Curative
By Kaimaler
Review replies are at the bottom!
Hey, I don't know if you guys are interested in this, but if you guys want I will share the soundtrack I use when I write this story to get me in the mood.
It's both lyrical songs and instrumentals. If you guys want to have a listen I'll include what songs I listen to at which points. I'm still working on building this area, so some songs might be repeated in certain areas.
If you guys have any suggestions for this playlist feel free to include them.
Playlist:
Paste this after YouTube's homepage URL to be taken to the playlist. FF does not allow links.
/playlist?list=PLUo9VMnju9Mz4ZpLO47cAPEKnzxpYV0bI
The songs listed are just music I enjoy and help me focus on the world I am writing. In this chapter I listened to slightly more intense music to build the action. In other chapters about characters in specific I listened to the softer, lyrical or instrumental music that I feel matches the character I am writing.
Since TWD character's all have their themes already, this playlist is more focused around the scenes entirely unique to Laura and what her existence in TWD world changes.
I also heavily enjoy listening to "Evil Morty Rap" when planning Laura's... future development. The music, both titles and contents, also hint to the future. Some literal, some figuratively. Feel free to make some guesses as to what the lyrical songs mean. Each one does have a purpose. ;)
We're opening strong with infiltrating Woodbury! A certain someone finally gets screen time after never actually having any significant speaking role. Get ready for it! :D
Outside Woodbury's walls...
Rick and Michonne kept against the wall. She was right about the guards being light here, the area was no where near as well lit or protected as the front gates. Rick wondered why that was if what Michonne was telling them was the truth. The first building to the left was the storehouse, containing a whole mess of supplies from guns, grenades, blades, and additional gear.
They needed to hit it, take what they could and get out. To do so they had to travel further down the wall where there were no patrols. There was an old RV, bottom entirely flat on the ground with the wheels removed and undercarriage beyond ruined. This section of the wall would be easier to scale. Michonne would go up first, staying low to look for patrols.
She approached the side of the RV, the front hood and back ladder both blocked by other metal scrap and cars that made up the walls. Oscar came up behind her, holding his hands out as an offer to lift her up so she could get to the roof and pull herself up.
Michonne adjusted the strap across her chest and nodded. Her hands on his shoulders he clasped his hands together for her to step into. "Ready?" He looked up and she made sure she was steady. With a nod he heaved and lifted her up. Thankfully she was light weight and easy to hold up. Her hand grabbed the edge of the RV, her elbows leveraging herself up the wall. She grunted, the cuts on her back from Laura's gauntlets began to sting as the muscles beneath them strained.
Slipped her leg over the edge she was able to get herself on top of the roof. With a sigh, she started to look around the inside of Woodbury. These streets were largely abandoned still, but very well cleared out. They were all secure, not a walker inside any structure here. It would be nice if the leader wasn't a madman.
A haze began to rest as night fell, but her line of sight was still good from on top the wall. She felt satisfied and turned back around, reaching down to help Rick scale the RV next. He came up to the edge, reaching to grab her hand and she helped pull him up the wall.
Michonne went to help the rest while Rick watched the streets of Woodbury. He could see the warm street lights glowing between the buildings, deeper inside Woodbury by the front gate. This area was completely dark, only illuminated by moonlight and the smallest light that trickles through the roadways. It was strange to see a town so well maintained. Were it not for the scrap wall it would appear like the end of the modern world never happened.
Freshly painted, streets cleaned, and plant life cared for and trimmed. Rick's eyes narrowed, it felt like looking into a fantasy. He couldn't tell if that was because of the blooming rose bushes growing up the trellis or that his group lived inside a monotone prison with nothing but stone walls and iron bars. It felt like such a shock to the system just looking at the town.
Michonne was unable to lift Oscar, the man just a bit too large for her. Daryl and Glenn going over the edge to help him up, the group effort to lift the muscled man. Micheal and Markus helped lift him from the ground. When he made it up he in turn aided in collecting the two men from outside the wall. Able to lift them with relative ease.
The group jumped down the other side, Rick and Daryl going first to cover the others. Their weapons raised, aiming to the far sides of the group. Micheal and Glenn jumped down just as Michonne came over the edge, trying to slide off carefully and ending up scraping her back against the edge of the RV. The others had done the same, only she was limited.
With a hiss, Michonne hit the ground hard, losing her balance. She gained Glenn and Rick's attention immediately, figuring she had just hurt herself. Rick tucked in behind Daryl and Micheal, coming to see Glenn leaning over Michonne as she slowly rose to her feet.
"Can you walk?" Rick looked her up and down, not really finding much signs of anything broken. She did not seem like her legs were unsteady. Michonne nodded, leaning forward slightly trying to wait out the ache. "What is it?" He was confused, there was nothing that seemed wrong about her.
"It's her back, she's bleeding." Glenn commented, having seen the cuts as she was struggling on the ground.
Rick spared Glenn a quick look. With a hand on Michonne's shoulder he turned her to the side, peering around her to see her clothes torn and claw marks on her upper right shoulder blade and left mid of her back. They appeared like walker scratches... only a lot deeper and a lot worse. It took him a second, but he put two and two together. "Laura?" He questioned quietly, the hunter in front of him picking it up.
Michonne nodded, "Good guess."
He twitched, annoyed and only more confused. He had to let it go for now, hoping to resolve whatever their feud was about later when they returned to the prison. Michonne was standing again and appeared composed once again.
"Can we just take the alley beside the wall straight back to storage?" Rick asked, seeing the wall had been built inside streets, close to the buildings with a sliver of pathways left for quick access by the guards.
She saw the path, light at the very end of it and recalled what she had seen there before. "I wouldn't. Patrols keep the area, some of the alleys are used. We can take two blocks up, but after that we will have to go around. That building, one block from the gate-" Michonne pointed to a building with a worn out blue trim just barely visible between the other buildings. "-that is where they kept your friend. There were patrols on the far side."
Rick stared at the building overshadowed by the neighbors. It was not as large as the others, Michonne mentioned it was a converted precinct. He nodded to her, "Lead the way." He stepped aside, allowing her to pass through. He was lax on her, but she knew there was always a veiled threat there.
Without hesitation she began to pass through the side streets, old lamps with shattered glass spread below crunched beneath her shoes. The group moved with her in unison. Daryl, Glenn, Micheal, and Markus on lookout while Oscar and Rick checked corners before passing open streets and connecting alleys. Michonne was not too concerned, part of the area in Woodbury was totally abandoned.
Corner by corner was checked religiously. Rick did not leave room for error. He cleared everything he could, leering through windows and curtains to make sure there was no one following them when they passed.
One block down, the light up ahead slightly closer. Michonne kept her eye on the top edge of the wall. She knew if anyone was coming this far out of the town at night it would be a guard on the wall.
They came to another open one lane road. Rick halted the group, just barely leaning over the corner to see if anyone was visible. The street continued down for a few blocks, but it was still not close enough to the heart of Woodbury. They formed and moved across the road crouched down. Rick's chest was bursting, they were in an extremely dangerous situation that if they tripped up once could potentially result in them being captured or killed, leaving the prison vulnerable.
He eyed the precinct just ahead, one more block down and they would be standing next to where Laura had lived before reuniting with the group. Somewhere inside him he wanted to know, he had to know what happened. There was no question about the abuse she must have suffered to earn her so many scars and injuries when she was brought back to the prison. Rick wanted to know exactly what went on, every detail. She was a good, close friend to him and he trusted her. He wished she had trusted him to help her through her fear of turning.
She had not turned, she was still a person. Her appearance might change, her skin certainly bluer and there was no way to hide what she is anymore. He was fine with that, the person who had threatened her was gone. While Shane was not with them anymore, he knew he had to do what he did. Shane was unhinged, damaged, and a risk to the group. Rick could never shake the guilt he felt for letting Shane get away with so much, regarding himself, Lori, Carl, the group, and Laura.
He had openly attacked her, nearly killed her three times. He was always after her in one way or another, directly or by poisoning the group against her. Rick knew what he did, he saw everything. Daryl was ready to kill Shane himself, the group growing scared of the man who they know now killed Otis. Otis did shoot Carl, but it was a simple hunting accident and Hershel saved him. Rick forgave the man, never really blaming him for something he could never have foreseen.
As they came around the next block there was nothing but a small alley between the buildings and a door leading from that alley into the precinct. They needed a place to plan out their next step anyways, he wanted it to be the precinct. It was in the path and appeared empty, it would do fine for their needs. Rick was trying to look inside, but the windows were entirely blocked from this side.
They cleared the alley and they planned to go around as they heard footsteps just ahead. Michonne had told them there was a patrol on the far side she had experience with and it appeared they were still making those rounds. There were muffled voices around the corner and they ducked into the alley between the precinct and what appeared to be an old government building. This was fine with their plan to reach the storage building, but it also worked to Rick's personal favor. They had to get out of sight and get ready to fight.
As they turned the corner, Rick slowed down beside the side door entrance. He turned to Michonne, "This it?" He asked, earning a tight frown from the woman. She wondered what he meant at first and looked up the building to be certain. On the side of the wall was a washed out painted sign loosely in the shape of a badge.
Michonne confirmed, "This is it."
Glenn approached Rick, "Are you sure you want to go in there?" He was concerned about Laura too, but he did not feel the same need Rick did to know. Rick's eyes traveled from Glenn to the people behind him, his group. He looked to Micheal who grinned and nodded, approving of Rick's plan. Daryl looked over the building, he did not want to think about this, about her and what happened while they were fighting out here. Above all else though he did not want to pass up this chance to learn about her, about why she is the way she is now. He thought about her in the tombs, trapped and cornered, terrified of them. Daryl gave Rick a firm nod, he was ready to go in.
Rick turned the handle, pleased to know it was unlocked. He entered the precinct first, letting the others file in behind him. Markus came in last, cautious to close the door gently so the sound did not travel enough to alert the patrol just around the building. They all disappeared into the darkness, hands reaching out to find something inside to hold onto.
A few people bumped into each other, Micheal and Markus holding together by their forearms to make sure they did not get separated. Rick's hands felt the wall and traveled down it, searching for anything to help. On the other end was Glenn, his hands patting the wall as he carefully followed the wall to the opposite end. His fingers brushed door molding. He quickly found the edge of the door and his knuckles hit the door knob. Relieved, he opened the door and light flooded into the back room.
The others saw Glenn in front of the door, now their source of light. Rick ushered the others along as Glenn entered the next room, Oscar right behind him. Their weapons still in their hands and waiting for something to go wrong. Inevitably it would, but the precinct was not what they expected.
"Oh man." Glenn's gun lowered as he got a good look at the room. It was a large area, clearly meant in the precinct as the main area dedicated to taking in people. There was a room divider in front likely made of bulletproof glass and a desk. They entered through a service door, leaving them behind the secured entrance from the front door.
Rick adjusted to the low light in the room, taking notice of how the windows were blocked out. They did not want anyone seeing inside for whatever reason. Most likely to hide Laura from the rest of Woodbury.
Micheal and Markus entered the room together, releasing each other and raising their guns to inspect the doors entering the lobby and the hall way further inside. They waited before going any deeper into the converted precinct, sticking close to the group as they searched the supplies in the room.
Daryl lowered his crossbow, approaching a desk nearby with massive medical books. He looked into one left open on a page with a colorful diagram of a human, bone, sinew, and organs. There was not printed text on the page, only handwritten notes with arrows linking them to the target. A few sticky notes and pieces of paper folded inside the pages. He flipped through it, finding a massive wealth of handwritten studies in this book. Pulling the cover he read Atlas of Human Anatomy.
Another book beside it appeared more detailed with text describing some finer points of human anatomy. There were words he and the majority of people would never dream of pronouncing or even understanding. The book was opened to a page focusing on a diagram of a human ear with the handwritten note beside the ear. "No physical change to canal - sensitivity increase unfounded."
Pages surrounding the books were hand drawn and handwritten details of more anatomy. It was mostly notes he saw written, scribbled out, and rewritten. As if someone was changing what they were studying constantly. Entire diagrams drawn onto note paper torn, crumpled, and few left untouched to be referenced later. There were piles of these papers, stacking well beyond this one large desk.
Daryl searched the desk, finding drawers stuffed with writing tools and various supplies. More papers and binders stored away. Other papers both printed and hand made were pinned to the upper section of the desk and wall behind it.
A few feet beside him was Oscar and Rick, overlooking a table stacked with medicines. They began to pile the medicine into their packs, invaluable supplies like penicillin and more had been stacked high in the cabinet above the table. It was a gold mine of medical supplies.
Rick read a few labels as he shoved them into the pack, putting back whatever they could easily live without. Common medicines for everyday use was not as desperately needed, but antibacterials were worth more than weapons especially with their own limited stock at the prison. There was enough here to keep them for some time.
As he pulled out the last gauze roll from the back of the cabinet he zipped up his back and threw it back on this shoulder. Looking at the table below he saw a writing on papers just below where he had set his bag.
Some paper slipped off the table and fell to the ground, revealing one sheet written in blue pen with a headline "Medicinal testing results, first week." Rick's head tilted and he picked up the paper, reading below the title.
"Introducing basic household medications for allergies, pain relief, and inflammation. No resulting change." He skipped a few lines that all read the same negative results. He looked to the papers dropped on the floor, reaching down to pick them up. He shifted through a few pages, most reading negative or inconclusive until he read one partially torn page.
"320mg oxycontin twice a day. Limited results during pharmaceutical testing - attempting heavier doses to create desired result." Rick read down the page quickly, glancing over a few lines before the end of the study told him the end of the test. "Anesthesia testing finalized: Local, Regional, and General anesthesia. Subject retains awareness and feeling. Subject experiences no reaction, negative or positive, to any listed medicines seemingly regardless of dosage. Pharmaceutical testing suspended. Cannot continue to waste supplies. I am limited and he grows impatient."
Rick dropped the page and continued to look around. Laura was kept here if Michonne was right. He grew worried for her, were they really drugging her? For what purpose? What would dosing her do for Woodbury or this Governor?
Walking down to the end of the room was Glenn. He had spotted the area of the lobby separated by a plastic curtain and went to clear the area. Markus was right behind him, letting Glenn know he was covered. When they neared the plastic curtain Glenn reached out, nodded to Markus, and pulled the curtain apart. Markus raised his rifle and aimed into the room, checking from each corner of the room.
Glenn's pistol cleared just behind him and they secured the rest of the room. However it was not long before that satisfying feeling faded.
Markus kept behind Glenn, allowing the man to take lead as they began to scour the room. Glenn and Markus finally saw the room as a whole, realizing what they were looking at. Glenn saw the chair in the middle, dried blood staining the leather, edges, and floor around it. Small mobile stands with tools, operating items all covered in blood. A few of the trays still with pooled black blood.
Glenn's face twisted in disgust, the room appeared like a horror show. It was straight out of a Saw film with some of the tools crafted from other items in order to make up for the limited supplies they had.
His breathing quickened as he stood in front of the chair, a single operating light buzzing above it creating this disturbing spotlight over the chair. The long shadowed trailed down the chair and floor, overcasting the dry blood on the floor.
Markus went around the chair, leaving Glenn to inspect it alone. The room was lined wall to wall in papers, books, and tools. It was a massive spread of medical study he had no idea where to begin. He stopped at a multilevel table, a few dulled tools resting in a container that read Maintenance in black marker on the side. Old scalpels and other strange items he did not recognize. They were bloody, clearly well used and it made his skin crawl.
On the middle table to the left of the supplies table was a bowl hanging from the wall with a scale on it. Looking at the table there were numbers, calculations, and comparisons. He read one paper that stood out, some red stains taking the shape of a finger print on the edge. "115 - 155g average. 96g below average - no visible signs of negative effect on subject." He wondered what was average and why below average would do something to a subject that it mentioned. He was never very good at anything medical in school.
It looked like something out of the vegetable section at a grocery store. Blood trails around the edges and down to the bottom, Markus sneered at the dull smell coming from the bowl. When he looked inside he saw something inside and was confused only for a second. His eyes went wide and he jumped back with a loud gasp. The hanging bowl creaked as he pushed it away.
Glenn's head appeared from behind the chair with the rest of the group jolting after hearing someone in shock. Markus went behind the other table by the trashcan and retched, trying his best to stop coughing. He panted, eyes reddening as he threw up that day's lunch. Glenn came over to him, his hand on his back as he tried to sooth the man.
Micheal was right beside him, "Markus, what's wrong?" He did not get an answer, only Markus shaking his hand to tell them to give him a moment. He pointed frantically to the side, where he had been before. Oscar stayed with them, wondering what just happened here. Markus had not said he was sick earlier.
Passing the group helping Markus, Rick followed where he had pointed assuming it had something to do with the desk he was looking at earlier. He looked over the tables, seeing not much but papers and scattered items. Nothing to make a grown man sick. He continued looking, but slowed when he saw the chair in the middle of the room. It had been hidden behind the curtains before, he did not get a good look at it.
Focusing on his task he spotted the hanging bowl with drips of blood down the side. It was a relatively deep bowl with a scale attached. Rick leaned over the bowl to see a pool of blood inside and what was undoubtedly an organ inside. It was not very large and did not appear it had been there very long. It was still shining, the blood still wet inside.
Rick raised the back of his hand over his mouth and nose, finding the sight disturbing. He had seen walkers with their organs trailing behind them, cut open walkers before and felt their organs with his own hands. It was revolting, surely, but he had seen worse and done worse. It did not make him immediately sick like it did Markus.
Micheal and Daryl approached behind him, both looking around Rick to see the organ inside the bowl. Micheal shook his head and turned away, leaving the strange scene behind.
Rick left the weighed organ and headed to the chair. He holstered his pistol, rounding the back of the chair as Markus regained himself. He waved the others off, everyone returning to exploring the room. Rick looked at the chair closely, seeing the dried blood staining everything around it. It was adjustable, surgical equipment surrounding it, telling him this was the operating room.
Laura was kept here, her nature obviously known to Woodbury and the Governor. He picked over the chair meticulously until he saw a rivet by the headrest and reached up, pulling a few hairs that had gotten pulled out. They were long and black, the right length and color for Laura. He brushed them off and went back to the desks.
His suspicions were founded when he opened the top of a roll desk and saw the papers spread out inside. Rick took a moment to process what he looked at. Stored inside were similar analog cameras and folders arranged by categorization that Rick could only guess.
The organ sitting in the scale was not enough to sicken him, but the dread he felt looking at the cameras and the folders stuck him. He opened his mouth to work on steadying his breathing, a hand rubbing his forehead as he struggled to look at them and read the papers using them. The study of anatomy was one thing, he had seen plenty of bodies in his time as an officer. This went beyond autopsies, far beyond.
On the folders presented he knew there was only one person they could be written about. A long time ago she told him what the experiments were like and later she stood in front of the group and explained it to them. Laura had been intentionally vague, never telling them the graphic details to spare them that mental image. Now it was no longer a terrible experience she could move on from; it had been her reality in Woodbury.
Rick looked over the folders, each one titled to organize them. He reached down tentatively picking one with the headline "Heart." Taking a few breaths he opened the folder and was met with exactly what he didn't want to see. An analog camera image of a heart still attached to the owner who was Laura. He looked at the paper below. "Study of vital organ: Heart."
Glenn neared behind him, looking to Rick's disturbed expression and knew something was up. He looked between him and the paper, the folder blocking his view. Rick read a few lines before closing the folder, shielding Glenn from the graphic images. He pulled his pack around and began to gather the papers, unzipping his pack.
"What are those?" Glenn asked, watching Rick stack all the folders into his backpack. He did not answer, only made sure he collected them all before going through the drawers to find anything else. Rick did not like what he saw and Glenn did not like how he reacted. The man was still working through things, he needed time before they began to press him again.
So Glenn took a step back and let Rick collect these papers. He made a mental note to ask about them later.
The drawers were pulled from the cabinet, only a few things remained he wanted to take with him. He figured it would help give them answers about Laura if nothing else. Once he was satisfied and the roll desk was almost entirely cleaned out, he zipped his pack back up and slung it over his chest.
Standing in front of the chair just behind Rick was Daryl. He turned to see the hunter staring at it, his expression flat and unreadable. Rick knew it wasn't anything good at least. Daryl knew this was where Laura had been for a long time, he was working through it at his own pace. He was a private man, talking to him would give him something to think about but he did not often voice those thoughts.
Rick passed him, a hand patting his back as he came up to Michonne. "Where did you say they kept her?"
Michonne's eyes met his and she looked to a hallway down the far end of the room. Rick's head turned to the hall and he bypassed her guidance, hurrying to the hallway. A few doors lead to various rooms, none of them the cage Michonne mentioned. She ignored the doors, heading further into the corridor where a radio say on top a stool and large black curtains hung around the edges of a barred door.
She stepped to the side, allowing Rick to pick up she was telling him this was the place. Rick approached the bars, seeing the flickering light just outside the holding cell of the precinct. It was certainly spacious for one person, but inside told him that was the least of Laura's problems. The light filtering through the bars showed him the claw marks inside. They were on the floor, the wall hung seats, walls, and bars.
He looked deeper inside. There was nothing around but construction lights with shielded bulbs inside the room. They were turned off, but those working lights were blindingly bright. Rick turned around to see the radio and wanted to confirm something just for himself. He fiddled the volume control, trying to see if he could turn it up more. The dial ticked at max volume, it could not move anymore than it was already.
Laura's sensitivity to light and sound had always been a part of her. He remembered her explaining this to him, to the group about Sophia as well. Their experiments went beyond physical evaluations, they touched heavily into psychological testing, torture on a deeper, more personal level.
Rick left the hellish room behind, seeing Micheal and Daryl had been looking in with Rick. The hunter was trying to take in as much as possible, his reactions to it were the only thing that worried Rick now. "What the hell were they doing here?" Micheal did not expect a real answer. He was beginning to get sick looking at all this used and uncleaned medical equipment.
"Let's move, we need to hit the storage room and get out of here." Micheal nodded, tapping Daryl to come along. The rugged man looked at him, back to the cell and paused. He pushed it out of his head. Daryl figured sometime soon he was going to have to spent time finding out where he stood on everything. Coping was not something he was good at, at least not with emotional things. Seeing this room, where Laura lived, and the room with spreadsheets of medical data explained to him Laura's life in here must have been hell.
Rick returned to the group inside the lobby and whistled, bringing them all over. "We need to move. Michonne's plan to use the alley behind this building and across the road between patrols is still good. Let's make this fast and get back to the prison." The group came together, checking their weapons and preparing themselves to leave the precinct.
"Is this a shoot first ask questions later mission?" Oscar asked, feeling a bit antsy. He was still doing his best to acclimate to this way of life. Killing a bunch of people was a bit of a stretch, but he would do so to protect the group. He understood why, he knew the way the world worked now at least as an idea.
Micheal placed a hand on his shoulder, "It'll be alright. We've done this before and we can do it again. Just stick together, watch each others backs, and we'll make it out of here in one piece." He supported the larger man who nodded his thanks for the advice.
The door clicked and the group looked to Michonne. She was ready at the door, but she had not yet opened it. Her eyes wide and looking at Rick. "Everyone down!" Rick urged in a hushed tone. The group split over the room, crouching behind tables and hiding behind corners. He cursed repeatedly under his breath, they had spent far too much time in here.
Entering the precinct was a personal choice. He knew he did it to find a way to help his friend, but he felt compelled to try. Now the front door was being opened and it put their whole operation at risk.
Markus was the closest to the front doors, he was hiding behind the divider desks. The person entering the building shut the door behind them, an audible and tired sigh could be heard by the entire group. His shoes tapped on the hardwood floors as he stepped into the converted lobby area of the lab. He had a long day, he was tired, the Governor was on edge and that meant everyone else was on edge as well.
Grumbling to himself he passed the first table without noticing Glenn hiding underneath. He held his breath as the man walked to the far side of the room. The corner just to the left of the man was the hallway leading to Laura's cell. Down the hall hiding in an empty cell beside Laura's was Oscar and Daryl, their weapons drawn and ready for a signal.
Rick took his python from the holster quietly. The metal rubbing against the leather holster just barely, smooth enough to not be noticed. He gritted his teeth, clenched his jaw, and caught Daryl's eye. With a short nod the two brought their weapons up. Glenn caught on, he could not see Daryl but he saw Rick moving up. Glenn had his pistol ready, just in case.
The man stood facing a desk, picking up some papers and mulling through them. He spoke to himself, mumbling too quietly. His finger tapped on the desk impatiently, flipping through a book he had written some notes into. It was late, he knew that, but Philip had just delivered the news that his patient zero had gone missing; captured by another group and was unlikely to return still functional. He figured it might be possible to make another, but he needed the means to recreate the cure he developed before he wasted it all on tests.
He slammed the book shut, rubbing his face with both hands before pulling them over his hair. There was a monumental pressure to perform in Woodbury, the Governor wanted him to cure his daughter but simple testing had proven ineffective. He once believed the cure could just be transmitted, but he tried a few injections and there was no sign of the subject changing.
No matter what the Governor wanted, how he demanded; he would never tell anyone he had one last vial of the cure he developed for Laura. It was stored safely away from Woodbury, somewhere no one could get to it without knowing where to dig. He could not risk his hard work being wasted on the Governor's daughter or anyone's weak will.
Frustration became him. He was able to reclaim lost data that he could never recover from his private lab and even honed his understanding of the condition after the cure. With Laura around he had been studying relentlessly, working day and night barely sleeping. If he could find a way to perfect the cure he made he could work to distribute it. Which would be much easier than actually making the cure.
He took a slip of paper off the table, reading over the quickly jotted down notes he made while overlooking Laura. Without her his work would become significantly harder and by that, he meant nearly impossible without another cadaver. Laura was his best chance to continue his work and in the last few months he made impressive progress in understanding the long term side effects of the cure he created. He knew from the beginning it was not perfect, but the satisfaction seeing Laura awake that day was more than he ever expected.
While reading the paper in his hands Rick slowly eased from behind the far desk, his pistol aimed at the man. He had no idea who this was, why he was in here, or what he would do if he found the group. All he knew is he had to handle it, but a gunshot would alert all of Woodbury. They could kill him quietly and that was likely their plan at this point, cornered without a way to get out without being noticed.
"Put your hands up and turn around slowly." Rick's voice was low and rough. In the quietness of the precinct it sounded like a siren in the man's head. He froze, not daring to push this person. It was an order demanded by a man with a gun, he was not stupid, he knew his position without even seeing the man who ordered him to turn.
From the hallway beside him he saw another person glide passed, a crossbow in his hands aimed at him. Doing as demanded he raised his hands, dropped the sheet of paper, and turned around. His mind ablaze with fear that he would die here before he ever got to finish his work. A terrible tragedy to be so close to the answer for the infection and die just before he could grasp it.
He turned to the man who spoke to him. His hands still raised and his heart pounding. "Who are you and how did you get in here?"
Rick did not move an inch, "Shut up." He spat with significant venom. The man was silenced, concerned they were planning on killing him now. Daryl approached him with Oscar, grabbing his hands and pulling them behind his back. Glenn got up from underneath the table, reaching into his own pack searching through the various items he had picked up in the precinct. He found the roll of duct tape and passed it to Oscar who stretched the tape out over the man's hands.
"Are you going to kill me?" He asked as he felt the duct tape wrapping around his wrists. It was tight to keep him from attempting to escape. Rick wondered what he did not grasp about shut up.
"Maybe. Depends on how well you cooperate with us." Rick neared the man as Daryl spun him around, his taped hands on the edge of the desk he had just been reading from. Rick's expression was dead serious and the man did not doubt him in the slightest.
He calmed his breathing. "I don't know much about anything unless you are seeking medical attention. I'm not one of those gun toting lunatics out there." He tried to be rational about this. The group he was facing appeared angry and he did not want to provoke them unnecessarily.
"The patrols just outside the door. How often do they come?" The group surrounded the man, an impressive number managed to sneak into Woodbury.
"They'll come passed every hour, but they don't pay attention to the lab. I've been very adamant about people not coming in here without myself or our Governor present." He communicated what he knew, no hesitation at all. It was the absolute truth, perhaps more than even requested. He did not care what they wanted to know he had nothing to hide.
Rick shook his head, "A bit more cooperation than I expected." His eyes suspicious of the man.
He defended himself by standing as straight as possible. "I don't care about this place or these pseudo-military idiots. My loyalty is my work. I'll tell you whatever you want to know, all I ask is at the end of it you leave me alive. Tie me up, lock me in the closet; I don't care. All I want to do is continue my efforts."
Realization dawned on Rick. He was about as tall as this man and he glared at the man, "This- all of this... is your doing?" The man nodded, proud of his work and did not feel the need to conceal that fact.
He did not put together that this was not something this group wanted to hear. "You son of a bitch-!" Daryl swung first, his fist colliding with the man's jaw. Daryl knew he needed to cope with what happened to Laura, something healthy when he got back to the prison. This was not the way he envisioned that coping to happen. The man bent to the side, shaking off the hit.
Rick put a hand on Daryl's chest, separating him from the man. "Whoa, whoa. Hey now, keep it together." He agreed with Daryl's sentiment towards the man, but they needed to stay focused on the target.
He straightened up, shrugging his jacket back around and rotated his jaw. "You find my work distasteful. I suppose you have had a look around. I assure you no one was harmed during my studies. All the work was done strictly on cadavers. I don't murder the living for my lab."
Daryl's temper grew more heated, "This asshole-!" He lunged again perhaps not his most well collected moment. This time Oscar and Micheal coming to hold him back. The man was surprised at this second outburst. He figured that would actually have put them at ease knowing his work was on corpses alone. Daryl stepped back to cool off, Micheal parting the two men.
"If you want to stay alive I suggest you focus on telling us the guard shifts. When do they rotate, their armaments, how many between here and the block over. And talk fast." Rick was disgusted by what he had seen in this building. Hearing this man talk about it like it meant nothing was sparking a rage in him he did not want to act on out here. They were in a delicate situation, he needed to remain level headed.
"All guards carry an automatic rifle. I'm not a gun expert, I could not tell you exactly what they carry." He frowned, seeing the entire group growing displeased with him. "The shifts are three hours during the day, four at night. There will be another in about an hour, but that won't help you. The next guard shift on the wall is required to arrive before the previous shift ends. There's no hole to get passed them. The next block is the storage facility, there are guards inside and out." His face displayed understanding.
Rick narrowed his eyes. "How many?"
"You're going for the weapon stock." He found that plan amusing, "With all patrols in the area you will have to deal with nine guards. If you manage to get passed the patrols and not get spotted by the guards on the wall, there is only two people inside weapon storage at any time. They are also required to stay inside all night, the next shift have to arrive before the previous leaves."
Rick looked to see Daryl behind the table, his knuckled white from gripping his crossbow too tightly. He needed to deal with this man though killing him would be satisfying, he did not want to kill someone if he did not have to. This man did this to Laura, he was the man experimenting on her. He likely had no idea she was still alive inside the infection she struggled with.
At least that is what Rick thought.
"Move," He grabbed him by the arm, pulling him along as he walked through the lobby. The man stumbled and the group moved out of the way, letting Rick through. He took him to the chair he knew Laura had been restrained in. He yanked him around, shoving him roughly into the chair. He tripped most of the way, but came to sit in the leather backed chair without complaint. "You don't know how lucky you are to be alive right now." Daryl came over with Glenn to help tape the man to the chair.
Micheal and Markus shared a look between themselves. They both knew this was Laura's place and this man had done terrible things to her. Markus felt sorry for her, but tried not to pity the poor woman forced into this terrible situation. Micheal watching Rick walk away, his fists tight and his face visibly angry. He needed to talk to Rick after this; he had not realized how close Rick really was to Laura.
Carol had spoken about Laura's relationship with the group, but left most of the details about it out for privacy. Laura was with them at the time, Carol figured it somewhat disrespectful to talk about her behind her back. So she left many of the personal information for Laura to share if she wanted to.
Of course, Laura never wanted to share anything about herself with the group. She even hated being within ten feet of them, it made her short tempered. He wondered now if that had something more to do with Laura's turning that Carol had not mentioned at the time.
When they were done taping the man up, silencing him with duct tape over his mouth, Daryl returned to him. After taking a moment to cool down he had his usual stoic expression. "That wasn't a cadaver. She's alive, asshole." He glowered before the last thing the man saw was the butt of Daryl's crossbow. The hit was definitely harder than it needed to be, but he did not kill the man. He wanted to badly. Now was not the time, he wanted to give Laura a chance before anything.
For now he would let the man go. Though he rationalized that he figured Laura would not want him to. Just like with Shane, she resisted him beating the shit out of the mental ex-cop. The truth was a bit more complicated. Daryl did not want this man to die here, not like this. He surprised himself when he realized he did not want to kill this man. Though everything around him clearly told him this man caused pain to the woman he cared for, he was getting tired of people dying. He just wanted to beat this man into a bloody mess, but leave him alive.
No time for that as Rick headed back to the door, Michonne at his side. It was time to finish this and get back home to their people. Daryl personally wanted to go back to Laura and... He groaned, he had no idea what to say to her. He told her once nothing would ever happen to her like this again. They were all more hopeful back then, now they had begun to settle into this new world.
Preventing pain was impossible. He was not trying to keep this unrealistic goal in his head like some kind of personal pre-outbreak fantasy of a romance with this woman. He wanted her with him again, he wanted to hold her. A strange sentiment he had not really experienced this powerfully before. He had been with women, dated, one night stands; he appreciated the feel of sleeping beside someone. In this case he needed to be at her side again, to find that mutual comfort they shared back on the farm.
He had no idea just how good they had it back then. How could they know everything was going to change so drastically in such a short time? She knew. Rick told them about what she said, her admittance to her turn. So he did not know things would change, but she had an idea. To spare him the dread that their time together was limited, she kept it from him.
Daryl pulled his crossbow up, seeing everyone filing back out the door an onto the street. He needed to pay attention to what they were doing; getting distracted out here would get everyone killed.
Rick and Michonne lead the group down the alley, heading around the far side opposite to the gate. It was well lit by a single working street light and a few additional decorative lights hanging on the wall. Oscar looked out over the group, spotting the patrol heading down the road. "He said one patrol every hour- look." He pointed to the patrol walking away. Likely the same ones they heard talking earlier.
Knowing the patrol was heading away for anywhere between the next five minutes to the next hour, Rick took the chance while they had it. The guards on the wall were diligent he'd give them that, they never once turned their back on the outside of the wall or fooled around. Ironically their vigilance was costing Woodbury their security. Crouched and moving quickly, the group crossed the road one by one.
Rick hit the far wall behind the storage building. They waited, making sure no one was coming before Oscar and Michonne crossed. Allowing another beat to pass, Glenn and Markus stayed side by side as they rushed to the opposite side of the road. Daryl and Micheal nodded, rocking on their heels as they got the go ahead from Rick. Staying low and moving fast they made it to the rest of the group quietly. No one noticed. Rick began to suspect the guard sitting down was actually asleep. He had not moved once while the others were either standing or at least turning their heads to look beyond the wall.
They were lucky, but the main door to the storage room was inside the light of the street lamp. Though if they kept their backs turned they might be able to get in, but the noise from opening the door might alert people on the inside of the building and leave them out in the open.
"Michonne," Rick whispered, the woman's eyes turning to him. "Is there another way in?"
She shook her head, "Back door is barred. One way in, one way out. I tried the windows too, they're nailed shut." Her hand on the hilt of her sword, "The only way we're getting inside that building is the front door."
Rick nodded, disappointed to hear it but he did not doubt her. It was likely they did not leave back doors into their weapon storage unlocked or unprotected. That would be a serious security issue. So far these people appeared on point with security. Instead of sneaking into the doors they had to protect themselves. They had to go in with cover.
"Glenn, throw a smoke bomb in front of the door. We'll go in hard, take what we can, then get out. I'll go in first with Daryl and Oscar, we'll try to find the guards inside while you cover the door." He got affirmations from the group, noting his plans. "If the back door is barred we might be able to unlock it from the inside. If the windows are nailed shut we can break them to get out. We do not leave through the front door, they will have that covered."
"Got it." Glenn answered, his hands going straight to Daryl's pack. He leaned forward to give him better access. He shuffled around inside the bag until he found the smoke grenades, picking one out and zipping the pack back up. "Ready to go."
Rick peered around the corner of the building, the guards still focused on the outside of the wall. "Roll it to the door if you feel like you can. If it's too far just toss it."
Glenn moved beside Rick, leaning down to see where the front door was. It wasn't too far, just around the next curve in the sidewalk. He took a deep breath and held it, pulling the pin on the grenade. "Here we go!" He tossed it, finding the path to the door too obstructed to roll it. The grenade hissed, the metal hitting the concrete sidewalk.
A guard heard it and began to turn around just as the smoke bomb popped, a massive cloud of dense smoke filled the air quickly. Surprised, he pointed to the smoke. "Hey, hey! Smoke!"
The other guards turned around, confused and shocked. It was not entirely clear what was going on. "Is the store room on fire?!"
"You idiots, the store room isn't on fire." One yelled, "Someone threw a grenade! Fire smoke is black. You should've paid attention in school, man." He raised his rifle and the others followed suit.
When the smoke was dense enough the group attempted to make it to the door through the smoke without being seen. The smoke grenade cloud billowed over the front of the building, towering up until the wind began to spread it out further.
Rick rushed forward, holding his breath the best he could as he entered the cloud. He turned to the front doors and swung it open, his pistol aimed inside. Oscar and Micheal entered with him, their own guns raised to the guards inside. They quickly spotted the guards who were completely unprepared for this assault. One had fallen asleep at the desk, jumping out of his chair in shock.
The other standing in front of a shelf with a clipboard in his hands and a muffin in the other. His eyes wide as the group broke in; he dropped the clipboard and it clattered to the floor.
"Get down! Put your hands up, get down, and we won't kill you." Rick pointed his pistol at the previous asleep man behind the plastic table. Oscar holding up the other one beside the shelves. The front door was closed, the group having entered and prepared their packs. Unzipped and ready to steal whatever they could carry. The two men obeyed, raising their hands as their panic peaked.
One was fairly young, no more than his early twenties while the other man was larger and in his thirties. Neither man denied Rick's demands. "Focus on ammunition, heavy artillery, and then whatever you can fit between them. If your pack slows you down it's too heavy, throw something out." He kept watch on the man, Oscar bringing the other to stand beside him. Rick and Oscar remained guarding the men while Glenn kept an eye on the window, watching as the guards on the wall began to alert more.
"We're running out of time fast." He announced. None of the guards wanted to enter the smoke fearing someone was waiting for them in there, but firing a gun could spark a panic in Woodbury. They weighed their options first, one man running around the smoke on his way no doubt to alert the Governor and request assistance. The guards did begin to dismount the wall, leaving two up top to keep watch, two more cautiously neared the building.
Daryl grabbed what he could as fast as he could, filling his pack with whatever he could see first, setting aside more useless weaponry that would require special care or ammunition to use.
Micheal and Markus stuffed their packs full. Taking rifles, pistols, submachines, and grenades until their packs began to weigh them down. Markus was more excited than he wanted to admit when he found a heavy weight sniper rifle. A perfect weapon for the guard towers back in the prison. He swung it over his shoulder and planned on giving it to Maggie and Glenn as a present; knowing they often bunked in the guard tower and took lookout duty because of that.
When their packs were full, Markus took over for Glenn to watch the door. Daryl and Micheal kept watch on the two guards while Rick and Oscar began to fill their own packs.
"Oh shit guys, Glenn wasn't kidding. They're moving in now." Markus pulled his rifle up to aim out the window just between two wooden boards. The guards began to close in, he needed to make sure they did not reach the door. The moment he fired though the whole of Woodbury would descend on them. "Thirty feet away and closing. Hurry up!"
Oscar lifted a heavier pack than the others as he was more capable of carrying it and turned to look at Markus who began to get nervous, they were moving fast now that they began to realize no one was in the smoke. His pack stuffed with weaponry, all that was left was Rick and he had an exit strategy he was putting together. He went around back, finding the backdoor entrance was a double door. Across it laid a single beam that this group clearly installed using various household brackets.
Rick lifted the wood beam fortunate it was not too heavy. He set it against the wall and tried the handle. It twisted open and the doors swung outwards, he had got their exit ready. Outside the back of the building was dark and empty. No one had come around to check the back of the building yet, but he was certain they would any minute now.
"Ten feet! Rick!" Markus called, he needed direction. If they got much closer they might spot him in the window or just be too close to the building so he was unable to cut them off anymore.
Turning around, Rick saw Oscar was finished and Glenn was busy zipping his pack up now. It was time to fight their way out. Rick gave Markus a firm nod. "Everyone get ready!"
Markus steadied his hand and pulled the trigger. Bullets flew out the window, hitting two of the guards coming towards the building and killing one, injuring the other. He heard the people on the wall call out in alarm. "Alright, shit's about to hit the fan. Let's get the fuck out of here." Markus turned around and ran away from the door, Daryl and Micheal backing away from the two men who still had their hands up, sweating nervously.
The group ran out of the building, heading to escape out the back. Rick waited by the door, naming the heads he saw to make sure everyone got out. As he did so he noticed distinct lack of one member. "Where's Michonne?!"
Micheal looked at him, to the group, and back to Rick. He shrugged, "I thought she was with you."
Rick cursed, Michonne was not here and she was not inside the building. "Alright, get away. Go!" He shoo'd them away and they headed down the alley, hearing the sounds of people calling out for reinforcements. Guards were coming and they had to try and not get pinned down. Rick looked at the frag grenade in his hand and saw the group waiting for him.
He took a pose to sprint off of and pulled the pin on the grenade, throwing it into the store room. "Go, go, go!" He yelled, waving the group to move. They saw what he did, each one ready for an explosion to level that entire building. With the amount of grenades and reclaimed explosives left in that building the fire the damage would be extensive and that fire would last for hours at least.
The group bolted with Rick just behind them. Their collective footfalls attracted attention from nearby people a few of them armed and realizing this group was not part of Woodbury rather quickly. "Here! They're-" A bolt from Daryl's crossbow pierced the man's neck, effectively shutting him up. He fell to the ground, gargling blood. Not the best shot and a bad way to go, but they had no time to stop for better aim.
As more people began to notice them, the explosion went off. Micheal could have sworn the force of the detonation shook the earth beneath his feet. One explosion went off, terrifying the people around, before the first grenade set off a chain reaction. More stored grenades exploded, resulting in an explosion that could be seen from above the buildings. There were other explosives in the store room, likely the actual items giving it that height and power.
The group continued their sprint to escape the explosion and the growing number of guards surrounding it. They would be able to escape with minimal shots fired if they could get over the wall without incident. It would be tense, but they had to make it. This was the way out, scaling the wall.
Rick pulled his pack off his back and heaved it over the wall. He got it decently far, hearing it hit the edge of the far side before clattering to the ground. The others picked up on his idea. Oscar tossed his own with relative ease, taking Micheal's off his shoulder and throwing it for him while he stayed on look out. "Thanks!" He gave Oscar a thumbs up, aiming down the alley behind them.
Glenn reeled back to throw his over. Daryl tossing his right behind Glenn's hearing both hit the ground they were ready to climb. They heard voices, footsteps growing closer. They were following the path down the wall to find them. Someone who had spotted them earlier leading the others in the right direction. Micheal bit his lip, feeling tense as they grew near.
Oscar helped Markus up first, giving him a boost up the wall just as he had done with Michonne earlier. Rick looked up and saw flashlights coming from behind the building. "Hurry!" One by one they made it up the wall, Oscar coming up with Glenn and Rick's help. Lifting the larger man was still challenging, but they got him on top the scrap wall with a pat on his back.
Micheal and Daryl the last two to come up the wall. Micheal urged him to go first and Daryl jumped up and Rick caught his arm, pulling him up with Oscar's help. Micheal had his rifle aimed down the alley. When Daryl was up the wall Rick reached back down to take Micheal's hand. He jumped up, following Daryl's lead, and Rick caught his arm.
Pulling the man up was no where near as hard as Oscar. Rick lifted him carefully to make sure their grip did not slip, Micheal using his other hand to hold onto the edge and help push himself up.
The loud crack of a gun caught their attention too late. One of the guards spotted them and opened fire, his aim luckily a bit off. Micheal howled, feeling the bullets tear his skin. "Micheal!" Markus spotted the guard and fired on him, he held the trigger down not caring if the recoil ruined his shot. The hail of bullets did not give the man a chance to take cover as he had stupidly stood in the open. Markus gunned the man down, his body falling to the ground with blood splattering the ground around him.
"Go, get off the wall!" Rick pushed Glenn to move. Glenn grabbed Markus and took him to the edge of the wall with him, keeping him focused on their escape.
Rick held Micheal in his arms, the man groaning in pain. Blood stained his pant leg and side of his shirt, he had been hit more than once. "Oscar-" Rick didn't have to ask before Oscar jumped off the edge of the wall. Daryl and Rick brought Micheal to the side, knowing he would not be able to make it on his own with his leg shot.
"Fuck, fuck, fucking shit." Micheal bit his tongue, he had not been shot before. He had a few close calls, but that bullet went into his leg. He left a blood trail on the edge of the wall as Rick and Daryl lowered him down. He did his best to help, but was unable to do much. Oscar caught him, grasping him put pressure on the fresh gunshot wound and he hissed, trying his damnest not to make too much noise. That guard was alone, they still had a chance to get out.
Markus came up to Micheal, throwing his arm over his shoulder after collecting their bags. Micheal incapable of carrying his own, Oscar scooped it off the ground as the duo began to make their way to the treeline just ahead.
"Get moving, stay quiet." Rick ordered, "They'll be watching the roads. We'll have to stick to the woods for a bit, stay close together- Micheal and Markus in the center of the group." He backed away from the wall, checking to make sure no one was on the wall behind them.
They disappeared into the darkness, a mission successful if a bit sideways.
Rick watched Micheal struggle to limp ahead of him. He would have to explain Micheal's injury to Red, at least Markus was there to vouch for them. He regretted returning with one of Red's people hurt. It went far better than he anticipated.
Though he did leave more guns behind to pick up some of the documents from the precinct-turned-lab. He wanted to know what this man was doing and why he thought Laura was a cadaver. Rick assumed this man believed she was a walker, but her mannerisms would obviously tell a different story.
Rick thought about this, unsure what to believe. When this man got Laura was she... turned like Carol said she was teetering on the edge of? Is that why she is so strange, so scared of them; because that was not Laura anymore? He tried to make sense of it all, the documents inside the precinct did not seem to suggest that Laura displayed any humanity. It was all tests, measurements, and anatomical studies that he did not understand.
Either way he had complete folders that man had made. He would read them once he had the time, but kept it to himself. He was worried what Daryl might do if he saw those pictures that accompanied the folders.
At least for some time he will keep the documents to himself. He needed to check them before telling everyone, whatever was inside could be good or bad for them. He hoped it proved Laura was still there, even if she was different. She survived a lot more than he had known; he did not want to know she had turned into whatever a cured walker turned into.
For himself and the others he wanted her to still be there, he wanted to talk to her again. He needed her now after Lori's death, that support she offered back before the herd was helpful and provided him the addition leg he needed to stand on.
Rick's mind wandered to the pictures and he resisted a shudder. They were grotesque and graphic, he wouldn't sleep well with those images in his head.
The group all seemed rather absent minded, each one taken with a different aspect of their journey into Woodbury. They struck first and severely crippled their weapon stocks. Now it was time to find out if that was enough.
The walk back to the SUV would be long and exhausting. Rick began to wonder if they would see Michonne again.
Gemini's Revenge:
Hey, of course. I don't want you guys to just HOPE for a romance that never happens. It WILL happen and it's coming back quickly now that we have an inkling about Daryl's feelings for Laura. They still exist, but trying to handle everything with Woodbury, Laura, and the prison, all their losses too; they're all overworked and overwhelmed. Daryl especially so as a man who has never really been a part of a larger group like this. He has so much he's having to deal with at once - also with Merle's reunion coming up soon. ;)
The Atlanta and Red Atlanta group seriously need a vacation.
And yeah, I've been enjoying getting the group together now. There really hasn't been any time for them to really get to know each other, but I promise it will happen!
That makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside! I'm glad you like my writing so much. I try to do my best when I write, but I realize I make a lot of mistakes and try to learn from them. I know about a typo from like the first ten chapters I never fixed because I keep forgetting too! xD
I'm super happy you like Laura, it really makes me feel good about her. I try to be realistic, but also using the bendable reality being a FanFiction reader allows, but keeping it within reasonable means. I want people to be invested in Laura, but you can't be invested if you have to keep picking out ridiculous and unrealistic moments. It makes it hard to be immersed. So to hear you like Laura that much, to feel she is realistic and you can delve into the story means a lot to me! It's all I ever wanted my readers to feel. :D
Hahaha yeah I noticed that too! I got a notification when you reviewed and I was like "Hey, good news! Here's another!"
I would die to see someone in a Laura costume! I have actually thought about trying it, but I'm incredibly shy and get super nervous. I wish I wasn't such a baby. x.x
If you do it, send me a picture! I'd love to see it. :D
As always I'm thrilled you like the story so much and I can't wait to bring you more! I hope you keep enjoying it!
adelphe24:
Yeah, I feel bad that Laura isn't getting a lot of attention lately. But I'm kinda using her time locked up for... something hahahahaha
We're gonna have many, MANY chapters entirely dedicated to Laura. And more chapters focused on Daryl and Laura together ;)
CLAWS FOREVER WOOOOOOOOO
Gryffindor Rat:
Aww haha, I'm glad you enjoy my talking. I have an issue that I talk a TON and people tend to not listen/read it because I talk so much. So I'm glad someone likes to hear me ramble! xD
I'm trying my best to focus on others, I realize readers want to hear more about Laura. I feel bad knowing that I cannot give them that at this moment. All those chapters would be is Laura sitting in a cell and waiting. She isn't doing much but having an internal war about what to do and how to handle these people. It would be quite boring to read!
But the action is happening with everyone else not to mention the other OC's in this story would be flat and bland if I did not help provide depth to them. I have to show their personalities as well as Laura's. We've already met Laura 1.0, we'll meet Laura 2.0 soon, but before that we have to focus on what is moving the story forward. Red's group is a main point to make, they are trying to meld with Rick's and create a united effort to survive. All while Rick is about to hit his deep end and, as Glenn so eloquently puts it, "wanders CrazyTown."
I want my readers to care about Red and his people too. I want them to enjoy reading with them, hearing their struggles, and coming to understand the depth of those characters and how they will end up changing some situations in the future. Which they will. A lot in the show would be different with Laura around and the sheer numbers Red's group supports to Rick's would also change a few situations. ;)
I won't change too much, I still want people to enjoy what difference these characters make in the situations the TWD offers. Not just create stuff and hope everyone likes it. That could alienate a lot of readers. :x
Yeah, we haven't been on the Red Atlanta side very much. We see peaks into their inner workings, but we really haven't delved into the group dynamics yet. I want that to happen when Rick and Red accept each other and form a longer group of Atlanta survivors together. So you're right on the money with that one. ;)
You pretty much nailed that one. I don't have much more to explain about it without risking giving stuff away, so I'll leave it at that. The Red Atlanta group are still relatively outsiders to the Atlanta group.
We don't really focus on their depth as a group because of this since our story takes place with Rick's people. We, I mean "we" as the readers, will have to accept Red's group into Rick's naturally. It can't be immediate, Rick still doesn't not trust them that much. His own mental stresses are causing him trouble, but more than that. What happened between them and Laura has stuck with Rick and some of the others who were that close to Laura to see how much it hurt her even to think about.
That did create healing wound between the groups even though it happened before Laura met Rick. He also does not really believe the story of Laura "forgiving" Red and his people coincidentally right when Carol was not able to see or hear it. He's not sure if the rest of Red's group is in on it or if Red made a decision for the group. Or if he's telling the truth and, in an act of self sacrifice and mercy towards Red and his people, forgave them believing she was about to die. It did sound like something she would do to Rick, but he will not let his guard down so easily.
Merle in TWD during this time and even well after it believed 100% that the only way to survive the Governor is to escape, abandon the prison and get the hell out. He still believes that in this story, true to his character. But we'll see how that plays out now that the events have been changed since Glenn and Maggie weren't captured and he only believes his brother is with them. :)
We'll see... we'll seeeeeeeee...
But yes you are correct. Merle understands Laura on another level that no one in the Atlanta or Red Atlanta group can. He's in the same situation as her, trapped in a place he knows to sleep with one eye open in. He has a much better deal with the Governor, but that's not because he got lucky, it's because of her 'state' and he knows that. I believe Merle's violent, sexist, and racist behavior is fueled by previous scarring before the outbreak. He doesn't actually think or believe what he says, he knows he's an asshole and capitalizes on that in a world where assholes rule the pack. He's a smart man, even if his exterior appears to contradict that. Never judge a book by the cover!
Merle's position in bringing Laura back to the group will be critical. He will reconnect her to the group because he's the only one she willingly communicates with. Though they did so through hand signals that Merle learned impressively quickly. Laura feels more comfortable with Merle, knowing when he had many, many chances to do her harm (be it torture, rape, or other) he never took that. Merle played a role in her capture, but did not care to be a part of anything else.
I believe Merle's role in TWD when he beat Glenn was because the Governor know Merle's brutality would get them the answer they wanted. Merle wanted his brother, the Governor wanted their hideout. So he let Merle take charge of that interrogation.
In this case Merle had no real bearings in interrogating Laura. He asked her once if his brother was part of the group she had been captured from, but he didn't believe Daryl was there. There was no signs his brother ever lived in that house. No hunting tools, only scavenged supplies.
Laura is fine with the few moments Merle was rough with her. He was not a gentle man with soft, caring hands. He was a gruff man, tough as nails and grittier than coarse sandpaper. But in moments of weakness, when she failed to keep up her appearance as the cold monster Woodbury wanted her to be; he toned it down for her. He was not really "kind" in the conventional way, but he was "kind" in his way. She noted that and quickly came to understand he was not her enemy and so long as she did not harm him, he would not hurt her.
So we'll see more interactions between them! :D
Daryl is SUPER in denial. After this chapter it will be hard to continue that denial. We'll see how that goes~
Yeah, space isn't going to do it. She feels trapped and seeing the cell at the precinct, comparing it to the cell in the prison - as far as Laura can see her situation actually got worse. Her cage is smaller, brighter, with people always around her, and no privacy. :(
There was a bit of Daryl bit of Rick during that discussion in the previous chapter. Both the men think differently, but share the same feelings about a lot. This is often paraded on the show and I want to include that closeness Rick and Daryl have in this story. It can be challenging as differentiating between the two is very hard to nail down. So instead of constantly trying to be like "Rick thought this" or "Daryl thought that" I've started to blend them together hoping people will be able to see and accept this as both of their opinions even if that realization is not conscious.
Perhaps I should be more clear about that in future chapters! :D
Here's a long one. 12k words and about 4-5k are dedicated to Laura's time in Woodbury... enjoy the crumbs~!
