Ch. 24

She woke up in a hospital. Alone, with nothing but pale blue scrubs and an I.V. in her arm. She walked to the window and saw a city. She thought it was Atlanta, having only been there a handful of times but some of the buildings looked familiar, even if they looked blackened due to the napalm bombings.

She moved to the door, pounding on it screaming for the people that she knew to be on the other side to let her out. She heard movement and backed away from the door pulling out her I.V. in case of a fight. Remember Beth, if you're in a tight spot, anything can be used as a weapon.

Two people walked in. A man in a lab coat and glasses as well as a woman in a clean police uniform.

"Everything's going to be alright," the man said.

"Put it down. Drop it right now," the woman ordered her.

But remember, always save your strength. If you know you can't win then pull back, retreat and attack when you can, she dropped the needle and raised her hands slightly.

"I'm Dr. Steven Edwards. This is Officer Dawn Lerner. How are you feeling?" And never trust anyone that's too nice. Usually never ends well.

"Where am I?" Beth asked immediately.

"Grady Memorial Hospital, in Atlanta."

"How did I get here?"

"My officers found you on the side of the road surrounded by rotters." Dawn told her.

"Your wrist was fractured and you sustained a superficial head wound." Dr. Edwards said, she was put off by how calm they seemed about everything. "Can you remember your name?"

"Beth." She thought for a second, processing everything she had heard. "The girl I was with, and the man, are they here too?"

"You and the girl are here, but other than you two, my officers didn't find anyone. If we hadn't saved you, you'd be one of them right now," Dawns face went from comforting to slightly cold. "So, you owe us."

You don't owe anyone anything. If people say that you owe them, it's a crock of bullshite. Beth heard Sam say in her mind as she realized her situation.

Dr. Edwards showed Beth around. Told her some of her duties and around the hospital. Officers went around the hospital in and out of the rooms while everyone else seemed to be actually working. When she was relieved she asked if she could see Sophia but Dr. Edwards denied her, saying that Sophia still hadn't woken up. The girl had been found with a broken leg and they decided to keep her sedated until it had healed properly. Protocol dictated, apparently, that no one was allowed to see sedated patients.

Beth went to the cafeteria, where food had been laid out for the wards to get. There was another girl as well as an officer with a clip board. Beth grabbed a tray and began to grab small amounts of food when the Officer approached her.

"You're looking better and better," he began. "We had a lead on some guns, so me and my partner were pretty far out. That's when we saw you and the girl, wriggling in the road. You don't remember me, do you?"

"I was fighting a Walker," Beth said shortly. "I was trying to protect Sophia. And then everything went black."

"Yeah, one was eyeing your things when we showed up. But, I got there first."

"Our dog had it handled," Beth said, a hazy image of the Dog bringing it to the ground flashing in her head.

"Yeah, but I finished it. Jacked that Rotter up. I'm Gorman," Beth kept her head down and didn't say anything. "When someone does you a favor, it's a courtesy to show some appreciation. Unless you want me to write down everything you're taking. Everything costs something, right?"

Save your strength and hit your opponent when he's weak. Beth smiled put her tray back.

She wandered the halls, checking every other room for Sophia, trying not to seem too obvious about her snooping. She checked behind her every few steps, made sure not to make too much noise, and then checked another room. No Sophia. She walked forward, her arm brushing the handle and it slid open, she bent down and pretended to check her shoes. No Sophia.

She went down the hallway and found no sign of the younger girl. She passed dawn ordering around one of her wards, a dark-skinned boy, saying something about finding Joan and then saying how she wanted her uniform pressed.

A new patient had been brought in, Dr. Edwards had said that he wasn't going to make it but Dawn seemed dead set on making sure that he did. The Doctor did what he could and managed to stabilize the man, but told Dawn that no matter what he did he would most likely die. Dawn reached to smack Beth, but her reflexes caused her to whip her head back and avoid the hit.

Dawn looked even more angry but instead turned back to the Doctor. "Steve, try and grasp the stakes here." Then she stalked away.

They brought in someone else. She was bit and struggling. When Beth and Dr. Edwards got into the room, sawn told the girl that she had two choices, and they weren't pretty.

"Either we cut off your arm, or you do."

"Screw you and your little bitch!" the woman screamed at Dawn.

"Smart-ass whore!" Gorman said as he moved to hit her, but dawn sent him away. Dr. Edwards moved to give her anesthetic but the Woman kicked him and told him to go to hell. When he went to apply it again, Dawn held up her hand.

"She made her choice. Do it."

The woman screamed and told Edwards to go away but Dawn kept insisting, telling her that she wasn't going to let her turn. Beth looked at a scalpel left on a tray and thought about grabbing it, killing Dawn and getting out of the hospital. But she still needed to find Sophia, she couldn't make her move yet. Soon, but not yet.

Dawn made Beth hold the woman down, she made a show, cringing at the blood and the woman's screams. She didn't like them, or what they were doing, but she wasn't concerned with her, only Sophia, and getting out, back to Sam.

Noah was a nice boy. Tried to cheer her up. And he told her the truth, about how the place really worked. They took people that didn't seem a threat, people that wouldn't pose problems.

Use your size to your advantage. Your small, skinny, I don't mean that as an insult Lass, but it's true. Now other people, they won't think you're a threat, they'll underestimate you, and that'll work for you. Now, come on, hit me.

She smiled at the thought. Sam had taught her how to fight. To throw a punch and use a knife correctly. He had told her what was what. She appreciated all of the lessons, even if she did feel sore for weeks on end and her knuckles began to bleed from the punishment that they had taken.

She laughed a bit when Sam had first accidentally hit her. They were training and Sam ducked one of her punches and rolled. She threw her entire body into one of her punches and he reached on instinct grabbing the arm and sending his fist into her gut. His eyes went wide and he pulled back saying that he was sorry over and over again. He called off the training and was practically walking on eggshells the entire week. Eventually she got him to see that she knew that he didn't mean it and the training resumed.

She went back to looking for Sophia and came up empty again. Eventually they had her mixing water with vinegar so they had cleaner for the floors. Dawn came in with a tray of food, calling it a peace treaty, but Beth refused once more saying that she didn't want to stay a moment longer than Dawn made her. Dawn patted the seat next to her motioning for Beth to sit, which she reluctantly did.

"You shouldn't see this as a sentence." Dawn told her softy. "I'm giving you food, clothes, protection, for you and that little girl. When have those things ever been free?"

"I had them when I was out there. With Sam." Dawn chuckled, as if Beth had told a really bad joke.

"With Sam, that man you were asking about. Let me ask you, did you two sleep together."

Beth held her firm gaze. "Yes. But I—"

"Wanted to? Beth, I'm a cop, do you know how many times women who have been abused have said that it was their fault?"

"Sam never abused me! He protected me, and Sophia!"

"Then where was he that night?" She continued before Beth could. "Try to look at the good we're doing here. Hard as it was, we saved Joan's life. Trevitt's life, your life, and Sophia's. I'm keeping all of us going here. That is not a small thing. It's taken a lot to get us here, Beth. And I believe that what we had before all of this isn't over."

"It's not," Beth told her. "But this isn't how we get it back. Not by holding people against their will. By making them scared of the outside. That's just how we make things worse."

"I believe that when we are finally rescued, we're going to need to rebuild."

"You don't really think someone's coming for us?" Beth asked her, her eyes narrowed.

"There's still people like us, Beth. People trying to keep the world alive, to fix it. Until then, we all have to contribute. To compromise. If we take, we give back, it's only fair. So, keep working off what you owe, and you'll be out of here in no time. If that's what you want."

"It is!"

"Well then you have to eat. And as soon as you work off what you owe you can leave. And when that little girl wakes she'll do the same," Beth blinked at what dawn had just said. "Yes, she needs to work as well. No free rides, even for kids."

Beth glared daggers into dawn and took a bite out of the food she had brought, leaving Beth alone.

She had found her. Sophia was being kept in a room on the other side of the hospital where Beth slept. All she had to do was slowly lower the dosage of the sedatives that they were giving Sophia and then they would be able to escape.

When she got back to her room, or cell, she looked for the lollipop that she had found in her clothes the day previous when Gorman came into her room with the exact lollipop. He teased her in what he must have thought was a flirtatious manner, but Beth felt disgusted. He put the lollipop in his mouth and smiled at her, before asking if she wanted a taste. Beth shook her head not and backed up. Anything can be used as a weapon. She grasped the sheet and imagined wrapping it around Gorman'sthroat and strangling him, when Dr. Edwards came into the room telling Gorman to stand down.

"She should have been mine," Gorman didn't even try and hide the malice or lust from his voice.

"Nobody's yours. And if you think you're getting Joan back—"

"Oh, I'll get her back." Gorman looked back at Beth and winked before leaving the room.

When they left and the officers were out of ear shot Beth turned to the doctor.

"Why do you even stay? Or let them be in charge? They need you, everyone needs you. You could leave, you could even lead! Why don't you?" Beth demanded of the man. He paused for a minute, thinking of his answer, before he motioned for her to follow him. He led her to the ground floor of the Hospital and then to a large

There was a large window that was barred and the Doctor began to rattle a pipe on it. Walkers began appearing and crowding the small space.

"When I think about it too much, I come down here and look at this."

"Why'd you bring me here?" Beth asked, not looking away from the Walkers.

"You asked why I stay."

"I also asked why you don't run this place. You could. You could help people, take people in who know how to protect themselves, not cower from the police. You could be a doctor again, not killing anyone because Dawn doesn't like 'em. You could do good again."

He paused, then looked at the Walkers. Taking in the view. Beth thought she was getting somewhere. Sam had said that the quickest way for a group to be destroyed, wasn't from outside forces, but from within itself. He told her how, after the farm they were going to be fine but then people began to panic and said that they would leave, and that would have made the group split, not the Walkers, or raiders, but themselves.

Dr. Edwards gave Beth another look, one that she couldn't read, and then walked away. She followed him and he began to tell her of when the city had fallen and the way the things were now, as well as how Dawn had come to power.

When she left Dr. Edwards told her that Mr. Trevitt was stable and due for another 75mg of Clozapine. Beth nodded and went back to work. She made her way to the room, and saw the man lying motion less on the table. She prepared the medicine and put it into his blood stream. Noah came by just as the man began to convulse and seize.

Noah had taken the fall for her. As noble as it was, or stupid, Beth now owed him. No matter what Sam had said, she still felt that to some people, she would owe things. And Noah had just earned himself on that list.

After they had dealt with Trevitts body Beth moved back to her room, preferring the silence that it offered. When Dawn came by she shut the door and walked slowly to Beth.

"You really think I didn't know? Noah's smart. Probably my best worker. But that story he told about the ventilator? Boy's not much of a liar." Beth kept her mouth shut and her arm gripped a bunch of the sheets tightly. "I had to beat that boy because of you. A good man's mistakes almost ended everything for us, and I'll be damned if I'm going to let that happen again. Every sacrifice we make, needs to be for the greater good. The second it isn't, the second we lose sight of that, it's all over. The thing is, you're not the greater good. You're not strong enough."

"I am strong," Beth almost screamed at her. "Sam taught me how to be—"

"The man who raped you? The man who made you depend on him?"

"He never would have done that to me!"

"Then you are a fool too then! How many people had to risk their lives to save you? In here you are part of a system." Dawn got closer and Beth could see a spark of madness in her eyes. "The wards keep my officers happy. The happier my officers are, the harder they work to keep us going. And this hasn't been easy. There have been compromises, but it's working." Beth could tell that the woman wanted so desperately to believe her own words. "And after they rescue us, we're going to help put the world back together. Because we're the ones holding on! That's the good we're doing here. That's the good you're doing here. That's what makes you worth something. But out there… you are nothing."

Remember Beth, people 'll try to get you to believe whatever it is that they want, never believe them, but make them think you do. Those words rang through her head and she willed herself to tear up.

"Except dead or somebody's burden."

"Bullshit," Beth growled.

"Oh yeah? Then why were you waiting for that man that night, with the girl? Because you felt like you needed him, because he took care of you!" Dawn took a breath and looked softly at Beth. "Some people just aren't cut out for this life, and that's okay. As long as they don't take advantage of the ones who are."

Dawn turned to leave and Beth grabbed the sheets and lifted them. But remember, always save your strength. If you know you can't win then pull back, retreat and attack when you can. And when you do, make sure that they won't be bothering you anytime soon

Beth threw the sheet over Dawns head and forced the woman to the floor. She twisted the sheet into a knot and pulled tightly. Dawn struggled and tried to grab Beth but she simply pulled tighter. A few of Dawns blows knocked Beth on her sides, and she knew that she would bruise, but what were a few bruises compared to getting out. When Dawns body went limp Beth grabbed her gun and spare mags. She put her fingers against Dawn's neck and found a rapid pulse signaling that she was alive. Beth considered killing her, but the shot would simply draw attention.

She got up and made her way out of the room careful to look around the hallways before leaving. She walked carefully, avoiding any officers as well as the other wards. Alost twice she found herself almost found, but luck seemed to be on her side as she made it to the laundry room. Noah was in there pressing shirts, his face bloody and one eye forced shut by the swelling.

"What are you—"

"Shhh! I need your help."

Noah seemed confused, and then he saw her gun. "Where's you get that?"

"Dawn."

"How"

"Do you want to get out of here or not?" He didn't say anything. "I thought so. Listen, I need to get the girl I arrived with we can get out. But I can't carry her and shoot. I need your help."

Noah actually smiled, and Beth knew why. This what the moment that he had been waiting for. A chance to escape and be free of the officers, away from the quasi slavery that had taken place.

"Let's do this."

The two of them reached Sophia's room with no problem seeing as a woman had killed herself and the officers were responding to react to her turned body. Noah picked up the body and together the three, well two, and one unconscious, made it to the only place that led out, a guarded stairway. There were only two officers there, both of them men, and Beth took a deep breath. She came out of cover and aimed the gun.

If you ever need to kill someone, then do it quick. Take a breath and act, don't think, because thinking will get you killed.

She pulled the trigger and one of the men took a bullet to the chest, blood splattering and he fell to the ground. The other didn't have time to pull his rifle before Beth dropped him as well. She knelt down and grabbed their pistols. She was going for their mags when she heard footsteps. She and Noah got to the bottom of the steps quickly, Sophia began to stir and Beth began saying that it would be alright, everything would be fine.

When they reached the outside of the building, Beth focused on shooting the Walkers that had amassed outside of the building. Officers came out and tried to stop them, but the two of them had made it to the fence, and slipped out. They had made it.

Sam couldn't believe that he was in Atlanta. The car that he and Carol had followed had led them straight there. They had spent the night in s battered family shelter and were now scouring the city for any sign of whomever had taken Beth. He tried not to show it but he was anxious.

They had just finished scouring a small office space when they were help up by a dark-skinned after sacking an office building.

"Lay down your rifle!" He ordered them.

"No."

"Look, nobody has to get hurt. We just need weapons!"

"We?" Sam's brow lifted. "You with the fucks that kidnapping people? Doesn' seem to be anyone else in this goddamn city."

The boy paused but kept his rifle up. "You know about them?"

"Aye. They took two people away from me."

The boy seemed to look Sam over. "A-are you Sam?"

"Excuse me?"

The boy smiled and lowered the rifle. "Oh my god! They're gonna be so happy."

"Sam grabbed the gun and pulled the boy in close. "Who's gonna be happy? You have two seconds before I slit your fucking throat, so start talking!"

"I know Beth! And Sophia! They helped me escape! I came out scavenging!" The boy said quickly. "We needed supplies! You two looked tough I thought you would be fine if—"

"If you took from us? News flash, airsehole, you should have killed us!"

"You had a dog! You were in a funeral home when they got taken. You can play the piano and your las name is Conall! I know Beth, I'll take you to her!"

Sam was half tempted to kill the bastard right there, but didn't. It was too much, too detailed for him not to have known Beth. Besides, he could always kill the bastard later.

The boy handed Carol back the rifle and Sam stopped her from killing him before he showed them where they supposedly had Beth and Sophia. HE led them through several side streets, Sam keeping a grip on his rifle and making sure that the rooftops were clear. When they reached a door, Noah paused when he saw that it was kicked in.

"Oh no," he checked the door and saw that there was a large indent near the place between the lock and door. The signs of a battering ram.

"What happened?' Sam's hand wrapped around the pommel of his sword, ready to kill the boy.

"They found us! I-I thought I covered my tracks! I thought we were safe!"

Sam felt the urge to kill him, but saw the look on his face, his eyes. It wasn't the eyes of a killer. His were softer, less mad, calmer. If he were going to kill them and then take their stuff, he would have done it when they first met.

"Where? Where are they?"

"We can't." Noah said. "They have guns. And people. We can't take them."

"Okay," Sam turned and began walking in the direction of the car where he and Carol had hidden the car.

"Where are you going?"

"To get the Calvary!"

He was ready to wage war for those two girls.

AN: Okay my have gotten a but corny at the end, but oh well. Yes, they escaped and then Beth and Sophia were then captured again! I know, but don't worry Sam and Beth will meet again next chapter, though it may be cut short, or maybe it won't I don't know! Don't forget to review, please and I will see you next time! ~Pacco1.