Curative


They didn't have to wait for the gate to be opened. Once they were seen approaching people began to hurry out to get them inside.

Carol unlocked the gate, Glenn and Rick went to open it. The walkers in the field were being kept off by Laura and Michonne, giving plenty of room for Daryl and Merle to get inside. Quickly they were met with aid, Red had come up to help Daryl and Merle.

Understandably, the group was confused and alarmed by the state of their returning members. Merle who looked like he'd been thoroughly beaten in and Laura who was still dripping blood with noticeable wounds. It was clear the fight took place between the two ex-Woodbury soldiers, leaving Michonne and Daryl out of it.

The gate was pushed closed and locked behind them. Merle was taken inside the cellblock to see Hershel. After that eyes turned to Laura and Michonne, one looked significantly better than the other. It was an awkward silence as people tried to find the right thing to say. Especially to Michonne who was nearly traded into the Governor.

Unexpectedly, it was Braddock that spoke first. "Are you both okay?"

Michonne nodded as she was unharmed, having survived a few close calls. She wasn't the one dripping red and black blood though, so Michonne assumed the bulk of the question was for Laura.

The same Laura that stood there expressionless, bleeding, and silent. With nothing but animosity towards the group, Laura ignored the question entirely. They wouldn't receive a single word from Laura, not even a sign of what she was feeling.

Carol cautiously approached Laura, her arms wrapped around her waist. "Come inside, let's get you patched up." Her hand gently reached out for Laura's arm, knowing the blue-skinned woman found comfort in touch. It was a continuing trait of Laura's that most people knew, she was physically affectionate and sought it in return.

Only when Carol's hand hovered over Laura's arm, the woman jerked her arm away. Surprised, Carol pulled her hand back to her chest. She didn't know what to do or say, Laura had rejected her despite not having anything to do with what happened. Carol looked towards Rick, glancing between him, Glenn, and Braddock.

Laura didn't give them a chance to speak to her as she left for the opposite cellblock. To get away from them, away from everything. Listening to anyone try to explain this situation away only annoyed her.

As she stalked away, Rick wanted to stop her. He knew what happened was bad, what they did was wrong; he wanted a chance to talk with her, but he didn't know what to say. She looked liked she had just taken on a significant few wounds and with the blood dropping behind her... he wasn't sure where to start.

There was nothing to be said, not just yet. So much had dropped onto the prison and the most important was the Woodbury threat. They had to prepare, allow the group time to vote on staying or leaving. Despite his strong feelings on the matter, Rick abstained from the decision as some form of penance. In his mind, it wasn't enough, but it's all he could do for now.

When the metal door closed behind Laura, Rick looked to Michonne. "What happened out there?" Concern evident in his voice and though he wanted to ask a hundred different questions, he needed to know where to begin.

Michonne turned her head back to the cellblock where Daryl and Merle went. Her eyes resting back onto Rick, "You should ask them." Contrary to Rick, Michonne was perfectly calm. On the way back to the prison she had come to the conclusion that this deal with Philip was terrible, but as Laura said Rick had changed his mind. Merle went rogue when he took her.

While she understood the deal and why Rick considered it, she still wanted some time to mull it over. But their partnership together would remain, even stronger since Rick turned down the deal and all that came with it.

Carol, concerned over her friend, followed Laura's trail. She didn't want to leave the undead woman alone with her thoughts; Carol knew how bad that was before. Hurrying after her, Carol disappeared into the same cellblock as Laura.

"This is bad." Braddock breathed lowly, shocked at the scene that just played out. "This is very, very bad." He looked beside him to see Glenn nodding.

"We still have to vote, but if we stay and fight; we're down two people." Glenn approached Rick. Though everyone felt betrayed by Rick's deception, they needed everyone to fight together. "Merle looked dead on his feet and I don't know about Laura, but she didn't exactly look open to discussion."

Rick ran a hand over the back of his head, his mind whirling with thoughts. Mostly he was concerned about the group, about Woodbury striking them before they could decide. "We can't change that. Everyone needs to vote now. We're running out of time."

Glenn agreed, there could be no more time spared for consideration. Woodbury could attack any time now, they had to make the decision. "I'll tell the others... You should check on Daryl." Glenn took his leave, heading back inside to spread the warning.

Rick made a beeline straight for the brothers hoping to get an answer from them. Anything to explain what happened so he could try to help fix the damage. Whether it was caused by him, the deal, or something to do with Merle; Rick needed more information before he could help.

Braddock gestured to Michonne. "You want some lunch?"

"I could eat." Michonne offered a faint grin. She was tired from the day's events and was nursing a headache. Food and water were welcome aids.

Rick rushed into the cellblock, passing through the tables to the far gate. It wasn't hard to figure out which cell they were in. He could see Maggie heading inside an open cell just as Daryl exited it, trying to resist pacing around the cellblock.

Red was at the far end of the cells standing with Daisy and Micheal. They were talking, but too quiet to be heard. The tension in the prison was ramping up and it was causing some mistrust between the two groups.

Hershel was no doubt inside the cell working on what wounds Merle sustained with Maggie's help. While that went on Daryl was forced to wait and he struggled with that. So much had gone wrong so fast, the deal with the Governor nearly cost them so much more than they expected.

As Rick neared his distressed friend, he peered inside. Hershel didn't appear to be frantic in the process, telling Rick the injuries were not immediately life-threatening. With that in mind, he addressed Daryl with less urgency. "Is he awake?"

Nervous and a worried wreck, Daryl nodded. "Hershel says he'll be fine."

Rick already figured that part out, but it helped break the awkwardness between them. They knew what they should mention and really dig into. It was hard to admit it, that lapse in judgment that almost cost lives. The deal was rotten from the start.

They had so many people injured or dead in the last few days. It appeared they were quickly losing more and, if they didn't vote soon, perhaps a lot more.

Through their time together Rick had gotten to know Daryl rather well. Nothing much mattered aside from the safety of the group and each other. They survived together, fought together, and created a tight bond that just solidified even more.

While it was rare to see Daryl distressed, it wasn't so uncommon that Rick couldn't identify it. Rick was feeling it too, that feeling of everything starting to close in around you. It was a crushing pressure that slowly built over time.

In an attempt to relieve some of that pressure from Daryl, Rick started first. With his hands on his hips looking towards the cells, Rick steadied himself. "This is my fault." He muttered aside, "I did this." With a shallow sigh, Rick looked to Daryl.

Realizing Rick was taking the blame for the deal, Daryl shook his head. "Nah, we all agreed to it. You, me, and Hershel. This is on us."

"The Governor made the deal with me, I made the call. You both were just trying to protect the group." Rick insisted his guilt for the deal was his alone. As he saw it he met with Philip, he discussed the deal and agreed. This made him responsible, no one else.

"Yeah, so were you." Despite the events of today, Daryl was still ready to back Rick up. The decision was made, but ultimately they all allowed it to happen. Even if they didn't like it, they still went along with it. Once the day unfolded they were caught red-handed.

Rick appreciated the support for sure, even if he still felt it was all his doing. "Well, I'm not doing it anymore. We vote together, everyone gets a say." Daryl was a bit surprised to hear it but relieved to see the group was changing. How things were caused a lot of trouble, people were starting to break. "Hopefully things like this don't happen again."

Though Rick was talking about the events starting and leading up to their war with Woodbury, he also meant how it hurt the group. People felt betrayed when Rick told them the deal with the Governor. Carl was taking it the worst, now refusing to be around Rick.

This extended to a few people having difficulty excusing Rick's choices. Yet they recognized the position Rick was in and the pressure that came along with it. A lot was going wrong and they were finally able to take steps to repair the damage.

Daryl looked behind Rick and glanced through the cellblock. "Where is she?"

It didn't take much for Rick to know who he was looking for. What she was feeling was enough for her to give Rick the cold shoulder. He didn't know how bad it was truly. "The other cellblock." Rick could see Daryl putting it together. "Carol went after her. About jumped out of her skin when Carol touched her. I think maybe you should talk to her."

Rick did not need to say it for Daryl to do it. Yet Daryl still did not take a step away, he was hesitant after everything. He saw how she looked at Rick when he told her about the deal for Michonne, then that same look directed at himself. It wasn't good, he never saw it from her directed at him.

Before Laura said a word, he felt like something just broke. It was startling, Daryl had never done anything to hurt Laura intentionally or not. All this time together and Daryl never once caused Laura pain or even mild discomfort. All of a sudden, he was a target of that and it felt terrible.

Out of everyone they knew, everything they had done, all the things that had happened to them. Daryl always worried he'd ruin their relationship somehow, someday. He wondered what kind of damage had just been done now. "She looked upset."

Rick let out a deep sigh, his eyes fell to the ground in thought. "Yeah. Yeah, she did." Rick could see the struggle Daryl was having with himself. It was strange to see him so conflicted about Laura. "Come on, let's go." Rick ushered him along with him, hoping to quell whatever argument Daryl was having with himself.

As the two left the cellblock, others began to converge on their final decision. Red watched them leave with great interest and, now that he was calmer, he could see how this group stayed together. It was in shambles for sure, but Rick stepping down as the group's leader had begun to repair the tatters left behind.

He felt Daisy rub his arm, still supportive as ever. "What should we do?" She watched Red's expression scrunch into confusion and contemplation. Their people were suffering now more than ever and it looked like more was to come.

"We stick by them. We don't abandon anyone." Red affirmed, appearing confident in that decision. "Rick said he'll have Laura explain this whole thing. He seems to be coming around, I mean at least he's not waving his gun around anymore."

Braddock sighed in relief, "Oh good, I didn't want to leave. They're really nice people."

The trio was in agreement, not a shred of doubt between them. "They are..." Red crossed his arms, leaning back against the concrete wall. "I went a bit crazy there myself. I can't blame Rick for something I did too. I don't want to be that kind of person."

"I'm glad to hear it, Red." Daisy rubbed his arm firmly, a bright smile on her bruised face. "I didn't want to give up on them just because we had a falling out. It looks to me like they struggled, but when they needed each other the most they supported one another. I'd like for us to be a part of that."

Red gave Daisy a sidelong look. "I don't know about that. I'll wait to see what happens with this vote and with Woodbury. I think we'll really see how they do under fire." Red's eyes found the cell Hershel was tending to Merle in. "Merle walked away with Michonne on Rick's orders. Under pressure, Rick threw Michonne to the Governor."

"True, but he admitted his mistake and did what he could to make up for it. He came clean to everyone, that wasn't easy." Daisy stepped forward, now standing partially in front of Red. "From what I understand, Merle took Michonne without telling Rick. So he never truly gave the order, only considered the deal."

"Yeah, but I don't think Laura sees it that way." Braddock's brow furrowed in worry. "She didn't even say anything. All bloody and just, y'know, soaked through."

Daisy also shared Braddock's concern. "I think this just started something between Laura and them. I don't think we want to get between them. They all have a long history together, there are things we simply don't know."

"All I care about is her explaining what happened with Markus and if we're really safe around her. If there's a lovers quarrel going on it's none of our business." Red crossed his arms, his stern gaze fixed on Rick and Daryl's backs as they walked away.

That anger was contained, but it was still there. He couldn't let it burst out of him again though it was threatening to. Daisy knew he was stretched thin and this issue wasn't going away any day soon.

Braddock and Daisy shared a glance, something told them things were going to get worse before they got better. Knowing previous situations with Red they could only hope he wasn't part of the problem. So much was going on already, so many pieces of their lives falling apart.

They were tired and the fight had not yet started.

Daisy left their sides after a beat of silence. She wanted to see what was going on and approached the cell with Hershel and Maggie inside. There was no telling what happened outside the prison, all Daisy knew is it resulted in the two combatants returned injured despite their close history.

Merle was sitting on the cot, his shirt off while Hershel tended to a particularly deep wound on his collar. A few bandages stained with blood wrapped around his ribs up to the opposite shoulder. He had some reddened splotches slowly forming into bruises; tomorrow he would look a lot worse than he already does.

Her curiosity and search for some hint of what happened did not go unnoticed. She was not trying to hide it or act as if she much cared for Merle. In her limited experiences with the man, Daisy considered him brutish and seemingly callous. Though she was unsure if her distaste for the man came from a lack of understanding.

Merle was willing to accept the deal with the Governor and went to complete it alone, going against Rick's leadership. So Daisy surmised Merle did not agree to carry out the deal to follow orders, he hates the Governor so there's no risk of betrayal there... but Merle had connections to the prison. His brother and Laura, the former more so than the latter.

Daisy was critiquing Merle's time in the prison, turning on Woodbury, his understanding of Laura, his relationship with his brother. Then she started to see all the pieces coming together, forming a rather mismatched sequence of events with Merle as the aggressor each time.

Maggie saw Daisy standing just outside the cell looking in. In her hands, she carried clothes to replace his torn and bloody shirt. She didn't like Merle all that much either, but she knew he wasn't going to be leaving. Not with Daryl here at the prison, it just wasn't possible without starting a fight.

On the farm, Maggie never spoke more than a handful of words to Daryl. She had thought him similar to the way she sees Merle right now. Daryl was rough, unwelcoming, and volatile. But she knew Daryl went out day after day looking for Sophia, nearly dying in the process. Seeing that dedication, seeing how he worked himself bloody, told her all she needed to know about him to trust him.

Then she found out that a mousy girl with the group was dating him. Maggie almost couldn't believe it until she saw them together. From what Maggie saw, they were perfect together. Daryl would always look out for her and unlike his usual mannerisms, he was exceedingly gentle with Laura. She also saw how distressed and enraged Daryl was when Shane attacked her outside the barn.

So she came to the conclusion that Daryl was a good man, someone worth her respect and trust. Yet when she looked at Merle, she had no idea how the two of them were related. Maggie wondered if she was wrong about Merle just like she was about Daryl...

And then this happens. Merle and Laura fighting nasty as Merle took off on his own to give Michonne to the Governor. It was disappointing, she had hoped she was wrong, but nothing Merle did proved to her he was alike his brother in any way.

Her concerns rested on her family and Glenn. She didn't trust Merle at all and that meant she couldn't stand the idea of him around anyone of them. Merle picked fights and things were tense enough as is. With so many explosive people locked inside this prison things were bound to go wrong.

Rick, Red, and Merle all had short fuses and Laura was a match. All it took was for one wrong move and that match would light them all up.

The key person in all of this would be the only one that carried weight to all four; Daryl.

Maggie met Daisy's contemplative gaze. She felt a sickening anticipation building over the last week in the prison. If Woodbury didn't wipe them out, they might end up tearing each other apart. Whatever happens with Woodbury needed to be resolved quickly or Maggie feared the group may not survive.

All she wanted was to protect her family and Glenn. She wanted them together, safe inside the walls even though it started to seem like the prison was the least safe place to be.

Hershel leaned away from Merle's stitched stab wound, the work was remarkably clean. He kept his hands away from his own clothes, waiting to go wash off the splotches of blood. "You'll be fine, none of the wounds hit anything important, but you'll have to take it easy so you don't tear the stitches."

Merle smirked lamely but ignored most of the people around him. He was certainly distressed by what happened, the man didn't have a shred of subtlety to him. Sure, he played it off as if he didn't care or it didn't bother him, but it obviously did.

Despite their many many differences, Hershel felt sympathetic for this estranged man. Somewhere buried deep inside Merle's head he cared about the people around him. Hershel could see it and in his experience with people like Merle, they had a lot they needed to work through.

"I mean it." Hershel warned him, "We're almost out of wire. You break those, you might not get more." Reaching to his crutches, Hershel lifted himself from the metal chair. Maggie handed him his second crutch as she helped him out of the cell.

Nothing would be solved so soon after the fight. Both sides needed time and space to cool down and think about everything. Only after the immediate issue is resolved could they start working for something better in the long run.

Hershel would not press the matter today nor even in the week to come. Just as he does with his daughters, with Glenn, he would extend to Merle. Time, patience, and affirmation that there is a better way. Hershel didn't know if it would ever make a difference yet he would try regardless.

As he exited the cell with Maggie, he saw Daisy step passed them. She stood just under the gate of the cell with her sights set on Merle. Hershel paused to see what exchange Daisy sought out with him, Maggie sharing his interest.

It didn't take long for Merle to look up and see Daisy standing there staring at him. He thought of a few remarks, something to taunt her specifically. Yet as he thought them, he looked at her bruises and abandoned them all.

He grabbed the shirt Maggie left for him and started to put in on when Daisy finally spoke.

"What happened out there?" There was a firmness to her question, but her tone was gentle. Daisy could be both forceful and caring at the same time, leaving Merle confused on if she was angry or just looking for information. He adjusted his shirt, straightening out the fabric while he considered his answer.

Daisy did not press for it, she simply waited for him to decide how to answer. She thought he might lie, perhaps throw around a few blind accusations or insults. Something completely unhelpful and frustrating.

"All I did is exactly what Rick asked for. He wanted to give Michonne to Philip, that's what I did." Merle played off as if her question was not about the fight between himself and Laura. They already knew about the deal and Rick's involvement, an issue that for now had been resolved in some way.

To clarify and force him out of avoiding the question, Daisy revised her query. "What happened between you and Laura?"

In typical fashion, Merle stood up with a big wide smug grin. He used his imposing size and mocking attitude as an attempt to scare her away. "Let's call it a... friendly debate. Just us talking." Still, Merle kept that grin on his face, an infuriating person through and through.

"A friendly debate that resulted in what, two, three stab wounds? You're going to be feeling that 'friendly debate' tomorrow." Daisy cut through his glibness. "What happened, Merle? No bullshit, no long-winded exposition of lies sprinkled with kernels of truth we have to discover for ourselves."

Alright. So Daisy seemed to have a firm grasp on him. Merle realized this and had a much harder time giving a useless diatribe to her. She wouldn't be fooled or pushed away by that.

Merle set his jaw as he eyed her. "Well, don't you just got me down to a T, huh?" He looked for a reaction, but Daisy gave no insights into what she was thinking. She was completely unreadable. "Would you believe me if I told you that she came at me? She swung first, I merely defended myself. As anyone here would do."

Though Daisy wanted to refute him, she stopped herself. Laura had changed significantly since they last met, she was no longer recognizable as the girl from Atlanta. She was fully capable of throwing the first punch if she wanted to.

Without any way to prove Laura did not and contest Merle's claim, Daisy had to leave it be. "You said she swung first. Fists, I assume? Why do you have stab wounds if y'all were just fist fighting?"

"Ah, y'know how a fight can be! People get a little heated, things get in the way, and maybe someone pulls out a knife." Merle rubbed his face with his hand. He looked to pass off the severity of the fight as nothing more than an everyday street brawl. "Especially when someone already had a weapon. That girl came at me with those things are her hands. Makes her a heavy hitter an' when she got angry enough, she used 'em like they were meant."

"Angry enough." Daisy honed her focus on that statement alone. "Laura was 'angry enough' at you to stab and claw you? Even though you two came here together, vouched for each other, and you clearly cared enough about her to create a sign language only you two can understand. How did she get so angry she was willing to use lethal force on you?"

Daisy wasn't buying his story for a second. Though she tried to get him to stop beating around the bush, it wasn't happening. Merle was incorrigible.

With a half-hearted shrug, Merle committed to the roundabout he had started. "I don't know how many fights you been in, little girl. When you start fightin' you best be prepared 'bout how it ends if you can stomach it."

"In my experience, most fights end with both parties walking away." She rebutted with force. "Unless you're telling me you didn't brawl like two drunks outside a bar, but instead went after each other with the intent to kill. Which brings us right back to my question; how did Laura get so angry she was willing to use lethal force?" Daisy repeated, showing Merle she was not budging on the topic an inch.

Faced with valid accusations and an unwavering disposition, Merle could only shift under her gaze. "Fights go south fast, the hell you want me to say, huh?" Merle's sarcastic tone dropped entirely, making way for a more venomous attitude. "We had ourselves a little disagreement. Your little biter friend sucker-punched me an' shit went from there."

Daisy finally showed him a sign his nasty comments had gotten to her. He did not expect what exactly reached her though. Her posture changed, she seemed to have gotten more out of little than he meant. "Biter." She echoed his rather unfortunate choice of words. "Is that what you did, you called her a walker to her face knowing how much it hurts her?"

This time it was Merle who flinched from Daisy's words. He didn't shrink back, but he did realize his little slip up had gotten him in hot water. It wasn't as though he could avoid it for long as is despite his attempts to postpone the consequences of his actions.

It was obvious to see Daisy's confrontational question got under his skin. Merle's only face was the tough redneck exterior he purposefully put on to scare people off before they got the chance to see under the mask. The truth of the matter was that Merle was a weak man that could not accept even the faintest affection of others without running away.

Trying to put that face back on once it was removed was almost impossible. Daisy saw through him and it unnerved the large man until he was the one breaking under her gaze. "You been in a fight, shit happens. Even if you're fightin' a friend or family. It's all fair game to win the fight, then y'all just move on. It's over." His excuse was sloppily put together. To anyone with the slightest sense, his response was utter nonsense.

"You did and she got mad because it hurt so much. You knew it would too, so it hurt even worse coming from someone she was close to. To her, that's a betrayal of trust, something personal." Daisy frowned in thought, "That wouldn't drive her to kill on its own. If it did I'm sure most of us would've gotten the same treatment you did... What else?"

Merle decided he didn't like this woman.

"Get off my damn case, woman. Just cause you and that farm girl got beat on, cause he beat your face to a bloody mess. I ain't the cause of it, I don't owe you shit." Merle snapped at her with surprising poison. He was pushed into a corner and like every time before, he lashed out.

Lucky for Daisy it was all she needed. "That's what you did." Daisy's eyes closed as her hand came up to gently rub over her eyelids. "Laura came to stop the deal after Rick told her. You got into it with her and when she pushed you, you attacked her. Not with knives or your fists, you knew enough about her to know that wouldn't sway her either way. So you used your knowledge of her to attack her as a person, her experiences; her trauma."

Daisy was more worried now than ever. Every time she had met Laura there was some new awful thing that happened to her. From the experimentation to the men in Atlanta, to the farmhouse, and Woodbury. Merle would know most of that and everything about Woodbury.

So he used it against her to goad her into a fight and it worked. "Of course you did. That's why you're this messed up, why she's not in here. You hurt her in a way I couldn't possibly imagine someone doing to a person. Especially someone that means something to you."

The harsh unerring judgment from Daisy managed to get through Merle deeply. Perhaps one of the few times in Merle's life he was subjected to such personal retribution. He didn't like it but had nothing to say to it.

All Daisy knew is she needed to go talk to Rick and Daryl before they ended up agitating the situation. Right now if they approached her wrong her reaction could be exceedingly explosive. In a way, they had not seen from Laura before.

Leaving the cell in a rush, Daisy headed straight for the exit where she had seen Rick and Daryl leave. Her hurried pace caught the attention of Red and Braddock who shared a surprised glance before following her out.

Merle was left in the dust with his thoughts and regrets. He would have no peace of mind for the foreseeable future, at least to him. What happened outside the prison returned with them and was ready to burst.

While Hershel and Maggie had watched the exchange, they did not engage with Merle afterward. Instead, they left him to think about what he had done.

As Daisy reached the cafeteria she paused to see Michonne sitting alone with a bowl of leftovers, the lunch she had missed. Daisy hoped for more than what Merle gave her and looking for her best shot to calm Laura down, she approached Michonne.

"I'm sorry for what happened. I know we had no idea about the deal, but we are all responsible for our choices as a group. You deserve to be here and I'm glad you're here." Daisy's fingers twisted together as she waited for a positive response. Her next few words were entirely reliant on how Michonne reacted.

Michonne studied the body language of the woman as she set her spoon down slowly. Her every move was a cautious one, her own thoughts on Daisy kept close to her chest. "Rick changed his mind. I get he had to consider it." Her eyes narrowed, "But that's not really why you came to talk to me."

Daisy sighed, "I hope to get to know you too. Right now though I'm very worried about our friend, Laura. I know a little about what happened, but I was hoping you could tell me more. She's hurt and probably feeling-"

"I won't say." Michonne interrupted her to save her breath. "What he said to her was personal. It got to her, but it's not my place to say. If she doesn't want to tell you or anyone, I'll respect that."

While Daisy had hoped for more, she knew what Michonne said was right. "I understand and... I'm thankful for your discretion. It was rude of me to ask."

Michonne nodded once, "You only want to help your friend." She supported Daisy's concern. The intention was good even if it was a bit underhanded.

"Do you happen to know where Laura is? I want to check in on her."

"She went to the other block. Didn't seem like she was open to talking." Michonne warned her. There was no mistaking Laura's antipathy even though Michonne didn't know how many people it was directed to.

"Thank you." Daisy's tone was sincere and apologetic. She left Michonne to finish her lunch and continued on her path to Laura. Red and Braddock close on her heels as they all left the cellblock.

Stepping outside into the hot sun blinded Daisy for a moment, her eyes adjusting to the sudden light as she made her way across the courtyard. The gates were already unlocked and the door cracked open, left there in Rick and Daryl's rush to reach Laura.

Entering the cellblock there was no sign of the people in question. It seemed silent as Daisy went towards the cells and saw no one, not even the faint echo of people talking. They were not in the cells or the cafeteria which left only one other place they could've gone.

Sure enough, Red found the gate to the tombs unlocked and left open. They had dove into the dark tunnels having come to the same conclusion this trio did. Laura sought refuge not only alone but in hiding. Real privacy that could possibly separate her from others.

Though some of the tombs were clear, there were at times stragglers they had not found before. It was a bit risky, but Daisy and the two men knew the group would not hesitate to follow Laura through walkers to help her. So they would do the same, pushing through their nerves as they entered the dark tombs.

It was damp, dark, and smelled like death. This cellblock had not been given the same treatment as the other where the group lived. In these tombs, there were still a few walker bodies dead and rotting on the ground. They were sure to still check if they were moving.

The twists and turns of the tombs would prove difficult to navigate. They pushed on as they searched for the group in the dark.


Jomobabe45:

I'm glad you've gotten some free time for yourself! Sounds like you've been working exceptionally hard! I'm also glad you're feeling better, it sounds like it was rough. :(
I hope you've been enjoying these angst-filled chapters! I'm sorry about the long wait, I needed some time to think and reset myself. I published a lot of chapters in one go and I needed a mental break.
Rick definitely has a lot on his plate and his concern and stress has outweighed his sense. Unfortunately, it might end up hurting someone :(((
Yeah, Merle's one of a kind and that's not a good thing. I'm actually happy to hear it got a response! I was looking for that during the fight, it was meant to be emotionally draining. And ooooohhh yes we will see how it's damaged Laura's relationships. :)
I hope you like these new chapters!

AtlasNerd:
Hehehe, it was a pretty rough chapter. It took a long time to write out as I really wanted the comparison of physical and psychological fighting to be shown, but not overtly displayed.
HA! Right! I'm glad to hear it! I'm in the right place too, this whole thing and all my readers have been wonderful people! Feel free to ask your own questions or talk to me on tumblr, I'm super responsive and always answer ASAP! :)

Gemini's Revenge:

I try very hard to remain inspired and disciplined especially when I really want everyone to enjoy the story! Like, I get to enjoy it in my head but I want to share it! It takes work, but it's so very rewarding! That being said, I did need a long mental break from the last chapter. It took a lot out of me to write since I'm not very good at fight scenes. I spent a lot of time with friends playing Among Us! Please feel free to join me in a game sometime if you'd like :)))
Building PCs is very fun to me. It can be complicated if you go full speed water cooling and etc. It's super fun!

Oh god pottery! I'm so very terrible the last times I tried. It's good to have something creative activity I think, it seems to just help the brain work through stuff sometimes. At least, it does for me. OH SINGING! I've ALWAYS wanted to learn but I have a terrible voice. I have a fairly gritty voice, it's a bit deeper than you might expect from a woman. I don't like my voice x.x
I'm so super jealous, that's damn fantastic!

That's all fair. There's a lot of games and styles to choose from. I definitely enjoy those a lot too, especially stuff that allows you to create your own characters! I've absolutely recreated TWD in Fallout 4 with mods, even creating Laura in the game to play her. Playing Saints & Sinners helps too. Those two get me in the right mindset for Curative!
I haven't done local co-op since I was a kid. All my friends are too far away to play with on local!

I do love Hideo Kojima and his work is incredible. I'm not surprised that Metal Gear is amazing! I love games that react to the player, like you mentioned being a sniper so they wear helmets. There are so few that have such a complex and detailed AI. Hehe I might check out Phantom Pain once I finish the games I have upcoming. Give it a shot and see how I like it :)

That's fair, I dye my hair a lot. I shaved the side of my head and wear it as long as possible. Got a fire ombre and keep trying new styles. I find it fun and there's so much to do with your hair it's crazy. I love it and especially love seeing what I can do next! Plus I have a good friendship with my stylists, the man who cuts my hair and styles it is wonderful. The lady that dyes my hair often tells me things she wants to try and I'm like "Absolutely give it to me!" It helps her skills and creativity since she's got a customer willing to pay for her work. She's super nice :3
Your hair sounds GORGEOUS btw I'm jealous. I'm a natural blonde with blonder highlights lol I find it boring to me at least.

Oh my god yes horseriding is amazing. Nothing compares to me than going out into the hiking trails on a draft especially. I've been on drafts, thoroughbreds, quarterhorses, a Friesian, a gypsy vanner, and an appaloosa! They were all so wonderful, except maybe that thoroughbred. He was super sassy :/

1.) Not too complicated really. I'm actually fairly lucky since my hair is curly and thick, it gets dry but responds well to most products! I use Tresemme right now and it works super well for me. I just got lucky tbh
2.) I don't actually celebrate a lot. My family don't really observe any holidays. Not because we have anything against them, we just never have. I've never had a Christmas, birthday party, Thanksgiving, etc. :x
3.) A little complicated answer as I had only maybe 1 or 2 friends growing up. They were girls, but when I hit about 19-21 I was mostly friends with guys. Super chill dudes that I just fit in with. I don't know if there's a pattern there or just chance though.
4.) I don't mind any pronouns actually! I was born female, but I find myself not bothered with being called he/she/they or anything. So feel free to use whatever! Don't worry, it would take a LOT to offend me :)
5.) TBH YES. I'm a monster lover through and through. I love Yautja, Sangheili, I find Venom crazy hot, monsters aplenty for me! Also dig androids and stuff. I dunno what it is about monster people and androids but I love em all. I certainly have a lot of attraction to monster/android men, but when it comes to people I'm pan so I like men and women. But I don't have the same attraction to monster women? I don't know why. :|

Questionssssssssssssssssssssss:

1.) PEPSI OR COKE THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT
2.) Is it painfully obvious by my writing I am a Southerner? I live here near Atlanta, just north towards the mountains. I'm about 40 minutes out of Blue Ridge mountains. Definitely helps with writing for TWD when I actually live here lol
(I don't remember if I mentioned that before, but if I have you can skip it!)
3.) Do you have a favorite cat breed? A playoff of the dogs from earlier. My favorite is the Lykoi, the werewolf cats. :3
4.) Would you prefer to live in a city, suburb, rural? Beach, mountains, riverside, etc?
5.) Is there something you'd like to see from Curative? Any theories or ideas you hope to see realized?
(sorry I ask a lot about Curative, I just find it super interesting to hear some another person's perspective. You're so articulate in your answers it makes me want to ask a thousand things at once!)

I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Part 2 of this chapter will be published right now! :)