Chapter 38
"Why would I use a hammer if I have a pistol?" Tomas asked, twirling the small revolver on his finger.
"Number of reasons." I mumbled, reloading my Honey Badger.
"Like?"
Daryl sighed, knowing I wasn't going to answer him. "Like ammo for instance. Ya need all the ammo you can get. Once yer out, yer out until the next run, if you can find any."
"Plus," Rick started. "Guns attract walkers cause the noise. That's why Daryl has a crossbow and Kate has a silencer on the end of her gun."
I threw my gun over my shoulder, picking up a shovel and handing it to Oscar. "We ready?"
They nodded, a bit uneasy.
"Remember, go for the head." T-dog told them. "They're not human so if you kick the shit out of it, it won't die."
They ignored him, walking down the dark hallway to the cell block. Daryl led the way, his flashlight on top of the crossbow. As soon as he heard the walker he held up his hand, making everyone stop in their tracks. "Wait for it..."
The first prisoner walker stumbled out, leaning to the side with a limp. Then another came, and another. He held up his fingers, counting them down. But by the time he reached two, all the prisoners charged at the walkers, making battle cries.
"What the sams hell are they doing?" I asked.
Big Tiny held one back while Tomas went at the walkers stomach with a hammer, Axel hitting one in the heart, confused on why it wasn't dying, Andrew going at one with a bat while he hed it to the floor with his foot. All we could do was stare at them like they were the dumbest things still left on this planet, like walkers were smarter.
Daryl rolled his eyes at them and took a few steps closer, Tomas' walker in the head, yanking the arrow out. The walker fell limp, no longer clawing at him. I took Andrews bat and swung it down on the walkers head twice, the walker dying instantly. Rick took the Hammer from Big Tiny and killed the walker that Axel was trying to kill. T-dog looked over at Oscar to see that his walker was dead already.
Oscar shrugged. "You said go for the head."
Tomas rolled his eyes and started down another hallway. We turned a few turns but no walkers were there. But after a few growls came they all stopped once more.
"Go for the head this time." I said. "You guys looked like idiots."
The walkers emerged and once again the prisoners charged, this time going for the brain. Before we knew it the seven walkers were dead.
"We did better." Big Tiny said. It was the last thing he said before two walkers emerged from the corner, attacking him. Rick killed one and Tomas shot the other. We all were relieved until his breathing increased and he touched his shoulder, blood covering his hand. "It's just a scratch. It doesn't even hurt." He tried to reason.
"Sorry." Rick said, and he truly was.
"You chopped off some guys leg!" Andrew tried to reason."Look where the bite is."
"Can you just lock him up?" Oscar asked.
I shook my head. "No. Still too dangerous."
"Look at me." Big Tiny said. "Does it look like I'm turning into one of those things?"
T-dog and I exchanged a look. "You'll die first. It's no fun turning." He said.
"We've seen it." I mumbled, remembering Amy.
Then Big Tiny dropped to the ground. We turned and faced Tomas, who just killed him with his gardening tool. Then he lowered it and started stabbing his head until it was unrecognizable, blood going everywhere.
The prisoners, all in shock, started back down the hallway to the cell block.
"Did you see the look on his face?" Daryl asked Rick.
"He makes one move..." Rick muttered. He looked at me, worry in his eyes. "Don't get too close to him."
I snorted. "Like he's gonna hurt me."
Daryl rolled his eyes, his hand resting on my lower back before he moved it back to the crossbow.
They opened the door's to the laundry room, weapons raised for on the other side of the door were walkers.
Rick chucked the keys at Tomas' feet. "If you want the cell block, you gotta open the door. Not both though, just the one."
Tomas picked up the keys and walked to the door, unlocking them both and flinging both doors open. The walkers charged through the door.
"I said one!" Rick yelled.
"Shit happens!"
We all went at the walkers, careful not to get too close as at least twenty came in. Out of the corner of my eye I saw Tomas swing at Rick, him ducking at the last second. At his failed attempt, Tomas grabbed a walker and shoved him at my brother, it tackling him to the ground. Daryl moved quickly and stabbed it with one of his arrows, helping my brother up. All the walkers were then dead, making Rick march up to Tomas.
"It was coming at me, bro."
Rick chuckled. "I understand. Shit happens." He then took his machete to Tomas' head, him falling to the floor with even more blood on his skin.
"NO!" Andrew yelled as he went after Rick.
I took my combat boot and kicked him in the gut, him sliding back on to the floor. He then got up and ran out the door, Rick following.
"On your knees!" Daryl commanded to Oscar and Axel, the only two remaining prisoners.
"We weren't apart of that!" Axel cried out. "Tell them Oscar!"
"Stop talking." Oscar commanded, setting his axe down and raising his hands to his ears.
We stood there in silence, all five of us looking at each other, unsure on what was going to happen next. Rick then came back in here, pointing his pistol at Oscar.
"We had nothing to do with that." He mumbled.
My brother then moved to Axel whose eyes were watering. "Please sir! It wasn't us! What he did to Tiny...He was my friend! We ain't like that!" After that nobody could understand what the hell he was saying. It was sobs and cries and incoherent speaking.
He then turned to Oscar.
"You do what you need to do." Oscar muttered.
I then got a gut wrenching feeling. I knew these people weren't like Andrew and Tomas I didn't want to have them killed for something they never did. I knew that things could go wrong though so I wasn't going to let them into the group. Not like this. "Rick, stop." I commanded.
He backed up, gun still pointed. "Why?"
"They're innocent, if you can't tell. Just put them in the cell, let them have the prior arrangement."
"Katherine..."
"No arguing." I yelled. "I'm the leader too and what I say goes also. Now, put the gun down and let's go see Cell block B!"
He frowned. "Fine." He then opened the door and walked into the hallway. We had to kill a few random walkers before we all walked into cell block. "Home sweet home." He told the men. "Drag the bodies outside."
I tossed them a box of matches. "Here's your part off the prison."
"You're gonna leave us?" Axel asked, panicked.
"This is better than what's out there." Daryl said.
"Thank you, Miss." said Oscar. "I don't know how we can repay you."
I bit my lip. "Don't cause trouble."
Daryl wrapped his arm around my waist. "Come on. We gotta check on Hershel." He turned to Axel. "Sorry about Tiny."
"God that sucked." I muttered as we walked back to our cell block.
"I know." Daryl mumbled, opening the cell block. Rick and T-dog passed, both looking exhausted. Daryl then placed his crossbow on the metal picnic bench and pulled me into his arms tightly. "I was scared to death that somethin' would happen to ya. After what happened with Tomas and Tiny...I wanted to pick you up and drag you outta there."
I chuckled, barring my head inside his shoulder. "Well, you know that couldn't have happen."
"Yeah, I know. Yer too god damned stubborn."
I placed my hands on his cheeks, looking into those stormy blue eyes. "That's why you love me."
He then kissed me, somehow holding me tighter. He then pulled away, taking my hand in his. "Come on. Let's see Hershel."
I didn't know what had become of the old man who became a father to us all, a father I never really had. We walked down the hallway, both shaking a bit. We reached the cell block that had many people crowded around it.
"Hershel stopped breathing." I heard Carl say. "Mom saved him."
Rick looked at his wife for the first time in awhile without anger or sadness. "Really?"
Lori nodded, hands on her belly.
"Good." He walked over to Hershel, standing over him. And just like that, he opened his mouth, sucking in a breath. He started breathing like that for a few minutes, all of us watching. And then the most miraculous thing happened. He opened his eyes.
"Daddy?" Maggie asked, crying.
Rick took his cuffs off him and Hershel extended a hand out to him.
The two Greene sisters hugged and I wrapped my arm around Carl's shoulders, kissing the top of his head.
"Come on." I whispered in his ear. "Come help Daryl and I clean up some of the walker bodies outside."
He nodded, smiling.
Here I was, with the two men I would do anything for. They were safe. We didn't lose anyone. We had food and somehow medical supplies in the corner of the cell. Here, we were safe. Safety was very rare here though. And the future was soon to come. But for as that moment, we were safe and out of harms way. And I smiled for the first time in a while. It didn't feel forced at all.
Author's Note:
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