𝑟𝑢𝑛٫ 𝑟𝑎𝑏𝑏𝑖𝑡٫ 𝑟𝑢𝑛; 𝑡𝑤𝑑

Chapter Eight ￫ -ˋˏ The Cure ˎˊ-

ʚїɞ

The sky was darkening, anxiety building in the pit of Luella's stomach as the group argued back and forth.

Rick had tried banging on the shutters, though they remained tightly shut. This action, however, alerted some nearby walkers.

Low, guttural groans filled the air as the dead began to shuffle towards them. Luella flinched at the sound, her small fingers curling into the fabric of her father's sleeve.

Mark barely acknowledged her, his focus on the growing horde.

"God damn waste of time," he muttered angrily, and Luella let go of his sleeve.

"We need to move!" Daryl snapped, already lifting his crossbow and firing a bolt through the skull of the nearest decaying body.

"We have nowhere to go," Lori argued, panic rising in her voice as she pulled Carl close.

Rick turned back to the building, staring up at the security camera, analysing it for a moment before his expression snapped to surprise.

"There's someone inside—I saw movement!"
He stepped forward, his voice desperate.
"Please, we just need help!"

A walker lunged. Shane fired his shotgun. The blast made Luella jump, her hands flying to cover her ears.

"Jesus," Mark murmured, pulling her behind him. "Rick, this is a death trap—"

Then, suddenly, a deep mechanical whir filled the air and the heavy metal shutters began to lift, spilling blinding light into the night.

For a second, nobody moved. Then—

"Go!" Rick shouted.

The group rushed inside. Luella stumbled over the threshold, her father's rough hand gripping her shoulder to keep her moving.

They were all out of breath as they flooded into the entrance of the building. The stark white room felt eerily empty, though at the far side stood a man in the doorway, a similarly bleak hallway behind him.

"Anyone infected?" he asked.

"Nobody's sick," Rick reassured him. "We had someone, but he..."

The man nodded before exhaling.
"Then welcome to the Center for Disease Control, I'm Dr Jenner."

His gaze swept over the group, lingering momentarily on Luella and the now fading green bruise beneath her eye.

"If you have any belongings left outside, I suggest you retrieve them now. Once those doors are closed, they stay that way," he continued.

Rick nodded. "Thank you."

Mark grumbled under his breath, but followed Rick, Daryl and Shane cautiously back outside to gather their supplies. Luella stayed put, her heart pounding nervously as her eyes remained fixed on Dr Jenner.

Something didn't feel right.

ʚїɞ

Luella sat on the examination table, legs dangling as Dr. Jenner rolled up her sleeve. The cold alcohol swab made her shiver, and she swallowed hard, watching as he tied a rubber band around her arm. Her heart pounded.