faded scars | beth greene, alden

[ 06 ] you're killing us

[ season one , episode five ]

JJ is startled awake as she hears Jacque's panicked voice yell. Jacque runs to the front of the RV, alerting Dale and Glenn.

JJ decides to check on Jim, worried he was hurt.

She gets up from her seat and heads to the back of the RV to see the sick man. Jim is still in the same position he was when she last say him but he seemed to look worse. He was sweating more and his eyes seemed to be more sunken, he looked like a dead man walking—well sitting.

"Hi, Jim." The man looks to the teen as she speaks. "Do you want some water or something?"

JJ didn't know much about how to treat illnesses but she wanted to help in some way and water could never hurt.

The sick man ignores her question and instead faintly smiles at her. "You know— my daughter was about your age."

JJ doesn't know what to say to that so she just stays silent and let's the man continue. "She was always so scared, would stay by my side at all times." Jim looks down, taking a big breath in that was followed by a small wince. "She trusted me to protect her, I couldn't. She didn't make it."

"You will though, I can see it." He pauses, "You're strong— stronger than you think you are."

JJ never talked to Jim much and they didn't know each other very well so she didn't know if what he was saying was true. The man also seemed to be hallucinating so this could all be bullshit. Still she hoped it was true, she wants to be strong.

"I'm sorry about what happened to your family, I bet they were great people." JJ spoke to the man softly, genuinely meaning her words. She knew what it was like to miss your family.

"They were." Jim agreed and before anymore words could pass between the two Rick walked in. He nodded for her to leave, wanting to talk to Jim alone.

JJ gave the two men a hopeful smile before she left the small room.

After JJ left, Jim had told Rick that he wanted to be left behind. He didn't trust himself and didn't want to hurt any of the group. JJ admired his bravery.

That's why JJ was standing with Glenn watching as Shane and Rick carry the sick man to a nearby tree.

"Hey, another damn tree." Jim chuckles.

"Hey, Jim... I mean, you know it doesn't need to be this."

"No. It's good. The breeze feels nice." Shane nods to the man's words and backs up so people can say their goodbyes.

Jacqui goes up first she kisses him on the cheek and softly tells him, "Just close your eyes, sweetie. Don't fight."

More people say their goodbyes, some sharing parting words while others settled for a short look. JJ gives Jim a small smile which he tries to return before making her way to the RV with Glenn.

JJ was getting familiar with the concept of death but that never made losing people any easier. No matter how well or long you knew them, it still hurt.

.........

The group arrives outside the compound. JJ gets out of the RV following closely behind Glenn. She looks around caustically, there are bodies everywhere. Thousands of them dead on the ground, rotting away. She bats off the flies that surround her and continues to look around. Everything is dead, even the air feels wrong, tainted with death.

JJ doesn't have a good feeling about this, if this really was a refugee centre wouldn't they clean the place up a bit. The dead corpses might deter people away.

"All right, everybody. Keep moving. Stay quiet. Let's go. Stay together." Shane whispers to the group.

JJ covers her nose trying to guard herself from the horrible smell.

Eventually they reach the building which is locked and shuttered. Shane pounds on the door.

"There's nobody here." T-Dog announces to which Rick asks, "Then why are these shutters down?"

"Walkers!" Daryl yells, alerting the group. Glenn pushes JJ behind him and holds his gun up to the walker. JJ grips the back of Glenn's shirt hard in her hand.

Daryl shoots the walker in the head then turns to scream at Rick. "You led us into a graveyard!"

"He made a call." Dale defends Rick but Daryl doesn't stop his nagging. "It was the wrong damn call!"

JJ's heart starts to speed up from all the fighting, which was probably only drawing more walkers to them. She tries to block it all out and focus her breathing.

Shane tries to convince Rick to give up and head back.

"We can't be here, this close to the city after dark." Lori chips in, hugging her crying son to her.

"Fort Benning, Rick... Still an option." Shane tries to convince again.

"On what? No food, no fuel. That's 100 miles." Andrea agues.

"125. I checked the map." Glenn corrects her.

While Shane continues to get Rick to leave, something catches JJ's eye. She sees a security camera and watches as it moves. Her head tilts to the side and she is about to announce it until Rick does it for her, seemingly having seen the same thing.

"The camera, it moved." Rick announces.

"You imagined it." Dale says to the man but Rick sticks with his statement.

"I saw it too." JJ finally announces but is ignored as everyone speaks over her.

Rick slams on the shutters as Lori yells "Rick, there's nobody here!"

"I know you're in there. I know you can hear me." Shane tries to drag him away, with the help of Lori.

Everybody begins to yell out different things, JJ clings closer to Glenn lets a tear drop from her face out of fear.

"You're killing us! You're killing us! You're killing us!"

Glenn starts to walk away from the door pulling JJ with him when the door suddenly opens and they are drowned in light.

........