The Wolf you Feed
Chapter 50
Deanna was still in her nightgown. It was plaid cotton and stopped just below mid thigh. She had no bra on underneath and her bare feet were shoved into an old pair of Reg's house slippers. Deanna wasn't sure exactly what time it was, but from the angle of the light shining in her front windows she was sure that it was far too early in the morning for so much loud assorted nonsense to be going on in her living room.
The room was large, but it still felt like it was teeming with people. Their faces were covered in some sort of face paint, but it had been smeared all over and mixed in with dirt and dried blood. The majority of the group also had their clothing covered in blood. They all had their shoes and boots on and were tracking dirt and mud and god only knows what else all over Deanna's hardwood floors and rugs. A woman Deanna had never seen before was lying facedown on her sofa. The woman's arms and legs had been hog tied and there was a bandana wrapped around her face as a blindfold. Deanna wasn't sure how long the woman had been tied up. Clearly it had been long enough that the woman had peed herself, because her pants were soaked and she smelled like urine.
Everyone was talking and hollering at the same time, making it hard for Deanna to even figure out where to start sorting out the situation. Most of the arguing seemed to be revolving around the woman on the couch. People kept gesturing and pointing to the woman as they argued. Tank was circling Rowan, making sure no one that was speaking in a loud tone was able to come near her. Rowan was trying to stand near Daryl and her large dog kept cutting her off and nudging her backwards towards the kitchen. If there wasn't total pandemonium happening in her house, Deanna would have laughed at the animal's antics.
Carol was seated on the window bench. Even with the smeared paint on her face, Deanna could tell that the woman had taken a severe beating. One of her eyes was swollen shut. She looked like she was struggling just to keep herself upright. After another quick once over of the group, Deanna was relieved that it at least appeared all her people had made it back alive. But she needed them to calm down and quiet down so she could figure out what the hell was going on. They had come to her house and woken her up. So she assumed this was a conflict they intended for her to deal with.
Deanna cleared her throat a few times. Then she waved her arms, trying to get everyone to stop, but no one was paying her any attention. She hadn't even had her morning coffee yet and she was rapidly losing patience. After several more attempts to get the floor, she finally cupped her hands around her mouth and screamed.
"HEY! Shut the FUCK up!," Deanna hollered, "ALL of YOU!"
Carl started laughing. Enid took one look at him and erupted into a fit of high pitched giggles. Whether it was Deanna swearing or the entire situation or the lack of sleep that hit her funny bone was anyone's guess. But other than the laughter, Deanna's coarse language and angry tone did manage to quiet down the rest of the group.
"What in the hell is going on?," Deanna asked. She immediately regretted asking this question. Because half the group started yelling again. She couldn't understand a single thing when everyone was talking at the same time.
"Enough," Deanna hollered, scrubbing her face with her hands. She was already developing a wicked headache. She needed a large cup of hot coffee as soon as possible. But first things first. Deanna pointed at Carol. The woman was clearly in need of medical assistance.
"Someone take Carol to the infirmary," Deanna ordered. Carol instantly began protesting. Not only did Carol want to be present for the discussion on what was going to be done with the captive Savior, she also felt she could take herself to the infirmary when and if she decided the need to go. But trying to make herself heard was only proving that Carol needed to be examined. Her voice sounded worse than she looked. It was scratchy and the swelling in her throat was more obvious the louder she tried to talk.
Deanna was prepared to pull rank and insist that Carol go and at least get examined. But Rowan's father was already crossing the room towards the woman. Ignoring Carol's hoarse complaints, he seized the woman and lifted her into his arms. She demanded to be put down and was ignored again. Tony darted for the front door and held it open. Grey Wolf turned sideways in the doorway, being careful not to bump Carol's feet or legs against the doorframe on his way out. Tony followed them out and shut the door behind him.
There was something about the way that Rowan's father had been holding the woman in his arms. Almost like he was carrying her across the threshold instead of to the infirmary. Deanna knew the man was married with a child and Carol was in a committed relationship with another man. But she also knew they were both adults and whatever was going on between them was a problem for another day. At least one of the loudest mouths was out of her living room and on his way to the infirmary. Right now Deanna needed to deal with the woman that was currently making a pee stain on her couch and then send the rest of her people home to rest.
"Ok," Deanna said. She was about to ask again if someone could tell her what was going on but quickly decided she better be a little more specific on who that someone was before she went deaf. She turned to Rowan. The woman had not been yelling and was now leaning against the kitchen door frame wrapped in one of Deanna's throw blankets. "Can you tell me who this is?," Deanna asked her, gesturing with her head towards the woman that was tied up.
"Well, she and these other women sort of kidnapped me and Spencer…," Rowan started to explain. Deanna whipped her head towards her son. He shrugged his shoulders. She would deal with her son later. Deanna turned back to Rowan and gestured for her to continue.
"She's part of that group we went after. My dad and Daryl wanted to kill her. But Rick and Abraham wanted to bring her back and try to get some information from her," Rowan said, trying her best to explain the situation as quickly as possible. She also left out that she had wanted to let the woman go. Since that obviously wasn't going to happen now. "Daryl's bike, the one that got stole, those people had it and Rick wants to know where they got it and…uh …he probably wants to know some more stuff. 'Cause those woman that snatched us were on the radio with more of their people…"
"We need to know how many of them there are and where their camp is," Rick announced. For once Rowan was grateful to him for interrupting. She was tired and wasn't sure how she got elected to be spokesperson for the group. Explaining to Deanna why there was a hogtied woman in her living room was like explaining to her mother how all the chickens got loose. Rowan hadn't let them lose, she just watched while the other kids did it.
"When you're done getting your information," Daryl hollered, "then I want her DEAD!" He pulled his knife out and pointed it at the woman on the couch. Deanna knew from his behavior that the woman or her companions must have hurt Rowan in some way. However, that did not excuse him from the total absence of all known manners in her house.
"Daryl," Deanna said, using the firmest voice she could muster while keeping her tone calm, "I do not appreciate you waving a knife around in my living room." Daryl looked around like he had forgotten where he was. He quickly tucked his knife back into the sheath on his belt.
"Thank you," Deanna offered. She glanced towards Rowan before she gently suggested that the woman looked tired and that Daryl ought to take his wife home. He nodded, crossing the room to wrap his arm around Rowan and pull her to him. They headed for the door, stopping only for a moment when Daryl leaned down and spoke quietly to the woman on the couch.
"I'm gonna fuckin' kill ya fer putting yer hands on her," he hissed. Tank followed up the man's threat with a low growl of his own as he followed Rowan out of the house.
Deanna shook her head. The people of Alexandria had all become her extended family. Sometimes she forgot just how feral they could really be when pushed. She was glad they were on her side. Even if they drove her insane at times.
