Curative


Hello everyone!

I've been kinda sick the last few days so I failed to write, I'm sorry for the delay! I'm feeling a bit better now so I'm coming back around!

That being said, I know one of my weakest topics to write about is fight scenes! I'm not good at them and I'm working to improve on them. For this chapter, I attempted to try a suggested alteration to my usual combat writing style. (my usual style being sucking very bad at them)

So it might feel a bit off from the writing style yall've gotten used to in this story. I apologize if it's too glaring, I'm just looking to improve so you guys can get better quality chapters in the future. :)

That being said, please enjoy zombie Laura.


The prison was alive with movement. There was no telling when Woodbury would arrive, but they knew it was coming sooner rather than later. If the prison wasn't ready now, it would not make it until tomorrow. This understanding drove them all to work harder and faster despite the conflict within.

Their fortifications were as complete as they could be. Glenn and Maggie suited up in their riot gear prepared on the bridge between cell blocks. Multiple guns at their disposal allowing them to maintain fire consistently with minimal need to reload. The weapons Red and his group brought in as well as those Rick, Michonne, and Carl found were instrumental.

Hershel, Beth, Sophia, Melanie, Judith, and Carl all waited in the woods. They could not be anywhere near the fight. Though they lacked the combat ability of the others they were still given enough weapons to protect themselves. In the back of their car, they packed supplies, enough to survive on their own for a while if the prison fell.

It was a grim prospect. The expectation of dying to Woodbury and them having to go on the run, but Rick insisted on it. He could not bear the thought of the Governor killing them or worse him taking them alive. So a contingency plan was carried out should the worst come to pass.

They knew from Merle's insider knowledge that Woodbury would be rolling in with mounted guns. A massive military-grade Humvee that carried a .50 caliber machine gun on the back. When the Governor arrived Merle warned his tactics against an armed force that knew they were coming was to open fire with the machine gun. It would tear anything in its path apart. It would be nearly impossible to stop, but thanks to Michonne's spike traps it was likely to immobilize it.

Merle also informed them that Woodbury lacked the training necessary to care for the weapon. It frequently jammed or overheated. It had only ever not jammed on an attack once to which it then promptly jammed once they returned to Woodbury. The unreliability meant they could bet the gun would be out of service quickly. All they had to do is survive the first wave.

Knowledge was their strength and guerrilla tactics were their best chance at survival. If they fought head-on they would lose due to the sheer number of Woodbury's soldiers. But the prison could be smart and they had the best position they could. Home-field advantage inside a literal fortress. The walls were impregnable and it was on high ground. The prison was also a maze, allowing them to use the dark tunnels as choke points.

Merle was quick to instruct them on how to do so effectively. They set up specific paths they wanted to be used and positioned people to lock certain doors to funnel them through where they wanted. This meant creating a shooting gallery that resonated negatively with the group, but it had to be done.

They were told Woodbury had about fifteen trained pseudo-soldiers and was looking to put their civilians on the attack. This meant they could have about thirty armed men and women knocking down their gate. They were vastly outnumbered and without the prison, they would have no chance of winning.

What body armor there was to be had was used. What weapons they had were spotted throughout the prison for ease of access in a pinch. They even placed back up spike traps inside the prison tombs.

People were scared and anxious which concerned their more hardened fighters. Rick and Daryl came to the conclusion that crossfire may be inevitable and it was likely someone might be too nervous and fire too early. Red was part of that discussion but found his group had less trouble than Rick's. Michonne was stalwart as was Braddock, though Micheal expressed some uncertainty.

Their greatest risk was the number of Woodbury soldiers and their people blowing the plan. It was a possibility and they were prepared for the consequences. Though no one said it they expected casualties on both sides especially since some of them would be fighting in the tombs.

Their people were armed, their positions were well selected; they knew where to be when and what to do. Woodbury's people were close, tearing down the streets straight for the prison. Though Woodbury had guns, they lacked the stash that they used to have thanks to the destruction of their armory. They would run out of ammo sooner than the prison would and the Governor was betting on defeating Rick's people before then.

It was a game of numbers and carefully laid plans. If things were to fall out of place they would lose the prison. Everyone knew this and prepared themselves for the onslaught.

Daisy gave a hug to everyone she could reach. It did nothing to truly comfort her as Daisy and Melanie rode away with Hershel and the children. She stayed close to Red before they had to leave. He held her close, just as fearful as she was. His place in this plan was exceptionally dangerous. It put him in a precarious position that relied heavily on the soldiers not knowing the numbers behind them.

Braddock, Micheal, and Axel all shared their time together as well. Braddock had taken a shine to the ex-prisoner especially as they shared their grief of losing their friends at the same time. They were buried with gravestones marking their passing, but it did little to comfort the blow. Micheal had grown closer to Braddock over the months and for the first time in a long time, Micheal had very little to say. He simply wanted to be close to them.

Carol said her goodbye to Sophia as well, telling her to be brave for them. That one day she might have to take care of Judith as well. She instilled in Sophia the need to be brave, to be strong. She held back her tears as she tried to comfort Sophia. Her daughter had always been so nervous, her early childhood consisted of abuse at her father's hands. It made her shy and scared of her own shadow, but if she was to survive without Carol that had to change.

Maggie did cry when she said goodbye to Hershel and Beth. Hershel read an encouraging passage from his personal Bible, wishing Maggie the best. He told Glenn there was no doubt in his mind they would protect each other as best as possible. That whatever the outcome, he was proud of them. Beth could not hold back as she held Maggie as tight as possible. Beth feared the worst and did now know if she had the optimism left to hope for the best. Her faith in this world had long since dried up, leaving Beth less hopeful about their survival.

Glenn tried to assure Hershel he would protect Maggie, he would die for her if needed. He couldn't stand the idea of putting her in harm's way like this. She was a strong person in her own right, but it did nothing to soothe his fears. If he failed to protect Maggie, if he survived and she didn't, he couldn't ever face Hershel or Beth again. Hershel was quick to push his doubts away, telling Glenn no matter the outcome he would still love him like a son. This did help calm him down.

Merle was on his own, no one said their goodbyes to him. It was hard to see him as anything but an aggressor in the prison now. His ploy earlier in the day left him weakened, unable to control the recoil of an assault rifle. The stab to his ribs and his collar had successfully torn muscle needed to use a powerful gun. The recoil of a shotgun was impossible, the recoil of a rifle the same, and the spread of an assault rifle did nothing but waste bullets. For now, he was forced to use nothing stronger than a .9mm pistol. It ticked him off, but he had no choice.

What really bothered Merle was how Daryl was looking at him. That unsure stare that spoke all the words Daryl could not find himself. Whatever connection the brothers had before was deeply wounded, their blood relation was all that kept them tied.

Daryl wanted nothing more than to spend this time with Laura. This brief moment for hellfire burst through their gates. He didn't know if he'd survive and he didn't know if Laura would either. The Governor was coming to kill everyone he could, but Michonne did something to him so he wanted her alive. Merle and Laura betrayed him so he likely wanted them alive as well.

Laura would not go back to Woodbury even if it meant killing herself. Though she had a dark wish she had died permanently before, she did not actively seek death. Daryl couldn't stand the idea either and wondered if that was the only option, what would he do for her?

Rick had said his goodbyes to Carl and Judith. He steeled himself for the fight to protect them, he desperately wanted to come out the other side for them. Though he also would fight hard for the group as a whole, he didn't want to leave Carl and Judith without a parent in this world.

He checked in on them one by one. He asked how they were doing, if they remembered their places, asked if they needed anything, and offered advice. This had to be done right, it had to be executed perfectly.

Rick turned to look at the gate into the tombs and he considered seeing Laura. Even if he did go to her he doubted she would let him get a word in. The prison needed her though, it needed everyone to come together so he sucked it in and headed to the gate.

However, his action did not go unnoticed as Daryl had been staring at that gate for the last two hours. He did not expect Rick to make a move for Laura and was quick to stop him.

"Ain't happening," Daryl warned. He did not move from his place on the exit stairs, but he did have his eyes on Rick ready to forcibly stop him.

"We have to tell her about the plan." Rick sighed deeply. He knew it was a bad idea, but it was the only one he had. Aside from that, he also couldn't leave Laura in the dark, figuratively, of their plan. It would only put her and the others at risk.

Daryl agreed with Rick completely. It did not change the interaction they had with Laura earlier. "No way she's gonna' let us talk to her."

Rick rested his hands on his hips, nodding as his eyes fell to the floor. "I know."

There was a lot to be said and no time to say it. Luckily, they were not the ones that needed to. Their conversation was overheard as most of the group was in the cafeteria still. They had been preparing to go to their positions only for Maggie to stop when she heard their dilemma.

"I'll talk to her." Maggie offered. She felt uncertain if Laura would listen, there was no telling how Laura would react. They needed to try though for everyone's safety. That and Maggie had minimal interaction with Laura which made her believe the blue-skinned woman would have nothing against her.

While personally, Laura did not think negatively of Maggie, it wasn't only certain individuals that bothered her.

"I've barely spoken two words to her, even on the farm. Laura's got no reason to fight me." Maggie's offer was sound yet Glenn protested the second he heard.

"No, no way. She threw walkers and them." Glenn spotted the curious and vaguely threatening glance he got from Daryl. Instantly, he rephrased. "Look, she's in a bad place and she's lashing out. Do you really think now's the best time? She could seriously hurt you even if she doesn't mean to. We can't risk anyone else getting hurt." His slight against Merle was so thinly veiled. Merle scoffed in response.

"Look, if we leave her in there and they get through, she could get caught in the crossfire. They could kill her, we could kill her." Maggie insisted more forcefully. She saw how dangerous it was to leave Laura unprepared.

"She threw walkers at Rick and Daryl. The two people she's closest to." Glenn echoed his previous argument. He caught the look he got from Daryl and ignored it.

But Maggie was not going to be budged. "Maybe that's just what she needs. Someone she has no strong feelings towards."

Glenn wanted to argue more but conceded. He agreed despite his feelings on the matter, they could not risk a thing going wrong. Laura entering the tombs to investigate, Woodbury finding her, or them accidentally gunning her down was not an option. They could not leave her out in the open.

So Rick took the prison keys and left for the tombs. Rick would escort him through this time using his Maglite sparingly, keeping it aimed downwards in case Laura was no longer in that room.

Once they disappeared into the dark, Glenn sat at the cafeteria table in silence. He worried for Maggie, for Hershel and Beth, for the kids, for everyone. It seemed like a pyramid building slowly on his shoulders, one fear atop the other until it was overwhelming.

With Maggie and Rick in the tombs, the others took up their positions. Everyone would be in the prison, no one would take place in the watchtowers or the fortifications in the courtyard. Their greatest advantage was the strength of the prison walls, so they had to stick to that.

"Alright, we need to get ready. They could be here any minute." Glenn took his mind off Rick and Maggie. Gathering himself and the others for the attack. "Take your places in the tombs, remember to stay low. They might not see you, but they will have an idea where you're coming from. Our only advantage in the dark and navigating the tombs. Remember, we're not fighting in the tombs, we just want to disorient them."

Red and Braddock were first in line, their weapons fully loaded and ready. They quickly followed behind Rick and Maggie, splitting off from their path towards solitary and the workshop. Their places would be hunkering down in a dark tunnel. To funnel the Woodbury soldiers away they had to keep them from gaining a fortified position with an escape route.

Braddock watched the courtyard gate while Red protected the workshop. They had with them a stockpile of weapons and ammo, enough to keep them firing nonstop.

"The cell block has to be empty. No one takes a position inside the cafeteria until they're scattered. Merle, Micheal; you're the ambush once they come through. The cover we put up there should be enough to keep you protected." Glenn pointed to the catwalk layered in metal plating.

"Should." Micheal let out a sarcastic sigh. "Looks like it's just you and me, tough guy." He meant to be friendly, but the look he got from Merle told him it didn't work.

Clambering up the stairs the two men made their way to the bridge, ready for the ambush. They would be support for Glenn and Maggie until the time was right. Micheal didn't much care for Merle, the two never speaking and for that Micheal was glad.

"To make sure they get trapped in the tombs, Merle will have the keys." Glenn hated trusting Merle with such an important part, but they weren't given much of a choice. On the bridge outside Merle was dangling the metal keys in his hand ready for the jump.

"Michonne, Carol; you should get in place." He urged and the two women were off without hesitation, both carrying assault rifles in hand.

They also entered the tombs, but far deeper than Red and Braddock. Their place was not far from the gate towards Laura. It would seem the least threat from the Woodbury soldiers, but be important to stop them from getting out through the administrative wing. The gate could not be locked for now as it was part of a contingency plan should their attackers push through anyways.

This gate was Michonne and Carol's only escape if they were overwhelmed. A set of keys stuffed into Carol's pocket.

Glenn headed up the stairs to the bridge, taking his place behind cover at the opposite side. Merle and Micheal were in position near the cellblock door, all that was missing was Maggie.

At the door to the office, Maggie and Rick exchanged a cautious look. Without needing to say it Rick remained outside the office. He would listen in and watch from afar, but they both knew he was not welcome there. Taking precautions, Maggie entered the office.

Rick looked down to see a distinct lack of walker bodies. There had been plenty to cover the floor after they cleared them and now... nothing. It appeared as though Laura had come through and cleaned the office out. He couldn't imagine why unless the smell had gotten to her.

Maggie pressed on, peering through the crack in the wall. There was nothing inside the light, the shadows as dark as they told her. It was unsafe to enter knowing Laura so Maggie stayed just at the concrete crack.

"Laura...?" Up to this point, Maggie had no issue going to see Laura. Until this moment where she was staring into a dark abyss knowing there was a threat inside. She felt her hair stand on end as a pair of reflecting eyes flashed towards her.

Maggie stared at those eyes, she knew it was Laura. "I'm not here to try and take you back. Woodbury's coming, we have a plan to fight them. We need you to know they'll be in the tombs and we plan on pushing them into the courtyard. We don't want you to get hurt or get caught between us."

The eyes in the dark did not move.

"Michonne and Carol are just outside the gate to this wing. They'll be running back here and lock the gate. No one's looking to bother you. Just trynna' keep you safe, alright?" Maggie held up a hand in her defense, though she saw no sign Laura would approach her.

Instead, the reflections appeared to turn and disappear. Laura was fine and promptly ignored Maggie as the armored woman left the room.

Tense, Maggie returned to Rick while glancing behind her. Once she exited the office, Rick closed it behind her and followed down the stairs.

"She's mad." She scratched her forehead staring towards the breach in the wall. "She's so mad I can see smoke blowing out her ears."

Maggie started the walk back to the cellblock with Rick beside her. She didn't know how to react to Laura's unnerving presence that would calm her down, but she had no desire to go back inside that office. As far as Maggie was concerned, this wing of the prison was off-limits.

They were all in place yet not ready for the fight to come. Through the long months of survival, they had never come across an enemy like this. It was war and all they could do is hope for the best. The prison is a fortress and Woodbury was fighting an uphill battle.

Rick played it smart, planning to use the prison against Woodbury. Not to keep them out, but to keep them in. Once they were funneled to the tombs, the Governor and his men stood no chance.

There were some still reluctant about fighting. Then their reluctance waned once they imagined what the Governor would do to them and their family. It would be hard, but it would save their lives. The Governor had more people that could fight than they did, all they had to do is even the odds.

They heard Woodbury before they saw them. Loud military vehicles that tore up the gravel road as they approached. The convoy was armed to the teeth but lacked ammo to spare. So they used whatever hard-hitting weaponry they had first.

As the Humvee broke the treeline an explosion lit up the nearest watchtower. Shrapnel went flying as a fire raged inside. The .50 caliber mounted gun began to fire on the second tower, the bullets creating craters in the concrete as the shelter atop was ripped to shreds.

The leading vehicle ran straight into the field, its tires popping with a loud bang. The second vehicle broke off from the first only to meet another spike trap blocking the road. There was no way for their cars to get through so they were forced to clear the yard.

Another explosion took out a far watchtower, flames burning billowing black smoke. They were sure to clear the snipers' nests.

The .50 caliber was then aimed at the face of the prison. Riddling it with bullets, cracking concrete, and ricocheting off the dense steel bars. The power behind the .50 cal was enough to tear the walkers around them in half and straight into the ground behind them.

Pseudo-soldiers opened fire on the walkers, clearing the area before they dismounted the vehicles. They took out dozens in seconds before the first person ran out of bullets. He was now confined to a pistol for his recklessness. Then two more followed suit. Casings clattered to the truck bed, wasted ammo on trigger happy soldiers.

With the field cleared, the vehicles popped open and they filed out. They expected to return fire but were met with silence. All they could hear was the roar of the engines and the burning watchtowers. Confused, they searched for their missing enemies.

"Go!"

Once they heard Philip's command they all rushed to the gate. Through some maneuvering, they got a truck through to break the gate to the courtyard open. They braced themselves for combat this time only to be met with the same silence as before.

Spreading out through the open yard they found nothing and no one. There were no signs of life anywhere reinforcing the soldiers that the people that were here had left.

The Governor was doubtful, believing Rick to be similar to himself. He thoroughly believed Rick would not go down without a fight.

Glenn, Maggie, Merle, and Micheal were all hiding on the bridge. They heard everything, not daring to peek around the corner to see. They had to wait for the right moment when the Woodbury people got into the tombs. Glenn squeezed his eyes shut, trying his best to take slow, deep breaths. His nerves were shot, he could see Maggie was the same.

He could not look, he could not move, he could not breathe. His grip on his rifle felt like it would snap the gun in half. They all had to swallow their fears until they saw the first signal.

The Governor and a large portion of his people went inside the cell block. There was a guard force standing by outside, but it wasn't as many as went in. This meant they would have a higher chance of clearing most of the people in the tombs.

Not much could be heard inside. Nothing but hurried footsteps and the clattering of guns. The people from Woodbury checked every corner, every cell, and found nothing but dust. It seemed almost as though the prison was abandoned, yet Philip grew more impatient.

There was nothing he wanted more than to unload his rifle on the people in the prison. His anger and desire for revenge are directed at Michonne and Rick. Out of them all, he wanted them the most.

As planned, Rick threw an empty cup to the floor. The echo in the tombs carried all the way into the cell block, alerting Woodbury. He stayed back deeper into solitary, concealed perfectly in the dark.

He heard footsteps slowly approaching, the steps light as if they were trying to sneak in. Their position was weak, but should one thing go wrong the plan would be botched. Everyone could feel the stress getting to them, being forced to fight against a larger group.

Killing the people of Woodbury was not something they took lightly. Regardless of who chose this war, they didn't want to gun anyone down. It was hard to reconcile what they were about to do.

The footsteps grew closer, hushed voices echoed through the tunnels. Rick could tell they were just outside the hallway where he was hidden. Soon, the others would begin the ambush.

He set his jaw, cooled his nerves, and prepared for the worst.

Red went to the gate and swung it open, the first of the walkers entered the tombs. He knew the Governor had to have heard the gate, it wasn't exactly well oiled. It wouldn't give them a solid position though, they could only hunt down sounds traveling through all the dark halls.

Braddock heard the walkers and ducked into a cell, closing the gate behind him. The walkers passed right by him without even noticing he was there.

Daryl opened the next farther in the tombs. Even more, walkers poured in chasing Daryl as he retreated into the tombs, leading them straight to the Woodbury soldiers. He ran far enough into the halls so the walkers couldn't see him, then ducked into a gated fence to lose them.

The walkers ambled by Daryl deep in the tombs and Red in the generator room. Once they heard the walkers passing, they got to work. Once they left him behind, Daryl doubled back and locked the door behind them.

First, Rick rolled a flashbang across the ground. The loud bang of the metal surprised everyone followed swiftly by a blinding white light. People cried out in alarm, putting their arms up in a futile attempt to block the light. Rick opened fire on the group but was largely unable to see them. The spray and pray worked perfectly to get the soldiers deeper into the tunnels.

Hearing the gunfire, Red flipped the switch on the generators and the alarm screamed all around the prison. The red lights in the tombs broke the darkness revealing shambling walkers headed towards them. They did their best to fight them off but were too disoriented to keep it together. He turned back to the door and locked it behind him.

With the first attack underway, Braddock went towards Red's position, giving him some extra firepower. It was enough to force the soldiers out and filtered the walkers in with their numbers.

Once they started to retreat deeper into the tombs for cover they were met with more resistance. Gunfire from the darkness and no one would pinpoint the origin. It was a rain of bullets hitting, missing, ricocheting into the tunnels. Bottle necked, Woodbury soldiers began to fall.

But their overwhelming numbers would prevail. Walkers started to fall as their vision returned. Some managed to find cover from the gunfire, using their respite to locate the shooter. The initial ambush cut their numbers down, but it wasn't enough to beat them back.

Instead of remaining in the open, they pushed through the walkers deeper into the tombs. They had heard gates open and shut, there were other ways out.

The Governor stayed in the thick of his people, using them as cover while they cut through. It became apparent that the attack had not whittled them down enough.

Michonne and Carol could not stay in position, they could see the encroaching soldiers. They abandoned their post and retreated.

Rick headed to the cell block expecting Red and Daryl to be close behind. Once he arrived at the gate he was immediately greeted by more Woodbury Soldiers.

They planned for this and on the cue, Merle and Micheal were on the protected catwalk above raining bullets down on them. Without cover, the soldiers were quickly dispatched. The few remaining exited the cellblock in a rush.

It was perhaps the easiest job keeping the soldiers out of the cellblock, but it was critical. Rick exited the tombs, his rifle raised just in case. The bleeding bodies on the floor were a risk to become walkers and one by one, Rick ensured they would not be.

Coming through the door first was Red and Braddock, panting as they arrived. The whole thing had shaken Braddock to his bones, he wasn't the fighting sort and this solidified that for him. He got a pat on the back from Red as Red went to guard the door into the cell block.

Rick gave them both a nod as he looked them over for any injuries. Satisfied they were clean, he watched Daryl rush back into the cellblock.

"Michonne and Carol?" Rick questioned urgently.

"Behind the gate, they're good." Daryl had passed by their position and saw them retreating to the gate. They had the safest job of all and the safest retreat path. There was no path to that wing of the prison without circling the entire building.

Nodding, Rick raised his rifle to the door. "There's only one way out." The others followed suit, their guns aimed at the gate to the tombs.

Outside they heard more gunfire. Glenn, Maggie, Micheal, and Merle were on the bridge clearing the courtyard of unprepared soldiers. While they all wanted to help each other, their positions in this fight were necessary. They had no room for error.

They anticipated the Woodbury soldiers near the gate any minute now. They had used the tombs to negate their numbers, the choke point would only allow two or three to fire out at any time. There was no other way to leave, no way to survive.

But nothing came, there were no soldiers to be seen. A minute went by and all could be heard was the gunfire outside the cell block. Seconds began to feel like hours, something had gone wrong and they all knew it. Their hopes the plan would succeed came crashing down.

And then they heard something, a cry from deep in the tombs. It resonated through the concrete tunnels followed by other noises. Surely, Rick thought, they would not have all gotten trapped by the walkers. They had to be far more capable fighters than that.

The walkers were a tool, a distraction; not the endgame. His grip on his rifle adjusted, a few nervous glances between the four men as they watched the dark entrance.

Far inside the tombs, Laura pulled a walker aside. She raised its hanging limb to her and bit into the rotting flesh. It was a vile taste, something in her wanted to immediately get rid of it. However, she needed the deadly septic bite.

Woodbury's men never got the chance to retreat to the cell block. They were instantly set upon by another combatant using the dark as a shield against them. A swipe, a stab, and they all turned to flash their lights at a figure in the dark.

Metal claws, blood, and torn flesh mixed together until they were indiscernible from each other. Lights flashed around too wildly to see their attacker clearly. Without giving them enough time, she charged forward. A few gunshots went off and hit her, but nothing even close enough to kill her. She still was careful not to let herself be too exposed.

Another slash of her claws gutted one, his flashlight dropping to the ground. She turned and stuck her claws into the neck of the man beside her. Another flashlight down, their vision significantly shrunk.

They began to lose sight of each other. One man gargled on blood as his throat was sliced open, another turned their flashlight to see the man die. Before he could react she straightened her fingers and stabbed his face. Puncturing through his eyes, mouth, and cheeks.

More blind fire into the tunnel only resulted in friendly fire. She used the now blind man as a shield while more bullets rained down on her. Lifting the body, she shoved it into the next soldier. Her claws curled and shredded his face, exposing and dislodging his jaw.

Others pushed back but didn't get far. All she had to do was lunge and swipe, the close quarters and tight confines of the tombs worked in her favor. Here she had all the advantage.

When her hands were busy, her teeth went to work. Grappling a man larger than she kept her hands away from the killing blow. She tucked her head under his chin and her teeth sank into the soft flesh of his neck, tearing it open and swallowing the meat. He fell back trying hopelessly to stop the bleeding.

The force of her swings managed to cut flesh to the bone. She grabbed a man's arm, sank her claws in, and tore it apart. Once it hung by the bone, she braced her foot against him and ripped it off. They saw her through the flashing red light of the prison alarm and all they saw was her lifting the severed arm to her mouth and biting deep into the flesh before she came for them.

One by one she shredded flesh, aiming for their weak spots. The wrist, throat, eyes, and tore their stomachs open to gut them like an animal. Some fell with wounds, their bodies cut apart or their eyes gouged out. Others died as they hit the ground.

She wasted nothing, using this fight to satisfying her anger and her hunger. The flesh she bit off was almost inhaled as she gorged herself on Woodbury's finest. Blood coated her arms, her face, and poured down her torso; leaving a sharp contrast of glistening dark red and deep blue. Her hair beginning to stick to her skin and shirt. Warm blood began to pour from her claws, soaked to the bone with blood just as the rain had done days ago.

The soldiers began to run out of ammo, wasting it on poor aimless shots into the dark. Some of these 'soldiers' were civilians from Woodbury, panicking at the sight of this walker tearing them apart. They lost their nerves, firing wildly, and all Laura had to do is duck into a cell while she waited for an opening.

Outside the tombs, the group was certain their plan had run into some hiccup. They had waited long enough and the noises echoing through the tombs told them something had happened. Rick's nose scrunched up as he hesitated to make the call.

They didn't want to fight inside the tombs, it would even the fight. Rick turned to Daryl. "I thought you said Michonne and Carol got out."

"They did. I saw 'em leave." Daryl pushed back. He knew he had seen them enter the hall the gate was in. They were not injured and followed the plan... but they were the only people that far in the tombs. He began to doubt himself.

There was no choice here, they had to find out. If the gunfight inside the tombs was Michonne and Carol being cornered, they wouldn't let them die there.

"Let's go." Rick didn't need to explain, they all anticipated it. No matter the cause they had to investigate, get Woodbury's men out of the tunnels, and into their firing squad. Though this meant going off-script it was to get things back on track.

Rick took lead with Red just behind him. Their breaths labored and anxious, whatever happened was severe enough to derail everything. Quick thinking would keep them alive, but at any moment things could go wrong. Best case the soldiers were trapped, worst case they found Michonne and Carol and killed them.

Fear for their people had skyrocketed as they all realized this was a real possibility. At any time they could come across their bodies. Even though they had the safest position in the ambush, it didn't mean that it was safe.

Back into the tombs, Laura had worked her way through Woodbury soldiers. She had been cut, shot, and beaten a few times. Thanks to those metal claws and her lack of self-preservation she was able to win out in the end.

All there was left stood a few feet in front of her. One of them was Philip, armed but running low on ammunition. It was fortunate that they had little ammo to lean back on as it made the soldiers more hesitant to fire and waste their shots. Woodbury civilians did not remain aware of this and quickly ran out of bullets, leaving them easy targets.

But her goal wasn't only to kill the soldiers that took part in her torture. Those faces in this pile-up of bodies and dying soldiers she recognized as those that beat her, raped her and tormented her. She was sure they did not die fast, they weren't allowed to bleed out. Their eyes were pierced, their limbs cut or torn off entirely. They would suffer and die.

She wanted Philip. He stood behind the last of his people. If she killed every single one of his soldiers, he would not care. All he cared about was surviving.

The few standing between her and Philip had little left to fight her with. One rifle clicked, having wasted their ammo firing blindly into the walls as she took cover in a cell.

It didn't take long before there were only three standing in the way. Philip recognized his compromised position and searched for a way out. He didn't have ammo to spare if he missed and he couldn't fistfight her with those claws on. He had to be smart and unfortunately for her, Philip already had an idea.

The last Woodbury civilian was gutted and dropped. Philip didn't fire on her; he let her approach him. She wanted to take her time with him, she wanted to eat him alive. In her mind, she hoped that slow devouring would give him time to regret his life and the agony would be unbearable.

She stalked towards him, her claws angled and ready. Philip held his rifle in one hand and raised his arms up in a 'come and get me' gesture. To which she jumped on eagerly.

The moment she was within two feet, Philip shifted his gun in his hand to hold towards the barrel. His second hand gripped it and he swung low. Normally this swing would only knock the person to the side, not inflicting any real damage. Philip knew enough to know this would stop her rampage.

The swing was strong and hit her directly on her left hip. The sudden spike of pain shocked her and caused her to drop as she swiped her claws out. The sharp metal scratched him deep enough for him to recoil, but would not kill him. An old injury that never healed right, that old brace that broke time and time again. It had healed notched and weak, sensitive to even a hit half as strong as Philip's strike.

As he lifted his rifle to his hands and took aim, Laura reached out to grab whatever she could. A dropped assault rifle did the trick and she raised it to her head like a shield.

He burst fired a few rounds at her, the bullets being blocked by the rifle. One managed to pass the rifle, the bullet leaving a long wound alongside the right side of her scalp. The pain from the vibration in her skull stunned her and she dropped the rifle.

Satisfied when he saw the wound, Philip dropped his arm just as he heard footsteps rushing towards him. He heard the familiar voice of Rick Grimes. He had to escape now or never, so he ran deeper into the tombs.

Those few Woodbury soldiers that had barely survived the onslaught managed to retreat with Philip. They were weak, their wounds deep, but they could still run faster than her. Those who survived her bite would not make it very long.

She fought to stand, her leg had given out on her and the pain caused her to limp. Every movement a struggle to push through the ringing in her ears and the sparks blocking her vision.

Laura's growl roared through the tombs, chasing after Philip when she could not. She wanted to scream and scream until her throat gave out. Philip was gone and she could barely move fast enough to reach the corner he passed.

Though the bloodbath had satisfied her need for immediate revenge, she still had not managed to get Philip. Her attack was vicious and drenched the walls and floor in blood. But she also reckless, sloppy, and failed her ultimate goal. She nearly paid an ultimate price for that

The others had arrived at the fight only to see a litter of bodies, their shock at the sight visible on their faces. Laura barely managed to look in their direction, seeing double of everything around her. The lights though not aimed at her, seemed brighter than usual.

As the light panned up towards her, Rick was aware of the clothing and body he saw was Laura. He did not raise it any higher, turning it to the side to see the reflection of light on her face.

Her blood-soaked appearance rendered them unable to react immediately, but Daryl was the first to regain himself.

"Laura." Daryl stepped closer to her and she stepped closer to him. She wasn't entirely aware as to why she was still angry at them and did not want to see them. After this fight, all she wanted to do was rest and relieve herself of this pain.

She stumbled, every movement causing more disorientation until she was trying to reach out to the wall for support. Seeing her terrible state, Daryl was instantly on her. There was no fight in her left, her brain going into shock from the bullet wound.

When he grabbed her she didn't even flinch, her body fairly limp. Each second that went by she got weaker on her feet.

Daryl tried to get a good grip on her, but he found his hands slipping and sticky with the blood on her body. He pushed it out of his mind, focusing on her. "I got ya', Baby Blue. I got ya'." He didn't much care about the blood on his clothes as he swiped his arm under her knees to lift her up.

She felt relief as she was no longer standing, but the suddenness of it all caused her head to spin even worse. Daryl took her back towards Rick and the others who got a better look at her appearance.

"I'll go check on Michonne and Carol. You guys get back out there and help them." Braddock pushed passed them, realizing this was not the time for pause.

Agreeing, the others began to run back to the exit. Braddock kept his gun handy as he hurried through the halls and back to the administrative wing. There was nothing in the way, no walkers or Woodbury soldiers to be seen. He was thankful for that.

As he neared the gate he cautiously made his way through. The gate was still unlocked and the two women were nowhere to be seen. Braddock felt his heart racing as he feared the worst.

"Hey, are you guys in here?" He tried to keep his voice low knowing there was a breach in this wing. His gun in hand he checked every corner he could find. "It's Braddock, I just want to know you're here... Come on, please be alive." He whispered the last part.

Check by check there was nothing to be seen until he reached a crossway into three other halls. He groaned, not knowing where to go. Thankfully, he did not have to as Michonne and Carol emerged from the large room with the breach.

Braddock spun around gasping in relief. "Oh thank God, you're alive!" He came racing back to them, grabbing them both in a death grip hug. "We were so worried, so much was weird, the plan... it's going crazy! Laura's out there, did you know that?!" He released them both, glancing rapidly between them both.

Carol nodded hastily. "When we got to the gate we locked it, then Laura came out of the office. She took the keys and went into the tombs. What happened? Is everyone okay?"

"I don't know! I came here as soon as we found Laura. The others are going back to help them on the bridge, we need to go!" Braddock turned tail to run back to the cellblock, Michonne and Carol hot on his heels.

The others had made it back to the cellblock with Rick in front and Red in the back, covering Daryl who carried Laura inside. He had no time to tend to her as he wanted, they had to handle the remaining soldiers. In his haste, he sat Laura against the armory cage.

He carried his rifle in hand and they split up. Rick and Red on the ground, Daryl on the bridge. Once they burst out the doors they saw the gunfight had gone in their favor. The protection and height of the bridge had given them enough to make the soldiers retreat.

When the other three joined the fight, they began to see they could not resist a well-defended prison. Rick and his people were prepared and never let up while the soldiers started to run dry. More and more forced to run as their guns ran out of ammo.

Not many dead on the ground, but enough to break the morale of the soldiers. Their doubts of victory plummeted and they readied themselves to bolt. Then, when they expected the prison had no more combatants the bridge and courtyard received more support.

Braddock came out the door behind Rick and Red. Michonne and Carol on the bridge creating a nonstop barrage of fire. It quickly overwhelmed the soldiers and those that lost their resolve ran first. Straight out the gate and to their vehicles.

Seeing others run made even more run with them until finally there were no more Woodbury soldiers left. They all saw someone on the 50. caliber mounted gun and it never fired. It sat there just like Merle said; it had jammed.

Defeated and running out of ammo, they took to their remaining vehicles and tore up the grass and gravel as they escaped. Woodbury had been driven out of the prison, to their surprise, they had won.

"We did it?" Maggie couldn't believe her eyes. It seemed surreal that they had a chance and came out alive. She was both breathing hard and felt like she couldn't breathe at all.

"We did it." Glenn pulled off his helmet and took a few deep breaths. They all knew they couldn't celebrate yet, Woodbury was still out there. It didn't stop them from feeling a weight lifted from them.

Everyone began to leave the bridge, ready to regroup and plan their next step. As they made their way into the cell block they headed to the exit. Micheal, however, came to a hard stop. His eyes catching the sight of a very bloodied Laura leaning against the cage.

Daryl came up to her, snapping his fingers in front of her face. She responded by pushing his hand away, not liking the sharp sound. She was alive and could hear them just fine.

"What the hell happened to her?" Micheal gasped, grabbing the others' attention.

Glenn and Maggie's eyes widened at the sight of Laura. "Oh shit." Glenn didn't know exactly what to say. "Is she... alive?" Asking that felt wrong, but he feared the worst.

"Yeah," Daryl stood back up. "She's alive, seems like she's just stunned." He headed to the exit to meet with Rick, the others not far behind though their eyes focused on Laura a second longer.

Once outside they spotted Rick, Red, and Braddock at the gate. They overlooked the Humvee and the walkers starting to collect outside the far gates.

Everyone was exhausted, panting as they saw the empty yard. "We did it. We drove them out." Rick could barely believe it himself. The plan was a good one though their success was still unlikely.

"We should go after them." Michonne was quick on the attack.

Daryl agreed, "We should finish it."

"It is finished," Maggie breathed indignantly. "Didn't you see them hightail it out of here?"

"He could regroup." Countered Michonne. She knew fine well Philip would not let this go so easily.

"We can't take the chance, he's not gonna stop." Despite Maggie's point, Glenn sided with Michonne and Daryl. They had to handle the Woodbury problem.

"They're right." Carol shook her head fervently, "We can't keep living like this."

"So we take the fight back to Woodbury?" Maggie urged caution. "Y'all almost got caught last time and Woodbury attacked the prison at the same time." Her argument was valid. They were at risk should the Governor return.

"I don't care." Daryl had no issue risking his life to put an end to Woodbury.

"Yeah." Rick had not decided just yet though he knew they had to stop the Governor. For now, he pushed the choice away. "Let's go check on the others." Rick led the others back into the cellblock to wait for Hershel to return.

Once inside the cell block, they were all ready to rest. One by one they took a seat to catch their breath. Except for Daryl, Rick, and Red. Daryl passed everyone to reach Laura sitting on the floor, the blood coming off her creating a puddle around her.

Daryl crouched down beside her, once more snapping his fingers. It was a simple check to make sure she was still alive, but it was annoying to Laura. Which made it perfect for its purpose.

Laura was quicker this time, shoving his hand away. "Stop that." She leaned her head back against the cage, her eyes closed.

"Is she alright?" Carol approached them, her hands fidgeting nervously.

"Found her in the tombs," Rick answered for Daryl. "Bodies of Woodbury soldiers all over the ground. She was standing there, barely able to stand."

"Michonne and Carol said she took the keys and went into the tombs on her own." Standing up, Braddock came over to speak to Rick quietly. He was as concerned as the others, "Why do you think she did that? I mean, you said Maggie talked to her about the plan, right?"

Rick nodded, a hand on his hip. Before he could respond, Maggie confirmed it. "She even looked at me, I told her they were going to be in the tombs. That it would be dangerous to go inside."

"Then why the hell was she out there?" Glenn reacted harshly. In his mind, he was concerned that Laura going into the tombs against the plan could've ruined it.

"She just went in alone." Michonne had no solid answer, Laura had not spoken a word. Just took the keys and left.

Red was annoyed, though he took some calming breaths. "She could've gotten killed in there. She looks like she almost did!" He seethed, doing what he could to hold back his anger. Like Glenn, Red was disturbed by how close their plan came to failing.

"I think you're missing the fact she's covered head to toes in blood. Look!" Micheal interrupted them gesturing his hands towards the bloody mess that is Laura.

"I really... really would like y'all to stop talking like I'm not here." Laura muttered, her eyes fluttering open. She first saw Daryl right beside her and then the group around the cell block.

"Sorry." Micheal ducked his head down.

"What the hell were you thinking?" Red, on the other hand, was too upset to just gloss over this. Her transgression nearly costing them the fight.

Laura took a deep breath. "I really wanted them dead." She shrugged lazily, "I didn't want to miss out."

Merle chuckled, finding her bloodthirsty apatite amusing. "Well now, that's the girl I remember. Hungry and lookin' to fight. Slicin' yourself up some dinner, huh?" He teased her and was met with a hateful glare.

"You want to be on that list?" Laura threatened openly with a dark growl.

"Alright, that's enough." Rick could not let it go on. "Hershel and them will be back any second. After that, we'll decide what to do about Woodbury."

Laura's brow raised, "Going after them?"

"We need to." Again, Michonne insisted on the follow-up.

"We'll decide when we see the others." Though some agreed, Rick would not make a choice without making sure the others were alright.

"Go yourself or not, but I'm going to see it through." Laura didn't much care if the others were there. She wanted it over and done with.

Daryl tried to reason with her. "You ain't in any shape to fight."

"I'll decide what I can and cannot do." Laura's mouth twitched. The look in her eye told him to back off. He didn't want to argue with her, it was already hurting enough to be separated from her.

Red shook his head but kept quiet. He wanted to speak to Daisy about it. For now, he managed to keep his cool and not react. Slowly but surely, Laura was grating on his nerves. He couldn't stand to see how the others let her do what she wanted without pushing back.

It was infuriating to him and while he wanted to yell at her for the risk she had taken going into the tombs... he kept it together. Braddock and Micheal had both noticed how Red backed away, choosing not to fight.

Rick for sure wasn't about to argue the point. If they had to do something about Laura's stubbornness, they would. Until then, they waited for the others.

While the group silently wondered what had happened in the tombs.


Gemini's Revenge:
Ah good, taste. Coke and sweet tea all the way too!

Oh no yeah, trying to write something for the West Coast would be so difficult. I cannot imagine doing a big city or a faraway state/country. I would be awful at it lol
I agree, the healthier the breed the happier I am to support the breed. Though usually, I'll adopt from a kill shelter or something. I can't do everything, but I can do something!
I love the coast here in GA, the beaches vary so much and people go horse riding on them. It's sooooo much fun! :)
Well, I hope this helps satisfy that a bit. This chapter was started with the idea of overwhelming numbers from Woodbury being pushed into a choke point that gave Laura a perfect chance to get close and personal. It's not exactly front and center, but we will see their reactions to the mauled bodies later :)))
And yes, that's exactly what I hope to do. Destroy the hopeless ideal that Laura is still human. Because she's not and forcing that ideal on her is unfair and wrong. She cannot live up to that standard of "being alive" like they want her to. It just makes her life harder and ostracizes her more when she doesn't act human.

OH NO! That's awful I'm so sorry. It's always hard to see pets go, they're family and they just don't live as long as we do. It sucks to think about, but I'm always comforted that we can give them a good, comfortable, and toy-filled life! I'm glad you helped her go before she began to really suffer. It's a terribly hard decision to make.
I appreciate the update, I'm glad she didn't suffer any longer. I had to put my cat to sleep earlier this year. He was 4 years old and had leukemia. He was so sick and when we took him in there was no chance. I stayed too through the process, but I'm glad we had him as long as we did.

1.) Sweet all the way, but now that I'm back on keto I'm on diet sweet tea. Has no carbs or anything, but tastes like regular ol' sweet tea!
2.) Like writing program? I use focus writer to get to work. It helps blank out my screen and force me to focus. Usually with Walking Dead music that fits the scene, or ASMR if I need to relax into the writing mood.
3.) Like cropping/docking for a dog? No way in hell. No cropping, docking, declawing, etc. I don't approve of mutilation unless there is a REAL medical reason that requires something to be removed. Like an amputation due to a severe injury that cannot be mended, cancer, or disease that has destroyed something. Only medical reasons!
4.) Shapeshifting! I love the idea so much, it sounds so damn cool!
5.) I don't know really. I really only remember actors/actresses if I'm watching a show with them in it. I'm not really a celebrity-type. :x

Absolutely!

1.) What is your favorite apocalypse setting? Like in TWD it's a zombie apocalypse, in Fallout it's nuclear, etc.
2.) Have you played Among Us? I'm obsessed with it right now. I cannot inhale enough of that game!
3.) Is there a breed of horse you've always wanted?
4.) I'm gonna turn your 4th question on you because I liked it so much! If you had any superpower you wanted, what would it be?
5.) Do you have any focus tools? Like I use thematic music and ASMR, at times lo-fi that matches the mood of a drawing or a chapter I want.

Sorry this chapter took so long, I just started back on keto and I hit the keto flu haaarrddd so I've been asleep like 10 hours a day lol
I hope it's good, I'm trying something new with the combat. I'm fairly bad at writing physical conflict between large groups so I find it hard to produce the speed of the fight or the severity of it. I'm always looking to improve so I tried out this new way of writing it. :x

Also, I don't know if you got my PM before but for whatever reason, this review didn't show up for DAYS after I got the notification it was posted. It was really weird I just couldn't see it!

Until next time! :)

SIOBHAN:
Oh yeah, there's so much to go through. She trusted the wrong person and got seriously hurt. We will see where that leads... :3

xKindredxSoulsx:

Yeah, I know there's a lot to go through. It's a very old story that I've been writing on and off since 2013. I get ya, there's like 300+ reviews and a lot are only "update please" so I wouldn't blame you at all for not sifting through all of them! There's just so much!
Thank you! Laura is my most beloved OC and I try to be very careful about her development. It's been a long road to this point, I'm glad to finally be here.
I started this story very nervous I couldn't capture the CCs properly so I tried took a little extra time on their patterns of speech and behavior. Though, in the show, they are often extremely inconsistent.

All good, I'll try to address as much as I can, but I hope you understand I can't answer everything. A lot of what you mentioned are plot points not yet addressed. Though I'll do what I can.

The conflict of childhood stories is intentional. There is a reason for it so a continuity error post wouldn't fit. It will be expanded on in later chapters.
I intentionally used the scene to connect with the most memorable chapter, the very first chapter in which we see directly from her father's perspective. So the reader can deduce for themselves that the memory Laura "recovered" was not real. As mentioned, we're not quite there yet in the story but we are approaching it very soon! I really want to get there in about... 10 chapters? It's hard to guess properly as when I start writing chapters, I realize the details that need to be included make it more complicated. So maybe 10, maybe less, maybe more.

Laura being a doctor in training does have a purpose for the story. I don't think it's cliche as usually the OC's I see are not medical professionals. They usually have careers either never listed or to do with something unrelated, I've seen a nurse or two. But very rarely a doctor realistically ready for practice. Which Laura is not.
Laura also could not assist when Carl was shot or during any real medical emergency. She was only in medical training for 4 years which, in case you didn't know this before, 4 years into training you don't have any practical experience. It's all textbook studies and classes. You don't go practice medicine anywhere at 4 years. They would've even let you look at a patient much less practice real medical work.
Unfortunately, that means Laura has never actually been in a real medical practice position. She's far too young to have made it there before the Wildfire virus hit. She would've been there in probably 1 or 2 years.
Hershel is both far more experienced and capable. If Laura was in the room, she would've only hindered them. There was nothing she could do and she knew it. Retrieving bullet fragments is an extremely dangerous and delicate procedure that requires real experience and field knowledge to perform. Especially how unlucky Carl got :(

I will take this a bit more directly as I am an individual that experienced abuse as a child and can state that what you described isn't always the truth. It's not really "often" either as children/teens that have experienced abuse young have an incredibly wide range of struggles or irrational explanations for said abuse. There are far far more layers to childhood abuse, relation to parents, and the dynamic that is involved. It's far too complex to generalize.

To clarify: I haven't forgotten any details of the story. Everything has been intentional, everything has a purpose. There's not a scene that does not serve a purpose to a future action, a thought, a behavior, or a scene.
I have reread my own story multiple times, I really don't feel I have to reread it again right now.
Though those chapters you mention come from 2013 they do still carry basic information that I wanted to convey, even though the writing is below my current standard. My writing has improved significantly of course and the previous chapters will be rewritten in the future, but for now, I'm focusing on continuing the story.
As such, there will be no authors notes added to prior chapters, and any questions about chapters not yet published and plots not yet resolved I cannot answer.

For the minor critiques:

Laura learned about the cause of her death before. Her time had not yet run out, though it is true it was running out. She stated it as fact because she has learned it. As mentioned, plot points still awaiting future chapters will not be explained until those chapters or plot points are published completely.

Same answer here. Laura states this as fact due to an 'off-screen' scene not yet introduced into the story. As other a lot of readers have figured out the answer already, I do not want to confirm any spoilers for them. So I can't really give any hints without ruining it for them :x

I don't see how Daisy is a dues ex machina since about 70% of the time her conversations have not resolved anything. She talks to people and can help comfort, but no direct issue has been resolved due to her involvement. She borders on being charismatic/persuasive and arrogant. She inserts herself into places she does not belong and while at times, she can make people feel better, she solves nothing.
In the last two major scenes involving Daisy, she had only made things worse. Both with Red during their argument which Daisy's calm and patient front cracked and when she tried to speak to Laura only for Laura to get angrier.
If you want a way to look at Daisy clearly; she is kind, patient, and insightful. She's both charismatic and arrogant. She has a soft personality that can help people that are confused or upset, but when used towards someone that is angry it will only make things worse.
We've all known a person like that in our lives, I think. Someone that's so calm all the time and it helps keep you calm sometimes which is great But when you're really upset and mad hearing them be so calm is like throwing fuel on a fire.

Yeah, that's just a thing I'm working on writing-wise. It's getting better as time goes on, but I still work on it slowly but surely. This is about the narrative focus issue. It's been addressed a few times and is being worked on.

Um, yeah. I mean it did use to happen a lot when I was unsure about my writing but has gotten a lot better recently. I'll always work to improve, but as you mentioned "I haven't noticed it in a while" so you can see I have been improving on it. I will likely do it at times, especially when writing something I'm not really skilled in writing about, but I always try to be careful. Now that I know it's tied to my lack of confidence in certain scenes.

Thanks, I do appreciate that. And yeah, it's going to be a mixed situation with Tyreese. All I can say is that they are in Woodbury, but I will not confirm or deny anything beyond that to avoid spoilers. I really would like to answer stuff, but I don't want to ruin it. :(

The attack on Woodbury was not designed to just get them more guns, it was also to weaken Woodbury's supply. Which it did, causing a lot of people here to waste ammo that they didn't have. The civilian combatants especially ran out, almost immediately. They were mostly the ones taken out first. Then the experienced fighters began to run out as their ammunition was almost entirely stored in the supply depot. It was used to keep count of ammo and conserve, allowing them to track who took what, when, how, and why did they use it.
That's what they blew up. Like Eminem said in Killshot, what good is a machine gun without any bullets.

I mean, that's all the way in Season 4. I can't say anything about it because Season 4 is still like... 15-ish chapters away and that scene is even longer away. I like to do interim stories and Laura is about to have a massive focus on her during this interim. There's a lot of things unanswered right now both for the readers and for the people she's with. In this interim, we will get a lot of those questions answered finally!
It's been a long time coming!

But to clarify, I don't see any change to Carol beyond her being hardened at almost the same time as she was in the show. Carol got thick skin on the road after the farm and improved her physical skills at the prison. This is generally the same as canon only her crossing paths with Laura actually removed Carol from the group whereas she would've been saved by them, as in canon.
Not everything Laura does, or the other OC's do, will have a positive change in the story. In this case, Carol could've been much safer with the group and been with her daughter. Instead, she got stuck with Laura who was slowly losing her mind on the road. While Laura did protect her on the road, Carol did the same for Laura too.
So the timeline of Carol being toughened up, it's really six and two threes.
But Carol did not benefit from Laura 'saving' her and we know, canonically, she would've been saved anyways. But of course, Laura wouldn't know that so she made a choice. It was a good choice from her perspective, but it does also mean (speaking meta) that Carol was taken away from a far safer situation... and her daughter.

I really wish I could answer more, but I can't spoil things.
All I can really say it just keep in mind a lot of scenes are connected in small ways that have a big impact later on. If you reread the chapters you might see a lot of those scenes/thoughts/actions that you might have missed.
And that, like a lot of the scenes you mentioned, are unresolved plot points. So if you feel you might have found a continuity error, look for prior scenes and it the 'error' is glaring, it's likely intentional. For example, the 'error' of conflicting information from chapter 1 and chapter 32. It was laid out on purpose, but because the plot isn't resolved you assumed it was a continuity error.

Like I said though, a lot of people have already figured it out and I think that's great! I'm glad to have readers that are looking into things deeply and are using the information they know and comparing it to information they gathered later on.
Using that knowledge to challenge certain scenes and actions is exactly what I want. Conflict of information is usually a sign of something underlying unless I openly stated a correction in continuity. Like I did for I think 2 chapters? I know one was when Laura got locked in the cell and I accidentally just forgot to write about the restraints on her gauntlets.
There's still a lot unknown in the story that has been hinted towards and still another giant reveal coming up that only has one substantial hint towards!