Note: Well, the problem with TWD being back is that I now look at this fic and think, gah, you're all wrong, dammit! I shall press onwards, nonetheless.
BTW, how fucking awesome was Seed?!
11.
Some of the walkers followed the retreating sound of the van, others headed to the fence.
Daryl considered killing them, but if he shot them he'd draw more to them. He wanted to get back in, locked away from what was out here and hide the others somewhere safe in the depths of the prison because it was his job to keep them safe. He'd promised Rick he would and he felt himself falling short of that task right now.
Lori waited by the door as he approached it.
He expected them all to be stood there, but he figured they were just beyond the doorway. When he was close enough, Lori spoke. "Are you okay?"
He was wearing a dark blue shirt and the blood couldn't be seen on it, he was grateful for that but he could feel it running down his chest and back anyway. He didn't answer her, just concentrated on walking to the prison, relieved to get inside. She closed the door just behind him and he stopped to rest, leaning against the wall.
The others weren't in the room, something that surprised him. At least until he looked towards Lori. Her eyes had sought out his injury and then he noticed that they'd readied themselves for him to come back injured. "How bad is it?" she asked him.
"Went straight through. Probably for the best, least there's no bullet to get out."
Lori nodded a little at that. "Well, I'm no Hershel, but at least let me clean the wound and put something on it, okay?"
He didn't want her too, but then he thought that if it wasn't Lori, it would be Carol and he didn't want her to do it. So he nodded.
Lori cut away his shirt from his injured arm and wiped away the blood with warm water. She taped gauze over the wound, both exit and entrance points, it would be too awkward to wrap a bandage round it.
Lori quickly cleared up the few bits she'd used and Daryl mumbled a thank you before leaving to clear himself up properly.
He went to his room, his cell, his mind on the man that got away. Letting him get away was a huge mistake and one that might cost them all. There might be a group, they might come back. They might ambush Rick and the others when they returned and he couldn't do a thing about it.
Daryl was unbuttoning his shirt, when she stepped in behind him.
He was too caught up in his thoughts that he didn't hear her. It wasn't until he had his shirt undone and went to struggle out of it that she made her presence felt, reaching for the shirt to help him out of it.
He spun round when he realised he wasn't alone, Carol standing there calmly.
"I was just trying to help. You're hurt. You shouldn't be straining too much, you'll make your injury worse."
"I'm fine," he said, angry at her invasion of his privacy. "You need to get out. Now!" He barked at her.
The hurt look in her eyes didn't even register to him, as she turned and left him alone.
Lori, Carol and Beth were preparing a meal when Daryl joined them.
He wore a serious look on his face. "We need to move."
"What?" Lori asked.
"We need to move. Now."
"Why, what's happened?" Carol asked.
He glared at her darkly and she didn't know if it was because of her attempt to help him earlier or because she was asking questions when he wanted them all to be moving. "That guy could have an army. If he comes back and we're all here they'll get to us in no time. We need to move. Get deeper into the prison. Just in case."
Lori's hand settled onto her bump, protectively and she shared a look with Carol and Beth. "You think they'll come back?" she asked, worried.
"Lets just move," Daryl said, hoping to get the women into motion.
They didn't question him further.
Daryl and Carol moved the majority of Lori's stuff for her as they moved deeper into the prison.
Except for Carol's trip into these depths when she'd searched for Daryl, the other women had never been so far into the prison before. It was unpleasant, a place Rick had never intended his wife to see.
Eventually, they'd planned to clean it up but it wasn't a priority. They could do that in the winter, when they'd settled in properly. Supplies were the priority right now.
The cells here were more basic, smaller, more confined and Carol wondered aloud if they should share rooms. No cell had room for all the women and they didn't want to leave anyone alone, but Beth told the others to share, thinking it's be better for Lori. Carol wasn't sure about climbing up onto a top bunk.
Daryl headed back to get the food the women had been preparing and on his way back he locked every door he could that would hold up any intruders getting to them.
When he got back to the others, he found the women huddled together in one room looking frightened, vulnerable.
Fuck, he thought. All he'd managed was to scare them.
When he was clear of the prison, he stopped the van and pulled the two bodies out, left them on the side of the road and carried on driving.
The plan was fucked.
He wondered why he listened to Ben's ideas sometimes. He scoffed at himself as he realised he wouldn't have that problem any more. But now he had nothing and no one. No sweet, innocent looking child and no harmless old woman either.
But the plus side was that he was alone now. And maybe that gave him better chances to be taken in by a new group.
As soon as they finished eating, Daryl left the women.
He'd scared them, made them worry and now he needed to do something about it. He told them he was going to get some more blankets for them, but as soon as he was through the first door and had it locked he hesitated.
They had food, water. Facilities. There'd be enough blankets, he was sure of that.
"What's wrong?" Carol asked, her brow creased with worry at his lack of movement. He searched her face for a moment.
"Look after 'em. I'll be back as soon as I can."
"Back? Where are you going? Carol asked.
He turned though and didn't answer her. Heading to the next door.
He could still hear them calling after him as he increased the gap between them. All he could think about was finding that guy and making sure he didn't come back.
It seemed like days that the women were locked away in the prison.
They had enough to keep them sustained, but rationed themselves carefully, unsure how long it would be before Daryl came back.
They could hear footsteps and the keys rattling, echoing down the halls before they saw anything.
They waited by the door, eager to get out. When Daryl seemed to be taking his time to get there, it was Carol who broke the silence.
"Daryl? Come on, let us out now. We're tired of being locked in here."
The noises halted and Carol and Lori shared a concerned look. Could anyone else get in here?
The keys started to rattle again and the footsteps were quicker and then from the shadows Rick appeared. He unlocked the door before he said anything. The women shuffled out quickly, pleased to be out.
"Your back? Did everything go okay?" Lori asked.
Rick replied with a quick nod. "Nothing to worry about. What's going on here? Why are you locked in there. Where's Daryl?"
"He's in the other part of the prison?"
Rick shook his head. "Come on. Lets head back to the others and you can tell us what happened."