Disclaimer: I own nothing.
– – –
They stopped at camp, night had fallen, and Glenn rehashed what they had found to the group gathering around. They were all eager to get this run underway, as they'd spent the last four days just driving, and tomorrow it would happen. They divided into their groups and made an outline of what they would do or how they would do it, and the leads got together to let them know of that rough outline. For all they knew, they'd walk inside and face hell. It was an unknown, but it had to be done.
Maggie lowered herself down beside Daryl, who sat with his back against a tree, fiddling with the sonogram that was beginning to look ages old instead of weeks, and she rested her hands in her lap while Glenn and Tara spoke softly across from them with Francine and Rosita.
"You don't have to tell me what happened," she said without looking at him. "I won't force you to, and it's your own business, but...you need to get it out of your head, get her out of her head. You need to...find a blank spot in your mind and just focus on that. It'll be easier."
"How?" He glanced at her. "The whole reason I'm doin' this is for her and the baby. How can I not think about them?"
"Because if we fail or if somethin' goes wrong, I don't want you immediately jump to you failed her or you failed the baby. That's not how it'll be."
"We won't fail."
"We can't promise we'll succeed." She met his glance. "I'm doin' this for my future, for Enid and for Glenn. I want to use them as my strength, but I can't at the same time. I have to do this for us right here and now, and...if we do succeed then it's for the entirety of Alexandria, of my family, and it'll be worth it."
"Kinda makes sense."
"Mostly I just don't want anythin' cloggin' your head." She leaned back against the tree and pulled her legs in. "We all need to be clear-headed and sharp for tomorrow. Abe confirmed walkers inside, so we may have to fight our way through just like before."
"I fought for all of us and did just fine."
She smiled, but it was laced with sorrow and agony. "We lost so many people that night, a little boy and his family. We need more than just fine for tomorrow, Daryl."
"And I'll be that. Tomorrow."
"Okay."
Glenn joined them, sitting with his back to the fire, and he grasped Maggie's ankle, earning a soft smile from her. "We have it mostly worked out. It might fall to pieces in the morning, but who knows? We might get lucky. And if we don't, I have a plan for that too."
"Good." Daryl's eyes found Glenn's face through the strands of hair covering his own. "We oughta get some rest. Tomorrow's...well, it probably ain't gonna be easy."
"Nothin' worth it ever is." Glenn hopped up and helped Maggie to her feet, pulling her close, and he turned to Daryl. "You should try and actually sleep tonight. We have the guard worked out, so just rest."
He gave a barely noticeable nod.
Maggie tapped her boot against his shoe, and he peeked up to find them both smiling at him, and he felt like Enid must when they looked at her like this. "Good night, Daryl." She reached down and swiped the copy of the map he had behind the sonogram so he wouldn't stare at it until day break.
He grumbled as they walked off, but he was grateful. He stood up and moved closer to the fire, Francine offered him a blanket since the sleeping bags had been claimed, and he lied down on the fire warmed earth, his gaze finding the night sky, and he reached his hand up to cup his breast, the picture of his unborn child directly underneath. It was odd because all he could think about was its mother. It left him aching, but he would rather ache than void out all images of things important to him just yet.
Maggie had a point. He would take it personally if they failed if they couldn't get all the items Denise had listed, and he'd avoid going back to town. He couldn't bear to see the letdown faces of their people. He couldn't bear to see the look in Carol's eyes when he told her he failed to do this or that, and it all went to shit right before his eyes. He lost people, lost the equipment, and he lost a chance to expand their future medical care. He couldn't do that and face those people. His people, his family. He's let them down so many times before, and he couldn't handle this being added to what had to be a long list.
So when daylight began to cut across the dark sky, his mind would be clear, and the only thing he'd be concerned with was keeping his group safe while they hauled equipment back and forth. That was all he could afford to think about come morning.
But for now, he could dip into his memories to lull himself to sleep. His memories and what awaited him in the future. Little legs kicking, small fists barely moving, big eyes opening slightly and closing... He didn't have any clothes to put the baby in, even in his imagination, but he'd get that sorted. And even if he didn't, Eric would.
He lifted the sonogram and held it against the moonlight, the thin paper seemingly glowing in that light, and he smiled to himself. They would do this and go home, and he'd get to see the baby again on that screen. Maybe if he asked, he could hear the heartbeat too. He still remembered how it sounded, but frankly, it was sound he didn't mind hearing all the time. It felt more real than the ultrasound. A heartbeat, and while it didn't move in time with his, it was there, echoing around him and around Carol. It was real and loud and fast. It was beautiful. One of the most beautiful things he'd seen in his entire life, right up there with the first time he held and fed Judith—and of course its mother. He couldn't pick on particular memory where she looked most beautiful, because to him...she always looked beautiful, and she always would.
Once his eyes closed, the night became a blur, and they did not open again until someone shook him awake. He found the group lively and beginning preparations, and he was handed breakfast with a heavy slap to the back. He hadn't opened his eyes entirely, but he knew it was Abe who had woken him up. He ate quickly and caught up with Glenn and Denise, moving hair from his eyes to view the piece of paper with a rough sketch of the hospital on it.
"We'll take this side," Glenn told her, "once we secure the outside. We'll search it for clothes and anything we can make use of in the individual rooms. I'll keep a team outside with me, likely just three or four of my original party. You'll be too busy with meds, and Daryl's group will be in and out."
She nodded. "If we finish early, we'll lend you a hand."
"That'd be great. Send Maggie and Eugene their way."
"And me?"
"I could use a spear." He smirked at her, and she returned it. "You'll be with me. I'll have Tara lead the search."
"Good idea."
"What's goin' on?" Daryl asked the pair.
"Just...some last minute changes." He shrugged. "If I get the outside secure, I'll send a few of my guys in to find any clothes and gloves and tubing—stuff like that that was left behind. Denise and Maggie are hitting their medical supplies with Eugene, but not the individual rooms, so... It's just something to pass the time. It's...a big if, but we'll need them later on."
"Yeah, that sounds good."
"It ought to. He spent half the night mulling it over." Tara set a bag of weapons over his picture. "Pick your favorite. We leave in twenty."
– – –
There was little need to rally the troops, but Denise and Daryl took a moment to anyway. Looking at the faces of the people meant so much. To look out and see people who readily supported him and this mission, who were willing to lay down their lives for it, was a frigid warmth he was growing far too used to. It was still nice, he thought to himself as they reiterated the goal of this mission, to know this was bigger than him or Carol or the baby. They were a reminder of that, one he would hold onto it. They were one group right now, and this group had one goal. Until it was completed, or as close to completed as they could get, they weren't going home. They knew when to say when, but sometimes they just had to push a little further, and it'd be worth it. He told them that, and he could see worry and fear pop up in a few sets of eyes, but he reminded them again that they weren't in this alone. They had the entire group in individual teams. This wasn't a suicide mission, and while it wasn't a simple in and out, that didn't mean it would be extremely difficult.
That seemed to ease some nerves, so Denise decided it was best they leave on that note. They had to park far from the hospital, but Adam was on standby in the truck. Once Glenn signaled the go ahead, he'd pull in so Daryl's group could load it up. Maggie and Denise had moved the totes for medicine into the back of the SUV, as it had more trunk space, and it simply made more sense than two groups trying to load up the same space.
Glenn caught Maggie and kissed her without saying a word, leaving directly after to join his group. She inhaled and turned towards her own team, seeing Tara and Denise holding hands until Tara was out of reach and into Glenn's group. Maggie and Eugene joined Denise and double checked their bags to look for any holes or tears, and then there were none, they moved into position.
"Think we ought to?" Spence mused at Rosita.
"Ought to what?" She was crouched down beside him, Francine ahead with Morris and Jenny. Her eyes moved to his, and he was shaking his head. "Get your head in the game, Monroe." She moved ahead to slip between Jenny and Morris.
"What the lady said," Abraham spoke from behind Spencer, causing him to glare, but not before he jumped. "Keep your voice down."
But you're the one still talking, he growled mentally, turning his attention back his group. He felt rather than heard Daryl dropped beside him, and his pulse began to accelerate. Glenn would make his move with his group, and then it was up to them.
––
Daryl cringed at the sound of Rick's CD blaring from the car as it rolled by hidden in the trees, Abe chuckled under his breath at the reaction, and they watched the walkers stumble towards the sound. They waited, not seeing Tara and Amber taking out stray walkers while Glenn, Tom, and Lee took out the ones that bunched up until they were none left.
Glenn and Tara moved towards the rear of the hospital, the music continued to blare as the car crept onward, and Tom, Amber, and Lee waited in the front of the building. Francine knocked out the glass to the rear door at the same time Daryl and Maggie busted out the glass to the front doors. They slipped inside, Francine took out the walker that stumbled hungrily towards her group, and she nodded to Rosita take the lead, falling back to take up the rear.
Francine, Abe, Daryl and Eugene gave the walls a nice, loud bang to draw in any walkers that yet remained in the hospital. After a few moments, a few roamed their way. They made quick work of them, Eugene having settled nicely into his survivor role, and once they were taken care of and moved out of the way, the groups headed out.
Maggie, Eugene, and Denise parted always with Daryl and his group, following the directions to their location, and Denise tightened her grip on her spear. Maggie was taking point, holding the hilt to her blade. Eugene was watching the rear, and their footsteps echoed in the empty halls. The lack of windows forced them to use flashlights, but they were ready for this, so they flicked them on and continued.
Maggie guided the beam over the dingy floors, the discolored tiles and blood splattered telling a tale of what happened when it went down. She made a point to avoid the blood stains, even though she probably stepped over plenty while digging out her flashlight. They were also dried, practically begging to be scraped off. She still made the effort, lifting her head and glancing back at her team.
Denise kept taking calming breaths, though they did little to ease her nerves. Her palms were warm and moist on the spear, and her heart was pounding in her ears. She could feel her awareness of everything burst into overdrive, and despite all of that she was still there. She was walking in time with Maggie, keeping herself composed, and she was ready. Should a walker jump out at her, she might scream, but she'd sure as hell plunge the tip of her blade into its skull. There was no denying that. She was afraid—she felt no shame in admitting it—but being afraid didn't mean she couldn't still do what she feared. She wouldn't let it stop her. She wouldn't be slowed down. This was for the future, a future she was letting herself consider now. She hoped it was a happy one with Tara. She didn't care if it was a for one month or week or even one day. It'd be worth it.
Across the building Daryl and Francine slipped down the hall in unison, Abe and Spencer were filling the hall with light from the lanterns, and Rosita kept her knife close. She didn't like how silent it was save for the echo of their shoes. They were all familiar with toe-heel, so that was to be expected, but her skin was crawling. She felt like she was being watched, but that was ridiculous. They were in a dark hospital, walkers once occupied these halls, and no one living clearly had entered this building in a while. There was no reason for her to feel this way yet she did, and it unnerved her more than anything. She would keep her guard up because she had a feeling sooner or later something would be coming. For them, for their supplies, for this hospital, she couldn't say, but something or someone would be coming. It just seemed like with every step, they were painting a big ass target on their backs.
Francine motioned for Rosita and Morris to watch the rear, and she spotted Spencer eyeing Rosita. She had to resist the urge to smack him on the back of the head. She didn't know what his obsession was with her, but be it hot sex or being a creep, she did not give one single fuck. She needed his head in the game, not on what Rosita looked like naked. If he were in her group, she would have his ass marching in the front of the group to take point, but he wasn't. And she wasn't going to waste the energy to try and make him look forward. She had everyone else's ass to watch, not just his. Boy Wonder would either get with the program, or...she'd lose some more friends on this run. She hoped not, but if she tried to correct Spencer, she might distract someone else and get them killed via walker or surprise attacker lurking in the halls. Who knew what would happen to them in here, and that was why she would have to let Spencer waddle off on his own. He'd catch on sooner or later.
Abraham glanced over when Francine sighed. It was a barely audible sound, but after months so of traveling with Rosita, he knew what the sound of annoyed yet concerned sighs under the breath sounded like. He was a pro at detecting them. That's when she switched to glares, and there was no need to look over; he felt them.
The cause of her sigh was no surprise, and if he didn't know her, he might think she was sweet on the boy. Hell, she might be deep down, but right now she didn't want to be the cause of someone else's death. He knew she blamed herself for all those lost at her old camp. She had no hand in it, but blame was a clingy monster. He had no words to try and knock it off; that'd come to her in time once the lesson had been learned. And honestly, if he did try and talk to her about it, she'd probably just blow him off. She was the type of person who liked to handle her issues alone. She likely wouldn't grow out of it any second soon, so he decided to take matters into his own hand.
Spencer blinked when Abraham suddenly moved back, blocking any view of Francine's team save for Morris. He wasn't sure what just happened or why, because Daryl, Abe and himself had taken up a triangle position in front of Francine's group. He didn't know why he decided to break it, but he had a feeling it had to be caused by a misconception. One day he'd like to just sit down and talk to the man, but that wasn't going to happen anytime soon. Rosita wouldn't let him, and...honestly, Abraham might just sock him in the jaw and walk off. He wasn't exactly the best with words, and he was a bit of an asshole, but Abraham was too. Even more so than him, and why in the hell was he arguing this out in his head? He had better things to do. Like his damn job.
Daryl motioned for Abe, and they positioned themselves on either side of the two shut doors, Francine divided her group, half with Daryl, half with Abe, giving them a nod and pulling her own weapon free. Daryl and Abe's eyes met, a nod was exchanged, and they yanked the doors open, jerking forward to take out anything that moved behind the door.
Nothing came out save for a wave of dust, Francine coughed softly when it hit her, and Daryl brushed a hand in front of his face before entering with Abe at his side. They continued through the hall, and Daryl could feel the picture in his breast pocket poking him. He had to fold it to fit, and he regretted it, but it was like a prompt. He knew who he was doing this for, and if he somehow got whacked over the head and forgot, he would have that slight jab to bring the memory back. It was nice. He couldn't wait to get back and...see the baby at the appointment. He couldn't wait to see Carol. Be a yes or hell no, he wanted to see her. Badly.
"Daryl!"
He jerked his head up and found a wall an inch from his face. "What?" He jumped back and felt Abe's hand on his collar. "Sorry."
"Now really isn't the time to zone out." He released him. "We're almost there."
"Right." He cleared his throat and pushed those thoughts away. Maggie was right. A blank spot was best for this.
––
Glenn opened the back of the truck when Adam pulled around to the back of the building, Tara was scouting out the area with Jenny, and Adam kept his eyes peeled for Daryl and Abe and Spencer. Tom was keeping watch by the hood of the truck just in case any more walkers stumbled through. Or worse, people.
Tara and Jenny returned about sometime later with no sightings of people or walkers, Tom had climbed onto the hood of the car, Amber was cleaning her weapon, and Adam was tapping his thumb against the steering wheel. Glenn hadn't kept track of the time, but he could hear the pocket watch clicking in his pocket. It had been over twenty minutes, or so it felt like. He didn't want to watch the clock. It'd only make time move slower, as he learned when he worked at that pizza joint what felt like lifetimes ago. He had no reason to worry. It was a lot of ground to cover, and they hadn't heard any screams or gunshots. It was likely a long ass walk with dust and spiders.
After thirty minutes had passed and no walkers or even a whisper of people came, Glenn sent Tara in as lead with Jenny and Adam to secure items in the rooms. Tom seemed disappointed that he couldn't go with, but Glenn needed him here more. Three outside combined with Francine's four could protect Daryl's three. He would just have to be bored with the rest of them. He'd take calm of dull over the bloodshed of interesting.
Tara guided Adam and Jenny to the wing Glenn had told her about, and she adjusted the bag on her shoulder, happy to be stretching her limbs. She didn't tan well, and this way she avoided sunburn. She still had to keep her eyes open and her ears sharp. A change of scenery didn't mean it was time to chill out and take it easy. There was no time for being blasé while on a run.
"What do you want us to grab?" Jenny inquired. "Surely not everything we see."
"Just medical supplies like gauze and tubing or any sort, or IV bags. And little ointment packages. Just anything you think might be of value. It's extra anyway, so if it's crap...we'll throw it out before we get back to Alexandria." She smirked at them, and Jenny chuckled.
"Okay then. I'll take over here." She wandered off.
"Sorry if that's vague," Tara said to Adam. "It's the best I can say right now."
"I asked Denise before we left," he confessed, "so I know what to keep an eye out for."
"Smart man."
"I'll search here." He gestured to the right. "Why don't you look up there? Call us if you need us."
"And here I thought I was taking the lead."
"Sorry. It just seems like the best thing to do. Split up and meet back here. It's a big area."
"And we need to be ready to drop everything if they need us," she added.
"Yeah."
"Good. Now, if you need me, I'll be searching over there."
– – –
"I haven't seen so much medicine in all my life." Maggie dusted off the vials and wrapped them in cloth to keep them safe on the trip back home.
"Isn't that a good thing?" Denise couldn't help the laugh that slipped out.
"It's a great thing." She zipped up her bag. "I'll take this out, put it in the tote, and I'll bring up another bag."
"Do you think we'll need it?"
"We might not fill it, but yeah."
Maggie carried the bag down to the car, spotting Glenn and the others on watch, and she could only send him a sweet smile. She didn't want to distract him or anyone else, and she had to get back to finish up her part of this mission. She would have plenty of time to talk to him and gush over this score when they were at home, and it wouldn't jinx them. She couldn't wait to show it to Enid. She might have to swipe a stethoscope for their young doctor-in-training. She would just have to find something to wrap it in. Probably tissue paper.
She ran a hand through her hair and slipped back inside the building, passing the boys as they carried out some piece of equipment caked in dust. She wondered how they were doing with their progress, but she didn't have time to check up on them just yet. She wanted to wrap up her own task before she snooped in one someone else's.
The trio worked to ensure all medicine had been carefully wrapped and properly placed in the bags. Once the area was stripped clean, they packed them away into the totes. Maggie used the blankets they had been sleeping with to envelop the bags like pigs in a blanket as an extra just in case. Better safe than sorry. There was no replacing a single item inside these bags.
Daryl's group loaded up the truck nicely, ensuring everything was tied down and secure. It didn't take too long. Maggie and Denise offered to aid them once they'd squared away their task, and Eugene kept watch with Glenn's crew, as he didn't want to just sit around. Once everything had been loaded, Eugene and Jenny drove the car filled with meds out of the way of the truck and deeper into the woods. Adam decided to join them and keep any walkers away from the car, Lee and Morris hopped in the truck, but they didn't dare move it. They were still waiting on Tara's group, now with Rosita and Spencer, to round up all spare but necessary items.
Maggie did a double check of the equipment in the back of the truck with Denise, who was wiping off the equipment while sighing about how long it'd take to clean the rest of it off, and Maggie laughed, crossing another name off the list.
"How's it comin'?" Daryl gripped the strap to his crossbow.
"Slowly but surely. Abe covered most of the equipment, so I have to uncover and then recover them." She turned to him. "Why? What's up?"
"Nothin' much. Tara's with Rosita and Spencer, diggin' through some cabinets. Glenn and Abe headed out with Francine to get some fresh water since we went through a lot." It was cold, but that didn't stop them from sweating or obtaining a dry throat. "It's just us here, plus Amber and Tom on lookout and Lee and Morris in the front of the truck."
"Ah." Maggie scribbled out a note with a smile wide on her lips. "We're headin' home after this?"
"See no reason why we shouldn't."
"Good." She lifted her eyes. "I have a gift for Enid, and I can't wait to give it to her. Besides...I have an appointment I can't miss."
"An appointment?" Daryl frowned. "Is everythin' all right?"
"I sure hope so. I can't contend for godmom if somethin' happens to the baby," she jested. "He or she needs to be in one hundred percent good health. I'll be there to see it for myself, but you can bet your ass if anything is even slightly off, I'm blamin' it on you."
"Why me?"
"Because I can't blame it on Carol and expect to win the godmom slot." A soft smile crossed her lips. "I'll need the practice regardless, but...what can I say? I'd like to have a title that doesn't hold so much weight."
He chuckled lightly. "Right."
"You're already a great mom," Denise commented, dusting off her pants, and Maggie beamed. "Now, let's get this show on the road. It's two days back, and I'll need about ten to straighten up my spine from sleeping in the car. I'm already feeling the kinks."
"Yes. Let's."
Daryl whirled around the unfamiliar voice that came from behind him, moving instantly to protect Maggie and Denise, to shield them with his body, and they both reached for their weapons only to find the intruder raising two guns on them with a sickly arrogant smile on her lips.
She couldn't be more than five feet, nine inches, standing there in a camo crop top and black jeans with combat boots. Her red hair half shaven, a long strand curling naturally at the end, her black eyes hauntingly calm and brimming with the rage at the same time. She had a steady hand, the .45's in her hands not shaking a single bit as she aimed them at the trio. She had a machete on her belt, pepper spray, a stun gun, and those boots were stained red with blood. They had a feeling it wasn't walker blood. She was ready to kill; they just had to ensure it wasn't them.
"Drop the weapons and come out."
Daryl was reluctant to do just that, but he had a feeling she wasn't alone out here. To bark orders at a group of six without a hint of worry she had to be insane or had them outnumbered. So he complied for the sake of his group and for the sake of his future. He would comply now and kick ass later. She didn't know about the others, or she did and already had them subdued, which might hamper the plans forming in his mind.
If she already got Eugene and Jenny, she had their meds. She had their future, and she could do anything with it. Keep it, ship it off to her main group, destroy it so no one could claim it. They might never see it again, and part of this mission might just go to hell. If they survived it at all. He couldn't read her very well. She wasn't too hostile. Yet.
"Don't make me wait," she hissed.
He set his crossbow and knife on the floor of the truck, lifting his hands as he neared the exit, Maggie and Denise exiting after him, and just as Daryl stepped out of the truck, he was met with the butt of a rifle to the face.
"Daryl." Maggie tried to reach him, but her hand was caught by the man who'd knocked him out and jerked around as he pulled her toward him. She groaned, her arm being twisted behind her back, and she sent the woman who kicked at Daryl a sharp and venomous glare.
"Now, now. It's not polite to glower at your captors." She holstered her weapons and grabbed the blonde, pushing her towards another of her group. "Grab this one too." She nudged Daryl with her boot and strolled off.
Maggie watched as two men lifted Daryl up off the group, letting his feet drag behind him, and the one who held her twisted more on her arm, and she stumbled forward after Denise and the woman who held her at gunpoint. She passed the truck to see two more of this hostile group tossing out Morris' and Lee's dead bodies from the driver and passenger seats of the truck. Amber and Tom were nowhere in sight.
"Oh, I almost forgot." The woman who was calling the shots turned towards the hospital with something in her hand, humming. "Don't forget the girl and the boy who wandered off into the bushes." She toyed with the unknown item, Maggie strained to see as they quickened their pace. "And the truck. Bring it with us. Let's see what goodies of mine they found." She tossed it into the building and sauntered off into the woods.
As they were lugged away, Maggie only heard the explosion, and she gasped, trying to turn back and see, but the asshole wouldn't let her. She saw Denise pale, and she fixed a glare on the woman's back. She had killed two of theirs, had men drag them off, sent more after Amber and Tom, and the bitch just threw a goddamn grenade into the hospital where Rosita, Spencer, and Tara were. She was going to pay for this. If Maggie made sure of anything, it'd be that she'd pay.
The woman suddenly spun around and clamped her hand down on Maggie's neck, Maggie could only whine, and she smiled sweetly. "I told you it was rude to glare." She slammed her down into the earth with a strength nobody had expected and tightened her grip, and soon the world began to fade out as Denise begged her to stop.
– – –
Glenn laughed at what Abraham had said, adjusting the lid to the jug of water, and he minded the fallen branches as they ambled back, just taking their time. Hanging out. They hadn't had much time to do it prior to the run, and it had been all business since they left Alexandria, so Glenn decided to just enjoy his strange company. On the trip back, he and Maggie had a lot to talk about, so they'd head back alone. It was important but only important between them. He hoped the others didn't mind.
"So, how long until he makes a damn move?" Abe asked.
"I don't know what you mean."
He chuckled. "Daryl."
"Oh." He thought for a moment. "I think he already did."
"She must not have responded then."
"I'm sure she feels the same. I mean...it's obvious." He glanced at the man. "It's been obvious for a long time. I mean, if you had any sense...you'd know something was there."
"Makes the whole Tobin thing weird."
"But without Tobin, there wouldn't be a baby," Glenn pointed out. "And that's a good thing. We...all of us could use some more kid's laughter."
Abe smirked. "Does that mean you'll try again?"
"It was never in question. We just had a lot to work through, and we still do, but we're not going to try and play it safe. We want a family, a child of our own, and I'll do whatever I can to keep Maggie and whatever future kid or kids we have safe. I won't let myself or her make past mistakes again."
His smirk softened into a smile. "Well, not that it matters, but in my opinion, you two will do just fine. Hell, you already are."
Glenn couldn't help but grin at that. "Thanks, Abraham."
"That wasn't coming from me. Sasha said some things. I'm just repeatin' them."
"Well, I guess I know who I'm seeing second when we get home."
A loud explosion caught their attention, Glenn dropped the jugs he'd been holding and bolted off towards the hospital instantly, Abe moving right behind him. They had gone deep into the woods to try and locate water. Daryl had given them instructions on how to tell when water was nearby. Abe wanted to try his hand at it, insisted he could do it, and they probably found the water source furthest away from the damn group. They were paying for it now. Next time, he'd just let Daryl go.
After huffing it back to the hospital, they found no trace of their group. The hospital was crumbling, wisps of smoke creeping out of some areas, and given the doorway...a bomb or grenade or some other type of homemade explosive was thrown inside randomly, trapping anyone inside. Anyone here being Tara, Rosita, and Spencer. They were on the bottom floor, so either they were damn lucky...or they were already dead.
On the ground laid the bodies of Lee and Morris, Abraham neared to find a knife wound on the temple the cause of death for both men. He scanned the area for any signs of movement, for any men left behind to attack the survivors of this group, but there was nothing moving in the bushes or behind the trees, save for only the wind. It would soon be walkers after that explosion. They had to move.
"Tara?" Glenn jogged towards the back entrance, but it was blocked too by one of their cars. It had been rammed into the building. He ground his teeth and backed up, looking for a window, or a collapsed wall—anyway inside. "Rosita? Spencer? Anybody?!"
"Shh." Abe joined him.
"We need to get inside. We have to know what the hell happened here, where the others are, where Maggie..." He stopped to take a calming breath. "We need answers, and they're the only ones who might be able to provide them."
"No, they were likely inside the whole time." He narrowed his eyes at drag marks in the ground. "They must have Daryl, Maggie, Denise, Amber, and Tom. They dragged either Daryl or Tom out of here."
"It was Daryl." Francine hurried over to them. They were surprised to see her, especially since the last time they saw her she had spotted a boar and went to try and catch it for dinner. "They came in, killed Lee and Morris, and they took Denise, Daryl, and Maggie. They were looking for Tom and Amber, but I found them first. I told them to find Eugene and stay there to guard the medicine and each other." Her apologetic eyes found Glenn's. "I was outnumbered. I couldn't risk showing myself. I'm sorry."
"Did you see where?" was all Glenn replied with.
"Not the entire way, but I know which direction." She nodded. "I can lead us partway. There might be tracks."
Glenn inhaled deeply and swallowed. "No."
"What?" She gasped. "Why not?"
"We'd be three against however many of them are waiting back at their camp. We need better odds than that. We can't just go stomping through the woods after them. We need to know what we're in for." He clenched his jaw. "We'll do some recon first, try and get to whoever is still alive in the hospital out, and then we'll get Eugene's team and rescue our people."
"If it's anything like last time, they might just save themselves." Francine put her hands on her hips. "Maggie's a fighter, and so is Daryl. Toss in that they might have just killed her girlfriend, and you bet your ass Denise will come out swinging."
"They're smart," Abe remarked. "They got our best by surprised, cut 'em off by the knees, and they took out their backup. They won't give them a chance to revolt. They'll probably just kill them if they try to fight."
"So, what's our plan then? Dig into stone and rock until we maybe find Tara or Rosita or Spencer while they get further away?" Her brows furrowed, a scoff escaping from between her lips. "Because that's bullshit. They have our people, our equipment! We can't let them get away with that."
"And we won't," Glenn assured her. "We just need to be careful with this. You and I will try and locate them while Abe and Eugene try and reach whoever they can. The others can keep watch for walkers and more of these assholes."
Abe gave a nod. "I'll get Eugene. You two shouldn't waste any more time."
Glenn returned the nod and hurried off with Francine.
––
"Do you think we'll actually use this stuff?" Spencer wrapped plastic tubing around his elbow to his hand to loop it.
"Who knows?" Rosita was searching through a filing cabinet, finding a few empty power bar wrappers. "Denise seems to think so. It can't hurt. We might be able to use it to strangle someone."
"You're just full of positive thoughts today."
She didn't reply, just stood up and kicked the drawer shut, turning to him. "Okay, I think we've sucked this place dry. We should move on, find Tara."
"Lead the way."
She made to take a step forward when there was an echoing sound of hollow metal, her brows furrowed, and Spencer moved to check the hall when something exploded, knocking him back into Rosita. They hit the wall, the ceiling began to collapse, and Rosita tried to scramble to her feet to get out of this office, but she wasn't quick enough. Or perhaps the building was too decayed to withstand an explosion beyond two seconds.
Spencer rolled onto his back, Rosita found herself underneath him, his arms cover hers, his chest against her back, and they both coiled up as more of the room tumbled down around them. He placed a hand on the back of her neck, and she wasn't sure why, but she honestly didn't give a shit about that. She squeezed her eyes shut and hoped they didn't end up as walker pancakes. She lowered her head, trying to keep from yelping, and Spencer winced by ear.
Her heart was pounding in her chest, a dull ringing filling her ears, and the building began to still. She could feel Spencer's rapid breathing against her spine, and she dared to open her eyes. It was pitch black in the room, and she nearly choked on the air when she finally forced herself to breathe. She shivered in his arms, and she felt around on her belt with a trembling hand for her flashlight, finding it with mild ease.
Flicking it on she surveyed the situation, pulling away from Spencer to climb onto her feet. She held the wall to keep her balance—and her knees from buckling—and she saw the entrance completely covered in debris. There was no getting out, and there were no windows in this shitty little office. The only office they'd been inside the last hour that didn't have any goddamn windows!
Turning to Spencer, she found a pool of blood by his knees, and she guided the light to his hand that was completely bloodied. She dropped to her feet beside him and looked it over, seeing a massive gash. It must have gotten caught on under part of the fallen ceiling. That explained his wince.
"Here, hold this." She handed him the flashlight and removed her coat, pulling off her sweater underneath. She ripped at the knitted material, using both her teeth and her knife when her teeth didn't cut it. She stopped the bleeding with part of it and wrapped it with another. She had nothing to clean it with, so she'd let Denise do that when they got out of there. Until then this would have to do. "Does it hurt?"
"Like hell, actually." He chuckled humorlessly and returned the flashlight to her. "So, what's the plan?"
"What makes you think I have one?" She moved away from the blood and what remained of her knitted sweater, slipping back into her coat.
"Because it's you. You always have a plan."
"Not always."
"Well, most of the time then." He stood up and moved to stand beside her. "So, what now?"
"I don't know." She approached what she assumed was the doorway, but honestly. it was difficult to tell. "We could move these rocks, try and find our way. We might just meet more rock, but it's the only thing we can do besides sit around and wait to die."
"Okay, I'll take it."
"No, you just...rest. I'll work on it."
"Rest? Seriously?"
"You're injured in the one spot you need to use to move rocks! You won't help me. You'll slow me down, and you'll probably hurt yourself even worse. Just trust me and sit there. Hold the flashlight for me."
He lowered his eyes. "All right." He took the flashlight from her and sat down, holding the light to shine on the doorway, and she got to work. They sat in silence for a good while. He held the light and watched Rosita work, feeling useless and trying to will his hand better so he could help. It would get them out of there faster if they had two people working on than one. If she wasn't so stubborn, they might be a little closer to getting out instead of only having a small pile of moved ceiling. He wouldn't verbalize this. She'd only bite his head off, and he didn't want to fight. He just wanted to get out of this prison and back home. Well, back home after they found the others.
He lifted his gaze and broke the silence. "What do you think happened?"
"I'm guessing some assholes stumbled upon our group. I know Daryl wouldn't go down without a fight, so they likely threw...some explosive in here to try and prove a point, prove they were in control of the situation."
"Do you think it's those men who took Maggie and Carol? Negan's people?" He studied the side of her profile. "What if we didn't kill them all?"
"Who's to say? Maybe we didn't."
"It sounds like their M.O. if what the people at Hilltop said is true."
"Well, we're not dead, and we'll make them pay for this." She grunted and tugged on loose debris.
"And if we can't? If we can't get even out of here?"
"Well, we're getting nowhere with you bitching like this," she snapped. "I don't need pessimism. I've got plenty of that all on my own, thank you."
"Why do you do that? I speak one word, and you blow up on me."
"Because you're whining, and whining isn't going to get us out of this situation, Spencer. I need ideas, a plan—not what ifs and wails of how I hurt your feelings. You're a grown up, but I swear you're a child. Grow the fuck up, Spencer." She groaned and turned back to trying to get dig their way out. She was too livid at his outburst to even continue, so following a sharp albeit childish kick to the mass of rocks, she plopped down as far away from him as she could, pulling her legs in and glowering at nothing in particular. She was too pissed to work. She wanted to strangle him, but being caught in a small space with a walker wouldn't do her any good. Maybe if she could just make him black out...
Of all people to get trapped in a small room with, she groused internally, her eyes moving to the doorway once more, a sadness gnawing at her.
"She'll be fine," Spencer mumbled, staring with more concentration than she'd seen him have towards the floor. "Tara's not gonna be taken down like this."
"Just us apparently."
He didn't take the bait, however, his eyes falling even more, and she pulled her legs in tighter. He curled his wounded hand into a fist and raised his head. "Why me?"
"What?" She lifted her own head now and studied what she could see of his face.
"Why did you pick me? Out of everyone in Alexandria...why? You can't seem to stand me at all."
She inhaled deeply and rested her head against the wall. "I don't know. I guess... Well, you're cute. You're...so not complicated." He chuckled somewhat at how she said that. "I guess...you were available when I needed someone."
"And now I'm not even worth being polite to?"
"It's not like that."
"Yes, it is. And I don't mean to sound...whiny, because I'm okay with whatever the hell you want this to be, but I'm not okay with how you treat me afterward. You don't even acknowledge me as a person."
"Do you want me to apologize?"
"No, I just...want you to stop. That'd be great." He rubbed the back of his neck. "I treat myself poorly enough without your help, thanks."
She frowned. "What?"
"Nothing. It...just forget it." He averted his eyes and pursed his lips. "We should try and find a way out of here."
"Unless you have a jackhammer, it'll take hours—hell, maybe even days—for us to dig our way out. Considering the layer above this doesn't collapse on us, or we don't cause unstable ceiling/flooring to give because of the movement, and we get crushed like ants."
"And I'm the pessimist?"
"I'm a realist."
"Sure."
"Can we go back to when you were quietly moping?"
"I was not moping."
"You were." She smirked. "And it wasn't all that cute."
He sent her a soft glare. "Just help me try and get out of here."
"Fine, but don't cry to me when your hand gets infected and falls off." She hopped up, extending a hand out to him as she neared, and she helped him to his feet. "Maybe then we can have a proper talk."
"I'd like that."
"Then help me dig." She set her hand on the mass of debris and glanced at him. "And let me know when your hand starts to hurt."
"I will."
"Good, now let's get to work. I want to kick the ass of whatever asshole did this." And if Tara or Maggie or Denise were hurt or worse, if any of the others were hurt or worse, that bitch wouldn't know their next breath was their last. They were already numbered. They just didn't know it yet.
––
"What the hell?" Tara heard an aggressive voice by the entrance to the hospital, and she heard Maggie cry out for Daryl. She hurried to a window, ducking down to try and get a visual of what was going on outside, and her eyes found her girlfriend and Maggie being lead off with Daryl being dragged behind them. They were surrounded by a group of women and a couple men.
Her eyes moved to the truck where a woman was climbing inside to drive it back to their camp, brown orbs landing on the lifeless bodies of Lee and Morris. She seethed, dug her nails into the sill of the window, and she saw a woman nearing the doors to the hospital. She couldn't afford to get caught like this. Especially with Rosita and Spencer in the other end of the hall.
There was a clinking sound, Tara turned her head and spotted a grenade about twenty feet away from her, and she shot up, bolting away. She didn't know where she could go, but honestly, any place was better than this one.
She didn't know exactly when the grenade went off so much as she knew she'd been blown off her feet. She barely managed to avoid smacking head first into a wall, and she slid into a room like a rag doll, her arms stretched out before her. Her vision was wonky, and she wasn't sure if she'd made out entirely unscathed, but that mattered little as her poor vision only increased until the world grew black.
––
Abraham filled Eugene and the others in of what happened to Daryl and the women, Amber and Jenny got to work on clearing the entrance with gloved hands while Eugene and Abe searched around the building for a nearby window to climb through, and Adam kept watch. Tom tried to repair the truck they'd driven into the side of the building.
Eugene spotted a window they could use that wasn't so near the damage that they couldn't get through, Abraham climbed through first, flicking on his flashlight, and he started down the hall with Eugene on his heels. He didn't know what he'd find, but he truly hoped it wasn't the walker forms of his friends. He would kill them, no doubt about that, but he didn't want to have to make that choice. They were more than just friends, and they had been for months now. There was no going easy on the assholes who did this, but if any more of them were dead, they would pay in ways they didn't know existed.
They came across a massive cave-in, there was little room to go around, but they managed to scrape through. With lovely new tears on their coats, they managed to scrape through. Abe would ask Carol if she could patch it up. It was his favorite coat, after all, and after he saved her lover boy, she would owe him a favor. This was a small one, and he'd ask nicely. It wasn't as though coats grew off trees these days, and again this was his favorite. Favorites were...hard to come by.
There was a muffled sound coming from the far end of the hall, Abe pulled his knife from his belt and crept over to it, but all he saw was another pile of debris. He could hear movement from behind it, though, so perhaps it was one of theirs trying to dig their way out.
"Tara?" He shouted to make his voice be heard through the layers of rock and wall. "Rosita?"
"Abe?" was the faint response that called back, and it was definitely Espinosa.
"Are you all right?" Eugene hurried over. "Is anybody injured?"
"Spencer is. His hand is cut up pretty bad." Although she could say the same damn thing about herself after digging for so long. "How about you? Is Tara with you?"
Abe and Eugene exchanged a glance, and Abe called back, "She's not with you?"
"No, she was scavenging in the other end of the hall."
"Okay." Abe thought for a moment then turned to Eugene. "Go find Tara. I'll get the others and dig these two out. We'll stay inside the hospital. We're losing daylight, and we're too exposed. Move the cars around back by the window, and if Tara can, have her keep watch with you. In case the others come back, or those dickheads."
"And if those dickheads do come back?"
"Kill them."
With a promise to come back swiftly, Abraham and Eugene left. Abe rounded up the cars and their team, tossing a pair of finger-less gloves at Adam. It wasn't much, but it might help. They were going to have cut up fingers regardless because they were going to get them out of there if it was the last thing they did on this mission. He wasn't going to leave them behind, and once they were out, they would find Daryl and Maggie and Denise and whoever else and make those fuckers pay for trying to screw with their people, for killing two of them. Revenge wasn't a clean thing, but fuck it. Nobody did this to them. Nobody.
After hours of digging and no real progress save for being able to hear them slightly better, Abe called it a night, apologizing to Rosita and Spencer. They were all exhausted, all starving, and they couldn't keep it up. Eugene had yet to return, so he'd have to check on him too.
"Don't worry about it." Rosita shivered, the moved layers of rock allowing cold air to slip through effortlessly. "Just rest. We'll be out tomorrow."
Abe set his hand on the mass blocking his way. "Yeah."
"Then don't worry about it. Just—just find Tara and Eugene. We'll be okay."
"Do you have anything to eat in there?"
"Not really." Spencer had to put actual energy into keep his teeth from chattering. "Just some water, though we're running low on that."
"Eat," Rosita insisted. "You need the strength to dig us out. We'll survive. We've...done it before, and I'm sure we can handle it."
"You're makin' me feel guilty."
"Good." She smirked. "Use that guilt to dig us the hell out of here in the morning."
He chuckled. "You got it."
She moved away from the cold air and huddled in the corner with Spencer, rubbing her arms and shuddering. "Here." She tossed one of the doctor's thin white coats at him to use as a blanket. It wasn't much, but it was something.
"Why don't you just...sit between my legs?"
"What?"
"Just hear me out. You can use my body heat, and I can use yours. There's no space for it to travel, and we can share the...er, blanket." He could feel her eyeing him. "I'm not going to try anything. I can barely feel my fingertips at this point."
"Is that really the optimal position for staying warm?"
"I don't know. If you want that, go ask Eugene."
"I can't."
"Look, it's just to keep warm. I won't make any moves. I'm too tired to. It's an effort to keep my eyes open, and honestly, I don't know why I'm making it. You can't even see me." She laughed to his surprise. "I just want to sleep."
"Fine." She set her hand on his knee, using it as a guide, she lowered herself down carefully, gasping softly at the frigid spot of floor her ass landed on. She shivered and pulled her legs in, covering them with the coat. It sucked. Obviously.
She leaned back, his chin hitting the back of her head before he turned his head to the side, and she felt him sigh. "What?"
"Just hungry."
"There's a power bar," she admitted. "I was gonna save it till morning, but if you're hungry..."
"I can wait." He wrapped his arms around her waist, she tensed at how cold his hands were through the layers of her clothes, and he murmured an apology.
She inhaled and adjusted to it, her eyes finding the mass blocking their exit in the darkness, and she hoped that tomorrow brought better news. She nuzzled against an already asleep Spencer, wrapping her arms around herself, and she turned her head to rest it on his chest, closing her eyes. She didn't realize how thoroughly exhausted she was, because the moment her eyes closed, she was out.
Outside Abraham decided to keep watch, letting the others sleep wrapped up in blankets, and he spotted movement and a flashlight. It was Eugene—and Tara! He sped over to lend him a hand with her unconscious body, and together they gently laid her down on the gurney, keeping her head elevated. Abraham looked her over for any wounds while Eugene once more checked her pulse, and it was steady. She had no wounds, only some bruises, but she'd be fine.
"Do you know what happened to her?" Abe inquired, covering her with a few blankets to keep her warm.
"No, she hasn't been lucid."
"Where did you find her?"
"In an office, in the far corner. She might have crawled there or was thrown there from the blast of the explosion. I can't say. She doesn't appear to have any head injuries, but I'm no doctor. Denise would have to check."
"And she will."
Eugene studied Abraham for a moment. "Shouldn't they be back by now? If they weren't captured, and I highly doubt two as skilled as them could be easily killed, what's stopping them from coming back?"
"I don't know." He glanced at Tara. "But for her sake, for Rosita's and Spencer's...you need to get some sleep. I'll take watch."
"You mean we'll take it." Eugene corrected. "Two is better than one against unknown odds."
Abe chuckled. "Two is better." He strolled out of the room. "Let's hope we can bring Daryl and Maggie and Denise back in one piece. Or they'll have one pissed off pregnant lady at their doorstep."
"That's an understatement."
"Yes, it is."
– – –
The fire burned brightly that night, a few women sat around the fire to feed it and to turn over the boar they'd caught for dinner, and a few exchanged patrols. Their hostages were tied together around the trunk of a nearby tree, away from any warmth, left in the cold chill of the coming winter. The women had squirmed and struggled to break free, but even that resistance was beginning to die, and only frail glances were left. The man had been unconscious for too long, but he was still alive. It was good. It pleased Pentaghast. They did not want to go searching again. Her wrath and impatience were truly a fearsome thing to behold. And to be the one they were directed at was a final sight for many.
"Do you think he's okay?" Denise studied Daryl. He was tied up away from them, his head bowed, his feet sprawled out in front of him, his body lying against the ropes that bind him. He hadn't moved or woken up, and they were worried about him. The force that bitch used to knock him out with wasn't enough to kill him, but it was enough to leave him in darkness for nearly two days. They checked on him but said nothing to Maggie or Denise. They had no clue how he was, or if he was alive. He could be turning, and they wouldn't know.
"I hope so." Maggie turned her head in an attempt to look at Denise, but there was no advantage. They were bound on either side of an oak tree, and it's trunk was thick. She couldn't even see Denise, only hear her. "Are you okay?"
"No, but I will be when we get out of this."
"Won't we all."
This group consisted of mostly women, only a few men on patrol and Maggie didn't understand why they were so few men, and why they avoided all contact with their leader. Maggie caught her name once. It was Pentaghast. She was a small woman who wielded a lot of command. The people in her group feared her. Maggie could tell before she was here at camp with them all. They all walked as though they were trying not to make too much noise, trying not to draw attention to themselves, and when she spoke to them directly, they flinched. They were all submissive to her. They were no turning them against her. She found their weaknesses and had exploited them for her own gain. She ruled over them with an iron fist. She was no leader. She was their warden as well as Maggie's, Denise's and Daryl's.
The bitch herself emerged from her tent, combat boots stomping all the way as she approached Daryl, kneeling down beside him to grasp his chin and lift his head upward. Maggie couldn't tell what was happening, but she could see something that belonged to her dangling from Pentaghast's slender neck. She dug her heels into the dirt and clenched her teeth, knowing her rings were around that bitch's neck. They'd taken them off her finger by force when they entered this camp, tossing them to Pentaghast like they were a trophy, and now she was wearing them as though they were her own. Maggie was going to rip them off her neck the moment she could.
The women by the fire stood suddenly, Maggie looked up when they bent over to untie them, and she groaned when they jerked her to her feet, holding her already injured arm behind her back once more. The other did the same to Denise, and they pushed them over to where Pentaghast and Daryl were, forcing them down onto their knees to listen.
Pentaghast squeezed his jaw. "You will tell me."
He glowered at her.
"Such resistance." She clamped her fingers down tighter on his jaw, he grimaced as her nails dug in, and she chuckled. "Well, I found something of yours. I think I'll keep it."
Daryl assumed she meant the crossbow or perhaps his knife, but when she lifted up the black and white sonogram, he jolted. She went through his jacket. She found the sonogram, and she was going to keep it?
"Oh, I can just see the questions brewing." She released his jaw with such force that his head smacked against the tree. "Carol? Hmm, pretty name. Which one is she? The brunette? The blonde? Or did I already make ashes of her?"
"What?" He paled. Ashes?
"I ask the questions here." She rose and neared Maggie. "She wore rings. Did you present them to her? Is she Carol?" She gently caressed Maggie's neck with her fingers, Maggie jerked away, but Pentaghast grasped what short hairs she could and kept her still, a cry spilling from Maggie's lips. "Is she?"
When Daryl didn't respond, Pentaghast moved to stand in front of the woman and slammed her boot into her stomach. Maggie sputtered and gasped as pain rolled through her, but she scarcely had time to register the first kick as another came and then another. She screamed, two women coming to hold her shoulders to keep her upright, and Pentaghast brought her leg back for one final strike.
"Maggie!" Daryl lurched forward. "Stop it! You leave her alone!" He was growling, his eyes searing, and Pentaghast smiled back at him.
"Maggie." She lowered her leg. He was too breathing heavily from rage to say anything, not that she would have given him the chance. "Not Carol then." She walked over to Denise and inhaled. "And this one?"
"Not Carol," he quickly answered. "Denise."
She grinned, but still brought her leg back and slammed it into Denise's torso, Denise cried out, and Pentaghast gave a spin and bashed her other foot into the same spot, knocking Denise to the ground. "Do not ever keep me waiting." She waved towards the women who held Maggie and Denise, and they dragged them back to the tree, binding them.
"You bitch." Daryl bared his teeth and wrestled against his bindings.
"Don't worry. You'll get to come out and play soon enough." She leaned down. "I don't think you'll like it very much, though."
"I'm gonna kill you."
"I'm going to find Carol and kill her," she whispered. "I'll bring you back the baby after I carve it out of her." She untwisted the cap to a syringe.
He hissed. "Touch her, and—"
She plunged the needle into his neck and injected him with its contents, standing up as he blacked out once more. "Move him into my tent. Keep an eye on those women. I don't want to be interrupted."
"Of course."
"Yes, Pentaghast."
She turned her gaze back towards her tent and narrowed her eyes. It'd been months, and now they had finally found some people. Healthy people who likely had a camp, a home. She was going to find it, take it and slaughter every man, woman and child within its walls. Perhaps even cage "Daryl" there. She could always find ways for him to be useful.
––
Glenn and Francine had spent nearly two days tracking down the group that had taken three of theirs and killed two. They were camped out in a field with a massive fire, no fear of luring in walkers or people by the blaze of that fire, and they were well armed. Daryl was nowhere in sight, not even a hint of him lingered in the camp. Unlike the women. They had Maggie and Denise tied up around a tree, both of them were hardly moving and breathing oddly, slumped against the ropes.
"Maggie." He inched forward unknowingly, and Francine caught him. "We have to get to them, but we're gonna need more than just two people."
"We should check and see how many people they have before we bring ours in."
He nodded, and he ran his eyes over the number of tents and people wandering around outside and on guard. His eyes kept finding Maggie slumped against the ropes that bound her, and he tightened his grip on the tree beside him. He would get her out of there, Denise and Daryl too, and these people wouldn't hurt any of them again. They wouldn't follow them back to Alexandria. There would be no path for them to follow. They could get their people and get out.
Daryl might have other plans, and likely Abe did too, but the goal was to rescue their people. He would keep to that goal. He'd get them out, and they'd go home. They'd go home and buried their dead.
– – –
Daryl roused with a pounding headache and a chill nestling on his skin. He found himself tied down, the red and gold of a tent above and around him aglow with morning light, and he couldn't move. For a moment he feared she'd paralyzed him, but it would appear the drug was still wearing off. He could wriggle his toes, but not feel the movement. It'd wear off, and when it did...
"Look at you." A voice from the corner of the tent purred. "All bound and pretty like a perfect Christmas present."
I ain't your fucking Christmas present, lady, he wanted to bark, but his mouth wouldn't comply.
She chuckled at the confusion on his face. "Quite the drug, isn't it? No movement, no voice, no control. You're as helpless as a baby." She approached him slowly, her hand extended outward. "If you're wondering how your friends are, don't bother. There's no point."
He hoped he was glaring. He truly did.
"But I do think the blonde has a broken rib, and Maggie...well, she isn't looking good at all. Internal bleeding, perhaps? I'm no doctor. I couldn't say." She smirked. "Not that it matters, they'll be out of their misery soon enough."
Her hand brushed over his hip and up his torso to rest on his shoulder, and it was only then that Daryl realized he was naked from the waist up. That was why he could feel the cold air blowing against him. Well, not fully feel, but moderately. He wasn't clothed. At all. What the fuck was she going to do? Torture him? Kill him? It didn't matter. He couldn't say anything. Hell, he couldn't, so what was her endgame here?
"Have you figured it out yet?" Her eyes widened slightly, and she walked around his head to the other side of him. "I suppose not. Men don't really think it can happen to them, after all. There were so few warnings in the world for men and for boys. It's no surprise your masculine brain hasn't worked it out yet."
He narrowed his eyes, and the lids actually complied.
"Well, Daryl, let me explain." She set her hand beside his hip and hoisted herself up and over to straddle him. She wore only a black t-shirt, and the pieces fell into place in his mind. "I'm going to rape you, Daryl, and from this...I'll take your seed and produce a child of my own. If you're lucky and tell me kindly where you live, perhaps it'll be the first of many of my children fathered by you."
His breathing began to escalate at her words.
"I won't let anyone survive, of course, certainly not the bitch who is already carrying your child, but you got that when I said I'd carve her baby out of her." She began to unbuckle his pants, her eyes moving to his as a mischievous and an almost childlike smirk crossed her scarlet lips. "Are you wondering why? Or perhaps is all that blood just...rushing somewhere else? A hot young thing mounts you...so why wouldn't it?"
She was right, he realized, feeling like an idiot for only now seeing that. She was young. Too young to be doing this type of thing. She had to be in her early twenties. She was a kid. He didn't understand why she was doing this. She was so stern and strict and callous to her people, but right now there was almost a childlike innocence about her. The way her hair fell over her face, her smile albeit creepy did almost bubble with childlike enthusiasm. It disturbed him. How did she end up like this? Why was she doing and saying these things? What the hell had this world or the other done to her?
"Oh, don't look at me like that. You're reminding me of my father." She tossed his belt to the floor and shifted to pull his jeans down. "Not the image I want in my head right now."
"You have scars," she suddenly announced after a moment of silence, her eyes not meeting his. "They tell an interesting story. Maybe you can tell me about it one day."
"Unlikely," he strained.
"Oh, you can talk a little. Good." She lifted her head. "And don't say that. We're going to get quite familiar with each other." She leaned up to be hovering over him. "There's nothing you'll be able to hide from me, Daryl. Not after this." She cupped his cheek and kissed him.
––
Rosita woke with a light being shined in her face, she groaned and turned away but hit something solid. Her eyes shot open at the realization that something bright was on her face, but Spencer was still right there. She climbed to her feet to find Abe shining a light in a small opening, and she laughed, shaking Spencer awake.
"Get up." She hurried over and dropped to her knees. "Will it hold?"
"For now." He nodded, reaching his hand in. "Be quick, but very careful."
"Spencer first." She looked up at him. "Go."
"No way. You're smaller. You'll slip right now. I might cause it to become unstable." He nodded his head towards the hole. "Go."
"One of you just come on. We got bigger shit to deal with than this."
Rosita dropped down onto her back and crawled through, Abraham caught her shoulders and hauled her up, and some small rock bits crumbled down. They both urged Spencer to hurry, and once his torso was through, Rosita grasped his arm, and Abe gripped his other arm; and they yanked him out when more of their little doorway began to crumble.
"Thanks, man." Spencer was panting wildly as his shoes barely made it out.
"It's what we do." He grasped his hand and pulled him to his feet. "Now we got another issue."
"Tara...?" Rosita paled. "Is she—?"
"Just fine and ready to kick some ass? Yes."
Rosita turned, but she didn't see her, only a wall of debris. "What the hell?"
"We can slip through here."
They joined the others, Rosita hugged Tara out of sheer joy to see she was all right, and Abe broke down the events that caused the collapse to the three of them. He guided them outside to where Glenn and Francine were readying weapons with the others, and Abraham let Glenn take over to prepare himself for the fight ahead.
"We counted at least thirty in this group. They're well armed, and they know how to move in and out hastily, as they proved here. They have Maggie and Denise, but we didn't get eyes on Daryl. One of them has his crossbow, so we can assume they have him too."
"They're mostly women, though," Francine iterated. "So they might have just killed him. I can't say for sure."
"Why only take them?" Rosita crossed her arms.
"They probably didn't know we were going be here. They likely claimed this hospital as their own then tried to blow it up, because they couldn't have it."
"So, they're the "if I can't have it, nobody can" type of thinkers?" Tara frowned. "Great."
"Yeah, so we need to be careful." Glenn handed Rosita a sniper rifle. "I want you and Abe to watch from afar, fire only if you have to. If they go after any of ours, don't hesitate."
She nodded and accepted it.
"I want Francine, Amber, and Eugene to go in and get the girls out. I'll look for Daryl with Tara." He looked at the remaining members. "I want Spencer to guard the medicine with Tom. Adam, Jenny, I need you to reclaim the truck of equipment and just head back to Alexandria."
"You want us to leave you?" Jenny's nose scrunched in disgust. "We won't."
"You have to get that equipment of there. It's what we came here for. Get it out safely." His eyes bored into hers. "Do you understand?"
"Yes, but I don't like it." She stepped back.
"Spencer, when you hear that truck start, follow after them. We'll take the remaining cars home. All right?"
"It'll be dangerous and heavy, but we have to save our people and protect the future we spend months securing." Francine looked over at Glenn. "We do this together, and we all get to go home."
"If we don't, just imagine the wrath of Carol," Tara mused. "Seriously, though, someone be sure to grab Dixon."
"Kind of the plan," Rosita mused.
"Oh, all I heard from Glenn was "my wife, my wife, my wife, my wife"."
Glenn laughed for the first time since he and Abe had gotten back. "Be serious."
"I will be, but you needed that laugh." She patted his shoulder. "Let's go."
The drive to the camp seemed to fly by. It felt like ages on foot, and they'd traveled over night, but they had cars now. They were ready, long before the engines shut off and the doors shut. They would get them, arm them, and they would all fight to go home. They would worry about Pentaghast and her people later. Surviving was the goal right now.
A the location, Spencer hung back with the rest of the cars while the majority of the group crept onward on foot to reduce the chance of being seen or blowing their plan. Abraham and Rosita climbed to higher ground to get eyes on the group from above, and Francine and Glenn parted ways to begin their takeover.
However, when they arrived at the camp, Maggie and Denise were nowhere in sight and a few tents were on fire. More than seven of the enemy group were lying dead on the ground, one of the men was chewing on the body of another of his group as a walker, and there was no sign of Daryl. Glenn panicked and damn near ran out to find out what the hell had happened, but at the gunfire, he stayed glued to his spot with Tara.
"What the shit?" Tara looked at Glenn. "Did someone beat us to the punch?"
"I have no idea."
Just then Daryl stumbled out of one of the burning tents, half naked, and he fell to his knees. Something was wrong with him, they soon discerned. He couldn't find his footing or properly stand, and he kept falling over. He was acting like a drunk man, a drunk, flailing target in the eyes of their enemies, and Tara and Glenn couldn't just sit back and watch. They had to get him, or he'd be shot by the mysterious and trigger happy fool hiding somewhere in the camp or in the trees. The plan had been shot to shit, so what did it matter?
Yet when they were on their feet and about to jump out of cover, Maggie came out of nowhere and helped him up, holding a machine gun. She was their shooter, their mysterious and trigger happy shooter. She took out another woman who came at them and moved Daryl to safety.
Glenn and Tara moved together, watching for walkers and people, scurrying over to where Maggie had vanished, and at the sound of a hiss by her ear, Tara tensed. Rosita or Abraham had taken out one of the women from this group who was about to catch them by surprise. Tara would have to thank them once they were altogether.
They pushed on and found Maggie and Denise in a defensive position, both of them armed and injured, and they nearly shot at Glenn and Tara, but at them calling out, they lowered their weapons. Maggie smiled at the sight of Glenn and embraced him, and Tara dropped down beside Denise to investigate why her girlfriend was pale and hardly moving. Daryl was still out of it against the tree.
"What happened? Are you all right?" Glenn drank her in, holding her cheeks. "We had a plan. We were going to get you, but...you did this?"
She nodded. "I'll explain later. We need to get out of here."
"We need to get the truck." Denise winced. "They have it. Their... Pentaghast is inside."
"Okay, we'll take it back." Tara smoothed down her hair. "I'll take you to Spencer. He'll get you out of here. I'll double back—"
"No." Glenn shook his head. "Go with Spencer. Tell Abe and Rosita to join us. I gotta get Francine and Jenny."
"I'll get Jenny." Maggie handed him the gun Denise had been using. "You get Francine, have her and Adam take Daryl out of here. He's...been drugged. I can't say for sure what she did to him, but it doesn't look good."
Glenn scrutinized his friend, finding him a hue lighter with some bruises. He wore only his leather vest and his worn jeans. Glenn didn't know how he ended up like that, but they had to get him warm. It was too cold for just jeans and a vest. He didn't even have any shoes on. Glenn didn't like the knots taking up residence in his stomach. Daryl was right to have a bad feeling about all of this, but how right was he? And did Glenn want to find out?
––
Francine stopped her group at the sight of the flames and had them drop low, her eyes finding the truck hidden behind the camp as well as no trace of the women they were there to rescue. She had a feeling Maggie had a hand in this destruction, and it was confirmed when she came out of the shadows to aid a loopy Daryl.
"They saved themselves." Amber smiled. "We should help her with Daryl."
"No." Francine caught her wrist. "Wait, I see someone."
"Who?" Amber followed her gaze. "Their leader?"
"I don't know." She'd only caught a glimpse of the woman. "I'm going to find out. I want you guys to help them with Daryl."
"You want us to split up?" Eugene inquired.
"Yeah, all bad plans involve splitting up, but I'm faster and quieter than both of you, so just do what I said, please." She hurried after the figure before they could even argue.
"You heard the woman." Amber moved into position, waiting for the right moment to run over to where she'd last seen Maggie, and Eugene bent down beside her, his eyes following Francine.
Amber fled over to where the others were, meeting the end of Glenn and Maggie's weapons before they saw her face, and Glenn told her to help Tara. Tara held Denise's weight as she climbed to her feet, Tara instructed her to stay close and to help Daryl back to the cars. Amber turned to ask Eugene for a hand since Daryl was pretty much a human muscle, but he wasn't behind her. He hadn't followed her over.
"He went after Francine?" Glenn exclaimed. "Who chased after this Pentaghast?"
"I guess so."
"We need to hurry." Maggie helped Amber lift Daryl to his feet. "Can you take him?"
"No, she can't, but you both can." Glenn stripped her of the machine gun and handed it to Denise. "I don't know if you'll need it, but Daryl needs two people to lift him. I'll draw some of their fire and get to Francine. I should have some backup already trying to get to the truck."
"Glenn—"
"We don't have time to argue." He placed a rough kiss to her forehead and flew off in the direction Amber had pointed.
"If we want to help Glenn," Tara remarked, "we need to get to Abe and Rosita. They have the guns."
"Then let's hurry. I want to give Pentaghast a piece of my mind." And that wasn't even the half of it.
They carried their wounded to where Spencer and the cars were parked, waiting, and Tara climbed in with Denise, adjusting her as well as she could. Daryl was dumped into the truck of the SUV with a blanket, Amber jogged around to the driver's seat, and Maggie pulled Tara away to ask where Rosita and Abraham were. Tara decided it would be easier to lead the way rather than explain where they were.
Meanwhile, Francine and her shadow found Pentaghast in the back of the truck. Francine shoved Eugene back against a tree when he tried to get a better view, and Francine sent him a stare that said let me handle this. Pentaghast was pacing the length of the truck with no weapons whatsoever, and given her lack of clothing—a black tee and combat boots—there was no place for her to hide any weapons. Good.
Francine started to take aim to just kill her when her eyes closed in on the grenade in her hand. "Oh, shit." She dropped her gun and charged inside the truck to tackle Pentaghast. It was impulsive in every sense of the word, but it was her first instinct. If she lived, she wouldn't regret it. If she didn't, then she couldn't regret it.
Pentaghast was stronger than she looked in all of her five foot nine glory and almost instantly overpowered Francine. Crazy did wondrous things to strength after all. She dug her knees into Francine's forearms, her hands around her neck, choking her, and she could feel Francine kicking underneath her. Frantic, desperate kicks that just couldn't reach her to even hurt her. She could have laughed had she not been so fucking furious. She told them to watch those women, and what did they do? What did they allow to happen here? She would kill them all over again if she could. Cowards as they were scattered to the wind, and whoever else was still alive was taken out by that short haired bitch.
She bared her teeth as Francine began to fade. "You think you can take whatever you want? Even goods that aren't yours? I marked that hospital. It was mine. He was mine. All of it was mine. You'll all die for taking what was mine."
Francine was on the verge of blacking out when a gun fired and Pentaghast's blood splattered onto her face. Pentaghast whipped her head around to find Eugene standing there, and she hissed, standing up and pulling the pin out, letting it drop onto the floor of the truck. She turned to face him, holding the grenade in her hand, still holding down the lever.
Eugene didn't lower the gun or make any move to not shoot her again. He held his ground, and he didn't waver as she seethed. Resistance. She didn't care much for it, and it was all Eugene was showing her.
"You want to be a hero then? The one that dies in vain?"
"Maybe I'll die, but you'll definitely die too." He held his ground. "Heroes only exist in books."
"Then why do villains exist in reality? Where's the balance?" She loosened her hand somewhat, he pointed his gun at her, and she chuckled. "Oh, the conversations I'd like to have with you."
He said nothing.
Her brow twitched. "I've had enough of this. "Do you think I won't?" She walked towards him, he backed up, and she smirked. "Coward."
"I may be, but you have a severe lacking in perception."
She tilted her head to the side, eyes closed to slits, and Francine grabbed her hand, snatching away the grenade carefully. She kicked the girl into the side of the truck, she fell to the ground, groaning, and Francine urged Eugene over, and he put the pin back in place.
"What do we do with this?" Francine's heart was racing in her chest.
"Let me handle it. I'll dispose of it properly. You should take the truck back to the others."
"What do you think we should do about her?" She cast her gaze to where the girl should have been lying passed out, but there was no one there. "What?" She scanned the area to try and find her, but she was nowhere to be seen. "Where did she go?"
"I was too preoccupied with this to notice."
"Me too. Damn it. She used it as a diversion." She stomped her foot and huffed. "Okay, you dispose of that, and we'll take the truck back." She had no clue what she was going to tell the others about this. Fuck. She should have just shot the bitch when she wasn't looking. A coward's kill, but at least she'd be dead and not a threat. An unknown threat at that.
– – –
They headed out that night with their dead. Spencer and Rosita lead the way with Abe and Francine in the truck, and Amber and the others behind them. Maggie and Glenn drove the SUV with Daryl still out in the back, and Tara had an unconscious Denise in her arms. She smoothed her hair down, listening to and feeling her breathing, and she kissed her forehead tenderly.
Denise had either a broken or bruised rib from Pentaghast's kicks. They didn't want to see her in pain, so Maggie and Glenn used some of Enid's study session against Denise to knock her out. She was in agony, and they couldn't stand to see her like that the entire drive home. Tara distracted her, Maggie injected her, and she'd been out ever since. They would apologize later. If she wasn't so stubborn and hadn't insisted she was fine so many times they might not have resorted to such underhanded methods, but she insisted too much to be okay.
Daryl hadn't woken up since they departed the woods, but his pulse was steady and strong. With some work, Abe and Glenn managed to clothe him, so now he had a less likely chance of catching his death back there. He was still bundled up like a burrito, but just in case. It was better to be safe than sorry.
Glenn turned to Maggie now that everyone else was asleep and whispered, "How did it happen?"
She rehashed the whole caught off guard and death of Morris and Lee then went into what happened with Pentaghast. "She kicked me, over and over in the stomach, tryin' to kill the baby."
"Oh, God."
"Daryl told her who we were, and since the sonogram clearly said Carol, she let it drop after she kicked Denise twice. I think the heel of her boot hit her rib." She gazed back on Tara and Denise. "She'll be okay once we get her home and looked at. We have the equipment now."
"We do."
Maggie smiled a little. "You wanna know how I managed to get their guns?"
"Just a little bit." He smirked back at her.
"I played dead. I knew if they thought I'd bled to death with internal injuries, they would have tried to have gotten rid of me. Walker me. When one drew close to see if I was dead or not, I caught her ankles and knocked her down. It was a challenge to wrestle her with only my legs, but I guess havin' a brother trained me for that."
"I guess so."
"Anyway, I got her knife and undid my bindings, then Denise's. I killed a few, but...Pentaghast killed most of them herself. She went...ballistic after seeing us free. She even lit the tents on fire. She didn't want anything to survive, at least nothing we could have used. She's a special kind of crazy." She frowned. "I don't want to encounter her again."
"With luck, we won't have to." She lowered her eyes, and he noticed. "What is it? Is it your arm? Do you need anything?"
"No, no. The pills are still in affect. It's just... She took my rings." She showed him her naked hand. "I wasn't able to get 'em back."
He reached over and laced his fingers through hers, kissing her swollen ring finger. "I have you. You're in one piece. That's all that matters."
Her smiled widened. "I know, but I liked them"
"I'll find another one."
"It won't mean as much, but you're right. We made it. We have medicine and equipment. We're in one piece. We're gonna see Enid." She clutched his hand. "We're goin' home."
"We're going home." He beamed at her. "I love you."
She laughed softly. "I love you too." She leaned over and kissed his temple, not wanting to distract his attention from the road. "I'm gonna try and sleep a bit, okay?"
"Okay. Good night."
"You're gonna need this." She released his hand so he could drive correctly and yanked a blanket up from the floor of the backseat. She stretched as best she could and lied back, her eyes falling on his face one more time before dragging shut.
– – –
Pentaghast roused outside the hospital, and she inhaled deeply, pushing herself up to find those had survived in her group. She stood up, a stinging erupting in her skull and in her shoulder, and she pushed it back, walking around to the back entrance of the hospital to find the cache she'd hidden back when she'd marked this place as hers.
She dressed and armed herself, her eyes traveling up the side of the hospital to find vines covering her marker. She scoffed and ripped them down, though they had already done their damage. She threw the vines down and stormed off to round up her troops, her newly acquired crossbow fitting loosely on her back. They had to get back to their camp, and they were days away from it. She'd have some explaining to do, and it was quite the story. One she personally wasn't going to let rest.
As they dove deeper into the woods, the only trace of them left behind were the words Claimed written on the side of the hospital, vines still covering the first and last letters.
