Dr. Jenner stood in the CDC's main gathering room, his lab coat slightly wrinkled and his face lined with exhaustion. The rest of the group sat or stood around him, their expressions ranging from hopeful to skeptical. The air was thick with tension as Jenner prepared to address them, holding a clipboard in one hand and adjusting his glasses with the other.
"I have results," he began, his voice steady but tinged with the weariness of someone who had been working tirelessly. "Murphy's blood contains unique properties that not only resist the Wildfire Virus but actively destroy it. Using it, I created a serum… a cure."
The group exchanged looks, the weight of his words settling over them. Rick stood near the center, his sheriff's hat pushed back slightly as he leaned on the table. His eyes were sharp, assessing every word Jenner said. Lori stood beside him, her hand resting protectively on Carl's shoulder, while Shane stood slightly apart, his arms crossed and his expression skeptical.
"You're saying you have a cure?" Rick asked, his voice low but firm.
Jenner nodded. "Yes. But… it's still early. We need to—"
"Do more tests," Dale interjected, his weathered face etched with concern. He leaned forward slightly, his hands gripping his knees. "You can't just jump into human trials. That's reckless."
Jenner's lips tightened into a thin line. "It's too late for that."
The room fell silent as the group processed his words. Jacqui, sitting near the edge of the group, shifted slightly, her hands folded tightly in her lap. "You mean…?"
Jenner took a deep breath. "Jim, Jacqui, and I… we've already taken the serum."
Gasps rippled through the group. Andrea's mouth dropped open in shock, while Amy's wide eyes darted nervously between Jenner and her sister. T-Dog shook his head, his arms crossing over his chest as he muttered, "Man, that's crazy."
"It was necessary," Jenner said firmly, his voice rising slightly. "We don't have time for long trials or careful study. The CDC is running out of resources, and we're sitting on the brink of annihilation. We had to act."
Jim, standing at the back of the room, cleared his throat. The group turned to look at him, their expressions a mix of concern and curiosity.
"I'll tell you this much," Jim said, stepping forward. His face, pale and sickly the day before, now had a healthier color, and his posture was stronger. "I feel better. A lot better. The fever I had? Gone. The aches? Gone. I haven't felt this good in… hell, I don't even know how long."
"The flu," Andrea said skeptically, raising an eyebrow. "You mean that cold you said you had?"
Jim hesitated for a moment, then pulled up his sleeve, revealing the bite mark on his forearm. The flesh was scarred but not infected, the wound clearly healing. "I lied," he admitted, his voice low but steady. "It wasn't the flu. I was bitten. But this cure… it's working. I'm not turning. I'm proof that Jenner's serum works."
The room erupted in a cacophony of voices. Shane stepped forward, his face a mask of fury. "You lied to us?" he snarled. "You could've turned and put us all at risk!"
Rick held up a hand, his voice cutting through the noise. "Enough! Jim's fine now. And if what he's saying is true, we have a chance here."
Jacqui stood, her calm voice breaking through the tension. "It's true. I feel fine, too. No fever, no pain. Just… normal."
"Normal…" Jenner echoed quietly, his gaze dropping to the floor. The word felt heavy on his tongue, a stark contrast to the itch in the back of his mind. The hunger that gnawed at him—it was faint but persistent, like a whisper he couldn't quite ignore.
Jim glanced at Jenner, their eyes meeting briefly. He knew Jenner felt it too. That strange, insidious craving. But neither of them said a word. Not yet.
Carol, standing near the corner with Sophia clinging to her side, looked between Jim and Jenner, her face lined with worry. "And there's no… side effects?"
"None that we've noticed," Jenner replied smoothly, his face betraying nothing. "The serum seems to be doing exactly what it was designed to do."
Murphy, leaning against the wall with his arms crossed, smirked faintly. "Told you my blood was magic. Guess I'm your golden goose now, huh?"
Daryl, standing near the doorway with his crossbow slung over his shoulder, snorted. "Just don't let it go to your head, blue boy."
Amy, still seated near Andrea, looked at Jacqui with a tentative smile. "If it's working, then… maybe things are finally turning around."
Andrea placed a hand on her sister's shoulder, her expression softening. "Let's hope so."
Lori, holding Carl close, cast a cautious glance at Rick. "If this cure works, what does that mean for us? For everyone else out there?"
Rick's jaw tightened. "It means we need to figure out how to get this to as many people as possible."
"Easier said than done," Shane muttered, his arms still crossed as he leaned against the table.
As the conversation continued, Jenner's mind drifted. The hunger was still there, gnawing at the edges of his thoughts like an uninvited guest. He clenched his fists, forcing himself to focus. Now wasn't the time to address it. There were too many questions, too many uncertainties. For now, they needed hope, and he would give it to them.
But deep down, he knew… something wasn't right.