jumped back and watched his desperate attempt to free us, his breathing jagged as he let out another scream. Rick dove forward and smacked the gun out of Shane's hands, hitting him with the butt end and knocking his friend down to the ground.
"You done now?" Rick asked him as he panted heavily.
"I guess we all are." Shane spat at his friend, his eyes filled with anger and hatred. Rick sighed and walked forward, handing me the shotgun and shaking his head. I grabbed the gun and paced, desperate for a way out. This is not how I want to die.
"I think you're lying," Rick said suddenly.
"What?" Jenner asked, his head snapping up to look at Rick.
"I think you're lying." Rick repeated, "About no hope. If that were true, you'd have bolted with the rest or taken the easy way out. You didn't. You chose the hard path. Why?"
"It doesn't matter," Jenner muttered as he shook his head, his eyes locked onto Rick. I stepped forward, deciding it was best to keep my hands to myself, and squatted down to Jenner's level.
"It does matter." I said softly, trying to turn on the charm, "It always matters. You stayed when the others ran. Why?" Jenner looked at me, and his features softened, his mouth shaking at the corners.
"Not because I wanted to." He muttered, his eyes never leaving mine, "I made a promise... to her." He stood up and pointed at the big screen, his eyes watering slightly. "My wife." I stood up and sighed, the pieces in my head connecting. The test subject was his wife – he promised her he'd keep working. That makes total sense.
"TS-19 was your wife?" I asked the doctor. Jenner nodded, regaining what little composure he had left, and looked at me.
"She begged me to keep going as long as I could. How could I say no?" He asked rhetorically. I heard grunts and the sound of metal on metal and saw Daryl pounding away at the door once more. "She was dying." Jenner continued as he ignored Daryl, "It should've been me on that table. I wouldn't have mattered to anybody. She was a loss to the world. Hell, she ran this place. I just worked here. In our field, she was an Einstein. Me? I'm just Edwin Jenner. She could've done something about this. Not me."
"Your wife..." Rick started, "She didn't have a choice. You do. That's all we want! A choice, a chance."
"Let us keep trying as long as we can," I whispered, making eye contact with the doctor. Jenner broke eye contact with me and sighed, his head shaking lightly.
"I told you topside's locked down. I can't open those." Jenner muttered as he swiped his badge against a machine. I heard the metal doors opening and felt the tension in my chest release. I grabbed Jenner's face and pressed a thankful kiss on his cheek before bolting.
"Let's go!" I shouted and raced toward Daryl, turning back slightly to wave everyone forward. I grabbed Daryl by the hand and raced to our room, hastily grabbing our things and weapons. He and I noticed we were all alone in the hallway before we heard the group's rushed footsteps. They each disappeared into their room and came out with their things, some still trying to shove some clothing into their packs. Carl ran forward and grabbed my hand, pulling me forward and trying to make me run. I let him pull me and raced forward, my legs – although short, pumping ahead quickly, almost dragging the poor boy with me. I stopped briefly and hoisted him up, his legs wrapped around my waist, uncomfortably digging my knife into my hip as he did so. Rick approached me and pushed me forward, his hand on the small of my back as we ran toward the main entrance. I stayed back, caressing Carl's head as I watched the men beat the windows and doors, feeling my heartbeat going haywire in my chest. Lori ran up to me and grabbed my hand, holding it tight and using her other hand to rub her son's back. I kneeled and placed Carl on his two feet, watching as the men tried to free us.
"Rick!" Carol called out to Rick, searching wildly in her bag. Rick ran forward before hesitantly pulling something and running back to us, shouting at us to back away and get down. I grabbed Lori and Carl by their arms and ran back, ducking them down and covering them with my arms as there was an explosion. I could feel the heat of the explosion radiate in waves, nearly deafening me as it detonated. Before I could process anything else, I felt an arm grab my bicep, pulling me off Lori and Carl. I saw it was Daryl and ran alongside him, pausing for a second as he jumped from the window ledge. He turned and helped me down, dragging me into another sprint toward the truck.
The explosion lured walkers, bringing them in from all directions. I reached for my gun and started firing, hitting walkers square in the head as we ran past them. We approached the truck and climbed inside, breathing rapidly and sweat on our foreheads. Daryl started the engine and was ready to pull away before the group when I stopped him, my eyes landing on Dale and Andrea. They barely crawled out of the shattered window and ran towards us, avoiding all the walkers reaching for them. Daryl looked at his watch and hissed before turning to me.
"Shit!" He shouted and forced my head down, his body shielding mine. The heat from the explosion came in waves, and I felt my ears start to ring from the sound of the blast. This explosion was at least ten times bigger and louder than the one from the grenade. We were breathing loudly, and the sound of the explosion dwindled to a crackling, leaving my ears ringing. We sat up, watching as what used to be the CDC was now set ablaze and in shambles. Daryl released a slow breath of relief before turning to me and touching my shoulder. "You good?" He asked me. I turned to him and nodded, my lips turning up as I looked at the rugged man in front of me before I tackled him in a hug – happy to be alive. He took me by surprise and returned the hug before quickly pushing me away.
"I almost thought we wouldn't make it out," I breathed as he started to pull away from the CDC, following the rest of the group. I turned to him and felt my eyes water, nothing but love and admiration for him flooring me. Instead of tackling him in another hug, I grabbed his hand, "I'll kill you if you ever die,"
He grunted in response. Most wouldn't see this as an answer, but I knew it was his way of saying he felt the same way. I felt the smallest squeeze in reciprocation and smiled as he quickly pried his hand away, muttering, "Get off me."
I could feel him give me a side-eye as I relaxed in my seat with a smile. While I had no idea what'll come next, as long as I had the group with me, I could tackle it head-on. I won't be a bystander any longer. I want to protect these people. I want to help lead us to safety. I may have lost my parents and sister, but I feel like these people are slowly becoming my family – and I'll be damned if anyone tries to take them away from me.