Chapter 12
(Next day)
"Michelle…" I hear someone call out. "Michelle…"
I turn my head and open one of my eyes. Rick is sitting on the edge of the bed, naked with his towel wrapped around his waist. He's gazing down at me with a warm smile as he rubs my back.
"Come on…we gotta get up and get stuff done," he says in a low voice.
"Where's Carl?" I say with my face buried in my pillow.
"He's still sleepin' in your cell," he answers. "I figured I let him sleep in a bit."
"What time is it?"
"Around 9:45a.m."
"9:45a.m.?" I ask in surprise as I turn my face to him. "My alarm goes off at 8:45a.m. I'm surprised it didn't wake Carl."
"I disabled it earlier this mornin'," Rick says. "I also figured I'd let you sleep in a bit, too."
I stare at him for a moment and a smile spreads across my face.
"Your hair is always a mess when you wake up," he teases.
"Yeah…Mornings are my enemy…" I reply with a sleepy expression as I scratch my head through my dark, messy curls. "Hand me a towel."
Rick gets up and grabs a large towel from the small shelf on the wall and hands it to me. I wrap the towel around my naked body as I stand up and walk off the mattress.
"I'm gonna take a quick shower," I say as I head out of the cell.
I make my way to the end of the cell block down a short corridor where the showers are. Light blue curtains surround the shower faucets. I walk behind into one after dropping my towel nearby, close the curtain after me, and turn the shower on. The lukewarm water sprays lightly onto my thick dark curls and naked body. I begin to run my hands through my hair and close my eyes as I let the water hit my face. I hear the curtain open and then close behind me. Two arms wrap around me and I am pulled into a hug from behind.
"Couldn't get your own shower?" I say with a small smile.
"I figured I share one with you," Rick whispers into my ear before kissing my shoulder.
I laugh a bit as I place my arms over his that are embracing my body. The lukewarm water showers our naked bodies as we continue to hold each other close. I turn to face him and he wraps his arms around my waist, pulling me close as I brush his now wet, dark brown hair with my fingers. He gazes into my eyes as I stroke his messy hair with my right hand while I rest my left hand over his shoulder. I smile up at him as water pours down our faces and bodies. With his right bandaged hand, Rick removes the bandage from the cut on my forehead and lets the water run over it to clean it. I then take his bandaged hand and remove the medical tape so that his hand gets washed with the water. Rick then leans into my face and kisses me as he caresses my sides and hips. I kiss him back as I hold his face in my hands.
"We can't keep doing this…" I say after pulling away from the kiss. "We'll want to do it more and more…we can't risk doing it without protection…I don't want to risk getting pregnant…I'll be a burden if I do…I don't want to bring a baby into this horrible world…"
"I know…" Rick whispers as he looks down at the floor, still holding me close to him. "I don't want you goin' through what Lori did…I don't wanna lose you…"
I stare at him as he gazes down at the floor in sadness. I place my forehead against his as I hold the sides of his face in my hands.
"It's okay…" I whisper to him, knowing that he's recalling the sad memory of what happened with Lori, Judith, and Carl. "We just need to be careful, okay?"
He turns his gaze at me for a moment and then nods. I plant on kiss on his lips and smile reassuringly at him.
"Now let's get out of the shower…we can't waste so much water by getting carried away," I say.
Rick chuckles a bit and agrees. I turn the faucet off as he reaches for our towels on the floor just outside the curtain and hands me mine. I wrap it around my body and he wraps his around his waist. We then make our way back to his cell.
"I grabbed some of your clothes from your cell for you earlier this mornin'," Rick says as we walk into his cell and points at my folded clothes resting on the bed frame of the bottom bunk bed.
"Thanks," I say as I walk over to my clothes.
Rick walks over in front of the shelf on the wall and takes his black boxer briefs. Our backs are facing one another as we begin to dress.
"I wonder what everyone else is doing outside," I say as I slip my dark grey panties on.
"I'm sure they're cleanin' up after our mess," Rick responds as he slips his black boxer briefs on.
"Hell of a mess we left," I say with a laugh as I finish putting my black bra on.
I quickly slip my dark army pants on and my dark green, long sleeve shirt. I then reach for my holster belt with my gun and magazines of ammo and clip it around my hips. I reach for my black combat boots and socks and put them on. After drying my hair with the towel, I turn to Rick and place my hands on my hips and sigh. He's all dressed in a khaki buttoned up dress shirt, dark brown pants, dark shoes, his dark brown hair styled back like always, and is now fixing his holster belt around his hips.
"Ready?" I ask Rick with a small smile.
"You don't wanna patch that cut of yours?" he asks as he wraps medical tape around his injured right hand.
"Nah…I don't need it," I answer as I pat the cut on the side of my forehead.
He studies me for a bit but then nods.
"Let's go," he says as he finishes wrapping medical tape around his hand.
He tosses the roll of medical tape on the shelf, grabs our farming gloves, and walks out of the cell. I follow him through the curtain and we head outside of cell block C. We squint a bit from the sunlight as we glance around while walking through the cell block courtyard. We head toward Michonne some 15 feet away near the back entrance of the prison gates; she's loading the bodies of walkers on the bed of a trailer.
"Need some help with that?" Rick calls out to her.
"Naw…" she answers with a smile. "You guys do your thing."
Rick and I nod at her with a smile and turn to walk toward the courtyard gates of the prison.
"I'll be nice to you this morning and work on the farm with you first," I say.
He chuckles while taking his farming gloves out of his back pocket as we make our way down the dirt pathway toward the farm.
"Let's check out the pea crops and see how they're doin'," he says.
"So much excitement with the pea crops," I say sarcastically.
"At least it won't get you wrapped up in medical tape," he argues with a smirk.
"Well, I do miss Charlie, my pink straw," I say sheepishly.
He and I let out a laugh as he playfully pushes me.
"Well, you two woke up well this mornin'…" we hear someone say from behind us.
Rick and I stop and turn to see Hershel walking toward us. We smile as we walk up to him.
"Seems to me that somethin' is goin' on between ya two that I don't know about," Hershel says with a smile.
Rick and I look down sheepishly at the ground and then at each other.
"We've come to terms with some things…" Rick says as he takes a hold of my right hand and smiles warmly at me.
"Carl gave us permission to be together," I add as I smile back at Rick. "It just happened last night, so it's news not many people know about yet."
Hershel chuckles a bit.
"Well, I'm glad ya two finally settled things," he says. "You two make a strong couple…Ya keep each other on ya feet. And you're good for Carl and Judith…I approve of your relationship."
"Thank you, Hershel," Rick says giving a smile to him.
Hershel stares at us with a warm smile.
"How are the sick doing?" I ask.
"Now that we have the meds, everyone is expected to make a full recovery," Hershel answers.
"And Glen? Sasha?" Rick asks.
"They're doin' fine," Hershel answers reassuringly. "Like all the rest of the sick, they'll need some time to recover; they'll be weaker than usual, but they'll be just fine."
"That's great news," I say with an excited smile. "We owe you so much, Hershel," I say as I step forward and give Hershel a hug and a kiss on his cheek. "You've been such an inspiration to us all...and continue to kick ass."
I step back and Rick moves forward to also give Hershel a hug.
"You've done great things for us all," Rick says after giving Hershel a hug. "You're part of the reason why we feel things will be gettin' better around here."
"We all play a part in this," Hershel says. "Together, we'll pull through."
Rick and I smile at Hershel for a moment and nod in agreement.
"I'm gonna have to talk to Daryl about Carol," Rick says.
"I'll go with you when you do," I say. "I know it's going to be some difficult news for him…"
"Ya also have to keep Tyreese in mind," Hershel adds. "You'll have to deal with him as well."
I look down at the ground with a serious expression. Rick looks away in thought and nods.
"We'll figure somethin' out," Rick says.
"Well…I'm gonna go ahead and help Michonne with the dead walkers," Hershel says. "Like Michelle, I like to have some excitement and do somethin' other than bein' a cripple."
I laugh at his remark.
"You go do your thing," I say to Hershel.
"Take care of yourselves out there," Rick says as he pats Hershel on his shoulder.
Hershel nods and he begins to walk in the direction where Michonne is. Rick and I turn around and head down the dirt pathway toward the farm.
"That Hershel…" I say. "Such a badass old man."
"Yes he is," Rick agrees with a smile.
"Hey!" we hear someone call out to us from behind.
We stop near the crop garden and turn to see Carl running toward us.
"You didn't wake me up," he exclaims as he stops next to us.
"I thought I'd let you sleep in," Rick replies.
"I could help," Carl says as he fixes the brim of his hat.
"Good," Rick says. "I gotta go talk to Daryl."
"Right now?" Carl and I ask him in unison.
Rick stares at us for a moment in thought and sighs before smiling.
"No…soon," he says as he playfully slaps me and Carl on our shoulders with his farming gloves.
Carl and I then follow Rick into the small gated garden of the pea crops. We walk over to the tall plants and glance around, admiring the fresh, green crops. Rick then reaches for one of the pea pods of the tall crop, picks out a little pod and opens it. He holds it out for me and Carl to take a pea. We all take one and eat them, gazing around in thought. The chirping of birds blends in with the sound of the light, morning breeze.
I'm kneeling on the ground, digging through the soil with my grey farming gloves. I feel a bead of sweat roll down my forehead as I bury another plant bristle into the soil. I pat the soil around the plant and then bring myself to my feet. I make my way to the taller crops and crouch in front of some. My eyes gaze at the soil around the roots and see that it's a bit dry. I stand upright, walk over and reach for the green watering can nearby, and walk back to the crops and begin to sprinkle some water on them. I glide the watering can slowly over the crops as water rains down on them. Breathing softly and squinting a bit because of the bit of sunlight, I wipe my sweaty forehead with the long sleeve of my dark green shirt. I turn my head toward the entrance of the garden and see Rick walking in with a small basket filled with food and drinks.
"Got our lunch," Rick calls out as he walks into the garden.
I continue to hold the watering can out to the crops, trying to finish the bit of water that's left in the can.
"Come on, take a break," Rick says as he caresses my side with his left arm. "We've been workin' for well over an hour."
I nod and sprinkle the last bit of water out of the watering can over the crops. Rick walks over to a clear spot on the ground and settles himself down, placing the basket of food next to him on his right. I place the watering can by the crops and make my way over to Rick. He pats a spot on the ground next to him and I sit, leaving the basket in between me and him.
"Brought some apples, boiled corn cobs, and water," Rick says as he grabs a cob of corn.
"Thanks," I say as I take a bottle of water and begin to drink from it.
I take a cob of corn and bite into it as I stretch my legs out in front of me. Rick also bites into his corn cob and rests his left elbow on his slightly raised left leg. We gaze straight ahead as we continue to eat our lunch.
"We're gonna talk to Daryl soon," Rick breaks the calm silence. "I met up with him just now and told him to meet us in our cell block after lunch."
"Sounds good," I say while chewing.
Rick lets out a sigh before taking another bite into his corn cob.
"Did ya check on my muñeca?" I ask before biting into my corn cob.
"Yeah…" Rick answers after swallowing. "She's doin' fine with Beth."
"Good…" I say after biting more kernels off from the corn cob.
"How do you pronounce that again?" Rick asks while chewing.
"What? 'Doll'?" I respond after I swallow. "Mu-ñe-ca."
"Mu…ñe…ca," Rick says slowly, a bit embarrassed. "Muñeca."
"Not too shabby….considering that southern accent of yours," I smirk at him before biting into my corn cob again.
He chuckles as he bites into his corn cob.
"How's Carl doing on the farm?" I ask as I chew on the kernels.
"He's cleanin' Flame's stable," Rick says after biting into his corn cob. "He's brushin' her down and makin' sure the stable is clean."
I toss my now finished cob into the basket, take an apple and nod while biting into it. I keep my gaze straight ahead as I chew, enjoying the silence. Rick tosses his finished cob into the basket and also takes his apple. He holds it in his hands and stares at it in deep thought.
"If we could…" Rick interrupts the silence. "If we lived in a place where we wouldn't have to worry about walkers…about shelter…disease, food, and water…would you want us to have a baby?"
"Of course," I respond after swallowing. "Maybe wait a little while after Judie is a bit older…we'd still have time. You're 34 and I'm 30," I say with a slight laugh. "We'd have a baby of our own to add to our family…"
I take another bite of my apple and chew slowly as I gaze at the ground.
"But that would only be possible if we had nothing to worry about…" I continue.
I turn to Rick after swallowing. He's staring at the ground while chewing on a piece of his apple.
"Would you want to have a baby under those worry-free circumstances?" I ask him.
"I would," Rick answers as he turns to me with a smile and nod.
I stare at Rick as I return the smile. He then looks at his left hand at his wedding ring and places the core of the apple in the basket. I watch him as he takes his ring off and begins to bury it into the ground near him.
"What are you doing?" I ask him in surprise and confusion.
"Now that you and I are together…" Rick begins to explain as he continues to bury the wedding ring deep into the soil. "It's time I let go of my past…and move on to my new future," he says as he finishes burying the ring and turns to me with a loving expression.
I stare at him with a surprised gaze but then return his loving expression. He takes a hold of my left hand and caresses it with his injured one. I take a hold of his hand and squeeze it gently.
"Let's go check if Daryl is waiting for us in our cell block," I say as I toss the core of my apple into the basket. "Best we tell him about Carol sooner than later."
"Agreed," Rick says as he nods and begins to stand up.
I also bring myself to my feet and brush the back of my army, camouflage pants. Rick grabs the basket and follows me as I lead the way out of the garden. We head up the dirt pathway toward the cell block courtyard.
"Hoy es un da normal…Pero yo voy a hacer lo intenso…" I begin to sing, catching Rick's attention. "Hoy puede apagarse el sol, Pero no la luz de mi alma…En un dia como hoy, caminare mas despacio. En un da como hoy, defender mi verdad. En un da como hoy, te amarrare con mis brazos. En un da como hoy…" I sigh and stop singing as we approach the courtyard gates.
"I didn't know you were into singin," Rick says. "What song was that?"
"Un Dia Normal…" I reply. "It's a song that explains someone's strong mind and hope…Also singing to someone they love…and explaining to treasure who and what you have because you don't know what you have until you lose it…It's a pretty chill song with a lot of meaning."
"Sounds like it," Rick says as he turns to me with a smile.
We reach cell block C and head inside. I walk into the cell block first and see Daryl on the second level just outside his cell. Rick follows close behind me and gazes up to Daryl as well.
"Were you waiting long?" I call out to Daryl as Rick and I head to the steel staircase.
"Nah, just finished eatin' lunch," Daryl replies as he examines his finger nails.
Rick and I reach the second level of the cell block and stop as Daryl meets us by the top of the staircase.
"So what did ya'll have to talk to me 'bout?" he asks as he wipes his hands on his jeans.
Rick and I stop just a few feet in front of him, gaze at each other and sigh.
"We have to tell you about Carol…" I seriously say while placing my hand on my hip.
"Go on…tell me," Daryl says as he faces us and patiently waits for us to continue.
"Carol…" I begin to say as I look at Daryl in the eyes. "She was the one who killed Karen and David."
A look of disbelief comes to his calm expression.
"What?...You serious?" Daryl asks. "Where is she?"
"I kicked her out of the group…out of the prison," Rick chimes in.
Daryl begins to fidget and looks away while sighing heavily. He turns and walks a few feet away, trying to process in what we've just told him. Rick and I watch him in worry, waiting for his response.
"You couldn't wait 'til we got back?!" Daryl asks in a suppressed upset tone as he turns and walks back toward us.
"'Til Tyreese got back?" Rick asks.
"I coulda handled that…" Daryl says as he turns to walk a few steps away from us again.
"Hey, hey…" Rick calls to him, prompting Daryl to turn back to us. "She killed two of our own," Rick sternly argues. "She couldn't be here."
"If she had stayed, who knows how everyone else would've reacted, especially Tyreese," I add.
Daryl gazes at me and Rick with an upset expression.
"It's goin' to be all right," Rick continues. "She has a car, supplies…weapons…She's a survivor."
"Unless I see it, I don't believe it!" Daryl angrily says.
Rick and I stare at Daryl with serious expressions for a moment. Daryl turns around and walks a few steps away again.
"She did it…" Rick continues. "She said it was for us…That's how it was in her head. She wasn't sorry," Rick says as he gazes at Daryl and shakes his head.
"That ain't her…" Daryl says as he walks up to Rick with an angry stare. "What are we supposed to do about those two girls?" Daryl asks as he turns and takes a few steps away.
"I told her…we'd look after'em," Rick answers.
Daryl walks over to the railing, leans his arms on it, and places his head on his clenched fists. Rick and I glance at each other, knowing Daryl is taking the news hard.
"We haven't told Tyreese yet…" Rick finally says as he gazes at the floor.
"We don't know how he's gonna take it…" I add as I cross my arms.
Daryl stands upright and turns to us.
"Let's go find out," he says as he walks past in between me and Rick and heads down the staircase.
Rick and I stand there for a moment after hearing Daryl's words. We then turn around and follow Daryl down the staircase.
"You ready for his reaction?" I ask Rick as we continue to walk after Daryl.
"Yeah…" he answers as he stares at the floor in thought. "Are you?"
I give him a nod.
"I'm ready," Daryl says as he grabs his crossbow from the tables and places it over his shoulder.
The three of us walk out of cell block C and head to cell block D. I walk next to Daryl on his left and look up at him.
"I'm sorry about Carol…" I say to him as I place my hand on his shoulder. "We didn't want to believe it either."
Daryl looks at me for a moment, glances at the ground and nods. I stare at him with a worrisome expression as I let go of his arm. We enter and head down toward the back of the cell block where Tyreese is usually inspecting.
"Tyreese," Rick calls out as we head down a small corridor and turn a corner. "Ya down here?"
"Rick? Is that you?" we hear him call back.
The three of us glance at each other and then walk down the corridor toward the direction we heard Tyreese talk. Tyreese walks out from the shadows of a corner down the corridor toward us.
"You guys gotta see this," he says as he stops a few feet in front of us.
"There's somethin' we need to talk about…" Rick seriously says.
"It can wait," Tyrese responds frantically. "Come on!"
Tyreese motions for us to follow him down the corridor. The three of us glance at each other in confusion and quickly follow after Tyreese. Rick and Daryl pull out their flashlights to help us see in the very dim corridor. We turn a corner where Tyreese has stopped and is looking at something on the floor.
"Look," he says as he points with his flashlight at the floor.
Daryl, Rick and I glance over at where he's shining his light. We walk over to something that's on the floor.
"The hell?" Daryl mutters as he points his flashlight at the object.
We see a small board of some sort with a rat sown on to it. Its limbs are spread out, revealing its dissected insides, leaving an open hole through its stomach. Rick and I stand in front of it while Daryl kneels down to examine it.
"Holy shit…" I mutter as I stare at it in surprise.
"I was just lookin' for…answers…" Tyreese explains. "Then I found this…Same person that killed Karen and David did this."
Daryl stands up to his feet and we turn to face Tyreese.
"Remember the rats at the fence? They showed up the same day she was killed," Tyreese continues, glancing at the three of us. "We got a psychopath living with us!"
"Tyreese…" Rick says holding his hand up.
"We gotta find'em, Rick!" Tyreese states. "And I'm not gonna sleep until we do."
Rick gazes at me and Daryl, and then at the floor.
"Tyreese…" Rick says as he turns to him while pointing his flashlight to the rat on the floor, shaking his head. "Whoever did this…I don't think that's who killed Karen."
Tyreese looks at him in confusion.
"Why?" he asks.
After a second, we hear a blast and the area around us trembles a bit. We look up and see dust and rubble fall in front of us from the ceiling.
"The hell was that?" I ask in surprise.
We immediately run down the corridor to head outside.
"Sounded like an explosion," Daryl says as we continue to run.
We sprint our way outside of cell block D and into the courtyard. Carl and Maggie are running into the courtyard as well.
"Get back!" Rick yells at Carl with his Colt Python in his hand as we continue to run through.
We follow Rick to the courtyard gate as we come to a slow pace. We turn our gaze toward the fences in the fields. There's a group of vehicles outside the fences near the front entrance of the prison. I walk close behind Rick and he gently pushes me to the wall by the gate for cover. We all glance over in the direction where the vehicles are, trying to see who the people are.
"They got a fucking tank," I exclaim in surprise. "That's what sent a blast into the prison."
"Rick! Come down here!" we hear a man call out. "We need to talk!"
The man is standing on top of the tank with his hands on his hips. I glance at Rick and see the shocked expression on his face as he stares at the man.
"Who is he?" I ask him in confusion.
"That's the Governor…" Daryl answers angrily as he also stares at the man. "That son of a bitch…"
I turn my gaze back to the man on the tank in thought.
'So that's the Governor…' I think to myself. 'The man Michonne and Daryl want dead…the man Rick told me all about…'
Sasha and Beth have also arrived to check out what is happening. We all gaze over at the direction of the Governor and his group of people and vehicles. I look at Rick as he stares over at them, breathing quickly with an expression of disbelief.
"It's not up to me!" Rick yells out. "There's a council now! They run this place!"
"Is Hershel on the council?" the Governor asks.
He then motions to a woman to head over to one of the vehicles. We all gaze sternly at their direction. The woman walks out of the vehicle with Hershel whose hands are tied behind his back. I clench my jaw at seeing this and Maggie and Beth gasp in fear.
"What about Michonne?" the Governor asks. "Is she on the council, too?"
Another man from the Governor's group pulls Michonne out of the vehicle, her hands tied behind her back, and takes her in front of the fleet of vehicles next to Hershel where we can clearly see them. Hershel and Michonne are placed kneeling next to one another some feet away from the outside fence. The woman and man stand next to Hershel and Michonne, holding guns.
"I don't make decisions anymore!" Rick sternly yells out.
"You're making the decisions today, Rick," the Governor responds. "Come down here…and let's have that talk."
Rick gazes at the Governor and his fleet, breathing quickly and in deep thought. I turn my gaze to him and watch as he is trying to think. He stares down at the ground for a moment, and then turns to Daryl. Daryl gazes back at him for a moment and then nods. Rick then turns to Carl and walks up to him, placing his left hand on the side of Carl's neck. Carl gazes up at his father and gives him a nod. Rick then turns to me and places his left hand on the side of my face and gazes into my eyes. I stare up at him in worry, not wanting him to go; but I know he has to, so I give him a nod. He stares back at me for a moment and nods as he caresses my face a bit. With that, Rick walks over to the gate of the courtyard and opens it with the help of Daryl. He walks through the space and heads down the dirt pathway toward the fences where the Governor and his fleet are. I watch as he makes his way over toward the second inside fence that's in front of where the Governor and his people are. My fists clench as I watch in worry. Daryl taps my arm and motions for me to turn toward him, Sasha and Tyreese.
"This doesn't look good," Daryl says to us as we continue to watch over Rick. "Whatever happens, we go through the plan…We ain't got the numbers no more…When's the last time someone checked the stash on the bus?"
"Some weeks before," Sasha answers. "We're running low on rations then, we're lower now."
"Yeah, we'll manage," Daryl says. "Let's go get some supplies from the bus. We'll fight on our own."
Daryl pats my arm and motions for me to follow after him.
"We're gonna have to lock and load," he says as we make our way to the crate nearby filled with weapons and ammo. "Shit may hit the fan and we gotta be ready if it does."
I help Daryl move the wheeled crate toward the rest of us. He and I take out some guns and ammo and walk over to our group.
"You good?" Daryl asks Bob as he hands him some ammo and a rifle.
"Yeah…" Bob answers as he takes the ammo and the gun.
I walk over to Maggie and Beth and hand them some guns. Daryl and I go back to the crate of weapons and ammo and take some more. I walk over to Tyreese and hand him one and I then make my way toward Carl. He's standing there, watching over his father carefully; I can tell he's worried.
"Hey…" I whisper to him as I hand him a rifle.
He looks at it for a second and then takes it. He then looks up at me under his sheriff hat. I stare at him with a firm gaze while holding my own MP4 with my right hand. Knowing that he's worried, I place my hand on his right cheek and caress it a bit.
"You good?" I ask him.
"Yeah…" he says with a small nod.
I stare into his eyes for a moment and give him a nod. I pull my hand away from his face and we turn to face the direction where Rick, the Governor and his fleet are. Daryl pats us on our arms and motions for us to stand with him by the courtyard fence toward our left.
"We'll get a good view from here," Daryl says as he kneels in front of the gate, aiming his gun through the holes in the direction of the Governor and his fleet.
I kneel close on Daryl's right and Carl kneels on my right. We aim our guns, ready to take fire when needed.
"We gotta do something…" Carl says.
"Your dad's got it," Daryl responds.
"They're talking," Carl continues. "I can kill the Governor right now…"
"From 50 yards?" Daryl asks.
"I'm a good shot," Carl defends. "I can end this right now…"
"Yeah, and you can start somethin' else," Daryl exclaims.
"Stay calm, Carl…" I interject. "Don't try anything stupid…It can danger your dad's life…You gotta trust him."
Carl bites his lip and calms down.
"I told one of the residents, Harold, to go inside and let the others know what's goin' on…" Daryl whispers to me. "If somethin' goes down, we all know the plan….that's where we're supposed to go."
"Yeah…I know…" I say as we continue to aim in the direction where Rick, the Governor and his fleet are.
We see two walkers approach nearby where the Governor and his people are. We see the Governor take his gun and shoot them down.
"Shit…" I mutter. "He's made enough noise to attract walkers…If we need to make a run for it, it'll be difficult to when we may have a herd of walkers strolling in."
We continue to watch. I stare over at Hershel and Michonne on the ground on their knees, their hands tied behind their backs. The Governor suddenly jumps off the tank, walks over to one of the vehicles and pulls out Michonne's katana. He walks over toward Hershel and holds the katana to the side of his neck. I feel my body tense up in worry and my grip tighten on my gun.
"Son of a bitch…" I hiss in anger.
Daryl is also bothered and adjusts the gun in his arms. I watch as Rick fidgets in panic and continues to talk to the Governor and his fleet.
'It doesn't have to go down like this…' I think to myself. 'No one has to die…The Governor and his people need to understand that…'
I watch as Rick continues to speak to the fleet. The Governor is still holding the katana to Hershel's neck.
'No one has to die…' I continue to think to myself. 'I know they have a bad past…but we can make it work…we can find a way…I know Rick and the others can find a way to make it work so that no one has to die right here and now.'
I adjust the grip on my MP4.
'We've all done horrible things to survive…we've all experienced horrible things…but we can still come back…We don't have to lose our humanity.'
The Governor then slowly pulls the katana away from Hershel's neck. A sudden feeling of hope runs through me. The Governor just stands there in deep contemplation, holding the katana.
'Is this it? Are we not going to have to shed some blood?' I continue to think to myself in high hopes.
I watch as the Governor then looks up, the katana in his hand, and swings at Hershel, cutting the side of his neck. A wave of shock and anger runs through me as I am frozen, watching Hershel fall to his side. Daryl and Carl are also shocked and speechless. We hear Maggie and Beth's cries.
"Nooooo!" Rick yells out in anger as he pulls his Colt Python out with his left hand and begins to shoot in the direction of the Governor and his fleet.
Carl and I immediately react and take our first shots. Rick begins to run backward toward a turned bus on the ground nearby, still aiming and shooting to cover himself. I see one of the Governor's men aiming at Rick and I quickly shoot him down. The rest of our group begins to shoot, covering Rick. The Governor's group responds by also shooting back. Just as Rick is about to reach behind the turned bus, he is shot in the leg, causing him to fall on the ground. I feel a wave of worry and fear run through me. I watch as he drags himself behind the bus for cover, bullets spraying in his direction. He is leaning against the bus as he reloads his gun. I stay focused and continue to shoot at the Governor's fleet. The tank then begins to move in toward the fences. It bends the fences in, breaking through with ease.
"Come on! Let's get better cover!" Daryl yells as he tugs at me and Carl.
We all get to our feet and run for cover. I run behind some steel barrels nearby with Carl to my right; Daryl stays closer to the fence and hides behind some metal cabinets and thick wooden crates. We continue to shoot at the militia as they drive through into the prison after the tank has paved a pathway for them.
"Carl!" I call out to him as we crouch behind the steel barrels. "Go inside our cell block…get two of my emergency backpacks in my cell…" I say as I reload my MP4. "In case we get separated from the group, we'll need some supplies."
I lock and load the MP4.
"I'll cover you," I continue as I turn to Carl. "Ready?"
Carl gives me a nod.
"Go! Go!" I say as I stand up and begin to aim and shoot.
Carl makes a run for it to cell block C. I aim at one of the militia's vehicles and shoot at the front tires, causing the people driving it to stop and get out. After I shoot the driver down, I turn my gaze to Carl and see that he's made it into the cell block safely. Just then, a bullet grazes my right shoulder.
"Shit!" I yell out as I crouch back down behind the steel barrels.
"Michelle!" I hear Daryl call out.
Daryl then runs over and kneels next to me on my right side.
"You good?" he asks as he glances at my bleeding arm.
"Yeah, the bullet just grazed my shoulder," I reply.
The tank then takes a shot into the prison, blowing up one of the top areas, causing rubble and debris to fly everywhere. I reach for my pocket and pull out two grenades.
"We gotta get rid of that tank!" I say to him over the sound of spraying bullets. "Take this," I say as I hand him one of my grenades. "If you get the chance, throw this grenade into the long barrel of the tank; that should fuck it up and stop it!"
"Gotcha!" Daryl says as he takes the grenade and sticks it into his pocket. "I'm goin' back to my post. Will you be good here?"
"Yeah," I reply as I hold my MP4 ready. "Go, I'll cover you."
"Remember the bus will be takin' off soon," he says. "You know the plan."
"Yeah…" I nod. "Now get ready to go back to your post."
Daryl nods. I stand up to my feet, aim, and shoot at the militia coming in. I shoot at the tires of a pickup truck driving up the dirt pathway, causing it to come to an abrupt stop. The driver and passenger climb out and begin shooting. I take my aim and shoot one down while the other one takes cover behind the truck. The tank takes another shot into the prison, this time closer to the cell blocks. I glance over to see if anyone was hit, mainly looking for Carl. He's nowhere in sight. I then turn my attention back to the Governor's fleet and continue to fire. The fleet is now walking and hiding behind the tank as it rolls up the dirt pathway toward the courtyard. I spot one of the men and shoot him down. The tank takes another shot into the prison, blowing a hole into cell block D. I crouch down for cover as rubble and debris fly everywhere. I peer my head up a bit to see where the fleet is; the tank is now ramming through into the courtyard with the rest of the fleet behind it coming in on foot.
'I can't get a good view of Rick,' I think to myself in worry as I try to glance past the tank.
I turn my attention to my right and see Carl heading this way with the emergency backpacks. I immediately cover him and shoot down some of the Governor's people.
"Carl!" I call out to him.
He runs over and plops himself down next to me behind the steel barrels.
"Are you okay?" I ask him as I continue to shoot at the enemy fleet.
"Yeah!" he says as he puts one of the backpacks on and places the other next to him on the ground.
I crouch down next to Carl for cover. He notices the bleeding wound on my shoulder.
"You've been shot!" he says in worry.
"I'm fine! Don't worry about me!" I say as I put the second backpack on. "Get your rifle ready!"
Carl nods and cocks his rifle. I take the second grenade out of my pocket and Carl stares at it in surprise.
"Cover me. I'm going to toss this behind the tank to draw out the rest of the fleet so we can get a better shot at them," I instruct him.
"I got you," Carl says as he holds his rifle ready.
He stands to his feet and begins to fire. I also stand to my feet and glance over behind the halted tank about ten feet away where most of the fleet is hiding. I pull the clip and hurl the grenade far. It lands behind the tank, causing the fleet to scatter and expose themselves. Carl and I take aim at some of them and shoot as the grenade goes off, sending a few flying to the ground. Carl and I then duck back down behind the steel barrels as the tank shoots at the prison again. I cover Carl with my body as debris and rubble flies everywhere. I pull away from him and then see his surprised face as he looks behind me. He shoots a walker that's just a foot behind me as I turn to see it collapse.
"Damn walkers are coming in now!" I say as we crouch behind the barrels. "We gotta end this fight quick so we can get the hell outta here!"
I stand to my feet and glance at Daryl. I see a few walkers heading toward him, one about to lunge at him. I aim my gun at it quickly and shoot at its skull. Daryl catches it and turns to me with a thanking nod. He uses the dead walker as a shield as he makes his way toward the tank, holding the grenade in his hand.
"Cover Daryl!" I say to Carl as I aim and begin to shoot at the enemies.
Carl aims and begins to shoot as well. We take down a few enemies and walkers around, giving Daryl a chance to run toward the long barrel of the tank; he pulls the clip and tosses the grenade into the tank's long barrel and makes a run for it. I take a hold of Carl and pull him with me as we make a run for it around the corner of a wall some 15 feet away. I have Carl stand behind me where it's safe. The grenade blows up and finally puts an end to the tank. I pop my head out from the corner and see that the tank is on fire.
"Fuck yeah, Daryl," I mutter with a smirk.
Some walkers then approach us from our left. Carl and I take aim and shoot them down with one bullet to each of their heads. I look around and see that all of the Governor's fleet is down.
"We did it," Carl says as he glances around. "But where'd our people go?"
"We follow the plan…" I say as I glance around and see no one from our group.
"Carl!" we hear someone yell out, causing me and Carl to freeze. "Michelle!"
'Rick…' I think to myself.
"That's my dad!" Carl exclaims.
We run toward the sound of where his voice is coming from.
"Carl! Michelle!" Rick continues to yell in despair.
We finally spot him near the back of the tank. Two walkers are approaching him. Carl and I take aim at them and shoot both down. I tense up at the sight of Rick: his face is bloody with cuts and slightly swollen with bruises; his shirt and pants are bloody. Rick is relieved to see us and tears up as he struggles to walk toward us. Carl and I quickly walk toward him as we embrace him. He hugs us tightly as he begins to sob.
"And Judith?" Rick weakly asks as he pulls away and looks at us. "Where is she?"
Carl and I stare at him with blank expressions, still shocked and worried at his condition and not knowing where Judith is. We help Rick stand as we glance around and begin to walk into the courtyard. We stop in our tracks as we spot Judith's car seat on the ground some 15 feet away. We walk toward it and stop in front of it. I feel my stomach drop and my body tense up. The car seat is covered in blood. Rick begins to cry again at the sight and Carl stares at the car seat in disbelief. I stare at the car seat in shock and begin to tear up. Carl and I help Rick stand as he begins to sob and almost fall to his feet. I look at Carl and see him tearing up and place my hand on his cheek, making him face me. He gazes up at me with tears in his eyes and I gaze at him with the same look of grief.
"Carl…" I say in a low voice as I shake my head slowly, a tear running down my face.
I caress the side of his head in an attempt to comfort him but he continues to tear up. He then turns his attention to a walker some ten feet away, letting go of Rick. I continue to hold Rick up and he looks at me as he cries while weakly slouching forward. I place my hand on the side of his bloody and bruised face, trying to hold my tears back.
"Rick…" I mutter in a weak voice.
"Oh, Judith…" Rick begins to cry.
I pull him close to me and caress his head, trying to comfort him as tears continue to roll down my eyes. Carl then shoots the walker down, and he repeatedly shoots it in anger and frustration.
"Carl!" Rick and I say as we walk up to him and stop him.
The rifle is out of ammo and Carl drops it to the ground. Rick and I hold him as he lets out a sob. The three of us continue to cry in despair.
"Come on…" I say to them as I cry. "We can't stay here…The bus already left…"
"We have to go…" Rick says as he glances around at the walkers wandering nearby.
Carl and I help Rick stand and we begin to walk away through the courtyard. I still have my MP4 in my hand along with my own gun in its holster. We head toward the back entrance of the courtyard to avoid the incoming walkers through the front entrance. We make it past the gates and quickly head into the woods. Carl and I help Rick walk as we stumble through the woods. I hold my MP4 ready in my right hand as I help Rick walk with my left arm around his waist. After some while of walking, we are far enough where we can see the burned down and ruined prison behind us. I take a glance at it and so does Carl, but Rick waves at us to look forward.
"Don't look back…" he says weakly, keeping his gaze down. "Just keep walkin'…"
Carl and I listen and turn our gaze forward. We continue to stumble through the woods, trying to calm our emotional turmoil.
'Just when we thought things were getting better….' I think to myself in despair.
I continue to walk with Rick and Carl through the woods. Tears roll down my face.