A/N: I truly value all the feedback you guys have been leaving me. It ended up determining which direction I would take this next chapter, and ultimately, the fate of Lindsey's possible pregnancy. I had a really hard time writing one section of this. Lindsey makes a choice that I don't know if I would have made myself, but hey, I'm not her. ;)
So to those of you that reviewed – mellbell12123, DarylDixon'sLover, BigRedMachineUK, sillygabby, dropxdeadxjuliet, WishfulThinker66, Sweet Little Mary Sue, rocknrollprincess131, and MLP Mike – I, thank you!
As the small group traveled to the prison, Rick kept an eye out for any sign of Carol or Judith, but everything was the same as it was on their last trip through. They passed Bob's body again, and he felt guilty that they hadn't buried the man. Unfortunately, time was of the essence and this trip was crucial for their survival.
"So, how do we want to do this?" Tyreese asked from the backseat.
"We need to get the truck as close to the cafeteria door as we possibly can. We'll clear it out – walkers, supplies, everything," Rick stated, his mind working all the different angles.
Michonne cut in. "Lindsey and I locked the tombs entrance to our cell block. There's a good chance that it's empty. It'd be nice to get our stuff, too."
Rick considered this new piece of information. Other than what was left at the farm, they were limited on clothing. If the cell block was free of walkers, why wouldn't they go in?
"You got it," he finally said. "We're low on ammo so we also need to raid the bin in the prison yard."
They passed through a section of road that was all too familiar to Rick and he knew they were getting close.
"Alright, here we go. Let's hope that herd's long gone and that they didn't leave any friends behind," Daryl stated as the truck came into the clearing in front of the prison.
The anticipation caused adrenaline to surge through Rick's veins. He took in the sight before them, sitting up in his seat to peer over the dash. Large clusters of walkers milled about in various parts of the prison yard. Rick took a deep breath in attempt to slow his racing heart as Daryl urged the truck up the hill. Once they were parked outside cell block C, everyone readied their weapons. Walkers started closing in on the vehicle, their pace quickening at the potential food source.
Daryl turned to face the others. "Try not to use yer guns unless ya get pinned down. Hate to find out that the herd was just movin' on, and then bring 'em right back down on us. I doubt we'd be as lucky gettin' outta here the second time around."
Rick nodded at Daryl's sensible instruction. The man may not have been a leader, but he knew his shit.
A short walker slapped his slimy hands against the passenger-side window, snapping his jaws along the glass surface. Rick unsheathed his machete and got a tight trip on the handle. With considerable force, he pushed open the door, knocking the walker onto its back. Before the cadaver could make its next move, Rick brought the machete down, impaling it between the eyes. Another walker staggered toward him, but Michonne was there, her katana slicing through the air.
The foursome progressed through the yard and came upon the large ammunition bin. Tyreese and Daryl pushed it in the direction of the truck as Rick and Michonne cleared the way. Thick, black gore covered their clothes and arms. One walker got too close to Rick, causing him to hold the corpse at bay as his blade ripped through its throat. More blood spattered his face, eliciting a grimace on contact. They continued this until the two men were done emptying the bin into the bed of the truck.
Next up was their cell block. Daryl led the way, his crossbow up and ready. At his signal, Rick opened the heavy door and Daryl advanced into the large room. Much to their satisfaction, Michonne had been right – the cell block was empty. Everyone moved cell to cell, grabbing all the personal items they could carry.
Rick hesitated momentarily before entering the cell he'd shared with his children. As his gaze fell upon Judith's empty basinet, the gaping hole in his chest ached. Like picking at a fresh scab, the reminder that she was gone was almost too much for him to bear. He gritted his teeth as he gathered his and Carl's things.
They made one more trip, and then moved the truck to just outside the cafeteria entrance. If Glenn's story held any indication of what was waiting inside for them, they would need to bring their A-game. It wouldn't be filled with just walkers from the herd, but new ones as well – their former group members to be exact. That was really going to suck.
Rick and Daryl repeated their process from earlier, opening the outside door methodically. When Daryl crossed the threshold, his choice words were a sign of what they were walking into.
"Oh fuck," he muttered.
Rick followed him in and every part of him screamed to run back out. There must have been at least forty walkers trapped inside, and every one of them looked their way as the metal door swung shut behind them. Daryl fired his bolt into the forehead of the closest walker, and then swung the crossbow onto his back, clearly not going to attempt reloading for each shot. He unsnapped the large hunting knife from his belt and buried it in the skull of an advancing female walker. Rick swung his blade, decapitating a cadaver immediately to his right. Michonne and Tyreese backed them up, hacking away at the progressing swarm.
They seemed to be making headway, until Rick rounded a corner and came across even more walkers.
"Daryl, I need you over here!" he called out as two corpses lunged at him. He kicked one back and executed the other, his arm burning from the exertion.
Daryl immediately came to his aid, and the two men took down every threat like they were some kind of dynamic duo. Rick would have laughed if they weren't in danger of being eaten alive.
"Ty!" Michonne yelled suddenly.
Rick snapped his gaze across the room, and with a sinking feeling in his gut, realized that he could no longer see the large man. After beheading one more walker, he and Daryl rushed to help Michonne. They each sighed with relief as she lifted Tyreese to his feet, appearing unharmed.
"What happened?" Rick asked. He got his answer as a weak growl sounded from the floor behind Tyreese. When the man stepped away, Rick doubled over. "Oh- oh, God."
Hershel, or what was left of him, writhed on the ground, his skinless arms reaching upward. Most of the flesh had been torn from his body, and all that remained was raw muscle and white bone. The only way they really knew that it was Hershel was from the prosthetic leg that dragged behind him.
Rick gingerly covered his eyes as he struggled to keep his composure. Daryl laid a hand on his shoulder and gave him a reassuring look. As he had done with Dale, the hunter stepped in front of Rick, and instead of using his gun, he loaded his crossbow.
"See you on the other side," he said quietly to Hershel, and squeezed the trigger.
The four survivors stood in silence for a minute. When Rick glanced up from Hershel's mutilated body, he pointed a stare at each of them. "Not a word of this to Maggie," he declared.
Everyone agreed, and with less resolve than before, started lugging food supplies to the truck. Michonne kept watch, effortlessly eliminating any walkers that crossed their path. It took multiple trips, but the haul was worth it.
When the truck was full, Daryl walked to a spot by the brick wall of the prison and found his bike, which had tipped over. With a grunt, he lifted it upright, Rick rushing over to help him the rest of the way.
"You leadin'?" Rick asked as he brushed the dirt from his hands.
Daryl gave him a nod. "Just honk once if we need to stop."
"Alright, we'll see you back at the farm," Rick replied, and took a seat behind the wheel of the truck. Daryl straddled his motorcycle and revved the throttle. He lifted his feet and tore down the hill, weaving between walkers. Rick accelerated to keep up with him, and as they left the prison for the final time, he did look back.
Goodbye, Lori.
Lindsey remained at the wooden posts, watching Dean walk away as resentment and indecision rolled off her in waves. The man could be such an ass. Some part of her understood the point he was trying to make, but his choice of words could use a vast improvement. He also needed to stop blaming Rick for everything. The men may have been on even terms now, but Dean's overprotective tendencies toward her wouldn't cease, and she was growing tired of it.
After a while, Lindsey's stomach began to rumble, despite her waning appetite. She followed the dilapidated sections of fence and then cut across the field, winding up on the opposite side of the farmhouse. She knew Dean was on watch out front, so she came in through the back door, which led to the kitchen.
Maggie jumped as she turned away from the stove and discovered Lindsey at the counter next to her. Lindsey laughed softly. "Sorry."
Maggie dropped the hand from her chest and smiled with relief. "It's okay. I just didn't hear you come in." She sprinkled some cinnamon in the pot, and Lindsey snuck a peek of their breakfast. "More oatmeal," Maggie exhaled.
"Awesome," Lindsey said with thick sarcasm. She lifted a mug from the cabinet and filled it with hot water from the teakettle. After dipping a teabag into the steaming liquid, she grabbed what she needed and sat down at the table.
Glenn and Carl entered the room, drawn in by the smells. They weren't as picky when it came to food – it just had to be edible. Each male filled a bowl and took seats on either side of Lindsey.
"Hey, Maggie, is there by any chance a pharmacy in town?" she asked in her best attempt at casual.
"There is. Why? Do you need something?" Maggie responded as she wiped her hands on a dish towel. Afterward, she draped it on the edge of the sink and came to sit across from Glenn.
"Yeah. I know we don't have it here and I could probably find it there," Lindsey said, praying that no one asked her what she was talking about specifically.
Maggie ate a bite of oatmeal as she mulled it over. "What do you think, Walker Bait? Will you give her a ride into town?"
Glenn dropped his spoon into the bowl and pointed a sardonic frown across the table. "I thought I asked you to never call me that again." Maggie attempted to hide a smirk, but the playful gleam in her eyes gave her away. "But, yes, I will. Last time we were there it had been picked over pretty heavily, but we should be able to find some stuff. We'll go after breakfast?"
Lindsey nodded. "Maggie, would you be so kind as to keep Carl out of trouble while I'm gone?" The woman agreed, and Lindsey looked to Carl. "You mind Maggie, alright?"
"Yes, ma'am," he replied with a roll of his eyes.
When Lindsey and Glenn arrived in front of the pharmacy, they each seized the bags they'd brought along and stepped out of the Camaro.
"When Maggie and I were here, I took out a walker in the back. I imagine it's gonna be fairly ripe. Just thought I'd warn ya," Glenn said with an awkward smile.
Lindsey chuckled. "Good to know."
They opened the door to enter the pharmacy. She wasn't sure what the place had looked like when Glenn made his previous run, but it was absolutely trashed. They would have to do some serious digging to find enough useful supplies to fill their bags.
Glenn began on the right side of the store, while Lindsey took the left. She grabbed random items of importance off the shelves: toothpaste, deodorant, shampoo. She walked behind the counter, running her hands over the bottles and boxes scattered about. She found a few more handy things and tossed them into her bag. A small box crunched beneath her foot, and some unknown force urged her to look down. In a gray package, the words 'Morning After Pill' glared up at her. With much reluctance, she leaned over and plucked it from the floor.
The box felt too light for such a heavy decision. It was hard to imagine that this one tiny pill could change someone's life completely. She knew it wasn't abortion – it was birth control, same as condoms, but it still didn't settle well with her.
Glenn passed by the desk, moving toward the front of the store again. This was her chance. She slipped her water bottle out of the side pocket of her bag and punched out the single pill. As she held it in the palm of her hand, she thought of Rick – then Judith and Lori.
Just do it. Just do it. Just do it!
Tipping her head back, she popped the pill into her mouth and took a swig of water. With one gulp, it was done. Her body convulsed as a sob threatened to rip from her throat and she dropped behind the desk. Shaking, she covered her mouth, struggling to remain silent.
"Lindsey, where'd you go?" Glenn called out suddenly.
"I- I'm in the back. I'll be right there," she answered, her voice cracking.
Glenn appeared around the counter and found her in a heap on the floor. "Hey! Are you okay?" Before she could answer, he picked up the empty blister package that she'd dropped onto the counter. "Lindsey, did you take this?"
She looked up at him as tears trailed down her face. Just from her pained expression, he got his answer.
"Holy shit…Rick is gonna kill me," he muttered.
Lindsey's blinked in confusion, dropping more tears onto her cheeks. "What? Why?"
"The last time I came to this pharmacy, I got a whole bag of those pills for Lori. She was already pregnant with Judith and hadn't told Rick. When he found out that I'd been the one to get them for her, well, he wasn't too happy with me." Glenn sighed.
"You had no idea what I needed, Glenn. I found the pill, I took it – you were in no way a part of it. Leave Rick to me," Lindsey assured him, though she wasn't looking forward to that conversation.
"Let's finish up and get back to the farm," Glenn said, extending his hand to her. She got her footing and thanked him quietly.
They gathered enough items to fill their bags and walked out to the Camaro. Lindsey scanned the empty street, checking for approaching threats. All was silent, but she didn't feel any more comforted by that fact. She tossed her bag in the back and slid into the passenger seat. Glenn mirrored her actions and got behind the wheel, starting the car with a roar. He pulled away from the curb and took off down the road.
The three people in the truck had been silent for almost the entire return trip. Rick heard a whisper in the backseat and glanced in the rearview mirror. Michonne was leaning close to Tyreese, a smile on both of their faces. Rick's lips quirked up at the corner. He should have known that those two would make a connection.
On the subject of connections, Rick replayed the events from the previous evening, warmth spreading through his low belly. He hoped maybe they could have another go at it when he returned to the farm. Just the noises Lindsey made in the heat of the moment, and the look on her face when she... The smile immediately wiped off his face and was replaced with one of utter shock.
Oh my God. What have we done?
He was officially the world's biggest jerk. Of course she'd been upset this morning! He could have possibly gotten her pregnant and simply left her without a word about it. Oh, Christ. What would this do to her? He could see it in her eyes every time she looked at Carl and whenever she'd held Judith – she took her role in their lives seriously. She was a natural mother. Though they'd only been together for a short time, he desperately wanted to have a child with her. To watch her stomach grow, and then have a little girl with her brown eyes or a boy with her sandy blonde hair.
Rick cursed himself. What the hell was he thinking? They couldn't have a baby in this horrible world. He'd been through that once already. It was like he had amnesia all of a sudden – Lori, Judith, the prison, the walkers.
Fuck. What were they going to do?
He held his breath as they sped up the road to the farm. Carl was just running out the house as he parked the truck and jumped out. Rick hugged his son and kissed his hair, thankful that they were back together again. He glanced over Carl's shoulder and saw Lindsey standing on the porch.
"Any sign of Carol and Judith?" Carl asked as they parted.
Rick shook his head sadly. "You and I can go out tomorrow. Okay?"
He patted his son on the shoulder and walked up the steps, meeting Lindsey's tired, red eyes.
"We need to talk," he murmured.
"Yeah, we do," she answered.