A/N: I know it's been a while since I've posted an update, but I needed to re-evaluate what I wanted to do with this story. I'm not exactly happy with this chapter, but I needed to push the plot along to get things moving. Thank you for the reviews and patiently waiting for me to update!
The herd of walkers that Maggie and Daryl had successfully led away from the truck was now making its way back towards them. The number of walkers heading their way was much larger than what she'd seen earlier, or at least it seemed that way. Maggie and Daryl quickly closed the trunk of their car and jumped in, wasting no time. The only thought in her head was how many there were until Daryl called out to her. She turned around in a daze and saw two things at once. A new walker, from the looks of it due to less decay, was shambling up to Daryl's window, which was down, and a man holding a shotgun, possibly the truck driver was running after them. She didn't know what else to do, so she ran around to the driver's side of the car and pulled out a knife that was on her belt. Daryl noticed the walker just as she came up behind it and plunged the knife into his skull. They also didn't touch on how soft they were; it was a weird sensation because they were the opposite of rigor; they were closer to jelly-fying. The body fell to the pavement with a heavy thud, and then she whirled around to face the oncoming driver. She heard the distinct sound of Daryl's gun cocking, followed by his firm voice.
"Step to the left, Ryleigh, I don't have a clear shot if he tries something." Not needing to be told twice, she jumped out of the way as the man reached the car. He and Daryl didn't say anything at first, just stood there staring at each other with their guns pointed at each other. Finally, the other man spoke, his voice hoarse and shaky as if he'd not used it for days.
"You take anything from my truck?" Daryl's gruffness was just as it appeared on the show as he answered, his voice low, and threatening.
"Ain't nothing to take, there a reason why you're pointing a shotgun at us?" The man glanced to the walkers getting closer to them.
"Sorry, I didn't know if you were friendly or not. Please…if you have a camp, take me with you. I've been stuck out here for days, the truck turns on, but won't drive and I'm out of water and food." Daryl never took his eyes off the man as he slowly opened the door with his left hand and stepped out.
"How many walkers have you killed? That's a question for both of you." The man scoffed and shrugged.
"How the hell should I know? They're everywhere and I don't exactly stop to count as I take them down. Look, they're getting closer, can we do this in the car or back at your camp?" Daryl moved closer to Ryleigh and for some reason she was very grateful for this; Daryl made her feel safe just standing beside her. He spoke again, no sense of urgency coming from him despite the herd shambling in their direction.
"No, we can't, Ryleigh, how many have you killed?" She was surprised by the question because she didn't think they'd ask her because they wanted her help so badly. Luckily, it was an easy answer for her.
"None, I was in the hospital pretty much the whole time and there were police officers there, so I never had to…well except for this one I just took out." Daryl didn't even stop to take in what she said, just asked the next question.
"How many people have you killed?" Ryleigh was surprised at the answer in her head, but he was looking to the man in front of them for an answer first. The man shuffled on his feet before bursting out the answer.
"I don't know okay. I was in downtown Houston when all this started and there were people everywhere and they were trying to get into my truck. I wasn't about to be overrun so I just kept driving." Daryl made a grunting noise and then nudged her with his elbow.
"Now you, how many people have you killed?" Ryleigh discovered that she didn't feel guilty about her answer, so she just answered, she wanted to get out of the heat and away from this place.
"Three, I've killed three people." Daryl spoke to the man before acknowledging what she said.
"When you say you don't know, do you mean you drove through people and walkers? Why?" The man was getting nervous and scoffed, clearly irritated at being questioned like he was.
"What does it matter? It was every man for himself back then, Houston was a cluster and I just needed to get myself and my truck out." Daryl didn't respond to him but nudged her in the arm again.
"Why did you kill the three people?" Ryleigh found it difficult to start talking about, but as time was of the essence, she quickly explained herself.
"Two of them were my parents. My mom had been bitten and didn't want to turn and my dad was surrounded by them with no weapon and no way to escape so I put them both out of their misery. They both asked me to, but the third was self-defense at the hospital and one of the main reasons I left." Daryl didn't ask her to explain further; just spoke without looking at her, his crossbow trained on the man.
"Ryleigh get in the backseat if you want to come with us, I won't force you. You, on the other hand aren't invited. We need people we can trust and there's something off about you and your story, so we'll be going now." It happened so quickly that she almost missed it. The man rushed forward with an angry growl and Daryl let his arrow fly. The arrow hit its mark like always, and it hit him square in the head. Ryleigh didn't waste any more time; she jumped in the backseat. The door hadn't even fully closed before Daryl was whipping the car around.
Ryleigh gave him directions to the senior home that she had told them about and waited anxiously for them to arrive, and not hearing the herd in the distance. He pulled into the lot, and she could tell immediately that it had remained untouched. The guards at the hospital had yet to need the supplies here, so it was still chained. She was still very apprehensive to be there because what if it was a trap that it looked this way? What if they were waiting for her because they knew she had the key and would head this way? When they exited the car, Ryleigh hung back, sweeping her gaze back and forth, trying to discern any signs of a trap. Maggie walked up to the door, waiting for her to follow, but Daryl hung back as he sensed her hesitation. He slowly walked back to where she stood and gave her a questioning look.
"Hey, is everything alight? Is something out of place here?" She knew that she had nothing to worry about because she couldn't be harmed, but that didn't stop the overwhelming sense of fear she felt. So, because she felt pure terror, she had to call out to him.
"Grady, can you come out please?" He appeared next to her instantly and made her jump. He gave her a serene smile as he gestured towards her.
"I do hope this setting was to your liking, I've always been fond of this show myself." Ryleigh stared at him for a few seconds before asking her question.
"I do love this show, but I never would have picked it as somewhere to go. I mean there are freaking zombies everywhere! I just wanted to check that the same rules apply here that they did in the other two realms. I can't be hurt here, right?" Grady bowed his head slightly as he answered her critical issue.
"That's correct, you are perfectly safe though it may seem grave at times due to where you are but trust me when I say you are in a bubble when it comes to these creatures. If you can't save yourself, someone or a situation will always be there to keep you from harm." Ryleigh let out the breath she didn't realize she'd been holding and smiled weakly at him.
"Thanks, I guess I needed that reassurance after what's happened so far. This story just jumps right in with the chaos and drama." He smiled wider at her and gestured around him.
"You requested a realm where romance was the most unlikely. I've placed you in an apocalyptic setting where death is at every turn, so yes chaos and drama abound. Is there anything else you require?" Ryleigh shook her head and took another deep breath to calm her nerves.
"No, that was all I needed, thank you for always coming to my aid, Grady." He simply smiled, and then he was gone. Daryl reached out to her and gently touched her arm and she realized she needed to answer his question that was left hanging in the air.
"I can't tell, to be honest with you, and that scares the shit out of me. These people that I was with, they're crazy and dangerous. They need my skills and they'll likely be hunting me. I didn't want to come here because this is one of the first places they'll check." Daryl started doing his own sweep as he guided her to the front door. When they made it over to Maggie, he filled her in.
"Maggie, I need you to stay with the car and honk the horn if you see anything suspicious or out of the ordinary. Rye here has the key to the door and she's afraid the people she was with are going to be looking for her here." Maggie opened her mouth to object, but Ryleigh headed her off.
"I have done inventory here, so I know exactly where the medicine is that you need for your people. I can be in and out in five minutes barring in extra security they may have added in there." Maggie looked like she was going to object, but she clearly saw the logic in the plan and headed back to the car. Before she could get too far, Ryleigh had to warn her.
"Maggie don't honk the horn if you see them. They have guns and will hurt you so just…lay low and hide if you see anyone." Maggie nodded that she understood and got in the car keeping her head on a constant swivel.
Ryleigh didn't want to open this door, but she needed to get in and out as quickly as possible. She unlocked the door and opened it as quietly as she could. She motioned to Daryl the trap they'd set at the threshold so they could walk over it. She whispered for him to step only where she stepped, so no alarms would be set off. She set off towards the stockpile of medicine that they'd kept hidden, her steps careful. It wasn't until they were at the end of the corridor when she heard the voices. She stopped abruptly, causing Daryl to bump into her from behind. She held her finger to her lips and crouched down. She found she knew who the voices belonged to, and she closed her eyes to rush of adrenaline and fear that threatened to consume her. Two officers were sitting in the corridor in front of the door they needed to get to. One was Benjamin, one of the nicer officers who didn't threaten or abuse his position. The other was Travis, and he was a mean son of a bitch. He helped Cullen abuse the residents of Grady and enjoyed every minute of it. Dawn hadn't been able to control either of them, though she liked to think she did. It was Travis that was talking, and he sounded surly.
"I can't believe Dawn was dumb enough to leave this key lying around for that bitch to grab. I don't think she survived; she'd have already been here. We've been in this shithole for three days and I'm ready to go. If she hasn't shown up yet, she's not going to." Daryl put his hand on her hip to get her attention and motioned for her to follow him. He was heading towards the side door they'd passed in hopes they could hide there. Ryleigh knew what she had to do, and if she tried to explain it to Daryl, he'd say no. He didn't know her, but he was a protective person and he'd be against her plan. When he opened the door, she tripped him and shut the door gently behind him. It didn't stop the loud crash from his fall echoing along the whole building. She heard the men swear violently, so she pulled her weapon out and shimmied behind the administrative desk they'd been beside. She could see them walk by the open door, and when they were enough distance in front of her, she came out and pointed her gun at them.
"Well, Travis, looks like you're just as stupid as always and Dawn as smart. Drop your weapons and kick them towards me." She could feel their anger and rage as they turned to meet her. Benjamin wouldn't be a problem, but Travis was a wildcard, and she didn't have time for this nonsense. She cocked the gun to make her point and pointed the weapon at Travis' crotch to make her point.
"Please make a move, Travis, I've been waiting to shoot your dick off for months." He sneered at her and took a bold step forward.
"Please, Ford, you do not have the lady balls to pull that trigger." With that statement, he took another step towards her. He was much closer than she was comfortable with so with a sigh, she pulled the trigger. The shot was loud, and she regretted it instantly. Surrounding walkers would have heard it and so would surrounding patrols if there were more than these two. Still, the bullet hit its mark and Travis fell back in a fit of agony and tormented screams. She started to point her gun at Benjamin, but Daryl jumped out of the room he was in and wrapped his arm around his throat. She held her hands out and called for him to stop.
"Daryl, wait, please, Benjamin won't hurt us." Daryl relieved him of his gun before removing his arm. Benjamin looked at her and then down at Travis, who was still screaming his head off. Without warning, he pulled a knife out of his boot and shoved it into Travis' head. The sudden stop of screaming was almost as jarring as when it began. When he stood up, he scowled at her.
"Ryleigh, what the hell?! I specifically told you to stay the hell away from this place, yet here you are! Who the hell is this and why did you miss our rendezvous point?" Ryleigh tried to hide her shock from this and went through the memories she had. It had been Benjamin that had given her the key to this place and told her to stay away unless necessary. She also realized that she was supposed to meet him two days ago at a house they'd staked out and they were gonna set off together. It was out of necessity and not romance. She shrugged her shoulder in apology.
"I got trapped by a herd and couldn't make it, plus…I didn't honestly think you were going to go." He angrily shook his head and began taking off his police vest.
"It doesn't even matter now; you've given me the out I needed. I can fake my death here and set off on my own. Get what it is you came here for and get going, there are two more officers that are supposed to relieve us in a couple of hours. You need to be far away when they come because it is probably going to be Gorman and you don't want to face him." Ryleigh knew that she did not, in fact, want to face that man.
She turned on her heel and headed for the door, unlocking it quickly. It was just as stocked as she remembered, and she began to fill her backpack up with the necessary medical supplies. She grabbed several different kinds of antibiotics, pain medicine, gauze, alcohol, inhalers, syringes, and a couple of ventilators. She knew from watching the show that they only had one, so she just grabbed as much as she could fit into her bag. She also grabbed several bags of gloves and then turned to face Daryl.
"I think I have everything we need and more to treat them. I'm going to lock the door back in case we ever have to come back." Daryl nodded and headed out the door, not trying to take the bag from her. She wouldn't have given it because it was her insurance of safety to their camp, but she appreciated that he didn't try. She walked over to Benjamin, who was busy setting up an elaborate ruse for his death. She hesitated before she walked by him.
"Ben, come with us. They have shelter and fences and what seems like a community." He stopped what he was doing to face her. He smiled gently and pulled her into a hug before shaking his head.
"You're not going to a safe place, Rye, not if you need all of that. I'm going to chance it on my own, I'm just glad to be rid of Grady so thanks for that. Be careful and maybe one day we'll meet again." She didn't try to talk him into it; he'd clearly made his mind up. Instead, she walked out the door, stepped over the trap, and relocked it as if she'd never been there.
The ride to the prison was a long one, and it was done mostly in silence. Maggie was an absolute bundle of nerves, fearing they'd taken too long to get back. When they finally pulled up to the gates, she found that her apprehension didn't lessen, it grew. Daryl drove up to the building and past two sets of gates, just like the show. When he parked, he turned and looked at her with a relieved smile and gestured for her to follow him. She had nothing left to do but get out of the car and come face to face with everyone. Michonne and Tyrese were there as Rick was outside the quarantine block. Michonne looked pensive as she gazed at Ryleigh, but Daryl and Maggie explained everything to her. She looked at her with wide eyes and a relief you never saw on the show as she finally spoke to her.
"Niceties will have to wait, some of the patients have gotten worse." At this claim, Maggie gasped and took off running. She and Daryl had nothing left to do but follow. As they got closer, they could hear shots and yelling. She knew from watching the show that several of the sick had turned and they were fending them off. She ran into the open door in the sick ward without even hesitating. What she was greeted with was far worse than the show depicted. There were bodies everywhere, both turned and not. She looked up and saw that Herschel was struggling with a zombie that had a ventilator in its mouth. She swore and ran up the steps and ran to Maggie, who was crying next to a convulsing Glenn. She opened her bag and pulled out the new ventilator bag and kit and got to work.
"Maggie, you need to calm down and hold his head for me because he's awake and he's going to fight me." She sniffled but did everything that she asked of her. She found this part comforting because she knew exactly what to do. Once she had him properly bagged, she gave instructions.
"Okay you have to breathe for him, Maggie, pump the bag in five second intervals. I'll get started on the meds." She was pulling things out of her bag when Hershel came into view. Ryleigh didn't stop what she was doing but did speak with him.
"You must be Hershel, Maggie's told me about your setup and thought you could use some help. I've got syringes and antibiotics if you can tell me how many Iv's I need to start and help me with that, I'd be appreciative." He didn't hesitate to start helping and told her that they had three others as sick as Glenn and five more that were showing signs of worsening. She nodded and kept working, glad to be doing something she knew how to do. Once Glenn was situated, Maggie smiled through her tears at her.
"I can't thank you enough for this." Ryleigh just nodded and went to work on her other patients.
It took the better part of three hours to set everyone up with Iv's and injections that needed them. When it was over, she had to walk outside for fresh air. She kept the bag with her because chances are everyone had been exposed and was going to need to go on a round of meds to keep from getting sick. It was hot and uncomfortable, and she was about to fall from exhaustion. She'd barely taken in a few deep breaths when she heard her name. She turned around and saw a gathering of people come up to her, Daryl in front with a smile. He stepped forward and took her hand gently to show her that everything was okay.
"Everyone, this is Ryleigh, we came across her on the road and she volunteered to help us out. Ryleigh, this is Carol, Rick, Michonne you met earlier, this little guy is Carl, and Herschel. You'll meet everyone else eventually, but this is the council and they wanted to meet you." Rick stepped forward first and gave her a pained smile.
"Thank you for your help, most people wouldn't have done this even before all this happened. You're welcome here as long as you like."