A few hours later, they approached what was Travis's house, now dark. Dominic was the first to jump out of the vehicle, puzzled by the darkness.
"Did Mrs. Clark leave the house?" Dominic asked, lighting a flashlight he held in his left hand.
Travis shook his head. "They're probably asleep; they didn't leave when I suggested it."
In the original story, there was a walker in Mrs. Clark's house, a concern for Dominic, who would do everything possible to prevent good allies from dying in the future.
Unconsciously, Dominic thought of the walker that must be inside now. "Stay in control; stay in control; everything will be fine," Dominic signaled to Travis to stay at the door.
He then took out a knife and brought the flashlight to his mouth, walking slowly around the back as Travis pondered their next move.
When he reached Mrs. Clark's backyard, Dominic aimed his flashlight at the open door and whistled loudly. Crack!
"Is anyone there?" Dominic asked, approaching the door to take control.
Although the only useful ally at the moment was Daniel, he was now concerned for the safety of his wife, who was being taken out of the truck. That's why Dominic had to take charge.
"I'm here, damn it!" Dominic shouted, knowing there was one inside, as he saw a dead dog at the entrance.
At the same time, Travis entered from the back and asked, "Why are you yelling like that?"
"You can see that blood; it seems there's an uninvited guest in their house, so we need to be cautious," Dominic said as he attached a silencer to his pistol.
Travis looked down, silent, as a bad feeling crept over him. But then footsteps neared, and a figure emerged through the door's curtains.
Dominic raised his pistol, waiting patiently, and when he saw it was the walker, he shot without hesitation. Bang!
The shot pierced its forehead perfectly. Without delay, Dominic entered the house. "Seems clear, but just to be sure..."
Dominic looked at the dead dog and quickly shot it in the head, not wanting to face a variant not in the original story. In this world, anything could happen, which is why you must be careful.
"Maddy, where are you?" Travis shouted, unafraid of walkers, when it came to someone he cared about.
Dominic, without a word, cleared the entire house, door to door, then went upstairs. "It seems like everything's fine."
Things had happened just as he remembered, which was crucial given the current circumstances. The only difference was that the walkers were turning faster; the virus had progressed aggressively.
If only Emma hadn't died, everything would've been perfect. "I'm sorry, Emma; I've been careless," Dominic thought as he descended the stairs.
Meanwhile, Madison returned with a shotgun, asking what happened as she looked at Dominic. "All clear; let's remove that body."
"What are you doing here?" Alicia always felt like she ran into Dominic in the most unexpected places.
Nick was surprised to see Dominic at his house, looking at the dead walker and asking, "Have you been bitten?"
"What makes you think that?"
"All that blood..."
Dominic shook his head, walked to the door, and said, "The infection method is through your blood coming into contact with a walker's blood; touching and smelling won't be an issue. Of course, if you're injured and contaminated blood falls on you, there's a chance of infection."
Alicia looked at Dominic's blood-covered body but didn't ask any questions; she just watched Dominic leave without fear of the walkers outside.
Madison wanted to stop him, but Daniel said, "He needs time to think; important people have died for him."
Alicia was surprised; seeing the collar in Dominic's hand made her think of Emma. "She's dead… Matt, are you too?"
...
Hours passed; Dominic dealt with some nearby walkers and, seeing none on the streets, returned to Travis's house, the only refuge he had.
He sat in the hallway with his rifle, closed his eyes, and tried to rest.
"If you plan on staying in my house, you can't have that weapon," Travis approached Dominic, seated in the hallway. He wanted the best for everyone, and this teenager in front of him didn't seem to be in the best condition.
Dominic gave him a discreet look and said calmly, "If you're going to use it, I can give it to you. But if you plan on keeping it and letting someone else come in here to harm us, I think I should keep it since I'll be using it."
"You don't have to take away his weapons; he's been helping us since morning. Nick and you are safe because of him," Alicia approached with a bottle of water and a sandwich.
Travis wanted to say something, but then Madison appeared and said, "We need to talk."