Just Another Day in Paradise

Carol opened up the map as Michonne drove. The left hand turn was taking through a rural area for another 20 miles before they went through a small town. She and Michonne discussed strategy and agreed that they needed to find a safe place but stopping at the first town would probably lead the Governor to them. They didn't have a clue where the fall back location was but their immediate concern was finding a safe place for Daryl and Tyreese. Once Daryl woke up and gave the fall back location they would go there and be back in their fold.

The small town looked deserted but with few walkers; they kept traveling on. The Governor would take one look at the ambush scene, see the blood from Daryl and Tyreese and know that they were looking for a place to stop. Carol looked at the map again, and asked Michonne to take a road heading west toward the mountains. It was a bright summer morning, dew glistened on the foliage as they traveled; it was a beautiful day for a long drive.

Tyreese looked a little gray, and Carol gave him a pain pill. Daryl was still out and Carol tamped back the encroaching fear about his continuing to be in unconscious. Decisions had to be made if they were going to survive and fear made bad choices. She could write a book about that, and Carol took a minute to control her breathing. Michonne looked over a Tyreese and asked if he were familiar with this part of Georgia. Tyreese had owned a small construction company that had built steel buildings all over Georgia. Tyreese asked Carol for the map and took a minute to look at it. His company had built a large complex of buildings about 50 miles northwest from their location. A manufacturing company was expanding its operation and needed some storage facilities. His crew had stayed in a nearby town, and had had a great time there. The town had a hospital, a college, lots of restaurants and bars, and had a laid back vibe.

Carol thought it sounded good; they still had lots of gas, and it was a long way from the ambush site. Michonne agreed; she wanted to kill the Governor slowly and painfully to avenge Andrea but now wasn't the time. Taking care of Tyreese and Daryl had to come first. She believed that she and the Governor were destined to meet again in one final battle, but not right now, she was too exhausted and distracted to defeat him today. The time was coming but not right now.

The trip to Fairview took about two hours. They had to make some detours for blocked roads and one good sized walker herd but it was still morning when they entered the outskirts of Fairview. The town was centered around the small college campus and it looked as if the college had fueled the economy of the town. The bars and restaurants that lined the main street seemed geared to a young affluent market. There was few clothing stores there, the students probably traveled to malls some distance away. The town was quiet, and Michonne commented, "When it hit the students started home, most of the school staff may have been from somewhere else and they took off, that just left the locals. Carol pointed out the blue hospital sign and they followed the trail to the hospital. The place looked completely trashed and there were walkers all around. Sighing Carol said, "We need a phone book, no phone booths anymore because everyone used cell phones." Michonne raised an eyebrow, "Carol, are you going to call the chamber of commerce or the Welcome Wagon? Why do you want a phone book?" "A town with doctors and a hospital probably has at least one nursing home somewhere close. Nursing homes might have some antibiotics around; even if they are old they might still have some potency left." Carol answered.

Michonne spied a local newspaper office and stopped the vehicle in the road; Carol took Zak and a pry bar and jumped out. The street was deserted by Michonne got out and stood ready to have Carol's back. The door was locked, apparently no one looted reading material, and Carol had the door open in a second. She found a thin phone book on the front counter and scooted outside. The citizens of Fairview must have been a welcoming bunch, because even in death a group of four couple were staggering toward Michonne as Carol left the building. With a single motion Carol removed Zak and continued the arc of the sword toward the neck of the first walker. Michonne dispatched two and moved farther from the car to get the last. Carol used the pry bar as an "ending tool"; the dead would continue to be a threat until the brain was completely destroyed. Carol and Michonne jumped back into the vehicle and drove away before they attracted anymore unwanted attention. Carol scanned the phone book and found the Fairview Assisted Living Facility and a listing for Fairview Nursing home conveniently listed on the same street.

They spent some time figuring out the streets of the town, but it wasn't long before they found the two facilities separated by a small roadside park. They decided that the nursing home would be there first stop. The facility was all one story with the reception area in the center with a wing on either side. The front door had been forced open but they had expected that. The prevailing drug culture in America was on the prowl looking for pharmaceuticals as soon as the ZA hit. Michonne wanted to go in alone so that Carol could protect Tyreese and Daryl. Carol insisted on going too. Tyreese was awake even if a little groggy from the pain medication. He could fire his pistol if any trouble showed up.

Carol got out with a pistol, Zak, and the pry bar. Michonne carried a pistol and her sword and emptied a back pack and carried it in. The place was deserted, the death smell still present but not the overwhelming smell of recent demise. They found the nurse's station and there was broken door behind it. The drugs had been looted but they found alcohol, bandages, and other medical supplies. Carol noticed a file cabinet not completely closed at the nurse station, and something about it beckoned to her. There were just files and a woman's purse inside. It looked as if her intuition wasn't working well today, but on a whim she opened the purse. Inside were bottles of antibiotics and pain pills all stashed away by some staff member who planned to take advantage of the chaos to acquire some medical supplies. Carol held them up to Michonne and then put the bottles in Michonne's bag. They found another cabinet and loaded up with more medical supplies before leaving the building. Tyreese tried to smile a greeting but he was obviously in more pain than before. They needed to find a secure place and tend to their wounded.

Michonne drove to Fairview Assisted Living. It was a three story apartment building and the doors were open but still intact. She drove around to the service entrance and found those doors closed but not locked. Carol and Michonne conferred for a few minutes and decided to see if there were any supplies left in the building. Michonne entered first and Carol followed. The place had been looted of most of the food, but not trashed. The kitchen area was dusty and they followed a set of dusty footprints toward the cafeteria and out into the back hall. The storage area had been opened and they found some blankets and pillows. The scuffling sounds from upstairs were being echoed by moans from the front so they back tracked out of the building and back to the car with all the blankets and pillows that they could carry.

Tyreese was looking at the map when they got back to the Sub; he showed Michonne where his company had built the steel buildings. They decided to drive by and check out the area for a safe place to stay. Tyreese gave directions and they soon found themselves miles outside of town in a rural area. The buildings had a tall chain linked fence around the perimeter but the fence was unlocked. There were no walkers shambling around and they noticed that there weren't any cars in the area. Tyreese pointed out the buildings that they had built. His company had built four large buildings and a smaller office building. Michonne parked to the side of the building where the car couldn't be seen from the highway. Carol pried the door open and she and Michonne entered the building to check for walkers. The offices took up one section of the building and the front was the display room filled with different types of granite countertops and specialized stoneware for high end kitchens. The space appeared walker free and the office space was empty as well. Michonne used the chain and lock kept in the vehicle to secure the gate. Carol helped Tyreese in and set him in a chair. She and Michonne carried Daryl in and put him on a table. They moved the medical supplies, water, camp stove, blankets, and food from the car. They secured the door with jam locks that kept it from moving but were easily released. Michonne prepared food and distributed water while Carol cleaned Tyreese's leg and sutured it back together. They were all thankful when he passed out from the pain, but he soon revived and was able to drink some water.

Carol moved to Daryl who was beginning to show signs of awakening. He opened his eyes and vomited. Daryl appeared confused and complained of a headache. Carol thought it might be a concussion and could only hope that rest and quiet would help him recover. Michonne checked out the bathroom and found that they facility had its own water supply. They would have to boil the water but at least for a day or so they had access to a water supply. Carol used cool water to try to keep Daryl cool. The next few hours were occupied by taking care of the injured. Tyreese was able to eat and keep it down. Daryl became a little more aware but his confusion continued. He did not appear to recognize Tyreese and Michonne, and he flinched when Carol touched him. He asked why they were not in the prison and wanted to talk to Rick. Carol realized after talking with him for a few minutes that he had no recollection of where the fall back location was. His memory seemed to fade out only in the few months; he knew Merle was dead but not much after that. Daryl did not remember their time together, his friendship with Tyreese and Michonne, and the location of the fall back house. Just another day here in Paradise Carol thought to herself. What are we going to do?