Chapter 13

The day had started off nicely, the two women waking up to bright skies. The sun was beating down, and birds were singing somewhere in the distance. It seemed there was an abundance of the creatures holled up within the walls, they too found solace here.

Tara had a run later that day and was already up and getting dressed. Kay lay in bed still, her dark eyes watching the smaller woman as she moved around the room. It was an important run, they were taking Eugene with them in order to find something to aid the town.

"How far away are you going?" Kay quizzed as she rolled over onto her stomach. Reaching out to drag her fingers across the brunette's back as she sat on the side of the bed.

"I'm not sure, a good way away" She spoke quietly, turning to smile over her shoulder at the woman still wrapped up in their sheets.

"Just stick with Glenn please. You know that Aiden guy is a walking death trap" She muttered. She trusted Glenn, he would always get them home safe and sound. But the other two, the ones who had the wall from the beginning, they were a totally different story.

She too had a shift in the tower that day, she'd be able to see them go and come back. That gave her some semblance of comfort. She wanted to go with them, but knew it would probably be more dangerous. She'd be more focused on Tara and less on the task at hand.

"I'll be fine" Tara spoke as she pulled a flannel shirt over her shoulders. Shrugging it on and into place. She was well aware of Kay's worries, but there was nothing she could do about it.

"You best get up and get dressed, you're due at the Tower soon" She pointed out, nodding towards the clock on the wall.

Kay just grumbled, shaking her head. "I really don't want to go anywhere today" She spoke as she rolled out of the bed finally. Moving to pull a pair of ripped jeans out of the drawer next to her bed. A bra to follow. They didn't have many qualms about the state of the clothes they had at their disposal.

On the road they had lived in the same things for months on end. They slept in them, walked miles upon miles in them, waded through mud, got covered in walker guts and their own blood. It was different to have clothes they could change into for bed, and change out of for work. It was a luxury to be able to wash them, and keep them clean. To shower in hot water thanks to the solar panels that ran the place. To have flushing toilets and running water.

Her heavy boots came next, as she tied her laces she grumbled under her breath. Something to do with Aiden and Nicholas being locked up and kept behind the walls. Tara just shook her head, unable to stop a smirk playing at her lips.

Kay acted the same every time Tara had a run. She'd grumble and dig her heels in, muttering complaints the entire way down to the truck. She looked like a lost puppy dog, sad eyes following Tara's every move.

Finally the brunette managed to drag the taller woman out of the bedroom and downstairs where Glenn was already waiting for her. They'd have to stop off to pick up their weapons but their journey down to the truck was underway.

-x-x-x-x-

Kay watched as the van drove off, leaving the gates to close behind them. A daft remix blasting through the windows as it went along. She sighed heavily as she turned to trudge across the way in order to climb the stairs up to the tower where Sasha was waiting to swap positions with her. She'd spend the rest of the day staring off into the distance, waiting for the truck to come back into view.

She finally made it to the top of the steps, her hands shoved deep into her pockets as she shuffled along, no real urgency in her gait. Sasha was stood leaning over the railing rather precariously, but Kay had no doubt she'd been there like that all night.

The woman had a death wish. She just didn't care anymore. Her body full of nothing but anger and resentment, quietly seething with every breath she took. Kay wasn't sure what exactly she was looking at, but there was definitely something.

"What?" was all the blonde said as she wandered over to see what Sasha was staring at. Her dark eyes narrowed as she flicked them over to Sasha for a moment, before flicking them back towards what seemed to be so interesting. There was nothing there. Nothing but empty space.

Kay had no doubt in her mind that she'd see the woman beside her leave the compound with a heavy artillery of weapons strapped around her. She always did, she'd go for a while and come back looking a little bit more satisfied.

"Nothing" She stated, turning to fix Kay with a rather stern look. It told her not to ask questions. She had no doubt that it was for the best if she just kept quiet.

The assault rifle she'd had hung around her shoulder soon pushed into Kay's hands as she made for the door and disappeared before the blonde could say much else. Suddenly she was alone, and the room was silent.

The silence was enough to make her skin crawl, it was way too reminiscent of the day's she spent alone on the road. Sleeping in trees and abandoned homes. With one eye open at all times. Her senses always engaged. She looked around, fiddling with the gun now gripped tightly within her hands.

With a heavy sigh she flopped heavily into one of the chairs in the middle of the room. The gun strewn across her lap. She'd have hours of this, just sitting and waiting. Unsure of exactly when Tara and the others would get back.

Her dark eyes took to scanning the perimeter once again. Trying her best to focus on the task at hand. It was definitely difficult to do, but she managed for a good few hours.

She was the first one to spot the van speeding down the path that led up to their gate. It was still quite a distance off but she could tell something wasn't right. Whoever was driving was going way too fast, and a little bit erratically. Her heart sank deep into her stomach as she leapt from her spot. Rushing towards the door to fling it open, leaping down the stairs as fast as she could. Cursing inwardly as she slammed into the bottom door before stepping back enough to get it open.

Her heart was hammering now, and her hands were shaking. She was convinced something was wrong, there had to be. They were coming in too quickly.

"Help! GET HELP!" Came Glenn's frantic voice ringing in her ears, drowning out the thud of blood rushing around her head. She pushed her legs to move faster as her eyes zeroed in on the van now safely inside the gates. Eugene was pulling the back door open and Glenn was still yelling for help.

She got closer and nothing could have prepared her for what was in front of her. Tara was out cold, sprawled in the back of the van. Noah and Aiden were nowhere to be found, and Nicholas was squished up in the back with a bloody face.

"What happened?!" She screeched, all but shoving a mumbling Eugene out of the way in order to get to Tara. Her hands reaching out to check for a pulse, pushing a few fingers into the side of the brunette's neck. She almost collapsed as she felt a shallow but steady rhythm fight back against her touch.

Her face was pale, and she was covered in sweat. Her cheeks hot to the touch as Kay ran a hand up her neck to cup her face. Dark eyes flitted towards Nicholas shoved uncaringly in the back, his face bloody. She could almost guess what had happened. She knew it was his fault to an extent.

Part of her longed for her assault rifle she'd dropped so quickly up in the tower. She'd put a bullet in his brain and be done with it. It was the least he deserved. He was a coward, a walking time bomb. Her heart ached as she looked Tara over, her chest rising shallowly only to fall. With each breath Kay held her own, internally begging it wouldn't be the last.

The scientist rambled on beside her, his face drained of all colour. Saying something about an explosion, something about a walker and a grenade, about Tara hitting her head. She wanted to cry, burst into tears just then. Rosita was soon at her side, pushing in to see what was going on.

"Kay" Her voice was solid and strong as her fingers dug into the blondes arm. Filling the blonde with a confidence she didn't know she had. She fixed her resolve and reached into the van, pulling the unconscious woman up into her arms. Hoisting her with every ounce of strength she could muster.

"Go, to the hospital wing." She spoke, pulling the brunette as close to her body as possible. Keeping her steady so not to jostle her around more than need be. Rosita nodded, walking with purpose ahead of them. Glenn Already gone ahead to alert any medic available. They left Nicholas there, still unconscious but definitely breathing.

Kay could feel herself trembling as she fixed her vision straight ahead, sweat pouring down her face as every muscle in her body worked to keep going, worked to keep calm. It wasn't far to go, but the walk felt like it lasted years. Her boots thudded heavily on the ground, pounding with every step she took as she steeled her resolve. She wanted nothing more than to start running. Running for all that she had, for all that she was worth.

She couldn't. All logic told her she had to be careful, to keep as still as she could. Head injuries were terrible, they could be made worse without a seconds notice. There was nothing to say she didn't have any sort of neck injury. Any spinal injury would be made ten times worse after a good jostling around.

They finally made it, Rosita holding the large door open for Kay to maneuver through. The Hospital wing was empty, none of the beds occupied as of yet. Though Glenn had already made it, yammering loudly, frantically relaying everything to Pete who was already getting things ready.

He looked up as they made it in. Nodding towards the nearest bed as he continued to listen. Rosita all but pulled Kay towards the cot her fingers digging into the taller woman's bicep once again, helping set the unconscious woman down onto the cot. Glenn had already moved to try and help get Tara situated on the cot, grabbing her legs to try and right her before setting then down.

He stumbled backwards, unable to do anything else. He looked just as lost as she felt. Watching as Rosita weighed in, followed shortly by Pete.

It was all she could do, dark eyes watching as those who knew what they were doing set to work. Assessing the situation, taking vitals, hooking up different types of tubes to keep Tara going. It seemed to last for hours upon hours, she'd all but collapsed against the wall.

It was all over in a flash. They had Tara stable for the moment, and that was that. She felt numb as Pete spoke to her, explaining everything he could. He spoke with an annoying calm and blasé attitude, something that made Kay want to leap up and sink her fist into his face. Her eyes met Glenn's as the man sat on the other side of the room, looking completely downtrodden.

The blonde had guessed Noah wouldn't be coming back, she guessed Aiden wouldn't be either. To have Tara relatively safe within the walls made her heart beat calm a little. Made her lungs feel like they were working again. She was going to be okay. That's all that mattered, she would eventually be okay.

But Glenn sat there, staring at her as if he had a million earth's resting on his shoulders. His expression was blank, just void of anything.

"You brought her back" Kay spoke, though she didn't move an inch.

"Eugene. He brought her back, he brought me back and he brought Nicholas back." His voice was harsh, it was rough. As if he'd screamed the whole ride back.

The simplicity of it blindsided her. Something had happened, and Glenn couldn't save Tara, he couldn't save Noah. All of it suddenly made sense, he didn't just lose someone, he lost control.

Rosita cleared her throat, her dark eyes flicking between the pair. Taking them both in, assessing them both. "I'm going to go get some food for you both" She spoke. Fully aware that neither would be budging for a good while. Someone needed to man the gates and keep a watch.

Pete had left to see to Nicholas, still unconscious in the back of the van. She leant down to squeeze Kay's shoulder before she left the two alone with the unconscious woman.