High fever and the iron curtain

The camp was soon set up.

The jeep and RV stood side by side, their fronts facing outward to form a barrier, with hay spread between them. Davis directed everyone.

Shane and Daryl spread out, taking concealed positions around the perimeter, their guns trained on the farm and the wilderness.

Merle, Glenn, and T-Dog cleared weeds and loose stones from the campsite.

Andrea climbed onto the RV roof and set up her rifle.

Min-seon knelt beside Rick and unwrapped the bandage on his leg.

Lori and Carol settled the children on the hay and sorted the few cans they had left.

Sophia curled up in her mother's arms, her face buried, even more listless than before.

Lynn stood in the middle of the camp, his gaze sweeping over the busy group before settling on the tightly shut barn doors.

The barn... what was inside was the key to the mission.

He had only three days. Time was extremely tight.

"Lynn!"

Just then, an urgent voice interrupted him.

Min-seon strode over, her brow tightly furrowed, her usual composure gone.

"Sophia..." She lowered her voice, glancing toward Carol and her daughter. "She's running a high fever. Her forehead is burning, and her consciousness is clouded."

Lynn's gaze sharpened. "The cause? What about medicine?"

Medicine had already been scarce.

A flicker of regret crossed Min-seon's face. "The cause is unclear. It could be fright, exhaustion from traveling, or an infection... as for medicine..."

She paused. "The evacuation was too chaotic... we lost most of it, including our only antibiotics and children's fever medicine.

"All we have left are antiseptic dressings and painkillers. They're no use against a high fever."

A high fever! A child!

Carol held Sophia, repeatedly checking her daughter's forehead with the back of her hand, her body trembling.

Lori watched anxiously beside her.

Lynn looked past the fence toward the main white farmhouse.

Hershel was a veterinarian, and he kept a fair amount of medicine at home.

"Do what you can to keep her stable. Cool her down physically."

Lynn's voice was level. He turned and walked toward the fence gate.

He stopped about ten meters outside the fence, making sure he could be seen, and raised his voice. "Mr. Greene!"

A brief silence followed.

The farmhouse door opened, and Hershel came out, Maggie close behind with a hunting gun in hand.

The old man stood on the porch steps, scrutinizing Lynn. "What is it? I told you not to bother us."

"There's a little girl in our group."

Lynn pointed toward the hay, where Sophia lay curled up while Carol wiped her forehead with a damp cloth.

"She suddenly developed a high fever. It's dangerous, and we lost our medicine while fleeing. Do you have... fever medicine? Antibiotics? Anything that could save her?"

His tone was restrained, but the urgency was clear.

Hershel's gaze fell on Sophia. The little girl's condition made him frown deeply.

"A high fever..."

Hershel repeated it quietly, his tone heavy. He fell silent for a few seconds, then turned and said something to Maggie.

Maggie nodded and hurried into the farmhouse.

Hershel looked back at Lynn. "Wait here."

The wait dragged on.

A heavy atmosphere hung over the camp, broken only by Sophia's pained moans and Carol's stifled sobs.

Min-seon wiped Sophia's neck and armpits with a damp cloth, with little effect.

Shane watched coldly from his lookout position.

A few minutes later, Maggie returned.

Carrying an old brown medical kit, she walked to the fence. Rather than hand it over, she opened it and searched through it from the other side.

Lynn saw that there was little inside: bandages, disinfectant with a faded label, painkillers, used syringes, and bottles and jars with their labels missing.

Maggie's hands moved faster as her frown deepened.

Hershel approached and leaned over to look inside, his expression grim.

"Dad..."

Maggie looked up at Hershel, helplessness in her voice.

She turned to Lynn and shook her head. "Sorry... we're out of children's fever medicine.

"We have a few adult aspirin tablets, but the dosage is too high for a child. Antibiotics..."

She pulled out an almost empty white bottle and shook it. Only a few pills remained. "These were for livestock. For humans... we can't be sure of the effects or dosage, and this isn't enough for a full course.

"We went through our medicine quickly and haven't been able to replenish it."

She looked at Lynn with regret in her eyes.

Hershel sighed heavily. He looked at Lynn, then at Sophia. "I want to help you, Mr. Lynn! But... I don't have the medicine to save that child either."

He pointed to the bottle in Maggie's hand. "If you think it's worth taking a chance on these, you can have them. I can't guarantee they'll work or that they're safe."

With that hope dashed, Min-seon's face grew even paler.

Carol hugged Sophia tightly, lowering her head, her shoulders shaking.

Lynn looked at the nearly empty bottle of veterinary antibiotics and fell silent for a few seconds.

That little medicine was useless.

"Thank you for the offer, Mr. Greene." Lynn's voice was steady. "We won't need the medicine for now."

Hershel seemed relieved, but as he looked at Sophia, he did not leave immediately.

His rough fingers rubbed against the wooden fence post, his gaze turning toward the distant horizon.

"West... eight or nine miles," Hershel said in a low voice. "There's a small town, Greenville. There's an Old Barton's Pharmacy in town... not very big. Maybe... maybe there's still something that hasn't been looted."

He paused. "That place... has been deserted for a long time. There are bound to be plenty of walkers. The road's rough, and..."

He glanced at Lynn's group. "A big target, too much noise. Going in would be suicide."

With that, he stopped looking at Lynn and turned toward the main house.

Maggie closed the medical kit, glanced at Sophia with a complicated look in her eyes, and followed her father away.

A heavy silence settled over both sides of the fence.

Lynn stood where he was, his gaze passing over Sophia, Carol, and the silent group.

The three-day deadline, Sophia's high fever, the barn's secret, the crisis at Hershel's farm, that dangerous pharmacy in town...

He turned and walked back to the middle of camp, the hay crackling beneath his feet.

His voice rang out clearly:

"Davis, Shane, Daryl, Merle, Glenn. Over here. Now."

At Lynn's command, the five men he had named put down what they were doing and quickly gathered.

Davis was silent, Shane's gaze dark. Daryl held his crossbow, Merle wore a faint grin, and Glenn looked nervous.

"You've seen Sophia's condition." Lynn's voice was flat. "Greenville. Barton Pharmacy. The only place that might have medicine."

His gaze swept over their faces. "Objective: medicine. Children's fever medicine and antibiotics take priority.

"Secondary objectives: medical supplies, water, food.

"Execution: in and out fast. Avoid getting bogged down in a fight. Keep the noise down."

"That place is a death trap," Shane growled, pointing toward the desolate fields west of the farm. "Eight or nine miles! Rough roads, crawling with walkers, and the town's even more dangerous. We're going in with this handful of people? No matter how quiet we are, we're targets! All for one little girl..."

He left the sentence unfinished, irritation in his eyes.

Lynn fixed his gaze on Shane. "Deputy Sheriff Shane, are you questioning the decision or the life of a member of this group?"

His voice was quiet but oppressive. "Sophia is one of us. Abandoning her means abandoning our bottom line.

"When it's you lying there next time, or Rick, or Lori, or Carl, what would you want the others to do?"

He paused, his gaze sweeping over the others. "Do you feel the same way?"

Davis answered in a deep voice, "Your orders, Boss. What equipment do we need?"

Daryl checked his crossbow string, giving his tacit agreement.

Merle scoffed. "Crawling with walkers? A good chance to stretch my legs."

Glenn nodded emphatically. "I'll go! I... I know where they keep things in pharmacies. I've delivered medicine before."

Shane's face was livid, his jaw bulging. He offered no further objections, only a grunt.

"Travel light." Lynn quickly laid out the plan. "The jeep is too big a target. We'll go on foot.

"Davis, Shane, Daryl, Merle, Glenn, you're coming with me."

"Understood."

Davis checked his shotgun and ammunition belt.

"Rick."

Lynn turned toward the sheriff, whom Min-seon was helping over.

His face was pale, his gaze sharp.

"Lynn." Rick's voice was hoarse.

"The camp is yours." Lynn looked straight into Rick's eyes. "Have Dale keep working on the vehicles. Keep Andrea on high ground. Stay alert, especially..."

Lynn glanced toward the tightly shut red barn deep within the farm. He paused, emphasizing his words. "...watch every direction."

He did not mention the barn outright, but the implication was clear.

Rick frowned and likewise glanced toward the barn, a complicated look in his eyes.

He fell silent for two seconds, then nodded. "Understood. Be careful out there."

A shout came from the fence.

"Mr. Lynn!"

Hershel stood inside the fence. Beside him was Maggie, wearing a small backpack and holding a lever-action rifle.

Wariness still lingered on Maggie's face.

"Maggie will go to Greenville with you," Hershel called. "She knows the area, and... the farm needs a few things too. The town might have them."

He did not specify what they needed.

Lynn's gaze lingered on Maggie and her rifle for a second.

She knew the terrain and could fight well, too.

He nodded without hesitation. "All right. Welcome."

Maggie nodded without wasting words, vaulted neatly over the fence, and walked over to stand beside Daryl. Her gaze swept over the team, lingering a little longer on Glenn's face.

As the team made their final equipment checks, Lynn noticed movement at the edge of camp.

Lori Grimes was hurrying toward Glenn, who was packing his backpack.

Her face was pale, her eyes anxious and urgent. She quickly glanced around, then spoke rapidly to Glenn in a lowered voice, her hands outlining the shape of a small stick.

Glenn froze, surprise and panic crossing his face. He instinctively glanced at Lori's abdomen, then looked away, nodding repeatedly as his lips moved soundlessly.

Looking at Lori's uneasy face and recalling her recent condition and behavior, Lynn understood at once.

Just like in the original, Lori was pregnant after all.

Lynn's gaze did not waver. This was a major problem.

But he neither interfered nor exposed it. His voice rang out clearly, interrupting the secret conversation. "Move out."

Lynn set off west, in the direction Hershel had indicated, stepping into fields of knee-high weeds.

Davis followed close behind with his shotgun ready, scanning the shadows ahead.

Shane and Merle guarded the left and right flanks.

Daryl and Maggie trailed a few steps behind, the former catching sounds on the wind and the latter identifying distant landmarks.

Glenn carried a bulging backpack near the rear of the middle, his hand pressed against the pistol at his waist as he stared nervously toward the horizon.

The team's figures blended into the shadows cast by the morning sun and the desolate fields, leaving the farm fence behind as they headed toward walker-infested Greenville.

Meanwhile, in a concealed position among the shadows of the sparse woods at the farm's edge, The Jackal silently watched the barn's tightly shut doors through a high-powered scope.