Jim's sudden, pain-filled cry ripped through the fragile semblance of order Rick's arrival had begun to instill. The man convulsed on the ground, his body arching, a low animalistic sound tearing from his throat. Panic flared anew amongst the survivors. Carl and Sophia, who had been hesitantly playing nearby, scrambled back towards their mothers, Lily instantly seeking refuge behind Ethan's legs.
"Give him space!" Rick commanded, his voice cutting through the rising fear. He knelt beside Jim, his face a mask of grim concern. Lori and Dale rushed forward, Carol close behind.
The System in Ethan's mind provided a cold, clinical update: [JIM (SURNAME UNKNOWN): PATHOGEN PROGRESSION ACCELERATED. SEVERE FEVER, DELIRIUM, ONSET OF SYSTEMIC SHUTDOWN. REANIMATION IMMINENT WITHIN HOURS POST-MORTEM. IMMEDIATE MEDICAL INTERVENTION FOR SYMPTOM MANAGEMENT ADVISED TO MAINTAIN LUCIDITY/COMFORT.]
"He's burning up," Lori said, her hand recoiling from Jim's forehead. "We need to get his fever down."
This was Ethan's cue. "I have something," he said, stepping forward, trying to sound calm and matter-of-fact. He opened his backpack and "found" the small, sealed packets he'd purchased from the System shop. "High-strength fever reducers. And these antiseptic wipes are medical grade, good for cleaning the wound, might help a little." He handed them to Lori, avoiding Rick's momentarily surprised but quickly grateful gaze. "Had them in a first-aid kit I picked up. Never know what you'll need."
[RESOURCES PROVIDED. KARMA POINTS +3 (GOOD). SYSTEM NOTES PLAUSIBLE DENIABILITY MAINTAINED.]
While Lori and Dale administered the pills with a little water and gently cleaned the horrifying bite on Jim's abdomen, the supplies offering a sliver of palliative care but no hope of a cure, the grim reality of their situation settled heavily. Shane watched, his jaw tight, his hand never far from his shotgun.
"We can't take him with us if he's like this, Rick," Shane stated, his voice low and hard. "Not if we're trying to make time to the CDC. If he turns in a car, in the RV…"
"He's one of us, Shane," Rick countered, his tone equally firm, though laced with weariness. "We don't leave people behind."
"We do if they're a threat to everyone else!"
The argument simmered, a familiar friction already evident between the two men. Dale eventually interceded, suggesting they focus on preparing to leave while keeping Jim as comfortable as possible. The decision of what to do if Jim worsened could be made when it had to be.
For the next few hours, the camp was a hive of anxious activity. Fuel was siphoned from abandoned cars into Dale's RV and one other pickup truck that seemed marginally reliable. Meager supplies were consolidated. Ethan found himself working alongside Glenn, checking over the detailed map Ethan had found in the bank vault, comparing it with Dale's older, more worn road atlas.
"CDC is a straight shot down I-85 once we get past this initial mess and onto it," Glenn murmured, tracing a route. "But getting to I-85 from here is the tricky part. These back roads…"
[SYSTEM ROUTE ANALYSIS (INTERNAL): CURRENTLY PLOTTED GROUP ROUTE TO I-85 HAS A 65% CHANCE OF ENCOUNTERING SIGNIFICANT WALKER OBSTRUCTIONS OR AMBUSH POINTS BASED ON TERRAIN AND LIKELY REFUGEE MOVEMENT PATTERNS. ALTERNATIVE ROUTE AVAILABLE VIA COUNTY ROAD 42 – LONGER, BUT LOWER PREDICTED THREAT.]
"Maybe we should consider County Road 42 instead of trying to cut straight through those smaller towns to hit the interstate?" Ethan suggested, pointing to it on the map. "Looks like it bypasses some of the more built-up areas Glenn was worried about. Might be clearer, even if it adds a few miles."
Glenn looked at the map, then at Ethan. "Huh. Didn't even really consider that one. You got a good eye for these things, Ethan. Yeah, that… that actually makes a lot of sense." He took the suggestion to Rick, who, after a brief discussion, agreed it seemed a less direct but potentially safer initial path. Ethan's "good eye," aided by silent, instantaneous System analysis, was proving its worth, though no one knew its true source.
Lily stayed close to Carol and the other children, her earlier terror subdued but a permanent wariness now etched in her young face. Ethan made sure to check on her frequently, offering a reassuring word or a shared glance.
By late afternoon, Jim, after a period of fever-induced delirium where he'd babbled about his lost family, regained a moment of chilling lucidity. He looked at Rick, his eyes surprisingly clear.
"Don't… don't take me with you," he rasped, each word an effort. "Don't let me turn… not with the children." His gaze flickered towards where Carl, Sophia, and Lily were huddled. "Leave me. Find a tree. A nice, quiet tree. I want to… be with my wife and boys."
The request, so filled with despair yet a strange kind of peace, silenced the camp. Rick knelt by Jim again, his face etched with pain.
"Are you sure, Jim? Absolutely sure?"
Jim nodded weakly. "Yeah. I'm sure. It's… it's better this way."
There were no more arguments. The decision had been made by the man whose life was ending.
With heavy hearts, as the sun began its descent, they made their final preparations. Dale's RV was started, its engine a familiar, comforting rumble. The pickup truck, loaded with their most essential supplies, coughed to life beside it. They found a quiet spot just off the highway, under a large, solitary oak tree, as Jim had requested. They helped him there, propping him gently against its trunk.
The goodbyes were brief, choked with emotion. Jacqui, who had been particularly close to Jim, was openly weeping.
Ethan stood a little apart with Lily, watching Rick say his final words to Jim, a quiet exchange between two men facing the impossible. He felt a profound sadness, but also a grim understanding of this world's brutal rules.
Then, as Rick turned away, his face set, signaling it was time to go, the System flashed a priority notification in Ethan's mind. It wasn't about Jim, or the immediate surroundings. It was about their destination.
[INTELLIGENCE UPDATE: CROSS-REFERENCED HISTORICAL DATA, SATELLITE IMAGERY (PRE-BLACKOUT ARCHIVES), AND FRAGMENTED EMERGENCY BROADCASTS CONCERNING CDC ATLANTA. ANALYSIS COMPLETE.]
[FACILITY STATUS: CDC HEADQUARTERS, ATLANTA – CONFIRMED SITE OF 'OPERATION WILDFIRE' INITIATION. HIGH PROBABILITY OF TOTAL FACILITY LOCKDOWN. CONTAINMENT PROTOCOLS LIKELY FAILED. VIABILITY AS A LONG-TERM REFUGE: EXTREMELY LOW. WARNING: SIGNIFICANT RISK OF CATASTROPHIC FAILURE OR SELF-DESTRUCT PROTOCOL IF FACILITY INTEGRITY COMPROMISED.]
Ethan froze, the words burning into his consciousness. Extremely low viability. Self-destruct protocol. The entire group was pinning their hopes, their very survival, on reaching a place that was almost certainly a deathtrap or, at best, a ticking time bomb.
He looked at Rick, now rallying the others, his face a mask of determined leadership, trying to project hope. He looked at Lori and Carl, at Dale, at Glenn, at Lily clutching his hand. They were all heading towards a mirage.