She made her way through the high grass of the fields that used to be ploughed and grew crops but now lay uncared for just like most of the world. Nothing mattered anymore except surviving from day to day and not getting bitten! A backpack carried any food or equipment to make a shelter she had found, her boots were worn but practical and all in all Lexie Jameson looked very different to the girl who lived before the dead came to life. She felt hot, the heat of the southern sun making her sweat more than she used to ever even dream of showing!
In the past Lexie had been into fashion, loving going to the mall and picking out clothes that looked good on her. She had always had a good body because she had participated in gymnastics and cheerleading all her life. She was a typical teenage girl, popular a little bitchy but good hearted...then the world changed and she had to adapt. When the walkers started to take over the world and it became clear that she would soon be alone as they took her parents and her brother, she became a different person.
Alone and trying to survive Lexie carried with her everything her father had taught her, he was a medic in the army and she knew more than people realised. When she met Aaron and he talked to her about the place he came from called Alexandria she had been hesitant, but then how long would a young woman alone survive? She had gone with him through desperation, her parents were dead, her brother had turned as well and she was all alone, even if it was some kind of trick she was willing to go with it.
When she arrived at Alexandria it was like a beacon of hope in the madness, once she stepped through those gates she felt safe. Everyone had a job and a home there, she lived in one of the smaller houses and worked alongside Dr Anderson as his nurse. She had wanted to study to be a doctor before the outbreak, and now she felt like she was doing the right thing for her father. She hated the doctor, he was mean and moody and often drunk but she threw herself into her work not paying him any mind if she could get away with it.
The groups who went out scouting for supplies were always looking for books, Deanna Monroe who lead the community with her husband valued education. Lexie loved that they had so many medical textbooks and when she was not working she always had her nose buried in a book. She wanted to be more, to do more for the people there, they had saved her life and she wanted to help them in return. She knew that now everything was about survival medical knowledge was a commodity and she wanted to be useful and to change things. She was always thinking about ways to improve things and maybe even ways to cure everyone...but without labs and test subjects that was just a pipe dream!
Lexie was intelligent and her father had always encouraged her, but now there were no colleges, nobody cared about certificates. So if she said she was a nurse and had the knowledge to back it up then that was what she was...of course when she realised this she wondered if the same could be said for being a doctor? These were dreams that before Alexandria she had thought were lost, now there was a chance that she could learn and change things for the people in the community. Maybe people would fall in love? Have children? Maybe not everything was broken bones and gunshot wounds anymore?
The brunette lay on the floor with a notepad, and two medical text books sprawled out before her. She tapped the end of the pen against her lips in time with the music she had on in the background, it was some pop band she hadn't known before but who cheered her up now. She was taking notes, her lower legs in the air behind her as she lay on her stomach researching midwifery though nobody in the community was pregnant. She was hopeful that maybe this time Aaron would return to the gates with people who would bring life into Alexandria.
As if someone was listening to her there was a knock at the door, when she opened it one of the gate guards was there "Aaron has more people, one has a baby need you to check them over once they seen Deanna!"
Lexie nodded and pulled her shoes on before heading out to help, all she needed to do was ask their general medical history, start a file for each of them, take their blood pressure and temperature and just check they didn't need immediate medical attention. She hoped they would be nice people and trust in this place, Deanna had made them all welcome there and she remembered how afraid she had been during the interview with the woman who was so inspiring and imposing.
The clothes she had been wearing were more or less rags, her hair matted and her body close to starvation. She had done all she could to survive just like her father had told her to do, and she had been determined to make this place her home. Of course she had been scared, but when she had walked through the gates and seen the amazing community with children playing and people living their lives she had her hope restored.
She knew these new people would be tired, starved and needing a lot of time to recover from whatever hell they had been through, but she knew they could be happy there. Everyone had a job, a place in this community and Deanna was good at seeing the potential in people so she hoped there would be people she could befriend and get to know amongst them.
It had taken two days to process everybody, already Dr Anderson had decided he hated their leader but if she was honest as he drunkenly ranted about him Lexie wasn't listening. She was instead making sure everyone had been processed and that their files were put away just how they should be. She was going through them when she realised one of them, Daryl Dixon had not come to see them and she wondered why? The fear of new people being bitten and starting the end of the community was why they did this, so she knew she needed to find him.
She said nothing to the Dr instead simply walked passed him and out the door determined to find the elusive Mr Dixon! She headed to the houses that had been assigned to the new group and found their leader sat on the steps with his daughter on his lap. Lexie smiled as she got closer noticing he was smiling at her and bouncing her on his knee, "well look who smartened up! You look good Mr. Grimes"
Rick shook his head and laughed, "please call me Rick and yeah I needed to have a fresh start, feels cooler but I like it so far!"
Lexie held her hand out to the small girl and Judith wrapped her hand around her finger, "y'are just adorable little lady! I cannot wait to see the beauty you grow to be!" Judith laughed and Lexie felt herself smiling so wide her cheeks hurt. "Oh I wondered if Mr. Dixon was around? I just need to take his history and everything he never came to see me?"
Rick laughed at this and nodded, "sounds about right! Daryl isn't one for worrying about doctors but I know you need to see him. I think he went out hunting, I can ask him to come see you though if you want?"
Lexie nodded "thanks, we just need to check for existing wounds, and infections anything to worry about just for the records..." The unspoken words between them hung heavy in the air but Rick knew what infection they were worrying about and nodded.
Lexie waited for the rest of the day but by the time Dr Anderson had been gone an hour she realised he was unlikely to come. Sighing she shut up the surgery and headed home to shower and get ready for Deanna's party. She hoped maybe this Daryl would be there and if she introduced herself he would maybe trust her enough to do the medical exam the next day.