Abraham burst into the cafeteria, trailed closely by Michonne and Carl. The three of them surveyed the scene. They were in a large open room filled with long tables and benches. Against the walls were rows of steam tables where food would have been served. On the far wall was a set of swinging double doors that probably led to the kitchen. As the three of them entered they were nearly knocked backward by the stench of death. Roaming among the tables were eight walkers, young and old, men and women. All their heads turned to face the trio that had just entered their domain.

Abraham grinned as they all began to approach in unison. "Come and get it," he said, raising his knife in preparation. He rushed forward and took great pleasure in slashing through the first two oncoming walkers. Michonne moved to the right and sliced through three corpses within seconds.

Carl stayed where he was. He raised his pistol with its silencer attached and picked off two walkers near the far end of the room. He had a machete at his hip, but he only used it as a last resort. Losing his right eye had effected his depth perception, which made him nervous about close range attacks. But he was still an excellent shot with his gun.

Abraham jammed his knife into the last walker's temple and then quickly searched the rest of the room, looking under tables for any additional bodies. The room was clear. He turned to Michonne and Carl and asked, "Shall we?" They all looked toward the double doors.

Michonne nodded and they approached with caution. Michonne had searched many kitchens like this after the outbreak. They were all the same: dark, cramped spaces, filled with unwanted surprises. She wondered if this mission was even worth the trouble. But they had already come this far. They might as well find out if there were any supplies to be had. As they reached the doors Michonne tried to peer in through the small, clouded window in the right-hand door. It was too dark inside to make out anything. They would have to enter and take their chances.

Michonne pushed through the door with her sword held in front of her, ready to strike. The kitchen was made up of long rows of stainless steel food prep counters with tall shelves separating the rows. Along one wall were two large ovens with grill tops. There were no windows inside. The only light came from the door which Carl was still holding open. Abraham entered the kitchen and he and Michonne split up, searching the rows for any sign of movement. All was quiet. The two of them circled back around to where Carl was still holding the door ajar. Michonne asked Abraham, "Do you want to make another pass just to be sure?" This felt too easy. She was worried they had missed some imminent danger. Abraham agreed and again they combed the whole kitchen, row by row, looking for any threat. They circled back around to Carl. On the second pass they still didn't see a single sign of anyone, alive or dead.

"Looks like it's all clear." Abraham started opening cabinets and drawers, looking for any food that may still be edible. Michonne started toward the back of the kitchen to see if there was a pantry.

Carl then remembered that he had brought a small penlight with him. "Hey wait! Take this." He stepped forward into the kitchen as he called out to Michonne, letting the door swing shut behind him. Michonne turned around to see what he wanted her to take from him. Carl saw Michonne's face for only a split second before it was enveloped in darkness. He was struck by the sudden panic in her eyes. Something was very wrong. As the light from the closing door disappeared Michonne had just enough time to see a figure that had been standing behind the door fall forward toward Carl from his blind side.

In the instant that the darkness became complete, Michonne yelled, "Down!" Carl threw himself to the ground, rolling in midair so as to land on his back. He fired his gun into the darkness. As the light from the muzzle blast illuminated the room for a flash he saw it reflect off the blade of Michonne's sword. She swung it blindly where Carl had been standing only seconds before. There was a loud thud and then everything was quiet.

Abraham rushed to the door and swung it open to let the light pour back into the kitchen. While holding the door open, he turned to evaluate the scene. He saw Carl sprawled on the floor, gun still raised and breathing heavy. Beside Carl was the headless body of a badly decomposed walker. Michonne stood over Carl, sword still raised. They heard a growl from low to the ground nearby and they all startled. Carl looked to his left and saw the disembodied head of the attacking walker mere feet from where he lay on the ground. It's mouth was still grinding away. Michonne spun her sword around and gripped it with both hands, blade pointing downward. She plunged the tip through the brain and then kicked the head back toward its body.

Carl was in shock. His hands trembled, still tightly gripping his weapon. "I never saw it," he uttered. Michonne moved in to help him off the floor. "It was right next to me and I never saw it. I could be attacked from that side at any time and I would never know it was coming." He knew losing his eye had put him at a disadvantage, but this was the first time it had made him feel so completely vulnerable. His legs trembled as he attempted to find his footing.

"Hey," Michonne said trying to get Carl to focus on her rather than the dismembered carcass on the floor. "You're okay now. You're going to be okay. This is exactly why you need to come out here. Your other senses will become stronger. You'll learn how to compensate."

Carl shook his head. He wanted to believe her, but there were just so many perils in the world now. He had been just a boy when the outbreak occurred. It was a miracle he had survived this long. How could he expect to defend himself in this wasteland?

Michonne could see his confidence was gone. She wouldn't be able to bolster it right now. She tried comfort instead. "You will be able to overcome this. But I'll be right by your side just in case." He gave her a glimmer of a smile. Michonne was family. She was the closest thing he had to a mother on this planet. He knew she would do everything she could to protect him.

She gave him a small sideways hug and said, "Come on, let's find something to eat." Abraham propped the door open with the walker's limp foot so they wouldn't lose their light again. They headed toward the back in search of the pantry. Michonne stayed on Carl's right side, just in case.

At the back of the kitchen they found a large industrial refrigerator and a locked cabinet on wheels. They all knew not to open the refrigerator door. Anything in there would have spoiled long ago. Opening the door would only unleash a smell that would add to the already almost unbearable aroma permeating the kitchen. Abraham wielded his crowbar and popped open the doors to the cabinet. Inside they found bags of rice and flour, some canned vegetables, cooking oil, and various other staples. It wasn't much, but at least they wouldn't return empty handed.

"What do you think?" Michonne asked. "We could try to just wheel the whole thing out to the van."

Carl examined the sturdiness of the cabinet. "Let's at least see how far we can push it. It would be easier than making several trips back here."

"I would be very grateful to never make another trip back here." Michonne was anxious to meet up with the rest of their crew and get this mission over with.

As they pushed the cabinet back into the cafeteria Carl spotted a vending machine standing in in the corner near the entrance. "Hang on a second." He jogged over to the machine and shined his penlight inside. It was nearly empty but there were a few items still left inside. Carl extended his hand to Abraham, requesting the crowbar. He popped the door open and reached inside. He pulled out a couple candy bars and a package of peanut butter crackers.

Carl handed one of the candy bars to Michonne. "For your sweet tooth." He flashed her a smile

Michonne grinned in return and accepted the offering. "Well now this has all been worth the trip." She was glad to see him regain his composure and calm down a bit.

Carl shoved the peanut butter crackers inside his jacket pocket. Michonne eyed his bulging pocket teasingly. "Feeling hungry?"

Carl looked sheepish. "They're Enid's favorite. I thought I'd keep them for her. Just in case."

Michonne nodded with understanding and agreed, "Just in case."

Abraham was getting impatient. "Can we finish this love fest on the way to our next stop? I'd like to get out of here before my beard turns grey."

They grabbed a hold of the wheeled cart and headed back toward the stairwell where they would meet up with the other half of their team. Michonne stayed on Carl's right side. Just in case.