A/N: Hope you enjoy the final two chapters of season One. And please feel free to review if you enjoyed the chapters, or ask any questions.
Season One Episode 13 Part One
Somewhere west of the Rockies
They pulled to a stop on the side of the road after driving for a while due to Cassandra feeling sick. Her leg had got infected again only it seemed much worst this time. Her and 10k were currently sat on the side of the road opposite the van just in case she had to throw up, Murphy was sat in said van while Ellie and Doc kept watch and Warren was talking to Citizen Z through the radio.
"I'm not sure how much longer we can hold it together"
"It's only another 150 miles"
"We have a man down, Cassandra. She's not looking good" Warren explained "And then there's the package"
"Uh, what about the package?"
"Don't know exactly, but Murphy's acting weird. More than usual" Warren paused and turned to see where Ellie was and when she saw she was a good distance away she continued "And Ellie's not doing so great either, she's jumpy and anxious. She's not sleeping and when she does she gets nightmares and I know it's to do with what you told her"
"I only told her so she would be prepared when she got there because it would have been mentioned, I didn't think it would effect her so much".
"It doesn't help when you keep information from her and don't lie I know you know more than your telling"
"...I admit I didn't tell her everything, but I'm in the dark too. The only other thing I know is that somehow they got a hold of her blood and that's what they are interested in but I don't know why. I really don't, her file didn't say anything else"
"She told us before that a few months into the apocalypse she woke up in a hospital with no recollection of how she got there, could that be where they got her blood?"
"It could be... and she has no idea why she was there? She didn't have any injuries?"
"No nothing. What if they did to her what they did to Murphy, could that of happened?"
"I doubt it, She hasn't shown any signs like Murphy and she doesn't have any bites does she?"
"No I don't think so, can you keep digging see what you can find out?"
"Will do, tr-"
"Where's this new destination?" Warren interrupted him seeing Ellie walking towards her and thnakfully citizen z got the message.
"It's Fort Collins, Colorado"
"What happened to California?"
"Lab's dark again. Maybe for good. You've been redeployed"
"By whose orders?"
"Well I started picking up a teletype signal on the old civil defence frequency. At first I thought it was a hacker, but turns out it's Doctor Merch. Yeah, that Doctor Merch. The one who injected Murphy. So delivery Murphy to Fort Collins. Doctor Merch will be there with her team to meet you"
"No more California?"
"Colorado is the new California"
"Copy"
"Everything Ok?" Ellie asked once she was close enough
"Yeah all good" Warren said but they all turned then when they heard Cassandra vomit
"I'm gonna go check on her" Ellie explained and she walked away from Warren and towards 10K and Cassandra. She smiled sadly at Murphy in the van as she passed and then she could hear Cassandra's heavy breathing.
"Feel better now?" 10k asked her and she used her sleeve to wipe her mouth
"Yeah, a little bit" She gasped out talking a handkerchief off 10k and then he tried to pick her up "Oh, no, no, no, no, no, no, no"
"Try to relax." He said to her trying to calm her down
"Need any help?" Ellie asked softly announcing her arrival and once 10k had gently sat her back down again he turned to he with a grateful look on his face.
Warren's Pov
"How much gas do we have left?" Warren asked Doc as he approached from behind
"I dunno, half a tank or so" Doc responded his shotgun now strapped to his back
"Make it 150 miles?"
"Well if it's mostly downhill, We're real low on ammo too." He said and Warren nodded. "Are you gonna tell her what he said?" Doc asked and when she turned to look at him he was staring at Ellie.
"No point scaring her more than she is now" Warren explained "No until we know more, besides we have enough problems to deal with right now, Come on" With a jerk of her head in the direction of the van they both then walked towards it.
Warren knocked on the drivers side window making Murphy jump slightly and she gestured for him to roll the window down which he did.
"Yeah?"
"We found a taker"
"For what?"
"For you"
"What about California?"
"New orders. We are headed to a lab in Fort Collins."
"Fort Collins? What the hell is in Fort Collins?"
"Dr. Merch is there waiting for you"
"Doctor Merch? Yeah, I got a bone to pick with that bitch"
"That bitch is the reason you're still alive"
"Define alive" He argued and Warren didn't have an answer for that.
She made Murphy move back in the passenger seat so Doc could get in and she got in the back. While 10k and Ellie helped Cassandra into the back of the van and they took of towards their new destination.
Ellie's Pov
Cassandra was propped up against some of the boxes that were still in the van when they took it. 10K was sat next to her and Ellie the opposite side behind Murphy's seat and Warren behind Doc.
"Well, Murphy. I think I'm gonna miss your sorry ass" Doc said while they were driving
"I appreciate the sentiment"
"We logged some miles together, brother"
"Amen"
"Starting to feel like a damn family You know what I'm sayin'?"
"Uh, I...I dunno if I've actually ever said this to anybody before. But I...I almost consider you a friend."
"Yeah, I don't envy you though, man I mean, hell, once we deliver you, all bets are off. They're gonna have more needles stuck in you than the damn tomato in grandma's sewing basket"
"No, they're...they're just gonna take out my..." Murphy said getting nervous
"Oh, trust me, they're gonna have some kind of tube or prod rammed in every spare orifice, or my name ain't Sally" Doc continued oblivious to Murphy's nerves "You know this one time I had a catheter. Dude, you better hope they don't go that route"
"Hey Doc" Ellie said loudly seeing Murphy was getting uncomfortable and it wasn't easing her nerves either "How about you don't scare the man, we want to get him there not run him off" 'Not to mention your scaring me' She added silently added in her head.
"Yeah sorry" Doc said quietly feeling a bit guilty
"How much further?" Warren asked
"Uh, I dunno, 65 miles or so, Anyway, I'm gonna miss you, dude"
"Yeah, right" Murphy mumbled quietly his mind else where
"How 'bout you, kid?" Doc asked 10k "What do you got planned?"
"Uh, I don't know. Still got 6,998 to go" 10k explained "Might take a break for a while though, head up north somewhere cold. The Zs don't fare too well in the cold."
"Yeah, I don't fare too well in the cold myself" Doc joked "Roberta?"
"Uh, I don't know. Maybe follow the sun west. I've never been to California"
"Ellie?" Doc asked her
"Um I'd probably try to get back to Wales see if any of my family survived" Ellie said sadly but she knew it probably wouldn't happen. She still didn't know why these people were interested in her and whether they'd let her go once they got her. Looking towards Warren, Ellie could tell she knew what she was thinking and she smiled sadly at her.
"How 'bout you, Doc?" Warren asked
"Maybe I'll buy a boat and sail around the world. Find me an island where there's not even a Z in their alphabet" Doc said and Warren laughed even Ellie smiled a little bit she loved that Doc was able to keep his sense of humour even in the dark situation.
"This must be it" Warren said when they drove down a path leading to a small building "Citizen Z said look for a metal shed with a roll up door"
"Like this one?" Murphy asked as they pulled to a stop a few feet away
"What are they all looking at?" 10k asked referring to the zombies standing and staring at the door.
"Our entrance" Warren explained
"You think we're in the right place?" Murphy asked "Looks small"
"Looks can be deceiving" Ellie murmured as Warren stood up and pulled open the side door and climbed out, followed by Ellie with her cross bow ready then she shut it behind her. Warren then opened Murphy's door and he climbed out
"Let me see your hands" Warren said to him.
"What? My hands, why? Is this a hygiene thing again?"
"Just let me see them" Warren said again and once Murphy put his hands out she quickly put handcuffs on him.
"What the hell are you doing?"
"They're looking for a group of civilians transporting a prisoner, I don't want anyone mistaking you as a zombie" Warren explained
"Bullshit" Murphy snarled "You don't trust me. After all the times I've saved your ass."
"Trust has got nothing to do with it. I don't want anyone piking you after we got you this far"
"Warren is that really necessary?" Ellie asked
"Its just precaution"
"Let's just get this over with" Murphy said walking away from them and towards the zombies
"Hey!" Doc shouted getting out of the van with his gun ready "Murphy!"
Murphy just ignored them and carried on walking through the zombies and that's when the zombies noticed their presence and as they started turned around so did Murphy who lifted up his handcuffed hand into to the air giving them thumbs up before turning back around. Then the zombies charged at them.
"Shit" Warren said and all three of them raced back to the van and they got in just before the zombies reached them.
"Murphy is a asshole" Ellie growled as the zombies surrounded them
" How much ammo do we got?" Warren asked
"Two bullets" 10k said
"I got one" Doc said checking his shotgun
"One?" She said in disbelief
"I told ya" Doc said
"Ive got my arrows but they are too close" Ellie said as growling continued
"Murphy!" Warren shouted leaning up to the slightly opened window
"What?!" He shouted back not coming any closer and Warren gestured frantically for him to come closer
"Oh, you want my help?!. Sure, why not." Murphy said walking towards them "Hold your pants on" He walked towards the side of the van and opened the door "Follow me"
"How do you know?"
"I don't, But it worked with Ellie" He said and Doc cocked his gun but Murphy stopped him
"Don't! Don't do it" He said firmly leaving no room for arguments and turned to face the z's. "All right, quick"
Ellie was the first one out and she stood on Murphy's right and looped her arm into his. It was a crazy idea but she trusted him, it worked before it would work again. 10K followed after and he helped Cassandra out and she leaned against Ellie. Warren came next but she hesitated
"Group hug." Murphy said
"What?"
"Just do it! You want to live or not?"
"Warren just do it. It worked when he did it with me. Just trust him and if you can't trust him trust me" Ellie said and Warren nodded. She got out of the van and went to the other side of Murphy and looped her arm in his and Doc came up behind them and wrapped his arm over 10k and Warren. They then slowly made there way to the door through the growling zombies.
"Maybe someday you'll learn to trust me" Murphy said to Warren as they walked. The zombies surrounded them but they didn't attack. Ellie still didn't get how he could do that.
"Man, I hope nobody sees us" Doc whined just before they reached the door. Warren punched in the code while Murphy kept the zombies at bay and once it was open they all rushed in, and as soon as the door shut the floor moved and they realised they were in a lift
"You know before the apocalypse, I had the same effect on the ladies" Murphy said leaning against the wall. Ellie rolled her eyes and she saw Warren do the same.
Once they reached the basement Warren opened up the shutters to reveal several dead bodies on the floor. But they hadn't turned, it looked like they had been shot in the head.
"Sure doesn't look operational."
"All those zombies up there must've wanted something down here." Cassandra said as 10k helped her walk
"Yeah, but what?" Warren asked
"Same thing they always want. Brains." Doc said
"No. Something different" Murphy said Something inside is attracting them like a magnet. I can feel it"
"Well I cant imagine that being good" Ellie mumbled this place was giving her a bad feeling
Warren took a badge of a nearby body and used it to open a set of glass doors. She took out her hatchet and Ellie picked up her cross bow. They walked into a room with filing cabinets and computers and full of more dead bodies. There was also a round table with a few more bodies draped around, it looked like they were having a birthday party.
"Happy damn birthday" Warren muttered
"Uh, reminds me of my 50th." Doc said thinking about the past.
"Happy birthday Doctor Kur..." 10k said trying to read the cake but the ending had been cut off.
"Dibs on the last rose." Murphy said quickly taking the rose off the cake with his finger and stuffing it in his mouth "What? I can't help it. Damn vaccine makes me crave sugar"
"Well if you start craving brains, let me know" Doc joked and Murphy laughed sarcastically and then they heard a crash in the distance and they all turned in that direction.
"Puppies and kittens" Warren said quietly as they heard growling and it was getting closer "Murphy considering the situation" she said gesturing to his handcuffed hands but he interrupted her and lifted up his hands to show that he had broken them "How did you...?"
"Pilates"
"Why didn't you do that before with Zimmerman" Ellie asked
"Because there were three of them and they had you too" Murphy explained and Ellie was shocked, he stayed to protect her, he could of got out of the handcuffs and run but he didn't.
"Here they come" Doc said
"Come on, let's take cover" Warren said rushing them behind a filling cabinet. Ellie helped 10k put Cassandra and the ground and he lifted up his rifle. He fired and they all heard a body hit the ground.
"Three thousand and two" He said but then they heard more growling he wasn't alone. They saw one zombie run towards them and Doc used his last bullet and he went flying to the floor.
"Well I hope that was a zombie" Doc said
"Incoming at at eleven o'clock" Warren said
"That's all you, kid. I'm out" Doc said and 10k aimed with his rifle again. He aimed it at a zombie that was behind some shelves and when he fired they heard a clank, 10k had caught the shelve.
"Damn" 10k grumbled putting his gun down
"It's okay, kid. Remember that time in Missouri at the Piggly Wiggly?" Doc said
"Frozen food section?"
"Guys?"
"Zombies" Warren and Ellie said at the same time before they hid again as they heard the zombie get closer and they heard a splat and then a thud. Coming out from their hiding place they saw Doc with the smashed cake and 10k with a wrench.
"Three thousand and three" 10k said when they suddenly heard music playing
"What is that?" Murphy asked
"It sounds like a phone" Cassandra said and they made their way to the sound.
"Over here" Doc said as they approached a dead workers desk with a dead zombie on top of him and in his hand was a plugged in mobile phone. Doc grabbed the phone and scrolled through it
"There must be 20 text messages here" He said "Looks like he was texting his wife or somebody when it went down.'Something happened at the lab today. Can't talk now. I'll call you later. Won't be home till late, not telling us why. Putting us under quarantine. Will update when I know anything. Starting to get scared, something very wrong. Something infecting us. We might not get out of here Tell the kids I love them'
"Poor guy" Ellie said sadly when the phone suddenly chimed
"What? This is a new message here from Citizen Z" Doc said 'Operation Bite Mark. If you get this message, please respond. Hacked and searching lab mainframe. Discovered files you should be aware of. Really weird stuff. Find working computer. Search HZN1 test results backslash backslash code name level nine. Password, red death" He finished and Murphy rushed to the computer, he pushed the man and zombie off the chair and started typing.
"What was the passcode?" Murphy asked them
"Red death" Doc said "Catchy"
Once Murphy had typed it in, it revealed a video showing zombie monkey's.
"Not surprising they were doing animal testing" Warren said
"Yeah, but what were they testing?" Murphy asked "Look at the date on these videos. It's the year before anybody was infected. How did they know to be working on a vaccine before anybody was infected." He searched a little more until a pop up came up. "What's this? That's her. That's Doctor Merch. That's the bitch that did this to me" He snarled
"Okay, okay" Warren said trying to calm him down before a video popped up of a man locked in a room in scrubs being interrogated by Doctor Merch. They were discussing why the contamination alarm went off for him. If he followed protocol, could he be infected. She kept asking the same question and he gave her the same answers. He was adamant that he didn't do anything wrong and that he couldn't be infected but she didn't believe him.
"Well I'm guessing it didn't end too well for old Doyle here" Murphy said
"Okay, who's for getting out of here right now? Show of hands" Doc said raising his own hand and 10k did the same "Okay. It's back out to the apocalypse it is"
"Nobody's going anywhere" Murphy said darkly and he stood up and faced the group. "This is not a god damn democracy. We came here to find Doctor Merch, and that is exactly what we are going to do"
"Ok Murphy I get you want to find her, I do" Ellie said "What she did to you was awful and I am all for going to get her. But we need to be careful because right now it feels like we are walking into a trap. Why bring us to a facility that's not in working order and all these bodies around, none of them were bitten they were shot when they were human and what's attracting the zombies here?. Something is wrong" Ellie said, didn't want to admit but she was scared this place was wrong and she was so close to the people who were after Murphy and her.
"He's right. But so is Ellie" Warren said "If she's down here, we just can't leave her. She is still our only chance at a vaccine, but we will take caution because Ellie's right something isn't right here"
"You're right. I just thought we might want to, I dunno, live" Doc grumbled
"Yeah, well quit your dreaming and let's go" Murphy said walking away
They made there way down a few more corridors when they came to another set of white doors when the phone in Doc's pocket started ringing.
"Zombie apocalypse, how may I direct your call?" He said cheerfully and Ellie made her way way to him and leaned towards the phone so she could listen. Doc leaned down so she could reach better which she was grateful for she was a lot smaller.
"Operation Bite Mark?" She heard Citizen Z say
"Uh, yeah, what's left of us. This is Doc speaking"
"Excellent. Are you all still together?"
"Correctomundo. Nice to hear your voice. So what fresh hell awaits us?"
"According to the operations manual I've hacked into,you're going to need to go through decontamination"
"Well that sounds great to me cuz I ain't had a decent shower since, let's see, New York"
"Well it's not exactly a shower. But here's the most important thing. It is imperative that you decontaminate again before going back to the surface. This lab is equipped with Defcon One level quarantine assurance"
"Defcon One? Well isn't that some kind of nuclear term?"
"In the event of the breach of the quarantine system, the lab is targeted to be incinerated by a tactical nuclear weapon."
"What am I not surprised?"
"And there's one other thing about the decontamination process you need to know."
"Yeah, what's that?" Once he finished on the phone he hung up and explained to the rest of them and none of them were happy about the last bit
"Naked?" Warren asked once they were through the door
"That's what he said" Doc said "Naked. And then we got to put all our clothes and stuff in this chute here to get decontaminated with some liquid nitrogen" he explained
"So what are we waiting for?" Murphy said as he started to take off his top
"For y'all to turn around" Warren said taking her jacket off "And no peeking"
Soon they were in a circle and they were all facing out so everyone had there backs to each other.
"Eyes up front, young man" Warren said to 10k when he saw his gaze wandering
"Sorry. Sorry" He said jerking his head back
"Cassandra, you okay?" Warren asked
"I feel like I'm gonna pass out" She said holding onto 10k and Ellie's shoulders for support
"You'll be ok" Ellie said to her quietly
"You hang in there. Doc, what now?" Warren said
"Oh, we got to put these on." Doc said handing Warren some goggles and she passed them around "And...and then you got to hit that button marked decontamination in front of you, 10K"
"Murphy" Warren said to Murphy and he turned to see her looking at his back "Your scars. It looks like it's spreading" Ellie didn't turn around one she didn't want to see him naked and two she didn't want to make him uncomfortable so she jut put on her goggles and waited on the others.
"That's what I wanted to talk to Doctor Merch about" Murphy said raising his hand to run over the bite. "Well put your goggles on and quit staring. I'm not the god damn elephant man. I'm a human being. Sort of"
"Are you ready?" 10k asked when they all had them on
"Just do it" Murphy said and 10k pushed the button and then they were surrounded in a bright light, it started getting real hot and they could hear hissing but it was soon over and they were able to get dressed again.
"Man, I think I fried my gonads. I shoulda used sunscreen on my junk" Doc said
"Hey Doc no- one wants to hear about your junk" Ellie joked standing next to Cassandra but her smile soon dropped when she saw Cassandra's face. When she swayed Ellie stepped forward to help stabilise her but she sank to the floor and Ellie followed.
"Hey." 10k said coming forward and he dropped to the floor. "You're okay"
"I don't think I can go much further" Cassandra said weakly
"I've got her. I'll carry her if I have to" 10k said adamantly
"Okay. Sure" Warren said and Ellie took 10k's bag and rifle while he picked up Cassandra.