That night after we pulled all the cars up to the gate we built a fire in a small broken fan we had found up in one of the guard towers. Cal and Hunter went hunting and pulled together some gophers, after cooking them over the fire everyone sat down to eat while Rick walked the fence separating us from the walkers. "Tomorrow we'll finish gathering the bodies, keep them away from that water, now we canal under the fence, we can have plenty of fresh water." T-Dog was saying to us.
"The soil is good. We can plant some seed." Hershel added. "Grow some tomatoes, cucumbers, soy beans." He looked up with a smile.
"God, fresh tomatoes." Sven smiled at the thought.
"I never much cared for cucumbers, but anything fresh sounds good night now." Abbie laughed as she laid back in the grass.
"That's his third time around." Hershel pointed out, gesturing to Rick.
"He's just checking the gate." Evan replied.
"If there was any part of it compromised, he'd have found it by now." Hershel told him as I slowly stood up.
"Where are you goin'?" Cal asked.
"Goin' ta see my husband." I replied with a small scoff. He nodded as Beth handed me the plate I had put together for Daryl before I walked over to where he was on guard, pacing around on top of the overturned bus.
"What're you doin' out here?" he asked as I walked over.
"Checkin' on you." I replied.
"Hang on," he put his crossbow over his shoulder and then climbed down to meet me. We were on the other side of the bus, away from preying eyes, allowing Daryl to kiss me longly. I smiled as I opened my eyes and he put his hand on my stomach. "How's he doin'?"
"Oh, kicking away." I sighed before moving his hand so he could feel the baby kick away.
"Hey," he spoke to the baby, something he had taken to doing since reading in Sven's book that sometimes babies responded well to hearing their parents' voices. "Go easy on your mama huh. She's a little thing carryin' a big 'ole baby like you." He rubbed his hand over my stomach making me laugh. I pushed his shoulder lightly and he smiled. "Let's go back." He nodded to the group. As we walked over to the group I could hear Beth singing, Daryl slung his arm over my shoulders, listening to her sing as we walked over, I rested my hand on my stomach and looked at him. Maggie joined in at the last verse; the Greene sisters finished their song as Rick walked over and knelt down, picking up a small container with food in it.
"We'd better turn in." Rick spoke up lowly. "I'll take watch over there. We've got a big day tomorrow."
"What do you mean?" Glenn asked.
"Look I know we're all exhausted. This was a great win, but we've got to push just a little bit more. Most of the walkers are dressed as guards, or prisoners. Looks like this place fell pretty early. It could mean the supplies are still intact. Could have medical, a commissary, an armory, that'd be outside the prison itself, but not too far away, the warden's office would have info on the locations, weapons, food, medicine, this place could be a goldmine."
"Proper medical supplies would be great." Parker smiled.
"Not to mention, ammo." Evan agreed.
"Now we're talkin'." Cal agreed.
"They're right," Hershel agreed. "We're dangerously low on ammo. We'll run out long before we make a dent."
"That's why we've got to go in there hand to hand." Rick replied making everyone look at him in surprise. "We can handle it, I know it." He looked at Carl who was looking at the ground. "These asshole don't stand a chance." He chuckled lightly making Carl look back at him, and then to the ground. When no one responded Rick stood up and walked away to take the first shift. Lori stood up, following after him, while Carol sat down next to where Sophia was laying.
Daryl took my hand as I sat down; the large stomach was making it harder for me to do normal things like sit down. He let go of me when I was on the ground and knelt down next to me. He rolled out the sleeping pad we had and then nodded to it. I scooted over and sat down on it before laying back. He sat next to me while I lay there, alternating between running his fingers over my stomach or through my hair. "Get some sleep." I muttered to Daryl as I felt my eyes growing heavier.
"I will." He assured me.
"Lay with me." I requested. He sighed, looking at everyone who was getting themselves in order, no one paid us any attention, though he had been more open to being affectionate around the group, he was still iffy about too many displays of affection. "No one cares." I told him and he pulled the crossbow off before laying down next to me. He moved over so his chest was pressed against my back and he wrapped his arm around me, holding me to him.
"Now get some sleep." He told me softly and I smiled as I shut my eyes, falling asleep shortly thereafter.
One of the things I've grown to hate the worst since showing is waiting. I watched the group of Rick, Daryl, Glenn, Maggie, T-Dog, Evan and Cal disappear behind a wall and I bit my lip subconsciously.
"Can you see them?" Lori asked.
"No, they're out behind the wall." I replied.
"They'll be fine." Hunter assured us. "They've done this a million times."
"Not on this level." Abbie pointed out.
"Daryl, Rick, Cal…" Sophia listed off names on her fingers. "They all know what they're doing." Carol smiled and put her hand on her daughter's shoulder before looking out at the yard again.
It was about ten more nail biting moments before T-Dog came back and gestured us inside. I grabbed my bag and was grabbing Daryl's, when Hunter picked it up. "I got it." He smiled at me. I ruffled his hair lightly and followed the rest of the group into the yard. We walked up some stairs and into the prison where everyone else was. Daryl took my bag from me and put his hand on the back of my neck.
"Y'allright?" he asked and I nodded.
"I just can't wait 'till I can help out on these things again." I answered with a smile as I rubbed his arm lightly.
"Home sweet home." Glenn said as he looked around.
"Is it safe?" Lori asked.
"We think so." Evan replied.
"This cellblock is." Rick corrected him. "In the morning we'll find the cafeteria and the infirmary."
"We sleep in the cells?" Beth asked.
"I found keys on some guards, Daryl has a set too." Rick replied.
"We ain't sleepin in no cage. We'll take the perch." He nodded to the security office overlooking the cellblock before taking my hand. He and I walked to the security office and he held out the keys before finding the right one. He unlocked the door and then looked at me as he opened it, letting me step inside. Aside from it being dark and grimy, it was spacious, bigger than a cell, and there was a window to the outside. I wiped my hand over it and looked out, smiling lightly as I looked at the forest behind the prison.
"Look at us," I looked at him with a grin. "Room with a view."
"Don't say I never did nothin' for ya." He replied making me laugh lightly. "I'm gonna go grab one of them mattresses." He told me as he moved to the door. "You'll be okay?"
"I'll be fine Dare." I told him.
"Holler if ya need somethin'." He told me before going to the door. He walked out of the room and I looked at the security room before I wiped my hand across the glass, giving me a look at the whole cell block. I smiled gently, seeing everyone pick out cells, before Daryl and Hunter came walking into view, dragging two of the mattresses from a cell. They walked into the room and Daryl threw one down before helping Hunter with the other one. "Thanks man." Daryl nodded to him.
"You guys get some sleep." Hunter smiled. "I'll see you in a few hours." He walked out of the room and Daryl pushed the mattresses together before laying down on one. He sighed, moving his hands under his head and I smiled.
"Comfy?" I asked sarcastically as I moved over to the other side of the bed he had put together.
"Ain't no feather bed." He replied. "But it's better'n the ground." He added as he sat up on his knees and helped me kneel down. I sat onto the mattress and raised my eyebrows.
"It might as well be a feather bed." I sighed as I laid back on it. He grinned and then leaned over and kissed my cheek. When I woke up Daryl was gone. I stood up, smiling lightly when I realized he had taken my boots off in my sleep. From downstairs I could hear voices yelling, I walked over to the window quickly and looked out it to see them pushing a cart with someone on it.
I quickly shoved my feet into my boots and went down the stairs as quickly as I could. I went to the cell everyone was in. Parker shoved his way into the cell and ordered someone to get him towels and someone else to get him pillows. Carol worked by his side, she had been learning about medicine and first aid from Parker and Hershel for a few months now and was doing everything she could to help.
"Where's Daryl?" I asked Carl as he rushed by with towels.
"Out there." He nodded to the other room. I moved away from the cell and walked into the other room to see Daryl pointing his crossbow at an open door.
"Liz, get back." He ordered.
"Dare-" I started to back away but stopped when men started walking through the open door. And by men, I don't mean ex-men, now walkers, I mean survivors.
"That's far enough." He told the men.
"Cell block C." one of them commented. "Cell 4, that's mine gringo." He looked over at me. "Hola Puta." He winked making my jaw tighten.
"Eyes over here asshole." Daryl ordered as he held his crossbow a little tighter.
"Why don't you let me in?" the Mexican guy asked.
"Today's your lucky day fellas, you've been pardoned by the state of Georgia. Why ta go."
"What you got goin' on in there?" the leader of the group asked.
"Ain't none of your concern." Daryl replied.
"Don't you be tellin' me what's my concern." He ordered, pulling a gun from his waistband.
"Chill man," one of the other men commented. "Dude's leg is messed up, 'sides, we're free now. Why we still in here?"
"Man's gotta point." Daryl commented.
"Yeah I'm gonna check on my old lady." Another one of the inmates said making me frown. Did these guys have literally no idea what was going on?
"Civilians breaking into a prison they don't got no business being in? Got me thinkin' there ain't no place for us to go." Daryl moved forward, not wavering, not lowering his crossbow as he stared at the inmate hardly.
"Why don't you go find out?" he growled.
"Maybe we'll just be goin' now." One of the men offered as he started to back away.
"Hey we ain't leavin'." I started to back away to the door and he looked at me quickly. "That means you too sweetcheeks." He pointed his gun at me. "I want answers."
"You ain't comin' here neither." T-Dog stepped out, pointing a gun at him, making him turn his attention from me to T-Dog.
"This is my house, my rules, I go where I damn well please!" the inmate replied, sounding like a child in an argument.
"I'm not gonna tell you again." Daryl ordered as the inmate tried walking through the area.
"What you gonna do man?"
"You wanna find out, take another step." Daryl replied.
"What." The man pressed as he moved forward.
"I ain't playin' with you." Daryl told him sternly as he gripped his crossbow.
The men continued to yell at each other until Rick came in quickly, the gate shut behind him and I could hear Carl lock it behind his father. "Hey hey hey, there's no need for this." Rick tried to calm everyone down.
"How many of you in there?" the man tried looking around the corner.
"Enough." I replied.
"Bitch, what the fuck's that supposed to mean?" he turned the gun on me again.
"It means there's too many for you to handle." Rick stepped in front of me.
"You guys rob a bank or somethin'?" he asked. "Why don't you take him to a hospital?" I looked at T-Dog who was looking at Rick in slight confusion.
"How long you been locked in that cafeteria?" Rick asked softly.
"Goin' on like ten months." He replied.
"Riot broke out," one of the men spoke up. "Never seen anythin' like it."
"Had ta go and speak man."
"We heard about dudes goin' cannibal, dying, comin' back to life… Crazy."
"One guard looked out for us, locked us up in the cafeteria, told us to sit tight, threw me the piece, said he's be right back."
"That was 292 days ago."
"294 by my count-"
"Shut up!" the inmate with the gun ordered looking at the one who had just spoken.
"We been thinkin' that the army or the national guard'll be showin' up any day now."
"Good luck with that." I muttered as I moved to sit down on one of the benches. Daryl looked at me, and then at the inmates before stepping in front of me.
"What's she mean?"
"There is no army." Rick told them.
"What d'you mean?"
"There's no government, no hospitals, no police."
"It's all gone." I spoke up. "Everything."
"Fer real?" the inmate with the moustache asked.
"Serious." Rick nodded.
"What about my moms?" one man asked.
"My kids… My old lady…" he paused before taking a step forward. "Yo, you got a-a cell phone or something that we can call our families?"
"You just don't get it do you?" Daryl asked.
"No phones, no computers." Rick waved his hand as Daryl lowered the crossbow slightly. "As far as we can see at least half the population's been wiped out. Probably more."
"Ain't no way." The inmate with the gun spoke after a moment of tense silence.
"See for yourself." Rick gestured to the door to the outside.
"You wanna go back in?" Daryl asked me lowly as he nodded to the cell block.
"I think I could use some air." I looked up at him as I put my hand over my stomach. He nodded after a moment of thought and took my hand as I stood up.
"Damn the sun feels good." One of the inmates commented as they stepped outside for the first time in ten months. I took a deep breath as we stepped outside.
"Keep behind me Liz." Daryl told me softly and I nodded.
"Good lord, they're all dead." Mustached prisoner commented looking at all of the bodies.
"Never thought I'd be so happy to see these fences."
"You never said, how the hell'd you get in here in the first place?" one of the prisoners asked.
"Cut a hole in the fence over by that guard tower." Daryl pointed out.
"That easy huh?"
"Where there's a will, there's a way." He replied.
"This your will?" the prisoner nodded to me and Daryl stepped in front of me.
"Don't you worry none 'bout her." Daryl told him sharply.
"So what is this, like a disease?" one of the men asked, poking one of the bodies with a long piece of metal he'd found.
"Yeah. An' we're all infected." Rick informed him.
"What, like AIDS?" the mustached inmate asked.
"If I was ta kill you- shoot an arrow in your chest, you'd come back as one of these things." Daryl pointed to a couple of walkers over at the fence. "It's gonna happen to all of us."
"Want me ta-"
"They're fine." Rick shook his head.
"Ain't no way this Robin hood cat's responsible for killing all these freaks." Daryl looked over at me as I smirked lightly. He scoffed and I grinned before looking down, hiding my smile.
"Must be fifty bodies out here." Another inmate commented.
"Where'd you come from?"
"Atlanta." Rick replied.
"Where you headed?"
"For the time being, nowhere." He replied.
"I guess you could take that area down there, near the water. Should be comfortable." The inmate with the gun decided, trying to seem generous.
"We're using that field for crops." Rick informed him.
"We'll help you move your gear out." The inmate continued.
"That won't be necessary." Rick replied. "We took out these walkers, this prison is ours."
"Slow down cowboy." The inmate chuckled.
"You smashed the locks off our doors." One of the other inmates walked over.
"We'll give you new locks if that's what you want." Rick told him.
"This is our prison, we were here first."
"Locked in the broom closet?" Rick chuckled. "We took it, set you free, it's ours! We spilt blood."
"We're movin' back into our cell block."
"You'll have to get your own." Rick replied.
"It is mine, I still got personal artifacts in there, that's about as mine as it gets!" he whipped the gun from his waistband again making everyone move forward, Daryl held his crossbow up, T-Dog pulled his gun and I leaned against a table, watching it happen, before I looked up at the stairs and saw Cal standing there holding a rifle pointed at the "Leader" inmate's head.
"Woah woah woah," the mustached inmate stepped between everyone. "Let's maybe try to work this out so everybody wins!" he offered hopefully.
"I don't see that happening." The "leader" told him lowly.
"Neither do I." Rick agreed.
"I ain't goin' back in that cafeteria for one more minute."
"There are other cell blocks!" the mustached inmate pointed out to the "leader".
"You could leave." Daryl pointed out. "Try your luck out on the road."
"These three pussies can do all this, the least we can do is take out another cell block." The "Leader" decided.
"With what?" one of the other inmates asked.
"Atlanta here will spot us some real weapons, won't you boss?" he asked.
"How stocked is that cafeteria?" Rick asked after a moment. "You must have plenty of food, five guys lasting almost a year?"
"Sure as hell don't look like any of 'em have been starvin'." Daryl commented.
"There's only a little left." "Leader" replied.
"Well we'll take half. In exchange, we'll help clear out a cell block." Rick offered.
"Didn't you hear him?" one of the men spoke up. "There's only a little left."
"Bet you got more food than you got choices." Rick replied. "You pay, we'll play." Rick looked at the leader. "We'll clear out a block for you, and you keep to it."
"What could it hurt?" the mustached inmate asked. "They got a pregnant woman." The leader looked over at me as I sat down on a bench and then back to Rick.
"Alright." He agreed.
"But let me be clear, if we see you out here, anywhere around our people, if I even so much as catch a whiff of your scent, I will kill you." Rick told him sharply.
"Deal." The leader agreed after a moment.
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