Chapter 006

With my head resting on the back of the truck's worn leather seats, I allow my right hand to hang out of the window as I move it with the wind. Trees pass by in a blur, as we continue in the direction of the C.D.C, where we hope to help Jim. This morning he didn't seem too well, as he had looked deathly pale with sweat soaking through his clothes. He had groaned every time someone entered or left the RV, which had caused the huge vehicle to shake a bit - as he exclaimed his bones feel like glass. I can only imagine how much pain he is currently in as we drive over bumps and potholes that line the roads.

Hopefully, we can make it to the C.D.C soon, so we can ease the pain that Jim feels. I just hope that the researchers and doctors there have found a cure, and will give it to him. Allowing my hand to rest on the outside of the window, I tilt my head a bit as I look toward my best friend. His stormy blue eyes are glued on the road ahead of us, as he nervously chews at the dead skin around his thumbnail. He drums his thumb against the steering wheel impatiently, as he continues to lean against his door. We hadn't said a word to one another since we left the Quarry since we parted ways with Morales and his family.

Once we had torn down the campsite this morning, Shane and Rick had taken it upon themselves to give out orders. They told us the channel they'll be on and what we will do if we run out of gas and even asked us if we had anything else to add. Most of us remained silent before Morales and Miranda had stepped forward with their kids. They had said they had family somewhere else, claiming that it was better for them to be where their family is. Of course, it had been sad knowing that they were going to be with us anymore, and we wished them the best and prayed for them to be safe.

It was almost heart-shattering when I watched their kids, Eliza and Louis say their goodbyes to Sophia and Carl. They cried and hugged before Eliza gave Sophia her favorite doll - which was enough to make the young girl cry harder. The two children even camp up to me and gave me a hug, before they took turns petting Millie before saying their goodbyes. Miranda had even come up to me to say her goodbyes, thanking me for taking the time to even spend time with her babies. She even thanked me for allowing Eliza and Louis to play with Millie, to which I replied with a hug before signing goodbye.

After that, we all walked to our assigned vehicles and began to drive away from the Quarry, the RV taking the lead. That had been a few hours ago, as we are now mid-afternoon and halfway to our destination. Feeling a heaviness on my lap, I look away from Daryl and look down to see that Millie had rested her head on me - her blue eyes fluttering shut. A smile forms on my face at the sight, as I place my left hand on her head and begin petting her. It must be tiring for her to be cooped up in the truck, for she had gotten used to guiding me and playing with the kids back at the campground.

Letting out a tired breath, I lean my head back on the seat as I tilt my head a bit to look out of the window. I watch as the green leaves that are spread out on the trees morph together, as they seem to collide with the blue sky that hangs overhead - a few white clouds seemingly passing by. The beauty that nature holds has always amazed me and I always took the time to stare at it, but lately, it seems like I haven't had the time to do so. Between surviving, hunting, killing walkers, taking care of others, and having to search for Merle, I stopped caring about how beautiful earth really was. Spotting a group of birds flying in the cool breeze just outside, I couldn't help but smile at the sight as I realize there is more out there besides us and the dead.

There is more to this world than surviving every waking hour of the day. We still have time to breathe, the time to spend time with the friends that we make, and with the family that we still have for the time being. We are still able to build a relationship with someone and marry them, even if it isn't a traditional wedding. We can still create our own families if we wanted to. Yeah, it would be stressful - but if it is something you want, you will do anything to be able to have it.

Glancing over at Daryl as he continues to drive, I notice that he had finally stopped chewing at his dead skin. Although his eyes are on the road, I can tell that he is in deep thought about something - his attention elsewhere. His sandy brown hair lays messily on his head, covered in grease as we haven't really had the chance to properly clean ourselves. It had gotten a bit long over the last couple of months, as it now lays over his forehead in wisps. By the looks of it, his hair touches his eyebrows, and if not cut soon will be down to his shoulders.

My heart clenches as I continue to stare at him, taking in his worry line and feature that lines his face and body. A feeling of warmth and love crashes against my body happily, as I notice his stormy blue eyes flicker down to his steering wheel before he looks back up toward the road. He shifts a bit in his seat, as he brings his left arm back into the car before he leans back against the car - resting his finger against his chapped lips. There is nothing that I would classify as imperfect when I think of my best friend, nothing that I would classify as a flaw. In my eyes, Daryl Dixon is perfect.

Feeling the truck beginning to slow down, I force myself to look away from Daryl and toward the road ahead. Noticing smoke coming from the RV, I raise a brow in confusion before I look toward my best friend. He spares a glance toward me before shrugging his shoulders, as he opens his door and begins to step out. Feeling rather worried, I open the door on my side before I wake up Millie, who is quick to jump onto the pavement. Stepping out of the truck, I close the door as I begin to follow after Daryl who holds his crossbow over his shoulder.

As we all crowd around the RV, Dale steps out as he walks to the front to wake a look at the problem. Once he opens the front of the RV, more smoke pools out causing the older man to cough as he inhaled. Stepping forward, I watch as Dale takes a look inside once most of the smoke disappears. "What happened?" I question after I had tapped Dale's shoulder to get his attention. He looks back at his RV and seems to sigh before he looks at the rest of us.

"The radiator hose busted again," Dale announces in annoyance, as he wipes some sweat off his forehead. Folding my arms over my chest, I spare a look with the others before I look back at the older man. "I told you we'd never get far on that hose. I said I needed the one from the cub van." At the mention of the van, I shift uncomfortably knowing that Merle or some stranger had taken it. Surely if Merle had taken the van, he would have come back to camp - not to another location, forgetting about his little brother and myself. "Can you jury-rig it?" Rick asks as he places his hands on his hips.

"That's all it's been so far. It's more duck tape than a hose. And I'm out of duck tape." Dale answers truthfully, frustration lacing his features as he looks back toward his RV. I can feel the anxiety beginning to form in my chest and mind, as I begin to worry about the situation we are in. Suddenly Shane starts to walk over to us after he had taken binoculars to look up ahead. "I see something up ahead," Shane informs, as he allows the binoculars to hang around his neck. A sense of hope tugs at my heart, as we all continue to stand around the RV. "A gas station if we're lucky."

Out of the corner of my eyes, I see movement by the RV's door causing me to tilt my head in that direction. Jacqui stands on the last step of the RV, a look of worry and fear plastered on her face as she stares down at us. At the look on her face, my worries instantly shift to Jim and his well-being. "Y'all... Jim. I don't think he can take anymore." She proclaims before she rushes back into the RV to tend to the sick man. At her words, I can feel my heart sink in my chest as I spare a glance toward Glenn - who looks like he wants to cry.

"Hey, Rick, you want to hold down the fort?" Shane questions, as he looks toward the man he considers a best friend. He then picks up the gun that he had sat down against the RV. "I'll drive ahead, see what I can bring back." Rick only nods at the former officer's words, before he walks toward the RV's entrance. He probably wants to check in on Jim to see what Jacqui meant by her words. "Yeah, I'll come along and I'll back you up." T-Dog offers, which only causes Shane to nod toward the ebony man.

"Y'all keep your eyes open now. We'll be right back." The former officer orders, before he and T-Dog walk off toward his jeep. Turning on my heels as I rub my face tiredly, I wince as my hand rubs against the bruise that had formed on my cheek. Those men from Atlanta sure did know how to throw a punch, for they left a bruise and had cut my lip too. Limping toward the RV, I sit down on the stairs as I begin to pet Millie. Sweat has already begun to form on my forehead from the heat, but I am not too worried about that.

Keeping my eyes trained on the pavement beneath the stairs, I tense up as a hand is placed on my shoulder. Tilting my head upward, I squint my eyes as I stare at the person as the sun nearly blinds me. Nothing a baseball cap, messy dark brown hair, and soft brown eyes - I realize it is Glenn who had touched me. He smiles down at me, as I scoot over which causes him to sit down next to me. "We're friends, right?" He questions worriedly, causing me to raise a brow in his direction. "Like real friends? The ones that can tell each other anything?"

"I'd like to think so," I reply after a moment, once I had allowed myself to think. Of course, I considered Glenn as a friend, even a best friend even but I know that he would have to consider me one too. "After all we've been through together and all we've told each other, I would classify us as friends." Watching as the young Korean nods at my words, he looks away for a moment. I can see the sadness pooling in his brown eyes, as he seems to be deep in thought. "I'm tired of people dying," He finally admits, as he looks back up at me. "We lost Dorothea, John, Heather, and her boy. Even Amy, and now we're probably going to lose Jim."

"I'm tired of it too. But I have a feeling we're going to have to get used to it," I state after a moment, as I tried to think of the right words. But I have a real good feeling that this isn't going to be the last death we experience in this world. "You know, death. I don't think they're gonna be the last deaths we will have to see." Feeling the RV move a bit, I tilt my head back to see that Rick is walking toward us. Glenn and I stand up quickly, as we turn to look at the former sheriff. He looks grim and exhausted, but he knows that we cannot give up just yet. As he steps off the RV, he glances at the ground for a moment.

"Jim wants to be left here. It's what he says he wants." Rick informs after a moment, almost as if he didn't want to say these words. Feeling my heart drop to the pit of my stomach, I allow my arms to fall to my sides. A familiar hand touches my shoulder gently, causing me to look back to see that it had been Lori. She squeezes my shoulder in comfort, as she tries to smile softly at me. "And he's lucid?" Carol questions, as if she doesn't want to believe that Jim wants to be left to die.

"He seems to be. I would say yes." Rick answers truthfully, while he rolls his shoulders a bit. As Lori's hand leaves my shoulder, I reach back with my own before I wrap my hands around her wrist. This is one of the ways Lori and I comfort each other silently, as we both don't take death well. "Back in the camp, when I said Daryl might be right and you shut me down, you misunderstood," Dale states, as he leans against the RV. I can tell that Jim's decision is weighing down on his mind. "I would never go along with callously killing a man. I was just gonna suggest we ask Jim what he wants. And I think we have an answer."

"We just leave him here? We take off? Man, I'm not sure I could live with that." Shane says after I had realized that he and T-Dog finally came back from that building. There must have been nothing there for them to have come back as quick as they did. Clapping my hands together to gain everyone's attention, I watch as they one by one look toward me. "If this is what Jim wants, then we give him what he wants," I state, my eyes trained on the others before me. This isn't our decision to make, no matter how much we want to make the decision ourselves. "Jim probably wants to be with his wife and his kids again. We can't keep him here for our own selfish reasons. Not when he is suffering painfully."

"I agree with Kat," Lori informs as she steps forward, gaining all of our attention instantly. I had let go of her wrist when I had been signing to the others, which had allowed her to pull Carl closer to her. "It's not your call, either one of you." We all remain silent as Rick shares a look with Shane before the two of them walk into the RV. Knowing what they are about to do, I force myself to walk away from the RV and toward a nearby tree. Leaning against it, I let a tear escape my eye as I look toward the RV.

Rick and Shane emerge from the RV as they carefully carry Jim outside, his arms draped over their shoulders. Sweat covers each inch of his skin, soaking through his clothes easily. At the sight of how pale his skin is, I can feel myself wanting to break down at how deathly it looks. With each step that the two take as they nearly drag Jim along, I watch as he winches due to the movements. I can only imagine how painful it had been for him during the ride here.

Watching as the duo carefully lean Jim against a tree that isn't too far from where I stand, and not too far from the road - the sick man smiles for a moment. He is probably appreciating the act the two best friends had done for him. As Rick and Shane step back, I watch as Jacqui steps forward and kneels down while she fights back the tears. She had been the closest to Jim, the two having come with T-Dog according to the stories I heard. She spares him a few words before planting a kiss on his forehead, which she then forces herself to walk off.

Rick then steps forward and kneels down, before he tries to hand the dying man a gun. Even from here, I can tell that Jim declined the offer, which causes the former sheriff to put the gun away. Dale even spares the man a few words, as he looks rather sad that someone else is dying. Watching as Rick stands back up, after saying his goodbyes to Jim, he begins to walk over toward me. "He wants to say something to you." He says with a sad smile before he walks off to stand next to his wife and son.

Confusion washes over me as I force myself to look away from Rick before I start to walk toward the dying man. Once I reach him, I kneel down in front of him before I take his hand in my own. At the touch, I can feel how hot his skin really is as if he is running a high temperature - which he probably is. He smiles weakly at me as if he appreciates the fact that I even walked over. "I'm going to see them again. I wonder if they'll be happy to see me." Jim says almost happily before his body throws himself into a coughing fit.

"I'm sure they will be, Jim," I state slowly, so he can comprehend what I am saying to him. At my words, he smiles softly while recovering from his coughing fit. He then looks at me with so much seriousness, before he grabs my hand into his. "Don't let your disability hold you back, Katherine. You will survive, deaf or not," Jim encourages, as he tries to hold back a cough. He then glances behind me, causing me to follow his gaze to see Daryl before I look back at him. "And don't let him pass you by. You.... you love him, and by the way, he stares.... stares at you, I'm sure he loves you too."

Slowly nodding at his words, I allow them to sink to the back of my mind as I stand up. Forcing a smile to my face as he looks rather content, as another breeze passes by he sucks in a deep breath - looking defeated. Wanting to break down at the moment, I force the urge back as I look back toward Daryl. His stormy blue eyes watch me with wonder, as he seems to make sure I'm safe. "Till we meet again, Jim." I say after I look back toward the dying man, as a tear finally slides down my cheek once more.

"Till we meet again, Katherine."

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After we had said our goodbyes to Jim, we had scattered back to our assigned vehicles before driving off slowly. During that time, my eyes were trained on Jim's dying body as I watched him take his final breath. It was at that moment I allowed myself to finally cry, instead of holding back the emotions that threatened to spill over. Daryl had held me close as he drive, running his free hand through my brown locks to comfort me. I had buried my head in his lap as I allowed myself to cry for the ones we lost, as Millie rested her head on my own lap.

It didn't take long for me to fall asleep during that moment, only to wake back up once we had reached the C.D.C. The entire building still stands tall, as the windows look rather dusted over. And from the looks of it, shutters are down over the entrance which will make it hard for us to get inside. The grass around the government-funded building stands a little tall as if it hasn't been mowed in months - which it probably hasn't. Dead bodies of civilians and military men and women are scattered across the lawn, as a small pile had been placed in the front.

The second I open the door, I gag at the stench that came off the decaying bodies which cause me to bring my shirt to my nose. Stepping out of the truck, I close the door as I begin to walk towards the others with Daryl trailing behind me. Millie trots behind me in alert, as she looks around wearily - probably smelling the dead bodies as well. Her ears are perked up as if she is trying to hear whatever is going on from our hearing range. Once Daryl and I reach the others, we all huddle together as we begin to make our way toward the C.D.C.

Pulling on Millie's leash as I bundled the untied part in my hands in an attempt to keep her close, I scrunch up my face as we walk past the pile of dead bodies. Flies had swarmed the bodies, as warms and maggots crawl out of them with ease. Wanting to vomit at the sight, I look away in an attempt to keep the food I ate today in my stomach. Daryl's free hand instantly grasps my waist as he pushes me closer to him protectively, causing a tingling sensation to course through my body at his touch. Melting into his touch, I continue to walk alongside the others.

Shane begins to pound repeatedly on the shudders the second we reach the building, in a way to alert whoever is inside. Looking away from the former officer, I allow my hand to hover over the handle of my gun as I begin to look around. At the moment we are safe, but with how close we are to the city - I know that walkers are likely to show up. "There's nobody here." T-Dog informs after a moment, as I look at him with worry-filled eyes. What does he mean nobody's here?

"Then why are these shudders down?" Rick questions, before he hits the shudders the same as Shane had done. Feeling someone touch my side in a fit of panic, I turn my head to see a bunch of walkers stumbling toward us. My heart nearly stops at the sight of them, before I shrug my bow off my shoulders. Pulling an arrow from my quiver, I line it with my bow before I raise the weapon. Aiming toward the walkers, I aim at the skull of one before releasing the string of my bow.

The arrow cuts through the air like a knife, before planting itself in the skull of a walker. Pulling out another arrow, I repeat the action one more - feeling satisfied as another walker falls to the ground. As I continue to take down walkers alongside Daryl, Glenn, T-Dog, and Dale - I can feel Millie tugging on the leash that is double knotted to my belt loop and my belt. Sparing a glance toward my dog, I notice that she growls and barks at the walkers, almost as if she wants to attack them. Knowing that she would attack and kill them, I also know that if I would let her, she might get hit with a bullet or an arrow.

Pulling another arrow from my quiver, I aim toward another walker before I release it. Watching as the walker that was once stumbling toward us falls to the ground, I suddenly notice a light coming from behind me. Turning on my heels immediately at the sight, I am instantly met with the brightness of the C.D.C's lights as the shudders roll upwards. Placing my hand up to shield the light from my eyes, I blink rapidly in an attempt to adjust them. As they finally adjust after a moment, I look inside to see an all-white lobby area with a doctor standing inside holding an automatic gun.

Shrugging my bow onto my shoulders, I tug on the leash to gain Millie's attention from the dead walkers. Not too worried about the doctor nor the gun in his hand, I begin to follow after the others as we all rush inside to safety. Once I step inside, my eyes begin to look around the huge lobby - eyeing the perfectly clean walls and floor. I feel so out of place here as my body, clothes, and shoes are caked in dirt, blood, and sweat. Daryl moves to stand next to me protectively as he eyes the doctor wearily.

"Hello?" Rick calls out as if he hasn't seen the doctor standing in a doorway with a rifle in hand. Moving closer to Daryl to hide behind him as I watch the doctor cock his gun, I tug on the leash for Millie to come closer to me. Feeling Daryl's free hand wrap around my hand to keep me close, I intertwine our fingers absentmindedly. Looking toward the doctor, I watch as his mouth moves only for me to not understand. Feeling rather frustrated by that, I look toward Rick as he seems to have taken lead.

"One of our group was. He didn't make it." The former sheriff seems to answer, causing me to raise a brow in confusion. I'm guessing the doctor asked if any one of us was bitten or scratched by one of the dead. But why would he bring up Jim, since the poor man is already dead? Feeling sadden by the mention of Jim, I continue to look toward Rick. "A chance," He replies after a moment before he allows the doctor to speak once more. "I know."

"What's going on?" I question as I get more confused as the seconds pass, once I remove my hand from my best friend's grasp. He looks down at me once I had gotten his attention, to see what I had asked. "He asked if one of us were infected, then said we'll submit to a blood test." Daryl answers as best as he could before he looks back toward the doctor. As I look back toward the doctor, I watch as he lowers his rifle as if he got comfortable with us that quickly. He then motions toward the door as he begins to speak once more.

"Lori, you and Carol stay here with the kids. You too Kat," Rick orders once the doctor is done speaking, as he points in my direction. Nodding at his words to let him know I understood, I allow my hand to hover over my own gun. "The rest of us will go get our things." All of the men then rush out of the doors, their weapons raised in case of any more walkers. Turning on my heels, I watch as they all rush back to the vehicles to retrieve our things.

><><><><

It hadn't taken long for all of the men to come back into the C.D.C with our things tightly in their grasp, which had allowed the unknown man to shut down the area rather quickly. The unknown man adjusts the automatic rifle in his hands carefully, before he motions for us to follow after him. Sparing a glance toward my best friend who stands behind me protectively, I tug on Millie's leash as I begin to follow after the others who follow after the man. Millie trots next to me in content with her ears perked up, as she surveys our surroundings carefully. For only being a service dog, she can easily tell when there is a threat nearby and is good at alerting Daryl and me.

I wonder if she had tried to alert everyone back at the Quarry before the walkers attacked. Allowing my shoulders to fall at the mere thought of the walker attack that lead us here, I look up from Millie as the unknown man leads us down an all-white hallway as the lights in the lobby shut off. Hovering my right hand over the handle of my gun, feeling rather an unease toward the unknown man and being in unknown territory. Once we approach a metal door that begins to slide open after the man presses a button - we all quickly gather inside. As we are all huddled together in the small elevator, I shift uncomfortably at how crowded it is which causes Daryl to place a comforting hand on my waist.

Melting against Daryl's chest as he pulls my body closer to him, I can feel sparks coursing through my body due to his touch. Recognizing the tingling sensation from his hands grasping my waist, I couldn't help but shiver slightly. It is the same sensation that I get every time his body brushes against mine, no matter how slight the interaction is. It is something that I have constantly felt since we were sixteen years old. Trying to brush the feeling to the back of my mind, knowing damn well that we don't have time to have feelings for people in this world - I look toward our leader as he stares directly toward the unknown man with gratitude.

"Rick Grimes." Our leader, Rick introduces himself as he offers a hand toward the automatic rifle-holding man respectfully. Even in a world like this, where trusting others is hard - he can still try to be respectful toward others. And that is something I definitely admire about the former sheriff, who places a gentle hand on his son's shoulder. The unknown man spares an unfazed glance toward Rick's extended hand before he takes it in his own as he speaks his name. He seems to force a smile before he turns to look back toward the door.

Already knowing that I will most likely get the man's name later, when we all finally have time to ourselves - I look up toward Daryl, who admires the rifle in the man's hand. He has probably seen an automatic rifle a time or two due to Merle, who had an outstanding gun collection from being inside of the military, our fathers, and even those he considered friends. Although the eldest Dixon brother had allowed us to admire his gun collection and to boost about how much damage they could do, he refused to let us touch them and if we did, he threw a fit. Feeling a ping of sadness tug at the strings of my heart at the thought of Merle Dixon, I look down toward the tiled floors. If there is truly a God out there, one that all of the Christians are boosting about, I can only hope that he is protecting and looking after my best friend's brother.

Forcing myself to look from the tiles that make up the elevator's floors, I advert my gaze toward my service dog. Her dark blue eyes dart around the small area, as she seems to be taking in the look that is plastered on everyone's face - one that is full of exhaustion and false hope. The grey and white fur seem to be matted together slightly due to blood and dirt from the events that lead us here, which doesn't seem to bother her. She allows her tongue to hang freely from her mouth as she pants due to the amount of running and walking she has done, and probably due to the heat that is being built up in this tight space. Reaching down to her head, I allow myself to run my dirty fingers through her fur tiredly.

Stepping off of the elevator once it had come to a stop, I look around the hallway in alert. The walls remain white just as they had been in the lobby, as the floors are still tiled. It looks identical to the lobby, which for some reason does not ease my anxieties. The man continues to lead us through the hallways of the C.D.C before we all enter a huge room full of tech gear. We stand on a platform that seems to stand higher than the rest of the room, a black railing on the end to prevent us from falling.

The small platform leads to two separate stairs that lead to a small aisle that has rows of desks and computers on either side, each of the seats empty as the computers appear off. Stepping further into the room hesitantly, just as the lights turn on abruptly - I take a look at our surroundings. Allowing my hand to touch the railing, I nearly pull back due to the coldness of the metal. "Where is everybody?" Rick suddenly questions once I look toward him, as he voices what we are all wondering. This man cannot be the only person left, not when it is outwardly speaking to something that isn't us. "The other doctors, the staff?"

Upon realizing that this man truly is all that this state has left in order to defeat this virus, I share an unease look with Daryl who shifts uncomfortably on his feet. This man is the only living person that is within the C.D.C, probably being the only person willing to stick around to find a cure. From what I'm gathering by everyone's faces and the grim look on this Doctor's face, he had either left behind his family to find a cure, or his family had died right in front of him. Clutching my bag tightly in my grasp, I watch as the Doctor begins to walk toward a dimly lit room which causes Rick to follow after him. A rough, calloused hand suddenly touches my own as they lock our fingers together - causing me to look down to see it belongs to Daryl.

Not even looking up toward my best friend, I wrap my fingers around his own as we begin to follow after the others. Feeling comfort knowing that he is still with me, breathing and alive at this moment - I allow myself to relax. As we enter the dimly lit room, I take on my surroundings to see a rolling chair, cabinets that are no doubt full of medical supplies, and a leather seat where patients would sit. It looks exactly like a typical doctor's office that a normal person, like myself, would go to. Knowing that this is where this Doctor will draw our blood, I let a nervous breath escape my lips as Rick is the first to step up.

><><><><

"You know, in Italy, children have a little bit of wine with dinner. And in France."

The mere words that had left Dale's mouth had left the entire room in a fit of laughter, while I give him a cheeky grin. Bringing my own beverage of choice to my lips, I take a swig on the whiskey within the bottle before I take a bite of pasta - feeling content with the happiness of the others. Although I can't hear the jokes that are being spread around the table or the laughter of the children and the adults; I still find myself enjoying myself and their company, even if I am getting more wasted as time passes. Lori Grimes seems to laugh at the older man's words before she places a shielding hand over her son's cup. Her brown eyes light up in amusement, as she tilts her head to look at the wise man.

"Well, when Carl is in Italy or France, he can have some then." Lori informs matter of fact, as she continues to shield the young boy's cup. Raising a brow at the woman who spares me a glance, I tip my own bottle of whiskey toward her from my spot on the counter - a smile plastered on my face. When will we ever have the time to go to Italy or France? "What's it gonna hurt?" Rick urges jokingly, as he motions for the older man to give Carl some wine. Lori rolls her eyes playfully as she removes her hand from the boy's cup, allowing Dale to pour wine into his cup. "Come on, come on."

"There you are, young lad." Dale jokes happily, as he carefully hands the twelve-year-old boy the cup. Taking another swig of whiskey, as I feel the buzz forming, I watch as Carl slowly brings the cup of wine to his lips. As the boy swallows the bitter liquid, his face scrunches up in disgust as he puts the cup down. "Eww," Carl exclaims in disgust, as he makes a face while trying to get the taste out of his lips. A smile forms on my lips as vibration erupts from my chest and past my throat and lips. "Yuck! That taste nasty!"

"That's my boy, that's my boy." Lori praises, as she takes his cup and pours the rest of the wine into hers. Rolling my eyes jokingly at her action, I watch as Carl takes a drink of the soda he was given. "Well, just stick with soda pop there, bud." Shane suggests as he tosses a fork full of pasta into his mouth. Nodding in agreement, I hop off the countertop as I take another gulp of whiskey - staggering a bit as Daryl rounds the table. "Not you, Glenn," My best friend proclaims, as he earns a confused what from the Korean. "Keep drinking, little man! I want to see how red your face can get!"

Once I reach the table, I accidentally stagger into Glenn's chair which causes me to trip. As I am quick to regain my balance, I take another drink before stumbling in the direction of Daryl who seems to be enjoying himself. He is quick to wrap his free arm over my shoulders once I reach him, causing me to fall into his chest. The two of us away at the sudden movement, before sharing a look of content as we take another swig of the alcohol in our hands. Suddenly Daryl's attention is switched somewhere else, causing me to follow his gaze toward Rick - who has his glass raised in the air.

"It seems to me we haven't thanked our host properly." Rick states in his tipsy state, as he looks away from all of us and toward Doctor Jenner. The former sheriff smiles toward the older man before he raises his glass to thank the man who took us in. Smiling happily, I continue to lean against Daryl as I raise my bottle of whiskey in a way of saying thanks. "He is more than just our host!" T-Dog exclaims happily, as he raises his glass as well. As everyone begins to cheer in excitement, they all raise their glasses or bottles before we all take a swig of our preferred beverages.

"So when are you gonna tell us what the hell happened here, Doc?" Shane questions after a moment, causing all of us to stop celebrating and thanking the man. At his words, I lower the whiskey bottle from my lips in annoyance. "All the.... the other doctors that were supposed to be figuring out what happened, where are they?" Looking around the small break room, I notice that everyone has gone silent at the former officer's words. The happiness, excitement, and jokes have seemed to fade at the mere words that came from the man. "We're celebrating, Shane," Rick cuts in, hoping to stop the man so we can get back to having a good time. "Don't need to do this now."

"Whoa, wait a second. This is why we're here, right?" Shane asks as he looks away from Doctor Jenner and toward his own best friend. Feeling a bit angry toward the man, I take a large gulp of whiskey as I lean further into Daryl's embrace. What goes through this man's mind that causes him to ruin a good moment? "This was your move - supposed to find all the answers. Instead we.... we found him. Found on man, why?" None of us tried to stop Shane as he had turned around to face the Doctor, knowing damn well we wanted to know the answer as well. Daryl tightens an arm around me protectively as I shift uncomfortably.

"Well, when things got bad, a lot of people just left, went off to be with their families," Doctor Jenner answers truthfully, as he also signs the words so I can finally understand him. After he had learned that I was deaf, he introduced himself through sign language and told me what he was going to do when he was taking our blood. "And when things got worse when the military cordon got overrun, the rest bolted." Gripping the bottle in my hand tightly, I look toward Shane as he stares intensely at the Doctor. It is like he is trying to find some sort of fault in the man's words. "Every last one?" He questions as if he wants to know everything.

"No, many couldn't face walking out the door. They.... opted out," Doctor Jenner states, as he tries to word himself carefully due to the kids being around. Knowing what the term opted out means, I feel a pain of sadness tugging at my heart. "There was a rash of suicides. That was a bad time." I don't even want to know what it had felt like being him and seeing all of his friends and co-workers killing themselves. That is enough to lead anyone into a fit of depression, which would even force them to not opt-out. "You didn't leave," Andrea points out, as she finally looks up from the tiled floors. "Why?"

"I just kept working, hoping to do some good." He explains truthfully, as he clasps his hands together to prevent them from shaking. At his words, I couldn't help but find myself taking a much larger gulp of whiskey as I wish to forget what he had said. I don't want to think about others taking their own lives over the world they knew ending. "Dude, you're such a buzzkill, man." Glenn mutters bitterly, as he takes another gulp of whiskey while glaring toward Shane. The former officer just rolls his eyes as he grabs his bottle of wine, before taking a swig from it.

"I can show you the rest of the living area and the rooms." Doctor Jenner informs once he looks back up before he forces himself from his seat. Removing myself from Daryl's grasp, I continue to hold the bottle of whiskey, as I wordlessly follow after the man - as the others silently get us from their chairs. I hope Shane feels satisfied that he got some answers from the poor man, which had ruined our moment. If I could walk properly without staggering, I would have punched the living daylights out of that man. We could have had one good night since the world ended without having to bring up something depressing.

Doctor Edwin Jenner begins to walk out of the room and down a hallway that has similar white walls as the rest of the building. Stumbling after the man, as we all follow after him, I allow myself to look at our surroundings. Every hallway that seems to be in this building seems to look the same with the all-white walls and ceilings, the light blue sometimes grey tiled floors, and heavy grey doors. No pictures were hanging on the walls, nor any decoration to make this place look more home-like. It was like this place wasn't meant to be lived in, which makes some sense.

I just wonder how all of the scientists and doctors stayed here when they tried to study sicknesses, viruses, and diseases. It had to have been extremely depressing for them as they had to stare at these white walls all hours of the day. And on top of that, they basically have to abandon their families until they can cure whatever they needed to cure. Looking toward Edwin Jenner, I begin to wonder how he could just abandon his family to do all of this. That is something that I couldn't do, even if that meant saving the world in the process.

"Most of the facility is powered down, including the housing so you'll have to make do here. The couches are comfortable, but there are cots in storage if you like," Edwin Jenner informs after he leads us down many different halls before coming to a stop. He had motioned down the hall, indicating that this is where we will be staying. "There is a rec room down the hall that you kids might enjoy. Just don't plug in the video games, okay?" Watching as he looks down toward Carl and Sophia, after motioning toward the rec room. I watch as they nod in understanding, with smiles on their faces at the mention of a rec room. "Or anything that draws power. The same applies if you shower, go easy on the hot water."

Hot water?

"Hot water?"

"That's what the man said."

><><><><

Dark hazel eyes stare back at me, as I take in the appearance of the woman within the mirror. The very skin that I use to recognize as my own is now covered in the blood of the dead, making it hard to recognize the very shell that carries me. My once shoulder-length brown hair now rests in a fit of matted waves, that now ends in the middle of my back. It looks as if I never brushed my hair, to begin with, when in reality I haven't brushed it since the day I traveled to Atlanta to rescue Merle. Feeling disgusting the more I stare at my reflection, I force myself to look away from the mirror as I stumble over toward my bag.

Upon reaching the army green bag that I call my own, I dig through it until I find my hairbrush. Not caring for a change of clothes at the moment, for I have yet to shower, I stagger back to the bathroom's sink to stand in front of the mirror. Grabbing my half-empty bottle of whiskey, I take another gulp of the bitter liquid before I begin to brush through my hair. My face stays free of emotion as I force the brush through the matted tangles, despite all of the pain it is putting me through. After spending a good ten minutes brushing out all of the tangles and matted parts, I place my brush on the counter as I begin to undress.

Once I peel off the stained shirt that I had been wearing, I toss it into the trash with my bra following after. I didn't want to keep the clothes that were stained beyond repair, for I don't see any use for them. After taking off my jeans, socks, and underwear I toss them into the trash as well before grabbing the bottle of whiskey. Staggering to the shower, I pull back the curtain before twisting the knob. A smile forms on my face at the sight of fresh, clean water falling from the showerhead - reminding me that I am no longer at the Quarry.

After twisting the knob to heat up the water, I wait for a couple of minutes before stepping into the shower. Pulling back the curtain to shield my naked body, I allow myself to step under the running water. My body instantly relaxes at the warmth, as I allow it to roll down my dirt-covered body. Looking down at the drain, as I hold my left hand against the wall as I hold the whiskey bottle, I watch as the water by my feet turns red due to the dirt and blood washing off my skin. Putting the bottle of whiskey on the side of the tub, I grab the bar of soap and a rag before I begin to scrub at my body harshly.

Scrubbing over all of my old scars and new, I try to wash away what the new world had covered me in. After scrubbing my body to the point it looks red for ten minutes, I allow the water to wash away the soap - allowing my true body to come to light. Grabbing a bottle of shampoo, I put some of it in my hand before I begin to lather it through my hair. Running my fingers over my scalp as I massage it, I allow myself to close my eyes at the feeling. I have never realized just how much I missed showering until now.

Once I finish shampooing and conditioning each inch of my hair and massaging my scalp, I allow myself to free my hair off the soap. Feeling rather relaxed, I grab the bottle of whiskey as I begin to drink it again - almost as if I didn't want to remember the night. It's not like I am anyway with how much I have already drunk. I just wish that those we have lost could have experienced all of this. Dorothea and her husband would have loved it here, Heather and her boy too.

And Jim.

Jim would have loved it here if he would have decided to stick around for a little while longer. Doctor Jenner would have fed him some delicious pasta and gave him some bitter alcohol, and even cured him. Before I can think more about Jim and the others that we have lost, I feel a pair of rough, calloused hands gently caressing my shoulders. Tensing up at the sudden touch, I pull the whiskey from my lips as I slowly turn around, keeping the water on me. My hazel eyes grow wide at the sight of Daryl Dixon standing in front of me, as his stormy blue eyes trail each inch of my body.

His sandy brown hair rests in wisps across his forehead as it grows darker by the second, as the water soaks him. Water droplets begin to roll down his muscular arms as well the rest of his tanned body. His calloused hands begin to trail down my arms gently, as he seems to trace every scar that laces them. Daryl looks past the bruise that is on my face from being punched, and the cut on my lip as he begins to take in each inch of my body. Before I can even react to him being naked and in the shower with me, Daryl Dixon smashes his lips against mine with hunger.

Feeling rather shocked that my best friend's lips are against my own, I don't waste a second before deepening the kiss. Instantly bringing my hands up to the back of his head, I lace my fingers with his sandy brown hair - as his hands grasp my waist hungrily. Pulling his body closer to mine, I feel his tongue graze my bottom lip almost as if he is asking for entrance. Granting him access, our tongues instantly begin to fight for dominance as he is quick to pick me up. Wrapping my legs around his torso as he does so, I allow him to carry us out of the shower despite him just getting in.

Daryl is quick to lead us out of the bathroom, as we both continue to kiss each other as our lives depended on it. My back instantly touches the softness of a cot as he hovers over me, our lips disconnecting. His stormy blue eyes stare into my hazel ones, almost asking for permission to continue. I only nod quickly, before he reconnects our lips for a moment - before he begins to leave a trail of kisses down my body. Our bodies grinding together as our needs become more apparent, I allow my best friend to show me what I have been missing out on.

I allow my best friend to show me a night full of lust, passion......

but most importantly, love.

____Word Count: 4,448

Hi, loves!Welcome to Chapter Six of The Deaf One! I am truly sorry that it took a bit longer than expected to get this story out. I was originally going to have it out for you all to read a week ago, but I ended up getting busy with my personal life - so I put this story on the back burner. So I really do apologize for that. I hope you enjoyed this chapter as I did writing it!

What are your thoughts on this chapter?[ I would really love to see your opinions on these chapters, but only if you want to comment on them. All of the feedback I've been getting on the last couple of chapters is only motivating me to write more! ]

What are your opinions on how Katherine handled the situations thrown at her in this chapter?[ Honestly, if I were in Katherine's shoes, I would have definitely handled the situations the same - if not worse. I do not work well under pressure, so an apocalyptic world would definitely be a no-go for me. ]

Lots of Love,Crimson Rose