CHAPTER 22:
"Carl, blanket. Beth, water and towels." Rick wasted no time taking charge, and that was almost good to see. Since he had been so distant lately, and especially with the fact of losing Lori just hours previously. "She's not coming into the cell blocks. Woah, woah." Cautiously trying to get Michonne off him, and tenderly onto the blanket that Carl sat down for her. "Steady now."

"Alright, thank you." Beth handed the sheriff a bottled water, and then she went back to check on the baby.

"Shh, it's alright." Pouring the water over the dried up blood and guts that dried onto her chest, he squirted some in her face to get her awake. "Hey, hey, hey. Look at me, look at me." Her eyes were trying to look around, but Rick was trying to get her attention on him, "Who are you?"

She didn't want to answer, she didn't know these people, and she didn't see Rachel; who was the only person she would have known. Looking to see her katana on the ground, and just like instinct, she had to reach for it. "No, no." Rick said in an easy tone, "listen, we're not going to hurt you." Lightly kicking it with his foot, more to the side, just out of her reach. "Unless you try something stupid first, alright?"

"Damn dogs, thinkin' its tag or some shit."Daryl joked as he was passing by. But stopping he decided to check the room out; Rachel was right beside him, as she decided to walk in the main room first. He noticed that she seemed very curious, which he didn't understand.

"You wanna tell us your name?" Maybe his voice was not friendly enough, he lowered it to almost a whisper, "You wanna tell us your name?"

"Michonne!" Rachel answered for her friend, she walked towards her, but Daryl held her back. "You made it, oh thank God." The man held the side of her shirt in between a couple fingers. Hearing her grunt almost as she tried to walk forward but found out she couldn't move anymore.

"Ya know her? How?" Tightening his grip with her clothing, he was just trying to guard her. Michonne didn't look like she ever smiled. In fact just as she was down on the ground, she looked like hatred burned throughout her veins.

Michonne looked cruel and very unhappy, and glared at her friend. It was obvious that she was trying not to answer Rick's question, not yet. She needed to get her head together; after all she just did collapse, almost was made into walker chow and got shot not too long ago. It takes a while to process all of that stuff!

The woman looked up at Daryl and tried to yank away. "When I got left behind, she saved me. Me and-just me." She hated to lie, but looking over at Michonne, she didn't even want her to say Andrea's name. She would never forgive her for what she did, choosing a complete stranger over two people that she spent all winter with, more than that. Seven months with her But not just any stranger, no a MAN she picked over her own friends.

Rick looked his usual, unpleasant self. "All the doors are locked, we'll hold onto this in the mean time." He held up her sword, and pointed down to her leg, "We can treat that."

The wounded woman looked at her friend, then at Rick, almost sneering, "I didn't ask for your help."

"Doesn't matter." And with that Rick walked away, telling everyone to get out of the room, and for his son to grab the basket full of goodies. "I can't let you leave."

Rachel mouthed, 'I-will-talk-to-them.' And left the room, right now her buddy needed rest, and didn't need to worry about anything or anyone else. For once, Michonne needed to be selfish, and just stress over her wellbeing.

After maybe forty-five minutes of talking, and discussing everything; Rick, Hershel, and Daryl walked back into the room that contained Michonne in it. Rachel told them everything that she could, and she actually had no idea of what they had decided.

"We can tend to that wound for you and give you a little food and water, and then send you on your way." Even though he was trying to be helpful, he still sounded rude and hard headed as usual. "But you're going to have to tell us how you found us. And why you were carrying formula."

Rachel stood on the other side of the door petting her dogs; she thought this would be a good time to back up her friend. Looking down at her dogs, she told them to stay. "Rick," Opening the gated door, she stood in the room, "I can explain some of this."

"No! Let's hear it from her." He almost seemed baffled, how could she explain any of this? She was found just hours ago, and had been here; at the prison the whole time. With mostly Daryl keeping an eye on her.

"Supplies were dropped by a young Asian guy, with a pretty girl…" She started to explain, but Rick wasted no time cutting her off. "What happened?"

"Where they attacked?" Hershel's parental instincts kicked into action, he grabbed his crutches as he tried to sit down.

"They were taken." Michonne's voice was quiet, barely above a murmur.

"Taken, by who?" Rick became serious all over again, overly serious.

"By the same son of a bitch who shot me." She looked down at the ground, and then back up into Rick's eyes.

"Hey, these are our people. You tell us what happened," Rick reached for her wounded leg, and grabbed a hold of it. "Now-!"

"Don't you ever touch me again!" Pointing her finger at the sheriff, while Daryl raised his crossbow.

Rachel sensed things weren't going well; she needed to step in, and quickly too. Walking closer into the room, she had a lot of guts, but; she walked right in the middle of the two, in direct aim of Daryl's crossbow.

"bette' start talkin' or you's gunna have a lot bigger problem than a gunshot wound." Michonne eyed the man with the crossbow, and then at Rachel.

"Alright, that's enough!" She tried to knock down his weapon, but he held it high and tightly in his grasp. That wasn't going to happen. Eyeing Rick, "Rick I told you about her, she's fine, I was with her when we separated, and you want to talk about people?" Rick was breathing heavy, from his anger level rising rapidly. "Well she took in one of your people, so it's our turn to return the favor."

"Find them yourself." Michonne snarled, as she slowly got to her feet, gently pushing Rachel out of the way.

"Shh, shh." Taking two steps forward he was just inches away from the black woman's face, "You came here for a reason." It was a question, but not the way that Rick was vocalizing his words, more like a statement.

"There's this town, Woodbury," She rolled her eyes, "about 75 survivors, I think they were taken there. "

"A whole town?" Cocking his head to one side, that didn't sound right.

"Run by this guy who calls himself 'the Governor.'"

Rachel closed her eyes tight as she made an uneasy expression on her face, locking her eyes shut for a moment. Daryl looked up; by this time he lowered his weapon. Pondering, he heard that name before…

"Answer me. Was that the other guy?" He walked towards Rachel holding her arm tightly. She became real quiet all the sudden. "I said answer me, was that him!?"

"What about him?" Rick asked, when he was off grieving that's when Daryl and Rachel talked about where she was, and told him in almost no detail about this town and a man called 'the Governor.'

Hershel looked uneasy, he knew about this man, because after those two chatted, the old man went to have a heart to heart with the young woman as well. He thought of her as well as like a daughter, of course he had to protect his own first. But would willingly give his life for this once stranger, who has now developed as family.

"He's a pretty boy, young, charming, Jim Jones type." Michonne continued on describing the man that had harmed her friend. "-Armed men on every wall-"

Rick became more interested in what the newcomer was saying, he would ask his question to Rachel again after he found out what he needed to know. "You know a way in?"

"I bet ya do?" Daryl still had a grip on the woman's arm that he had become so overly protective over. "Both ya gunna take me there!" Daryl snapped his fingers at both females, "I want to see this disgustin' piece of shit, the Governor." He said the man's name, like it was a revolting taste of food that you want to spit out.

"We could slip our way through."

"How did you know how to get here?" Rick asked, he was now fascinated with this, this could be a very interesting mission.

"They mentioned a prison, AND…" Pointing to her friend, who looked like a scared little girl, "I walked with her the first time around, but someone was ganging on us, and she was in horrible shape." Taking a few steps closer she quickly examined her, "She still does. So I let her go, her and her guardian dog over there." Pointing to Xavier, "So I lead the person away, and made it to the market place, that's where I saw your people taken."

"This is Hershel, father of the girl who was taken. "Rick introduced the man that would be taking care of her injury. Pointing to her leg, "He'll take care of that." And with that he walked away, grabbing Daryl and Rachel, nearly dragging the girl with.

"You have some explaining to do!" Rick grunted, and heard Daryl agree with him in the background.

A/N: Chapter 23 will be posted shortly, here's where all the action comes!