We all practically bolted inside the building as the doors fully opened, still shocked that they actually did open.
"You cover the back." My daddy says to T-Dog as we look around.
"Hello? Hello?" Rick calls as we enter what looks like a lobby.
"Watch those doors." Dale warns.
"Watch for Walkers!" T-Dog adds.
"Hello?" Rick says as we wonder through the lobby. Rick spots something coming down the stairs, raising his gun at it. We all follow suit as the figure moves closer to us, into the light. It's a man, a living man, with a gun and it's aimed towards us.
"Anybody infected?" He yells, eyes scanning over our group.
"One of our group was." Rick answers. "He didn't make it."
"Why are you here? What do you want?" The man questions walking closer to us.
"A chance." Rick answers.
"That's asking an awful lot these days." The man says.
"I know." Rick sighs. The man looks around at all of us carefully and questionably.
"You all submit to a blood test. That's the price of admission."
"We can do that." Rick nods. Shit! Needles, I hate needles.
"You got stuff to bring in, you do it now." The man says lowering his gun. "Once this door closes, it stays closed." All the men run to the cars and bring our supplies, as Glenn and I watch for walkers. Once all our bags are in, T-Dog and Dale close the doors.
"Vi, seal the main entrance. Kill the power up here." Once the man says it, the steel doors lowers and blocks us from the outside and the lights go off.
"Rick Grimes." Rick says holding his hand out.
"Dr. Edwin Jenner." The man we now know as Dr. Jenner says shaking his hand. We follow him as he walks back down the hall he came from, an elevator waiting at the end. I more or less limp along, pain running through me every step as the adrenaline rush fades.
"You alright?" My daddy asks, placing a hand on my lower back causing me to wince. Swiftly, he crouches down and picks me up bridal style, carrying me as he follows the others. A scowl evident on my face from his actions as we're the last to step into the elevator. I don't know how it's possible, but all of us, and our supplies fit inside as Dr. Jenner closes the door.
"Doctors always go around packing heat like that?" My daddy says looking at Dr. Jenner's gun.
"There were plenty left lying around. I familiarized myself." He jokes. "But you look harmless enough." He says, looking around the elevator. "Except you." He adds, nodding towards Carl. "I'll have to keep my eye on you." He jokes making some of us smile a little. Once the awkward elevator ride is done we follow Dr. Jenner down a long hallway.
"Are we underground?" Carol asks, looking up the walls.
"Are you claustrophobic?" Dr. Jenner asks.
"A little..."
"Try not to think about it." Once we get to the end of the never ending hallway, we enter a huge room with no lights on.
"Vi, bring up the lights in the big room." And just like that there's power.
"Cool." I say. My daddy lightly places me onto of a desk to sit on as the others spread out in the small area.
"Welcome to zone 5." Dr. Jenner announces as we continue to walk.
"Where is everybody? The other doctors, the staff?" Rick asks the question we've all been wondering.
"I'm it... It's just me here." Jenner replies.
"What about the person you were speaking with? Vi?" Lori asks.
"Vi, say hello to our guests. Tell them welcome." Jenner says a loud.
"Hello, guests. Welcome." An automated voice says.
"I'm all that's left. I'm sorry..." He leads us into a classroom type thing where he sets up an area to do the blood tests. Great! If I faint, it'll be in front of everybody.
"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." Jenner explains. "Let me just at least be thorough... All done." He says fidgeting with the bottles he has there. As Andrea gets up, she loses her balance and almost fall, luckily Jacqui is there to help her keep steady.
"You okay?" He asks concerned.
"She hasn't eaten in days." Jacqui answers. "None of us have."
***
Jenner leads us to a dining room where we begin to cook and sever dinner. We're all sitting around a large round table, laughing and eating and drinking and having a good time. Not worrying about if we'll eat or where we'll sleep or if walkers might find us. We can finally relax and let our guards down.
Someone suggests giving me and Carl some wine, seeing as we're the only ones not drinking. Oh Lord. Dale pours a glass of wine for Lori, still trying to convince her.
"You know, in Italy, children have a little bit of wine with dinner. And in France."
"Well, when Carl is in Italy or France, he can have some then."
"What's it gonna hurt? Come on." Rick asks. "Come on." Lori finally gives in and Dale hastily pours Carl and I glasses and hands it to us.
"There you are, young lads." Dale jokes. Carl and I look at each other before quickly gulping down the drink, instantly regretting it I spit it back in the cup.
"Ewwww! That tastes nasty" We both complain as everyone laughs.
"That's my boy." Rick and Lori say as my daddy just laughs at me.
"Well, just stick to sour pop there, bud." Shane says as I catch Glenn staring at a wine bottle in his hand.
"Not you, Glenn." Rick jokes.
"What?" Glenn laughs nervously, looking around to find everyone looking at him.
"Keep drinking, little man. I want to see how red your face can get." My daddy teases. Rick stands up and grabs his glass.
"It seems to me we haven't thanked our host properly." Everyone grabs their glass as T-Dog says.
"He is more than just our host."
"Hear hear!" Everyone says.
"Here's to you, doc." Rick says
"Booyah! Booyah!" My daddy says making me and the others laugh and join with him.
"Thank you." Dr. Jenner says.
"Booyah!" We yell.
"So when are you gonna tell us what the hell happened here, doc?" Shane says, and instantly the fun and happy mood, a mood we haven't felt in forever is ruined, like rain on the forth of July. "All the... the other doctors that were supposed to be figuring out what happened. Where are they?" He questions a little snobby.
"We're celebrating, Shane." Rick says as he sits down. "Don't need to do this now."
"Whoa, wait a second. This is why we're here, right?" Shane says sarcastically. "This was your move... supposed to find all the answers. Instead we... we found him. Found one man. Why?"
"Well, when things got bad, a lot of people just left." Jenner explains. "Went off to be with their families. And when things got worse, when the military cordon got overrun, the rest bolted."
"Every last one?" Shane questions.
"No, many couldn't face walking out the door. They opted out. There was a rash of suicides..." He says taking a drink before continuing. "That was a bad time."
"You didn't leave. Why?" Andrea asks.
"I just kept working. Hoping to do some good." After that the rooms falls awkwardly silent.
"Dude, you are such a buzzkill, man." Glenn says to Shane as we finish up dinner in silence.
After dinner, Jenner informs us that there are rooms for us to stay in as he leads us back towards the elevator.
"Most of the facility is powered down. Including housing, so you'll have to make do here. The couches are comfortable, but there are cots in storage if you like. There's a rec room down the hall that you kids might enjoy."
"Yes." I say under my breath, still being carried.
"Just don't plug in the video games, okay?" He says looking back at me, Carl and Sophia. "Or anything that draws power. The same applies... If you shower, go easy on the hot water."
"Hot water?" I repeat, excitedly.
"That's what the man said." T-Dog says.
We all choose our rooms; T-Dog, Glenn, Dale and my daddy, Shane's by himself, same as Andrea and Carol, Rick and Lori are together, leaving us kids together. Sophia leaves instantly, going to her momma's room, leaving the room for me and Carl to share ourselves.
"Carl do you mind if I take the first shower?" I ask as I put my stuff by my bed.
"Sure, I was gonna go down to the rec room. Call me when you're done?"
"Can do." I say as I limp into the washroom. I lock the door behind me before I strip down and step into the shower. "OH MY GOD!" I more or less scream as the hot water touches my skin. It's been what, 2-3 days since I had a hot shower at the station. I think as I start to wash my hair. I've been in here for about 20 minutes now, just singing, I think I should give Carl a chance to shower. I think as I turn the water off and step out, looking down at the bruise starting to form on my lower back, mentally cursing Shane for being so rough with me. I didn't even hear Carl come in as I step out of the washroom, clutching my towel to me as I turn around and scream.
"Jesus! Carl! You nearly scared me half to death!" I say hitting him with my pillow.
"Sorry!" He laughs. "I heard the water turn off, so I came back." He explains, still laughing.
"Well I'm done you can go now. Showers all yours." I motion to the door as he walks into the washroom. I walk to the room door and lock it, so no one else walks in on me changing. As I hear the water turn on I start singing again.
You are my fire
The one desire
Believe when I say
I want it that way
But we are two worlds apart
Can't reach to your heart
When you say
That I want it that way
Tell me why
Ain't nothin' but a heartache
Tell me why
Ain't nothin' but a mistake
Tell me why
I never wanna hear you say
I want it that way
"You have a nice voice." I hear Carl call through the washroom door. I feel my checks turning red from his compliment.
"Thanks." I say as I pull my shirt over my head. The washroom door opens and Carl steps out with his towel wrapped around his waist.
"I'm gonna do my hair." I tell him as I walk passed him and back into the washroom. As I close the door I hear Carl talking to himself.
"Stupid, you shouldn't of said anything! Should of let her finish the song, she has a great voice." He sighs as he starts getting dressed. I giggle as I walk to the mirror and put my hair in a simple braid.
"Carl? You done in there?" I ask as I open the door a crack.
"Yeah, you can come out." He says. I open the door and he's sitting on his bed.
"Wanna play a game?"
"Sure!" I answer. We walkdown to the rec room and play endless rounds of foosball.
Carl's P.O.V
Kathrine and I have been playing foosball for at least an hour now.
"Goal!" She yells as she limping around the table.
"Ha ha, keep showing off. One of these games I'm gonna beat you." I tease.
"That day will come when pigs fly." She laughs at me. Carol and Sophia are reading books at the other end of the room.
"Keep dreaming Carl." Carol joins in, as her, Sophia and Kathrine all laugh. My mom walks in and see us playing.
"Carol." She smiles and walks over to them. "Any good books?" My mom asks.
"Enough to keep us busy for years." Carol answers.
"All right. Come on, kids, it's bedtime." We all get up and put whatever stuff we touched away. "Baby, go say your prayers." Carol tells Sophia.
"I'm gonna browse a bit." My mom tells Carol as we leave the room.
"Come on. This is the first night we might actually get some real sleep. It's a miracle, isn't it?" Carol adds.
"Today's been eventful, hasn't it?" Kathrine asks me when we reach out room.
"Yep!" I say as I turn the light off.
"Umm, Carl do you-do you think you can keep that on for a second?"
"Sure." I say as I flick the light back on. She goes over to her backpack and pulls out a set of candles and lights them, one by her bed and one in the washroom.
"What are those for?" I ask switching the light off again.
"Promise you won't tell?" She asks holding out her pinky. "Or laugh?"
"Promise." I say shaking her pinky with mine. She takes a deep breath before answering,
"Okay so, I'm... I'm scared of the dark." She says looking at the floor and fidgeting with her fingers. I walk over to her and place my hands on her shoulders.
"I don't blame you." I say calmly, "I mean look at the world we're living in, nothing but darkness. You have to find your own light." She looks up from the floor and into my eyes; I look into hers, her big, brown, beautiful eyes that look a different shade in this light.
"Will you sleep with me again?" She asks looking down. "Even with the candles, it too dark for me, and I-I'll just feel better with someone or something beside me..."
"Sure." I say as she climbs onto her bed and under the cover as I do the same.
"Goodnight." She says nudging up against me.
"Goodnight." I say as I close my eyes and drift off to sleep.
Ahhhhhh! ONLY THREE MORE CHAPTERS LEFT IN THE SEASON!!
Please vote and leave comments below!
You guys are amazing! <3 <3 <3 <3