Finding a way to outrun the small horde of infected following them proved to be difficult, especially since they had to drag Wendell down the road with him as his wheelchair had been destroyed. All they could manage was strapping him to a chair on a sheet of cardboard as they pulled him along, but half of them were injured and it felt impossible.
The infected were only growing in size and Kamille didn't think they'd ever be able to lose them. Thankfully, Morgan had spotted a sign leading to a hospital, where they were able to hole up and check everyone's injuries.
After blocking the front doors with furniture and random stuff, June and Kamille took a look at everyone's injuries before Kamille went to have a look around and find any supplies. Being weaponless (save for Oliver's pocket knife which was barely a weapon against infected) was really throwing her off and she felt a million times better when she came across a broken metal table leg. She was able to sharpen the end a little, just in case she'd need it.
After finding a new weapon and any extra supplies to store in June's backpack (since hers had blown up in the truck), Kamille waited in a lab of sorts with the others. Everybody was sprawled about, trying their best not to listen to the sound of snarling outside as they caught their breath.
"Hey."
Kamille looked up and saw Luciana approaching her hesitantly. The latter had suffered a mild concussion from earlier, but she seemed to be feeling a little better judging from the fact that she was no longer spinning as she walked.
"Hey," Kamille said awkwardly, still uncertain how to act around her. When Luciana said nothing, she added, "Are you, er, feeling any better?"
Luciana forced a small smile as she took a seat on one of the stools before her. "Yeah... I'm just worried about Alicia and Strand."
Kamille pressed her lips together, breathing out through her nose.
"Alicia was supposed to meet us," Luciana continued. "How will she know where we are?"
Kamille closed her eyes, trying not to start an argument. "You mean you."
"Pardon?"
She opened her eyes, expression void of emotion. "You mean, how will she know where you are. She's coming back for you and Strand."
Luciana frowned. "She's coming back for all of us, Kamille. Including you."
Kamille refrained from rolling her eyes.
"Are you really going to sit here and tell me you're not worried about her? About any of them?"
Kamille scoffed. "I'm not an arsehole, Luciana. Of course I–" She breathed out to calm herself down, before continuing. "Of course I'm worried. I would never wish for them to be harmed. But once I know that they are safe, then that's it. Things haven't changed."
"Even if they apologise," Luciana asked, though it came out as a statement.
"The damage has already been done," Kamille said simply, standing up. "I heard you out. That's more than I think you deserve."
"Kamille–"
"They'll be okay," Kamille finished, feeling like she should still make an attempt to reassure her. Reassure herself. "We'll get out of here soon and we'll find them. Both of them. I promise I won't stop until I know they're safe. But after that..."
"You don't want anything to do with us," Luciana finished for her, eyes softened with sadness.
Kamille avoided looking at her, barely nodding. "We'll find them," she said one more time, before walking away.
She meant what she said, about not stopping until she knew Alicia and Strand were safe. Her subconscious wouldn't let her live peacefully knowing she didn't make sure they were okay first. But after that, she couldn't stay with them. She was still angry at them, hurt by their actions, by Alicia's actions. She hated them.
"We need to get out of here," Morgan said, running into the room with June in tow and grabbing everyone's attention. "Walkers are closin' in."
"The ambulance bay," Luciana suggested.
Morgan pondered it before nodding. "Okay," he said, about to lead the way, but Al stopped him.
"We just came from there," she said regretfully. "We're not getting out that way."
Morgan sighed, thinking to himself, but Jim broke the silence as he banged his hand on the table top with anger.
"You said we'd be safe!" he shouted to Morgan suddenly, taking everyone by surprise. "T-t-that this was the right choice! That you knew!"
"Gonna have to ask you to shut your damn flap hole," Sarah said to Jim harshly.
"No, no," Jim refused, before pointing to Morgan. "This guy got us into this. He had the answer. Had it for all of us. Well, what now, shot-caller?! Because we are all in with you and you need to get us out of this!"
Kamille pursed her lips as she stared to Morgan for an answer, alongside everyone else. As much as Jim was being overdramatic, he was right. Morgan was the one who brought them there and he was the one who insisted they leave the boxes. The creepy woman was after him and it was because of him they were stuck. He had to have a plan.
"Up," Morgan finally spoke, before nodding confidently. "We go up."
To Kamille's relief, there was no more arguing as everyone worked together to move upstairs, away from the infected that had broken through the front doors. It was difficult since they had to help pull Wendell up with them, but after finding a floor that wasn't full of infected, Morgan led them into a corridor for a breather. They were lucky enough to find Wendell a wheelchair, too.
The eight of them worked quickly to block the doors before taking a moment to catch their breath.
"What now?" Jim asked bitterly.
"We need to make sure all the other stairwells are secure," Morgan said, ignoring Jim's attitude, before looking to the others. "Sarah, Al, you mind checking the east? Jim an' I'll check the west. The rest stay here and watch the barricade."
Once everyone was in agreement, they parted ways and Kamille found herself holding the barricade with June, seeing the group of infected through the glass panel between them. They were disgusting, trying to shove through each other to get to the front and rattling the doors every few seconds.
"We can't use the east stairs," Al's voice came through the radio moments later. "They were dumping the dead in there, up until whoever was left ended up dead, too."
Kamille exchanged nervous looks with the others before continuing to push the barricade closer to the door. The infected were pressing harder and harder against it, slowly moving the furniture backwards.
"Morgan," Luciana radioed back, noticing Kamille and June's struggle. "It's the barricade, it's not gonna hold." She waited a moment, and when she didn't hear a response, she tried again, "Morgan!" Still, no response. "Morgan!"
Finally, his voice came through. "The roof. We'll find a way down."
Wendell perked up, shaking his head as he pulled the radio towards him. "Woah, woah, woah, hell no! I can't climb!"
June seemed to realise something as she said, "No, Luciana, we're on the top floor." When Luciana held the radio closer to her, she said to Morgan, "Hospitals put the generators up high in case of flooding!"
Kamille struggled against the doors again, using all her strength to shove them close.
"I'm on it," Morgan answered through the radio.
"Sooner the bloody better, please!" Kamille called out, before shoving the doors close again.
The three of them struggled to keep the doors closed, but the infected were getting more and more restless as they pushed against them, making it more and more difficult to keep them at bay.
"We gotta move!" Wendell exclaimed after a few more minutes.
Kamille looked between June and Luciana, seeing the looks of agreement as they nodded.
"We're on the move!" Luciana said into her radio quickly.
"Now!" June said, before letting go and grabbing Wendell's wheelchair and pushing him along.
Kamille and Luciana followed after them, the four of them rushing down the hall and to the lift where they spotted Morgan and Jim.
"Al, how we lookin'?" Morgan radioed as he looked at the lift.
"Stand by, you should be up and running soon," Al radioed back as Jim impatiently slammed the buttons.
"We're about to have company," Luciana alerted everyone, looking at the group of infected that were trailing towards them down the hall.
Kamille readied her weapon, grip tightening around the metal as she glanced at the lift again.
"They're not gonna make it before the dead arrive," Wendell said worriedly.
"I'm here!" Sarah called, before running to them breathlessly. "Al's gone solo."
"Al, what's going on?" Morgan said in his radio. "What is Sarah talking about?"
"Doesn't make sense for both of us to get stuck in this broom closet," Al replied quickly.
Kamille cursed to herself at Al's stubbornness, but there was no time to get pissed at her just now.
"C'mon, c'mon!" Jim complained, slamming his hand on the lift button. "Why the hell isn't it on yet?"
"C'mon, tell me how it's lookin'," Morgan said to Al, looking at the lift nervously.
Kamille raised the metal bar in her hand, attention on the infected closing in on them. She didn't want to fight, but she had no choice. None of them did. She just hoped it wouldn't be their last stand.
After no response from Al, Morgan cursed to himself before standing beside them. "Get ready!"
They all stood side by side, reluctant to make a move as they watched the snarling bodies approaching them. Kamille said a prayer in her head, anything that could get them out of there.
Just when she thought they'd have to step forward, all the lights in the hallway turned on and the lift dinged behind them.
"I got it!" Jim shouted for everyone's attention.
"You did it?" Morgan asked, turning around.
"I opened it, come on! Quickly!" he said, stepping in the lift and holding the doors open.
Kamille hurried in along with everyone else, shoulders relaxing once the doors closed and the infected weren't in their faces. Her heart was racing and her cheeks were flushed, but she still felt a million times better than thirty seconds ago.
When they finally reached the roof, Morgan made sure it was clear before they all headed out.
Kamille was grateful for the fresh air, the stuffiness of the hospital making her feel like shit, but she grew worried at Al's silence. Sarah had tried radioing her, but she wasn't replying. Kamille refused to believe she was dead, the journalist being one of the strongest people she knew. She couldn't just be gone.
"Ah, shit...," Jim mumbled with annoyance, kicking a ladder that was attached to the edge of the roof.
"Fire escape out?" Wendell asked.
Jim sighed. "I don't think we'd wanna go down there if we could."
Wendell nodded to the small blood stain on his shirt. "Hey, what happened there, Jimbo?"
Jim only realised he was injured when Wendell mentioned it, and shrugged it off. "Went through a window. Killing one of the dead."
"You killed one of them?" Wendell asked, as if he didn't believe him.
"Yeah, why?"
"I should clean that," June said, already setting her backpack down. "Get any glass out before it gets infected."
Jim said nothing, but nodded reluctantly and rolled his shirt up, allowing June to inspect his injury. Judging by the way her face transformed between confusion to pity, Kamille and the others knew it couldn't be good news.
"Jim," she called quietly.
"What?" he said casually.
"You..." she began, but her eyes were glued to his injury and she was unable to finish.
He looked over his shoulder impatiently. "What?"
She met his eyes apologetically. "You didn't get cut by glass..."
He furrowed his eyebrows and looked down, before jumping away from her with surprise. His eyes widened before meeting hers desperately.
"Do something."
"There's..." She shook her head. "I'm sorry. There's nothing I can do."
Kamille pitied him as he seemed to come to realisation that this was it. She knew more than anyone that once you were bit, it was over. There was no cure, no way to fix it.
He shook his head in denial. "No... no, no, no, no, no... I have beer to make." He looked up to the others, repeating, "I have beer to make."
June offered a sad smile, resting a hand on his shoulder.
He barely met her eyes as he asked, "How long is this gonna take?"
"I don't know," she admitted. "Depends on... I don't know."
He nodded slowly before walking away, to the other side of the roof. Nobody followed after him, figuring he'd want to be alone, but the air was tense as he left.
–
She wasn't sure how much time had passed, but Kamille guessed it had been just over half an hour. Half an hour of sitting around, waiting for something, though probably nothing. They had no way off the roof, Al was still yet to answer her radio, and everybody was growing impatient.
To make matters more intolerable, Kamille couldn't stop playing with the zipper of her jacket, needing to look to something for comfort, something for a distraction. She was getting fed up, her mind racing constantly as she studied every corner of the roof, hoping to find a way off that she hadn't thought of yet. She couldn't just die up there.
"You look awfully cheery," Sarah said with surprise, and Kamille glanced up to see her talking to June who was approaching them all.
June tried to hide her smile as she looked between everyone. "We're getting off this roof. Same way we came up."
Jim scoffed suddenly, rolling his eyes before walking away from the group.
"Don't mind him," Wendell reassured June. "He's just pissed 'cause I wanna take him out when he turns."
June tried to dismiss her confusion as she nodded. "Okay... everyone arm up and get ready."
Kamille sighed to herself, relieved to finally be making a move, and stood up with her weapon in hand. The others did the same, going after Morgan to talk. June stopped Luciana and Kamille from going any further though, looking at them with a small smile.
"Alicia just radioed," she said instantly, before they could question her.
Kamille hated the the flutter in her chest at the mention of the Clark girl.
"She's okay?" Luciana asked hopefully, eyes brightening.
June nodded. "She is. She found John and Strand. They're all okay."
Luciana grinned alongside June as Kamille breathed out quietly, relieved that they were all safe.
"She's coming for us," June finished with a nod. "Once she's got them, she's coming."
Luciana smiled to herself, walking away and leaving June with Kamille.
"She asked about you," June said, making Kamille glance at her. "She's worried."
Kamille tried not to smile with bitterness. "I refuse to believe that, June."
"You should hear her out," June said, making Kamille roll her eyes. "It's been a month, Kamille."
"She tried to kill us all, June," Kamille reminded her mockingly.
June grimaced. "You can't stay mad forever."
Kamille clenched her jaw, crossing her arms as she looked to her feet to distract herself. June sighed before leaving her there, and Kamille found herself glancing up at the retreating blonde, trying to push her words from her mind.
She couldn't stay mad forever, but she could sure as hell try.
After gathering everyone together (except Jim, who refused to help anyone anymore), the group took the lift down with the intention of finding Al before finding a way out. They, slowly and cautiously, made their way to the generator, but there was no sign of Al. Only a note which she left behind.
"Hope you're alive," Sarah began reading it aloud. "Damn walkie died and I don't know if you did, so I'm gonna go for the freight elevator. If you read this and I'm dead in the hallway, find my goddamn tapes and keep them safe. Make copies, leave a stash somewhere if you can. If I make it, that's what I'm gonna do. And if you find that c-word," she paused, glancing at everyone, "settle her shit." When nobody said anything, she added, "She didn't use the c-word. She went for the full quesadilla."
Kamille sighed, rubbing her temples with her thumbs as she tried not to concern herself with Al's safety. Why did she have to be so risky?
"Hey, gennie got a little bit of juice left," Wendell pointed out, nodding to the generator beside him. "These elevators won't be running for long."
Morgan nodded. "We're gonna find that freight elevator."
Everybody waited around for a few minutes as Morgan went back into the hallway to check for the elevator. He returned quickly enough, getting everyone's attention.
"There's another way to the freight elevator," he explained suddenly. "The hall doubles back just before the collapsed ceiling. We should go. Come on."
Nobody wasted any time as they made a move to the door, but they began to notice Morgan holding back by the generator.
"Morgan," Luciana called. "What is it?"
Morgan faced them knowingly. "Outside is still surrounded. Even if you get down there, you're never gonna get away unless somebody distracts them."
Immediately, everyone began retorting, unwilling to let Morgan stay behind.
"I got you in here, so I've got to get you out," Morgan cut them all off quickly. "So, I'm ju–" He paused when the lights began to flicker, before continuing on again. "I just gotta do something, to draw them away from the front. That's it."
"We can figure something else out, you don't have to stay," June told him, stepping forward.
"I do," he replied simply. "I have to."
"Morgan, we can find another way," Kamille backed June up, shaking her head. "It doesn't have to be like this."
He nodded knowingly. "It does."
Kamille hadn't known Morgan long, but she knew him enough to know he was extremely stubborn and wouldn't budge no matter how much they tried.
"And you're gonna get out?" June asked him.
He stepped forward, avoiding her question as he said, "You gotta go."
Reluctantly, June stepped back and motioned for everyone to leave. Kamille spared Morgan a final glance, nodding his way for good luck, before making sure everyone got out.
The group headed to the bottom floor and went outside, weapons raised cautiously.
"Morgan, it's safe to talk now," John's voice came out from June's radio, making everyone stop suddenly. "That person you thought might be listenin' – she ain't now."
June seemed startled as she raised the radio to her lips. "John, is that you?"
"June?"
She smiled with relief and they all continued walking.
"Thank God you're okay," she said quietly.
He said something in response, but Kamille zoned out as she kept her eyes ahead for any infected. She felt a pang of jealousy, as much as she hated to admit it, at how happy June and John sounded. Whenever they were near each other, or even when they weren't actually... they loved each other a lot. And Kamille missed having that. Everyone she loved was gone.
"...stay in contact. The city's full of the dead and we can't miss each other again," June was finishing up as the five of them came to a halt before the fence.
"Yes, ma'am," John said before leaving.
Kamille cursed inwardly, watching as the horde of infected were pushing against each other, pressing against the fence hungrily. There was way too many of them, just as they'd feared.
Sarah sighed, glancing at everyone before saying into her radio, "Mo-Mo, we're gonna need that distraction..."
"Copy that," he responded quickly. "Here's what I need you to do. You get back inside, away from those things. I just need a minute."
Everyone followed his instructions and headed back inside, lingering at the doorway, invisible to the infected but close enough to keep an eye on them.
They didn't end up waiting for long as they soon heard a car alarm go off in the distance, and the infected were beginning to disperse, attracted to the noise.
"Come on, I don't know how long that's gonna last," Morgan said through the radio. "You need to get going!"
Hurriedly, the five of them left through the fence and followed Luciana as she led them to a nearby ambulance. They didn't have the distraction for long, so Kamille helped Sarah and Wendell into the back as Luciana took the driver's seat. June was lingering, trying to convince Morgan to follow, but Kamille knew he wouldn't be able to. He'd sacrificed himself for them and she would be forever grateful.
"We've got to go, June, c'mon!" Kamille said, heading out to grab her. The car alarm had stopped and the infected were beginning to take interest in them again.
"But–"
"We'll figure it out," Kamille promised her, eyes meeting her guilty ones, mirroring her own. "We'll find a way and we'll come back for him, but for now, we've got to get out of here."
June seemed to snap back into reality and nodded slowly, before jumping in the passenger's seat. Kamille jumped in the back, jointing Sarah and Wendell, before banging on the side of the ambulance.
"Go!" she shouted to Luciana up front, and suddenly, the ambulance sped forward, leaving a trail of hobbling infected behind them.
Kamille sank to the floor and breathed a sigh of relief, feeling her heart rate return to normal as they were out of danger. Still, she felt extremely guilty knowing Morgan was simply left on the roof with nobody but Jim for company.
"We're going back for him," Sarah said, as if reading Kamille's mind. She looked back at Luciana and June also, adding, "First we gotta get through this."
Nobody said anything else, still reeling from their escape, but they were in a mutual agreement. They'd go back for him. They just needed a plan to get him down.
Not long into their drive, Luciana and June seemed confused as they called for everyone's attention.
"What is it?" Wendell asked, trying to lean forward in his wheelchair.
"I think that's Al's truck..." June mumbled, before pulling out her radio. "John? You there?"
Seconds later, his voice came through. "June? What is it?"
"Slow down," June said to Luciana, who began to slow down in the middle of the road. June spoke into the radio, "You see an ambulance ahead of you?"
Kamille noticed it now, as the van came to a halt ahead of them, driving in the direction they had come from. They'd found them.
"Is that you?" John asked, as the truck slowed down. "June!"
Kamille squinted her eyes and saw Charlie and Alicia sat in the front seats with John and Strand leaning over them.
"It's them!" June said, before moving to get out. "Come on!"
Kamille felt a weight lift from her shoulders when she saw everyone was okay. She hadn't seen them in days. Circumstances had pulled them all so far apart that Kamille had doubted she'd ever see them again; she was glad that wasn't the case.
After helping Wendell out the back of the ambulance, Kamille, Wendell and Sarah joined the others by Al's truck, greeting each other after a long time.
"Kamille!" John called with a bright smile when he saw her. "There you are!"
Kamille couldn't help but smile as the Texan pulled her in for a hug, squeezing her gently. She returned the gesture, relieved he was unharmed.
"I knew you'd be okay," he said knowingly. "You're a strong one."
"It's good to see you safe and sound, John," Kamille returned, before guiltily adding, "I know Al and I promised you we would keep June safe, before the storm and–"
"You didn't know," John cut her off, before nodding his head. "I'm just glad we're all together now is all. Well, almost all."
"Right," Kamille said, glad he wasn't one to hold a grudge.
"...and this is Wendell," June was introducing the siblings to Alicia, Strand and Charlie.
As they greeted one another, Kamille felt her mouth go dry at the sight of Alicia and Strand, the two people she hadn't spoken to since they'd tried to kill her. She hadn't seen them since then either, and her heart ached when a certain pair of green eyes flickered over to hers.
"Kamille," Charlie said, and Kamille was grateful for the distraction. "I'm glad you're okay."
The Brit nodded, offering a small, tight smile. "You, too, Charlie."
"We're glad you're okay, too," Strand said, making Kamille flinch a little.
Forcing herself to look their way, Kamille saw the guilty expressions staring back at her. Strand tried to smile apologetically, but Kamille felt as awkward as she did when she was around Luciana. Alicia was staring with a slightly agape mouth, as if she wanted to say something. But nothing came out, and Kamille wasn't sure she wanted to hear anything. She'd be lying if she said she wasn't extremely relieved to see her unharmed though.
"We only got out because of Morgan," Luciana said, changing the subject, thankfully. "He stayed behind so we could escape. We need a way to get him down from the roof."
"We saw a fire truck on the way here," John remembered. "We could go back, see if it's got enough juice to get him."
"What about her?" Sarah asked, nodding to the woman in the back of the truck.
John, Strand, Alicia and Charlie had managed to find and capture the crazy woman who had been taunting them all over the radio, the one who was after Morgan.
"We keep her there until we get Morgan," Alicia said suddenly, as if finding her voice.
Kamille swallowed hard as she looked down to her shoes. She sounded different, she thought. She wasn't so full of anger and hatred anymore. She sounded like she used to, how Kamille had remembered her...
"Her fate is in his hands," Alicia continued. "Let's go and get him."
With that, the group headed into Al's van and did exactly that – they managed to get the fire truck and get to Morgan later that day. After getting him off the roof, they were able to escape thanks to Jim sacrificing himself and distracting the infected long enough for them to make a move.
Kamille found herself sandwiched between Charlie and June afterwards, as they all sat in the back of Al's truck, still missing Al. The woman they'd captured had escaped, but everyone dismissed her, knowing she was too injured to make it very far anyway.
The air was bittersweet, as Sarah and Wendell tried to find a name for Jim's beers, the recipe being the last thing he shared before he died.
"Jimbo's Beerbos!" Sarah exclaimed with finality, making everyone crack a smile.
It soon went quiet, as everyone tried to figure out what would happen next.
"So where are we going?" June asked the million dollar question.
"We need to get out of the city," Strand decided.
"There's not much out there," John said regretfully. "At least not what we've seen."
"The hurricane pretty much took out whatever hadn't already been taken out," Alicia shared quietly.
June sighed, before looking up. "Morgan?"
Morgan glanced around him, before breathing out. "I told Jim about Virginia the first time I met him, just like I told all of you, that that's where I was heading." He paused, thinking, before he continued. "Well, he's not gonna make it, but I think that we can. So, let's find Al and then I say we make our way there. Together."
Everyone seemed to like that idea, sending nods and smiles in Morgan's direction. Kamille, meanwhile, was glad they were still heading that way, but she couldn't help but feel uncomfortable knowing everyone was going now. The reason she wanted to go there in the first place was to start fresh, to get away from the people who made her heart ache whenever they were near. Now those same people were going with her and it all felt... pointless.
She wasn't so sure she could make it to Virginia without splitting from the group first. And when she glanced up subconsciously, the green eyes already staring back at her confirmed her thoughts.
She couldn't stay.
//
bit of a long one! and from here on out, it's kinda me free-styling the plot a little which I hope you'll like ☺️
it's so hard for me not to spam you guys with double updates every now and then because i wanna make sure i don't run out of things to post (as i can't write s6 without knowing what happens) 😂 lowkey might stop at s6 though because this will never end otherwise 😂
anyway, enough of my incoherent rambling lmao, hope you like this chapter and as always, thanks so much for reading, commenting and voting 🥰♥️