A/N: Someone asked the question of whether or not men becoming pregnant was the norm in this AU on A03. I decided to answer this here as well. Male pregnancy is the by product of a mutation caused by experimentation. This will be explained in far more detail in TS-19. It is rare, but not unheard of, and came around nearly 70 years prior to when this story takes place. A lot of people have no problems with it, while others are disgusted by the entire thing. Hope that clears up anything I won't be addressing immediately! I promise, TS-19 will be a huge chapter not only addressing the apocalypse, but also how Glenn could get pregnant in the first place.
Glenn began to get nervous as the man inside the tank continued to not respond to his calls. He hadn't heard anymore gunshots, but even then, that wasn't the only thing left that could kill a person. Glenn clenched the walkie in his hands tightly, teeth clenched as he questioned whether or not to call out to the man again. He couldn't just leave him there, that much he was aware of.
"Hey, you alive in there?" He exclaimed, hoping that the man would finally come around and answer him. Not three seconds after that last attempt did he hear the scrambling sound of someone picking up the microphone.
"Hello, hello?" Glenn sighed in relief, his hand traveling down to his renewed upset stomach. He wished he had asked Daryl for another pill for his nausea before he had left the camp.
"Oh there you are. You had me wondering." Glenn responded.
"Where are you? Outside? Can you see me right now?" The man sounded hysterical, and Glenn felt awful for not having stayed more aware of his surroundings. He might have been able to help the man before he and what he now recognized as a horse, fell into the walker's large trap. The Korean made his way quickly across the different roofs and through many doors as he made his way back to a cleared off alley way where his group had entered in the first place, hoping he could help the man get there in time so he could lead him back.
"Yeah, I can see you." He began, slightly breathless himself from the slight amount of running. "You're surrounded by walkers. That's the bad news."
"There's good news?" The man cut him off, and Glenn sighed.
"No." He felt bad saying that. How could he have let that slip? Of course that was the bad news, everything those days was bad news.
"Listen, whoever you are, I don't mind telling you I'm a little concerned in here." Glenn couldn't help the way his stomach dropped as the man's voice filtered through his ears. What if he couldn't help him?
"Oh man, you should see from over here. You'd be having a major freakout." Much like Glenn himself, he decided. His heart was hammering in his chest, his stomach lurching angrily from the added stress now added onto him. He knew that this couldn't be good for his baby, and Daryl would have his head if he ever found out what Glenn had done. So much for being careful, he thought.
"Got any advice for me?" The man sounded desperate, sad even, and Glenn was filled with a renewed fire.
"Yeah. I'd say make a run for it." He knows that to the man's ears, that probably didn't sound very promising. Hell, even to his own it sounded laughable.
"That's it? Make a run for it?" The man asked, Glenn could hear the skepticism in his voice.
"My way's not as dumb as it sounds. You got eyes on the outside here. There's one geek still up on the tank, but the others have climbed down and joined the feeding frenzy where the horse went down. You with me so far?" Glenn asked as he listed through his reasons for telling Rick to take a chance.
"So far." The man responded quickly.
"Okay, the street on the other side of the tank is less crowded. If you move now while they're distracted, you'll stand a chance. You got ammo?" Glenn asked. God, he was stupid. He couldn't believe that he was helping a random guy out of a herd of walkers. Not only that, but he couldn't believe he was about to help the damn guy out of it on foot. Not only would Daryl kill him, he was fairly sure Merle would too.
"In that duffel bag I dropped out there with guns, can I get to it?" Glenn thought for a second about it, but then settled on the fact it was a lost cause. Worthwhile in theory, deadly in practice.
"Forget the bag. Okay, it's not an option. What do you have on you?"
"Hang on." The man responded, and Glenn sighed again, his hand rubbing his stomach. The last thing he needed was to throw up right now, and he wasn't very far from it. His head was starting to ache to go along with it. He really should've just stayed back with Merle. Glenn groaned as he felt bile rise in his throat, sitting himself down on the less than sturdy grate he'd sat himself upon to watch the man in the tank. He was going to throw up, no if ands or buts. He was going to draw every last walker to him. Too weak to climb back up, they were going to devour him whole all because he wanted to help some random guy he'd never met before. So much for glass half full Glenn, he thought.
"I got a Beretta with one clip. 15 rounds." Glenn jumped a little at the voice, lifting his head up from where it had fallen between his knees in a feeble attempt to keep his meager breakfast down.
"Make 'em count. Jump off the right side of the tank, keep going in that direction. There's an ally up the street maybe 50 yards. Be there." Glenn sighed as he lifted himself to his feet, willing the quickly worsening sickness down as he made his way slowly down the ladder into the alleyway. He was so stupid.
"Hey, what's your name?" The man asked, and Glenn rolled his eyes.
"Have you been listening? You're running out of time." Glenn almost welcomed the silence from the man, thankful that he was no longer asking useless questions. The Korean knew he was being a little short tempered, but considering the circumstances? He figured he was in the right. Glenn waited, hidden against the wall of the alley way waiting for the man to come running up to him. That's when he heard the gunshots, many of them, and Glenn let out an annoyed groan. That dumbass would get them all killed, not just himself and Glenn. Glenn ran up to the gate separating the alley from the main street, his face suddenly staring right into the barrel of said Beretta the man had spoke about before.
"Woah! Not dead!" Glenn screamed, turning to run the opposite direction. Not dead yet anyway. Seeing how the guy handled a gun, Glenn questioned whether that would be true by the end of the day. "Come on, come on!" He shouted, pulling the man back with him.
"Faster!" And another gun shot. It was a wonder every single walker in the entire city wasn't at their backs by this point. The two sprinted through the alley, Glenn egging the man on faster and trying to keep him from firing off anymore rounds while he was at it. All too late, they came up upon the ladder than Glenn had climbed down from, the Korean man taking the lead and making his way up the yellow ladder. As he made his way quickly up, Glenn looked down to see that the man wasn't even following him, the ache in his stomach quickly becoming second to his immense irritation.
"What are you doing? Come on!" He shouted. Finally, the man followed after him, the two making their way up to the little platform dividing the first ladder from the second. They stood for just a moment as they caught their breaths, Glenn's hand traveling back to his stomach as he let out a miserable whine. The man looked over to him in concern, eyes furrowing as he took in Glenn's appearance.
"You alright, man?" He asked, a gentle hand placing itself onto Glenn's shoulder. Glenn shook his head no, a small gag shaking his body as the nausea hit him full force. "You sick?" The man asked.
"Not exactly." Glenn breathed out, slow and calculated to try and abate the feeling. "Nice moves there Clint Eastwood." The Korean said, hoping to change the subject away from hm. He still wasn't comfortable with the idea of anyone else knowing about his pregnancy, especially some random guy that he had just met. "You the new sheriff? Come riding in to clean up the town?" Glenn asked as he leaned over the railing, praying to whoever was out there that he didn't end up passing out. His headache was getting worse by the minute, only aggravated by the endless gunshots, and he's pretty sure that walker was trying to figure out if it could climb the ladder.
"Wasn't my intention." The man said, eyes still wandering over Glenn's frame. Glenn could tell the man was worried. Hell, Glenn was worried about himself. The last time he'd felt like this was their first night in camp, and he'd crashed before Daryl could even ask him what was wrong.
"Yeah whatever yeeha. You're still a dumbass." Glenn attempted to adjust the pack on his back, the movement only making him dizzy. He shut his eyes tightly, a small cough escaping his lips as the world began to spin around him.
"Rick, thanks." The man, Rick, said, extending his hand out for Glenn to shake.
"Glenn, you're welcome." He responded, his grip on Rick's hand probably the only thing keeping him upright. Rick seemed to notice this as well, grabbing onto Glenn as a way of steadying him so he didn't topple right off the platform.
"Are you sure you're alright?" Rick asked. "You know I'm a sheriff, I won't hurt ya." He said, and Glenn had to roll his eyes. The cop card didn't work the way the world was anymore. Shane had said the same thing to his family when they first found each other roaming along the highway, Glenn pale as a sheet and throwing up every couple steps. It had been a welcome sight at the time, but now, it hardly made a difference to him.
"Just not feeling too great." Glenn responded, stumbling slightly as he felt his entire world jerk. Rick was quick to grasp onto him again, steadying the man before putting his wrist up against Glenn's forehead.
"Have ya had anything to drink at all?" Rick asked, looking down at the walkers below them. Glenn shook his head, realizing how stupid of a move that had been. How had he not thought to bring water with him on this little journey he decided to take? "You got a group?" Rick asked, and Glenn nodded, regretting the movement as his head relented against him.
"My brother in law is back in the clothing store down the street. It's quite a ways back from here, I don't know if I'll make it." Glenn responded, suddenly terrified that he really wouldn't make it back to Merle. The man was a dick in all senses of the word, infuriating and treated Glenn without an ounce of respect, but he was the only one left that he had any sort of faith in when it came to him being sick like this. When Glenn had passed out the first time in camp, he was well aware that neither Merle nor Daryl had left his side the entire time, Merle even going as far as to begging for extra water and food for Glenn to help him get back on his feet. The man could be decent at times, just, not most of them.
"I'll get ya there, don't worry." Rick said, taking in their surroundings. "You think you can make it up the last stretch of the ladder?" Glenn looked up, his eyes defocusing as he took in the height. He truly didn't know if he could make it, but looking down, he realized he didn't have much of a choice.
"Oh no." Glenn breathed out, his voice sounding dizzy and tired even to his own ears. One of the walkers finally managed to figure out how to grab onto the ladder, making his way slowly up toward them. Rick pushed Glenn forward, the Korean grasping onto the ladder tightly as he pulled himself upward. The further he went, the harder it became to hold on. Not even once did his hands slip, Glenn only being steadied by Rick's quick jump up behind him and placing his hand back onto the rail. Glenn sighed painfully, the rest of the way up the ladder very cramped and uncomfortable as Rick's hands always stayed where Glenn's hips reached. Glenn pulled himself over the edge of the roof slowly, using the wall for support as he touched his legs to the ground.
"Hop up on my back. Just tell me where we're goin'." Rick said, and Glenn couldn't argue. Rick bent over to allow Glenn enough access to make his way easily onto his back, the Korean whining as Rick jostling him into place made him just a bit more sick. The two walked slowly, Rick working to make sure Glenn wasn't thrown around too much.
"Feels like this isn't the first time you've done this." Glenn chuckled, his head resting embarrassingly on top of Rick's left shoulder. Rick smirked, shaking his head.
"Nah, when my wife was pregnant with my son she used to get sick like this a lot." Glenn sucked in a breath, his body going stiff at the statement. "You okay?" Rick asked suddenly, feeling how the younger man suddenly held onto his breath in a vice like grip.
"I'm going to throw up." Glenn said, and Rick quickly put the younger down just outside a door that lead to a small concrete walkway to the next building. Glenn heaved once before emptying his stomach all over the small walk way. Rick rubbed his hand comfortingly over Glenn's back, hoping that someone in his group knew how to help him through the sickness. Rick thought idly in the back of his mind that Glenn wasn't telling him everything, but it wasn't his place to pry. The symptoms were similar to Lori's own when she struggled with her blood pressure when she was pregnant with Carl. That, and the way the younger clenched up when he mentioned Lori's pregnancy, and the fact he'd said he wasn't really sick had him wondering.
"Glenn, what did you mean back there when you said you weren't really sick?" Rick asked carefully, not wanting to upset the Asian but also knowing that this was a problem that would need to be addressed if he was correct. Lori had to spent quite some time with their doctor to make sure she didn't develop any complications.
"Just, trying to change the subject." Glenn responded, dry heaving once more over where he'd already emptied everything he'd eaten for the past week.
"I don't want you to get upset with me, but, I felt the way you clamped up there when I mentioned my wife's pregnancy." Glenn's eyes flicked to the ground at this, and Rick was almost positive the younger was going to argue but decided against it. "If you've been having fainting spells, gettin' dizzy all the time, that's somethin' you might need to have looked at." Rick said, and he took quick notice that Glenn's hands were shaky where they held the rest of his body upright.
"You think he might be sick?" Glenn asked, his voice choked as he asked the question. Rick sighed in sympathy as he took a seat next to the younger, rubbing a hand up the man's arm.
"Nah, just messin' around with your blood pressure. It's normal, but not excessively. You might need a different diet, new type of vitamin. You'll be okay." Rick answered, startled as tears began to fall down the younger man's face. "My wife had the same thing. She used to faint almost daily with our son. Took her to the doctor and all she needed was a bit more sodium and a lot more water. It'll be okay." Rick said, and Glenn nodded shakily.
"Your son was alright, then?" Glenn asked, his hand trailing slowly to his abdomen. Rick smiled lightly at him, nodding his head.
"Best kid around. Smart, funny, real ladies man." Glenn chuckled at that, breathing in deeply to try and dispel some of the stress that seemed to wrap like a vice grip around his heart. Maybe Rick wasn't too bad. Still a dumbass, but a decent dumbass.
"This is gonna sound real stupid, but I wish my husband was here." Glenn laughed again, wiping the tears from his eyes.
"Where's he at?" Rick asked curiously, hoping that he wasn't prying to much into the younger man's life. Rick just didn't want the man to be under too much unnecessary stress, and if talking to him would help, that's just what he'd do.
"Back at our camp. He went hunting, so he probably won't be back for a few days." Glenn sniffled, hands pressing to his eyes in a desperate attempt to stop both the headache and the tears still leaking from his eyes.
"And your brother in law?" Rick asked.
"He's something else. Not someone you'd go to for moral support." Glenn shrugged, breathing in deep as another wave of nausea rolled over him. "We should get back." Rick nodded and allowed Glenn to crawl back onto his back, the two making their way slowly to the next roof. When they got to the point they had to cross, Rick set the man down behind him, pulling himself over first before assisting Glenn across.
"Rick, I-" Glenn only managed to get those words out as he crumpled to the ground, Rick barely catching him before he smacked his head onto the concrete floor.
"Shit." Rick said, lifting the smaller man into his arms. Rick walked slowly over to the manhole that lead down into the building they were currently on, fully aware of the fact he wouldn't be able to make it down the ladder with Glenn unconscious in his arms. Thinking back to Lori, he knew his wife would usually only stay out for a good 30 seconds to a minute, so he should have no problem waiting for Glenn to open his eyes again.
Rick walked back toward the edge of the roof, sitting himself down in one of the only places with even a small amount of shade. It didn't take to long before Glenn's hands began to twitch, his eyes opening slowly. "Welcome back."
"Thanks." Glenn groaned, head hurting only a little less than before he collapsed.
"Think you can make it down that ladder?" Rick asked, not wanting to push the other too hard, but knowing that if they ever wanted to make it back that was the only way. Glenn nodded, in response.
"Can you still carry me over to it? I don't think I can walk well enough." Rick sighed at the question. He knew that if Glenn couldn't walk, there was no way he was making it down that ladder by himself, but the younger was insistent. So, reluctantly, Rick lifted Glenn back into his arms bridal style and carried him the rest of the way to the manhole.
"I'm gonna go first, okay? Then, I'll tell you when to come down. That way if you fall, I have even a small chance of catchin' you. Hold on tight, okay?" Rick said, and Glenn nodded. Rick pulled the hatch open, pulling himself into the hole and going down only a few steps before signaling for Glenn to follow him down. Rick kept a careful hand on Glenn's waist as he shakily made his way in front of him, the Asian wrapping his arms tightly around steps of the ladder.
"You okay?" Rick asked, and Glenn nodded silently in response. In less time than Rick thought, the two of them made it to the bottom of the ladder, Rick pulling Glenn into his arms again before the younger could even touch the floor. "Where to next?"
"Go straight, to the exit." Glenn said tiredly, his head lolling back into Rick's arms. "Walkie, tell them where I am." Rick shifted Glenn so that he could set the younger man down on the floor, lifting the walkie out of Glenn's back pocket.
"Hello?" He said, hoping to get a response from the other end. Not long after, he heard someone fumbling with the talk button on their own radio.
"Who is this?" It was a man's voice, Hispanic in descent.
"My name is Rick Grimes. I'm with one of your team, Glenn. He saved me from the walkers and he's not in very good shape." Rick said back.
"Wasn't bit was he?" The man asked.
"No, dizzy, throwing up, headache." He relayed back, and a sigh came over the walkie.
"Yeah, we know about that. Is he conscious at least?" The man asked. Rick took a quick look back to see Glenn with his eyes closed, head slumped against the wall.
"No. He was a minute ago, but he's not anymore." Rick responded.
"Alright. Where are you?" Rick took one last look at Glenn before jogging over to the exit, spotting a set of spiral stairs in front of him and another building next door. He said the information back to the man and waited for his response, going back to kneel beside Glenn. "We know where you are. Come down that spiral case, we'll meet you there." Rick placed the walkie in his own back pocket, lifting Glenn's limp body off the floor and making his way quickly down the staircase. A small groan left the smaller man as he came to once again, eyes blinking wildly at the change in location.
"Almost there." Rick said, hoping to calm Glenn even a little. The younger seemed to be working himself into a fit, his breathing coming faster and faster as they continued on. "Almost there." He repeated once more, stopping quickly as he came face to face with two walkers waiting for them at the end of the steps. Before he even had a chance to turn around, 2 armour clad people came storming out of the back door of the building across from them, bats in hand as they took out the two walkers with an ease he wasn't aware anyone could have.
"Go, go!" A voice he didn't recognize called to him, but he wasted no time heading their advice. He ran into the store at full speed, followed closely by the two men. Once all four of them were inside safely, one of the people shut the door behind them, sighing in relief.
"Son of a bitch you better put him down so I can kill you." Rick was greeted with, a blonde woman pointed a gun straight at his face. His first instinct was to put his arms up in surrender, but with Glenn laying in his arms, that was an impossible feat.
"Just chill out, Andrea, back off." The man Rick assumed he was speaking with on the walkie said as he removed his layers of armour.
"Come on, ease up." The only other woman in the room adding. He was grateful for the assistance, he really was, but shouldn't they be focusing more on the pregnant man laying limp in his arms? Rick was pretty sure that was more important than anything they could be pissed at him for at the moment.
"Ease up, you're kidding me right?" Andrea exclaimed. "We're dead because of this stupid asshole." She said, and Rick could only think how much he really wanted her to put that gun down.
"Andrea!" The man he spoke to first exclaimed, coming to stand next to the blonde woman still holding a loading gun precariously in his face. "I said back the Hell off." Rick could tell that the man wasn't playing games, his eyes trailing down momentarily to Glenn's limp figure in his arms. Finally the blonde woman pulled the gun back, her face scrunching up in fear as tears began to leak from her eyes.
"We're dead. All of us. Because of you." Andrea said with an air of finality he couldn't believe someone like her possessed. Quick, angry, and clearly a fighter.
"I'm not because of him." Rick looked down to see Glenn's eyes peeking open again, his hand reaching up to rub his eyes. He saw Andrea shake her head out of the corner of his eyes, walking away as Glenn fully came to. "I think I'm okay now." Glenn said, Rick nodding and setting him gently on the ground. Glenn wobbled slightly, his hands held out in a desperate attempt to find purchase. Rick and the other woman who hadn't held a gun to his face were quick to catch him, the woman whispering quietly that he was going to be alright.
"I don't understand. Why are we all dead?" Rick said, his grip on Glenn still as tight as the woman's next to him. Rick vaguely wondered if one of the two men were Glenn's brother in law, and if so, why they seemed to stay so distant from him.
"Look," The man he first spoke to said, grabbing Rick by the arm and pulling him away from Glenn. The Asian violently stumbled, only staying up with the help of the woman and now the other man that had come out to assist him in getting Glenn back to the store. "We came to this city to gather supplies." The man began, the rest of the group following behind as Rick was led to the front of the store.
"You know what the key to scavenging is?" The man asked, smacking Rick on the back. Rick rolled his eyes in annoyance. "Surviving. You know the key to surviving? Sneaking in and out. Tip toeing not shooting up the streets like it's O.K. Corral." The group finally stopped in front of the front door, eyes growing wide as he took in what was in front of him.
"Every geek for miles heard you popping off rounds." The other man said.
"You just rang the dinner bell." Andrea added, Rick's heart beating rapidly in his chest. He suddenly felt sick himself, eyes trailing back to find Glenn's face contorted in fear, his hand resting against his abdomen. No, they can't die here. He won't let that happen.
"Get the picture now?" Rick was shocked as he took notice of one of the walkers in the front holding onto quite a large rock, smashing it rhythmically into the front door until it began to crack more and more under the pressure. These things were smart. First they attempt to climb the ladder, now they're breaking doors with rocks.
"Oh, God." He heard Andrea behind him, and suddenly everyone was backing up farther into the store. Rick felt awful, despite the fact this had all been unknowingly caused by him. He hadn't been thinking when he had been shooting off all those rounds, and know Glenn's dubbing of dumbass seemed to make far more sense. "What the Hell were you doing out there anyway?" Andrea asked, her face still scrunched up in fear.
"Trynna flag the helicopter." Rick responded, and now even to his own ears that sounded a bit ridiculous.
"Helicopter? Man, that's crap. Ain't no damn helicopter." The black man standing behind him added, his head shaking in exasperation.
"You were chasing a hallucination, imagining things. It happens." The other woman added, and Rick shook his head.
"I saw it."
"I saw it, too." Rick turned his head to see Glenn looking at the others, nodding his head to Rick. Rick nodded his head back in thanks turning toward the others. They all merely shook their shoulders, not wanting to give into a false hope given to them by someone they'd never met and one that was barely standing on his own two feet.
"Hey, T-Dog," the man in front of him said. "Try that C.B. Can you contact the others?"
"Others? The refugee center?" Rick asked, heart raising a bit at the thought he might be able to get in contact with the place.
"Yeah the refugee center. They got biscuits in the oven waiting for us." The other woman said, and Rick's heart plunged back to his feet. Now he not only had to start over looking for his family, but he led Morgan and Duane right into this trap. He'd have to find a way to contact them later, get that bag of guns back if he could find a way to.
"Got no signal." T-Dog responded, sighing in frustration. "Maybe the roof." He added suddenly, eyes lighting up at the possibility. All the sudden the entire group looked up as a gunshot sounded from the roof.
"Oh no, was that Dixon?" Andrea said hysterical, head flipping back and forward as she began to back away from the counter she had been leaning against. Rick took quick notice that Glenn suddenly paled, his hands shaking again as the name hit his ears.
"What is that maniac doing?" The other woman said as they all began to run upstairs, Glenn pushing himself out of her and T-Dog's grip to stay back with Rick. Rick stared at the younger questioningly as Glenn wrapped his free arm around Rick's right arm, pulling them forward to inch them along.
"That would be my brother in law." Glenn said, and suddenly Rick understood Glenn pulling back to stay with him, and his original wish for his husband to be here over his brother in law. Sounded like the guy didn't have a very high reputation based on the reactions to his shooting. As the two made their way up the steps, Rick could tell that Glenn was beginning to feel sick again. If they didn't get him out of this head and some proper food and water, this could end up seriously bad for both him and his baby. Whenever they were done dealing with Glenn's brother in law, he'd make sure to ask one of them if they had anything they could give to Glenn before some serious damage happens. Just as the two made it to the door that everyone started filing through, Glenn took his arm off of Rick's own, stumbling through the door on his own. Rick let him go.
"Hey, Dixon, are you crazy!?" The man yelled, the man he could only identify as Dixon began to laugh, shooting off another round. Andrea let out a grumbled complaint, Dixon turning around to face them.
"Oh, hey." He said, pointing the gun out toward the group. "You outta be more polite to a man with a gun. Huh?" He said, hopping down from the ledge to join the rest of them. Rick looked to Glenn, seeing the man hesitate instead of walking up to his brother in law like he'd assumed he would. That was strange. "Only common sense." He finished.
"Man, you wastin' bullets we ain't even got, man! And you bringin' even more of 'em down on our ass! Man, just chill!" T-Dog shouted, and Rick took notice that Glenn began to back away the closer his brother in law got to the other man.
"Hey, bad enough I got this taco bender on my ass all day. Now I'm gonna take orders from you? I don't think so, bro." Dixon said, still cradling the gun in his hands. Glenn stepped forward then, stopping only when he was a few feet away from his brother in law, but the Asian still didn't speak up. "That'll be the day."
"That'll be the day? You got somethin' you wanna tell me?" T-Dog asked, and finally Glenn fully walked up to his brother in law, hand placed tentatively on the older man's back. Dixon swirled around on him, eyes barring more anger than Rick had ever seen on a human, only to have to nearly washed away at the sight of Glenn before him.
"Hey there, lil lady. Ya pick up anythin' for the squirt then?" Dixon asked, making a move to put his hand on Glenn's stomach. The younger backed away, eyes searching the older's before Glenn let out a heavy sigh.
"Where did you get it?" Rick took the chance to look around, taking notice of the shocked faces staring back at Glenn. Had the man just told everyone Glenn was pregnant for the first time?
"Aw, it's just a lil fun." Dixon said, lifting his hands up in a confused way.
"Merle, where did you get it? I thought Daryl took all that stuff the day you almost banged a walker because you were stoned off your ass." Merle laughed at this, hand slapping Glenn almost good heartedly on his shoulder. Rick decided to ignore most of the sentence, but did file Daryl's name away in his ever growing list. That must be Glenn's husband, Rick concluded.
"Had a lil bit left, figured while you were out havin' a good ole time I could have one a my own." Merle shrugged, as if that fixed every problem that had been created by the man getting high off Rick could only guess what. "Now, let Uncle Merle feel his nephew." Rick cringed as Glenn backed away again, his hand covering his abdomen protectively. Merle only laughed at this, as if Glenn was playing some sort of game with him that he greatly enjoyed.
"Merle, back the Hell off." T-Dog stepped in again, and Rick gave a momentary groan. "You're clearly making him uncomfortable." Glenn shook his head to stop T-Dog from causing anymore of a commotion, but it was clear the damage had already been done. Merle turned away from Glenn, face angry and fists clenched as he turned to face T-Dog again.
"What did I say about the day I'd take orders from the likes a you?" Merle said, coming face to face with the other man. Glenn began to back away again, swaying on his feet. Both he and Andrea made their way over to him, arms wrapped underneath his armpits in a feeble attempt to hold him upright.
"What you mean by the likes a me then?" T-Dog pushed, and Merle chuckled.
"The day I take orders from a Nigger." Glenn hid his face behind his hands as T-Dog went to swiftly punch Merle in the face, only to be hit right back by the butt of Merle's gun. Rick left Glenn to Andrea, hopping over two pipes blocking his way and placing a hand on Merle's shoulder. The man simply pulled T-Dog back to him punching him once before turning and punching Rick so hard he fell back against the pipes he had crossed over. By this point Glenn was screaming, begging Merle to stop.
"Can't have people like this around ya, lil lady. You best stay back!" He shouted, punching T-Dog once again in the face. Glenn held tightly to his stomach, nausea rolling back through him in waves as the screaming and sounds of punches sounded more and more like they were coming from under water. Andrea helped him to the ground, laying him gently on his left side. She shushed him, rubbing her hand soothingly over his sweaty hair, Jackie joining her soon after and situating Glenn into a better position.
Merle took one swift kick to T-Dog's abdomen, throwing him down face first against one of the pipes and knocking the man to the ground. Everyone continued to scream as Merle began to kick T-Dog in the side, Glenn's hands shaking and eyes falling shut as the heat bore down on him, his throat dry and stomach empty.
"Merle!" Andrea shouted, hand still raking through Glenn's slowly matting hair. Merle looked back at her, anger filled eyes trailing down to where his brother in law lay shaking on the ground. Merle looked back at T-Dog, spitting on the man before making his way quickly over to Glenn. The others were quick to tell him to leave the younger alone, but one look from the angry redneck had them quieting down.
"Glenn," Merle said, his voice softer than anyone had ever heard it in all the time they'd known him. The redneck knelt down beside him, taking the spot where Jackie had once sat. "Listen to me, brother, ya gotta breathe." Glenn took in a shaky breath, tears slipping out of his eyes as he dry heaved over the ground. Merle rubbed a hand up and down Glenn's arm, sighing as he felt the heat radiating off Glenn's skin. "Ya had anythin' ta drink?" Glenn shook his head no. Merle sighed, looking around at the others.
"I have water downstairs, I'll run down and get it." T-Dog said, lifting himself painfully off the ground. Merle spat at him again, but T-Dog only rolled his eyes. He was getting the water for Glenn, not for Merle anyway.
"Glenn, why didn't you tell us you were pregnant?" Andrea asked, bending down to place a hand atop Glenn's forehead again. Merle didn't make a move against her, his eyes focused solely on his brother in law's red face and shaking form.
"Didn't want anyone to think I couldn't do anything." Glenn choked out, Merle sighing thinking about the reason his only blood left hadn't told him he was going to have a baby. Merle knew he fucked up in a lot of ways, but Daryl really was all he had left in the world. Fear used to work to keep the younger with him, but ever since he'd married the chink, he'd been harder to control using that method. It took Merle several years to come to the conclusion that it was a bad idea from the start, but he was coming around to it.
"We won't look at you any differently, but we will expect you to take better care of yourself. You need to drink and eat properly from now on." Jackie said, coming to stand up next to the rest of them. Rick followed the rest of the group, standing behind Glenn's head.
"We need to make sure that blood pressure stays a normal level." Rick said, and Glenn nodded. Not very long after, T-Dog came back upstairs with 2 full bottles of water. He handed them both to Merle who gave nothing but a nod in response.
"Need help sittin' up?" Merle asked, and Glenn nodded. Merle situated his arms under Glenn's limp frame, pulling him up so he was resting against his well muscled chest.
"Think ya can help 'im drink, Officer Friendly?" Merle asked, and Rick nodded, ignoring the nickname in favor of helping Glenn get better. Rick took one of the bottles and held it up to Glenn's lips, urging him to sip rather than gulp. Not to long after, the entire bottle was empty. "Need more?" Merle asked, shifting Glenn in his arms so he could swipe his free hand soothingly over Glenn's forehead. The younger nodded, and Rick began to allow Glenn to drink a bit more.
"I'm gonna pour some of this over your head, alright? You're overheated just as much as dehydrated, this'll help you cool down." Rick said, pouring the water gingerly over Glenn's burning forehead. Glenn sighed gratefully, glad when Merle took to spreading some of the water now soaking his hair onto his face and chest.
"Want Daryl." Glenn said quietly.
"I know, baby. We'll get back to 'im soon enough." Merle said, glaring up at the rest of the camp. What a way to lose his tough guy reputation. However, he did just nearly kick T-Dog's ass, so that had to give him some asshole points.
"Throw it out." Glenn spoke again, voice becoming more and more strong as the seconds went by. Merle groaned, pulling only a small amount of his true stash out of his front pocket and handing it to Rick. Rick sighed and tossed it over the side of the building, Glenn smiling lightly from where he was still laying in Merle's arms. Only part of Merle felt bad for not giving away all of his stuff, but the way the world was going, he'd probably never see another hit again if he lost it all now.
Eventually the group dispersed again, Jackie, Morales, Andrea, and Rick going to stand up against the side of the roof, T-Dog sat against it trying to get through to their camp, and Merle sat with his back against the pipes, Glenn still laying sick in his arms. Merle knew that without food, more water, and less heat, Glenn wouldn't feel better. He was already anticipating Glenn passing out again, his entire body trembling every once in awhile, soft, sick groans escaping his lips.
"He ain't gon' last much longer in this heat." Merle said, catching the attention of the four now standing looking out at the city. "We gotta get him back to the Quarry, dunk him in the water or he's gonna die from heatstroke." Rick sighed, brushing his hair back in exasperation. He didn't know what to do, but looking at Glenn, it was obvious he wasn't going to last much longer out there.
"What about the baby?" Andrea said, crossing her arms to her chest. "This can't be good for it." Rick shook his head, heart clenching in his chest. No, this wasn't good at all for either of them. If they didn't get out of here and fast, Rick wasn't sure what would happen. Eventually the four just went back to staring out at the city, Merle grumbling as Glenn let out another whine below him. This was getting them nowhere.
"You're not Atlanta P.D." Morales said, coming to stand closer to Rick. He took notice that Rick's hands were shaking, the stress getting to him far more than Morales could really comprehend. Glenn had saved his life after all, Morales was sure that seeing the kid in such a state was really taking a hit. "Where you from?" He asked.
"Up the road a ways." Rick responded, pushing his hands into his pockets.
"Huh, well, Officer Friendly, from up the road a ways, welcome to the big city." Morales said, and Rick stared back at him, a small smile tugging on his face. The two of them stared down at the street where all the walkers were converged, moaning and groaning and going about their own sort of business.
"God, it's like Time Square down there." Andrea said, resting up against the ledge of the roof.
"How's that signal?" Morales said, walking back toward the rest of the group. His face twisted as he heard Glenn let out a another sorrowful groan.
"Wait, wait. Y'all hear that?" Rick said, his hand out to pause everyone in their conversation. "Thunder." He smiled lightly at the realization, Merle sending one back to him as they both got the meaning behind it.
"Hear that, brother? There's rain comin'. We're gonna getcha all takin' care of." Merle said, running his fingers through Glenn's hair again. Glenn nodded, head lolling back against Merle's chest despite his inner elated feelings. The Asian would never voice it, couldn't if he tried, but he was terrified. Hearing them talk about his baby not being okay was making his stomach twice as upset, his head hurt ten times as much, and the nausea roll around worse than he'd ever felt. He wanted Daryl, he wanted the safety and security the man brought him. At that moment, despite Merle's somewhat comforting presence, Glenn had never felt more unsafe.
"The connection's weak, kinda like Dixon's brain." T-Dog said, and Glenn groaned as he was suddenly shifted, Merle pointing an angry finger at the man sitting across from him.
"Best watch it." Merle said, shifting Glenn back into a more comfortable position. T-Dog merely gave him side eyes, feeling bad for causing Merle to shift Glenn so harshly. He was worried about the kid, and thing he needed was for Merle to toss him around because T-Dog couldn't keep his mouth shut.
"Keep trying." Morales said, ignoring the bickering between the two.
"Why? There's nothing they can do. Not a damn thing." Andrea said, pushing back away from the others.
"Got some people outside the city, is all. There's no refugee center. That's a pipe dream." Morales finished.
"I mean she's right, we're on our own. Up to us to find a way out." Rick said, turning to look back at Merle.
"Good luck with that. These streets ain't safe in this part a town from what I hear." Merle said, shaking his head as Glenn shook harshly, bending over to dry heave over Merle's legs. He shushed the younger quietly, rubbing his back in a futile attempt to calm him down. Glenn dry heaved a few more times, the last one only a small bit of stomach acid making its way out of his mouth. Andrea pulled out a water bottle from her bag, swishing it around slightly.
"There's not much left in here, but it's enough to get that taste out of your mouth." Andrea said, bringing the bottle over to Glenn. The Asian reached out for it, his hands far to shaky to grab onto it. "It's okay, I'll help." She said, and Glenn nodded. She tilted the man's head back, allowing the last bit of water to fall into Glenn's mouth. He swirled it around for a moment before swallowing it, nodding to her in thanks.
"Streets ain't safe." Morales grumbled, looking back out toward the city. He was shocked by Merle's behavior toward Glenn, but that didn't change his opinion of the man. After all, Glenn had been family for five or six years before the apocalypse. Not even the worst of people could be a dick to one of their own. "Now there's an understatement."
"What about under the streets?" Rick asked. "The sewers? Not only would that be safer, but I can only assume it'll be a bit cooler. We could get Glenn through without adding to his heatstroke problem."
"Oh man." Morales said, turning back toward the remainder of their group. "Hey, Andrea, check the alley. You see any manhole covers?" Andrea got up quickly, running along the grate before bending over to look into the alley. Two walkers, but no manhole covers. She sighed audibly before running back over toward the others.
"No, must be all out on the street where the walkers are." She said, walking slowly back to where she had been sitting.
"Maybe not." Jackie interrupted before everyone turned back to staring out at the city. "Old buildin' built in the twentys. Big structures often had drainage tunnels into the sewers in case of flooding down in the sub basements." Jackie finished, staring out at the rest of the group.
"How do you know that?" Andrea asked, shrugging her shoulder skeptically.
"It's my job. Was. I worked in the city's zoning office." She finished, looking over toward Rick. Rick turned back to the rest of the group, coming to stand in front of Merle.
"You keep him safe." He said. Merle scoffed in response.
"He's my kin. I always keep my kin safe." Rick nodded, clapping Merle on the shoulder before dragging the rest of the group along. Merle sighed as the remainder of the group slipped out of the door. "You'll be okay. I promise."
Rick led the group down throughout the building, everyone splitting apart to look for what could lead them down to the sewers. It took them far too long, but eventually Rick heard Jackie and Morales calling from a room down on a lower floor. Rick bounded down the stairs, meeting up with them and Andrea inside the room.
"This has gotta be it. It's the only thing in the entire place that goes down." Jackie said, and Morales nodded in agreement.
"Alright, now we gotta decide who's going down, and who's stayin' up here." Rick said, looking to each person. The group stayed silent for a long moment, no one really wanting to speak up out of fear of what they might find down in the sewers. Not only would finding something down there be awful, but it would destroy that bit of hope they had built up with the idea. "Listen, I know this is a tough choice, and I know this is gonna be hard. But we have a sick kid upstairs, carrying a baby that just might not make it through this if it goes on much longer. We gotta do this, and we gotta do it now." Rick looked at all of them in turn, Morales sighing before stepping up.
"I'll go." He said. "But you're not. You and Andrea are the only ones here with guns. You two stay back. Shout down to us if anything goes wrong." Andrea and Rick nodded, the two elected to go down slowly making their way down the later. Feet splashed as the two made it down, a small thumbs up sent to the two left above them as they made their way into the sewers.
Jackie made her way slowly forward, eyes looking everywhere but the small rats that scampered along the sewer walls. It wreaked of everything from waste to what she had come to attribute to dead body, and she had a hard time not plugging her nose and gagging. Morales followed swiftly behind her, his face schooled into a much more neutral expression, but his distaste for his surroundings was obvious.
Rick and Andrea walked slowly into the main area of the building, walkers still banging relentlessly on the door. The two of them scanned their surroundings with interest, Andrea's eyes always flicking away from Rick's own.
"Sorry about the gun in your face." She suddenly blurted out, Rick turning to look back at her.
"People do things when they're afraid." He answered, thinking back to how he had still been carrying an unconscious Glenn in his arms. That bugged him, but he could get passed the gun in his face.
"Not that it was entirely unjustified. You did get us into this." She said, walking around the lone display case in the room.
"If I get us out, would that make up for it?" Rick asked, his eyes searching Andrea's own. She stared back for a moment, her eyes cast down as she voiced her response.
"No, but it would be a start." Rick smiled back at her before looking toward the walkers banging on the door, cracks growing bigger and bigger as time went on.
"Next time though, take the safety off. Won't shoot otherwise." He smirked at her, Andrea looking down in embarrassment.
"Oh," She simply stated, fiddling with her fingers as Rick went to lean back against the display case.
"Is that your gun?" He asked. Andrea looked back up at him quickly.
"It was a gift, why?" She asked, Rick immediately walking over and holding out his hand. Andrea handed the gun over to him, Rick looking at it momentarily before flicking one of the switches back.
"Little red dot means it's ready to fire. You may have occasion to use it." Rick said, handing the gun back to the blonde. She took the gun back from him, staring at it glumly.
"Good to know." She said. The two ended up sitting in silence for just a moment. "Do you think Glenn is gonna be okay?" She asked, eyes meeting Rick's own for only a split second. Rick sighed, his back hitting the hot metal of the jewelry case.
"If I have anything to do with it, they'll both be perfectly healthy come nightfall." Rick said. Andrea nodded, looking down again.
"I can't believe he didn't tell us he was pregnant. All the runs he's done, by himself even, and he was carrying a child." Andrea said, looking back up at the walkers banging on the door. Rick followed her gaze, shrugging his shoulders.
"He wasn't gonna tell me either. I figured it out on my own. Said he wasn't really sick, then completely clenched up when I mentioned my wife's pregnancy." Rick said, and Andrea nodded sadly. She wanted to ask about the man's family, but after pointing a gun in his face she didn't think she had much a right to ask. "Probably scared. Poor kid, can't imagine what he's goin' through." Andrea chuckled at this, nodding her head.
"Hard having a baby without the dead trying to knock down your door." Andrea said, shaking her head.
"Daryl his husband then?" Rick asked, and Andrea nodded her head.
"Daryl Dixon. For sure not a pair you'd expect. We didn't even know they were married the first couple days they came to camp. Daryl was too busy babysitting Merle's drunk ass, and Glenn found a nice niche with an old man back at our camp. Name's Dale, taught him a bit about cars and RVs." Andrea said, and Rick listened intently. It was nice getting to know about their group. He knew he couldn't just leave their group immediately. Knowing now that the refugee center had been a bust, he couldn't just wander the streets of Atlanta alone. Not only that, but he didn't think he could run off without knowing Glenn and the baby were alright.
"But, one day, Glenn got sick. Like he was now. Just dropped on us, dead to the world. Daryl and Merle came guns blazing, in a metaphorical sense. Daryl had lifted his head into his lap, called him baby, sweetheart, honey. Every pet name you'd never think you could get out of someone with a mouth like Daryl's. Then Glenn opened his eyes, and you could just see the love flood between them. It was disgusting." Rick laughed at that, shaking his head. That reminded him a lot of he and Lori back when they were Glenn's age. Happy and crazy in love, their first baby on the way. It had been a much happier time in their marriage, and he wished he could go back to that time.
"Gonna assume they found out he was pregnant before the dead started walkin'. Damn, that's awful." Rick said, head falling into his hands. He couldn't imagine the thought of he and Lori finding out they were going to have a baby, and then not too long after the world ends. How unfair is that?
"Definitely shitty, I'll agree with that. He'll be alright though, he's got two Dixons behind him. Ain't nothing happening to that kid while they're around." Andrea winked at him, easing Rick's worry. The two smiled at each other, going back to watching the walkers outside the door.
"Anybody out there?"
"Hello?"
"Anybody read? I'm hopin' to hear somebodies voice because I'm gettin' sick and tired of hearin' mine." T-Dog spoke angrily into the walkie in his hand, Merle shaking his head. Glenn had long since fallen asleep in the older man's lap, his breathing even and no cause for worry.
"Yeah, that makes two of us." Merle says, racking his finger's through Glenn's hair again. "Why don't you knock that crap off? You're givin' me a headache, boy." T-Dog rolled his eyes.
"Why don't ya pull your head outta your ass? Maybe your headache would go away." T-Dog responded, still playing around with the walkie. Merle chuckled, shaking his head at the other man's arrogance. "Try some positivity for a change. Damn."
"Look, I just don't wan' Glenn ta wake up. Alright?" Merle said, annoyed. T-Dog looked up at him, eyes narrowed but he didn't bite back. "I know what y'all think a me, and to be quite frank, I don't give two shits. But my baby brother's boy is sick, so ya better heed my warning. Don' wake 'im up for that shit." Merle went back to staring down at Glenn, T-Dog sighing as he put the walkie down beside him.
Jackie and Morales pushed their way through into a lower part of the sewer, flashlights roaming around as they stood in front of a gated off part of the sewer.
"Yeah, we got ourselves a sewer tunnel." Morales said, walking up quickly behind Jackie. "You were right." Jackie quickly walked forward, attempted to move the sewer grate out of the way. Without much luck the two looked around, startled back as their flashlights illuminated the bloody face of a walker. The two shot back as the walker's hands reached out for them a mangled, dead mouth clasped in its right hand. They looked at each other sadly, sighing greatly as their one form of escape ceased to be feasible.
Andrea and Rick stood side by side, the two having ended their conversation concerning Glenn to one in favor of Andrea's younger sister. Rick had come across her looking at a very nice looking necklace of a mermaid, Andrea telling him all about how her younger sister was simply fascinated by all things fantasy.
"Why don't you take it?" He'd asked, looking down at the blonde. She shrugged her shoulders, smiling lightly.
"There's a cop staring right at me." She responded, and Rick chuckled lightly in response. "Would it be considered looting?" Rick sat for a moment, questioning himself logically.
"I don't think those sort of rules apply anymore." Rick smiled at her, Andrea smiling back. The two jumped as the sound of the first doors the walkers had been working at shattered, the one working diligently with the rock being the first to make its way to the second pair.
"What did you find down there?" Rick asked as Morales and Jackie stormed back into the room.
"Not a way out." Morales said. Rick looked down at his feet, dread filling himself hole as yet another means of escape eluded them.
"We need to find a way out. Soon." Andrea said, and Rick had to agree. Now not only was it Glenn and his baby that were in immediate danger, but if the walkers broke through the glass, they were in for a real problem. The group made their way quickly up the stairs, barging through the door out onto the roof. Merle shushed them loudly, pointing down to the still sleeping Glenn in his arms. Rick mouth a sorry, Andrea catching the door before it could slam closed behind them.
Rick asked Morales quickly if he could borrow the pair of binoculars the man had, the other quickly nodding and handing them over to Rick. The sheriff looked out across the streets, eyes stopping on a truck left sitting in the middle of the road.
"That construction site. Those trucks. They always keep the keys on hand." Rick said, handing the binoculars back to Morales. The other man lifted them to his own eyes, scanning the ground below them. He sighed hopelessly, shaking his head.
"You'll never make it passed those walkers." Morales said. Rick took the binoculars back from Morales, stepping down and looking back toward Glenn.
"He got me out of that tank." Rick said. The group looking toward each other, sighing as they made their way over to Merle.
"Oh no, whatcha want now? I promise I been good." Merle said, rolling his eyes as they came closer.
"We need to talk to Glenn." Rick said, sitting eye level with the other man. Merle shook his head, laughing at the idea.
"No way, boy's been in constant pain all day. Finally got ta sleep." Merle said. Rick sighed, feeling guilty but knowing there was no way they were getting out of here without Glenn's advice.
"Please, Merle. He's the only one that can strategize the way we need. He got me out of that tank, he has to know a way to get over to those trucks." Rick said. Merle sighed, biting his bottom lip.
"If he's in any pain, you leave 'im alone." Merle said. Rick nodded in agreement, not wanting the younger to be in any more pain than he had been earlier, and he was willing to leave the kid alone if he was still that sick.
"C'mon boy, you're the man a the hour." Merle said, shaking Glenn awake. The younger let out a tired groan, hands coming up to rub his tired eyes. Glenn blinked a few times, his hand traveling instinctively to his abdomen as he let out a small whine.
"Glenn, can I talk to you?" Rick asked, placing a gentle hand on the younger's shoulder. Glenn nodded, turning his head to face Rick.
"We have a plan to get out of here. There's a truck out in the middle of the street, I know the keys are left in it and everything. Problem is, Morales doesn't think we can get past the walkers. You got me out of that tank, you have any ideas?" Rick asked. Glenn sighed slightly, looking over at Merle.
"Help me over there?" Merle nodded, adjusting Glenn so he could stand without jostling him too much. Once Glenn was steady, or as steady as he could be, the two made their way over to the side of the building.
"They were feeding when I got you out of that tank." Glenn said, shaking his head. "They were distracted."
"Can we distract them again?" Rick asked, coming to stand in front of Glenn again. "They're drawn by sound right?"
"Right, like dogs." Glenn said, legs wobbling slightly under him. Merle shifted his grip on the smaller man, holding him up tighter than he had been originally. "They hear sound, they come." He finished.
"What else?" Rick asked.
"Aside from they hear you? They see you, smell you, and if they catch you they eat you." Morales responded back.
"They can tell us by smell?" Rick asked.
"Can't you?" Glenn exclaimed, lifting his arms in exasperation.
"They smell dead, we don't." Andrea responded, elaborating on Glenn's point. "It's pretty distinct." Rick sighed, brain wracking through different ideas he could use to get them all out of there.
Rick ran down stairs, following closely by the other members of the group. Merle had taken to carrying Glenn on his back much like Rick had done when the two first met earlier in the day. Rick grasped at different pairs of gloves, tossing each of the group members a pair other than Glenn himself.
"If bad ideas was an Olympic sport this would take the gold." Glenn said, Merle shifting the man up on his back so he could hold onto him with only one arm, the gloves held in the other.
"He's right. Just stop, okay? Take some time to think this through." Morales said, following behind Rick as he gathered more and more items for the group.
"How much time?" Rick asked, pulling long white jackets off the rack next to him. "They already got through one set of doors, and that glass won't hold forever. And do I have to remind you we have a sick, pregnant man with us that needs to be cooled down and given water and food before he gets even sicker?" Glenn leaned his head down against Merle's shoulder, a small whine escaping his throat. Rick looked around at all the others, daring them to say something against him. When no one spoke up, Rick handed each person a jacket to cover themselves with.
Once everyone was suited up, Morales, Rick, and Andrea ran out into the back alley where Rick had been lead inside, grabbing one of the walkers by the arms and dragging him quickly inside. Rick grabbed a crowbar from off the floor and a mask to cover his face with, using the metal to break open a box containing an axe he could easily use to get the job done. Dropping the crowbar down beside him, Rick held the axe tightly in his hands, spinning it around before lifting it up behind him. Rick took quick notice of Glenn's quickly paling face, he hands shaking as Merle held him back from what Rick was about to do. Rick breathed in deeply, his hands shooting down to slice into the walker's body. Then, he couldn't finish.
Rick walked away in frustration, ripping the mask off and walking back over to the body lying before him. Rick fished around in the man's pockets, pulling out his wallet and looking for the man's ID card.
"Wayne Dunlap." He said, looking up at the rest of the people in his group. "Georgia license. Born, 1979." Rick handed the ID card to Morales first, the man taking a quick look at it before passing it along to Andrea. The card made it's way around the group, Glenn taking the longest to look at it. "He had 28 dollars in his pocket when he died. And a picture of a pretty girl." Rick flipped the photo over, reading what was signed on the back. "With love, Rachel. He used to be like us. Worryin' about bills, or the rent. The Superbowl. If I ever find my family I'm gonna tell 'em about Wayne." Rick gathered all of the items back together, placing them back into the man's pocket before gathering up his dropped mask and axe again.
"One more thing." Glenn said, looking around at the rest of the group. "He's an organ donor." With that, Rick drew the axe down, cutting into the man with as much force as he could allow himself. The entire group let out a collective gasp, flinching and covering their eyes as Rick cut into the man they had just learned so little about. Just as Rick cut the man's arm off, pulling it away from his body, Glenn felt himself falling from Merle's grip. The older man tried desperately to keep a hold on him, but he lost his grip and Glenn went crashing to the floor. Rick tried not to stop, knowing that if he even stopped to make sure Glenn was alright it would just take longer to get through the process.
"Glenn, brother, you alright?" He heard Merle ask, the older man bent over Glenn's now overly shaking form. With one last strike, Rick removed his mask, handing it over to Morales.
"Keep chopping." Rick said, and with a grimace, Morales did what he was told. Rick removed the jacket from around his frame, tossing it against the far wall and coming to stand beside Glenn and Merle.
"C'mon, baby, it's alright. Come back ta me." Merle kept saying, Glenn's eyes screwed shut as his body shook. "Goin' crazy, don't think he can handle this much stress right now." Merle said to Rick as the man placed his hand gently over Glenn's head.
"Coulda been me. Or Daryl." Glenn said as he shook, Merle sighing as he continued to rub his hand up and down the man's back. The smell of death was getting to be overwhelming, and with a sickened sigh Merle watched as Glenn began to heave again, stomach acid spilling over his lips as he threw up. They needed to get back to camp, and they needed to do it now. Merle vaguely remembered one of the ladies having a portable ultrasound thingy that hooked up to cell phones. He hoped that the thing still worked, after all, there were still plenty of uses for medical supplies. He knew it had been part of the quite large first aid kid they'd stocked up back in camp.
"It's alright, brother, everything's alright." Merle said.
"Rick," Morales said, motioning for him to join. Rick rubbed his hand over Glenn's hair one last time before getting up to join the others, throwing his jacket back on over his own clothes.
"Now remember, don't get any on your skin, or in your eyes." Rick said, breathing in deeply. The others all nodded, digging their hands into the man's abdomen and pulling out different amounts of blood and guts. They gathered it all in their hands, walking over to slather it onto Rick and Morales's jackets, smothering them until the could be mistaken for one of the dead themselves. Rick could hear the sound of Glenn groaning still, his heart breaking for the young man in front of them.
"Glenn, everything's alright. Just think of puppies and kittens." Rick said, most likely unhelpfully.
"Dead puppies and kittens." T-Dog added, even more unhelpfully. Glenn bended back over again, vomiting up more acid to add to the ever growing pile below him.
"That is just evil. What is wrong with you?" Andrea asked, wanting nothing more than to comfort the Asian boy shaking on the floor.
"Next time let the cracker beat his ass." Jackie said to Rick, causing a small chuckle to erupt from Merle's general direction. Glenn cried out again as he wrapped his arms around his stomach, tears falling down his face.
"It hurts." Glenn cried, Merle looking up pleadingly at the other group members.
"Do we smell like them?" Rick asked. Andrea nodded her head.
"Oh yeah." She responded. "Morales, just in case." Andrea handed her gun over to the other man, the older smiling back at her in thanks.
"If we make it back be ready." Rick said, nodding toward the members of the group staying back in the store. "Give me the axe, we need more guts." Rick said, taking another hit at the man below him.
Once Morales and Rick made their way into the alley, Andrea shut the door behind her, making her way quickly back into the main room where all the others were now sat around Glenn.
"Come on, upstairs!" She shouted, Merle lifting Glenn swiftly into his arms as they all booked it up the stairs. Merle made sure to apologize for his rough handling, but it was necessary. The group ran out onto the roof, T-Dog in the front as he ran out in front of all the others.
"T-Dog, try that CB." Andrea said, running to see over the edge of the roof. Everyone followed her save for Merle and Glenn, the two sat against the steps leading up to the grate.
"Base camp, this is T-Dog." T-Dog shouted, sitting down where he had once been seated before Rick's idea. "Anybody hear me?" Andrea stood over the roof, eyes buried into Morales's binoculars, trying to spot the two men from up on the roof. "Can anybody out there hear me?"
"There!" Andrea shouted, pointing toward where she spotted Morales and Rick walking slowly amongst the walkers. All their eyes turned up as thunder erupted above them, Merle whooping gratefully as the sound became closer and closer. Glenn was still burning up, and it had been well over an hour since he'd last had even a sip of water. He needed to get cooled down, and he needed it now.
"Base camp, this is T-Dog." T-Dog tried one more time, a shocked gasp escaping his lips as a voice echoed through the other end.
"Hello, hello? Reception's bad on this end. Repeat."
"Shane is that you?" T-Dog asked, catching the attention of the rest of the group. "We're in some deep shit. We're trapped in the department store. There are geeks all over the place, and Glenn isn't doing too good. Kid's got seriously sick."
"T-Dog, repeat that last part. Repeat." T-Dog groaned as he lost the signal again, head thrown back against the wall. He only hoped they at least heard the part about Glenn being sick. If there was anything he could say to get some help out of them, it would be that.
"They ain't gonna help us." Merle said, shaking his head. "Best hope they don' tell my brother his boy's sick. He'll come up here guns blazin' ta get to 'im." Merle chuckled, causing Glenn to smile lightly along with him. He missed Daryl, there was no doubt about it.
"Probably won't even be back 'til tomorrow." Glenn croaked out, Merle nodding his head along with him.
"Knowin' Daryl that sounds 'bout right." T-Dog sighed as he watched the two communicate with each other. It was so easy for Merle to be less of an asshole when Glenn was involved, but when it was the rest of the group? Better not turn a side eye at him. He understood that Glenn was carrying his nephew, but that was hardly a reason to do such a 720 when it came to his moods. T-Dog didn't know how long Glenn and Daryl had been married before shit hit the fan, never cared to ask. Daryl and Merle had been less than kind to him, and Glenn had hardly said a word other than good morning since they'd arrived. Though, the kid had never been rude to him. His good mornings always ended with a large smile as he made his way to speak to Dale. Maybe the kid just had a way with people.
It wasn't long after that the rain started falling, Merle immediately working to allow the water to soak Glenn's clothes in a desperate attempt to cool the younger man down. Unfortunately for the others, they weren't so excited that the rain had begun to fall. With the rain, came the storm. The storm being the smell on those coats washing off along with the blood and guts they'd worked so hard torturing his brother in law with.
The others watched as suddenly both Rick and Morales took to attacking the walkers surrounding them, knowing that smell was washing off all too quickly.
"Come on, come on, come on." Andrea said, her fingers crossed as they ran full speed from the walkers behind them. Rick and Morales pulled themselves quickly over the fence, dropping to the ground and ripping the bloodied coats off as the began to run toward the truck. Rick turned back to fire a few round at the walkers now pressed against the gate, Morales instead going to find the key that went to the truck they intended to use.
"Rick!" Morales shouted, tossing him the key to the car. Rick caught it easily, ignoring the rest of the walkers attempting to climb over the gate in favor of following Morales back to the truck. One of the walkers easily maneuvered its way over the gate, Rick picking up his pace as the man fell unceremoniously to the floor. Rick started the car the second they made it into their seats, Morales barely closing his door in time for the walker to make it to him. The walker was gnashing its teeth outside, hitting the pane and groaning as Morales shouted in fright. Rick wasted no time backing away from the walker, the remaining walkers at the gate finally pushing the barrier between them and their food down. Rick continued to back away, running over traffic cones and barrels in the process before driving quickly away.
"They're leaving us." Andrea said confused as she watched the men drive away. "No, no, come back!" They shouted. Merle sighed as he took in his brother in law's face. Better than it had been, far less achy moans, but still not totally 100%. He didn't think a little rain would fix him, after all, in the heat the rain had been quite a high temperature. Too high to help Glenn fully anyway, and he still hadn't drank or eaten properly since the day before. Yeah, Officer Friendly had best hightail it back.
"Those roll-up doors at the front of the store facing the street. Meet us there and be ready." Morales said through his walkie. Andrea's face lit up as she pushed the other's to grab their stuff and get ready to go. The group grabbed their different packs and items, Merle shifting Glenn to his back again as they made to leave the roof of the building. The group ran down the stairs as quick as they could, stopping only for a second to stare wide eyed at the progress the walkers made getting into the building from the last time they had been down the stairs.
"Come on!" Merle shouted, leading them back toward the roll-up doors Morales told them all to meet him at. T-Dog, Jackie, and Andrea grabbed at the chain that would help them pull the door up, their ears perking at the sound of something in the distance.
"What is that?" Andrea asked. The others all shook their shoulders, confused by the noise as well. "Sounds like a car alarm." Not long after the group heard a knock on the door signaling for them to open it, the group working together to pull open the door until it was fully opened. The group threw the supplies into the bed of the truck, Rick assisting Merle in getting Glenn inside the vehicle before the others joined as well, all shouting and frantic for them to get on their way. Rick started driving the second everyone was accounted for, T-Dog jumping up to shut the back door before the walkers that had broken through the glass caught up to them.
The entire group let out a collective sigh as Rick drove off.
"You're gon' be alright, lil lady. Don't you worry."