The group is just outside the CDC, the light from the open door still illuminating their faces.
"Daryl, watch the back," Shane says, his voice firm. Everyone has their guns up and ready, waiting for any signs of movement.
Archie moves closer to Mellody and places his body in front of hers, shielding her from any potential danger. He holds his gun at the ready, his eyes scanning the perimeter, looking for any signs of movement. The group remains tense, their hearts pounding in their chests, as they wait for something to happen.
"Hello? Hello?" Rick's voice echoes around the huge space, the sound bouncing off the walls.
"Close those doors," Dale says, addressing the group. "And watch for walkers."
The group cautiously enters the lobby, their guns pointed forward, ready for anything. The space is empty, and the only sound is their own footsteps.
"Hello?" Rick shouts again, his voice echoing through the vast space.
A gun cocks, and a man steps out of the doorway, a rifle in his hands. He calls out, "Anybody infected?"
Archie immediately grabs Mellody's arm, pulling her close and keeping his gun pointed at the man in the hallway.
Rick speaks for the group, "One of our group was, but he didn't make it."
He keeps his gun pointed at the man, waiting for any sudden movements.
No one moves or says anything, each one waiting for what will happen next. They stand there, guns raised, waiting for the other man to make a decision.
"Why are you here? What do you want" The man asks, his eyes narrowing as he looks at each person in the group.
"A chance," Rick replies simply. After a brief moment of silence where everyone stares each other down, the man steps forward.
"That's asking an awful lot these days," he says, his voice low and serious. Rick nods in agreement.
The man looks at each of them in turn, seemingly appraising them.
"You all submit to a blood test. That's the price of admission," he says. Archie lets out a deep sigh, whether it's from sheer exhaustion or annoyance, nobody knows. Mellody grabs hold of Archie's sleeve, clearly nervous.
"We can do that," Rick replies firmly, not taking his eyes off the man.
The man lowers his weapon, and Archie keeps his own gun pointed at the man, still suspicious.
"You got stuff to bring in, you do it now. Once this door closes, it stays closed," the man says, his voice firm, but not necessarily threatening. He points to the door, his eyes fixed on the group.
Archie nudges Mellody, who steps back, losing her balance for a moment before catching herself. The group runs after the man, following him into the elevator.
Archie trails behind Mellody, as she rushes to catch up with everyone else. As they enter the elevator and the doors close, a beeping sound fills the air. The man presses a button on the controls and the elevator
No one speaks or makes a sound, l
"VI, seal the main entrance. Kill the power up here," the man says, his voice low and firm. The door closes, and the elevator descends deeper into the building. Everyone is crammed together, and no one speaks a word.
Suddenly, something rattles and clangs, and Archie steps closer to Mellody, still wary.
Rick steps forward, his hand extended, "Rick Grimes," he says, introducing himself to the man
"Dr. Edwin Jenna," the man replies, still not shaking Rick's hand.
Mellody stands next to Carl, trying not to bump into anyone. Dale stands behind them, still holding his gun up, watching every move the man makes.
The elevator descends deeper into the building, and no one speaks a word. The only sound is the humming of the motor and the soft clicking of the buttons on the control panel.
The elevator continues to hum, and it's hard to tell whether they are going up or down.
Daryl asks, his voice laced with annoyance, "Doctors always go around packing heat like that?"
Jenner replies, turning his head to look at the group, "There were plenty left lying around. I familiarized myself."
He turns his attention to Carl and Mellody, still holding his gun at the ready.
Jenner looks at Sofia and Mellody, his expression softening slightly. “But you two look harmless enough,” he says with a slight smile.
He looks back towards Carl, his expression turning serious again. “Except you. I'll have to keep my eye on you.” Carl returns the doctor's gaze with a small smile on his face.
Jenner chuckles, but the smile dies immediately as he turns away. l
The door opens, and Jenner steps out slowly, followed by the rest of the group. Jenner leads them down the hallway, with his face blank and his eyes fixed on the distance ahead.
“Are we underground?” Carol asks, Archie looks around at the plain white walls,
he looks at her, asking, “Are you claustrophobic?”
He waits patiently for her answer,
Carol nods her head, admitting, "A little,"
Jenner turns back around "Try not to think about it," he says, turning away and leading them down the hallway again.
Archie looks at the doctor, a hint of attitude in his voice, "What? All the other doctors die?"
Jenner turns around sharply, visibly annoyed by Archie's question. "Yes," he says. "Some committed suicide"
He turns around again, leading the group down the hallway once more.
They enter the large, darkened space.
“VI, bring up the lights in the big room,” Jenner says as they continue to walk forward towards the computers.
Suddenly all the lights turn on, revealing a series of computers spread across the room.
“So everyone? Everyone is dead, doctors, staff?” Rick asks, looking around at the empty space.
“Yes, it's just me here.” Jenner replies, his voice sounding a bit sad.
Lori speaks up, "What about the person you were speaking with? VI?"
Jenner replies in a loud tone, "VI, say hello to our guests."
A computer voice echoes through the room, "Hello, guests. Welcome."
Jenner turns to everyone, a somber expression on his face.
"I'm all that's left," he says. "I'm sorry."
He leads them to another room, his head down, not making eye contact with anyone.
"Follow me," he says as he goes through the doorway.
Mellody was clearly nervous about having to give her blood. She pulled on Archie's sleeve, saying, "I don't wanna shot."
Archie looks at her, his face looks clearly annoyed he replies, "It's a blood transfusion he wants to test if we're infected. Suck it up" Archie leans against the wall, waiting for Mellody to get her blood test done.
Jenner looks at Mellody, clearly expecting her to sit down.
Archie doesn't waste any time and grabs Mellody's arm, pushing her towards the chair.
"It will only hurt a little," Jenner says calmly as he places the needle on Mellody's arm. She flinches at the pain, but it doesn't hurt much.
"What's the point?" Andrea asks, "If we were infected, we'd all be running a fever."
"I've already broken every rule in the book letting you in here. Let me just at least be thorough," Jenner says.
He takes the syringe out of Mellody's arm, the needle making a clicking sound as he removes it.
"All done," Jenner says. Mellody stands up, swaying a bit as she tries to find her balance. Archie grabs her, steadying her.
Jenner looks at Mellody, concern in his eyes, "Are you okay?"
Jacqui replies, "She hasn't eaten in days. None of us have" she gestured to Mellody.
They all settle down at a large, round table, and Jenner passes out plates of pasta and wine. After a long day, everyone is ready to sit down for a relaxing meal. They all start eating, enjoying the comfort of a warm meal and good company.