Guys. GUYS. Can you believe this? This is the second update in less than two weeks. Surprised? Yeah, me too.

Anwho, thank you, thank you, thank you to anyone who has reviewed, who added this story to their alert/favorite list, or who reached out to me on twitter! You seriously have no idea how much I appreciate each and every one of you! I'm eternally grateful that ya'll took the time out of your lives to read this story, and am glad you guys are enjoying it!

Very quickly, I'd like to answer a question that a reviewer asked me. To the guest reviewer who asked me what my thoughts were on Shane leaving Rick behind at the start of the apocalypse: I can admit that I don't know a whole lot about the comics, because I haven't read them. But the way I've always seen it, it seemed that in the show Shane did believe Rick was dead. It seems possible to me in the chaos of the moment that maybe he didn't feel a pulse and truly thought he was dead, hence him leaving Rick behind and then everything that came afterwards. Is it possible that TV show Shane had a thing for Lori pre-apocalypse? Totally. After all, they did hop in the sack pretty fast. But I can't say with confidence that I think he left Rick behind on purpose just so he could go after Lori. I can say with confidence, however, that Shane was a dick and that I don't miss him! Hope that answers your question!

Anyways, here's the next chapter! Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I own nothing related to the Walking Dead.


Chapter 44

The first thing Jenna did the next morning was retrieve one of the two belts she owned and attach her new gun holster to it. She could not help but smile as she then fastened the belt and holster securely around her waist, feeling a bit like she belonged in the Wild West as her gun rested comfortably at her hip. Just to get a feel for how retrieving the gun from the holster would differ from grabbing it from the waistband of her pants, like she was used to doing, Jenna faced off against the sink in the back of the cell and grabbed the pistol, quickly yanking it from the holster and then pointing it at the sink, imagining in her head that it was a walker. Nodding to herself in approval, Jenna looked down at the gun before attempting to twirl it around her index finger, like the old gunslingers used to. When she only succeeded in nearly sending the gun flying to the ground, she quickly scrambled to catch it, letting out a breath once she had a firm grip on it again.

"Easy there, Annie Oakley," Daryl warned behind her, his voice tinged with amusement.

Jenna turned around to face her boyfriend, who was sitting on the edge of the bed and lacing up his boots. He was watching her with raised brows, but a tiny, almost invisible smirk rested on the corner of his mouth as he looked up at her. Smiling sheepishly, she slid her gun into the safety of its new holster, this time without attempting any fancy tricks, before holding her arms out as though presenting herself for inspection.

"How do I look?" she asked, cocking out the hip where her gun now rested.

Daryl's eyes gave her a very long once over, lingering on her hips for a good few seconds before slowly drifting back up meet her gaze. Jenna couldn't be sure if it was the trick of the light or not, but his eyes seemed a bit darker than usual. "You look good," he said, that roughened voice of his sounding just a little bit more gravelly.

Jenna couldn't stop the butterflies that suddenly erupted in her belly. The way he was looking at her suggested that he thought she looked more than just 'good'. As Daryl finished tying his boots and got to his feet, Jenna watched his every move, her heart beginning to beat harder beneath her ribs as Daryl came to stand directly in front of her. His gaze held hers as his hand extended toward her hip, the one that her gun was resting against. Jenna pressed her lips together as Daryl secured the small strap on the holster that would keep her gun from falling out. Once he'd pulled it over the handle of her gun and snapped it into place, he slowly pulled his hand back.

"Prob'ly a good idea 'ta keep that fastened," he suggested, his still peering intently into hers. "Don't wanna lose your gun."

Jenna nodded her head in response, wondering when their jail cell had started to feel so warm. She had to clear her throat before speaking. "I'll do that," she told him, unsurprised at the breathiness of her own voice.

They stood there in silence for a moment or two, just staring at one another. The air around them felt like it had an electric charge in it, and though Jenna wasn't entirely sure what had brought it on, it sent a zing of awareness through her nerves regardless. Her heart skipped a beat when Daryl lifted a hand up to her face, hesitating for the tiniest of seconds before pushing a lock of hair that had fallen from her bun out of her face, then tucking it behind her ear. The gesture made her smile up at him and unconsciously lean closer, her lips tingling with the sudden want to kiss his. As though he could read her mind, Daryl placed that same hand on the side of her neck and slowly leaned down to kiss her, his lips soft and gentle against hers. He pulled back for a second to look at her, then kissed her again, this time a little firmer. Jenna sighed and placed her hands on his strong shoulders, leaning into him even further as their kiss deepened.

"Jenna! Daryl!" T-Dog's voice suddenly floated up from the first floor, making them quickly separate. "Come get some grub!"

The interruption was brief, but it was enough to shatter the mood that had woven around them in the past few minutes. Daryl heaved, then released her and took a step back, looking annoyed. Jenna couldn't help but echo his sentiments, feeling just as frustrated. It was rare that they found themselves enjoying some privacy away from the others, but it was even rarer that Daryl was the one to make the move when it came to their affectionate moments. Though he had certainly grown more comfortable with their relationship now that they'd been together for a few months, he still wasn't all that confident when it came to initiating kisses or anything of that sort. Nine times out of ten, it was up to Jenna to take the lead. She'd been immensely enjoying the fact that he'd made the first move this time around, almost as much as she'd been enjoying the actual kiss itself. But now, thanks to T-Dog, the moment was gone.

"Guys!" T-Dog called again when he didn't get a response.

"We'll be right there!" Jenna called back, trying very hard not to let her tone betray her annoyance. Sighing, she looked back to Daryl and shook her head. "All this space, and still no privacy," she commented with humorless smile. Daryl just scoffed, still looking a bit disgruntled. "We better go down there," she suggested, knowing the others probably wouldn't leave them alone until they finally went to collect their breakfast.

Daryl nodded, and with that they left their cell and went downstairs to rejoin the rest of the group.

"'Bout time," T-Dog said good-naturedly as soon as he caught sight of the two walking down the metal steps. He had a jar of peanut butter in his hand and took a moment to scoop out a large helping with his spoon, stuffing it into his mouth. "What took ya so long?" he asked, his words muffled by his bite of peanut butter.

Daryl didn't answer, just gave the man a narrow-eyed look as he walked past. T-Dog quirked a brow at Daryl's retreating back, swallowed the peanut butter, then turned a confused look on Jenna. "What'd I say?" he asked, gesturing cluelessly with his spoon, clearly not understanding what he'd done to put Daryl in a bad mood.

Jenna just sighed, shook her head, then patted him on his beefy shoulder. "Nothing, T," she said, forcing her annoyance away and giving her friend a small smile. "Don't worry about it." T-Dog still looked a little lost, but finally nodded his head. The two of them trailed after Daryl and headed for the common area, where the rest of the group was eating breakfast. "How's that peanut butter treating you?" Jenna asked, eyeing her friend as he shoveled another spoonful into his mouth.

"Makin' me thirsty as hell, but it's doin' the job," T-Dog answered with a shrug. He struggled for a second to get the sticky food off the roof of his mouth, then sighed. "I can't wait 'ta find that cafeteria," he told her. "If Rick is right an' the place is untouched, we'll be eatin' like kings come nightfall.

Jenna almost warned him not to get his hopes up, just in case someone else had been through the prison at some point and cleared out the cafeteria already. But when she saw the optimistic gleam in his eyes, she couldn't bring herself to say anything that might crush that. She just nodded her agreement, inwardly hoping that the group wouldn't be disappointed when they finally found the cafeteria.

By the time they reached the common area, Daryl had already grabbed some food and gone off to talk with Rick, Hershel, and Glenn. While T-Dog wandered off to join the rest of the men, Jenna grabbed a little bit of food for herself, then immediately went to sit down at the table occupied by Lori, Carol, and Maggie. She shared a few quick words of greeting with her friends, but her attention was focused mainly on Lori. Judging by the sallowness of her skin and the dark bags under her eyes, Lori had not gotten a very good night of sleep, assuming she'd even slept at all.

Jenna frowned with concern and scooted closer to her, glancing pointedly at Lori's baby bump before raising her brows at her friend. "Any changes?" she asked quietly when Maggie and Carol were too busy talking to each other to pay attention to what she was saying to Lori.

Lori pressed her lips together, then shook her head. "Still nothing," she revealed somberly.

Jenna sighed with disappointment, but nodded her understanding. "Have you talked to Hershel yet?"

Again, Lori shook her head. Jenna frowned and started to remind the woman that she had promised to have a sit down with Hershel first thing this morning, but before she could get even a word out, Lori beat her to the punch. "As soon as he's done talkin' 'ta Rick, I'm gonna tell him what's goin' on," she told her with a firm nod.

Jenna relaxed at hearing that. "Good."

They ate in silence for the next couple of minutes, watching from a distance as Rick and the men talked. Eventually Daryl, Glenn, and T-Dog broke away and headed for the door that led out into the courtyard. Hershel lingered behind to share some more words with Rick, then started like he was going to follow the other three men out into the courtyard. Jenna looked at Lori, who quickly met her gaze and gave a nod.

"Go ahead and go to your cell," Jenna instructed the woman, already standing from the table. "I'll get Hershel," she volunteered, knowing that Lori wouldn't be able to move fast enough to catch the man before he left the cell block.

Lori nodded in agreement and stood from the table, then started off toward the cell block. Maggie and Carol's conversation had ceased and both were now glancing back and forth between Jenna and Lori with obvious confusion, as though they weren't sure why the two women had departed so abruptly. Jenna didn't stop to explain, though, just turned and hurried after Hershel.

"Hey, Hershel?" she said to catch his attention before he could ascend the stairs up to the door leading to the courtyard. The older man paused and glanced back at her, his eyebrows raised in silent question. Jenna, aware of the fact that just about everyone else still present in the cell block was now watching her with interest, decided to keep it vague for now. "Could I borrow you for a second?" she asked, jerking her thumb toward the cell block. Though Jenna kept her tone calm and neutral, she let her eyes convey how it important it was that he come with her.

Hershel seemed to understand the urgency of the situation and quickly nodded his agreement. "Sure," he said, changing directions and started off toward the cell block.

Jenna smiled at the older man gratefully as he walked toward her, then, once he was by her side, they started off toward the cell block together. They both hesitated, however, when a concerned looking Rick stepped into their path. Rick glanced in the direction that Lori had gone, his brows furrowed together, then gave Jenna a look. "Is everything alright?" he asked, clearly worried that there was something going on that he didn't know about.

Part of her really wanted to tell Rick what was going on – not only was he her friend and, therefore, not somebody that she wanted to lie to, but this was also his child. And if there was something wrong with the baby, then Rick certainly deserved to know about it. But Lori was her friend, too, and if she didn't want Rick to know what was going on yet, then it didn't seem like Jenna's place to undermine her friend's wishes and reveal the truth. So, with that in mind, Jenna quickly nodded.

"Yeah," she said, hoping she was being convincing. "Everything's fine. Lori just wants to have a quick check up, make sure everything's looking normal." It wasn't really a lie, she supposed, but it wasn't exactly the whole truth, either.

Rick stared at her for a good three seconds, his eyes unwavering as he tried to determine whether she was being truthful or not. Finally he seemed to accept what she'd told him, because he nodded and then stepped out of their way, motioning for them to proceed. As she and Hershel continued on, though, she could feel Rick's eyes on her back. Something told her that this conversation wasn't over just yet. If she knew Rick half as well as she thought she did, then there wasn't a doubt in her mind that he'd come to talk to her about this again by the end of the day.

Jenna and Hershel reentered the cell block, then went straight to the cell that Lori and Carol had claimed. Lori was already sitting on her bed and looked up at them with a weak smile as they approached. While Hershel stepped into the cell and sat down on the stool across from the bed, Jenna lingered by the door, unsure if Lori wanted her around for this conversation or not.

"Do you want me to go?" Jenna asked.

Lori quickly shook her head. "No. Stay."

Jenna nodded, then walked just inside the threshold and leaned against the door frame. Hershel glanced at Jenna, then turned concerned eyes on Lori. "Is somethin' wrong?" he asked worriedly.

Much like she had done the night before when Jenna had tried to find out what was going on, Lori hesitated to answer and looked down at her baby bump, unable to meet Hershel's gaze. Jenna shared a look with Hershel, then shifted her gaze back to Lori. "Tell him what you told me last night," she encouraged gently.

Lori looked at her, nodded, then turned her attention to Hershel. She sucked in a deep breath, then said, "It's the baby…I think I've lost it."

Hershel's eyes instantly went wide with concern. He looked to Jenna, who merely frowned back at him, before turning his attention back to Lori. "You haven't felt it move?" he asked.

Lori shook her head. "Nothing," she confirmed. "Haven't felt anything in over a week. No kicks. No moving. No Braxton Hicks. Nothing."

"Is that normal?" Jenna couldn't help but ask.

Hershel gave a small shrug of his shoulder, his eyes full of pensiveness. "Well, every pregnancy is different," he told them slowly. "It's not irregular for the baby's movements to slow down some toward the end of the pregnancy. That happened with both Maggie an' Beth. But to stop completely?" he asked, his aged features shifting with uncertainty. "You're sure you haven't felt anything?"

Lori nodded. "Positive," she said. "I think bein' on the run for so long, the lack of nutrition, the stress…it just put too much strain on the baby," she told him. Lori paused to suck in a deep breath, her bottom lip trembling some as her emotions began to get the better of her. "If we're all infected, then the baby is, too, right?" she said, glancing back and forth between Hershel and Jenna. "So what if it's stillborn? What if it's dead inside me right now? What if…what if it rips me apart?" she asked, her throat sounding tight with emotion.

Jenna's eyes went wide with shock at Lori's words, and it was in that moment that she realized that while her friend had opened up about her concerns for her unborn child the night before, Lori had not been forthright about all of the fears that had been plaguing her mind for the past week. As Lori's last question rang in her ears, it felt like someone had thrown a bucket of ice on her. Until Lori had said it, Jenna had not even considered the possibility that the baby in Lori's belly, if it was dead, might turn and kill Lori from the inside out. Just the mere thought of such a thing happening sent fear throughout the whole of her body.

"Stop," Hershel quickly interjected, his expression calm, but firm. "Don't let your fear take control of you."

Lori sniffled a bit, then nodded. "Okay." She paused to wipe her nose, then spoke again. "Then say the baby survives and I die during childbirth," she continued.

"That won't happen," Hershel countered.

"Why not?" she asked, smiling sadly. "How many women died in childbirth before modern medicine?"

"Lori," Jenna said slowly, not liking the way the woman was talking one single bit. "We have plenty of supplies and medicine to help see you through this delivery," she reminded her, to which Hershel nodded in confirmation.

"What if it's not enough?" Lori asked, giving Jenna a sharp look. She stared her down for a second, then glanced back and forth between Jenna and Hershel. "If I come back, if I turn into one of those things…what if I attack it? Or one of you?" she continued, looking pointedly at the two of them. "What if I go after Rick? Or Carl?" Lori shook her head, her expression turning fierce in the blink of an eye. "If I turn, if there's any chance, you put me down immediately. You don't hesitate. Me, the baby…" She trailed off for a moment, her eyes filling with tears. "If we're walkers, you don't hesitate and you don't try to save us, okay? I don't want anyone else gettin' hurt because of us."

Jenna, not knowing what to say in response to a request like that, shared another look with Hershel. He too seemed at a loss for words. Eventually, though, Hershel pressed his lips together and nodded his head in agreement, though he didn't look happy about doing so.

Lori stared back at them for a second, then shook her head as more tears trailed down her cheeks. "Sometimes I think it would've been better if I…" She didn't finish that thought, though, as if she couldn't get the words past her lips

"Better if what?" Hershel prompted.

Lori sucked in a breath to collect herself before answering. "If I hadn't made it off the farm."

"Don't talk like that," Jenna told her at once, frowning deeply. "You're just tired. And scared."

"Yes, I am," Lori readily agreed, nodding at Jenna. "But I'm not blind, and neither are you. Carl can barely stand me. And after what I put Rick through…" She trailed off and shook her head.

"He'll come around," Hershel said optimistically. "He just needs time."

"He's had plenty of time," Lori pointed out. "I've tried talking to him. But he…" She shook her head again. "He hates me. He's too good of a man 'ta say it, but I know. He hates me," she repeated, sounding very convinced of this. "I put him an' Shane at odds with each other. I put that knife in his hand."

Lori didn't say anything more after that, because she became too overcome with emotion to be able to speak. As she cried openly, Jenna and Hershel shared another look. Despite the many times Jenna had tried to speak with Lori about her problems with Rick, this was the most the woman had opened up about the situation involving herself, her estranged husband, and the long deceased Shane. This was also the most helpless she had looked. Jenna could tell right then and there that Lori had given up hope for her and her husband ever reconciling.

"You know who doesn't give a shit about all that?" Hershel asked with a sigh, raising his brows at the distraught pregnant woman sitting in front of him. When Lori looked up at him in silent question, he leaned closer. "This baby."

Lori managed a chuckle at that, but Jenna couldn't find it in herself to do the same. She felt too bad for her friend, too sorry for her for everything that she was going through. Hershel smirked a bit, looking pleased that he'd managed to make Lori laugh. "Let's make sure everything is alright now, okay?" After Lori nodded her agreement, Hershel raised his brows at Jenna. "Could you fetch my medical bag?"

"Sure," Jenna said with a nod. She lingered for a second to place a hand on Lori's shoulder and give her a reassuring nod, then went to get Hershel his tools.

Once Hershel had his things, he spent the next ten minutes looking Lori over and checking her vitals. As soon as he determined that everything seemed normal and that she was in good condition, he had her lay down on the bed and used his stethoscope to listen to her large, rounded belly, trying to determine if he could find a heartbeat for the baby. Jenna watched on with anxious eyes as he tried listening in several different spots, her eyes meeting Lori's more than once as they both waited to hear what he had to say

Finally, he pulled the stethoscope away. "I can't find a heartbeat," he said. Both Jenna and Lori started at that, fearing the worst, but he quickly held a hand up. "That doesn't necessarily mean anything bad," he said reassuringly, trying to keep everyone calm. "That could just mean that the baby might not be in a position where I can hear it with this," he clarified, gesturing to his stethoscope. "We'll try again later, all right?" he said, patting Lori's arm. "Until then, I want you 'ta stay here an' get some rest. An' try not to worry, alright? Stress won't do anything to help you or the baby."

"Okay," Lori said heavily, nodding her head. She then mustered up a smile and reached out to grab Hershel's hand. "Thank you."

"You're welcome," he said, nodding.

Once Lori released Hershel's hand, the older man turned to leave. As he did this, his eyes connected with Jenna's and he gave her a subtle nod, silently motioning that he wanted her to come with him. She returned the nod, silently telling him she'd be right behind him. "Do you need anything?" she asked Lori as Hershel left the cell. Lori just shook her head 'no'. "Alright. Get some rest. If you need anything, just ask."

"I will," Lori said.

Jenna gave her friend one last encouraging smile, then left the cell so that the woman could get some rest. When she walked back out into the block, she found Hershel waiting for her near the door to the common area. She went to join him, glancing in the other room for a moment to see what the others were up to. The men, it seemed, had gone outside to retrieve the riot gear that the armored walkers they'd killed in the courtyard the day before had been wearing. Several weapons, bullet proof vests, and riot shields were now laying atop the tables where they'd just been eating breakfast, while Daryl, Rick, Glenn, T-Dog and Maggie were all inspecting it with curiosity and interest, trying to determine what was useful and what wasn't.

Jenna came to a halt by Hershel, then crossed her arms over her chest. It seemed he had a thing or two he wanted to say, only he hadn't wanted to do so in front of Lori. "What're you thinking?" she asked, keeping her voice down.

Hershel sighed heavily. "I'd be lyin' if I said I wasn't worried," he admitted, scratching his beard for a second. "Given how long it's been since she felt the baby move an' how far along she is in her pregnancy, any doctor in the normal world prob'ly would have induced her an' gotten the baby out by now."

Jenna gnawed on the inside of her cheek as she mulled that one over. "This isn't the normal world, though," she reminded him pointedly.

"No, it's not," Hershel said, shaking his head. He went quiet as he thought to himself for a few seconds, then spoke again. "We have all the tools we need to put her under an' perform an emergency cesarean section if it comes to that," he continued, referring to the medical supplies they'd retrieved after scouring through clinics and an old abandoned hospital while on the road. "But considering the risks that come with carrying out a procedure like that, especially under these circumstances, I don't wanna go down that road unless we absolutely have to."

Jenna nodded her understanding. "So what do we do, then?" she asked, looking to him for direction.

Hershel sighed again. "We keep a close eye on her for the next few days an' hope somethin' changes for the better," he said. "If that doesn't happen, then we may have no choice but 'ta get the baby out early," he said with a shrug of resignation. "If the baby has perished, I don't wanna risk any of the fears Lori just voiced comin' true," he said very seriously.

Jenna gulped at those words, a wave of apprehension washing over her. She did not want to believe that the baby, if it had lost its life, could turn into a walker inside Lori's womb and kill the woman from the inside out. The mere possibility of it terrified her to the core. "Do you really think that's possible?" she asked fearfully.

Hershel just gave her a look. "I don't know, but I'd rather not find out."

The sound of approaching footsteps brought their hushed conversation to an abrupt halt. Both Jenna and Hershel stopped talking and looked to see that Rick was coming toward them, his gaze sliding back and forth between the two. He seemed a little suspicious as he came to a halt right next to them, but if he had any questions as to what they were discussing, he kept them to himself.

"We're gettin' ready to head out," he announced. He gazed at Jenna for a long moment, then raised his brows at Hershel. "You still comin' along?"

Jenna couldn't help but shoot the old man a surprised look as he nodded in confirmation. "Yes. I'll go get my things together." With one last pointed look at Jenna, Hershel then went to go get ready for the mission ahead.

Jenna watched him go, feeling a little confused. Hershel was going to go with them into the prison? This was definitely out of the norm for him, that was for sure. Though he was a pretty decent shot and didn't usually have problems handling the walkers, he rarely went on dangerous missions purely because he was the closest thing to a real doctor that they had. Plain and simple, his life was way too valuable to risk.

"Why is Hershel going into the prison?" she asked as she turned back to Rick with a frown of confusion.

"He volunteered," Rick told her, shifting on his feet. "Normally I'd say no, but seein' as we don't know what we might be facin' in there, I thought it might be a good idea to have him around. If someone gets hurt an' we're not in a position to make it back here, we'll need him," he explained.

Jenna still didn't think it was a smart move to take their most capable doctor into unknown territory, but she also knew that if Rick had already given him the seal of approval, then there was no use putting up an argument about it. "Alright, then," she said, unable to keep the skepticism out of her tone. She held Rick's gaze for one more beat, then nodded. "Guess I should get ready to head out, too," she said, before turning to head for her cell.

"Jenna," Rick called after her. She stopped only a few feet away from him and turned back, brows raised in silent question. He pursed his lips, then heaved and placed his hands on his hips. "I don't want you goin' in there with us," he told her bluntly. "I want ya to stay here an' look after the others."

Jenna frowned immediately. "What?" she asked, feeling both surprised and confused at the same time. "But – "

"I saw how winded you got yesterday fightin' those walkers in the courtyard," he interrupted, his expression serious and unwavering. "We don't know how long we'll be in there for, or how far we'll have to go. I don't think it's a good idea for you 'ta tag along for this one."

Jenna blinked in disbelief, then walked back over to Rick, her frown deepening. As Rick met her stare steadily, there was a gleam in his eye that said he would not be swayed from his decision to leave her behind. A small spark of what felt like anger ignited within Jenna. Though she had not participated in much of anything while she'd been grieving her brother these past few weeks, she was trying to move past that now, trying to find a way to return to her normal self. She wanted to help. Wanted to be an active member of the group again. Jenna did not like the thought of Daryl, nor any of her friends, going into the prison without her. Did not like the thought of them going somewhere dangerous, and her not being there to protect the people she cared about.

"So what if I got a little winded?" she shot at him. "I can handle walkers just fine. You know that."

"I do," Rick said, nodding once.

"If anyone should be staying behind, it's Hershel," she added pointedly. "Not me."

"And normally I would take you over Hershel," he countered without missing a beat. "But it's been a long, hard road we've travelled, an' it's taken a toll on everyone. Some more than others," he added, giving her a meaningful look.

Jenna understood what he was saying loud and clear – he thought she was too weak, too worn out to fight any walkers right now. Unable to think of anything to say in response, Jenna crossed her arms over her chest and looked elsewhere, heaving irritably through her nose. Rick had clearly doubted whether or not she'd be able to handle the walkers in the courtyard the day before, seeing as he'd felt the need to pull her aside and talk with her prior to doing anything, and now he was doubting her ability to fight any walkers that might be in the prison. Unlike the day before, though, he seemed determined not to take any chances. This time he was going to force her to stay behind.

Rick's expression lost some of its edge when he saw her reaction. "Jenna," he said, his tone a bit more gentle now. "You know how much I trust you. How much I value what ya bring to this group," he told her. "But we have no idea what we're gonna be up against, or what's gonna happen when we leave this cell block." He paused to raise his brows at her. "I'm glad you're wantin' to help out with stuff like this again…but I'd feel a lot better if I knew you were here lookin' after the others. If I knew you were here protectin' my family."

Jenna didn't say anything for a moment, her eyes instead looking over Rick's shoulder, toward the group getting ready to go further into the prison. Daryl had noticed her and Rick's private conversation and was watching them from afar, clearly very curious to know what was going on. She held his gaze for a second, struggling internally as she tried to decide whether she should do as Rick had asked or stand her ground and demand that he let her come along. Finally, when she looked back to Rick and saw the pleading look in his eye, she gave in.

"Fine," she agreed disgruntledly. "I'll…stay here."

Rick sighed with relief, then gave her a grateful nod. "Thank you, Jenna. I know this isn't what ya wanna do, but…I honestly think it's for the best." Jenna just nodded curtly, still not feeling very happy with the situation. As though he could sense that she didn't have anything else to say on the matter, Rick reached for the guard keys on his belt and extended them toward her. "Keys to the prison," he said. "I want ya 'ta keep everyone in here an' keep the door locked while we're gone, just in case."

"Alright," Jenna said, taking the keys from him.

"We'll be back as soon as we can."

Then, with one last grateful nod, Rick turned and walked away.

Jenna watched him go, then heaved and leaned against the wall. She was in no way thrilled at the prospect of staying behind to play the role of babysitter, but there wasn't anything she could really do about it either. Rick's word was law, they all knew that. If he wanted her to stay, then she was going to stay. End of story.

She glanced toward Hershel's cell, trying not to feel bitter when she saw him getting ready to go out with the rest of the group. When she heard approaching footsteps, she finally pulled her gaze away from the old man and looked to see who was coming toward her, half hoping it was Rick coming to say that he'd changed his mind. She was only mildly disappointed when she saw that it was Daryl instead.

"You look pissed," he commented, not beating around the bush. "What'd he say?" he asked, jerking his head in Rick's direction.

"I'm not going into the prison," Jenna told him grumpily, which made Daryl's brows lift with surprise. "I get to stay here and keep an eye on everyone else while you guys put your necks on the line." Jenna sighed, then gave her boyfriend a slightly suspicious look. "You didn't put him up to this by any chance, did you?" she asked, trying not to sound too accusatory, but also knowing how protective he was of her. It didn't seem too farfetched to believe he might have suggested to Rick that Jenna not tag along.

Daryl snorted. "An' risk you unleashin' your redheaded wrath on me?" he asked, his tone verging on incredulous. "I ain't tryin' to get kicked outta our bed that fast," he stated matter-of-factly. Jenna nodded in acceptance, knowing he was telling the truth and that it hadn't been his idea. "I won't lie to ya though," Daryl continued, shrugging a shoulder. "I ain't gonna complain about you stayin' behind. At least if you're here, you're safe."

Jenna frowned unhappily. "You won't be, though," she pointed doubt. "And neither will anyone else going in there. You guys could run into trouble, and if I'm here, I can't do anything to protect you," Jenna said shaking her head.

"I can take care of myself," Daryl assured her. "We all know what we're doin'. We can handle it," he added, nodding his head.

Jenna stared into his blue eyes for a moment, then sighed heavily. She knew very well that Daryl was more than capable of handling walkers, but that didn't do much to quell her anxiety. They all knew very well by now that danger could find them when they least expected it, and danger wasn't usually biased when it came to choosing who's world it wanted to disrupt. "Just promise you'll be careful," she pleaded.

"I will. I promise," Daryl said in return. After Jenna nodded her head, Daryl motioned toward the stairs. "I'm gonna get ready 'ta go. We're headin' out soon," he said.

"I'll come with you," Jenna immediately volunteered, even though she knew he wouldn't really need any help getting ready. She just wanted to be with him as long as she could before he left.

Daryl nodded once, then started for the stairs. Jenna took one second to glance into the common area, where the group going into the prison was still preparing to leave, then followed him.


After loading themselves down with weapons and – in the case of Maggie, Glenn, T-Dog, and Hershel – pulling on the bullet proof vests they'd retrieved, the group venturing further into the prison finally departed. A disgruntled, but cooperative, Jenna saw them out, unlocking the barred door with the keys Rick had given her to let them out. She bid her friends goodbye as they filed past her, telling them to be careful and stay on their guard. When Daryl, who was the last one out, lingered behind for just a second, she grabbed his hand and gave it a squeeze, wishing she could go with him. He finally gave her a nod and turned to leave, and it was with a great deal of reluctance that she let him go. Once they had all passed through the doorway, Jenna shut and locked the door behind them, staying there for a few more minutes to listen to their retreating footsteps as they began navigating the maze of hallways on the other side. Finally, when she could hear them no longer, she went to join the rest of the group in the cell block.

Even though Daryl had promised her that he'd be careful, and even though T-Dog's had pulled her aside to reassure her that he'd watch Daryl's back, Jenna knew that she'd be on edge as long as they were gone. For the better part of an hour, Jenna sat on the stairs that led up to the cells on the second level, feeling anxious and completely useless, watching absent-mindedly as Chloe, Carl, and Beth sat Indian style on the floor some twenty feet away and played a card game. She'd tried to find a way to keep herself preoccupied, but there just wasn't anything to do. They couldn't do laundry, because they didn't have enough clean water, and they couldn't do anything that might require leaving the cell block, because Rick wanted them to stay put. There was nothing to do but sit around and wait for the rest of the group to come back, hoping all the while that nothing would go wrong and that everyone would come back in one piece.

Jenna glanced towards Lori and Carol's cell when Carol came walking out. The older woman immediately came over to the stairs Jenna was perched on, sighing as she eased down onto the step Jenna had claimed. There was a troubled expression on her face, and a frown pulling the corners of her mouth downward.

"Lori just told me what's been goin' on," Carol said, her tone heavy with concern. She rubbed her hands over her face, then let out a weary sigh. "I knew somethin' was wrong with her. She's been actin' so strange recently. I figured she was just upset about Rick, though. I didn't know it was about the baby."

Jenna nodded. "She didn't say anything to me about it until last night," she revealed. "Even then, I practically had to pry it out of her."

Carol pulled a disapproving face at hearing that. Clearly she also did not like the fact that Lori had waited so long to confide in anyone about her fears. "What did Hershel have to say about everything?"

"He's concerned," Jenna told her honestly. "He said we'll keep an eye on things for the next few days, but if things don't change for the better…" Jenna shook her head, her brows stitching together with consternation. "We may have no choice but to resort to drastic measures."

Carol stared at her in silence, then heaved. "Jesus," she said, her tone full of stress. "And here I thought things were starting to take a turn for the better," she said with a deep frown.

Jenna looked over at the older woman, knowing very well how she was feeling because it was the same way she felt too. "They still might," she said, trying to sound optimistic. "Or, at least, I hope to God they do," she added earnestly.

Carol didn't say anything in response to that, just shifted her gaze to Beth and the kids when their conversation grew in volume. Jenna eyed the cell Lori was currently in, then looked back at Carol. "How's she doing anyway?"

"She's…okay," Carol answered with a shrug. "I can tell she's still scared, but she's doing her best to keep her chin up."

It was a relief to hear that Lori was trying not to let her fears and stress get the better of her, but Jenna was still worried for her friend, and she knew she would be until they had a better idea of what was going on. She had to imagine it was hard enough being pregnant in an apocalypse and having to deal with the stress of trying to figure out how raise a baby in this mad world. But with everything Lori had told her in the past day, and knowing now the many fears that plagued the woman, it just made everything that much harder. Not for the first time, Jenna found herself sincerely hoping that she never wound up on Lori's position.

"I don't ever wanna have children," Jenna blurted out before she could stop herself, shaking her head. Carol looked at her with raised brows, as though surprised by the admission. "It's just too hard, and the world's too crazy. There's a lot that I've learned to handle," she said, thinking of everything she'd seen and experienced since the world went to hell. "But that?" Jenna sighed and shook her head again. "I don't think I'd be able to handle that."

It took a few seconds, but eventually Carol nodded her understanding. "Bringing a child into the world…isn't easy," she said, her expression shifting into one that was difficult to decipher. "Especially so with the way things are now."

Carol went quiet after that, her eyes staring unblinkingly ahead, as though she were seeing something that Jenna could not. It made Jenna wonder if Carol was thinking about Sophia, the daughter that she had lost so long ago. Jenna knew better than to ask, though. Carol didn't like talking about Sophia. She probably hadn't said the girl's name more than two times since she passed. Jenna herself felt a heaviness in her heart as she thought about the little girl, the same heaviness she always felt whenever she thought of her. She would never not feel guilty for what had happened to Sophia. She would always wonder if there had been more she could have done, always wish she could go back in time and change what had happened.

As the silence stretched on between her and Carol, Jenna's eyes turned over to Chloe, who was grinning at Carl over her playing cards. Chloe laughed as she took some of Carl's cards, and the sound of it chased away the momentary sadness Jenna's thoughts of Sophia had brought on. Even though she'd always seen Chloe as the little sister she'd never had, the reality of the situation was that she was the one raising her now, the one taking care of her, the one who had sworn not to fail her the way she had failed Sophia, the one who had stepped into the role of guardian and mother. She supposed that if she looked at it from an outsider's point of view that she was, on some level, a parent to Chloe now. And as her own words to Carol about her wishes to never bear children of her own echoed through her mind, Jenna decided right then and there that Chloe was the only child she'd ever want or need.

Movement in the cell that Lori had been resting in caught Jenna's attention, bringing an end to that train of thought and making her eyes shift in that direction. Lori had gotten up and was making her way out of the cell, her hands resting on the small of her back as she moved along. She caught Jenna's eye and mustered up a smile. Jenna returned it and stood from her perch on the stairs, intending to go to her friend and see how she was feeling.

That's when she heard it. The sound of the door separating the common area from the rest of the prison being unlocked and opened. Then, someone started yelling.

"Jenna!" It was Rick, and he sounded panicked. "Open the door! Hershel's hurt!"

The relaxed atmosphere in the prison evaporated immediately. Jenna jumped into motion at once, running to the door at the front of the cell block, her hands fumbling to get the keys free from the pocket she'd stowed them in. Vaguely, she was aware of those who'd stayed behind with her following just behind her, but she paid them no mind, her heart suddenly pounding with fear as Rick's words echoed in her head. Hershel's hurt! As she reached the door, she froze for a split second when she was met with the sight of Rick, Glenn, and Maggie, all of whom were covered in blood and looking frightened. In the middle of them all, sprawled on what looked like a metal table, was Hershel. There was a cloth wrapped around the lower part of his right leg, which was soaked through with blood.

"Jenna, the door!" Glenn commanded urgently.

Jenna snapped out of it and quickly scrambled to unlock the door, before opening it and stepping aside so they could pass through. As Beth cried out with fear at the sight of her wounded father, Rick, Glenn, and Maggie all wheeled Hershel into the cell block, Rick shouting commands as they hurried toward one of the cells. The others followed them, looking just as alarmed as their companions, but Jenna lingered by the door when her jumbled brain realized that two people were not currently present.

Where were Daryl and T-Dog?

Fear flashed through her at the thought that they might have gotten hurt – or worse – but it quickly subsided when she stepped into the common area and saw both Daryl and T-Dog lingering not far from the door that opened up to the rest of the prison. "What are you doing?" she asked, looking between them and the open door, not understanding why they weren't coming into the cell block.

"Go back into the cell block. Lock the door behind you. Go help with Hershel. Don't come out here no matter what ya hear," Daryl commanded, pointing at her sternly. Jenna, her brain struggling to keep up in the midst of all the chaos, started to ask him what was going on, but he spoke over her before she could get the words out. "Just do it."

Jenna finally nodded, then went back into the cell block and shut the door, quickly locking it. She looked at Daryl for one more second, then hurried to see what was going on with Hershel.

By the time she reached the cell they'd taken him too, Hershel had already been moved onto a bed and was bring tended to by Lori and Carol while the others looked on. She pushed past Maggie and Carl in time to see Carol remove the cloth that had been wrapped around his leg. Her stomach turned when she saw a bloody stump where Hershel's right foot should have been. In the frenzy of their arrival, Jenna hadn't been able to process what she had seen when the group had wheeled Hershel back into the cell block. Now, however, she realized he'd gotten his foot cut off.

"What the hell happened?" she asked, her eyes swinging to Rick.

"He got bit," Rick answered in a rush. "I cut it off to try 'ta stop the infection from spreading, to try 'ta keep him from turnin'."

Jenna's stomach turned again. She pressed her lips together tightly as she gazed down at Hershel, emotion threatening to seize her. Only an hour ago she'd been talking with Hershel like she did on any other normal day. Now he was lying before her, gravely injured and possibly knocking on death's door. Her eyes welled with tears. She wanted to cry, wanted to scream about how unfair it was. Hershel was her friend. This couldn't be happening. It had been so long since they'd lost anyone in the group – they couldn't start losing people now. Not when they were supposed to be safe in the prison. Not when things were supposed to be getting better.

Carol's voice suddenly rose above all the commotion, bringing Jenna back to the present. "We need bandages!" she shouted, trying to sop up some of the blood oozing freely from Hershel's leg. The towel she was using was soaked though, and it wasn't doing much to help.

"We used everything we had!" Glenn said between pants for air, his eyes wide with anxiety.

"Then get me something! Anything!" she demanded, looking around to anyone who could help.

Jenna forced her tears back and sucked in a deep breath to steady herself. Now was not the time to let her emotions get the better of her. Right now Hershel needed help. "I'll grab some of the sheets we took off the beds," Jenna said, only half-listening as Lori instructed Carl to go and collect some of the extra towels they kept on hand for washing up.

She rushed back out of the cell, heading back toward the barred door. When she heard footsteps behind her, she glanced and saw Chloe right on her heels, looking frightened but also looking determined to help out somehow. The two of them skidded to a halt once they reached the pile of sheets in the corner of the room and quickly began sorting through it.

"Grab the cleanest ones you can find," Jenna instructed Chloe. "Make sure not to grab any with blood on them."

Chloe nodded, and together they quickly picked out the least dirty sheets they could get their hands on. Once Chloe had an armful, she hurried back toward the cell Hershel was being tended to in. Jenna started to follow her, but hesitated when she caught sight of Daryl and T-Dog in the common area. Both were on alert, still staring intently at the door that led into the prison. She lingered by the door, just knowing that something was going on and wanting to know what that something was. But then she remembered the condition Hershel was in and turned to carry the sheets in her arms back to the cell, thinking that trying to keep him alive was the more important issue at the present moment.

"Coming through," Jenna said, squeezing between Rick and Glenn and pushing her way back into the cell. She dropped to her knees at the foot of the bed, right in front of Hershel's mangled leg. Someone had retrieved some pillows and propped his leg up to try to slow the bleeding. Carol was already using one of the sheets Chloe had brought her to try to staunch the flow of blood, but the thin fabric was already getting soaked through. Jenna gazed at the wound, glanced up at Beth and Maggie as the two sisters cried and consoled one another, then down at Carol as the woman clicked her tongue and shook her head.

"It's never ending," she said, pulling the blood-stained sheet away when it became too soaked to do any good.

As Carol turned to give the filthy cloth to Lori for her to discard, Jenna quickly took her place and used one of the sheets she'd brought to cover the wound. Within seconds, she could feel the warm, sticky blood seeping through the flimsy material and onto her hands. "Should we try cauterizing it?" she asked, unsure if anyone else had proposed this idea.

"No," Carol said firmly, shaking her head. "Burning the wound could do more damage than good. Besides, the shock of it could kill him."

Jenna nodded her understanding, adjusting the sheet so that a non-bloody portion was on Hershel's wound and reapplying pressure. She glanced up at Maggie and Beth again, who were holding each other and crying as they stared down at their father. Maggie, as though feeling her gaze, looked at Jenna, her teary eyes filled with fear.

"We're gonna do everything we can for him," Jenna promised her with determination, feeling the need to say something to try to comfort her friend.

Maggie just nodded, too emotional to say anything in return.

In the next moment, shouted voices suddenly echoed through the cell block, catching the attention of the group and making them all straighten up with alarm. Jenna easily recognized the voices of Daryl and T-Dog, but there were other voices too, voices that were foreign and unfamiliar. Still applying pressure to Hershel's leg, she glanced over her shoulder at Rick, who was standing behind her. He was frowning in the direction of the common area, his brows furrowed together.

"Who's that?" Lori asked, looking worried.

"Prisoners. Survivors," he answered.

"What?" Jenna demanded, fear shooting through her. Daryl and T-Dog were out there facing off with people they didn't know, people who could be dangerous. And she, apparently, wasn't the only one concerned about this, either. Many people spoke up at once, sounding just as alarmed by the fact that they'd run into other people.

"It's alright," Rick said, raising his voice so that he'd be heard over the commotion. "Everyone just stay put."

Jenna watched as Rick turned to leave, followed quickly by Glenn. The two stopped not far from the cell they were in to have a hushed conversation that Jenna could not hear from where she was. After another moment or two, Rick continued on to see what was going on in the common area. "Someone come lock this door behind me!" he called back.

Jenna had put the guard keys back in her pocket, but was too busy tending to Hershel to follow Rick. "Carl," she said, addressing him because he was the first person her eyes had landed on. "The keys are in my left pocket. Take them and go lock the door."

Carl nodded, came to retrieve the keys from the pocket of her pants, then disappeared as he hurried after his father.

Jenna could still hear Daryl and T-Dog arguing with the newcomers in the common area, but she did not go to see what was happening. As worried as she was about the prisoners now suddenly in their midst, as uncomfortable as she was with the thought of people she cared about being anywhere near the strangers, there was no time for her to fret over it or even attempt to do anything about it. Hershel was severely wounded and practically bleeding to death right in front of her. He was the top priority right now. She would just have to trust that Daryl, Rick, and T-Dog would be smart, and that they'd look after each other.

Shifting her attention back to Hershel, Jenna gazed at the man's ashen face and felt another tug at her heart. He couldn't die. He just…couldn't.

"Be strong, Hershel," she pleaded, even though she knew he couldn't hear her. "Just…hang on."


For the next hour, Jenna did not leave Hershel's side. She, Carol, and Lori all alternated turns as they tried to stop the flow of blood coming from Hershel's wound, hardly talking to one another, just concentrating on the task at hand as they tried to save their friend. After a while, it seemed as though the bleeding was beginning to slow down some, and it was to everyone's enormous relief that Hershel had not yet shown any signs of running a fever. But the wound was still in bad condition, and even if the bleeding had slowed, it had not stopped completely. They were quickly running out of supplies to tend to his leg with, too.

Jenna, hands and forearms coated in blood now, sighed heavily with disapproval when she pulled yet another blood-soaked towel away from Hershel's leg and tossed it aside. "This isn't enough," she said crossly, her fear for Hershel's life making her quick to frustration. "We need gauze, need real bandages. And if we don't get something to disinfect this leg, this situation is gonna get even worse than it already is."

Carol ushered Jenna's hands out of the way, then pressed one of the fresh towels that Carl had brought to the wound. Behind her, Chloe, Beth, and Maggie were watching on, each of them looking upset and afraid. "Well, unless you happen to know where an infirmary is, we'll have to make do with what we've got," she said, sounding just as on edge.

Jenna, feeling achy after kneeling on the floor for so long, plopped down onto the ground, leaning back against the wall with a heavy heave. She stared at Hershel for a few moments, watching as Carol and Lori worked, feeling too stressed and too discombobulated from the chaos that had erupted in the cell block upon the group's return to fully process what Carol had just said. Finally, when the words registered, she sat straighter, feeling more alert. The infirmary. Of course. They had all been pretty certain that the prison had to be equipped with an infirmary, but they had decided to wait until another time to go searching for it because they had thought finding the cafeteria and commissary were more important. Considering the turn the day had taken, however, Jenna thought it safe to say that finding the infirmary had just moved pretty high up on the priority list. If they found the infirmary, they would find bandages and medicine – everything they would need to give Hershel a fighting chance to survive.

Jenna thought about it for only a second longer, then stood up abruptly, making Carol and Lori send looks in her direction. "Where are you going?" Lori asked with uncertainty.

Jenna ignored the question and stepped out of the cell, her eyes immediately finding Glenn. He had been standing a few feet away from the cell, watching from a distance as they tended to Hershel. "Hey," she said, stepping up to him. "Did you guys happen to see any signs for the infirmary while you were searching for the cafeteria?"

Glenn frowned, as though confused by the unexpected question. "No. It was too hectic, too much going on. I don't remember seeing anything." He frowned deeper when Jenna looked toward the locked door at the back of the cell block, her brows furrowed with pensiveness. "You're not thinking about going to look for it, are you?" he asked incredulously, quickly figuring out exactly what she was contemplating.

Jenna's eyes swung back to her friend. "Do we really have a choice?" she countered with a shrug. "If we don't get our hands on some real medical supplies, Hershel might die."

"I understand that," Glenn said quickly. "But if you by go waltzing into the prison by yourself, you might die," he pointed out with wide eyes. "There's no telling how many more walkers are in there, Jenna. I wanna help Hershel, too, I do," he insisted. "But we can't risk anyone else getting hurt. Not with what's already happened," he said, gesturing to their injured companion.

"We have to do something, Glenn," she insisted with increasing frustration. "We can't just let Hershel lay there and bleed out!"

"Hey, what's goin' on out there?" Lori called from the cell, having obviously overheard their escalating conversation.

Glenn gave Jenna a hard look, then turned his attention to the women in the cell. "Jenna wants to go back into the prison and look for the infirmary," he announced to the rest of their companions.

Almost immediately, his words caused an uproar from everyone in the cell.

"What? No!" Lori and Chloe both protested without hesitation.

"You can't go in there! What if somethin' happens to you?" Carol said almost at exactly the same time.

"It's too dangerous! You could get hurt!" a teary-eyed Maggie insisted next. Beth just cried next to her sister, looking too upset with everything that was happening to be able to say anything.

They continued to shout their protests and throw more words of concern at her for the next few seconds, talking over one another with increasing volume, until Jenna, feeling overwhelmed, held up a hand. "Everyone stop!" she said over the racket. Once everyone was silent, she took a deep breath. "Going to the infirmary and getting supplies - real supplies - is what's going to save Hershel's life. We have to go. There's no other option here."

"We don't even know where it is," Glenn reminded her sharply. "I get why you wanna go, but we can't do anything while Rick and the guys are dealing with those prisoners," he said, trying to reason with her. "We need to wait until we can get a group to go, so we can protect each other."

Jenna to a moment to consider what he had said, then felt like a light bulb had been switched on in her head. The prisoners. "I can ask the prisoners where it is," she said, nodding her head, ignoring the look of exasperation that overtook Glenn's features. "They've been here way longer than us. They know the prison," Jenna reasoned. "They'll be able to point me in the right direction."

With that, Jenna turned and started for the door leading into the common area, features set with determination. Would Daryl want her talking to the prisoners? Probably not. Did she really want to talk to these unknown prisoners? Not particularly. But they would know the layout of the prison far better than anyone in the group would, and that was all the motivation she needed to suck it up and face the newcomers. When she was halfway to the door, however, Glenn's voice stopped her.

"They're gone already!" Glenn said, making her pause and turn to look at him. "They all left a while ago," he revealed.

Jenna glanced at the common area, which was indeed quiet and empty, then back at Glenn. "Left to go where?" she asked. She'd been so busy helping with Hershel that she hadn't had the time, nor the mental capacity, to pay much attention to what was going on with the prisoners that Rick and the group had encountered. She vaguely recalled Rick coming back into the block to share a few brief words with Glenn, but he'd disappeared as quickly as he'd arrived and she hadn't heard what they'd discussed. She had not seen Rick, nor Daryl or T-Dog, since, but had assumed they had at least still been in the building. Apparently, she'd been wrong.

"I guess Rick struck some kind of deal with them," Glenn answered, shrugging. "He came by maybe a half hour ago, said the prisoners wouldn't leave, so the guys are gonna help them clear out a different cell block for them to live in. In exchange, we're getting half the food that as in the cafeteria. They're out there getting the food now," he then explained.

Jenna heaved in response to that. By the sound of it, the prisoners wouldn't be returning any time soon, which meant they wouldn't be able to tell her where the infirmary was. Feeling frustrated and a little defeated, she started to raise a hand to pinch the bridge of her nose, but when she saw the sticky blood coating her fingers, she changed her mind and let her hand fall back to her side. Turning her back on Glenn again, she walked up to the door leading to the common area, leaning heavily against it instead, closing her eyes as she let the cool, metal bars cradle her forehead.

Jenna breathed deeply, needing a moment or two to collect herself and get her frenzied thoughts back in order. When she opened her eyes again, she gazed out into the common area, trying to figure out what the hell they were going to do. On the one hand, Hershel needed whatever they might find in the infirmary. She could not just stand by and let her friend slowly die – she needed to help him. On the other hand, however, she had no idea where the infirmary was and would much rather not go walking blind into a prison that could potentially be filled with walkers. It was risky and extremely dangerous…but then again, this was Hershel's life on the line. If this could potentially save him, then wasn't that worth the risk and the danger?

She considered her options for another moment, her eyes roaming the room in search of anything that might point her in the right direction, until her eyes landed on the guard post above the common room. Her eyes gazed at the post for a long few moments, until an idea struck her, making her straighten up again. "Carl," she said, turning back and calling for the boy. He came out of one of the jail cells and jogged over to her, his eyes expectant. "Give me the keys," she said, extending her hand.

Carl frowned. "What for?"

"Just give them to me," Jenna ordered with impatience.

Carl hesitated, but then reached into his pocket to retrieve the keys she'd given to him earlier, plopping them in her awaiting palm. Jenna immediately unlocked the door, then went around to the stairs leading up into the guard post, taking them two at a time. Once she was inside the post, Jenna saw that there was indeed a desk in there, just as she'd been hoping. She went straight for the desk and began searching through the drawers, scanning every scrap of paper she came across and flipping through every folder and binder she found. Just as she was starting to feel discouraged, she opened up a binder she'd found in the bottom right drawer and finally found what she was looking for. Toward the back of the binder, tucked away into a plastic paper protector, was an eight-by-ten printed layout of the prison. On it were designated exit routes in case of an emergency, a few handwritten security codes, and a number of labeled rooms. Jenna traced the layout with her forefinger, her eyes jumping from room to room, until she finally found the tiny, almost unreadable word labelled 'Infirmary'. According to this paper, it wasn't too from their cell block.

Feeling triumphant, Jenna retrieved the paper from the binder and then went back downstairs to the common area, where Glenn and Carl were waiting for her. Also standing with them was Chloe, who had left the cell block to come and see what Jenna was doing, still looking worried. "I found a layout of the prison," Jenna announced, holding the paper up for them to see.

Glenn immediately looked disgruntled. "Well, that would have been nice to have before we went in there earlier," he grumbled, sounding a bit annoyed with the fact that nobody had thought to look for something like this earlier.

Jenna ignored his comment and folded the paper up, sticking it in her pocket. "The infirmary isn't far. I should be able to get there and back in half an hour."

"But what if you run into roamers?" Chloe asked, looking fearful.

Jenna looked down at the girl and gave her a reassuring nod. "Then I'll just turn around and come straight back here," she promised. When nobody said anything for a second, Jenna finally just shrugged at Glenn. "Look, I know it's risky, but we don't have time to sit around and wait for the guys to get back before doing this. This has to happen now." She paused to give him a pleading look, desperately wanting him to see things from her perspective. "We have to at least try, right? Hershel would have done the same thing if it was any of us," she added for emphasis.

As she and Glenn stared one another down, both Chloe and Carl looked back and forth between them, waiting to see what would happen. Glenn finally sighed, defeat filling his eyes. "I'm not gonna be able to stop you, am I?" he asked in resignation.

"No," Jenna said without missing a beat. Her mind was already made up. She was going to find the infirmary whether her friends liked it or not. "Not unless you lock me in a cell. And I've got the keys, so that's not gonna happen either," she added, just in case he got any ideas.

Glenn sighed again, then threw his hands up. "Fine," he conceded huffily. "But you're not going in there alone," he added, pursing his lips. "I'll come with you," he said after a moment of hesitation, his tone leaving no room for argument.

"You're sure?" Jenna asked, brows raised.

Glenn nodded. "What kind of friend would I be if I let you do something like this on your own?" he asked incredulously, almost as though he were offended that she would think he wouldn't have her back. "Besides," he added, giving her a pointed look, "Daryl would freaking kill me if he found out I let you go into the prison by yourself."

Jenna cringed a bit at the thought of Daryl. She had a feeling it didn't matter whether she carried out this mission alone or not – Daryl was going to be pissed either way when he discovered that she'd gone venturing into the prison without him.

"Alright then," she said, forcing herself not to think about Daryl. She'd deal with the repercussions of her actions later. Right now, they had more important things to worry about. "Let's go. We don't have time to waste."

Though Glenn still didn't look all that thrilled with what they were about to do, he nodded and started back toward the cell block to tell the others what their plan was. Jenna started to follow, but paused when Carl planted himself in her path. "I wanna come with you," the young boy said, his jaw set as he peered up at her.

"No," she said, shaking her head. "It's too – "

"Dangerous?" Carl finished for her, brows raising beneath the bill of his sheriff's hat. The tone of his voice hinted that he was getting sick of people telling him things were too dangerous for him to handle. "Yeah, I know. That's why you need back up," he insisted, not about to give in so easily.

Jenna sighed, then placed a hand on Carl's shoulder. "If you come with us, who's gonna look after the others here?" she asked him knowingly. Carl pursed his lips at that. "I know you wanna help, but if something happens here, if something happens to..." Jenna had to clear her throat when it suddenly felt tighter with emotion. "If something happens to Hershel," she managed out, "then someone needs to be here to protect them." Technically that was the job Rick had given her to fulfill, but things had changed, and desperate times called for desperate measures. "I need you to be that someone, Carl," Jenna told him seriously, sounding a lot more level headed than she actually felt. "Can you do that for me?"

Carl really looked like he wanted to say no, but finally, after a long second, he nodded. "Okay," he agreed with a sigh.

Jenna looked at him with relief, glad that he wasn't fighting her on this one. "Thank you."

She released the kid's shoulder, then glanced back at Chloe. Chloe was staring back at her, wringing her hands together anxiously, her big, hazel eyes filled with fright and uncertainty. Jenna started to tell her that everything would be alright, that nothing would happen to her or to Glenn and that they'd be back before anyone knew it, but then she changed her mind. Instead, she just turned, walked over to her, and hugged her tightly, letting her actions do all the talking. Chloe returned her hug fiercely, her skinny arms wrapping around Jenna's waist in a vice grip. When they separated and looked at each other, Jenna knew that Chloe had understood her silent message.

"I'll see you soon, kid," Jenna said. "Help Carl look after the others, okay?"

Chloe nodded. "I will."

Jenna managed a small smile for her, then, with one last look at both of the kids, she continued on into the cell block to get ready to leave.


Jenna stared intently at the layout of the prison as she lingered by the door at the back of the cell block, brows furrowed with concentration as she tried to memorize the route they'd be taking. Straight, left, straight again, right, left, straight, right, right, she repeated in her head, her eyes following the maze of hallways as she did so. A few feet away, Glenn was having a hushed conversation with an emotional Maggie, looking very much as though he was trying to calm her down. When Jenna was satisfied that she had at least a decent idea of where they were going to go – she was still pretty sure she'd have to stop and reference the paper once they were inside, just to be on the safe side – Jenna folded up the paper again and stuffed it into her pocket. She eyed Glenn and Maggie as they hugged each other tightly, then looked over at Lori when the woman came walking up.

"Got everything?" she asked, looking her up and down.

Jenna ran through a quick, mental checklist. She had her gun on her hip, extra ammunition in her pocket, a knife in her boot, a flashlight in one hand, and crowbar in the other. "Yeah," she confirmed.

Lori gave a close-lipped smile and nodded. Her expression was fairly neutral, but her eyes were filled with worry. "I understand why you're goin', but…I wish you didn't have to," she told her honestly.

Jenna pressed her lips together, unsurprised to hear it. There had been quite a bit of protesting when Carol, Lori, Maggie, and Beth had learned what Jenna and Glenn intended to do, but after several minutes of heated discussion, they'd all finally accepted that this was what was best for Hershel and that it needed to be done, regardless of the risks it posed. "Me too," she agreed, wishing that none of what had happened that day had taken place. "But if this is what we have to do to save Hershel, then…so be it."

Lori nodded, then pulled Jenna into a tight hug, pulling her as close as her baby bump would allow. Over her shoulder, Jenna could see Chloe, Beth, and Carl loitering nearby, watching on with varying expression of fear and concern – Carol was the only one not seeing them off, and that was only because she had been too afraid to leave Hershel's side, even if only for a few minutes.

Jenna and Lori hugged for a few moments, then slowly separated. "Be careful in there," Lori instructed, holding her tight by the shoulder. "Please be careful."

"We will," Jenna promised. "You be careful, too," she countered, giving her a stern look. "If something happens with Hershel while we're gone, you and Carol get out of that cell immediately. Don't do anything that'll put yourselves in danger, do you understand?" After Lori nodded, silently signaling that she knew what she needed to do, Jenna sighed. "We'll come back as fast as we can," she promised.

"You better."

Jenna smiled at Lori, then looked over at Glenn as he and Maggie came walking toward them. It was obvious that Maggie, already fragile after what had happened to her father, was upset that Glenn was putting himself at risk again, but she seemed to be doing her best to hold it together. Jenna couldn't help the feeling of guilt that invaded her belly, even though Glenn had volunteered to go on his own free will.

"Ready?" Glenn asked, looking eager to get this mission over with.

After Jenna nodded, they took a quick second to say their last goodbyes to everyone before going to the door at the back of the cell block. Jenna, who had given the prison keys back to Carl for safekeeping, gave him a nod. He quickly came over and unlocked the door for them, pulling it open so they could pass through. Glenn walked through at once, but Jenna hesitated long enough to turn and look at Chloe, giving her a reassuring smile. When Chloe waved goodbye, Jenna followed Glenn through the door.

They found themselves in a hallway that branched off to the left. It was a short hallway, with another barred door at the end. Jenna motioned for Carl to follow them. having a feeling they'd need him to unlock the next door, and started toward it, trailing right behind Glenn as he moved forward. A few feet down the hall, they came upon an open archway on the right side of the hall, which opened up into a large room. The three of them paused and peered into the room, half curious but also half alert, just in case there was something dangerous lurking within the depths. Jenna caught sight of a large, multi person sink and several shower stalls, and realized they'd found the shower room. She looked at Glenn, then whistled just loud enough so that it echoed off the tile floors and walls.

They waited for a good few minutes, but when her whistle was met with silence and no walkers appeared, they moved on from the showers, continuing on to the door at the end of the hallway. They stopped again when they reached the door and stared intently down the long expanse of the darkened hallway on the other side, looking and listening out for any sounds of potential nearby walkers before daring to leave the safety of the cell block. As Jenna stared down the creepy, darkened hallway, she thought she might have heard something, but it sounded faint and very far off into the distance. Whatever she'd heard, it wasn't close to them.

Jenna shared a look with Glenn, who wordlessly met her gaze, then glanced back at Carl. Carl took that as his cue and moved forward to unlock the door for them, once again opening it so they could walk through. Glenn went first, followed quickly by Jenna. As soon as they were on the other side, Carl closed the door and locked it again. Jenna couldn't deny the palpable feeling of apprehension that washed over her when she heard the lock click into place, but she pushed it down as best as she could.

"Keep the door locked while we're gone," she told Carl in a hushed tone, looking at the boy over her shoulder. "But be ready to let us back in if something goes wrong."

"I will," Carl assured her, nodding with determination.

Satisfied that Carl knew what to do, Jenna faced forward again and let out a heavy breath. "Alright, then," she murmured, tightened her grip on her crowbar, taking a moment to mentally prepare herself for what was about to come.

"Rick's gonna be pissed when he finds out I left the cell block," Glenn commented, sounding less than enthusiastic. When Jenna looked at him with a quirked brow, Glenn gave her a pointed look. "I wasn't supposed to leave the girls alone with Hershel," he revealed.

"Yeah, well," Jenna said with a sigh. "I was supposed to stay back and protect everyone else while he was gone," she said with a wry smile. "Guess we're both gonna catch an earful from him when he gets back."

Glenn heaved and gave her a sideways look. "Can't wait," he said sarcastically, looking as though he was dreading it already. Then he clicked on his flashlight and held it up, pointing it down the hallway. "Let's get this over with. The faster we can get back, the faster we can help Hershel."

Jenna didn't need to be told twice. Once she nodded her agreement, Glenn started down the hallway. She quickly clicked on her own flashlight, gave Carl one last nod, then followed Glenn into the dark prison beyond.


Thoughts?