Dead Or Alive, TWD¹ {UNDER MAJOR EDITING}

𝒙𝒙𝒊𝒙. self help

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            DAPHNE DIXON SAT ON THE BUS, READING HER BOOK AS THE BUS ROCKED BACK AND FORTH, LIKE SHE HAD BEEN GOING TO SCHOOL AGAIN.  Daphne sat behind Glenn and Maggie as they had shared a seat and Eugene sat behind her.

Maggie turned around and looked ahead to Eugene. "How long will it be?" She questioned. "After you get on that terminal and do what you have to do?" Daphne looked up and seen that she was looking at Eugene and it caused her to turn around.

"Depends on a number of factors including density of the infected around target sites worldwide." Eugene explained. Glenn turns now. "Wait, target sites? Are you talking about missiles?"

Eugene looks Glenn dead in the eyes and says: "That's classified." Glenn stares. "I thought we were over that."

"What if we all live?" Eugene questions. "Then, the secrets will still matter then?" Daphne butted in. "These are our lives now, no more secrets."

"They still might," Eugene told. "Anyway, the speed with which things normalize depend on a number of factors including worldwide weather patterns, which were modeled without the assumption that cars, planes, boats, and trains wouldn't be pouring hydrocarbons into the atmosphere this long. Changed the game quite a bit when it comes to air-transmissible pathogens." Eugene explains and Daphne just about blacks out after hearing the many words coming out of his mouth.

Glenn pauses and then says: "Why the hair?" Eugene looks at Glenn. "Because I like it," He looks ahead to Rosita. "And no one is takin' scissors or clipper to it anytime soon. Do you hear me, Miss Espinoza?" Rosita chuckles, "Yes, loud and clear." Everyone else chuckles.

Eugene looks around. "Y'all can laugh all you want." Maggie lays her head back. "No one was makin' fun." Eugene looks at everybody and Daphne goes back to her book, still chuckling.

"The smartest man I ever met happened to love my hair. My old boss, T. Brooks Ellis, the director of the Human Genome Project. He said my hair made me look like, and I quote, 'a fun guy',which I am. I just ain't Samson."

Suddenly, the bus had started to shake a bit and Daphne drops her book and looks around. "What happening?!" She questions asks and suddenly, the bus flips over with everybody in it.

Daphne groaned in pain and was thankful that her seat practically saved her life. "Eugene! Eugene!" Abraham calls. "Eugene, are you okay?" Rosita joins in the calling.

"The preacher... didn't see another way out." Daphne bears Eugene beside her in the other seat, groggily. "Daphne? Daphne, are you okay?" Maggie questions and Glenn finds Daphne from under the seat. "She's right here." Glenn says.

"Are you okay, Daph?" Glenn helps Daphne up as she holds onto her head. "Yeah, I'm okay." She groans. Maggie and Glenn look at the girl. "Daphne, honey, your head's bleeding." Maggie pointed.