Disclaimer: The Walking Dead belongs entirely to Robert Kirkman.
"We have been attempting to find this man for almost four months now," The woman says emphatically, her eyes repeatedly darting from him to Carl and back again, as if this person might somehow magically appear between them.
Rick had almost laughed at the incongruous sight, when they`d first spotted the small group appearing on the horizon. An older woman in biker leathers, two scrawny young men, probably brothers, with automatic rifles on their backs, and a middle- aged African- American man, approaching swiftly on one of those odd, pedal- powered golf carts Rick associated with family resorts, except that they usually weren`t covered in rotting Walker`s guts there.
"Those dead Things, they hardly ever notice us like that," The African –American man had smiled proudly, Yeah, but sometimes they do, don`t they? Rick had thought grimly.
Apparently they`d all belonged to a larger group that had established a camp around what had been the Bluebell Ridge Clinic, where the woman had worked as a nurse.
"Unfortunately also overrun now, " She´d quickly added, it seemed he somehow was still capable of looking too hopeful.
"This patient presented with fever and dehydration," She says, and now Rick has no idea if he`s even supposed to listen or if she`s addressing Carl, because she just will not stop her constant looking back and forth. Annoying.
"Now we already had a few cases of Influenza there, but since this man`s neck and hands were covered in tick bites, Dr. Katz decided to test for Lyme disease."
The woman smiles almost nostalgically, apparently recalling the luxury of being able to test someone for anything other than death, and Rick is starting to wonder where this is even heading, surely these people weren´t insane enough to risk their lives chasing after someone who might have Lyme disease? But the woman`s smile falters immediately, replaced by a troubled expression that tells him all he needs to know about the fate of Dr. Katz.
"Well, he did not have that…but his blood…while the virus was of course present, it just seemed completely unable to enter the cells. It just floated around there, utterly ineffective. We just couldn`t believe it."
Rick can feel his palms begin to tingle. Could it be? Don`t, just don`t, a voice in his head admonishes.
"Poor Dr. Katz himself pretty much raced to the cafeteria, that was where we`d housed the patients as it didn`t have any windows," The woman continues, " But the man was gone…he´d apparently left in the middle of the night."
"So, you see now why have to find him?" She asks, and Rick can see the suppressed desperation in her eyes.
"This guy…did he tell you his name?" Carl enquires, his face closed and expressionless. The first thing he`s said since that strange vehicle pulled up beside them. Trying not to hope, he`s trying not to hope…and probably failing…like me, Rick thinks.
The woman nods rapidly, " He said his name was Bailey."
Rick and Carl share a brief look before Carl just shakes his head.
"Well, what`d this Bailey look like? I mean just in case…you know…we do bump into him." He asks after a pause.
The woman scrunches up her face in concentration.
"Uh, Caucasian, early fifties, I´d say… dark hair…quite tall..oh, and he wore an eye-patch."