Angel in the Apocalypse

12

"Daryl, you cover the back." Shane instructed.

"Hello?" Rick called out. "Hello?"

"Close those doors. Watch for walkers." Dale told the others.

I walked ahead with Rick and Shane, making sure that the area was safe. No one else seemed to be in the building.

"Hello?" Rick called out again.

The sound of a gun cocking interrupted the silence. We looked towards the sound and saw a man in a lab coat holding a gun.

"Anybody infected?" He asked us.

"One of our group was." Rick said. "He didn't make it."

Why did he say it then? It didn't matter.

"Why are you here? What do you want?" The man asked our leader.

"A chance." Rick answered.

"That's asking an awful lot these days." The man said.

"I know." Rick agreed.

The man looked at everyone in our group.

"You all submit to a blood test. That's the price of admission." The man concluded.

"We can do that." Rick agreed.

The man lowered his weapon from us.

"You got stuff to bring in, you do it now. Once this door closes, it stays closed." The man told us.

I was about to go outside to help with gathering our things when Rick stopped me.

"Can you stay here and keep an eye on him?" Rick asked as he glanced at the man. "He doesn't seem entirely stable."

I looked over to the man who, contrary to what Rick said, seemed quite stable on his feet. I nodded my head and stayed with most of the group. Some of the men ran outside to grab everyone's belongings. Once they were done, we all followed the man into a small room. The room beeped and began to shake.

'What kind of room is this?'

It's not a room; it's an elevator. It takes you up or down without you having to move.

'Humans and their complicated things.'

"VI, seal the main entrance. Kill the power up here." The man said to someone.

"Rick Grimes." Rick said and stuck his hand out to the man.

The man looked at Rick's hand then looked away.

"Dr. Edwin Jenner." The man said.

"Doctors always go around packing heat like that?" Daryl asked the doctor.

"There were plenty left lying around. I familiarized myself. But you look harmless enough." Jenner said and turned his attention to Carl. "Except you, I'll have my eye on you."

Carl smiled at the man but I narrowed my eyes at the threat.

It was a joke.

'Why would he joke about something like that?'

Jenner lightly chuckled at the boy. When he turned away from Carl, his smile disappeared from his face. The room... elevator came to a stop and opened up. Jenner led us down a hallway.

"Are we underground?" Carol asked the doctor.

"Are you claustrophobic?" He asked.

"A little." She admitted.

"Try not to think about it." Jenner offered as a solution.

We entered into a dim room.

"VI, bring up the lights in the big room." Jenner said.