Edited.
I sat on a folding chair atop of Dale's RV, watching the sun spill its light across the silhouetted buildings of Atlanta. It was a beautiful sight, but it would take more than a beautiful sunrise to wash away the horror of last night.
I had grown tired of weeping last night so I had climbed to the top of the RV and relieved Dale of keeping watch.
I had wept for how shitty the world had become, but mostly I wept for Amy. Although I had seen my fair share of gruesome deaths, I was not immune to seeing people being torn apart in front of me.
The early sun blazed down the camp, but I barely felt the heat. I looked down the side of the RV and watched Andrea holding Amy's lifeless hand. Andrea had been there all night and I doubted she would move any time soon. Amy looked remarkably peaceful in death, her blonde hair fanned out around her neck. If it wasn't for the hideous gash in her neck and the blood staining her white shirt, Amy looked like she was sleeping.
Lori came and crouched besides Andrea. I looked away and watched Glenn, Daryl, and T-Dog, who had the grisly task of cleaning up the mess of last night. The hardest part was making sure none of the dead were getting back up. Glenn and T-Dog piled the roamer's bodies into a huge fire.
The human bodies were handled with more care.
I looked back down the Andrea, then back to Daryl and his pickax. Roamers could only be killed if the brain was destroyed. Amy's wasn't and sooner or later she'd be getting back up as a roamer. Although Amy was my friend, we'd have to do something about her situation.
I climbed down the RV and walked towards Shane and Rick, who were watching Andrea. Dale was besides them with Lori and Carol. I asked, "Shouldn't we do something about Amy?"
Lori said, "She won't even talk to us. She's been there all night."
"Can't just leave Amy like that, " Shane said after a moment. "We need to deal with it, same as the others."
I glanced at Rick who said, "I'll tell her how it is."
Rick strode over to Andrea, and crouched besides her, "Andrea-"
Andrea whipped around and pointed her gun at Rick. Shane was on his feet and took a step towards them.
"I know how the safety works," she told Rick, who straightened up. Andrea didn't lower the gun until Rick had backed away. After he did, she turned back to Amy's body.
I didn't doubt Andrea would shoot anyone who tried to take Amy away from her. The look in her eyes had said that she wouldn't hesitate to pull the trigger.
A sweaty Daryl strode over, the anger was evident in his eyes. "Ya'll can't be serious? Let that girl hamstring us?" He motioned his hand in Andrea and Amy's direction. "The dead girl's a time bomb."
"What do you suggest?" Rick asked.
Daryl took a step towards him. Blood dripped from the pickax that he was resting on his shoulder. "Take the shot." He pointed two fingers to his own head. "Clean, in the brain, from here. Hell, I can hit a turkey between the eyes from this distance."
I shook my head. "She isn't a turkey. Amy is someone's sister," I said, looking at Andrea. The emotional damage it would cause Andrea would be irreparable. Times were tough now but we were still human.
Lori agreed. She said, "Just let her be."
Rick looked at Shane for better advice, Shane only lifted his eyebrows and shrugged. Daryl realized we weren't going to take his advice, spat on the ground, and strode back to help the others.
"Wake up, Jimbo," Daryl said as he passed Jim. "We've got some work to do."
I walked over to Jim, who seemed dazed and disoriented. "Hey, Jim. You need some help?"
"Sure," he panted, trying to drag a roamer's body towards the fire. I crouched down and decided to help him clear up the carnage since he was most likely still dehydrated from digging all those graves yesterday.
I looked back up to Jim, about to ask if he felt better when something caught my eye.
"Are you bleeding?" I asked. My eyes were fixed onto the blood that was smeared on his shirt.
Jim swallowed hard. "I just got some one me from the bodies." He crouched down to help me.
"That blood is fresh," I said. "Were you bit?"
"No," Jim panted. "Got scratched during the attack." He swallowed again, a bead of sweat fell of his nose.
"You got bit," I accused.
"I'm fine," he said.
I straightened up. "Then show me."
Jim looked up at me, breathing heavily. He whispered, "Don't tell. Please." He glanced at the others.
I stared at him, horrified that he would risk not telling the group. All I could think of were the roamers and their hungry mouths. I called out, "A roamer got him. A roamer bit Jim."
A part of me felt like I was betraying Jim, but I couldn't keep that kind of secret. I would risk everyone's life.
The group gathered around Jim, forming a circle and boxing him in. "Show it to us," Daryl demanded. "Show it to us."
Jim scrambled back and grabbed a shovel from the ground. I stepped back, terrified.
"Easy, Jim," Shane said.
"Grab him," Daryl yelled. T-Dog darted behind Jim, grabbing his arms and wrenching them behind his back. The shovel fell with a clang.
"I'm okay. I'm okay," Jim panted. Daryl rushed forwards and lifted Jim's shirt. There was a bloody bite mark just below his ribs. T-Dog and Morales backed off.
Jim mumbled, "I'm okay. I'm okay."
***
I glanced over at Jim, who was sat on a crate near the RV's rear. It had been hard trying to decide what to do about Amy, who was dead, but this? Jim was still alive.
"I say we put a pickax in his head and the dead girl's and be done with it," Daryl offered, impatiently.
Shane looked a Daryl. "Is that what you'd want if it were you?"
"Yeah, and I'd thank you while you did it."
Dale shook his head, and looked around the group. "I hate to say it- I never thought I would- but maybe Daryl's right."
Rick shook his head. "Jim's not a monster, Dale, or some rabid dog."
"I'm not suggesting that-"
"He's sick. A sick man. We start down that road, where do we draw the line?"
"The line's pretty clear. Zero tolerance for walkers," Daryl snapped. "Or them to be."
"What is we can get him help?" Rick asked. "I heard the CDC was working on a cure."
"I heard that too. Heard a lot of things before the world went to hell," Shane said.
"I was headed there when it all started," I said. "I never made it, but maybe it's still up and running."
Shane said, "That is a stretch right there."
Rick said, "If there's any government left, any structure at all, they'd protect the CDC at all costs, wouldn't they? I think it's our best shot."
Last night made one thing clear- the quarry wasn't safe anymore. More roamers were probably in the woods right now from all the gunshots they heard.
"Shelter, protection, rescue," Rick continued.
"Okay, Rick, you want those things, all right? I do too, okay? Now if they exist they're at the army base. Fort Benning," Shane said.
Lori objected, "That's a hundred miles in the opposite direction."
"That is right. But it's away from the hot zone. Now listen to me," Shane said, "If that place is operational, it'll be heavily armed. We'd be safe there."
"The military were on the front lines of this thing- they got overrun. We've all seen that," Rick said. "The CDC is our best choice and Jim's only chance."
Daryl said, "You go looking for aspirin. Do what you need to do." He backed away and lifted his pickax from the ground. "Someone needs to have some balls to take care of this damn problem." He whirled on Jim, lifting the pickax to cave Jim's head in.
Rick rushed towards him, pointing his gun at the back of Daryl's head. "We don't kill the living," Rick said, his voice low and angry.
Daryl lowered his pickax, "That's funny coming from a man who just put a gun to my head."
Shane stepped in between Jim and Daryl. "We may disagree on some things, not on this," Shane nodded towards Daryl's pickax. "You put it down. Go on."
With a snarl, Daryl threw the weapon on the ground, and stormed off.
Rick walked over to Jim and took a hold of his arm. "Come with me."
Jim asked, "Where are you taking me?"
"Somewhere safe."
***
I let out a breath that I didn't realize I had been holding. I glanced at Glenn who was standing nearby. I hadn't asked how he was doing and I hadn't thanked him for saving me life last night. I lowered my gaze to the ground, not wanting to look at the camp that was ravaged by roamers- the camp that was my safe haven. I had held hope for this camp an even thought I could build a life here.
Nowhere was safe.
I lifted my eyes, meeting Glenn's gaze. He smiled at me before walking over. We don't say anything at first, not knowing what to say.
I glance at him, "Glenn, I want to say thank you for last night. I was so sure the roamer was going to kill me." I shove my hands into my pockets. "That's the second time you've saved my life."
"Don't worry about it," Glenn said. "I'm just glad you're okay and you're here."
He blushed momentarily. I looked away, not wanting to make him feel embarrassed.
I asked after a few moments, "You think the CDC is a good idea?"
He shrugged, keeping his gaze on me. "I mean, maybe there is a cure for Jim, but I'd say it's a very slim chance." Glenn sighed. "Are you thinking of going?"
I muttered, "Where else would I go. I'm alone." I kicked at the ground.
Glenn nudged my arm. "You're not alone anymore."
I grinned up at him. I said, "So it's final, we're going."
Glenn grinned back, still gazing at me.
My grin fell when I saw Amy 'waking up' and reaching towards Andrea's face. Andrea's gun suddenly fired. My heart was beating fast and my body jolted.
Glenn reached for my hand.
***
We left early the next morning, while the sun was still rising in the east. The cars were filled with our bags and supplies. Morales and his family had decided to head to Birmingham instead. Shane had given them a pistol and a half-full box of bullets.
The RV lead the group to the city. Glenn was up front reading the map, giving Dale directions to the CDC. I sat in the back with Jim, holding a damp towel to his head. He groaned in pain. The infection was overtaking him.
I walked towards the front of the RV. "Are we there yet?" I asked Glenn.
He shook his head. "Just a while longer."
"I don't think Jim's gonna last," I admitted. "His health is deteriorating."
The RV's engine sputtered. "Oh damn," Dale muttered. The RV came to a stop on the side of the road. "It's the damn hose."
Everyone pulled out of the RV, except Jacqui who offered to look over Jim. Rick went into the RV to see Jim. Shane and T-Dog went up ahead to scavenge the nearby gas station. They later came back with a hose for Dale's RV.
Rick comes back out a few minutes later. "He wants me to leave him here." He looked conflicted. "It's what he says he wants."
"And he's lucid?" Carol squints here eyes against the sun, trying to look at Rick.
"He seems to be," Rick said, rubbing his nose. "I would say yes."
"Back in the camp when I said Daryl might be right, and you shut me down, you misunderstood," Dale said. "I would never go along with callously killing a man. I was just gonna suggest that we ask Jim what he wants. And I think we have an answer."
"We just leave him here? We take off?" Shane admits, "Man, I'm not sure I could live with that."
"It's not your call," Lori said, taking a deep breath. "Either one of you."
It was Jim's decision.
Shane and Rick hoisted Jim out of the RV, sitting Jim down by a nearby tree. It was uphill from the where the RV was parked. We bid our goodbyes, and walked down the hill.
I turned to Jacqui who was softly crying besides me. I wrapped my arms around her, allowing her to sob into my shoulder. She released her grip on me after she composed herself and she gave me a small smile.
We walked into our cars. Dale turned the key, and the RV started off down the street. I looked out the window and watched Jim meet his certain death.
***
Decaying roamers lay on the ground around the CDC. I stepped out of the RV after Glenn, who held a rifle in his hands. I could hear the faint buzz of flies. I could smell the rotting flesh and I gagged.
Rick lead us to the main entrance, down the street and past the barricades and the corpses. Shane whispered, "All right, everybody, keep moving. Go on." He fell behind us, acting as a sort of shield. "Stay quiet. Let's go."
My eyes watered as we got nearer. The smell had become worse and corpses were strewn on the ground. Glenn fell into step next to me, "We're almost there."
There were three gated entrances. Rick pushed on one, but it only rattled. "Nothing?" Shane questioned, before pounding his fists on the metal doors.
"There's nobody here," T-Dog said.
Rick glances at him, "Then why are these shutters down?"
"Walkers," Daryl alerted the group. Carl and Sophia whimpered behind me. I spun around and saw the lone roamer striding towards us before Daryl sent an arrow into its head.
"You led us into a graveyard," Daryl rushed at Rick.
"He made a call," Shane came to Rick's aid.
"It was the wrong damn call!"
"Just shut up. You hear me?" Shane shoved Daryl back. "Shut up. Shut up!"
Shane then turned to Rick. "This is a dead end. Do you hear me? No blame."
"Where are we gonna go?" Carol asks frantically, looking at Rick for answers. She holds Sophia in her arms.
"She's right," Lori said, panicking. "We can't be here, this close to the city after dark."
"Fort Benning, Rick. Still an option," Shane said.
"On what?" Andrea questions. "No food, no fuel."
"It's 125 miles, I checked the map," Glenn said.
"We need answers. Now." Lori urges Rick.
"We'll think of something," Rick tries to reassure her.
"Come on let's go. Let's get out of here. Please," Carol pleaded.
We started moving back towards the car when Rick called out, "The camera- it moved!"
My eyes widened and I glanced at Glenn who was already looking at me, his mouth agape.
"You imagined it," Dale stated.
"It moved. It moved." Rick and Shane walk up towards the camera.
Shane said, "Rick, it is dead, man. It's an automated device. It gears, okay? They're just winding down. Now, come one."
Rick slammed on the metal doors in disbelief. "Stop!" I yelled when more walkers started towards us. "There's nobody there!"
It was a lost cause. There was no hope left in the world.
"You're killing us!" Rick yelled, desperation clear in his voice. Shane dragged him towards the cars. "You're killing us! You're killing us!"
Something hissed behind us and white light pours out, blinding me. I squint, staring at the open doors.
"Holy shit."