Chapter twenty-eight: Get that Walker off my lawn.
"If you really want something and really work hard and take advantage of opportunities and never give up; you will find a way."
When we returned to the group, Daryl sat next to me, arm resting across the back of my shoulders as I pulled my knees up to my chest and leaned into him as I had atop the bus.
"Better all turn in. I'll take watch over there, we've got a big day tomorrow." Rick announced, pointing to the bus, where he'd have a vantage point over the whole field.
"What do you mean?" Glenn asked with a frown as Maggie started to arrange herself.
"Look, I know we're all exhausted and this was a great win. But we gotta push just a little bit more. Most of the walkers are dressed as guards or prisoners, looks like this place fell pretty early. Could mean the supplies may be intact. They have an infirmary, a commissary."
"What 'bout an armoury?" Daryl supplied and Rick shook his head.
"That would be outside the prison itself, but not too far away. Warden's offices would have info on the location. Weapons, food, medicine, this place could be a gold mine!"
"We're dangerously low on ammo. We'll run out before we make a dent." Hershel responded and Rick nodded with a strange smile on his face.
"That's why we gotta go in there hand to hand. After all we've been through, we can handle it I know it. These assholes don't stand a chance." His words reminded me that I had one of Daryl's arrows, so I gave it back with a smile before lying back in the grass and staring at the stars.
Tomorrow would be a long day.
I worked in a group with Andrea and Sophia to clear the bodies away from the water, like T-Dog had suggested, trying to keep the water from getting contaminated.
"Hey," I turned my head and watched Daryl come up on his way to the top gates, "Rick's ready to go." After a quick kiss, he was off.
"Have fun." I called and he waved me off as Andrea gaped, laughing as she elbowed me.
"When did that happen?" She asked, looking over and noticing that most of the others had seen. Glancing at Sophia to make sure she wasn't listening, I leaned closer to Andrea under the pretence of helping her with a body.
"It happened last night, after I took him his food." We shared a secret laugh before Sophia asked if she could go up to the fence and we both sanctioned it.
"Tell me everything."
In short sentences, I recounted the tale to Andrea, knowing she would tell Maggie for me; by the gates, the others started to shout and bang on the chain link, taking out Walkers through the fence. Once the bodies were all piled up, we made our way back to the fence.
"They've gone inside, won't be long now." Hershel explained, seeing us looking around nervously; I could see the chained gate and frowned, wondering how long it would hold against the torrent of Walkers pressing on it. "We should be ready to move." He added, moving away from the fence as Lori nodded and rubbed her belly, Carl glaring at her as he and Sophia picked up their things and Rick's.
"Here, let me get that." Carol said kindly, taking Lori's bags from her and not letting her carry anything heavy. Between the two of us, Andrea and I carried the bags of weapons to the gate; it was mainly hand to hand weaponry, like axes and machetes, things that didn't need any ammo.
The sun had moved across the sky by the time Glenn and Maggie came to get us in; they led the way into Cell Block C, which stank of Walkers, but not as badly as the courtyard did. Rick and the others were moving bodies into one cell before locking it; the gate at the opposite end of the block was also locked; putting the groups communal bags down against the wall, Andrea wandered about looking into the cells with a wrinkled nose.
"What do you think?" Rick called, coming down the steps to the upper level with metallic thuds.
"It's home sweet home, right?" Glenn replied and I laughed loudly, covering my mouth at the reproachful look Lori shot me.
"It is, for the time being." Rick agreed and I stopped laughing, wondering what he meant.
"It's secure?" Lori asked nervously, massaging her belly.
"This cell block is." Rick smiled as he answered her; a rare sight given that he'd spent nearly eight months scowling at her.
"What about the rest of the prison?" Hershel probed, looking into a cell with Maggie at his side.
"In the morning, we'll find the cafeteria, and the infirmary." Beth gave the block a disparaging look as I went up the stairs to find a cell, aware that Daryl was watching from the top of the stairs.
"We'll sleep in the cells?" Beth complained, Rick nodded and Hershel rubbed her back comfortingly.
"I found the keys on some guards. Daryl has a set too." I snorted as he dragged a mattress off a bed and blocked the stairs with it, lying down and kicking his feet out.
"Man, I ain't sleeping in a cage. I'll take the perch." He explained, linking his arms under his head as Carol and Lori came up and took the cell one over from mine. Sighing, I looked around the cell I'd chosen and as I was bending down to put my bag on the floor, a hand gripped my ankle; with a cry, I fell back, a Walker dragged itself towards me from beneath the bed.
"What's goin' on?" Rick shouted, as I scrambled backwards, the Walker following with a snarl. Kicking out, my back hit the bars of the walkway, I could feel my heart thundering in my chest as Daryl ran down the walkway; he buried his buck knife in the Walker's head to the hilt before I got up and fisted my hands in my hair, turning away.
"Are you bit?" I didn't answer as my heart thundered; sweat breaking out on my skin as my stomach turned. "Ellie, are you bit?" He repeated as I turned back to face him, shaking my head.
"No, no I'm-I'm not bit." I stammered, seeing that Rick was halfway up the stairs, trailing Glenn and Hershel.
"How did this happen we checked the cells." Glenn said worriedly as Hershel started telling the others downstairs to get out of the cells.
"Where did it come from?" Daryl asked tightly and I pointed to the bed
"It was under the bed, grabbed me when I put my bag down." I answered distantly, mind racing with the fact that if I'd lain on the bed I would've been bitten without a doubt. He stomped into the cell and knelt down, looking under the bed before getting up and checking the top bunk too; once discerning that the cell was truly clear this time, he looked back at me. "I should've checked it first, shouldn't've gone in there without checking. I could have gotten myself killed being careless." I added, feeling like an idiot for panicking the group with my stupidity.
"Don't be silly, it could've happened to any of us." Carol soothed, rubbing my arm as Daryl nodded in agreement. Swallowing hard, I side stepped them and descended the stairs, exiting the Cell Block and heading back out into the field; at least out in the open I couldn't get my group hurt or killed.