Surviving the Dead: The Beginning
Andrea POV...
Me, Michonne and the two walkers are walking on a road when I see smoke coming out of the forest after the explosion, I look at Michonne and we head in that direction. When we arrive at the spot I end up coughing because I was still sick from the winter and threw up.
"Don't push yourself. You'd better sit." Michonne tells me and helps me sit down, and she attaches the walkers to a tree. She gives me a gun, "I'll check it out." She says and moves over to teh crash but then comes back shortly after, "Someone's coming!"
"Any survivors?" I asked her
"Two dead, not sure about the other."
The two cars stop next to the helicopter and men come out of the cars, "Fan out." One of them tells the others, "Save those rounds for when you need them."
One of the men shoot an arrow in a walker, I put my hand over my mouth trying to muffle a cough.
"Got a breather! Tim! Help me out here." The guy says and they get the survivor off the helicopter. Michonne sees a walker behind her, she's about to kill it, but it walks right past us, and the men see it
"Over here, Shumpert!" The guy with the bow and arrow shoots the walker in the head as two of the guys carry the body away from the helicopter.
"He's saving them. We should show ourselves." I tell Michonne
"Not yet."
We see the main guy look at a soldier and stab him in the head, I look at Michonne confused, why would he kill an innocent man. Michonne's walkers start to do a lot of noise and the men notice them. Michonne runs to them and cuts their heads off then comes back over and hides with me as the men look in our direction, but don't see us.
"Let's roll out." The main guy says and we sigh in relief as the get into the cars.
Just then we hear a noise behind us and Michonne pulls her katana out.
"Uh-uh-uh! Easy does it, girl. Mine's a whole lot bigger than yours." I hear the person say and I immediately recognize the voice, "Now, put down your weapons. That's it, nice and easy. And let me see your hands." He tells us and we raise our hands, "Now spin around. That's it, nice little twirl around." I turn and come face to face with him, "Oh, holy shit. Blondie! You're looking… good!" He tells me and kills a walker that was coming up behind him with what looked like a fashioned together hand knife and stands up, "Now, how's about a big hug for your old pal Merle?" He asked and I passed out
"Why are we being held here? We want to leave!" I tell the nurse who is examining me
"You're not well enough! And it's dark. You should stay the night."
"Where are we?" I asked her
"That's not for me to say. He'll talk to you."
"Who?" Michonne asked her and Merle enters the room.
"Go check on your patient, doc." He tell her and she leaves the room, "Bet you was wondering if I was real! Probably hoping I wasn't. Well, here I am. I guess this old world gets a little small towards the end, huh? Ain't so many of us left to share the air right?" He tells us sitting down, "You know, when they found me, I was near bled out, starving, thinking to myself a bullet might make a good last meal. Take myself a nice long nap after, wait for Daryl on the other side, hell even Sam too. You seen my brother? My sister?
I was shocked when he mentioned Sam, from what Daryl told me he never accepted her, "Not for a long time."
"Makes two of us."
"He went back for you, him and Rick. You were already gone." I told him
"Yeah well, not all of me!" He says and shows me his cut off hand, and laughs.
"Oh, god…" I looked away then saw he covered it back up
"Yeah…Rick. He's that prick that cuffed me to the roof top."
"Yeah…he…tried. Daryl saw that." I tell him
"He's always been the sweet one, my baby brother, even to our sister."
"He wanted to keep looking, Sam did too, then things happened, people died. A lot of them. Jim, Dale, Jacqui, Sophia, Sam...lost her baby." I said and he looked at me confused but I think he also looked concerned
"Little sis was pregnant?" He asked me and I nodded, "By who?"
"Jim"
"Jim knocked up my little sister...huh...how did she..." He started to ask and I sensed a little bit of caring in his voice
"Miscarried. We also lost...Amy." I tell him, it still hurts to think about her
"Your sister?" He asked me
"Yes."
"She was a good kid. I'm sorry to hear it." He said with sincerity
"There were more, a lot more. We had to leave Atlanta, we wound up on a farm. Daryl stepped up, became a valued member of the group."
"Now he's dead." He assumed
"I don't know that for sure. We got run off by a herd."
"How long ago?" He asked me
"Seven, eight months." I tell him looking at Michonne, "I was separated from the rest of them, got left behind. I know what it feels like."
Merle chuckled holding up his hand, "I doubt that."
"What do you want from us?" I asked him
"There she sits, four walls around her, roof over her head, medicine in her veins, and she wants to know what I want from her. I plucked you and your mute here out of the dirt, blondie. How 'bout a thank you?" He says
"You had a gun on us!" Michonne finally says
"Oh, she speaks! Well, who ain't had a gun on 'em in the past year, huh? Show hands, y'all! Anybody? Shumpert? Crowley? Y'all had a gun on y'all?" He asked them and they shifted but grinned, "Hell, I think I'd piss my pants if some stranger came walking up with his mits in his pockets. That'd be the son of a bitch you'd really want to be scared of…"
"Thank you." I cut him off and he nods, then the guy we saw in the woods enters and whispered something into Merle's ear.
"Sure thing." Merle tells him
"How you feeling?"
"We want our weapons!" Michonne says to him
"Sure. On your way out of the front gates."
"Show us the way. You've kept us locked up in this room." I mention to him
"You see any bars on the windows? You're being cared for."
"Under guard." I point out indicating to the two standing at the door
"To protect our people, we don't know you."
"We know enough about you to want out of this place. We watched you drive a knife into the skulls of two dead men, what the hell was that all about?" I asked him
"They turned."
"They weren't bitten." Michonne argued
Him and Merle share a look, "It doesn't matter. However we die, we all turn." He tells us and I look at him in shock, "I put them out of their misery. It's not easy news to swallow at first but there it is. Now, you're not prisoners here, you're guests. But if you wanna leave, as I said, you're free to do so. But we don't open the gates past dusk. Draws too much attention." He tells us and looked at me, "And you especially, you need a solid night of sleep. You wouldn't last another day out there in your condition. Have you brought over to my place in the morning, hand over your weapons, extras ammo, food for the road, some meds, keys to a vehicle if you want one. Send you on your way, no hard feelings."
I look at Michonne and we all follow the man who opens the door to the place we were in. There's a city, "Welcome to Woodbury."
Samantha POV...
"Alright, let's get the other cars in. We'll park 'em in the west entry of the yard." Rick tells us as me and Carol walk over from moving a couple cars
"Good. Our vehicles camped out there look like a giant "vacancy" sign!" Daryl says and I shoved him
"After that, we need to load up these corpses so we can burn them." Rick adds
"It's gonna be a long day…" T-Dog pointed out and I slung my arm around his shoulder
"Oh man up!" I tell him and he poked my side causing me to jerk and I punched him in the arm
"Where's Glenn and Maggie? We could use some help." Carol asked
"Up in the guard tower." Daryl says
"Guard tower? They were just up there last night!" I mention and we look at the top of the guard tower.
"Glenn! Maggie!" Daryl calls and Glenn comes out of the tower, he has no shirt on and is buttoning his pants.
"Hey! What's up guys?"
We all laugh at the sight of Glenn, "You comin'?" Daryl asked and I smacked his arm at the his comment while smiling
"What?" Glenn asked confused and we keep laughing
"You comin'?" Daryl asked again, "Come on, we could use a hand!" he tells Glenn
"Yeah, we'll be right down!"
We walk toward the cars, still laughing and I jump on Daryl trapping his head under my arm, "Why do you got to be immature?" I asked him letting go and he grabbed my head doing the same thing and gave me a nuggy
"Hey Rick!" I hear T-Dog tell him and I followed where he was looking, Rick stops smiling immediately when we see the two prisoners Axel and Oscar out of their cell block, walking towards us
"Come with me." Rick tells us and we walk with him over to them, "That's close enough. We had an agreement."
"Please, mister. We know that, we made a deal. But you gotta understand! We can't live in that place another minute, you follow me? All the bodies, people we knew! Blood, brains everywhere! There's ghosts!" Axel pleaded
"Why don't you move the bodies out?" Daryl asked him
"You should be burning them." T-Dog adds
"We tried! We did!"
"The fence is down on the far side of the prison. Every time we drag a body out, those things just line up. So just dropping a body and just running back inside." Oscar mentioned
"Look! We had nothing to do with Thomas and Andrew, nothing! You trying to prove a point? You proved it, bro! We'll do whatever it takes to be a part of your group, just, please, please, don't make us live in that place!" Axel begs
"Our deal is not negotiable. You either live in your cell block, or you leave." Rick tells them
"I told you this was a waste of time. They ain't no different than the pricks who shot up our boys." Oscar says to Axel and looked at us, "You know how many friends' corpses we had to drag out this week? Just threw 'em out like…Those were good guys! Good guys who had our backs against the really bad dudes in the joint like Thomas and Andrew. Now, we've all made mistakes to get in here, chief, and I'm not gonna pretend to be a saint, but believe me… we paid our due. Enough that we would rather hit that road, than to go back into that shit hole." He defended and Rick looks at Daryl who says no with his head.
Daryl locks them back inside and walked over to us, "Are you serious? You want them living in a cell next to you? They'll just be waiting for a chance to grab our weapons, you want to go back to sleeping with one eye open?" Rick asked me and T-Dog as we tried to change Rick's mind
"I never stopped. Bring them into the fold. If we send them off packing, we might as well execute them ourselves." I tell him
"I don't know, Axel seems a little unstable." Glenn pointed out
"After all we've been through? We fought so hard for all this, what if they decide to take it?" Carol asked
"It's just been us for so long…they're strangers. I don't… it feels weird all of a sudden to have these other people around." Maggie pointed out
"You brought us in." T-Dog tells her
"Yeah, but you turned up with a shot boy in your arms, didn't give us a choice, and I knew Sam."
"They can't even kill walkers!" Glenn says
"They're convicts, bottom line!" Carol adds
"Those two might actually have less blood on their hands than we do." T-Dog pointed out
"I get guys like this. Hell, me and Sam grew up with them. They're degenerates, but they ain't psychos. I could have been with them just as easy as I'm out here with you guys." Daryl mentioned and he brought up a good point
"So you with me?" T-Dog asked him
"Hell no! Let 'em take their chances out on the road, just like we did!"
"What he's saying, Daryl…" I started to say but Rick cut me off
"When I was a rookie, I arrested this kid. Nineteen years old, wanted for stabbing his girlfriend. The kid blubbered like a baby during the interrogation, during the trial, suckered the jury. He was acquitted due to insufficient evidence, and in 2 weeks later shot another girl. We've been through too much. Our deal with them stands."
"Move the cars to the upper yard. Point them facing out. They'll be out of the way but ready to go if we ever need to bail." Rick tells us and Daryl tossed his keys to Glenn, "We'll give the prisoners a week's worth of supplies for the road." He tells me and T-Dog
"Might not last a week." I point out
"Their choice!"
"Did they really have one?" T-Dog asked him
"Hey! Hey, whose blood would you rather have on your hands? Maggie's, Glenn's, or theirs?"
"Neither." T-Dog replied and the others are moving the cars to another place. Daryl and I walk over to our bikes.
"Twin cylinder, is that a Triumph?" Axel asked him and we looked at him, "Yours a Honda?" He indicated to mine
"Don't even look at 'em." Daryl tells him and we get on our bikes starting them up
"Didn't want it bored out? Sounds like it could use a tune-up, I'm pretty handy with the grind! Heads are leakin'! I know my bikes!" Axel yells at us as we leave
Carol locked the gate then her, me, Maggie and T-Dog started moving cars while Glenn, Daryl and Rick went out to the field.
I get out of the truck I backed up and see Lori, Beth, Carl and Hershel walking outside and I smile.
"All right Hershel!" I hear Glenn yell from the other side and I looked over at him then Maggie putting my arm around her shoulder as she smiled at her dad
"Walkers! Look out!" Carl yelled and we see a bunch of them going to where they were at, Maggie and I ran to the others.
"Sammie!" I hear Daryl yell as I shoot a walker with my crossbow
"Get out of there! Go!" Rick yelled, me and Maggie made our way over to one of our cell block
"Lori! Here!" Maggie tells her and they both ran over to us and we went in and headed to the cells but got cut off when walkers walked out of it.
"This way!" I tell them standing by Carl while Lori stood by Maggie and we headed to the doors of the corridors and Maggie closed the gate
We make our way through the corridors as while an alarm keeps going off and I see Lori lean on the wall and grunts, I move over to support her, "Can you keep up?" I asked her
"Something's not right…"
"Are you bit?" Carl asked
"No, no, no, no, no. I think the baby's coming!"
"Oh shit" I said
"Mom?" Carl asked and we hear walkers coming
"No, there's no time!" Maggie tells him as he was about to shoot them and Maggie takes over holding Lori while me and Carl took the front and we try to walk as fast as possible. Walkers arrive on the other side of the corridor.
"In here!" Carl tells us opening a door and we go inside then Lori leans on a wall and grunts in pain, me, Carl and Maggie look at each other with worry
"What are those alarms?" Lori asked in pain
"Don't worry about that." I tell her
"What if it attracts them?" Carl asked and I put my hand on his shoulder
"Lori, let's lay you down." Maggie says to her
"No, the baby's coming now."
"We have to go back to our cell block to have Hershel help!" Carl brings up
"We can't risk getting caught out there, you're gonna need to give birth to this baby here." Maggie says to Lori
"Great." Lori is panting in pain.
"What is she doing, can't she breathe?" Carl asked
"She's fine." I reassured him
"Come here, let's get your pants off." Maggie tells her and unbuckles Lori's pants and helps her lay down
"You're gonna need to help deliver your baby brother or sister, you up for it?" Maggie asked Carl taking Lori's pants off and he nodded, "Let me do an exam to see if your dilated." Maggie tells her and I move down and support Lori's shoulders
"Do you know how?" Carl asked Maggie
"Dad taught me, but trust me, it's my first time," She says and tries to examine Lori, "I can't tell…"
"I gotta push." Lori tells her and stands up with my help, Maggie supports her as she pushes and I stay down in case the baby comes out, "Somebody!" Lori strained, "I'm okay, I'm okay… I'm okay."
"You're doing great, Lori. Just keep doing it. Your body knows what to do. Let it do all the work." Maggie reassured her, "You're doing great."
"Lori, stop, don't push, something's wrong!" I yell and Lori screamed, I pull my hand away and Maggie looks at the blood that's on it then we look at each other.
"Mom? Mom, look at me, look at me, keep your eyes open!" Carl tells her as we lay her on the floor
"We have to get you back to Dad." Maggie adds
"I won't make it."
"Lori, with all this blood, I don't even think you're fully dilated yet, no amount of pushing is gonna help." Maggie mentioned
"I know what it means, and I'm not losing my baby. You've gotta cut me open." Lori says and I look at Maggie
"No, I can't."
"You don't have a choice." Lori tells her
"I'll go for help." Carl said
"No!" Lori yells to him
"Look, Carol's the one that practiced that, Dad only taught me the steps Lori, if I…" Maggie started to say
"Please…" Lori begged her
"I have no anesthetic, no equipment…"
"Carl has a knife, Sam knows how to do it." Lori says
"Lori I skin animals and cut them up it's different" I tell her
"You won't survive." Maggie adds
"My baby has to survive… Please…My baby, for all of us… Please, Maggie! Sam! Please." She begs and I try to fight back the tears as Maggie shakes herv head no, "Please…"
"See my old C-section scar?" Lori asked me when I switched spots with Maggie and looked at Lori's stomach
"I can't." I said crying
"You can. You have to. Carl? Baby, I don't want you to be scared, okay? This is what I want. This is right. Now you-you take care of your daddy for me, all right? And your little brother or sister, you take care…" Lori tells him
"You don't have to do this."
"You're gonna be fine…you are gonna beat this world, I know you will. You are smart, and you are strong, and you are so brave! And I love you." She says and they start crying
"I love you too."
"You gotta do what's right, baby. You promise me, you'll always do what's right. It's so easy to do the wrong thing in this world. So don't… so if it feels wrong, don't do it, all right? If it feels easy don't do it. Don't let the world spoil you. You're so good! You're my sweet boy! The best thing I ever did! I love you! I love you. You're my sweet, sweet boy, I love you." Lori says with her voice breaking and Carl hugs her, "Okay… okay, now. Okay. Maggie, when this is over, you're gonna have to…"
"Shh…"
"No, you have to do it, it can't be Rick." Lori tells her and looked at me, "Alright, alright, it's alright. It's alright…" Carl gives me his knife, "Goodnight, love."
"I'm sorry…" I tell her and cut Lori open following her old scar, Lori starts screaming from the pain.
"You're killing her!" Carl yells at me and Lori's head falls on the ground, and her eyes close, she dies.
"Maggie, give me your hands." I tell her and she trying to calm herself, "Maggie, please. Keep the site clean, okay? I cut too deep, I'm gonna cut the baby." I tell her and she nodded, "Okay…Okay, come on, I see it, I see the ears. I'm gonna pull it out." I said reaching inside trying to feel around, "I can't tell if this is the arm or the leg." I point out and I find the part of the baby I needed to hold, "Okay, I'm gonna pull the baby out." I pull it out but it doesn't move or scream, "Maggie?" I asked her and she reached over trying to tap it to revive the baby and moved it so it was laying face down in my arms and tapped it's back. Finally, it works and the baby starts crying. Carl gives me his vest to put on the baby and I wrap it up, "Can you take the baby Maggie? I can't hold my crossbow at the same time" I tell her and she nodded taking the baby.
"We have to go." Maggie tells us and I look down at Lori
"Well, we can't just leave her here, she'll turn." Carl tells us and Maggie tries to get her gun out while holding the baby, "No..." Carl says and I see his gun
"Carl…" I started to say
"She's my mom." He says and I look at him then Lori, after a moment Maggie and I leave with the baby
Maggie opens the door, and we see walkers in the corridor, so we goes back in. As we make our way back down we hear a gun shot then Carl walks out moving past us, tears run down my face and Maggie put her hand on my shoulder and we followed him
"Daryl and Glenn, you come with me…" I hear Rick say as we walked out of the entrance, Rick turns around, I open the gate and we enter the courtyard. Me and Maggie are crying unable to say a word, Daryl puts his crossbow down and rushes over to me as I lose it and fall to the ground crying into his shoulder. Rick moves towards us, "Where is… where is she?" He asked and I see him try to go back in the prison, but Maggie stops him.
"No, Rick, don't!"
He starts crying, and looks at Carl, "Oh no…. No! No!" Rick continues to cry and Daryl pulls me him and I cry into his shoulder again.
A/N: I'm not crying, you're crying