Hey Guys, sorry for making you wait, but here's the next chapter! It gets things ready for what's to come, though more of that will happen in the following chapter as well. Also, sorry for any mistakes you see, I typed this chapter and posted it almost immediately, so I didn't properly red through it again. Thanks for all the follows and favourites, as well as to LiveFreeDieWell, celia azul, FaithfulReader92, casper6six6, Kath3rin, BlueBloodsSVUOrder and Jemstone6259 for reviewing!

Enjoy!

Chapter 33

Anamika blinked up at the white ceiling, her thoughts moving sluggishly as she tried to remember what happened. Flashes of memories and emotions bombarded her mind and tried as she might, she couldn't make sense of them. Too much was happening at the moment, leaving her no space to sort out the deluge of thoughts. She swallowed, slowly lifting her hand, blinking at the shaky appendage that appeared in her blurry vision. She quietly opened and closed her hand, staring at her fingers as if to make sure they were attached to her body.

She glanced to the side, blinking until her vision swam into focus. It seemed she was in some sort of small room, outfitted with all the equipment and supplies a hospital had.

Not a room, a trailer; her mind supplied. She blinked again. Carefully rolling on her side, she slid her one arm beneath her body, slowly pushing her torso up from the bed. She grunted as her vision swam and her head pounded, but she determinedly sat up. One hand rested delicately on her head as she winced in pain, but she still swung her legs over the bed. She paused for a moment, breathing through the nausea and dizziness, her entire body trembling violently as she tried to regain control of herself.

She didn't have quiet for long, as the next moment, the door was flung open and a light brown-haired man rushed in, his body lined with tension. She flinched and tried to jump up, to defend herself, but her legs buckled beneath her and she instead crashed to the floor. The man's eyes widened at the sight of her, but instead of attacking her as she thought he would, he hurried forward to crouch by her side.

"I would be happy to find you awake, but we have a problem at the moment. Saviors are coming and we need to hide you!"

She blinked owlishly, her body settling down a bit when it became obvious the man wouldn't immediately attack her.

"Saviors? What's going on? Who are you?"

"My name is Dr. Harland Carson, I'm with Hilltop. Rick brought you here after your run-in with Negan, hoping I could save your life."

"Wha-"

"I'll answer all your questions later, I promise. For now, we need to hide you! If the Saviors find you here, they will kill you! We don't have long, the gate guard let me know they'll be inside within five minutes. Come with me, quickly!"

Anamika decided to leave her questions for later, though she still felt confusion at the situation she found herself in. The man -Dr, Carson- helped her up from the floor, before slinging her arm around his shoulders. They made their way to the door, Dr. Carson peeking out of it, before opening it and helping her down the stairs. Anamika could hear the sound of trucks coming closer, as well as the gates opening slowly. She was led to the side, away from the gates, so that she and the doctor were ducking between the community walls and the back of the trailers, so that there was less chance of someone spotting them.

He led her to a small patch of dirt, where she could see one wooden cross sticking out of a dirt mound. Guiding her around it, to the trailer, he helped her bend down, until they were kneeling. Closer to the ground now, she could see a small crawling space beneath the trailer and when the doctor motioned towards it, hurrying her on in frantic whispers, she crawled into the darkness. She had to wiggled a bit and finally curl her body up, but she managed to fit into the space. She had one moment to breath slowly, before he shifted a barrel partially in front of her, making sure no one could see her. Breathing deeply, she tried to keep her calm, telling herself she cold easily get out if no one came back to get her.

It felt like she was waiting for hours, tense in the darkness and hearing men shouting and moving stuff. She felt around her in the darkness, her hand closing around a rock and clutching it to her chest, ready for if someone unsavory found her. Her vision swam in and out of focus, though it was a bit difficult to judge how bad it was, given the darkness that surrounded her anyway. Finally, it started to quiet down and she heard trucks pulling away. It felt like the smothering atmosphere that settled around the community was lifted, though the general fear that hung in the air continued.

She waited, uncertain if it was safe for her to come out, when at last, she heard several footsteps coming closer. Tensing her muscles, she softly shifted into a better position, holding the rock ready, in case it wasn't the doctor that greeted her as the barrel began to move. A kind face peered in to her and she relaxed, her vision going dark in relief for a few seconds, as Dr. Carson's voice told her it was safe to come out. Releasing the rock, she crawled out, before taking his hand as he helped her up. Blinking against the sun, it took her a few moments to realize they weren't alone.

Behind the doctor, stood four people, one man and three women. Though, she wasn't sure if she would call one of them a woman, rather a teenage girl. She blinked at the happiness on their faces, tensing slightly when one of the woman, with short brown hair and gentle eyes, rushed forward and flung her arms around Anamika in a hug. Looking over her shoulder, she saw a kind man with dark hair smiling, as if he couldn't be happier. The teenage girl was also smiling, while she thought she saw a smile on the stern looking woman to her right, her eyes soft.

Finally, the lady in her arms released her and stepped back, wiping a tear from her cheek as she beamed up at her.

"Anna, you can't imagine how happy I am to see you! We...we weren't sure you would wake up."

Cocking her head to the side, Anamika frowned, blinking as her gaze roved over the woman's face in front of her, before she responded.

"I'm sorry, but have we met?"

WD

Sasha leaned against the side of the trailer, her brow drawn in a scowl as she watched Dr. Carson talk to Anna. When the woman had shown no recognition of anyone in their group, it had been as if a dark cloud had descended upon them, even as they introduced themselves to the amnesiac woman. The doctor had told them that memory loss is one of the possible consequences of the injury Anna had suffered and that it was probably temporary. He assured them that it might take time, but the chance of her recovering her memory was big. When Glenn had worriedly informed him that Anna had lost her memory before; had, in fact, lost her entire life before the apocalypse began, the doctor seemed a bit more concerned, but decided to remain optimistic until he found evidence of something else.

Glenn was sitting besides Maggie, keeping her tucked into his side as Enid sat on his other side, chewing her lip anxiously. Dr. Carson was asking Anna to push and pull against his hands as hard as she could with her arms, before having her walk around, turn in circles and stand with her eyes closed as he gently nudged her around to see how her balance was. Though she stumbled a bit and seemed a lot weaker than Sasha remembered, especially when she recalled their fight together in the clearing against the walker horde, she also didn't seem disorientated.

Even when the doctor stated he was going to now test the nerves of her brain, by having her smelling various salts and tasting something with her eyes closed and then asking her what she ate, by gently touching her face and shining a light in her eyes, her reactions where normal. Finally, Dr. Carson stepped back, telling Anna she could sit down on the bed.

"Well, everything seems fine. There's some swelling on your head, but it doesn't seem to have affected you more than the amnesia and slight dizziness. The dizziness should go away after a few hours if you take it easy. The amnesia is a bit more unpredictable, honestly, I can't promise anything. It can be days, weeks or years before you recall anything, maybe even never. You can perhaps recalls short flashes of memories or entire periods of time, it really depends on each individual case. The only advice I can give is to try to experience everything and to listen to what your friends can tell you. Something may trigger your memory."

Anna nodded, but Sasha could see the slight worry behind her cool facade, the same facade Sasha wore after Bob and her brother's death and had partially reverted to after Negan's demonstration.

"For now, you can sleep in the infirmary, just for a few days so I can observe you and make sure you won't relapse. The laceration to your neck is healing good, we managed to catch the infection in time and as long as you continue to take these antibiotics for a further two weeks, you should be fine." Anna took the pills, her gaze turned downward as the doctor left them on their own. Finally, she glanced up, her eyes resting on each of them before they settled on Sasha. Sasha could understand why, as even she had trouble looking into Maggie and Glenn's mournful gazes as they stared at Anna.

"So...We're in the apocalypse? What, did a nuclear war break out?" Sasha smiled slightly at Anna's sarcastic tone, before she stepped forward and swung a chair around, straddling it backwards.

"Not quite. The dead started walking." Anna blinked at her, her mouth slightly ajar, before she slowly pursed her lips. She glanced around the room again, before Anna's gaze swung back to her.

"You're not joking… The dead started walking? Like, came back to life?"

"Not exactly," Glenn interrupted, his voice serious, "They are up and walking, but they have no heartbeat and the only way to kill them for good is to destroy their brain. They eat flesh, though it doesn't seem to really interest them anymore after it's not longer living and has lost its warmth. They seem to mostly operate on instinct, vision and sound and doesn't seem to be capable of thought. For example, they'll climb stairs, but they can't climb a ladder."

Anna nodded, blinking, "So, how did I come to be here?"

"We met you some months ago," Sasha stated, folding her arms over the back of the chair as she talked, "when Daryl brought you back to Alexandria, our community. You were never very open about everything that's happened to you since the apocalypse started, but we do know that you had no memories of anything that happened before it. You apparently had some flashbacks that you told Daryl about that pointed towards you being military before, but nothing concrete."

"Why would I tell this Daryl about my flashbacks? Was he my doctor?"

Sasha snorted, coughing into her arms as she tried to contain her laughter. The giggles and chuckles from behind her showed that the others hadn't even tried. Anna had an annoyed expression on her face as they laughed that sobered Sasha, though her smile stayed on her lips.

"No, definitely not. Daryl is a gruff redneck with a crossbow that would sooner shoot you than patch you up. He's extremely loyal to family, which our group are to each other and…" Sasha looked at Anna, hesitating over whether she should tell her about their relationship, but Maggie took that decision out of her hands.

"You two were together. Have been for a few months now. You loved him and he loved you." Sasha saw the shock on Anna's face, the way she blinked owlishly at them.

"What?" Glenn and Maggie smiled and nodded, glancing at each other lovingly and Sasha wanted to throw up. She didn't condemn them their happiness, but it just reminded her that she had that and, just like with Bob, it was ripped away before it had time to really blossom. Her heart tore at remembering Abraham saying he wanted to have kids with her, the baffled happiness she had felt at his tender words and loving gaze, the way his gentle eyes drew her in deeper than even Bob's did.

She let out a breath, trying to bury her tormented thoughts, something that became easier when Anna spoke up again and distracted her.

"W-Where is he then? If we really l-l...loved each other, wouldn't he be here with me?" A dark cloud seemed to press down on them and Sasha glanced at her family's unhappy faces, sighing, since she knew it fell to her to tell Anna what happened.

He would be, if he could. There is this group, called the Saviors, that takes over community's and rules over them with fear. You had possibly gotten attacked by them recently, hence the cut on your neck. When you woke up from the coma, Rick, our leader, wanted you to get to Hilltop, as they had a doctor that could take a look at you. Maggie also experienced some problems with her pregnancy, so we made our way to the Hilltop."

"You're pregnant? Congratulations," Anna interrupted Sasha, looking at Maggie, who smiled and thanked her. When Anna's attention returned to her, Sasha continued.

"Due to something that happened before, Daryl and some other members of our group was already outside the walls, searching for the saviors. It ended up that the saviors set a trap for all of us, capturing us and bringing us all to one place, where there leader greeted us. His name is Negan." Sasha saw something flash across Anna's face and she sat up, her eyes narrowing.

"What? Do you remember Negan?" Anna frowned, seeming to think deeply, before she shook her head, lifting her eyes to them.

"No, I had a flash of something, of flames and red, but it's gone now." Sasha nodded remembering what Anna had told them on the RV.

"That makes sense. Before we were captured, you told us that you had run into them before, that you even burned down some of their buildings," Sasha wanted to laugh at the weirdly proud expression Anna had, competing with the baffled one she sported since they began their explanation, but soldiered forth, "Anyway, Negan threatened us and to drive his point home, he decided to kill one of us. His target was you."

Anna sat back, blinking, before her gaze sharpened, "How am I still alive then? And what does this have to do with why this Daryl isn't here?"

"Be patient, I'm getting to that," Anna huffed but Sasha ignored her, "He hit you with his bat, but A-Abraham, another of our group, tackled him. Dr. Carson believes that's the only thing that saved you. A...A…" Sasha took a shuddering breath, trying to speak his name, but her heart seemed to shrink and her throat squeeze shut every time she tried. Glenn reached over, his hand warm and comforting on her shoulder as he took over for her.

"Abraham wasn't so lucky. Negan killed him. Negan also took Daryl as a hostage when they left, which is why he isn't here. Otherwise, he wouldn't leave your side."

Sasha squeezed her eyes shut, exhaling slowly, before she opened them, finding Anna looking at her, her gaze serious and not filled with pity like so many others' has been.

"We'll avenge him. I owe my life to him and I'll make sure this Negan doesn't get away with his murder." Somehow, hearing Anna, who had always been strong and dependable, say this, even as she trembled and shivered, reassured Sasha more than any other words of comfort could. She nodded, her expression determined and her shoulders straightened.

Anna was right. They wouldn't let Negan get away with this.

WD

Carl looked straight ahead, his mind buzzing in circles as he sat next to Negan in the truck. His mission to kill Negan hasn't gone as planned, instead he had been caught and taunted by Negan, while the psychopath showed him around the compound. He had taunted his scar, the way his eye pulled slightly to the side as the scar stretched his skin, the way his ear was slightly bent and twisted where the bullet had clipped it. Anamika had always told him he should be proud of his scar, that it showed that he had survived, but Negan made him recall all those insecure feeling he had upon first seeing what his face had become.

He was further sickened when he saw the numbers Negan had, the total power he had over his people, the way they knelt when he walked into the room and the harem of women he kept for his pleasure. Carl couldn't imagine living under someone like that and he resolved to talk to his dad again, even if seeing all this only made it clear that going against Negan alone was suicide.

But worst of all, was seeing Daryl. Daryl in the dirty overalls with an orange A sprayed on his shirt. Daryl who was pushed around and tormented by Dwight, treated like a slave. Daryl, who's eyes briefly sparked in fury when he saw Carl, before they deadened again. Carl knew that Daryl thought Anamika was dead, but he hadn't realized how badly that had affected the man. Only now, did he see the slump in his shoulders, the way his head hung and he hid his face behind limp hair. He had stopped fighting and Carl couldn't have that.

Carl knew Jesus was somewhere close by and that he would try and free Daryl, but at this rate, he didn't think that Daryl would actually try to escape. He didn't seem to put any effort into anything. He had to let Daryl know that Anamika was alive, but how to do it, when Negan didn't leave him alone for a second and now they were leaving.

"Daryl!" Carl looked up at Negan's shout, knowing this would be his last chance. But how to do it without letting Negan in on it as well?

"You seem worried so I'm taking the kid home to his dad." Carl's eyes widened as he had a thought. As far as he knew, Negan only knew Anna as Miss A, or maybe Anna, he couldn't remember exactly what he called her. He didn't know her full name and Carl couldn't use it, as he was sure Negan would be able to derive that Anna came from Anamika, but there was another name Daryl would know. One that only Daryl used, in fact. Carl made sure to catch Daryl's eyes, before he turned as if he was talking to Negan, even though his words were meant for Daryl.

"My dad might not be there, he was going to go scavenging with Aaron and Mika for supplies."

Negan had turned to him as he spoke, which Carl was grateful for, as that meant he missed the way Daryl's eyes widened and his sharp in-drawn breath.

"Is that so?" Carl nodded, but made sure he quickly glanced towards Daryl as he did so, answering the desperate question in the man's eyes and Carl saw out of the corner of his eyes the way Daryl closed his eyes and bent his head.

Just as Negan turned back to Daryl, he looked up and Carl was elated to see the fire burning in Daryl's eyes again.

"If you hurt him…!"

"Dwight! Daryl needs a time out, put him back in his box for a while." As Dwight dragged Daryl away, Carl could do no more than start the truck and pull away, heading back towards Alexandria with Negan at his side. It was not the way he had planned for this day to go at all.

But at least Daryl knew now, and Carl thought that was worth this entire botched trip.

WD

Another chapter done and the groundwork laid. I'm going to try my best to have the next chapter up by next weekend, root for me;)