Day's End

Known and Unknown

            Lidia's head finally dropped down as she lost consciousness that she was just barely hanging on to. Sidney stayed in their kneeling position and stared at Lidia's body, only able to wonder if she was still alive; it couldn't be long now. Andre stepped forward and, taking a glance at Lidia, spoke, "You knew her?"
Sidney swallowed audibly and slowly nodded.
"And your other friend? Micheal? We can go find-"
"No! You stay the hell away from him!" Sidney shot up and slapped Andre's hand off of their shoulder. 
"Sidney, I think you should calm down," Lea whispered, resting her hand on Sidney's arm, which they brushed off as well. 
Sidney backed away from the cell and held back the gag that tugged at the back of their throat. "You're sick! All of you! You're just going to sit back and let her turn?" 
"Sidney-"
"Shut up! Do you know what that's like? To sit back and watch your friends turn into a monster?" Sidney gripped their firearm that Andre had given back. "I won't. I don't give a shit if it interferes with your 'understanding'!" 
"Sidney, wait-!" 
They aimed it at Lidia's body and pulled the trigger. 
"You little shit!" Andre shouted, lunging forward, grabbing their arm, and pulling them upwards to face him. "Do you know what you just did?"
"I saved her," Sidney muttered, slinking back from his glare.
"You killed her," Andre nearly growled. 
"She was already dead, asshole!"
Lea grabbed Andre's hand and pried it off of Sidney's arm. "Calm down; both of you!"
              Sidney held the gun tightly and glared at Andre; their temper begged them to kill him right then and there, but their sense told them otherwise. They shifted their glare to Lea, who stood between the man and the boy. "As soon as Rose wakes up, I'm leaving with or without you." Sidney turned and barreled out the heavy doors, stomping down the hallway until they made it down the flight of stairs. In the main room, a group of 'soldiers,' or whatever they were called, gathered around something; some were kneeling and doing something to the object, and some stood, waiting for the next action with it. 
              Sidney assumed that they were automatically welcomed because Andre had allowed them to stay in the building until Lea made a decision of what she wanted to do and Rose woke up, and strolled up to the group of six. Unsurprisingly nowadays, it was a corpse; Joseph's corpse. Sidney stared at it with a sort of deer-to-the-headlights look, ushering a man to turn and ask in an aggressive tone, "Who are you?" 
It took a few seconds for Sidney to process that they were being spoken to, but they finally snapped out of their trance. "Sidney."
The man let out a laugh that Sidney knew meant, 'Are you serious?'. "Yeah, but why are you here?"
Sidney took a step back from the group and shrugged. "Andre brought us here." Before the man could speak further, they asked, "What are you going to do with him?"
He squinted in suspicion. "That's none of your business. Run on to wherever you came from." 
               The man turned back to the body, which all the others had been preoccupied with, and Sidney grumbled, deciding not to push any further. They weren't safe here; Sidney knew that. Andre was only keeping them because Lea happened to be a neurologist, and as soon as Lea found something worth noting, if she even agreed to at all, he wouldn't hesitate to get rid of or kill them, perhaps even both of them. 
               Sidney sulked back up the stairs and, judging by the loud conversation, found that Lea and Andre still hadn't left the room. They gingerly stepped further down the hallway and slowly pried open the door that led to the room Rose was being held in. The strong scent hit them anew, causing their face to involuntarily scrunch up in disgust. Inside, Rose was all alone; Ren was nowhere to be seen, along with the other doctor, who they had yet to meet. Sidney slipped inside and gently closed the door, emitting only a dull clacking noise. 
               Rose was still unconscious, but, thankfully, her skin didn't look as pale and her breathing sounded less pained. They stepped up to the steel, undoubtedly cold table and gazed down at her, suddenly overcome with a single memory; Natalie. Two years ago, when they had met, Rose was looking for Natalie and had since then given up, but a small swell of responsibility took form. If Rose wasn't going to survive this, they would be the ones to search for Natalie. They didn't know what she looked like, but Rose had told them of something Natalie was bound to keep with her; her red switchblade knife. Of course, anyone could have a knife like that, but, given the circumstances, it was a start.
               Sidney snapped out of their thoughts and looked around the cold room. They slowly turned their head towards the curtain that separated a portion of the area. Under the curtain, they could see a small pool of some dark liquid.
                 They grasped the edge of the curtain and yanked it open; a vial that was filled with a dark purple liquid was upturned, and the contents had spilled onto the floor. What caused Sidney to jump back was the rotting corpse strapped to a table similar to Rose's. Its eyes rolled back into its head, and its mouth hung open; the teeth were loose, and some had already fallen into the mush that was a mouth.
                Bottles of bleach and other cleaning supplies were stacked up in another corner, and, guessing by the sheer amount, that was what caused the unbearably sharp scent. "The hell- Mmph!" Sidney's shouts were muffled by the gloved hand that wrapped around their mouth.
"Sidney, be quiet!" Ren hoarsely whispered, dragging them back from the curtain.
Sidney pulled away from her grip and scurried away on the floor. "What was that for?"
"Just be quiet," Ren instructed, roughly pulling the curtain back in place. "Why are you in here?"
Sidney pushed themselves up, using the table as a supporter. "I came in to check on Rose, but what the hell was that?"
"None of your business. Don't you dare tell anyone about what you saw, understand?"
"Why? And why is it in here with Rose?"
"This is where we've always kept it. Rose just happens to be here."
"What was that liquid stuff?" Sidney more or less demanded, pointing to the small puddle on the ground.
"Wha- Oh, shit!" Ren cursed, diving behind the curtain and rushing around, supposedly to clean the mess. "Did you do that?"
"What? No. It was like that when I found it. The spill is what caught my attention."
"Damn! He's gonna be mad," Winters mumbled, carefully shuffling around. 
"Why's it so important anyway? And who?" 
"Dr. Rowley, and-" Ren sighed, peeking out from behind the curtain. "Please, don't tell anyone about this." 
"Okay.." They muttered, stepping around the table. 
"Now, get out before you're caught in here. I don't want you to get in any more trouble than you already are." 
"Huh? What did I do?" 
"F*ck," she whispered," I guess I should warn you." Dr. Winters exited the covered area and stood in front of Sidney, her arms dropping to her sides, obviously tired. "You need to leave."
"Yeah, I was just-"
"No, I mean the city. You need to get far away from here; at least, far away from Andre." 
"I know. I was planning on leaving as soon as Rose was better," Sidney said, folding their arms. 
"You need to leave as soon as possible." She looked at him intently. "He won't keep you alive. If you're lucky, he'll just abandon you somewhere."
"Figured. So, he's planning on killing me?"
"Not just you; Rose and William, too."
"And Lea?"
"I'm not so sure about her. Andre just might keep her alive, if she proves to be useful, but I think she should leave, too." Ren took a step back. "I've said too much. Make do with what I've told you."
"But, about Rose, will she be okay?" They asked, gesturing towards her body. 
"I don't know when she'll wake up, but, if she does, I think she'll be fine."
"Okay, I'll- I'll go warn Lea," Sidney said as if it were a question, backing up from the table. 
"Yes, and be careful! Make sure he doesn't hear you."
"I'll try." Sidney reached the door, pulling it ajar. 
"And, if you do decide to escape," Ren started, "come back for me."
They nodded. "I will." 
                Sidney exited the room, but, as soon as they did, the idea of this being a trap presented itself in their mind; however, in the short time they had known each other, Sidney had begun to trust Dr. Winters. She seemed genuine in her warning and request, and they nevertheless sped down the hallway. A few soldiers standing in the corridor questionably turned their heads to the running boy, but most chose not to interfere; most. 
"Whoa, whoa, hey, slow down," a young man cautioned, stepping out from, in Sidney's point of view, nowhere. "What are you doing?"
Sidney slowed down, scrunching their nose in distaste as they looked up. They roughly pushed the man's shoulder, demanding, "Out of my way! I have to go somewhere!"
"And how old are you? Are you even allowed in here?" He asked, grabbing Sidney's wrist to refrain them from pushing any further. 
"I'm looking for the neurologist." 
"Who?"
Sidney grunted and pulled their arm away. "Just move!"
"Do you mean Dr. Rowley or Winters? They're not neurologists; we don't have one," the man said matter-of-factly. 
They groaned, getting more restless by the second. "Get the f*ck out of my way!" 
The young man reached for Sidney's other arm and said, "I think you should leave before something happens to you."
Before he could grasp their free arm, Sidney pulled out their gun and pressed it against his forehead, which was close due to the man leaning forward. "I said move." 
"Why should I be afraid of you? Kids your age aren't brave enough to kill me."
"Don't underestimate me. I'm not as young and weak as I look."
The man slowly leaned back to his original position. "Sure you aren't. Now get out."
Sidney's hands shook lightly as their grip tightened, and, suddenly, two hands rested themselves on their shoulder. "Put your gun down, Sidney," Ren calmly said. "There's no need to get violent." She then leaned in and whispered, "I'll take care of this. He's with me and knows about Andre." Dr. Winters looked up and said, "Hailey, this is Sidney; they're part of the group Andre brought in." 
Hailey straightened himself up. "Are they-?"
"Yeah. They were just going to do that." 
"Oh, well." He laughed nervously. "Sorry, Sidney. I know where she is; I could take you to her, eh?" Hailey offered, now flashing a smile that better suited his face than did the previous scowl. 
Sidney loosened up and sighed. "That would be better than me wandering alone, I guess." 
Dr. Winters smiled, sliding her hands off of their shoulders. "Oh, yeah, before you go, I'm making progress with Rose. Her wound looks a lot better, but she's definitely not going to be completely recovered for a while."
"Thanks, Ren," Sidney simply said, not really knowing how to express their gratitude. 
"Yeah, not a problem. Good luck with Lea."
Hailey tapped their shoulder. "You ready?"
                Ren turned and trotted off after waving, and Sidney slowly nodded. Hailey started down the hallway, opposite of the path where the cell Lidia had been in was. "They're in Andre's office," he spoke, easing Sidney's unspoken worries. "Since they'll probably be together, I'll think of something to draw him away." 
The younger jogged up to Hailey's side. "So, you're with Ren? You're trying to escape?" 
"Yeah." He smiled in thought before continuing, "We've been planning this since she figured it out." 
"'It'? What did she figure out?" 
"You saw it, right?" His smile faded, now replaced by a curious expression.
"Saw what? Damn, just tell me!" Sidney urged, spreading out their arms. 
Hailey chuckled at their enthusiasm. "The liquid. You saw it, right?" 
"Yeah, but what about it?" Their urgency faded as slight disappointment took over.
"That's what Dr. Winters figured out. It's a cure." He flashed the smile again, but he continued before Sidney could explode with questions, "She still refuses to tell me how, but I guess that's understandable, eh?"
"You're a really good actor," Sidney simply stated. 
He turned his head to face them. "What?"
"I mean you were so different and threatening when you first saw me."
"Thanks, Sidney. Oh, and sorry about that."
Ignoring his unnecessary apology, the realization suddenly hit Sidney. "Damn, a cure? When did she find out? And why didn't she tell anyone? Why didn't she use it?" 
"She found out quite a while ago, maybe two months, and I'm not-"
"Two months? Why did she wait that long?"
"I'm not really sure. Nicholas didn't want a cure, because, y'know, this. I don't think Andre wants one, either."
"Then what the hell does he want Lea for?"
"Andre thinks that walkers still have part of their past-selves in them. Maybe he wants Lea to figure that out because he thinks Dr. Rowley and Winters can't. If it turns out they don't, that's why we're trying to escape with Lea. He's not going to keep either of you alive." 
"That's what Ren said. Damn! Where're we going to take the cure once we get out?"
Hailey slowed down as he turned a corner. "We'd better stop. We're almost there, and who knows who might hear us. I'm sure Dr. Winters will explain it to you." 
Sidney let out a shaky sigh, trying to clear their overwhelmed state. "Yeah, okay." 
                  Hailey continued on until he stopped at a door and knocked. A few seconds of silence passed before someone answered, "Come in." Before Hailey opened the door, he motioned for Sidney to stay put and walked in alone. Outside, Sidney heard Hailey's suddenly frantic voice half-shout to Andre, "We've found survivors in the city, sir, and one of them is bitten!" 
Another muffled voice ensued, "Really? I'm sorry, Lea, we'll have to continue afterward. Take me to them, Faust." 
                  Footsteps followed, and Sidney jumped out of the way just as the door suddenly swung open; Andre and Hailey both rushed down the nearby staircase. Without taking a moment to evaluate the potential consequences of Hailey's lie, Sidney ran into the room and grabbed Lea's wrist, looking at her intently. "Lea, we need to leave; like, now." 
"What? Why?"
"Dr. Winters explained it all to me. Andre is planning on killing you, me, and William. We need to find him, and then escape as soon as possible."
"But what about Rose?" 
"I don't know, but we need to leave before Andre realizes." 
                They pulled Lea out of the room before she could ask any further questions and bolted down the hallway. Panting and shaking with the excitement of leaving, they burst into the lab with Lea still being dragged behind. "Ren? I've got Lea."
Ren suddenly jumped up in surprise from packing away a box into a backpack, along with other medical things. "Good. I'm sure you could tell, but-"
"You're awake?" Sidney exclaimed, letting go of Lea's hand as they lurched forward to Rose. 
"I.. guess. Where is this?" Rose asked, clearly still half-asleep and dazed. 
"We're back with the Phoenix, but we're escaping. Are you able to walk?" 
"Well, Sidney, we should definitely take it slow with her. She's still recovering," Ren stated, standing up as she slung the bag over her shoulder. 
"Why are we back here? I thought we had escaped."
"We did, but then you fainted. We made a deal that if Lea helped Andre you would get treated," Sidney said, helping Rose slide off of the table and stand. 
"We're leaving now?"
"Yeah. We need to hurry before Andre comes back." 
Lea stepped forward. "We probably don't have time for introductions, but I'm Lea." 
Rose nodded. "I already know Ren, and I guess you know I'm Rose." 
Lea smiled, helping Rose walk with Sidney as she had when Rose was still unconscious. 
"You forgot this," a voice meekly said; the speaker handed a syringe and needle to Ren.
She quickly slipped the backpack off and stuffed it in. "Thank you, William." 
                  Ren stood and jogged over to the door, holding it open for the others before locking it for safe measure. "Dr. Rowley should meet us out there, if he made it out." 
Sidney added, "Some of the soldiers should be distracted by Hailey. He told Andre that they had found bitten." 
"Good. Come on," Dr. Winters urged, trotting up ahead. 
                  Sidney and Lea both pushed as fast as they could with Rose, who was very slowly gaining strength. Lea held on to Nicholas' pistol, apparently not bothering to hide it. The hallway was something, but the stairs was a different challenge, especially with weak, still only slightly able to walk wounded. Struggling for a long five minutes, Lea, Sidney, and Rose finally made it down the stairs to William and Ren, who were waiting. Of course, three soldiers blocked their path to the exit; more alert than usual, predictably due to Hailey's lie. Ren whispered, "Let me go on ahead. They won't be alarmed by just me." 
                   She walked forward, straight to the soldiers as she asked, "Can any of you be spared for a moment? I need help with a walker I have to run tests on." One of the soldiers looked back at the other two and nodded, following Dr. Winters who led them away from the group. Lea let go of Rose and peeked around the corner. "All of you, stay here. I'll take care of these two." They remained silent as Lea strolled over, breathing a sigh before pulling the trigger. Barely seconds later, another shot followed, causing young William to jump in both surprise and fear. 
"Alright, hurry!" Lea ordered.
                   Sidney urged Rose toward the exit, which Lea held open, resuming her place with Rose as soon as William made it through. Outside, where the bullet-stricken car was parked, a man, who they guessed was Dr. Rowley, and Hailey awaited them, already inside the vehicle. They all filed inside, but Sidney strayed outside for a few minutes, nervously waiting for Ren. "Sidney, get in before you're spotted!" Lea ordered in a hushed shout over the hum of the car engine. "She'll come around!"
                   They sighed and scuffled over to the car, hurriedly crawling into the car next to William and Rose, who was crammed in on the left. Dr. Rowley backed the car out of the 'parking space' but slammed on the breaks when Dr. Winters burst through the building's front door; Rose flung forward but was stopped from slamming into Rowley's seat by Sidney's outstretched arm. However, followed by Ren, ran the soldier that she had led away. "F*ck, Rowley, go!" Lea shouted. Sidney opened the door for Ren, who dove inside, and slammed it shut. 
                   Dr. Rowley haphazardly turned and drove off, almost slipping on the ice, just as bullets hit the back of the vehicle. The car kicked up the snow behind it, masking the red flash of the single working light.