The rest of the trip to the CDC hadn't gone as planned. Two roadblocks and a wrecked bridge set them back hours.
By the time they arrived, the sun was a fading smear of orange, slipping beneath the horizon. Dusk cast long shadows across the parking lot.
The CDC compound looked abandoned. Military vehicles littered the lot, some visibly burnt.
Bodies were strewn everywhere, soldiers and civilians alike. No movement. Just death.
Everyone got out fast. Rick led from the front, Joe took the rear, eyes scanning the edges, finger near the trigger.
The men moved methodically through the parking lot, stabbing or slashing every corpse in the head as they passed.
No chances. Not after what they'd been through. They grabbed what they could off the bofies. Two M16s, a Glock 22, a couple mags, and a single grenade. It wasn't much, but it was something.
When they reached the CDC entrance, they found it sealed. A massive steel shutter blocked the doors. The group stood frozen, hope bleeding from their faces.
Rick banged on the metal. "HELLO? We've got kids! People hurt!"
Nothing.
A low groan echoed from the darkness behind them. Then more. A small herd, maybe sixty strong, emerged from the tree line, drawn by the noise and the scent of life.
Joe raised an M16.
Ratatatatatatata...
Daryl followed. Then T-Dog and Glenn. Bullets ripped into the walkers, but they just kept coming, staggering over the bodies of the ones that fell.
The women and kids huddled behind the shooters, ducking low, eyes wide.
Joe shouted, "Rick! We can't hold this line much longer!"
Rick didn't respond... he was still staring at the shutter, fists clenched, disbelief hardening his jaw.
This was supposed to be salvation. A cure. A chance.
Then, a flicker.
A camera, mounted above the door, moved.
Joe saw it. So did Rick. So did half the group.
"The camera moved!" someone yelled. "They're watching us!"
"Hey! Open the damn door!"
Rick pounded on the shutter, screaming, "Let us in! There are kids here!"
The walkers pressed closer.
Joe stepped forward into the front line, firing with one hand, slashing with the other.
Bang! Slash! Bang! Stab! BAM!
A walker lunged. Joe kicked it square in the chest, sending it flying backward. Another came from the side. He took its head off in one clean swing.
"RICK!" he yelled again, "WE NEED TO MOVE!"
T-Dog grabbed Rick, dragging him away as he thrashed in frustration.
"You're killing us!" Rick shouted to the empty compound. "You're killing us!"
And then...
Light. Blindingly bright.
The shutter rose swiftly, metal grinding slowly, painfully, upward. Salvation.
Joe emptied his pistol until...
Click.
He shoved it into his waistband, grabbed his knife. Dual wielding machete and blade, he fought like a cornered animal.
Blood sprayed. Heads rolled. He slashed his way toward the door.
Amy ran back for him, grabbed his arm. "Joe! NOW!"
Together they backed through the opening, Joe swinging nonstop until they crossed the threshold. The last two in.
CLANG.
The steel door slammed shut behind them, sealing off the chaos.
Silence.
They stood in a stark, sterile atrium. It was wide, clean, quiet.
The sudden stillness made it worse somehow. People were shaking. Kids cried.
Even Daryl was breathing heavy.
Then...
A man appeared. Lab coat. Tired eyes. M4 rifle raised.
Joe didn't hesitate. He yanked the M16 from Glenn's back and aimed right at his head.
Two men. Two rifles. One second of pure tension.
No one dared to breathe.
Rick stepped between them, arms out, voice calm. "Easy."
The man in the lab coat didn't lower the rifle, but his expression shifted... less fear, more calculation.
"Anybody infected?" he asked bluntly.
"No," Rick replied.
The man scanned the group, eyes sharp despite the exhaustion clinging to his face.
"What are you doing here? What do you want?"
Mary stepped forward. Her voice was quiet, sincere. "We just want a safe place to stay."
The man exhaled, almost a laugh, almost a sigh. "That's asking for an awful lot these days."
Mary didn't answer. She didn't need to.
Rick said, "We know."
The man finally lowered the rifle, walking toward Rick. He extended a hand.
"Dr. Edwin Jenner."
Rick took it. "Rick Grimes."
Jenner nodded, voice still cautious. "You all submit to a blood test. That's the price of admission."
Rick looked back at the others. "We can do that."
Jenner gave a tired nod, then glanced toward a console behind the reception desk.
"Vi," he said. "Seal the entrance. Kill all power to the ground floor."
A mechanical hum started up. The steel doors groaned, locking into place with a heavy finality.
Joe's eyes narrowed. He didn't say anything, but the distrust was clear on his face. Andrea and Amy flanked him, silent and watchful.
Jenner turned, motioning for them to follow. They moved as one down a long hallway, descending two flights of stairs into a sterile examination room.
One by one, they sat for the blood test. Jenner worked with mechanical precision, labeling each vial without pause.
Joe stepped up, dropping into the chair with a faint grunt. He rolled up his sleeve and extended his arm.
"Is this really necessary?" he asked. "If someone was infected, they'd be showing signs by now."
Jenner didn't look up. "I already broke protocol by letting you in. Let me be thorough."
Joe didn't respond, but his skepticism hung in the air.
Daryl leaned against the wall, arms crossed. "Protocol, huh? Sorry, Doc… but this place don't exactly scream 'operational.'"
Several heads nodded in agreement. Jenner said nothing. Just kept drawing blood.
When it was done, he stopped the bleeding with gauze and led them down another corridor.
Sophia lagged behind, dragging her feet. Joe scooped her up without a word, cradling her against his chest.
The girl smiled faintly, head resting on his shoulder as her eyes drifted shut.
Jenner glanced back. "What's wrong with her?"
Carol answered, "We've been on the road all day. The kids are exhausted."
A few adults murmured in agreement. Jenner gave a small nod, seemingly satisfied.
They passed through a final doorway and stepped into a vast chamber. Banks of monitors, control panels, and a massive digital screen hanging from the ceiling like a scoreboard.
Jenner turned to face them. "Welcome to Zone 5."
As if on cue, the lights flared on behind him, casting the room in stark white.
Lori's voice rang out, panicked. "Where is everyone?"
A few groaned quietly. Still, the question hung in the air.
Jenner's tone was flat. "They're gone. All of them. It's just me now."
Amy, leaning into Joe, asked softly, "What about the person you talked to earlier?"
Jenner's expression twisted... almost a smirk.
"Vi," he said, glancing toward the ceiling. "Say hello to our guests."
A calm robotic voice echoed across the room. "Hello. Welcome."
Gasps and widened eyes followed. The surprise faded quickly, replaced by something heavier... disappointment. Weariness. Despair.
Joe didn't speak. Amy and Andrea were pressed to either side of him. Sophia slept against his chest, peaceful for the first time in days.
Jenner looked around the room, his voice softer now. "I'm sorry."
And for the first time since they arrived, no one had anything to say.
The silence broke with a small voice.
"I'm hungry," Carl muttered, clutching his stomach.
Dr. Jenner glanced over, catching the low rumble in the boy's gut. "I can help with that," he said, turning away and walking off without another word.
The group followed, shuffling down the sterile corridor. Joe lingered behind. His eyes flicked up to the massive screen above them.
18:43:24
The numbers ticked downward. A countdown. To what, he couldn't say. But his gut clenched in warning.
Before he could dwell, a pair of familiar arms tugged at him. Amy and Andrea, pulling him along as he carried the dozing Sophia.
They followed the group into a small cafeteria, dim but functional.
Carol nudged her daughter awake. Sophia groaned, rubbing her eyes but went with her mother to sit down, half-asleep.
Joe dropped into a seat beside Rick. Amy and Andrea took the seats on his right without hesitation.
Conversation sparked around the room. The teens mingled easily. Mary, clearly smitten with Glenn, was throwing glances his way.
Glenn, of course, was oblivious.
A few minutes later, Jenner returned with boxes of wine tucked under one arm. Some snacks in the other.
Joe snagged a bottle, filled cups for both girls, then poured his own... brimming.
He downed the first glass in one gulp. Then another. And another, before finally easing into a slower rhythm.
Joe saw the girl's not drinking and realized why. Both women rubbing their stomachs.
Amy and Andrea exchanged a relieved glance when he slowed down. However, it didnt last long. Joe downing both of their glasses as well.
The tension in Joe's shoulders melted as the alcohol kicked in. His eyes softened.
Glenn grinned. "We should keep him drunk."
The group laughed. Even Mary, a little too loud. She caught herself and quieted.
Before long, microwave trays hit the tables. Joe tore into the Salisbury steak first, barely tasting it.
Mashed potatoes and corn disappeared fast. He wasn't alone.
Everyone, even the kids, wolfed their meals like animals who hadn't seen real food in weeks.
Joe leaned back with a satisfied grunt. Amy leaned toward him. "Want the rest of mine?"
Joe nodded without hesitation. But before he could grab it, Andrea snatched the plate, piling on the rest of hers too.
Joe chuckled. "Trying to fatten me up?"
Andrea rolled her eyes. "Please. Like I don't love your washboard abs."
Amy nodded, completely serious. Jenner raised an eyebrow, clearly confused by the setup.
Rick leaned in, smirking. "Those two fought over him. Ended up deciding "sharing is caring.'"
Jenner froze, visibly thrown. Glenn clapped him on the shoulder. "I know, man. It's not fair."
Mary narrowed her eyes at Glenn. Then huffed, arms crossed.
The moment didn't last.
Daryl leaned forward, cutting the levity. "So, Doc… what happened here?"
Andrea echoed him. "Where is everyone?"
Jenner's face tightened. He let out a slow breath. "When the infection hit, we had hope. For weeks, people worked around the clock, trying to stop it. But hope fades. Eventually… some left to be with family. Others..." He glanced at the kids. "Opted out."
The adults understood. A silence fell over the room.
Then Joe laughed. Loud.
"Ha...hahaha!"
Everyone stared. Even Amy and Andrea looked at him like he'd cracked.
Joe, red in the face, finally stopped. "What?"
Amy asked, puzzled, "Why are you laughing?"
Joe pointed at Carl, who sat with a twisted expression and watering eyes. "Kid tried his dad's wine when nobody was looking."
Laughter broke the tension. Carl groaned. Rick sighed, rubbing his face.
It was exactly what they needed.
---
Dinner wound down. Jenner stood, gesturing down another hallway. "Sleeping quarters are down this way. The dorms were destroyed in a prior breach, but we've got some cots. Showers too... hot water, if you can believe it."
T-Dog practically shook in excitement. "Hot water? Yes, Lord!"
He sprinted down the hall, dropping Glenn, who mumbled something incoherent.
Everyone else followed, smiles returning to tired faces.
Joe lingered, arms crossed, watching Jenner.
"There's something you're not telling us," he said, voice low and sharp. "If it puts the group at risk, I'll deal with you. Personally."
He drew a slow line across his throat with one finger.
Jenner froze. Swallowed hard. Sweat broke on his brow.
Joe didn't wait for a reply. He bent down, picked Glenn up from where T-Dog had dropped him, and tossed him on a couch.
Before he could walk away, Amy and Andrea latched onto him again.
"No excuses, soldier," Andrea grinned. "You're showering."
"Yeah," Amy added, smirking. "You smell like expired roadkill."
With a sigh, Joe let them drag him off, one hand casually resting on each of their hips.
Behind them, Jenner stood alone in the cafeteria, still rattled.
And the countdown kept ticking.
18:17:09