"Merle," The realization that he had been with me and probably near death struck me suddenly. "Where's Merle?" I tried to push myself up into a sitting position, but the woman eased me back down. I couldn't find the strength to fight against her.
"The man you came here with is just fine. His arm has been tended to and he's expected to make a full recovery," This set me at ease for a moment, but I was suddenly wide awake and full of questions.
"Where are we?" I asked, once again taking stock of the room. It looked like a school infirmary, complete with a counter and sink, and a lot of cabinets.
"This is Woodbury. It's a walled off town of survivors. Safest place you could be," She assured me with a kind smile. Her answer stunned me into silence.
Walls? Safety? I'd assumed all those things gone. I couldn't imagine a life where a group of people could actually stay in one place forever. I'd known that our camp at the quarry, like all camps, was temporary. We'd stay there for as long as we could, but eventually we'd have to move on. Supplies would run out.
How is a place like this even possible. They have running water, electricity, and medical care. They've fortified the place with walls. How did they manage to do all of this? I suppose it could have been a refugee center, but something about the room felt too private.
"I need to see Merle," I started to sit up again and this time the woman let me. She sighed heavily before smiling at me.
"I'll tell you what. After you eat something I'll take you to him," I realized then how hungry I was. I nodded.
Half an hour later I'd eaten a turkey sandwich, an apple, and corn. I'd also drank six tiny cups of water. I felt like I could have eaten an entire turkey and not just the slivers on my sandwich. Once I'd finished eating the nurse, who I now knew as Anne, removed my IV. I looked away and tried to think about anything else. I'd never been a fan of needles. Something about the thought of something under my skin made me extremely uncomfortable.
When Anne helped me stand up I finally took notice of what I was wearing. I was in a pink, lacy night gown that you'd expect to see in a ninety year old woman's closet. My feet were covered with thick hospital socks with little bunnies all over them. If Merle was awake I was never going to hear the end of this.
His room was at the end of the hall. Anne insisted on holding onto me the whole way down there. I could have walked just fine on my own, considering the only part of my body I'd managed to hurt was my hand.
Once in the room I went straight to Merle's bedside. He was passed out, looking peaceful, but awfully banged up. His arm was bandaged and I couldn't see any sign of blood on the white gauze. Anne pulled a chair up to the bed and I sat down.
"I'll leave you two alone for a while," Anne touched my shoulder comfortingly before leaving the room.
Now that I was alone, I wasn't sure what to do. I watched Merle's chest rise and fall.
"I guess," I stared, feeling awkward talking to a sleeping person. "I could wait for you to wake up, but," My fingers touched his and they twitched. "I just wanted to say thank you for, you know, saving me. And I'm sorry you had to kill him. There must have been a better way," I brushed my fingertips over his scabbed knuckles.
"Wasn't no other way, sugar," I jumped slightly at the sound of Merle's rough voice. "Ain't nothin' was gonna stop him but death," He hadn't moved his body, but his cold eyes were focused on my face.
"I'll...get you some water," I stood up and my legs bumped against the chair noisily. I scurried to the sink across the room and filled one of those waxy cups with water. Merle seemed to have no problem lifting his head and holding the cup steady, but he let out a loud huff when he collapsed back onto the pillows.