Junebug • TWD

8. Drunks.

This doctor guy may not know how to hold a gun, but he ain't so bad. He says we gotta do a blood test, and then we can stay. Don't know what he needs our blood for, but I don't mind giving it to him. I've had my blood drawn before. I'm a little scared of it, to be honest. Thinking about it makes my heart beat fast, but I always do it without fighting because I'm tryna be brave. I hope Dr. Edward Jenner doesn't need too much blood. Just a little, I hope.

Anyway, he ushers us into this huge elevator. It doesn't seem so huge once we're inside with all our bags, though, because now it feels real small. I'm standing behind Sophia, in between Dad and Glenn, and I'm watching Dr. Jenner push the buttons on the elevator. I wish he'd do it like Buddy does it in the movie Elf. Then it'd look like the Empire State Building. Apparently. I've never actually seen the Empire State Building before. 

"Doctors always go around packin' heat like that?" Dad asks, eyeing the gun in Dr. Jenner's hand warily. 

"Well, there were plenty left lying around. I familiarized myself," Dr. Jenner explains, looking back at us. He pauses and looks over all of us, as if he's a robot scanning us for something. "But you look harmless enough. Except you," he looks down at Carl and puts on a joking smile. Carl's eyebrows raise, 'cause he wasn't expecting that. "I'll have to keep my eye on you," Dr. Jenner says. 

When we get to the floor that Dr. Jenner's taking us to, the elevator does a big bump and I lose my balance. I grab onto my dad's shirt for a second, and he kinda knocks my hand away. Don't think he likes me standing so close to his crossbow and gun. 

Glenn puts his hand on my shoulder, steadying me. "You ok?" he asks, chuckling a little bit. I nod, looking down at my shoes, 'cause now I'm a little embarrassed. 

We follow Dr. Jenner into a hallway with white walls and white lights. I start walking by Glenn's side, but Dad grabs my wrist and pulls me back to walk alongside him. He's probably still not trusting Dr. Jenner. Dad doesn't like doctors very much. 

"Are we underground?" Carol asks as we're walking. 

"Are you claustrophobic?" Dr. Jenner asks, glancing back at her. 

"A little," Carol says, shrugging. 

"Try not to think about it," Dr. Jenner tells her. That ain't much help. Whenever I'm trying not to think about something, I always end up thinking about it even more. 'Cause I'm so focused on not thinking about it that it's all I can think about. 

Dr. Jenner leads us into this big room that actually is called the Big Room. It's for some tables and chairs and a weird circle platform and a bright circle light. He tells us that this is Zone 5 and the girl he was talking to, Vi, is actually a robot and not a person. In fact, he is the only person left there. 

When Sophia's done getting her blood drawn, Carl goes. And then when Carl's done, I know it's my turn, 'cause I'm the only one left. All the adults went first. Me and the other kids were procrastinating, which means we were putting it off for as long as possible. But now I gotta go up there and let him poke that little needle into me. 

I'm standing by my dad's side and I look up at him, waiting for him to come with me to the chair, like Carol went with Sophia and Rick and Lori went with Carl. But Dad just nods his head forward and pushes on my back a little. "Go on," he says. Guess I gotta go on my own. 

With my hands held behind my back, I walk as slowly as possible to the big chair. I think Dr. Jenner can tell I'm nervous 'cause, when I sit down, he says, "I like your shirt."

"Thank you," I say, sitting down in the chair. He's talking 'bout my flower shirt. "It's a daisy," I tell him. 

"Bellis perennis," he says as he starts wiping my arm with his little wet wipes.