We've been driving for quite a while now, it's sometime in the afternoon when Dale C.B.ed us saying he's having engine troubles with the R.V. I get out to a take a look, popping the hood, a thick cloud of smoke emitting from the engine.
"I told you we'd never get far on that hose. I said I needed the one from the cube van." Dale says.
"Can you jury-rig it?" I ask.
"That's all it's been so far. It's more duct tape than hose. And I'm out of duct tape..."
"I see something up ahead." Shane says looking into his binoculars. "A gas station if we're lucky."
Jacqui comes rushing out of the R.V. "Y'all, Jim... It's bad. I don't think he can take anymore." She says before going back inside.
"Hey, Rick, you want to hold down the fort? I'll drive a head, see what I can bring back." Shane says.
"Yeah, I'll come along too and I'll back you up." T-Dog offers.
"Y'all keep your eyes open now. We'll be right back." Shane says getting into his jeep as I head to the R.V. to check on Jim. As I enter the vehicle I take my hat off and take a deep breath.
"We'll be back on the road soon." I say to him. He looks weaker than ever, pale skin and red eyes.
"Oh no." He barley says. "Christ... My bones. My bones are like glass. Every little bump. God, this ride is killing me." He swallows. "Leave me here." He breaths out. "I'm done. Just leave me. I want to be with my family." He says looking out the window. I move closer to him and crouch down.
"They're all dead." I say slowly. "I don't think you know what you're asking. The fever... You've been delirious more often than not."
"I know." He cuts me off. "Don't you think I know?" He tries to get up and groans. "I'm clear now. In five minutes I may not be. Rick, I know what I'm asking. I want this.... Leave me here. Now that's on me. Okay? My decision.... Not your failure."
I leave him in the R.V. and tell the group of Jim's decision.
"It's what he says he wants."
"And he's lucid?" Carol asks.
"He seems to be." I say. "I would say yes."
"Back in the camp when I said Daryl might be right and you shut me down, you misunderstood." Dale says. "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?" Shane asks. "We take off? Man, I'm not sure I could live with that."
"It's not your call, either one of you." Lori chimes in. Shane and I go back into the R.V. and take Jim out, trying our best not to cause him any added pain. We carry him up to the biggest tree that sits on a hill beside the highway.
"Yeah... That's it." Jim says as we carefully lean him against the tree. He breaths heavily and looks up. "Hey, another damn tree." He chuckles.
"Hey, Jim I mean... you know it doesn't need to be this." Shane states, concerned.
"No, it's good.... Breeze feels... nice."
Shane lets out a deep sigh. "Okay. All right."
Jacqui goes up next to Jim and rubs his face. "Just close your eyes, sweetie. Don't fight." She says and kisses him on the check.
I pull a gun out from behind me and walk over to Jim. "Jim, do you want this?" I ask, my voice barely audible.
"No." He answers. "You'll need it. I'm okay. I'm okay." Dale walks up to Jim and whispers something to him. Everyone else walks off, everyone but Daryl and Kat.
Kat's P.O.V
I didn't know Jim all too well, but it's still a sad sight. The only people left are me, my daddy and Rick. He has his crossbow in hand and I have mine strapped to my back. Jim looks at the both of us and faintly smiles, my daddy nods his head and I smile back.
"Come on darlin'." My daddy says putting his arm around my shoulders and walking back to our truck. We hop in just as Rick walks down the small hill we left Jim on. As we drive off I wave to Jim one last time.
***
After our 100 mile journey we finally reach the C.D.C. and it's almost night fall. As all of us get out of our cars, I notice the countless bodies all around the place and the only thing you can hear are the sound of flies buzzing around. It smells worse than it looks. As we walk closer to the building the smell becomes unbearable and we begin coughing and chocking.
Shane starts whispering. "All right, everybody. Keep moving. Go on. Stay quiet. Let's go."
The closer we get to the building the more horrible the stench of rotting bodies gets. At this point I'm practically attached to my daddy's hip and I have a very strong feeling either me or Glenn are going to throw up, it wouldn't be the first time and defiantly won't be the last.
"Okay, keep moving. Stay together. Keep moving." Shane says, this time a bit louder.
"Come on. Shhhh" Rick whispers. Lori calls for Carol as we are about 50 yards away from the building.
"Oh, God." I say unable to take the smell any longer.
"Keep it together. Come on." My daddy says to me.
"We're almost there, baby. Almost there." Lori says to Carl. We finally reach the doors of the building. The place looks absolutely deserted, like no one's been here in months... Rick steps forwards and pulls on the door handle, rattling it hoping it would open.
"Nothing?" Shane asks as Rick begins to pound on door.
"There's nobody here." T-Dog says.
"Then why are these shutters down?" Rick asks.
"Walkers!" My daddy yells, pushes me behind him as everyone loads their guns.
"Baby, come on." Lori says to Carl as Sophia begins to whimper.
"You led us into a graveyard!" My daddy yells at Rick after killing a Walker.
"He made a call." Shane says defending Rick.
"It was the wrong damn call!" My daddy yells becoming more angry.
"Just shut up. You hear? Shut up. Shut up!" Shane says pushing my daddy back. "Rick, this is a dead end." Shane says.
"Where are we gonna go?" Carol asks frighten.
"Do you hear me? No blame." Shane says.
"She's right." Lori says. "We can't be here, this close to the city after dark."
"Fort Benning, Rick. Still an option." Shane says.
"On what? No food, no fuel. That's 100 miles." Andrea interjects.
"I checked the map." Glenn adds.
"Forget Fort Benning. We need answers tonight, now." Lori says raising her voice.
"We'll, think of something." Rick says.
"Come on, let's go. Let's get out of here. Let's go." Everybody yells.
"All right, everybody back to the cars. Let's go. Move!" Shane commands, grouping everybody, but me and Rick. I look around the thick steel wall that stands between us and perhaps freedom from the undead and something catches my eye. A security camera lens focusing in on me and Rick.
"Rick." I say nudging him and pointing to the camera on the wall as it turns to the group then back on us.
"The camera! It moved!" Rick says.
"You imagined it." Dale says.
"It moved." I defend.
"It moved." He says as we both move closer to it.
"Rick, it is dead, man." Shane says. "It's an automated device. It's-it's gears, okay? They're just winding down. Now come on!" Shane yells pulling me and Rick by the arms, neither of us budging. "Man, just listen to me. Look around this place. It's dead, okay? It's dead! You need to let it go, Rick. Rick, there's nobody here!" Shane yells trying to push Rick back but we keep fighting.
"I know you're in there!" Rick says as we both begin to bang on the doors frantically. "I know you can hear me!"
"Everybody get back to the cars now!" Shane yells.
"Please, we're desperate." Rick says looking into the camera.
"Please help us." I plead.
"We have women, children, no food, hardly any gas left."
"Rick." Lori comes up in front of him. "There's nobody here."
"We have nowhere else to go." Rick continues as I keep pounding on the door.
"Keep your eyes open." Shane tells the group.
"If you don't let us in, you're killing us!" Rick yells.
"Please!" Lori says to the both of us.
"Come on, buddy, let's go. Let's go." Shane says grabbing Rick and I, pulling us back.
"Please help us." Rick and I say at the same time. We have people shouting from behind us but we aren't giving up that easily. "You're killing us! You're killing us! You're killing us!" Rick yells and I try to get Shane's hands off me.
As Shane gives us a more forceful push, I stumble to the ground hard, landing awkwardly on my tailbone. A yelp slips past my lips as pain runs up my spine as I give Shane a death stare but the sound of loud clangs and hissing distract me as the doors we were banging on opens and a bright white light appears. Jesus Christ, literally. We all stand there, puzzled.
"Told you." I say smirking at Shane.