SARAH

Sarah had silently cried during the ride, exhaustion eventually overtaking her as she fell asleep. In her dreams, she was back with Nicki and their parents, gathered at their grandparents' house for Christmas. The warmth of her father's kiss on her forehead and her mother's tight embrace felt so vivid, so comforting. For a moment, it felt like they were truly there with her. Yet, deep down, even in the dream, Sarah sensed the truth: they were gone.

Suddenly, Daryl's abrupt movement jolted her awake. Disoriented, she blinked against the harsh reality, not surprised to find herself far from home.

"Are we not there yet?" she murmured, her voice thick with sleep.

Daryl didn't respond immediately. She could see the tension in his jaw as he focused on the road ahead. They hadn't reached their destination yet, and as they approached the first buildings, dread settled in her stomach.

Amid the familiar architecture of Atlanta, her eyes caught the first bodies scattered along the streets. There were so many. So many people had lost their lives.

She bit her lip, turning her gaze away from the road, remembering that night at the camp. It was the last night she had laughed with Amy, the last time she heard Andrea speak and Jacqui make jokes.

A shiver ran through her as she recalled the walkers closing in on her, the panic that surged when she had to defend herself with a shard of glass. It was the first time she had killed a walker, and she had gripped that makeshift weapon so tightly it had drawn blood. Sarah glanced down at her hand, the red rag still wrapped around her palm. The blood had stained the cloth, but now it seemed to have finally stopped.

"Thank you," she whispered, leaning her head against the cool glass of the window. I never told you back there... you saved my life that night." As she glanced toward Daryl, she caught him looking her way for a brief moment, chewing his bottom lip. He didn't respond, but she offered him a small smile before turning her gaze again to the rag around her hand.

It was almost sunset when the CDC finally came into view, its looming structure casting an eerie shadow over the surrounding area, where countless bodies lay strewn across the ground. The sight was overwhelming, a stark reminder of the world they were now trapped in.

"It's not like you have a weapon for me, do you?" Sarah asked Daryl, sharing a brief, uncertain glance with him.

"Don't wander 'round," he grunted, his eyes scanning the scene before he opened the car door.

As she stepped out, the stench of decay hit her like a wall, a noxious blend that twisted her stomach.

"Stay close to your sister, alright?" Sarah heard Shane's voice as he and Nicki got closer from the back of the group. Sarah saw her sister nod her head before she speeded up until she was next to the older girl. Sarah offered a small smile, trying to boost their spirits, and Nicki returned it, though it was fragile.

As they moved forward, Sarah observed Rick and Glenn leading the group, weapons at the ready. T-Dog and Dale flanked the left side, while Daryl strode slightly ahead on the right, his crossbow held firmly in his grasp. Shane hung back, keeping an eye on their surroundings.

With each step toward the CDC, the number of corpses increased. The stench was getting even worse, and the buzzing of the flies flying around made everything even creepier and more unsafe.

"It's a graveyard," Nicki murmured, looking around. Her face got a little pale. Sarah could feel her fear, and she felt it, too.

"Stay together," Rick instructed, trying to keep his tone low, while Shane echoed, "Keep moving."

When they arrived at the gate, she almost groaned in frustration when she noticed that it was closed and locked. She exchanged glances with Glenn, as T-Dog, Shane, and Rick tried to open the doors, but those gates didn't seem like ones that a strong man could open.

"There's nobody here," T-Dog said, his frustration clear. Those gates couldn't surely be opened just by humans, but that meant that there was a mechanical system. And that meant that it could be tampered with.

"Maybe there's a way to force them open," Sarah suggested, stepping closer to examine the mechanism. But before she could get too far, Daryl's hand shot out, grabbing her arm and yanking her back toward the group. Nicki instinctively steadied her, preventing her from stumbling.

"Told ya not to wander 'round!" Daryl growled.

"Maybe there's a way!" Sarah shot back, determined. "Let me take a look." Just then, Daryl's expression shifted, and he yelled, "Walkers!"

Sarah felt her heart race as she instinctively pulled Nicki behind her, shielding her from the approaching threat. The gasps of fear echoed in the air as Daryl stepped forward, raising his crossbow. With a steady hand, he fired an arrow that struck true, piercing a walker's skull and sending it crashing to the ground. But there were more coming. There was no way out behind their backs, and to get to the cars, they had to run past all the walkers, but there were too many people in their group without a weapon. They had to find a way to stay alive. They had to find a way to get to a safer place.

"You led us into a graveyard!" Daryl shouted, storming toward Rick, his anger palpable.

"He made a call," Dale interjected, trying to defuse the situation.

"It was the wrong damn call!" Daryl retorted, closing the distance to Rick before Shane stepped in, pushing him back with a firm forearm.

"Just shut up! You hear me? Shut up, shut up!" Shane yelled at Daryl's face.

"That's enough, both of you!" Sarah found herself saying, stepping between them. The tension crackled in the air as she looked from one man to the other, her heart pounding. "It's not time for arguing! What do we do?!" she demanded, surprising herself with the strength in her voice.

"Rick, this is a dead end," Shane said, frustration creeping into his voice as Rick continued to eye the gates.

"Where are we gonna go?" Carol asked, her voice trembling as she held Sophia tightly.

"Do you hear me? No blame," Shane urged again, trying to keep the group from spiraling further into panic.

"She's right," Lori interjected, glancing at Rick with desperation. We can't be here, this close to the city after dark." She was right. It was almost dark, and it was ten thousand times more dangerous than during the day. She felt Nicki grabbing her hand, squeezing it tightly as more walkers got closer.

"Fort Benning, Rick... still an option," Shane suggested, his voice rising in urgency.

"On what?" Andrea shot back, incredulous. "No food, no fuel. That's a hundred miles away."

"One hundred twenty-five. I checked the map," Glenn corrected her, panic lacing his words.

"Forget Fort Benning," Lori insisted, shaking her head. "We need answers tonight, now."

It was getting out of hand; the voices were rising in panic, and seeing those monsters getting closer didn't help.

"Well, think of something!" Rick exclaimed, frustration boiling over as he turned to Sarah, his eyes searching hers.

"You said we can force them open," he pressed, leaning closer.

Sarah's eyes widened. "Rick!" Shane barked.

"You said we can do it; how can we?" Rick insisted, keeping looking at the girl.

"I was just trying!" she replied, her voice rising in pitch as panic crept in.

"Sarah," Rick nearly pleaded.

"This is a building built by the government!" she exclaimed, her thoughts racing. "There is a way to open it? It's highly impossible and even more so with walkers coming at us!"

She was just trying; the CDC likely had the highest defense system in place. There was no way someone like her could figure out how to open it.

"Let's go!" Shane shouted, pulling Lori along as Glenn grabbed Nicki's hand.

"Com'on!" Daryl added, giving Sarah a light shove to get her moving. They were all starting to run when Rick yelled, "The camera! It moved!"

"You imagined it," Dale replied, but the urgency in Rick's voice had them all stopping in their tracks. Sarah squinted in the direction Rick was pointing, frowning.

"It moved," Rick insisted, his eyes wide with conviction.

"Rick, it is dead, man," Shane said, stepping closer to him. "It's an automated device. It's gears, okay?"

"It cannot move on its own," Sarah whispered before she could stop herself. Shane shot her a glare, annoyance etched across his face.

"They're just winding down," Shane pressed, trying to pull Rick away from the door. "Now come on!" But Rick broke free from Shane's grip and smashed his fist against the metal gate.

"Noise attracts them!" Nicki said as she positioned herself behind Glenn, back-to-back with Carl, who clung tightly to his mother.

"You need to let it go, Rick!" Lori shouted, her voice strained with urgency.

"I know you're in there. I know you can hear me!" Rick called out to the camera, ignoring her pleas as Shane tried to pull him away.

"Oh, my god," Sarah muttered as more walkers shambled closer, their groans echoing in the heavy air.

"Get back to the cars now!" Shane barked, panic creeping into his voice.

"Please, we're desperate!" Rick continued desperation lacing his words. "Please help us. We have women, children, no food, hardly any gas left!"

"Watch Carl!" Lori yelled to Nicki before racing to her husband, placing herself firmly between him and the gate, trying to push him away from the impending danger. "Rick, there's nobody here!"

Sarah glanced back at the walkers; they were closing in, their movements slow but relentless. If they didn't act now, they would be overrun. Shane lunged at Rick, grabbing him to pull him away from the gate.

"You're killing us!" Rick shouted, desperation etched in every line of his face.

"What do we do?" Sarah asked Daryl, who stood ready with his rifle, eyeing the advancing walkers.

Suddenly, a metallic noise pierced the air, drawing their attention to the gate as it creaked open. Sarah's eyes widened in disbelief. There really was someone in there.

Before she fully processed what was happening, she grabbed Nicki's arm and bolted toward the entrance. She was barely aware that Nicki had pulled Carl along by the back of his shirt, following right behind her.

"Come on," Glenn urged Jacqui, his voice steady despite the tension in the air. Shane turned to the back of the group.

"Daryl, cover the back," he ordered as Daryl moved backward, his rifle ready, eyes scanning for any threat.

"Hello?" Rick's voice echoed through the empty building. Outside, it was dark now, and the few lights didn't help to make that place welcoming. But they were behind four walls, so that could do.

Suddenly, the sharp click of a loaded weapon rang out, making them all jump. Instinctively, Sarah pushed Nicki and Carl behind her, positioning herself as a barrier between them and the unknown.

After a tense few moments, a figure stepped into the light, holding a rifle aimed at them.

"Anybody infected?" he demanded.

"One of our group was," Rick replied, his tone heavy with sorrow as he thought of Jim. "He didn't make it."

The man nodded slowly, absorbing the information. "Why are you here? What do you want?"

"A chance," Rick said simply, voicing the unspoken hope that hung in the air.

"That's asking an awful lot these days," the man replied, and Sarah's heart sank at the thought of being turned away. They couldn't go back out there; they needed a safe place.

"You all submit to a blood test," the man continued. Relief washed over Sarah as she caught Lori's eye, who exhaled a breath she didn't realize she was holding.

"We can do that," Rick assured.

The man instructed them to grab their remaining belongings from the cars before he locked the gates behind them. As Glenn, Shane, T-Dog, and Daryl dashed outside, Sarah watched anxiously, her heart racing as they skillfully navigated the walkers. She nervously tapped her thumb and index finger against her lips, her feet shifting with unease.

"What is it?" Carl asked, breaking her focus.

"What?" Nicki replied, her voice tinged with nerves.

"You're pale," he pointed out. "And you're stiffer than usual."

"Stiffer?" she echoed, glancing over at Sophia, who was hugging her doll tightly as she approached.

"Come on, what is it?" Carl pressed again.

Nicki scoffed, biting her lip in a mixture of frustration and embarrassment. "I'm afraid of needles," she admitted, her eyes squeezing shut.

Sarah couldn't suppress a laugh when she heard Carl snort, followed by Sophia's innocent giggle.

"Shut up," Nicki shot back, a blush creeping onto her cheeks. "Both of you!"

"Sorry, Nicki," Sophia said sweetly, her voice light. Carl chuckled again, clearly enjoying the moment.

"I said shut up!" Nicki whispered-yelled, though her tone was more playful than angry.

Watching her sister interact with Carl and Sophia, Sarah felt a small wave of warmth wash over her. That place was already helping their mood.

"They're back!" Andrea exclaimed as she opened the doors, allowing Glenn, Shane, T-Dog, and Daryl to rush inside. Sarah felt a wave of relief as Glenn approached her, and she hugged him quickly

"Vi, seal the main entrance," the man commanded, his voice firm. Sarah could hear the metallic clang of the doors locking behind them, a sound that made her feel a bit more secure. They were inside; they were truly safe now.

"You okay?" she asked Glenn, concern etched on her face. "All of you?"

"We're good," he replied with a nod. "Just glad we're inside. Oh..." He handed Sarah her bag, and she smiled gratefully.

"Daryl gave it to me," he added, gesturing toward the man who stood across the room, watching the stranger with a cautious gaze.

"Come on," Rick urged, breaking the moment as the unknown man began to lead them deeper into the facility. They followed him through a dimly lit corridor, the air thick with uncertainty.

When they reached the lift, the doors slid open with a soft whoosh. Sarah squeezed inside, her back against the cool metal wall, standing between Glenn and Daryl. In front of her, Nicki stood closely beside Sophia, who clung to her shirt, her wide eyes reflecting both fear and curiosity.

"Kill the power up here," the man, who they now knew was called Edwin Jenner, said. As the lift doors were closing, Sarah noticed the few lights in the corridor switch off.

The silence was palpable, and she could feel the tension rising among the group. Thankfully, Daryl broke it. "Doctors always go around packing heat like that?"

He made a fair good point, but since the apocalypse had begun, everyone has seen more weapons than before. Sarah had never seen a real gun in her life before all of that. The closest she had been next to a weapon was her sister's bow, but that was off-limits, too. Nicki had strickly forbade her from touching it.

"There were plenty left lying around. I familiarized myself," Jenner said, eyeing every single one of them.

"But you look harmless enough. Except you," he said, fixing his gaze on Carl, who smiled in response. "I'll have to keep my eye on you."

"Please do," Nicki shot back coolly, a hint of sarcasm in her tone. "I need a break."

Sarah playfully slapped her lightly behind the head, shooting an apologetic smile to Lori and Rick.

"I need a break from you too," Carl chimed in, returning Nicki's glare with a mock seriousness.

"Are we underground?" Carol asked, slightly concerned, as they made their way through the facility's corridors.

"Are you claustrophobic?" Jenner asked, glancing at Carol, who nodded slightly.

"A little," she admitted.

"Try not to think about it," he suggested. Sarah could relate. She had to admit that if she focused on being underground, she felt a bit uneasy, so she took a breath and kept following the group.

"Vi, bring up the lights in the big room," Jenner instructed. As they entered, Sarah's heart sank at the sight of the vast room filled with computers, yet it felt so empty without any other people.

"Welcome to zone 5," Jenner announced.

"Where is everybody?" Rick asked, scanning the space for any signs of life. "The other doctors, the staff?"

"I'm it. It's just me here," Jenner replied, and Sarah felt a chill run down her spine. This wasn't what they had hoped for.

"What about the person you were speaking with?" Lori asked, her voice tinged with hope. "Vi?"

Jenner looked at her before responding, "Vi, say hello to our guests. Tell them... welcome."

"Hello, guests. Welcome," a robotic voice echoed back, cold and impersonal.

It hit Sarah then—the realization that it had all been an illusion.

"I'm all that's left. I'm sorry," Jenner said, his voice heavy with sadness.

"At least we got walls around us," Glenn chimed in, trying to keep spirits up. Sarah glanced up at him, managing a small smile. It was true; those walls could offer them protection. They might not have found a cure, but for now, they had a safe space to gather, away from the walkers lurking outside.

Rick had been the first to submit to the blood test and one by one; the others followed suit. When it was Nicki's turn, Sarah could see how pale she had become, even after ten minutes. She had to sit down, sipping water to avoid fainting. Carol stayed by her side, gently rubbing her back and murmuring reassurances. Nicki had always been composed, but needles were her kryptonite.

"Feel better?" Carl chuckled, his tone more teasing than comforting.

"You better be out of my way when I feel better," Nicki shot back, her eyes still closed, but that made the boy only chuckle more.

"Are you hurt?" Jenner asked as he was taking some of Sarah's blood. Her gaze travelled to her wrapped up hand.

"It's not a bite," she said, afraid the doctor would get scared and turn them away. "It was a piece of glass," she explained as the man started to unwrap the red rag.

"We need to close it," Jenner said, reaching for a needle. "This might sting a bit."

"Are we really doing this?" Sarah asked, fighting the urge to pull her hand back. "At least offer me a drink first," she tried to joke.

Jenner took her hand to begin the procedure, and she winced as the needle pierced her skin.

"Nicki, where are you going?" Carol asked, noticing Nicki getting up unsteadily.

"My sister needs me," Nicki said, but when she caught sight of the needle, her face went even paler.

"Nope," she said, turning away. "Pretend I'm there. With the heart I am," She then sat back down, eyes still closed.

Sarah couldn't help but smile at her sister's antics, but every stitch brought a hiss of pain from her lips. She felt a hand rubbing her arm and turned to see Glenn smiling encouragingly at her.

At that moment, she noticed Daryl standing a few steps away, watching her intently. His expression was serious and focused. Looking around at her group, Sarah felt a swell of gratitude, realizing how safe she felt with all of them. She and her sister had been very lucky to find those people.

Once Jenner had done, her hand hurt so much she could barely move it. She sat silently as Andrea got up for her blood sample.

"What's the point?" asked Andrea at some point. "If we were infected, we'd all be running a fever."

"I've already broken every rule in the book letting you in here. Let me just at least be thorough," Jenner explained, pulling out the needle from Andrea's arm. "All done".

Andrea got up slowly, but she seemed ready to pass out. Jacqui was next to her immediately to prevent her from falling.

"Are you okay?" the doctor asked.

"She hasn't eaten in days," Jacqui explained. "None of us have"

Jenner had observed them before leading them to a dining room. They were in a kitchen, a real kitchen. Sarah had never been one to be into cooking, but she couldn't help but want to eat and make real baked food.

She didn't really remember how, but at some point, they were all around the table eating and drinking fresh water and wine. Sarah couldn't help but wanting some of it, after all of that she deserved a bit of wine.

"You know, in Italy, children have a little bit of wine with dinner," said Dale, pouring some wine into Lori's glass. "And in France," Sarah laughed as Lori put a hand over Carl's glass.

"Well, when Carl is in Italy or France, he can have some then," she said, making Rick laugh.

"What's it gonna hurt? Come on," the woman glared, amused at her husband. "Come on."

Carl looked at his mother with big, pleading blue eyes before Lori gave up smiling. The boy took his glass and sipped the red wine, the disgusted sound making all of them laugh loudly.

"That's my boy," said Lori.

"It tastes nasty!" Carl complained.

"Wanna try?" asked Rick, turning to Nicki.

"No, thank you," Sarah nodded at her sister's answer. "I prefer beer."

"You what?!" exclaimed Sarah, making Nicki laugh.

"Just kidding," they all laughed again, and Sarah glared at her sister, who kept laughing. It had been so long since she had seen her sister so radiant. She was so glad that she was feeling better.

"You both better keep to sour pop there," Shane said.

"Not you, Glenn." Daryl's voice made Sarah turn to the man.

"What?" asked Glenn, chuckling in confusion.

"Keep drinking, little man," Daryl said. "I wanna see how red yer face can get." They all laughed again, and Sarah turned to Glenn, rubbing his shoulder with one hand.

"It seems to me we haven't thanked our host properly," Rick said, turning to Jenner and making all of them do the same.

"He is more than just our host," exclaimed T-Dog, raising his glass.

"Here's to you, doc," said Daryl with the wine bottle in hand. "Booyah!"

"Booyah!" repeated Sarah, raising her glass with a big smile. It seemed like Christmas; it felt like family. It was so peaceful.

"So, when are you gonna tell us what the hell happened here, doc?" asked Shane suddenly with a serious tone. "All the...the other doctors that were supposed to be

figuring out what happened, where are they?"

"We are celebrating, Shane," Rick said.

"It can wait until tomorrow," Sarah suggested, trying to keep the mood up. The air was already getting tense, and that made her frown. It was the first time in so long that they could relax. She understood that they needed answers but now was not the right moment.

"Whoa, wait a second. This is why we're here, right?" Shane replied before looking directly at Rick "This was your move. Supposed to find all the answers. Instead, we... We found him" he said gesturing in a mocking way towards the doctor. Sarah couldn't help but roll her eyes.

"Found one man. Why?" Shane kept saying. Sarah frowned at his behavior. He was acting strange.

"Well, when things got bad," Jenner started to explain, "A lot of people just left. Went off to be with their families. And when things got worse, when the military cordon got overrun, the rest bolted."

"Every last one?" Shane said with a chuckle.

Sarah really couldn't understand what the hell was wrong with that man right now. For one night, one single night, after everything they have been through, couldn't they just relax and have fun?

"No, many couldn't face walking out the door," Jenner answered. "They... opted out. There was a rash of suicides. That was a bad time."

Sarah's eyes searched for Glenn, that seemed pissed as much as she was. He looked at her, shaking his head with no words.

"You didn't leave," said Andrea. "Why?"

"I just kept working. Hoping to do some good," said Jenner, making all of them go silent. Some looked at each other, while others looked down, trying to gather their thoughts.

"Dude, you are such a buzzkill, man," said Glenn, glaring at Shane, who just kept quiet, avoiding their gazes.

After the mood had been killed, they finished eating and started following the doctor to another side of the building. He told them that there were many rooms and that they could use them.

"The couches are comfortable, but there are cots in storage if you like," Jenner explained as they walked. "There's a rec room down the hall that your kids might enjoy. Just don't plug in the video games, okay?" he asked, making the children nod their heads.

"Or anything that draws power," he said, turning to the adults. "The same applies... If you shower, go easy on the hot water." At those words, her eyes grew wide, and a huge smile appeared on her face as she turned to the others, who had the same expression.

"Hot water?" asked Glenn in disbelief, making her chuckle.

"That's what the man said," said T-Dog, ready to run in one of the rooms.

"I run to the bathroom," said Glenn, looking at Sarah.

"Same here," she replied, feeling a wave of relief at the thought of some privacy. "See you later." As Nicki joined her side, Sarah caught sight of Daryl across the hall, eyeing one of the rooms with a wine bottle in hand. She looked at him for a moment, and then she noticed that she still had his rag.

Sarah assured her.

"Okay, see you in twenty minutes," Nicki said, disappearing into their room.

"Go easy on the hot water!" Sarah called after her, rolling her eyes playfully. Taking a deep breath, she made her way to Daryl.

"Daryl," she said, approaching him as he turned with a slight glare.

"What?" he replied, his tone more curt than she expected.

"I just..." she hesitated, biting her lip. "I'll wash the rag and give it back to you." She held up the cloth, feeling suddenly self-conscious.

He looked at the rag, then back at her, his blue eyes scrutinizing her. She had never noticed how crystal blue they were. They were striking, and she felt a strange flutter in her stomach. But Daryl suddenly scoffed, shaking his head, and stepped into the room, closing the door in her face.

Daryl had seemed so relaxed at dinner; she had never seen him that happy. Now, it felt like that mood had evaporated, just like it had for all of them.

Sighing, Sarah glanced back at the closed door before turning to walk toward her own room. She really needed a hot shower to clear her head and wash away the tension of the day.