With officers Franco and McGinley in front, Rick and Daryl led Shepherd and Lacari at gunpoint, everyone else following close behind up the fifteen flights of stairs. Anna did her best to hide her haggard breathing as they came to a halt in front of some double doors.
Rick peered through the shatter-proof glass.
"Holster your weapons," came the crackled voice of a woman over the radio.
Rick did as she ordered and turned to the others, "You, too," he said.
With a grimace, Anna put her gun away, adjusting her rifle on her shoulder, same as the others. Anna couldn't help but wonder if they were putting a little too much trust in Dawn. But, it didn't matter what she thought and Franco and McGinley pulled the doors open.
Standing on the other side were four officers and a tall man in a lab coat. The group stepped forward and the officers parted revealing Beth and Carol. Franco and McGinley continued down the hall to join their comrades.
"They haven't been harmed," Rick declared.
Anna scanned Beth's face, taking in the thick red cuts on her forehead and cheek while Carol sat, hunched over, in a wheelchair.
"Where's Lamson?" A woman at the front of the hospital group asked.
Dawn.
"Rotter's got him," Shepherd explained easily.
"We saw it go down," Lacari affirmed.
"Oh," Dawn breathed. "I'm sorry to hear that…. He was one of the good guys."
Good guys, Anna thought, wondering if that even mattered in the end. Being good. Being anything.
"One of yours for one of mine," Dawn said, getting the exchange started.
"Alright," Rick said, nodding to Daryl.
"Move," Daryl grumbled, shoving Lacari forward.
Dawn nodded to one of her guys and he took a duffle from the floor and Carol from Beth. He gently pushed the wheelchair forward, meeting Daryl in the middle and handing both duffle and Carol over in exchange for Lacari.
Once both parties were with their respective groups, Dawn took Beth by the elbow and led her forward, while Rick walked Shepherd up. Shepherd walked straight past Dawn and joined her fellows and Rick wrapped his arm around Beth's shoulders, laying a kiss atop her head.
"Glad we could work things out," Dawn said, watching as Rick and Beth joined them.
Anna instinctively reached for the girl and pulled her close.
"Are you okay? What happened?" Anna asked, noting the stitches on her facial wounds, and the cast on her right wrist.
"I'm okay," Beth assured.
"Which one of them hurt you?" Anna asked, her voice so soft that only Beth could hear her.
"It doesn't matter," Beth whispered back.
"Now, I just need Noah."
Anna's brow furrowed and she turned to face Dawn, resisting the urge to pull Noah to her, to protect him – because there was no doubt in Anna's mind that both he and Beth had been beaten.
"And then you can leave," Dawn said.
"That wasn't part of the deal," Rick snapped, taking a few steps toward Dawn.
"Noah was my ward. Beth took his place and I'm losing her, so I need him back," Dawn explained.
"Ma'am, please, it's not—" tried Shepherd, only to have Dawn call for silence.
"My officers put their lives on the line to find him. One of them died," Dawn insisted.
"No, he ain't stayin'," sneered Daryl as he shoved Noah behind him.
"He's one of mine. You have no claim on him," Dawn responded.
"The boy wants to go home, so you have no claim on him," Rick retorted.
"He's a human being," Anna snapped. "No one has a claim on him – or anyone else."
"Well, then…," Dawn sighed, eyeing Anna for a moment, "we don't have a deal."
"The deal is done," Rick growled.
"It's okay," Noah sighed, stepping around Daryl.
"No! No," Rick said, holding Noah back.
"I got to do it," Noah insisted. "It's okay."
"It's not okay!" Beth cried.
"It's settled."
Anna watched, helpless, as Noah walked forward.
"Wait!" Beth called, running past Anna to wrap her arms around Noah's shoulders.
"It's okay," Noah assured quietly.
"I knew you'd be back," Dawn sneered.
Beth released Noah and stepped up to Dawn, bringing her hands together briefly before she let them rest at her sides.
"I get it now," Beth stated simply.
Anna could see realization slowly creep across Dawn's face and she wondered what Beth meant. But then Beth was reeling back, something shining and sharp in her fist, bringing the object down on Dawn's chest.
BANG!
It started as a low hum in her ears, slowly ascending into a crescendo of white noise as a golf-ball sized red hole erupted from the back of Beth's beautiful blonde head. Anna's eyes followed, unblinking and burning, as Beth's lithe, little body fell to the ground.
Anna felt like she was lead in water, her movement sluggish as she reached for her sidearm. Vaguely, she was aware of tears streaking down her face.
BANG!
She flinched back, seeing the gun in Daryl's hand raised and pointed at Dawn as she, too, fell to the ground. Anna looked to Daryl, saw his contorted, pained face and heard the sob rip from his throat, echoing in her head above everything else.
Anna stepped forward. As easy as breathing, her hand slid on to Daryl's shoulder and gave a weak squeeze. She didn't dare look at Beth lying on the cold, linoleum floor. She didn't dare look at the bright red blood as it pooled around her body.
Instead, Anna focused on pulling Daryl into her, holding him to her as he lowered his gun, feeling his body convulse.
"Hold your fire!" She heard distantly. "It's over." It was Shepherd speaking. "It was just about her. Stand down," the woman with the high cheekbones demanded.
The other officers did as she commanded.
"You can stay," Shepherd offered. "We're surviving here. It's better than out there."
"No," Rick said, pain in his voice. He cleared his throat, "And I'm taking anyone back there who wants to leave. If you want to come with us… just step forward now."
Noah didn't hesitate, rejoining Anna and the others. But, the cops, the wards, the doctor – they didn't move. And it didn't matter.
.
Anna was numb. They all were. She stared at Beth's face, so delicate and peaceful. Like she was asleep in Daryl's arms as he carried her down the stairs.
"I'm so sorry," Anna whispered. She watched the blankness in Beth's face, hoping for even the slightest twitch. "I wish none of that horrible shit happened. I wish none of this ever happened. None of this is fair, Beth. But, you need to wake up."
Anna couldn't tear her eyes away from the smooth curve of her cheek, the long blonde lashes. Beth was good and pure and now she was gone. Anna's stomach churned at the mere thought of Maggie. Who was going to do it? How were they going to do it?
Her whole body trembled and she felt like her heart was about to explode. She could only compare the feeling that came over her to that of falling. She barely registered that they were outside. The ringing in her ears had returned – a high pitch whine that made her want to throw up.
She saw a head of red hair. Anna's eyes lingered on Abraham's face for a long moment, before moving to Rosita, then Eugene and she was sure that she was hallucinating. This had to be a dream. None of it was real. For one beautiful second, Anna believed.
But, then the ringing in her ears gave way to a strangled cry she'd heard so many times before and she saw Maggie on the ground, her face twisted up in unadulterated agony. Daryl stood in front of Maggie, holding Beth, his whole body rigid. He knelt, laying the girl down, allowing Maggie to paw at her mindlessly.
Anna felt a heave in her stomach. She backed away, slow so as not to be noticed. and then sprinted for a green army tent to hide within. The contents of her stomach that had yet to be digested came out just before she reached the open flap, vomit splattering against the pavement.