A Fresh Start

Chapter 25

I was once again having the dream I had back in the funeral home. This time, it didn't end with darkness. I saw everything and I saw why I had been screaming. I was seeing Hershel's end once again.

"No!" I shouted opening my eyes.

I was somewhere I did not recognize. The sun was casting bright light throughout the room I was in. My eyes had to adjust to it. I looked down noticing the hospital gown I was now in. What the hell was this? Where was I? I uncovered my body and looked at the cast that had been placed on my ankle. There was an IV needle inserted into my arm. I carefully pulled it out and got up. I slipped and fell onto the cold floor. I struggled to get back up with my body weak and sore. By the time I picked myself up, there were some footsteps quickly approaching. The door opened and a man in a doctor's uniform and a woman with a police officer's uniform walked in. I was leaning on the bed holding the IV needle like a knife. They held up their hands to try and relax me.

"Where...Where the hell am I?" I asked aggressively.

"Just calm down, miss. We're not going to hurt you," the Doctor said.

"Where the hell am I?" I asked again not putting the needle down.

"Put that down, now. You're in Grady Memorial in Atlanta. I'm Officer Dawn Lerner and this is Dr. Steven Edwards," the officer said.

"How'd I end up here?" I asked dropping the needle.

"Some of my officers found you on the side of the road passed out. Some rotters were lingering nearby. Had they not been out there, you wouldn't be here right now. So you owe us," Dawn said.

That was a straight up lie. Something hit me from behind and knocked me out. But I'd play her game. For the time being at least.

"What do you mean I owe you?" I asked her with an intense stare.

"We saved your life. The only thing we ask in return is to work to pay that debt off," she replied.

"Dawn hold up. Now, how are you feeling? Can you remember your name?" Dr. Edwards asked.

"Amelia. And I've been better," I replied.

"Well, your ankle will heal within a few days. May I ask how you sprained it?" he asked.

"I jumped out of a window. Landed on it wrong," I replied.

"Well, had you waited any longer, it may have not been so lucky. Good thing we had this cast brace with us. Walking shouldn't be as painful as it was without it," Dr. Edwards said.

I nodded and looked back at Lerner.

"What would I have to do to pay this debt that I owe you?" I asked her.

"Community service, I guess you could call it. The people who aren't officers, we call them wards. And they are assigned to the officers to keep them happy," she replied.

"So what? We are your slaves?" I asked suddenly regretting that officer or officers ever finding me.

"No. We have a system around here. You work off your debt and you are free to go," she replied.

"So you're saying this place is a prison then?" I continued sounding extremely irritated.

And by the looks Dawn was giving me, she was too.

"This is not a prison, Amelia. We are trying to rebuild the world here. Trying not to lose ourselves with how the way the world is now. We need people for that. You and the rest of the wards are doing your parts to keep us going. You'll be safe here. Here you'll get shelter, food and clothes. Doesn't that sound like a good deal?" she asked.

I knew she wanted me to say yes. To succumb to this place she had somehow declared her own. She wanted to play this out her way. Fine. I'd continue to play her game.

"Now that you say all that. It does sound like a good deal," I replied.

She smiled.

"Dr. Edwards and I will give you some time to change. I'll bring you some clothes right away. Just sit tight and I'll be back," Dawn said.

I nodded. I reached for my necklace that I quickly realized wasn't there.

"Officer Lerner?" I said before she left the room.

She turned and looked at me.

"Where is the necklace that I was wearing?" I asked her.

"All your things are safe in a storage room nearby," she replied.

"I need that necklace. It was my mom's. Please. It feels weird having it off," I said pleading with her.

She nodded.

"I'll have it when I bring you your clothes," she said.

"Thank you," I said.

She took off. I sat on the bed and looked around. I wasn't going to stay here. There was no way. I had people that I had to get back to. People I knew and loved. The people here are complete strangers to me. They had forced me in here. I know that there was no walker heading my way. Some asshole knocked me out. If liars inhabited this place, I didn't want any part of it. But at the same time, I was glad that my ankle would have the chance to heal properly. I reached up and touched the back of my head. There was a small bump that I knew was a result of whoever had hit me. I got up off the bed and went to the window. Atlanta looked like a ghost town from where I stood. The buildings deteriorated and burned down. The once beautiful city no longer to be seen. Dawn came back in with clothes that I was quick to notice were scrubs and my necklace on top. Happy to see that it hadn't been tampered with. I reached for it first.

"Thank you, Officer Lerner," I said slipping the necklace on.

"You're welcome. It's a beautiful necklace. Let me guess. The wedding bands belonged to your parents?" she asked.

I nodded.

"It's a nice way to remember them," she said.

"Yeah. Which is why I did it in the first place," I said.

"Sorry you lost them," she said.

"Thank you," I said.

She handed me the scrubs and I took them.

"I'll meet you outside that way we can discuss what your first job will be. I'll make sure you don't strain yourself too much because of your ankle," she said.

"All right," I replied.

She left me to change. I looked down at the blue scrubs that she had given me. Clothes. More like a prisoner's uniform.