Chapter 26: The Morning After Part 2

Carol is being held hostage by the prisoner – but things are not what they seem despite the Governor's assurances that she would not be harmed. Is she just being held as a hostage or as bait or what is the Governor's real plan for her and the prison community? I hope that this chapter is creepy and sinister enough.

i.

As soon as they were gone, she compulsively checked the handle of the door even though they'd locked it from the outside, of course, 'For her own protection' or so they had said. So far, the Governor had kept his word – no-one had hurt her – only been a little rough when they dragged her away. But they'd released her hands and put her into this room. Had even offered her food and drink but there was something she didn't trust.

It was late - but she wasn't even sure if she could sleep – didn't trust that man and his lies. Didn't put it past them either to come in the night and drag her out for interrogation when she was fuzzy and vulnerable. She knew what kind of man he was and the worst was this new, civilised veneer. She didn't know what they were up to but she was sure that it wouldn't be good for her or the prison group. Her captor wasn't one to forgive and forget and would seek revenge. Therefore, her only hope was that they would keep her alive as bait for a rescue attempt and that the Governor would keep his word and not harm her. That Daryl and the others would come and get her out of this place. But did she want to live? She had wanted to tell him and the others not to risk their lives and the fragile truce for her. 'Cos she weren't worth it. She wanted to die – but her faith wouldn't allow her to take her own life. Moreover, the loss of her child still stung, same as the day she lost her, the grief had never lessened over time like everyone said it would. And more than anything, she wanted to go and join Sophia in heaven. Besides, her whole life had been a struggle, full of pain and suffering and she felt relief that it would soon be over. And she didn't have to worry about Daryl any more, he'd started to get over his past and he'd finally found someone to love and to love him back. She hadn't believed that they could have lasted as long as they had but maybe she had underestimated the girl. Maybe Beth was stronger than she gave her credit for and she really did care about him. Would be good to him, she hoped, would never hurt him. And Carol knew she could go happy now because she knew he would be OK.

Still, she couldn't help wishing that he had chosen her instead because after those two got together, he had more or less ignored her. Hardly ever went to her cell just to talk. And in the mornings – just gave a curt greeting and he'd moved on. Not lingered to chat like he used to. Gone was the way his eyes used to light up and the edges of his mouth turned up into a grin when he saw her – how could she have been so stupid as to think he would want someone like her? And as people began to accept and respect him, he suddenly had more new people he'd rather spend time with, talk to. And everywhere he went – that girl followed in his wake like his shadow. Silently warning her to keep away with her glare – it was laughable that Beth still saw her as a rival. Carol couldn't believe that no-one, especially her own father, hadn't noticed the feelings the two had for each other. Probably didn't see Daryl that way, after all he had been still too traumatised for a long time to allow anyone to touch him. Combined with the fact that he was old enough to be Beth's father.

Had he forgotten how he used to sleep on the floor of her trailer with his crossbow under his arm as if still protecting her from Walkers even as he slept? How he'd filled up the place left by her missing child a little – made her absence a little easier to bear. And she, in turn, had comforted him like a child when he'd had nightmares about his father and the things he had done to him.

Things worse than even the scars on his back. She knew.

She hadn't thought he was the type of person to forget a friend – had thought he was better than that but she'd been proved wrong. Had his head turned by the pretty 17 year old but now she didn't even have the energy to feel bitter towards them. Just wished them the best.

'Cos they were part of the family who had replaced her own. She prayed that they would be thrive and that their future would be secure in the prison but in her heart of hearts, she didn't believe it. Not until someone came and put the Governor down for good and cleaned Woodbury of all the human trash like Mac. The bastards were just playing with her – she was sure, making her feel safe then they would pounce. But they didn't know what her husband had been like – that she knew how their minds worked. What they would do. Would be waiting and expecting it. And they had said that they had put her in 'quarantine' – pointless because didn't they know that everyone was infected? That as soon as they died – for any reason, they would turn. The only question was only – how long after death?

They were going to hurt her but the worst was not knowing when and how. This ridiculous facade of hospitality was worse.

She tossed and turned, how could she sleep? Despite their reassurances that they wouldn't harm her, she'd heard people whispering outside her door – heard her name mentioned but couldn't hear what was said. And hearing only part of it somehow made it worse.

Still, she had to look on the bright side – the 'quarantine' room was really quite nice, a plush bed propped up with cosy cushions. She even had a book shelf and the room was furnished. Far superior living conditions than they had at the prison. They'd even offered her food but she'd refused – didn't trust them not to poison or drug her. Anyway, she hadn't been hungry.

But she'd had to accept the glass of water – it had tasted fine. Nevertheless, she was still waiting for symptoms – dizziness, stomach cramps, drowsiness – pain. But none came. They'd given her a bucket as a toilet and she'd put it under the bed.

In the morning, they came for her and she saw with relief that the Governor wasn't there. She didn't know if she would have had the strength to face him as well, despite his apparent change of heart. Somehow she'd fallen asleep but was up and dressed before they came. There was a doctor – an elderly medic who cannily looked liked Herschell and two female nurses both young – one blonde, the other dark-haired. She supposed they were there to reassure her but they didn't. Their smiles were too wide, their demeanour too chirpy.

'Good morning. We hope you slept well.' The doctor greeted her courteously but distantly. And something about the way he looked at her, like she was a specimen on a petri-dish made her skin goosebump and she shivered. But then she could be prejudiced - she had never liked hospitals or doctors – had seen her father die slowly, painfully of cancer in one and after her marriage had seen more enough of them to last her a lifetime. Especially after she returned home after she'd lied to Ed so that she could attend the funeral. She trembled involuntarily at the memory when the last thing she ever wanted to do was to show weakness, especially to these people.

'We would like to run some tests, with your consent, of course. For the quarantine.' He continued and even handed her a consent form and a pen to fill in.

Absurdly, she wanted to break into hysterics at this farce. What was this?

'I don't need no tests, I'm healthy.' She countered reasonably.

'It's OK.' one of the nurses said, reassuringly and laid a hand on her shoulder which Carol rudely shook off. Like Daryl would do, she thought to herself with a little inward smile. She had black hair and looked about 25 with that warm smile on her face that was hiding something dark. What it was though, Carol couldn't guess but the woman gave her the creeps. 'We just want to check that you're not infected.'

'Every one of us is infected, don't you people know that? Even that idiot Milton should have figured that out by now.' Carol laughed bitterly. 'No matter how we die, we all turn in the end.'

The nurses and the doctor exchanged glances. And she knew that they had known. Of course they did.

'I'm not signing any damn consent form!' She snapped. Wondering at herself – that didn't sound like her. 'Are you even a real doctor, anyway?' She glanced at him in contempt.

'Right, that's it. We're just going to have to do it by force.' The medic took offence.

'Put her out.'

.To Carol, he only said, almost apologetically, 'We didn't want to have to do it this way but you left us no choice.' Must be his Hippocratic Oath giving him a bad conscience she thought and smothered the urge to giggle hysterically.

Then she fought, she screamed, flailing and lashing out like a trapped animal.

Wondered at herself – behaving like Daryl would have done.

And worse - it was the smiley dark haired nurse who injected her while the other two held her down. Still smiling at her while she did it. And Carol did fight, she did - but then the darkness came and carried her off with it.

ii.

She opened her eyes slowly, her vision fuzzy until she realised that she was looking up at a bright, white ceiling. Realised that it was the bright overhead lights used in surgery rooms. She realised where she was and the knowledge slammed into her.

Of course, Woodbury had its own fully-equipped hospital. Heard voices murmuring around her, fading in and out. And as the fuzziness from the drug wore off, she tried to move her arms and legs. Her panic grew as she couldn't even feel them. What had they done to her while she was out? She couldn't even feel any pain – didn't know if that was a good thing or something ominous.

The voices came into focus. '….as good as dead anyway.'

'If she's a suitable subject...'

'Milton wants...' and the rest of the sentence faded out. 'The Governor …..'

'….keeping her alive as a hostage?..'

She passed out again as she felt them wheel her gurney out of the room.

Later she woke up fully in the room she was on before. Lying on top of the bed covers, fully dressed in the same clothes. Stupidly, she got up woozily, nearly fainting and tried the door. Locked of course. Next thing she worried about the obvious – what the Governor had nearly done to Maggie – she'd heard rumours of what happened to prisoners at Woodbury from the defectors at the prison. But she thought she was OK – there was no tell-tale bruising or soreness. Or any other signs. Maybe they hadn't done that but she still felt violated because the worst thing was not knowing what they had done to her body when she was unconscious. She was worried about what tests they had done on her and why. Had they injected her with anything or taken samples like tissue or blood? Or anything else?

Whatever they had done, she couldn't undo it – she didn't feel unwell as she checked her body. There was no pain and she found the injection mark from the on her anaesthetic on her upper right arm and other needle marks covered by a plaster where they had probably just taken blood (she hoped) from both arms.

She weren't a medic, wouldn't know what she was looking for even if she found it.

Then, reluctantly, the snippets of conversation came back to her while she was semi- conscious.

She didn't know what they meant – she weren't a trained scientist, after all she had barely graduated from high school when she married Ed. He would never allow her to study afterwards. But it sounded like they wanted to use her in some kind of experiment. Quarantine, they'd said but that had been a lie. But something connected – something to do with the Walkers?

'As good as dead...' one of the voices had said and she had shivered. What did that mean?

Her only hope was Milton – get him alone. Appeal to his humanity. He was an idiot but he wasn't a bad man. Just a weak man who had just been held in thrall by the Governor like many people in Woodbury. This thought got her thinking – maybe there was a way of this after all... save both Woodbury and her family.

She needed to know what they had done to her and what they had planned.

For herself and the group's sake.

She heard a polite knock on the door and then they came for her again. Two heavies – looked like Mac's people.

'He wants to see you. ' They said and escorted her to the Governor.