Time is Everything
Daryl
Daryl looked up at the night time sky at the indifferent stars. What happened here on this little planet was of no concern to them. They had no concept of time. They just were until they weren't. Time was everything here. He and Jesse were perched on a rock cliff above the road that Negan's warriors would take when they attacked Alexandria. It was all for fifteen minutes. They would give the information to Rick and he would start moving the children and the non-combatants into the tunnels. Fifteen minutes would give Carol and the others time to be down in the tunnels by the time that Negan rang the doorbell.
Fifteen minutes. One quarter of an hour. It only took fifteen minutes for him to lose everything before. The time started when Rick told him that Carol was gone. Banished. No time to make things right with Tyreese because the Governor was at the fence line with Hershel and Michonne. Minutes wasted while Rick tried to convince the Governor that they could all live together at the prison. Hershel beheaded in front of them. The fences down and the tank leveling the prison. The only happy home he had ever known completely destroyed in fifteen minutes.
Now those fifteen minutes would give Alexandria a chance to be ready to defend itself. Time to have everyone awake and at their posts. The non-combatants would be out of the line of fire. Fifteen minutes might be difference between all that he loved surviving or dying. That is why he was here on this rock waiting for the sound of engines that would start the clock again.
Jesse was asleep, but he always woke up ready to go. The call to Rick and then waiting until the Savior convoy passed by. Sending more information about how many vehicles and what sort of weapons. Then he and Jesse were moving toward Alexandria to be ready to set off hidden explosives. Jesse had been in the CIA when all this happened and he knew how to make all sorts of interesting bombs. Weapons of limited destruction but Jesse intended to deploy them in the time that they would be more effective. That would be when Negan decided to draw his forces back and head toward his own sanctuary. He and Jesse would be waiting to set off the IED's and other explosives that would decimate the rest of Negan's forces.
Morgan would meet them at the rendezvous point. He would slip out the gate and move the walkers they had tethered in the woods around Alexandria. They would be moved into place in front of the gate around Alexandria. Not too many. Just enough to slow the Saviors a minutes or two. Time was everything.
Less than an hour until it began to get light. Daryl's instincts warned him that Negan was coming before morning. Jesse stirred and stretched and then was moving to stand beside Daryl. "He's coming. I'll turn the radio on and be ready to transmit. Maybe wake up Rick." Jesse's voice didn't betray any fear. Guess he was trusting his instincts too.
Michonne answered the radio, "We're ready here. How many trucks are there?"
Jesse's voice was syrupy sweet, "Now, maybe I just wanted to hear your voice."
Michonne's voice had a hint of laughter, "You better have more than that."
Just then Daryl heard the first low pitched rumble of truck engine. He started down the hill toward the four wheeler. It was camouflaged down by the road. He slid into place and waited for the convoy to pass. Jesse was transmitting from on the rock.
The trucks were moving slower than they had planned on. Five large trucks loaded with men and weapons. A 50 caliber that would have to be taken out early. They were barely out of sight when Jesse joined him.
They drove the four wheeler onto a barely passable path through the woods that would allow them to arrive before the Saviors. Jesse put on night vision goggles and drove without turning on the headlights. Daryl just hung on and tried not to look ahead. Every time he did he could see an outline of a tree and tense up thinking that they were going to hit it. Jesse just kept moving along.
Morgan was waiting at the rendezvous point. Just another abandoned house along the way to Alexandria. Morgan was going to set off the IED's along the roadway in front of Alexandria and then make his way to the tree stand that was his sniper post.
Daryl and Jesse headed toward the turnoff to Alexandria. Jesse was setting off the IEDs there and he and Daryl were going to strafe the area with bullets trying to make sure that not too many Saviors got away. Both men dropped to the ground when the trucks went by.
Daryl cursed silently as he tried to climb the tree using the nailed in boards. His shoulder was still a wreck. Jesse was carrying the greater burden on this mission but he has insisted on Daryl being his partner. Jesse had looked at Rick, "I want to go out there with somebody who can move through the woods as quietly as I can. Somebody who can handle the pressure. I trust Daryl. He goes with me."
He was in place and listening to sounds of distant gunfire which would bring every damn walker in miles toward Alexandria. He didn't hear the IEDs. Had something happened to Morgan? Who would take out the 50 caliber?
Was Carol safe? Had she listened to Rick and went into the tunnels? Or had she gone into warrior mode despite her injuries? Didn't she know how much she meant to him?
Carol
Carol was up and ready to go when Heath came to the infirmary to tell them that the attack was coming. She and Christie grabbed their bags and hurried to the community center. Some of the adults were already in the tunnels and Nathan, a man from the Kingdom was lifting the smaller children down into the tunnels. Alia and Kiernan were waiting their turn quietly. Carol could feel the walls coming in already and she was only in the basement. Dulcie smiled at her, "Control your breathing and stay close to me. Christie, then me, and you can follow us down. Nathan will help you." Nathan was about the size of the average NBA player but he was gentle when he lifted her down to the floor of the tunnels.
Maggie's description of the tunnels as being wet, stinky, and very dark. Someone had put gravel on the floor so that the pathway was dry. Fans were pushing fresh air in and there were long strings of Christmas lights to chase the dark away. Dulcie and Christie led her down the hallway toward an area with lots of children. Sela was there with breakfast bars and milk. It looked festive but it didn't fool the older children who were sitting quietly waiting to see how this would play out.
There were blankets to sit on and she eased herself down to the ground. Her wounded leg shooting out sparks of pain. Dulcie was greeting everyone in her calm sweet voice and Carol remembered that this same woman had put a bullet into her niece. Dulcie was a good woman to be with in a bad situation.
Christie was checking on everyone with her usual efficiency while she carried Judith. She had a pistol on her side and Carol remembered Christie telling her that she was the tough one. She didn't look too tough as she cooed at Judith but Carol knew she would use the pistol if it was needed.
Everyone was in now and they pulled the metal cover in place. An older man pushed the locking mechanism into place and they were truly trapped inside this tunnel. Carol tried to control the panic. Counted to ten as she took deep even breaths. Alia and Kiernan had pushed themselves close to her. Carol thought about the slaves on the Underground Railroad. They were often left in damn cold cellars and in tight cramped spaces. Danger all around and they had to be quiet. She reached into her bag and brought out Sophia's favorite book. She had found a copy at the Kingdom library and had reread it in her room there. It reminded her of Sophia and how they had read the book together to escape the terrifying reality of their lives with Ed. It had helped then and it might help now.
A silly book about a mouse in love with a princess. A tiny little mouse with big ears in love with a human princess. The little mouse could read though and loved fairy tales. The mouse lived in a castle and in that castle was a dark scary dungeon. She wouldn't have time to get to that part today. Carol found her reading light and adjusted it. She began reading aloud and one by one the children were drawn into the story of a mouse with big ears and a bigger heart. Not brave at all but in the end the most courageous of heroes. She kept going even when the sound of explosives seemed too close and the gunfire waxed and waned above them. It had been quiet for a good while and they were all getting jumpy. Were they trapped down here?
Everyone jumped when someone struck a little tune on the metal plate that covered the entrance to the tunnels. Sela called out, "Hallelujah". The tapped out tune was "Do Re Mi".
Sunlight poured in and Nathan came down the ladder. "Medical personnel need to come first. Then, I'll help all of you out. God has given us a victory today. Praise his holy name."
Carol managed to stand up without falling down which she considered a victory. Christie and Jane were already at the ladder. Dulcie would see to the children. Nathan boosted her toward the entrance and Heath was there to help her the rest of the way. The basement seemed intact but there was the smell of smoke in the air.
The morning light showed that Alexandria had been hit hard. A few houses burnt. Emergency fencing was being put up in one place, but the infirmary was still there. Christie waded into the chaos as if she did this every day. There was a line of bodies on the street. Eric was there and he shook his head as they walked by. Carol willed herself to look. To see who they had lost. Abraham's red hair glinted in the morning sun, Sasha beside him, Tobin, Ellie, Spencer, Tara and Scott. Three men and two women from the Kingdom. No Daryl or Jesse but she didn't see them either of them milling around and she knew Daryl would be here to check on her if he could be. Where was he?
Heath, Eric, and Rosita had already been triaging the wounded. Carol couldn't stop herself from checking for Daryl and Jesse among them, but they weren't there. Then she was too busy cleaning and bandaging minor wounds to even look up. Rick had a leg wound that needed stitched up and she put the stitches in as quickly and neatly as possible. Christie checking her work and then hurrying back to the more seriously wounded .Rick smiled wearily at her, "Just like old times. Hershel would be proud at how well you did that."
Carol nodded, "Giving you an antibiotic injection. Is Carl okay?"
"Not a scratch. Michonne, Rosita and Eugene are good. Don't know about Daryl. We haven't had a chance to go out beyond the walls to check. Morgan took out the 50 caliber and blew up some saviors with the IEDs. He went out to check on Jesse and Daryl." Rick patted her arm. "Judith okay?"
"Christie handed her to Sela when we left. She was sound asleep." Carol wiped his arm and injected the antibiotic. "Come back tomorrow to have Christie check it."
It was midmorning before things settled down. They had lost three more of the wounded but the rest would probably make it. Carol handed Christie a cup of coffee. "Have you eaten?"
Christie shook her head, "No time. Maybe I'll grab one of those protein bars and sit down for a minute.
The door of the infirmary was pulled open quickly and Michonne rushed in. "We've got more wounded."
Two kingdom soldiers carried in a stretcher with Jesse on it. He was conscious and waved weakly at Christie, "Honey, I'm home."
Christie and Jane rushed to his side and Michonne said, "Daryl needs help. He's just outside."
Daryl was leaning against the wall of the infirmary, "It ain't bad. I fell out of the damn tree."
Carol was relieved to see him standing but he looked pale and shocky. Daryl's hurt shoulder looked all wrong and she suspected that it was dislocated. "Come on in. You need a doctor."
He followed her in the door and she sat him down on a recently cleaned examining table. She took a warm washcloth and wiped the blood off of his face and hands. "What hurts?"
"My shoulder and chest hurt the most." Daryl looked at her, "You good? The kids?"
Carol nodded, "I haven't seen them since I left the tunnels but Dulcie and Sela are looking after them."
Eric moved toward them, "Christie is busy with Jesse. He has a leg wound. She needs a chest X-ray on Daryl. "He put Daryl in a wheelchair and moved him down the hall to the room that housed their X-ray machine.
Morgan was in a side room giving blood. Carol knew it must be for Jesse. "I can give Jesse some blood. We're the same type."
Sister Theresa looked up and shook her head. "No way. You look like you need a pint yourself."
Morgan smiled at her, "Nathan is giving too. He's got plenty to spare."
"What happened Daryl and Jesse?"
Sister Theresa began to withdraw the needle and Morgan waited until she had left with the blood. Carol handed him the apple juice and a protein bar. Morgan thanked her and began, "I met them at the rendezvous house this morning. Then I went back to Alexandria. I was supposed to set off the IEDs but they stopped farther back than we planned on. I brought out the walker chain and tethered them in front. I had one grenade and I used that on the 50 caliber. Threw it and ran to the sniper post. They had RPGs too and used them on a section of the fence and then split off and used them on another part of the fence. They ran into the punji sticks and slowed down. They were losing a lot of men and began to withdraw. I got down out of the sniper post and set off the IEDs as they ran back to their trucks."
He took a deep breath. "I heard the next round of explosions and some gunfire. I knew that was Daryl and Jesse. I got pinned down in an old house by walkers. Ran out of ammo. Michonne and Carl cleared them out. Told me Rick was shot but that it wasn't too bad. We began to clear the way toward Daryl and Jesse. New walkers everywhere so it was slow going. We found them in the back of one of the trucks. They had crawled up there to get away from the walkers. The keys were in the truck and we brought them back in that."
Carol knew Morgan hated what he had had to do. "Thank you for doing what to be done. Go talk to Dulcie as soon as you can."
Morgan nodded wearily, "Come spring I'm going to be a farmer. I want to look out at fields of corn, wheat, oats, and vegetables. I want people to remember me for something good."
She nodded, "We'll all work in those fields. Then we'll work together to harvest enough food for another year. We're going to build a community here that can take care of itself. Maybe help other communities survive."
"Daryl saved Jesse. He was holding an old red rag to Jesse's leg. He would have bled out before we got there if he hadn't. Somehow he got him up on that high truck and kept him safe." Morgan patted her arm, "He's a good man, Carol."
Eric had given Daryl an injection of something strong enough to control the pain. Daryl was propped up in a hospital bed. Eric had taken off his blood stained clothes and Daryl was now wearing a hospital gown. Carol was startled to see that Daryl wasn't even covering himself with the covers. There was just him and a hospital gown. A very flimsy gown at that.
Daryl smiled at her and patted the bed beside him, "Carol, come sit by me." Again not likely to happen in a room full of people.
Carol pushed his hair out of his face and wondered if she could cut it short and tell Daryl that it had been medically necessary. "How are you feeling?"
"Pretty fucking good. " He scooted over and patted the bed, "Sit down."
Carol had a vision of Daryl falling off the other side. "Okay". She sat on the edge of the bed and Daryl scooted back to her.
He took her hand and stared at her, "You are so pretty. Especially when you smile. Pretty pretty Carol. I love you so much."
Carol smiled then. "I love you too."
Daryl looked at her seriously, "I don't have any pants on. I think I lost them somewhere. God, your eyes are so blue. You are so pretty. I love you."
Christie appeared on his other side, "I can see talking to Daryl right now is a lost cause. So Carol, we need to put his shoulder back in place and send him home in a few hours. He has several broken ribs. They have to heal on their own. He needs to keep his ribs iced for two days and then we're going to have to step down the pain meds. He has to take breathing treatments or he'll get pneumonia. All of this is going to hurt. I guess he'll be at our house. I know that you'll want to take care of him."
Daryl squinted at Christie, "You're pretty too. So many pretty ladies. I don't have any pants on. I lost them somewhere." He leaned toward her, "I love Carol cause she's so pretty and she's a really good kisser".
"How is Jesse?" Carol thought it was time to change the subject.
"He's going to be fine. He'll be in the basement. The house is going to look like a hospital ward."
She and Christie put the shoulder back in place. Late that afternoon they moved Daryl and Jesse to their house. Jesse could sleep on his bed in the basement and Daryl was going to sleep in a huge recliner. The pain med were wearing off and Carol knew it was going to be a long night.
AN
A couple of years ago my brother fell and broke several ribs. He was in lots of pain for six weeks. (He's a big whiner, so there's that) So Carol and Daryl may be in love but they aren't going to be able to express it for some time. I have seen several fan fics lately with that theme so I guess my version will be fairly tame compared to theirs.
Pneumonia is the biggest threat with broken ribs. Since it hurts to breathe the human reaction is to take shallow breaths and that can lead to pneumonia. It isn't realistic that they would keep giving him pain killers because after two years they would be a scarce commodity. I suspect Daryl will be a lot like my brother and not be a good patient.
I also saw a video on YouTube with a guy who woke up after surgery and didn't recognize his wife. Just kept telling her how pretty she was. Cute video. So I added that. A Daryl without his usual filter is always entertaining.
I killed off a few characters just to make this realistic. I suspect the actual show will be episodes of death and destruction but I put Carol in the tunnels and Daryl outside the walls. Just don't want to write about it.
The book Carol was reading to the children was "The Tale of Desperaux". Lovely book and it reads better out loud than silently. Like poetry it is meant to be heard as much as read.
Review?
