Wildfire
Felicia sagged wearily against a tree as she watched the others drag about the camp, still trying to take in what had happened. Glenn and Daryl were arguing over what to do with the corpses when Jacqui announced in a panic that Jim had been bitten. The group dissolved into murmurs and nervousness as Jim repeated, "I'm fine," over and over. At this point, Rick and Shane took it upon themselves to figure out what to do with him, Daryl inserting his one-track, non-negotiable opinion every so often. The conversation lasted until they had decided on going to the CDC.
Carol attacked her husband's corpse with an axe and Ingrid watched, curled up into a quivering ball, the adrenaline having worn off. Shane passed Felicia at one point, their eyes meeting for a brief moment before he continued on, resting his gun on his shoulder. Felicia closed her eyes and leaned down to pet Teeth, exhaling loudly as she surveyed the damage.
That was when Amy finally reanimated, much to her sister's dismay. Everyone looked at the two, unsure how this was going to play out; Shane and Rick grabbed their guns. Luckily, Andrea said something and shot her sister before they could intervene.
After Morales announced to the group that he would not be accompanying them to the CDC, silence enveloped the group as each of them tried to process this new information and plan of action. As Felicia hugged Morales's wife, Miranda, she wondered how far the family would make it before being overtaken by Walkers. In a large group, they had a chance. But a husband, wife, and several kids were hardly a team to be feared. If they were no longer at the top of the food chain, it was time to act like it, and if that meant traveling in packs, so be it. Felicia couldn't articulate any of this to Morales's wife, however. All she managed was a hollow "good luck".
Ingrid, having partially recovered from the shock of the previous night, was leaning against one of the cars, drawing figures in the dirt with her shoe. She had managed to distance herself from the carnage of her parents, and was now wiping furiously at eyes that were wet, partly with dust and partly with frustration. Sophia approached her and silently took her hand.
The group loaded into the vehicles, Felicia following Shane into the jeep, at which he showed little emotion, after realizing there was no room for her anywhere else. She silently climbed into the passenger's seat, Teeth hopping into the back seat and Shane taking the wheel. She felt the need to say something as they started off, but couldn't form anything. There was no way to understand what he was thinking, and though there were numerous things she wanted to tell him, she had the feeling none would elicit a good reaction.
Sophia, Carol, Ingrid, and Carl were in the backseat of the car Rick was driving, with Lori in the passenger's seat. Sophia was sitting in Carol's lap for lack of another seat, and Ingrid was staring at the moving landscape out the window. Carol looked visibly numb, and her daughter looked like she had a combination of a hangover and a bruised tailbone as she fiddled aimlessly with the crowbar in her lap.
They had been driving for some time when suddenly the RV honked, and everyone stopped. It was easy to see that Jim wasn't going to make it to the CDC, given how fast his condition was degrading. It was painful to watch, and even more painful to have to make the decision about what to do with him. When he finally took initiative and elected to stay by a roadside tree, a sense of relief and depression came over the group. They all made sure to acknowledge him in some form before getting back on the road.
Felicia watched in the rearview mirror as the figure of Jim dwindled and vanished, clearing her throat and awkwardly squirming in her seat.
She was attempting to find a comfortable position when Shane let out a deep breath. "Somethin' on your mind?" he asked, not removing his eyes from the road.
Felicia hadn't realized how much she had begun to resemble a toddler on a road trip, and so she settled down, muttering, "nothing" and opting to look out her window. This time, Shane did steal a quick glance at her, one eyebrow raised quizzically. Felicia felt his eyes on her and swallowed hard, letting her head thump against the car door. Her neck was at a strange angle, making her extremely uncomfortable, but in a fit of agitation, continued to thump her head repeatedly against the same spot in an indecipherable pattern.
Shane, getting increasingly irritated, sighed again, and said, his words razor sharp, "is there somethin' on your mind?"
The thumping ceased, and Felicia looked at him, deciding whether or not to respond. She made a noise that sounded something like "mmmf" and set her head on the door once again, closing her eyes. Shane began to sense that she had fallen asleep, as she stayed like that the rest of the way.
All the cars pulled up to the CDC, and Ingrid, yawning loudly, barged out of the car and took the opportunity to stretch her legs. She glanced at the end of the caravan and saw that Felicia was still asleep, with Shane staring skeptically. He nudged her with the butt of his gun, which caused her to snap awake.
Ingrid, gawking at nothing in particular, felt a tugging on her arm and looked down to see Sophia, who had broken away from Carol's vice-like grip. Rick, Carl and Lori exited the car, taking a look around before Rick started toward the entrance to the CDC, the rest of the group following close behind in a tight-knit pack.
What followed was a battle of wills as Rick fought to convince the others that the building was still inhabited. Ingrid fidgeted impatiently. All she wanted to do was lie down and eat junk food, and now this dumbass was yelling at a building. Ed's death still hadn't quite soaked in, but at this point in the apocalypse, deaths didn't really require soaking in, it was all so surreal. Maybe part of her she refused to acknowledge had wanted her father gone. He'd been better, once, when Carol had fallen in love with him, but Ingrid's only memories were ones of booze, bruises, and the occasional sexual remark directed at her or Sophia. Maybe a good night's rest would help this all start to scar over.
The group was just beginning to dissolve when suddenly there was movement from within the building- Rick's pleas had paid off. The group turned to stare as the doors opened and the Center for Disease Control invited them in like a light in the dark.