Note: Studying is finished so now I get to spend more time writing...Enjoy! (p.s. I'm not good at writing an accent like Daryl's so there isn't much of that, plus it's a bit easier to read when it's not all redneck-y...)
Note2: I'm working on Chapter 9 and it's getting darker...the big question is, Do I leave it there or continue? So many choices on where to take it or do I let you work out your own ending?
"Fuck! I'll go out and talk to him."
"We'll go out and see if they're still there. How many were there, AJ?" Rick asked.
"Four. If we have at least that many or more, they might not rush the prison."
The group left the food and hurried back to C block and then outside. Maggie was outside in the tower and the scouting party was still there but had worked their way into the outer ring. I glanced over at Dix and saw him biting his nails. I smiled faintly and slapped his shoulder.
"Remember what I told you when we were together if I caught you doing that?"
"Now's not the time to be dropping my pants, AJ."
"It would give them something to stare at."
"Whoa. Too much info, guys. We have better things to worry about," Glenn said.
"I say go out there and talk to them. If they don't want to listen, then force them out," I offered.
Rick motioned for Dix, Glenn, T-Dog, and the two prisoners to go with him. As they walked through the courtyard to get to the gate, I hurried up the stairs to the tower to Maggie. She was watching them proceed towards the small group and I caught the moment when Merle noticed his brother.
" 'Hey, Darlina. Still with these fuckers I see,' " I said in a Merle impression.
"What are you doing, AJ?"
"Can't hear what they're saying so I thought I'd make up their dialogue. Now Dix says, 'Merle. Why the fuck didn't ya stay up on that fucking roof?'"
" 'And waste away in that heat?' " Maggie tried.
"Nah, he thrives in the heat. Something about seeing a drop of sweat run down chests of women, I don't know. His response would be more like 'Nobody chains a Dixon especially a black man.' He'd use another word because he can be quite a racist asshole."
Maggie and I watched the groups talk and when I caught one of the men reaching for the gun on his hip, I quickly raised my bow and let a bolt fly. It landed in the ground before the man startling the groups.
"That's a warning shot. Reach for your gun again and it'll be through your nuts," I yelled.
Not long after the scouting party left, Merle included. Dix ripped the bolt from the ground and they headed back. I jogged down the steps and waited for them. Rick glared at me and headed back into the prison.
"Ya nearly shot their leader," Dix said, handing over the bolt.
"He was going for his gun. What were you talking about cuz Maggie and I couldn't quite keep up with creating our own version?"
"They ain't too happy we're here. I guess too close for comfort or something. Rick and him ain't agreeing on what to do. They want us out."
"Too fucking bad for them. What about your brother?"
Dix looked back at where they had been and adjusted the bow on his shoulder. He shrugged and headed towards the door.
"Dix, what did Merle say?"
"He said nothing."
I knew Dix was hiding something but I knew better than to push him. Even when we were younger, if you pushed too hard he would clam up and not speak. And I mean literally not speak. I think he went nearly a week without speaking to me once when I asked about his scars. Eventually he spoke to me only because I withheld sex until he did so. He didn't say much except, 'The Fucker' and then threw me onto the bed to make up for the lost time.
"I'll relieve Maggie of watch duty. She should be with her father. I guess when you have the other block cleared for the few prisoners who are left, I'll clear out. I don't think my warning shot warmed Rick up to me at all."
"There ain't no fucking way you're going back out there, AJ. They'll be looking for someone with a bow and I ain't gonna risk them taking you."
"Aw, how sweet of you, Dix. Caring for little ol' me."
"Shut ya mouth."
I skipped over and smacked a kiss onto his cheek before turning around to the tower. I waved Maggie down and ran up the stairs to begin my watch of the grounds. As I walked the tower and tried to look out over the entire prison, I kept count of the walkers along the perimeter. I'd make a finger-gun and pretend to blow their brains out, complete with sound effects and everything.
"You should be wearing a hat or staying in the shade."
"Hat's in my backpack and you can't see the entire yard from inside the tower. Should you even be out here, Lori?"
"Tell me about your son."
The request came out of the blue and my breath was knocked from my lungs. I dropped my bow to my side and turned to stare at the pregnant woman.
"I can't. It's…I…no," I stammered.
"When Carl was lying in that bed trying to survive against the gun shot, I felt like a horrible mother. There was nothing I could do to help him and when it looked like he might not make it, I even told Rick that maybe he was better off dead. That way he wouldn't have to live in a world like this.
"Rick was angry with me for even suggesting it but now I know he didn't want to have to kill our son if he turned. Carl made it and it spared Rick the heartache briefly until Sophia was found. That girl had worked her way into everyone's hearts and it must have felt like Rick was killing his own daughter but it's become part of this new world. We can't hesitate to kill because it could mean our survival."
"Why are you telling me this, Lori? How did you go from wanting to know about Travis to telling me that it's kill or be killed? I know that already."
"Because I don't think I'll make it through the delivery and I want you to spare Rick or Carl the heartache if I need to be killed. I don't want my husband or son to feel what you felt when you had to kill Travis. I'm making this request to everyone."
I tipped my head in her direction and turned back to the yard.
Over the next few days, things at the prison seemed to turn around. Hershel had regained consciousness and we settled into a nice routine. Lori, Carol, and Beth kept the cells and the small eating area clean with the occasional help from Maggie and I. Those decent enough with a weapon were put on watch detail in the tower or on perimeter walks. The 2 prisoners left, Axel and Oscar, slept in their own cell block but would help out with the watch detail as long as someone from our group was with them. Rick and Dix didn't quite trust them just yet.
The food we had was getting low so Dix and I had discussed going out to hunt or doing a run. Rick pushed for a run first and then offset whatever we found with squirrel or any other meat we could kill.
"Glenn, Daryl, and T-Dog will go out. Take the SUV and grab whatever you can. I'll keep watch in the tower until you get back."
I exchanged a look with Dix and shook my head. It had been my idea to do a run since I noticed the amount of food we had after breakfast was made. I had talked with Lori and Carol to see how long we could possibly ration it for and then brought it up with Dix. For whatever reason, Rick still didn't see me part of the group. I gave each of the guys a hug and made them promise to come back safe before turning back around to head inside.
Out of the corner of my left eye, I caught movement. It took another glance to see that it wasn't one of our members. It was a slow moving dead prison guard. I grabbed my knife and ran over as the others finally noticed it. I jammed the knife into his brain through where his ear had been. I was pulling the blade through when another walker staggered towards me.
"Fucking hell. Where are these walkers coming from?" I screamed as I stabbed the next walker.
An alarm started going off through the speakers in two second bursts. I checked around the corner and saw a couple walkers, which I took out with my bow. I jogged back to the group as Rick and Glenn shot out the speakers. While the noise wasn't loud in the courtyard, it was still going off inside the prison.
"Where the fuck is the control room?" Rick yelled at Oscar.
"I'll show ya."
He led Rick and Dix off into the prison while the rest of the group started to take out the walkers who had dragged their dead asses into the courtyard. Beth hurried Hershel and Carl to one of the cage walkways and locked themselves in. Glenn and Axel ran through the clumps of walkers to get to the open gate at the other end of the courtyard. I hurried to Lori's side and ushered her inside with Carol and T-Dog. There were walkers inside our cell block so we took off down into the hallways.
"We need to find a spot for Lori. She can't be running around this close to delivery," I said as I flung my knife at a walker.
"Too late. Contractions have already started," she panted.
"Fuck me. OK. We need to find a room and barricade ourselves inside."
"Arg!" T-Dog screamed.
His arm was outstretched to stab a walker but a woman with half her face clawed out came up and sunk her teeth into his skin. I slammed my machete home into her head before prying her teeth out of T-Dog's forearm.
"I'll get you somewhere safe first," he promised.
The four of us took off down a hallway before stopping at the end to open the door. I did a quick check before ushering everyone inside. T-Dog shook his head and stepped back.
"I'm already a goner. Go, bring that baby into this world."
I gave him a small smile which he returned before slamming the door shut. I shooed Lori and Carol further into the room before we heard the gunshot. Lori grabbed her knees and screamed out through a contraction.
"I know this hurts, Lori, but you have to keep quiet. Get her on the floor and I'll make sure there's no other entrances to this room."
I ran around the large room, around the large laundry machines to see if we would be safe there. There was one other doorway but it was closed. Lori let out another scream but not nearly as loud as the first. Hurrying back, I found Carol checking on Lori. Her hands were covered in blood.
"She's not dilating fast enough. We have to get the baby out."
"C-section with Carl. Cut me open," Lori gasped.
"You won't survive it. I'm not Hershel," Carol whispered.
Lori stared up at me and I knew she was reminding me of what we talked about. I pulled a bolt out of my quiver and handed it to her. She placed it in between her teeth and I grabbed the knife Dix had given me years before. Dropping to my knees, I felt around her pregnant belly to see if I could feel the position of the baby.
"The baby hasn't turned yet."
"Just do it," Lori breathed as another contraction hit.
Carol grabbed Lori's hand and squeezed as the knife bit into the skin. I dragged the knife across her belly where the C-section scar was but not deep enough to go through the skin and the amniotic sac. It took another cut before I was through. Crudely I cut through the sac and bit down on the handle of the knife to free-up my hands. I moved my hands inside and felt for the baby. I grabbed its legs and pulled. The baby came through the incision well and I quickly supported its head. I showed the little girl to Lori before placing it on her stomach. The umbilical cord was tied off and cut. Lori reached out and ran a hand over her daughter's head. The girl let out a small shriek and she smiled weakly as I noticed she was slowly dying in front of us.
"Thank you."
There was no point in trying to stem the flow of blood. I pulled off the ripped flannel shirt that I had borrowed from Dix that morning and handed it to Carol to wrap the baby in. Once she was wrapped up, I motioned for Carol to step away. She said goodbye to Lori and took the baby away.
"I will watch over your family. I promise to keep Carl and your daughter safe."
Lori didn't say anything but her eyes were getting glassy. When she finally died from blood loss, I apologized before running my knife through her head. I took a second to find a blanket and covered her body. Carol and the baby were standing next to the door waiting.
"Let's go find the others," she whispered.
I cracked the door and scanned the hallway before opening it completely. Carol slipped out and I shut the door behind me. I knew we would need to bury Lori's body and didn't want a walker to get at it. I covered Carol from behind but checked each corner before motioning her through. We finally made it back to the eating area and the walkers who had been in our cell block were gone.
"Where's Lori? Carol? AJ?"
I pushed the semi-open door and looked outside. They were all standing in the courtyard so Carol went through holding onto the baby. She nudged the chain-link door with her hip and stepped out. All eyes were on her except Dix. He had looked over briefly at the baby but his green eyes were on me. It might have been because my entire outfit was covered in Lori's blood.
"Rick, it's a girl," Carol announced, tears dripping down her cheeks.
"Lori? Where's Lori?"
Neither of us said anything and Rick cried out. He took a step towards Carol but then swung around to face me.
"You killed her."
"I did what she asked me to. What she asked everyone to do."
Rick's Python was pointing right at me in a second and he took a step forward. I tried not to flinch at the gun nearly an inch from my head.
"I want you gone."
