For You // R.G.

Chapter 8

I had my head resting on my hand as I rode in the back of the camper. I looked at Sena who was sleeping on the couch, then back at Jamie who was sitting across from the table.
"What's happening to him?" She asked
I didn't know what she was talking about at first, although I should've. We all packed our stuff and we're all heading to the CDC because of it.
"We are going to..." I then realized that I didn't even know what we were doing with Jim. Just then, we all stopped.
"What is going on?" I asked Dale and Glenn.
"I told you that radiator hose wouldn't last us." Dale muttered then got out. Glenn was stood up and looked at me
"I know as much as you do." He said. He then got out. I told Jamie to stay inside while I got out. I saw Rick and Shane carrying Jim out to the side of the road, then by the woods. I couldn't take my eyes off of them, I walked over to Andrea
"What's happening?" I asked
Jaqui rushed out of the camper and went over to them, crying.
"Is he turning?" I asked
Andrea shook her head, I looked at her. I realized that I hadn't even paid one cent to her since Amy died.
"How are you doing?" I asked. She gulped and nodded hesitantly, now looking me in the eye
"I'm... I'm okay." She said. I gave her a soft smile, I then felt someone's hand on my shoulder
"I'll take over." Dale said, I smiled and left them to talk. I was about to board on the camper when I saw Rick talking to Shane. I went over to them
"..it's too dark out to do it tonight, Rick." I hear when I walked up.
"What's going on..?" I asked a little uneasily. Rick looked away when I walked up to them, Shane looked at me
"Rick wants to go to the CDC tonight." Shane said, he sounded like a toddler telling on someone to the teacher. I looked at Rick who was still avoiding eye contact with me
"You can at least look at me." I say, I was tired of him avoiding contact with me. He then forcefully looked at me, his glare hurt me but I asked for it. Shane looked at both of us as if we were the most confusing things on earth. He then shook his head, dismissing it
"Whatever, max, back me up on this." Shane said
I bit on my lip, as much as I wanted to make Rick feel bad and decide against his decision, I felt like it was the right thing to do. I looked at Shane who was staring at me, his eyes said that he was counting on me to agree with him. Rick was looking in another direction, his pretty lips pursed, arms crossed. I chuckled
"I'm sorry, I think going to the CDC tonight is our best chance."
Shane scoffed, Rick looked back at us, especially me. I kept my eyes locked with his, he then looked away.
"It's on you two if anyone gets hurt or killed." Shane said, he scrubbed his head and left to get into his jeep, leaving Rick and I alone. Everyone else was saying their goodbyes to Jim, putting a little edge off the tension between us.
"Thanks for agreeing with me." He said, I looked at him. I furrowed my eyebrows
"I didn't say yes to agree with you, I said yes because I believe that's the best choice for the group." I walked away from him.
..
We were running on fumes by the time we reached the outskirts of Atlanta, the same area where we ran out of gas with Jamie and Sena.
"Well, this is it." Dale announced to everyone inside the camper. The sky was a dark orange, I knew that it was maybe an hour before the sky was completely dark.
We got out of the camper and the whole group got into a clump. Rick and Shane led. Sena, Jamie, and I were close behind along with Lori and Carl. The rest were in the back.
I still had the gun Shane gave me in my holster. I had my hand on it the whole time, my other was holding Jamie's hand. She squeezed it tightly.
"I'm scared." She was panicking, the way she was holding my arm gave it away. I looked at Sena who was trying to calm her down.
"What do you want?" I asked her
"A piggyback ride." She said. I looked away then picked her up. She wrapped her arms and legs around my body, sweat beaded down my forehead all the way there.
"There-"
We all saw the CDC building. A big structure with windows as the front. The whole place reeked of dead, every where you stepped, there was a dead body.
"Jamie, breathe into my hoodie." I say. She started to breathe into my hoodie. We all froze, not wanting to go a step further.
"Rick, no one's here." Shane said. Rick started to walk forward.
"Rick! Stop!" Lori called. I started to follow after a moment, even though I hated him I couldn't bare seeing him dead. Sena followed me and Shane did too.
Rick ran up to these big metal doors that were closed. He looked up at a camera mounted on the building.
"Hello? Anyone here? Please-we need help." Rick said. He tried to open the doors but they didn't budge. As the sky began to grow darker, everyone slowly began to panic. Rick grew more frantic, eventually walkers started to emerge.
"Shut up! Everyone!" I say. They all looked at me. Daryl then shot a few walkers that were making their way towards the group.
"Please-we're dying..." I hear Rick say. He was beginning to go insane. I was growing more and more concerned as time by and ricks cries for help grew more and more desperate. He was now banging on the doors, making the kids cry and Lori yell. I was about ready to bolt with Jamie and Sena when the doors of the CDC rose, as they did, a bright light casted upon the ground in front of us, we all froze.