Once A Dixon, Always A Dixon (Daryl Dixon)

CDC: Safe Haven?

Setting: The CDC, Season One

All I could see was a bright white light. Was I dead? Is getting killed by a walker really that painless? No... it couldn't be. My eyes got used to the light and I saw the group besides me.

Okay, I wasn't dead.

I noticed is was holding onto Daryl's arm with a death grip. I let go sharply. A man in a lab uniform and holding an automatic gun walked towards us.

"Any of you infected?" He asked.

"One of us was. He didn't make it," Rick said.

"Where did you come from? What do you want?" The doctor asked.

"A chance," Rick said simply.

"That's asking an awful lot these days."

"I know."

"You all submit to a blood test. That's the price of admission," The doctor said.

"We can do that," Rick said.

---

We were tightly cramped in an elevator.

"Do doctors always go around packin' heat like that?" Daryl spoke up.

"There were plenty lying around, so I familiarized myself. You seem like a harmless bunch," The doctor said, then he looked at Carl, "Except for you. I'll have to keep my eye on you." Carl smiled and so did I.

"What's your name?" I asked.

"Dr. Edwin Jenner," He said. The elevator opened and we walked out. I noticed Carol seemed a little uncomfortable.

"Are we underground?" She asked.

"Yes. Are you claustrophobic?" Jenner asked.

"A little."

"Try not to think about it." We entered a large room. "VI, bring up the lights in the big room?" Jenner instructed. The lights came on, revealing tons of technology.

"Where is everyone? The doctors? The staff?" Rick asked.

"It's just me. Sorry if you were hoping otherwise," Jenner said simply.

"What about the person you were talking to? VI?"

"VI, say 'hello' to our guests. Tell them 'welcome'," Jenner instructed.

"Hello guests. Welcome," A robotic female voice boomed through the room.

"It's just me," Jenner said, almost sadly. He then prepared us for blood tests.

Andrea was the last to take hers. Jenner inserted the needle and extracted blood. "Why are you doing this?" Andrea asked. "If we were infected, we would all be running a fever."

"I've broken every rule in the book just by letting you in. Please, let me stand by one of them," Jenner stated. Andrea tried to get up but fell. Jacqui caught her.

"She hasn't eaten in days. None of us have." She said.

---

I've never been happier to see food in my life. Dale tried to persuade Lori to let Carl have some wine.

"Well, when Carl is in Italy or France, he can have some," Lori said.

"Oh come on, a little sip won't hurt," Rick implored. Lori finally gave in. Carl took a sip and grimaced.

"Eww! That's nasty!" He yelled. Everyone laughed.

"That's my boy," Lori said.

"Stick to soda pop, kid," Shane laughed. Glenn put his glass of wine down.

"Not you, little man! I wanna see how red your face can get!" Daryl taunted him. Glenn groaned and started drinking. I looked at my full glass. I'd never drunk before.

"No way!" Daryl yelled. Everyone turned to me. "What?" I asked.

"Your glass is still full! Have you never drunk before?" He asked.

"Honestly, I never had a reason to," I explained. Everyone started chanting at me to drink. I disobeyed my D.A.R.E teachings and gave into the peer pressure. Except I did it wrong.

I chugged the entire glass. That was not the way to go.

"Whoa! That is some good stuff!" I yelled.

"Good God, she's a crazy drunk," Shane laughed. Rick clinked his spoon on a glass.

"It seems we've forgotten to thank our host," He said.

"He's more than our host!" T-Dog yelled and held up his glass. Everyone did the same.

"BAZINGA!" I yelled my catchphrase.

"BOOYAH!" Daryl yelled. I laughed and fell over. "Damn, I am shit-faced drunk!"

"Jenner, what happened to the other doctors and staff?" Shane asked, killing the good mood.

"Shane, not now; we're celebrating!" Rick complained.

"Hey, you wanted to come here for answers! I think it's about time we got some!" Shane retorted.

"It was a mess. Everyone either ran or opted out. There was a rash of suicides. But I stayed. I was close to finding something," Jenner said grimly.

"Dude, you are such a buzzkill, man," Glenn said to Shane.

---

Jenner led us down a hallway. He turned and faced us.

"Temporary housing is down. There are some cots in the storage room. There's a rec room down the hall. The kids might like that. Just don't plug in the video games. Same goes for showers. Go easy on the hot water," He said and walked off.

Glenn turned and looked at us with excitement in his eyes. "Hot water??"

"That's what the man said!" T-Dog exclaimed. There was silence. Daryl and I looked at each other.

"ME FIRST!" We screamed at the same time and ran into the room next to us. I shoved him. "Outta my way, Dixon!" I ran into the bathroom and locked myself in.

"You're a little bitch!" He yelled from the other side of the door.

"I know!" I yelled back. I removed my clothes and through them in a pile. I turned the shower on and stepped in. The hot water relaxed my tense muscles. I hadn't felt this calm in a long time.

After about twenty minutes, I stepped out, wrapped in a towel. Daryl stood up. "Well, it's about time!" He seemed to not notice that I was half naked. He walked into the bathroom and closed the door. I took this time to get dressed. I put on some sweatpants and a black tank top. I climbed into the bed. 

Wait.

There was only one bed.

Was this good or bad? Like hell if I know!

Daryl's shower was much quicker. He came out wearing a towel. My hand started twitching. Don't ask.

"Turn around," He growled. I obeyed. I heard is towel flop to the floor. 

"Okay, I'm decent," He said. I turned back around. He was wearing black boxers.

"NO YOU AIN'T WHY YOU LYIN'?!" I yelled.

"Yep, your drunk." He climbed into the bed but kept his space. He mumbled in his sleep. It made me feel content. Soon, I was asleep. I had never felt so calm and at peace in my life.

A/N So Nico's drunk...