warm shadow, ᴛʜᴇ ᴡᴀʟᴋɪɴɢ ᴅᴇᴀᴅ¹ [REWRITING]

005; revelations.

THE group entered the lobby for the centre for disease control. frankie had never seen such a big building. it was empty and completely silent, but she'd rather that than still be stuck outside. dale instructed somebody to close the doors as a blonde man with a shotgun appeared in a doorway.

    "anybody infected?" the man questioned.

    rick shook his head no, "one of our group was. he didn't make it."

    frankie thought it was unnecessary to tell him that, considering jim wasn't with them anymore. she had a feeling joel felt the same by how he cleared his throat awkwardly.

the man didn't seem to care much though, "why are you here? what do you want?"

"a chance," rick said simply.

"that's asking for an awful lot these days," the stranger pointed out to which rick said, "i know." he took a glance at everyone stood in the lobby and then dropped the shot gun down by his side.

"you all submit a blood test. that's the price of admission."

they got all their belongings and then the doors were shut when the man with the gun asked 'vi' to seal the doors and cut the power. it felt claustrophobic but in a good way, nothing was getting in or out of those doors.

once packed into an elevator and travelling down at a speed, rick outstretched his arm to the man who opened his doors to them, "rick grimes."

he didn't take his arm, instead looking away and responding, "dr edwin jenner."

daryl looked at the firearm jenner was holding, "doctors always go round packing heat like that?"

"there were plenty left lying around. i familiarised myself, but you look harmless enough," he looked around the group until his eyes settled on carl, "except you. i'll have to keep my eyes on you."

when the elevator came to a halt jenner led the way out down a ramp into a huge computer room. they were bathed in darkness until jenner called, "vi, bring up the lights in the main room." lights started clinking on, revealing rows upon rows of computers with empty chairs. there were doors off to other areas around the
circular shaped room and one big main screen covering a wall to the front.

"where is everybody? the doctors? the other staff?" joel questioned, voicing his worry about the lack of other humans except dr jenner.

"im it. it's just me here." he responded.

"what about the person you were speaking with? vi?" lori asked. frankie had a feeling jenner was going to get sick of their questioning pretty soon.

"vi, say hello to our guests. tell them...welcome," jenner spoke to the air again. a computerised voice droned back, "hello guests, welcome."

frankie was reminded strangely of plankton and his computer girlfriend karen from spongebob. a small laugh escaped her lips which served her funny looks from joel and lori and a stern 'be respectful' look from her father. her cheeks flushed pink and she hid behind joel, trying to stifle her giggles.

     "i'm all that's left, sorry."