A/N- Happy Monday all :) First, I wanted to say thanks everyone for the reviews. I love hearing from you! Secondly- This is the last chapter you'll get for probably a week to ten days. Two weeks tops! I'm in the process of moving, internet is shut off already, and managed to break my laptop (ouch!). I can check PM's and reviews from work, but my chapters are on my laptop! So, as incentive, the more reviews/PMs I get, the faster you get an update :)
Daryl removed the drill from her limp hands, placing it on the floor. She shuddered and went still, the room silent. Daryl tried to wrap his arm around her tighter in comfort, but she stiffed at his touch. He was a man used to solving problems. Right now, he didn't know what would help. Hershel knelt beside her, putting his hands on her wrists. "We need to take a look at you now," he said gently. Alex didn't acknowledge him, her eyes trained on last of her boys. Nothing else mattered to her right now.
Carol walked over and put a hand on Daryl's shoulder and squeezed gently. He looked up at her, seeing his pain mirrored in her eyes. She took the clean sheet that they brought down and gently laid it over Jonathan's body. A sob wracked Alex's frame as his face was covered. She crouched by Alex, taking one her hands. "Come on sweetheart. We need to get you cleaned up," her voice soothed. Carol looked up at Daryl. "Maggie and I will take care of her. You go with Rick to talk to the others. We'll make sure she's okay. We'll stay with her until you can."
Daryl nodded curtly, grabbing his bow from the floor beside him, following Rick out the door. He glanced back to see Maggie and Carol gently coaxing Alex off the floor. "Killin's too good for that man," Daryl muttered angrily under his breath. Rick looked at his friend. "Daryl, I know you're mad, but we gotta keep it together. I had T-Dog gather everyone not on duty in the dining area. You let me do the talkin'. Just stand there looking pissed off like that."
Daryl shot Rick a hard look. Rick sighed and explained himself. "You terrified that kid who ran with the Vatos in Atlanta. I have a feeling it'll work even better here. You're covered in his blood." Daryl looked down at himself, realizing Jonathan and Alex's blood stained his shirt. He let out a resolved sigh and slung the bow over his shoulder, settling himself into a role he was used to playing; pissed off redneck.
Roughly 40 people sat talking amongst themselves quietly, worry permeating the room. T-Dog stood beside the main door, his rifle held loosely in his hands. One look at Daryl's face confirmed his worst thoughts. He put a hand on Daryl's shoulder, knowing words wouldn't help.
Daryl turned to face him. "Can ya do me a favor brother?" he asked T-Dog quietly. The larger man just nodded.
"Move his body to the basement. Lock it in a storage locker so no one has to see it until . . . until we bury him."
T-Dog nodded once and headed out of the room. Daryl took up a position by the door, not wanting to be near people. He wanted to be with Alex. He barely noticed people giving him a slightly fearful look. Rick stood in front of the group, who went silent. He caught Lori's eyes, needing her support.
"Jonathan is dead," he announced in a quiet drawl. The crowd let out sounds of shock and despair. He was a good kid, liked by almost everyone. Rick paused then continued, "Alex has been injured. She'll recover, but needs time." Lori's eyes shot to Daryl, her heart aching for both him and Rick. She knew how much Rick respected the young lady
"What happened," Davis asked his voice cracking. Jonathan had been his shadow.
Rick's voice hardened. "Lucas stabbed the boy. We're not sure exactly what happened to Alex yet, but I'll find out. Lucas fled the campus with a few weapons. As of right now, no one is to let him back in grounds. Ever. If I find out someone has helped him in any way, they will be out as well." He paused making sure his words sunk in. The man standing in front of them was no longer their friend, but a determined protector.
"If any of you helped him acquire weapons or had knowledge of this beforehand, you will come forward. Alex and I will consequences. You have one hour from the end of this meeting to tell me. If I find out tomorrow morning, next week, or next year that you had something to do with this, I will personally have you removed from campus, with no supplies."
"Effective immediately we will be changing guard shifts. I will be assigning three people to make sure exterior defenses are strong and not compromised. Daryl or I will keep you informed of Alex's progress. She is to be left alone until ready to rejoin us."
The group sat in stunned silence, worried for Alex, confounded by Lucas's deceit, mourning for Jonathan. Rick looked around, "You have one hour." He nodded to Daryl, who sat next to him at a table slightly away from the group. Morgan and Letty stood and walked over to the two men. He clasped Daryl's shoulder. "I'm sorry son." He looked at Rick. "We'll go relieve Beth of kid duty. She's watching all the little ones while we talked. I uhh, have to tell Duane. Should I inform Carl as well?" Rick nodded his consent and thanks to the older man.
Next over was one of the scavengers, Ben. His face was a mask of sadness and guilt. He looked at Rick. "Rick . . . Lucas had me pick up vodka the last two runs I made. The big bottles. Told me the doc needed them for sterilizing things. I . . . I didn't question him. If I did something to get Jon killed. . ." his voice trailed off.
"Thank you Ben, for telling us. We'll look into it." He looked at Daryl, who pushed away from the table, finally having a purpose.
He let himself into Lucas's room. Daryl was hit with a scent familiar from his childhood. The room smelled stale, an undertone of body odor and sickness. He wrinkled his nose in disgust, taking in the messy atmosphere. It wasn't as bad as when Merle or his Dad went on a binge, but it certainly wasn't clean. He stood in the center of the room, scoping out the best places for an alcoholic to hide his bottles.
A quick search found a long empty bottle of whiskey hidden in the corner of his closet, another tucked into an empty desk drawer. He opened the cap and sniffed. The scent was faint, these had been empty awhile. He looked up and stood on the bed. A quick push on the drop ceiling propped a tile up. Two vodka bottles sat a few tiles over.
He grabbed them. One was completely empty, the other about a quarter full. Any other day he would've killed for a swig of it. Today it just made him feel sick to his stomach. Daryl jumped down from the bed and headed to the hallway, seeing Hershel standing outside Alex's room.
"Hey Doc. Need this to sterilize anything?" Daryl showed him the bottle.
Hershel shook his head. Daryl walked over to the out of use drinking fountain and dumped the contents down the drain. "How is she?"
Hershel sighed. "He must have grabbed her around the neck. I'm pretty sure her vocal cords are bruised. She's going to have a hell of a bruise around her neck and needs vocal rest. If I can get her to take this, I'll stitch the wound on her shoulder."
"She bein' stubborn?"
"You have to ask?"
Numb. That was all she felt. Maggie and Carol had gentle coerced her up the stairs to her sitting room. They helped her remove the blood stained sweater, Maggie throwing it directly into the garbage can. She knew Alex would never want to see it again. Carol hummed a soothing melody, one that Alex couldn't identify through her haze of grief.
Carol wiped the blood from her hands, gently cleaning the bruises. She apologized every time Alex flinched. She wiped her face, tilting Alex's chin up to look at her. "I'm sorry sweetheart. I know how much it hurts to lose a child."
"Sophia," her addled mind filled in. "Jon wasn't mine," she managed to say in a croaking whisper.
"Yes, Alex he was. You loved that boy more than anyone did. You might not have been his biological mother, but you loved him like a son." Alex closed her eyes, trying to block out the pain of Carol's words.
Maggie began pulling a brush through Alex's short hair. "We were gossiping like old friends less than ten hours ago," Maggie thought to herself. She wanted to shield her new friend from the pain that had to be coursing through her. She paused and helped Carol pull a tank over Alex's body, then let her father in.
Hershel took the young woman in. He knew the psychological scars would be worse than the physical ones this time. His hands gently probed her bruises, asked her to speak, and checked the gash on her left shoulder. Carol left to get clean water and some additional bandages.
"You're going to have some pretty bad bruising Miss Cane. I'd also suggest a week of vocal rest since I think you're vocal cords are bruised. That gash needs some stitches." Alex just stared off into space, not completely comprehending what was going on. Hershel stood and removed some pills from a container, crushing them, and adding them to a glass of water.
"Miss Cane, drink this. The vicodin will take the edge off while I stitch you up and help you sleep." Alex looked at him, shaking her head no. "Miss Cane- Alex, I need to stitch you up and don't want you to be in pain." Alex curled up into a ball, refusing to acknowledge him.
"Dad, why don't you step out for a moment? I'll talk to Alex." Maggie gave her father a reassuring smile and sat next to the other woman. She took Alex's hands in hers. "Alex, I know you're grieving and in shock. I know you think you deserve this pain. But you don't. Drink the meds and let Dad take care of you." Alex at least looked at her, eyes welling with tears, but still shook her head no.
The door swung open, Daryl striding in with the small cup of medication. He gave Maggie a look and she scooted off the bed, making herself busy prepping the supplies she knew her Dad would need.
"Ria, look at me," Daryl commanded gruffly. She just sat there. He took her chin in his hand and gently turned her to face him. "You need to take this. Drink the meds and let Doc fix ya up. I'll stay with ya. He can't get in to hurt ya again. Rick's takin' care of that. And we both know I wouldn't ever let him past me." He held the cup in front of her face.
She shuddered and reached for the cup, downing the medicated water. "Good girl," he murmured quietly. Maggie turned to face them, struck by how gentle Daryl was with Alex. As he settled down next to her Maggie smiled sadly. "I'll get Dad," she said quietly.
It took Hershel only a matter of moments to place the stitches along the gash. Alex's eyes were already drifting shut, not used to medications. Daryl helped her lay back in the bed, grabbing his blanket off the couch in the sitting room where they left it hours ago. He grabbed Maggie's hand as she started slipping out of the room.
"Can you or one of the other women come 'n sit with her at daybreak? I'm going after that bastard and don't want her alone." She nodded to him. "I would not want to be Lucas right now," she thought as the door closed quietly behind her.
Daryl shucked off his boots and dirty thermal. He didn't want blood to be the first thing she saw after waking. Gently he slipped into the full sized bed with her. Alex's breath was even and deep, the drugs doing their job. He sighed as he stroked her forehead idly. "This is not how I wanted to get you in bed," he whispered down at her sleeping form. She rolled to her right side, curling up close to him. His hand stroked her lower arm. "Sleep Ria. I'll keep you safe. Dixon's protect their own."