Changing To Adapt ➵ TWD

➵ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ ɴɪɴᴇ

"Daryl! Cover the back."

Lucas shifts into formation and squints through the blanket of darkness falling over them, focus darting from left to right to check their peripherals. He only knows he's inside when he's blinded by a glow of white.

"Close those doors."

Lucas sniffs the air and turns around.

A mix of cleanliness, and the death swarming from the group's dirty clothes and bloody weapons. A hint of hand sanitizer on the side.

Around the corner, a man emerges. "Anyone infected?"

Lucas ducks his head and digs his face into his elbow, holding a finger up against Carol's concern.

He sneezes.

The noise bounces off the walls and echoes in the expanse of emptiness. He tosses an apologetic glance to those he'd startled.

"One of our group was infected. He didn't make it." Rick admits, gun still raised. Waiting.

"Why are you here, and what do you want?"

"A chance,"

"That's asking an awful lot these days," Jenner's eyes wander over the faces new to the C.D.C, searching for something. It must have been. . . strange to see.

Slowly, he steps forward. "You all submit to a blood test. That's the price of admission."

Lucas gradually eases his white-knuckled grip on his switchblade, lowering it from his chest. If something did go down, his knife would do nothing against the gun on Jenner's shoulders.

"We can do that." Rick agrees, Sheriff's hat bopping with him.

Jenner lowers his weapon, looking resigned. "You got stuff to bring in, you do it now. Once the door closes, it stays closed."

The shutters roll down with a final clang when they get back.

Being inside is already a big bonus. Lucas can't quite believe his eyes. They're safe. They're alive. The light hurts his eyes, flares his headache, and the smell irritates his nose. But it does nothing to squash his excitement.

Several people file into one pristine elevator at once, the hand-saniter smell quickly overcome by a humid stench. Lucas tries especially hard to squeeze himself into the far corner, but Daryl claims it quickly.

"Doctors always go around packing heat like that?" Daryl asks, eyeing the weapon on Jenner's back.

Lucas closes his eyes, mentally thanking him for breaking the silence.

Jenner smiles, "There were plenty left lying around. I familiarized myself." He looks down at Carl. "But you look harmless enough."

Lucas huffs a quiet laugh. Jenner seems nice. Rocking on his feet, he mumbles, "I wish it was that easy."

Jenner's lip twitches.

"Are we underground?" Carol asks, throwing Lucas a side glance. A silent 'don't be rude'.

Jenner nods. "Claustrophobic?"

"A little bit."

"Try not to think about it." He advises.

Finally, the elevator doors open. Lucas bursts past the others and takes a breath of crisp air to clear his nose.

The walls, again, are a simple white, unbefallen to the bloodshed. He hasn't seen anything so clean in months.

"Vi, bring up the lights in the big room," Jenner orders.

The lights click on.

"Welcome to Zone 5."