This Night
Chapter 230
Author's Note: So, it looks like everyone voted has the same opinion that Beth should live. Now to think how I'm going to do it! LOL. I am not ready for Negan. NOT AT ALL. He better take that baseball bat to someone (random hair cut lady if she survives comes to mind) other then Glenn. Though, I do have some actors I can use for the Hilltop. Mind you I don't read the comics, so I'm not sure except rumors of what happens. But Negan better keep his bat away from Glenn and Daryl. Daryl, for Mar and Jewel's sake. And Morgan, seriously Jewel is going to have a serious talk with you! I mean she likes you and all…but yeah, she's gonna talk to you. Reviews please.
The Bus Group POV:
"The engine's on fire, we've got to get out of here," Rosita told them.
"I know," Abraham responded.
Jes started to grab weapons handing them out.
"What are you doing? You can barely stand," Axel told her.
"Well, I won't be breathing if we don't get out of here, none of us will. Grab what we can, just in case," Jes ordered.
Glenn nodded as he looked at Abraham. "All right, David, you and I go first, knock 'em back, clear the way for Maggie, Axel and Rosita to get out, then we all start hitting them, okay?"
"What am I chopped liver?" Jes asked.
"You're injured," Abraham pointed out. "Alright, lets do this live," he said as he got up to make his way to the back. "Tara?"
"Yeah?" Tara responded.
"You cover Eugene, make sure that one," Abraham said with a tilt of his head to Jes, "doesn't pass out on us. Come out when it's clear," he said.
"Okay," Tara responded.
Jes rolled her eyes as she grabbed food and put it in bags. "You know I survived just fine without you people babying me," she told them.
"Well you don't have to do it alone now," Maggie told her.
"On my go!" Abraham bellowed as he pulled himself up to break out the windows. "Go!" he said.
Jes watched the group go out as she wiped the blood off her head. She turned her head at the sound of moaning coming through the window. She went to grab her gun but Tara grabbed it's arm and pushed her knife in it's head.
"That was one ugly mombo jumbo," Jes said. "There's more windows, the glass has been compromised, more will be able to break in," she said as she looked at Tara.
"Which means, we need to get out of here," Tara responded as she looked at Eugene. "Come on, I know it's scary, but it's time to be brave."
"It isn't voluntary," Eugene pointed out.
"It is when you're screwed either way. So you cut through the choice that might help somebody," Tara told him as Jes went past her. "Hey, what are you doing?"
"You two continue debating which is safer, I'm going to go help," Jes told them as she climbed out the door.
Tara handed him her knife and looked at him. "I'll be right behind you," she assured him as she followed him and started joining in killing walkers.
Axel turned to see a walker getting a little to close to Jes. "Watch out," he said as he took the head off of it with a crow brow.
"Thanks," Jes said as she sat down on the ground. "Guess I was a little bit weaker then I thought."
"Don't mention it," Axel said as he looked around.
"Check Eugene to see if he's hurt," Abraham ordered.
David glanced over to Eugene then at Abraham. "He looks fine, our main concern should be the woman who got knocked in the head," he told him.
Eugene nodded. "He's right, I'm fine, just cuts and dings is all," he told him.
"Check him!" Abraham yelled.
Tara and Rosita sighed as Rosita stood up and went to check on Eugene.
"Is that your blood?" Maggie asked Abraham as Glenn went over to help David with Jes.
"Damn thing opened again. I swear, the cuts are finer than frog's hair. They're just big bleeders," Abraham said.
Jes shook her head. "You and I are bleeding, we need to get checked out. I'd say all and all we got damn lucky."
Abraham looked at her. "Lucky? Our ride is upside down and we're out here."
"We're all standing, we all made it out, and that is a damn good thing," Jes told him.
"She's right, Abraham," Rosita told him.
"There's a first aid kit on the bus, I'll go get it," Maggie said as she turned to get it.
"The engine…." David started to say as the bus exploded in flames. "Was on fire," he finished.
Abraham picked up a bag and threw it over his shoulder. "We're not stopping, we're rolling on. We'll find another vehicle down the road. The mission hasn't changed," he told them.
"Abraham, we have to look at Jes's head and your hand," Rosita told him.
"We will, later," Jes said as she looked at Abraham.
Eugene looked at him. "Devil's advocate, nothing more- we smashed to a stop hard. We spent a lot of time rolling things out of the road. The church is just 15 miles back that way-" he started to explain.
"No, we don't stop, we don't go back. We're at war, and retreat means we lose. The road fights back, the plan gets jacked. You all know that. Now, we will get through this because we have to. Every direction is a question. We don't go back!" Abraham told them as he walked away.
Axel looked around then broke the silence. "Is that an Army thing?" he asked Jes.
"No that's a stubborn, hardheaded dick thing," Jes answered.
Glenn stopped Abraham. "Hey, hey, hey, you OK?"
"I am fit as a damn fiddle," Abraham responded.
"A simple yes would have sufficed," David told him as he joined some of the others, while Rosita was taking care of Jes.
"We are going with you. You are calling this thing. I just need to know you're good," Glenn informed him.
"This is how things stop. I can't afford that right now. The world can't afford it. Listen, I took a pretty hard shot to the sack with that crash. I am stressed and depressed to see that ride die, but if you say we're rolling on, I'm good," Abraham told Glenn.
Glenn looked at the others. "We're rolling on," he told him.
"I'm gonna rub some dirt on it and walk it off," Abraham told them.
"Yeah," Glenn said.
"We'll find what we need like we always have, on the way," Rosita told him.
Maggie smiled. "I'm not rubbing dirt on anything," she told them.
"If we're doing this, which obviously we are, you are going to have to take a step back, listen to suggestions. We get how important this is, and yes Eugene is important, but so is everyone standing right here in front of you. So, right now, we need to find a place to lay our heads for the night. You and I need to get checked out. You need to get that bleeding stopped. Blood attracts these things," Jes told him.
"Maybe we could find some bikes, bikes don't burn," Tara said.
"We should start moving, need to find somewhere before it gets dark," Axel told them.
"Yeah, the blood from the two of you are going to start attracting these things and I'm not sure any of us have the energy to defend more of them right now," David told them.
Glenn nodded. "Let's find a place," he told them.
Bookstore that night:
Jes laid out on a couch in the office after they had blocked the doors and everyone had spread out. She just wanted to be alone.
"Jes, it's Maggie," the younger woman called as she knocked.
Jes sighed and sat up. "Come in."
"I wanted to check on you, make sure you were alright. You really shouldn't be alone, not with a head injury," Maggie told her.
Jes sighed. "You stitched it up, it's not bleeding, I'm not feeling dizzy and I've got shift in two hours, so I don't plan to be trying to get some sleep."
Maggie sat down beside her. "Well at least you know what to watch out for," she told her.
"I've had a few head injuries in my day," Jes told her. "Is there anything else you want to discuss Maggie?" she asked.
"I wanted to tell you how sorry I am for Merle being gone. He wasn't the same man he was when I first met him. I think that was because of you," Maggie told her.
Jes laughed. "No, I don't have that much power. Merle became the guy he was always meant to be, the man that he couldn't be in the life before with the hand he was dealt. I was just along for the ride," she told her.
"You loved him," Maggie told her.
Jes shook her head. "Merle and I were the kind of people that didn't deserve love, that didn't know how to give it, not in the way you and Glenn do, or Rick and Jewel," she said with a shrug. "It worked. I'm sorry about your father. Hershel was a good man, a great man."
Maggie nodded. "He was," she agreed.
Jes looked at Maggie. "You haven't said Beth's name, or wondered about her. You think she's dead, huh?"
Maggie looked at her and stood up. "I should let you get back to resting."
"Sit down Maggie," Jes told her in a no nonsense voice. "You came in here to talk. You don't only get to talk about what you want to talk about. Now sit down," she instructed again.
Maggie sat down and looked at her. "I really don't want to think about that," she said.
"That? That is your sister. She has a name. Beth. I know what it's like to not talk about something that you'd like to forget. Hell, if there was an award for it, I'd win it. But, Beth is your sister, you can't just pretend she never existed by not saying her name. It doesn't work that way Maggie. The only thing you are doing by not saying her name is trying to protect yourself from the hurt. You don't think she's alive, do you?" Jes asked.
Maggie looked away and didn't answer.
"I've seen the scars on her arms. Did she try before or after the world went to hell?" Jes asked.
"After," Maggie answered.
Jes nodded. "So you think because she tried to kill herself, tried to end it, that she couldn't make it out there? She's made it so far."
"She always had someone with her," Maggie answered.
"You're right," Jes responded. "But, Beth is stronger then we give her credit for. She's more then just Judith's babysitter. Hell, she was out there with Daryl and Axel. That says something about her skills," she told her. "Just keep a slimmer of hope and don't pretend that she didn't exist. That's not fair to her, alive or dead," she told her.
Maggie hugged her. "Thank you."
Jes patted her back with one hand. "No problem," she said as Maggie left. She shook her head. "When the hell dead I become the group counselor."
Author's Note: Next Chapter may go back to check on our other group or continue here. Not sure til I start writing. I'm off all next week, so we'll see how far I get. Please review.