Five Minute Window
Chapter 29
Merle and Michonne located Andrea in one of the interrogation rooms while they were looking for RickyJo. She was a little dehydrated, but otherwise unharmed. Martinez took her to to see the doctor and they gave her an IV just in case.
After all the planning and big war talk, no fight between the two groups of people had happened besides the one that had taken place that morning when Merle and RickyJo had shot at the governor down at the meeting spot. For now it seemed like Martinez was in control of Woodbury. Which was good because he at least wasn't a loony bin nutcase that kept heads in fishtanks to stare at them.
Martinez offered to take RickyJo to see the woodbury doctor, but Daryl had insisted on taking her back to the prison and having Hershel look at her. So instead, Martinez offered them a truck to get back in. He spoke quickly with Merle and Rick before they left. They planned to give the dust a few days to settle. Then they were going to meet up and figure out what to do. Combing the two communties was on the table. At the very least they were going to talk about doing some trading.
RickyJo was too drunk to walk. Daryl had to pick her up and carry her. In the truck he held her on his lap, hoping she would pass out and sleep it off. But there was no such luck. She was quiet at least, only speaking up to ask for a cigarette. Daryl fished one out of his pocket and lit it for her.
Back at the prison, Jessica and Michonne took over. They propped her up on their shoulders and dragged her down to the shower area to get her washed up. RickyJo had been telling the truth about the blood. Most of it was not hers. But Jessica noticed her body was covered in fresh bruises. Including some nasty looking ones on her hips and the insides of her thighs. From the look on Michonne's face, she knew the other woman saw them as well. But she didn't say anything, she just gritted her teeth and shook her head.
RickyJo was half walked half dragged back up from the shower area. She had been forcibly dressed in an orange prison jumpsuit, which she was more than happy to loudly express her displeasure about. I can pick out my own clothes! Jessica deposited her cousin in Hershel's cell so the man could check her over for injuries. She had never seen RickyJo so drunk in her life. And that was saying something because Jessica had seen her drunk plenty of times. She couldn't believe the woman was still concious.
"She must be running on adrenaline," Hershel said once he got a whiff of RickyJo's breath. She looked up at him and then flopped down on the bed. Her hand came up and flapped around like she was trying to wave at him.
"Do you have any oxycontin?," RickyJo asked him.
"Yes."
"Can I have some?"
"No."
"Yer not very nice," RickyJo informed him. Jessica knew the situation was no joke. Her cousin had been attacked and possibly sexually assaulted. But she still had to turn her back to keep from laughing. God damn she was drunk.
"She a'right?," Daryl asked. He glanced inside the cell. At least RickyJo wasn't coated in blood anymore, which was an improvement.
"I think she'll live," Jessica told him, "she's trying to score pills from Hershel." Daryl shook his head. Really he thought Hershel ought to give her something to knock her ass out. She would feel better once she slept a while. Hershel spoke to them from inside the cell.
"The worst is her earlobe," he said, "I can make it better with a few stiches, but most of it is gone."
"Don't talk 'bout me like I'm not here," RickyJo told the man, "I'm a grown ass woman." Hershel apologized to her, somehow managing to keep a straight face. Then he informed her that he was going to stitch her ear up so it would heal better. RickyJo appeared to be feeling no pain, so he figured he might as well put the sutures in now. Daryl came in and sat with her to hold her head still while Hershel worked on her. Apparently getting patched up made her feel more chatty, because she started up a rather lively conversation with Hershel while he worked.
"When you get done can I have an oxy?"
"No."
"Ya look like Santa, but yer really a mean old sumbitch."
"Sorry you feel that way."
"If Merle was here, he would give me what I want."
"Well he's not here."
That was a lie. Merle was sitting outside. He was fresh out of oxys though. If he had any, he would have already taken them himself. RickyJo winced a little when Hershel stuck the needle through the worst of the damage.
"Wanna know somethin'?," she asked Hershel.
"I have a feeling I'm going to hear it no matter what."
"Rick had sex with Beth. And she was virgin before that. Toby stole her diary and read it."
Daryl snorted and almost choked. He was careful not to let go of RickyJo's head, but the rest of his body was convulsing with silent laughter. That was about the last thing in the world he expected to hear. He wasn't sure if it was even true or if RickyJo had made it up on the spot. Either way Hershel's face was fucking priceless.
"M'sorry Hershel," he told the old man. Hershel finished up the last knot and kindly suggested that RickyJo be taken back to her room and put to bed. Daryl scooped her up. But he wasn't sure where to take her. She didn't really have her own room. And he didn't want to take her to Merle's room. After a few hestitant steps, he headed for Michonne's cell and laid her down on the bunk in there.
Daryl was trying to decide if he should sit with her, or if it would be better if he left. If she was alone, he was hoping she might go to sleep. After what she had said to poor Hershel, he wasn't sure if he wanted to head what she had to say to him. Morgan and Toby showed up in the doorway and made his decision easy for him. RickyJo held her arms out for the boy and he went rushing in. She hugged him against her and let him cry into her shoulder.
"Oh Toby," she said, "it's okay." She smoothed one hand over his wild mass of hair while she patted his back with the other. "It's okay, he's dead now." She continued on with those words, repeating them like they were a chant. Then she added, "Don't worry, we will getchya a new puppy and then everythin' will be alright again."
When Daryl checked on them again, they were both fast asleep. Toby was facing out from the wall and RickyJo was cuddled in behind the boy with her knees tucked in behind his and both her arms wrapped around the boy. Daryl felt someone's presence behind him. It had to be Merle. No one else got in his personal space like that. But instead of fighting him, his brother threw a friendly arm around his shoulder. The situation with RickyJo was going to have to be dealt with eventually. But for now, they were brothers again.
"Ready to go?," Merle asked him.
"Huh?," Daryl asked. He was not aware that they had any plans to go anywhere. "Where we going'?" Merle glanced into the room again and then gave Daryl a big smile.
"I'll tell ya where we're going little brother, we're goin' dog huntin'."
** This chapter is going to mark the end of this part of the story. I have plans to write some more, but I think I am going to take a break and rewatch season 4 first. Thanks to anyone that followed, favorited or took the time to leave a review, you are all wonderful. **
