After the events of the Wolves, the name of the group that attacked them Kayla found out later, she found herself with Denise in the infirmary. Angela was there, too, the sight of her causing Kayla to run into her friend's arms. She sustained some injuries in a fight with one of the Wolves, but nothing a few stitches, bandages, and disinfectant could not fix. There were a few other people that needed fixing up, but most of the people that met a blade by the Wolves did not make it. The fact was obvious by the bodies being collected and taken to a graveyard, but something else was off about Denise. While the attack was enough to startle anyone unfamiliar to the brutality just unleashed on the Alexandrians, Kayla and Angela both knew the look. It was the look of losing someone. After they saw their last patient, Kayla knew she needed to talk to Denise.
"Hey," she said, tapping Denise's shoulder. "What happened?"
Denise gave her a long look before letting out a breath. "Holly died."
"While you were trying to save her?"
Denise just nodded in response.
Kayla moved to stand in front of Denise. "Okay, fact time," she said. "People are gonna die. Lots of them. Whether they are in your care or not. All you can do for the one's that are is try like hell to save them. Try to give them another day to see."
Denise again just nodded in response, Kayla figuring it would take something for her to see situation a little more clearly. Whether it was her saving someone or helping someone live, it would be what gave Denise the push and motivation she needed to keep her head up. Kayla went back to her task of putting away some of the medical supplies when the door opened, revealing a sweaty and panting Rick. She was shocked to see him in the state he was, but then she saw the look on his face and in his irises. It caused her heart to drop. Something had gone seriously wrong and whatever he had to tell her pertained to Daryl.
Rick told Kayla everything that happened that morning. The quarry breaking open, the necessity to execute the plan immediately, and Daryl still on the road leading the walkers twenty miles away with Sasha and Abraham. It caused Kayla to have to sit down, knowing that Daryl was still out there with a herd of walkers on his tail.
"He's doing exactly what he was planned to anyway," Rick reassured. "And half the walkers following. The other half may be outside the walls right now, but…"
Rick trailed off and Kayla just looked up at him. He had a point. Daryl was doing what he was supposed to be doing with the threat cut in half, even though half a herd was still a shitload of walkers. Nevertheless, she knew Daryl's capability to survive no matter the situation. He had the skills, intelligence, and motivation to make it home. The only thing Kayla had no idea of was a group of people just starting firing at her husband along with Sasha and Abraham.
Once Kayla received the update from Rick, Angela and Denise told her to take the remainder of the day off to spend time with her kids and get her mind somewhere else. If it was not for the fact that the two women were holding down the infirmary and their only patient was stable, she would have objected. However, she knew she would only be distracted at work and knew it was in everyone's best interest to head home for the day.
Outside, the sound of the herd of walkers banging on the walls and their growls and snarls were unmistakable. It made Kayla stop in her tracks at the noise. Despite the amount of time that passed since the world ended, the noise never got old. Walkers sounds made Kayla's skin crawl every time. To Kayla, it was the sound of death.
As she headed towards the group's house, Kayla bumped into a distressed looking Maggie. She looked as if she had recently been crying and it was near impossible to hide on her face. Kayla knew part of it was due to Glenn's prolonged absence. Michonne explained how they ended up separated out on the road, and Kayla could tell it was weighing on Maggie's shoulders. When Kayla walked by her, she stopped her.
"Hey," she said, turning Maggie towards her. "He'll make it back. He always does."
Maggie sniffled. "It's not just that."
Kayla furrowed her eyebrows in confusion. She watched as Maggie wiped her eyes and gathered herself a little bit. "We weren't gonna say anything for a little longer, but…"
The second the words came out of Maggie's mouth, Kayla knew exactly what she was going to say. She did not let Maggie finish her sentence and instead wrapped her arms around her friend. Maggie wasted no time hugging Kayla back, and the two women just stood there for a few minutes in a hug as Maggie cried in to Kayla's shoulder. Kayla remembered back at the prison when Maggie had a pregnancy scare, only for it to be a false alarm. Now, it was a reality.
Later that night, Kayla sat in bed with sleeping Maggie, Ada and John in one of the bedroom's in the group's house. After the day's events, Kayla wanted to be there for Maggie and the kids did not want to sleep alone. They all ate lunch and dinner together, the kids taking Maggie's mind off Glenn and the threat over the wall. Maggie also brought down Judith, so her and Kayla had three kids they got to watch for the afternoon. They read some books, played a few games, and ate dinner in the comfort and safety of the house. Other joined them during their meal as well, including Carl, Carol, Michonne, Angela, and Tara. Some of the others were around town keeping their eyes on the walls and herd Then it was time for Judith to go to bed and the rest followed shortly later. Kayla made up the bed for her and the kids when Maggie came in and asked if there was room for one more.
Now it was late, way past the early evening Daryl predicted he would be home by. He missed dinner by hours and Kayla knew he would not be home anytime soon. The thought brought tears to her eyes, but she wiped them away immediately. After what happened with the herd on the road and possible obstacles on the way back, he could have easily gotten delayed. She just kept telling herself he would be home tomorrow, safe and sound back with her and their family.
OOOOO
The next day, Kayla made breakfast for herself, the kids, a few of the adults. The kids all sat together at the table, eating their breakfast of oatmeal and peanut butter toast. Carl also fed Judith her usual breakfast of smashed bananas and formula as he ate. Rick came down the steps as Kayla set down the last of the plates in front of the kids. "Hungry?" she asked, as she went back to the counter.
"Should probably eat something before I start the day." Rick said as he took a seat at the counter.
Kayla spread peanut butter on two slices of toast for him and placed them on a plate, sliding it across the counter to him. He stopped it and wasted no time taking a bite out of a piece. "Thanks."
"No problem."
While Rick ate, Kayla delivered glasses water to the kids before returning to the kitchen to begin cleanup. "Thanks for keeping an eye on them," Rick said. "I appreciate it."
"No need to thank me for that," Kayla replied. "It's part of the deal of being a family."
The comment made Rick smile, seeing that he and Kayla seemingly overcame their tension from how he handled the situation with Pete. She felt betrayed by him for not discussing any of the matter with her, and he understood why. What happened could not be undone though, and all Rick could do now was do his best to fix the trust between them a little more each day.
"I know you're worried about Daryl," he began. "I am, too. Until he come back, think you could help me with something?"
Kayla walked over to the seat next to Rick and sat down. "What kind of help?"
"The second watch tower were started is almost done. Think you could lend some help there to get it done?"
At first Kayla was going to object, thinking they could use her at the infirmary. Then she remembered there were two others doctors around and figured if they did not need her there, she could be useful somewhere else. "Yeah, let me just check in with Denise and Angela first," she said. "Can I ask for a favor in return?"
"Of course."
"Yesterday, John got ahold of a gun in all the chaos. Says he picked it up off a body of someone here. I took it back, but with everything outside, I want him and Ada to be armed. John knows how to shoot and so does Ada from what she's told me. I trust them to have a gun and it would give me a piece of mind when I'm not with them."
Rick nodded. "Absolutely. If you want, we can take em' to the armory after they're done with breakfast. We'll give em' each a knife, gun, and holster."
The two did just that, taking Ada and John a few houses down to where the armory was. Kayla and Rick each pulled down a handgun, bullets, a holster, and size appropriate knife. Once they had all the items, they set them on a table in front of the kids.
"Now John, you know how to carry," Kayla told him. "Abraham and I taught you how to shoot. Ada you told Daryl and I that you carried when you were with your parents, so I trust both of you know the basic rules of this. These are not toys and you only fire if you need to. Knives are option a, guns option b." John and Ada listened, nodding at Kayla's words. She instructed them to put their holsters on, which they did. Then they slid their knives into the appropriate spot as Kayla and Rick loaded the magazines into their firearms.
"When I'm not around you guys, you protect one another," Kayla went on. "After yesterday, knowing you're armed will give me some piece of mind."
Rick remained silent as Kayla talked, knowing it was her job to teach the kids herself. He did the same with Carl and knew he would do it with Judith eventually, so he did not want to cross any boundaries. Once the kids had their guns holstered, Rick told Kayla that Rosita was teaching some defense classes in the center of town. "It'll show them how to handle machetes, how to take walkers down more efficiently." Kayla nodded, the idea of them learning how to handle more types of weapons giving her more reassurance when she was not around them.
After they left the armory, Rick left to go work on the wall with Tobin, an Alexandrian native. Kayla took Ada and John to Rosita, whom was more than happy to add them to her class. "Try not to scare them too much." Kayla teased before she left, drawing a chuckle out of Rosita. She then told the kids to behave before she left to tend to the new watch tower. It was not far from the one by the main gate and the second one previously built; taking up a position by the woods to watch for any incoming threats from there. Once she got to the tower, she found one of the locals setting up a ladder.
"Kayla, I presume?" he asked. "I'm Jack. Ready to start?"
She nodded in response as she surveyed the tower. It was nearing completion, only needing some railings up top and beams to reinforce the bottom. The two planned to start with the bottom and then work on the railings up top. As they worked on hammering the pieces of wood in, the two made friendly conversation to keep it as light as possible. Despite that though, Jack confessed his fears.
"You really think we'll make it out of this?" he asked Kayla, hoping to get an honest answer.
It was a question not even Kayla thought that hard about. She spent the last day trying to just get herself and her family through to the next. However, she and group got through an abundance number of walkers before. On the farm, clearing the prison, escaping the prison, Terminus, and everything between and after. She knew once the Alexandrians fully adapted and learned the skills, they could survive the horrors outside. This is what she told Jack, to let him know that surviving it was possible if everyone stepped up and did their part. He seemed to take what she said for what it was worth, and with that, changed the topic to something a bit lighter.
Once the bottom was reinforced, Kayla climbed up to the top of the tower. From there, she saw just how many walkers were outside. She knew how much there was to a herd but seeing them all together never got old. It was just as intimidating and terrifying every time. She diverted her attention back to the task at hand, which was assessing the amount of supplies they would need for up top.
"I would tie in to the rope up there!" Jack called up. "The balcony isn't secure enough yet."
Kayla did as she was told, tying the rope around her waist. It was by no means the standard the old world would advise, but it would do its job of breaking her fall just in case. Once hooked in, she assessed how many planks and nails they would need for the rest of the job.
"We're gonna need four or five beams and I'd say just grab another bucket of nails." She relayed to Jack.
"Alright, I'll go grab em' and some more water. Take a five- or ten-minute break."
Jack began walking off to where they stored the lumber and construction supplies while Kayla turned back to the herd over the wall. They were spread out, meaning they were not condensed one area that would break the wall. It was a silver lining of the situation, but only a small one. The smell of the rotting, dead flesh filled the air more than usual, making Kayla let out a small gag.
On the other side of the wall, she saw Rick and Deanna talking with one another and Maggie on the other watch tower. She waved to Maggie whom waved back, but her arm dropped as did her face. Kayla saw her eyes go beyond her position, making her turn around to see a bouquet of green balloons floating in the sky. A smile appeared on Kayla's face, knowing it was a sign from Glenn; a sign to Maggie to let her know he was alive. She turned back to where Maggie was, only to see her down from her tower and running over to Rick. Right after she said something to him, a loud screech noise echoed throughout the air. The attention of everyone in Alexandria turned to the source of the noise; a the falling of a tower on the other side of the wall. Kayla felt herself freeze at the sigh of it falling and crashing through the wall not far from her, causing her tower to shake in response. She dropped to her knees and grabbed ahold of the small piece of balcony available to avoid falling over the edge. As the tower hit the ground, a loud noise ensued, and dust and dirt flew into the air. Those close to the tower's fall were knocked to the ground, only able to gather their bearings when they looked up and saw the walkers flooding into Alexandria.
From where she was, Kayla screamed for everyone to run and get into a house. As she watched people run for cover, she looked around to see if she could see where Rosita was with her class. She saw her helping Tobin up from where he fell but did not see Ada or John with her. As walkers flooded in, already reaching the road of town, Kayla heard Maggie's yells. She looked to the direction of the screams and saw the walkers quickly approaching her. Maggie fell to the ground but was able to raise her rifle and shoot at the walkers closest to her. She made it back to her tower but struggled to get up the ladder with all the walkers reaching for her. Kayla quickly raised her gun, took aim, and shot at the walkers closest to Maggie to help her get to safety. The ladder fell and Maggie was left dangling, but she managed to pull herself up to the platform.
Once she was up, Kayla returned her attention to the walkers surrounding the bottom of her tower. The gunfire drew them over, and now there were dozens of walkers below her. Even though the bottom was not secure, the walkers moving against it and grabbing at it to get to Kayla made it shake. The lack of balcony made it hard for Kayla to keep her balance, the rest of the platform completely opened. She saw the ladder moving and made quick work of grabbing it and pulling it up. Thinking fast and keeping her balance, she put it over the wall and carefully slid it down to the other side. All the walkers were forcing their way into Alexandria and did not seem to notice her actions at all.
"Kayla what are you doing?!" Maggie yelled, fearing for her friend's life.
Ignoring her, Kayla watched and waited for the walkers to finish walking by her position and towards the entrance the tower made. They number of walkers thinned out quickly and Kayla kept feeling herself on the verge of losing her balance on the tower. The more walkers that gathered below her, the more likely she would fall and become an instant meal for the geeks below her. Looking over the wall, she saw one of the cars positioned outside Alexandria. She knew if she stayed where she was, she ran the risk of falling. If she hopped the wall and made it to the cars, she could try to lead some of the walkers away and circle back. She turned herself around and secured the knot tied around the piece of balcony built before looking over to Maggie.
"I'll be back!" she called out.
"Are you crazy?" Maggie replied.
"It's either jump the wall or fall to my death!"
Not giving her anytime to think twice, Kayla climbed over the wall and carefully lowered herself down to the ladder. It only reached halfway up the wall, making her have to be as careful as possible so she did not knock it over. Once her feet hit the top, she turned and shot a few approaching walkers and lowered herself until the rope ran out of slack. She untied herself quickly, worked her way down the ladder, and hit the grass. She turned quickly, firing off some rounds at walkers closes to her before making a break for the cars. She used her knife to take out the ones that stood in her way and simply pushed others out of her path. As she ran, she felt her adrenaline kick in that allowed her to fight through the crowd while maintaining her fast speed and leaving her unscathed.
She made it to the car, quickly got in, and pulled the door shut hard. Once the doors were locked, she ignored the walkers banging on the windows as she took off the panel below the tire and pulled out the necessary wires that would allow her to hotwire the car. She cut them and put them together, smiling when the engine started up. There was a little over half a tank of gas, meaning she had enough to drive out a substantial distance before needing to turn back. Letting out a breath she buckled her seatbelt, put the car in gear, and slammed on the gas as she laid on the horn to draw the walkers away. As she drove, Ada and John entered her mind. She hated leaving but knew this was her best option to not only survive, but also help those in Alexandria. In the rearview, she saw some walkers abandon Alexandria and head for her car which made her smile. Her plan worked.
