His Softspot

The Countdown

~Willow's POV~
I woke up with the sudden urge to vomit. Running to the bathroom i ripped the door open, releasing my stomach contents into the toilet.

Wiping my mouth, walking out of the bathroom, i noticed Daryl wasn't there. I figured he was already upstairs. As i opened the door to go to the elevator, i saw Daryl not that far away.

Racing after him, i caught up before the door closed. He acted like he had a hangover.

"Daryl. Do you remember our conversation last night"? I was kind of hoping for a no, to actually give him news he'll understand.

"Is it wrong if i say no"? I just smiled and laughed.

Slowly leaning in i whispered in his ear, "No, because now i get to tell you for real. I'm pregnant".

A huge grin grew on Daryl's face that i've never seen. He picked me up twirling in circles, the same way he did last night. But this time, it felt more sincere. When the elevator door opened, we noticed T-dog, Lori, and Carl standing around, so Daryl put me down.

Before exiting the elevator, we decided we would wait until everyone else got here to tell them. Walking into the room, the smell of eggs and bacon caught my attention. I was actually surprised that it was T-Dog that was cooking.

Speed walking up to T-Dog, i quickly grabbed a plate and smiled at him. He put two eggs on my plate, and afew pieces of bacon. Sitting next to Lori i gave her a half smile. I looked down at Carl, when he looked away, i messed up his hair, i laughed when he tried his best to fix it.

Rick came in the room, almost as hungover as Daryl.

"Mom said you would have a hangover". Carl looked at his dad waiting for a response.

Rick shook his head in defeat, "Mom was right". He replied with a chuckle. "Always am". Lori said with a slight smirk.

I just know i'm going to be that kind of mom. Eventually, Shane woke up, and walked in the room. The first thing i noticed, was two scratch marks on the left side of his neck. T questioned him, his response being he must've done it in his sleep.

"Never seen ya do that before", Rick had a confused look on his face. Shane looked straight at Lori, and i knew she did it. "Me neither". Shane replied.

I just knew, that when Rick wasn't in the picture, Shane and Lori were a thing. Slowly, everyone started to wake up and talk to everyone. Jenner was the last to wake up. When he got up, me and Daryl were ready to tell everyone, but Dale beat us to it.

"Doc, i don't mean to slam you with questions first thing-" he was cut off by Jenner, "But you will anyway".

"We didn't come here for the eggs", Andrea said from behind me.

Jenner led all of is to the room we had dinner in. "Give me playback of TS-19". The screen pulled up a skeleton with information that i didn't know anything about.

"Few people ever got the chance to see this. Very few". I noticed Carl standing right next to Jenner. "Is that a brain"? He questioned.

"An extrordinary one. Not that it matters in the end. Take us in for EIV". We got zoomed in to the brain so we could actually see what was happening.

I noticed lights all through out the brain, apparently so did Shane, "What are those lights"? I was just waiting for Jenner to answer this with science.

"That's a person's life. Experiences, memories, it's everything. Somewhere in all that organic wiring, all those ripples of light, is you. The thing that makes you unique, and human". I still couldn't believe we might actually get answers.

"You don't make sense? Ever"? Daryl asked, clearly confused.

Jenner continued, "Those are sinapsis. Electrical impulses in the brain, that carries all the messages. They determine everything a person says, does, or thinks, from the moment of birth, to the moment of death". Standing there in shock, i couldn't believe what i was hearing.

"Death. That's what this is, a sigil"? Rick did have a point. "Yes. Or rather, a playback of the sigil". Nothing that Jenner was saying seemed to be adding up.

"This person died? Who"? Do be honest, i was wondering that too

"Test Subject 19. Someone who was bitten, infected, and voluntered to have us record the process. Vi, scan forward to the first event".

Black, it took over the wiring in the brain, i couldn't believe this was happening right in front of our eyes. "What is that"? Glenn asked, as confused as me.

We all stood there, waiting for an answer, "It, invades the brain like meningitis. The Ogreno Glands Hemridge. The brain goes into shutdown. Then the major organs, then death. Everything you ever were, or ever will be...gone". Everyone stood there, flabbergasted by what we just saw.

"Is that what happened to Jim". Sophia asked. Carol replied just by saying yes.

As i was staring at the screen, i heard someone begin to cry. Looking over, i saw Andrea with tears streaming down her face.

Lori looked to Andrea, then to Jenner, "She, lost somebody two days ago. Her sister".

Jenner looked at Andrea with knowing eyes, "I lost somebody too. I know how devastating it is. Scan to the second event".

The brain was completely black, nothing. "The resurrection times vary wildly, we have reports of it happening in as little as three minutes. The longest we heard of, eight hours. In the case of this patient, two hours, one minute, seven seconds". As Jenner finished, flecks of red lights could be seen at the bottom of the brain.

"It restarts the brain"? I didn't know who that question came from, and at this point i didn't really care.

"No, just the brain stem. Basically, it gets them up and moving". Jenner uttered. "But they're not alive"? Rick inquired. Jenner's reply didn't make me feel much better he simply said, "You tell me".

"It's nothin' like before. Most of that brain is dark". Rick replied.

"Dark, lifeless, dead. The frontal lobes, the neocortex, the human part, that doesn't come back, the you part. Just a shell, driven by mindless instincts".

A white flash appeared on the screen, followed by a rip in the patients head. "God, what was that"? Carol asked what we were all thinking.

Andrea suddenly became very angry, "He shot his patient in the head. Didn't you"? He didn't reply, just told Vi to power down the main screen and work stations.

"You have no idea what it is do you"? Jenner finally replied.

"It could be microbial, viral, parasitic, fungal". Somehow, all of those suggestions seemed plausible.

"Or the wrath of God". Also very plausible.

"Somebody must know something, somebody somewhere". That was the last thing i heard.

Andrea was the last voice i heard before zoning out. The whole room was a huge blur. Imagining walkers, with blood dripping, and flesh hanging off, caused me to throw up the bacon and eggs i had for breakfast.

"Man, i'm gonna get shit-faced drunk. Again", was what i heard, right before Carol and Lori came running up to me. I wanted to tell them at a good time, so i just told them i must have eaten a bit to much.

"Dr.Jenner, i know this has been taxing for you, and i hate to ask one more question, but, that clock, it's counting down, what happens at zero"? I followed Dale's gaze to a timer on the wall, with only one hour left.

"The, basement generators they, run out of fuel". That answer wasn't enough for any if us.

We all looked to Rick, "And then"!? Jenner just looked down and walked away without saying anything, "Vi? What happens when the power runs out"?

The response shocked us all, "When the power runs out, facility-wide decontamination will occur".

OH MY GOD!! We're all going to die.
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A/N While writing this chapter, the whole time i just kept singing 'The Final Countdown' by Europe.