12

A couple of days passed before Hershel could stand up by himself. He first sat on the bed, and Lori almost jumped out of her skin when the old man tried to stand up without any help, Glenn who entered the cell quickly was the one that explained to Hershel the amount of rest he needed if he wanted to walk again. The thing is, we had to find some crutches so he could walk properly. Gladly there was a pair in a locker inside the infirmary.

After waking up and having a little breakfast I took my shotgun and headed to the yard. We were supposed to be parking the cars in places that couldn't be spotted so easily from outside the prison. At least I had that in mind. When I reached the exterior and the sunlight hit my skin I felt a little the morning energy coming back to me. To my surprise my Jeep was moving getting closer to me. Carol jumped out the white car and looked at me smiling.

- Effy gave me the keys; we wanted to let you sleep more. — She explained handing me the keys. I took them and nodded.

- It's fine ma'am — Carol turned his head and I looked forward when I heard the unmistakable sound of the motorcycle, Daryl was entering this side of the yard, looking good as always when he drove the short path and parked a couple yards from us. I needed to be honest with me, the man wasn't a magazine supermodel but he had this ocean blue eyes that gazed at everything with annoyance, his hair had grown, and not to mention that rude attitude he had all the time and besides he managed to make me feel nervous sometimes. I think it was because I spent too much time on runs and in the back of the bike with him when we were on the roads that it gave me enough time to realize the good hearted person he was behind all the leather and smoke.

I didn't know I was grinning until Carol lightly poked me in the ribs.

- Is okay, he won't notice you're staring, Daryl can track a deer for miles but he can't realize a girl's into him.

- I'm not into him — I snorted — I was just... You know, just looking — I retorted looking at the other side. Carol chuckled and squeezed my shoulder before walking away.

I sighed, I wasn't into him. No.

Anyway, there was this little trouble with the two inmates. They didn't want to spend another day in those cell blocks full of corpses. Rick told the inmates that they could leave if they wanted to. I was making my way to the fences helping with the cleaning of the yard and carrying the remaining walkers to a spot where we will burn them.

I was sweating for the sun and the work. With my hand shadowing a little the brightness off my eyes. Good I was smart enough to wear a tank top and jeans that morning brushed my hair into a ponytail or I would faint for the heat. Swiping the sweat of my forehead I walked near the fence where the group had stopped and was talking. Or most like I noticed, they were having an argument. Maggie was the one talking when I approached them, Rick was serious glancing at all them while they discussed.

- They're strangers — Maggie seemed to be answering back — It feels weird all of a sudden to have these other people around.

- You brought us in — Said T-Dog looking at Maggie.

- I know, but you turned up with a shot boy in your arms — She replied —Didn't give us a choice. — Glenn stepped by her side.

- They can't even kill walkers — Glenn mentioned.

- They're convicts, bottom line. I don't want them near to the girls. — Explained Carol with a frown.

- Neither do I, what if they attack us? — I said grabbing the belt of my weapon.

- Those two might actually have less blood on their hands than we do — T-Dog answered back.

- I get guys like this — Daryl said all of a sudden — Hell, I grew up with 'em. They're degenerates, but they ain't psychos. I could have been with' em just as easy as I'm out here with ya guys.

- So are you with me?

- Hell, nah! — Daryl said to T-Dog, he leaned forward with his crossbow on his back — Let 'em take their chances out on the road, just like we did.

I really had to contain my own laughter to burst from me when he said that. We knew how bad it was being out there surviving and fighting the undead, but they were right we couldn't take any chances with those two inmates. I had this bad deja-vu feeling inside me, we had lived this same situation back at the farm with the guy they brought back from the town and it didn't end up well. I tried to put those thoughts aside in my mind, nothing bad was going to happen this time. I mean this time was different, right? It couldn't happen. Rick explained to us how he didn't trust them and his words were firm. They would not be able to stay with us, not in the same cell block. And that was it.

After a couple of hours we finished cleaning the yards. I was parking the Jeep close to the block doors, I've had forgotten a little how it felt to drive a car and not being just the passenger. Rick, Glenn and Daryl were picking up the wood to burn the corpses and I saw that Hershel was walking out the cell block to the yard with Beth by his side, Lori, Sophia, Effy and Carl were stepping out the doors too. Effy and Sophia walked to me and my sister gave me one of the bottles of water she had in her hands.

- Thanks, give me that — I took the rest of the bottles and looked back at the guys. Glenn was shouting something at Hershel and I couldn't help but chuckled. — How do you feel step-dad?

- Better than ever, dear — Hershel replied with a small smile. I nodded mumbling a short "okay" and I turned back and carried the water to give it to the men.

And then I heard it.

Dropping the bottles I turned around aiming my gun at the walkers entering the prison grounds and I started shooting at them. Carl was shooting a few feet away from me and I barely saw Hershel and Beth getting inside the cell block again. I moved and motioned to Effy and Sophia while I shot to the undead. When they were safe inside with Hershel and Beth I felt the horrid growl of a walker in my back. A feminine scream sounded from the cell fence when I quickly turned in my feet and stabbed the walker in the head with the barrel of my gun. I closed one of the gates and that was when I noticed that the locks and chains were broken.

- Someone broke the chains! — I informed. Glenn shouted back that the other gate's chains were cut off too. The yard was almost cleared, and I was already heavy breathing. I looked around finding only Rick, Glenn and Daryl walking towards Axel and Oscar. Both inmates threw their hands up and we all aimed our weapons at them. The inmates were already trying to explain themselves to us.

An alarm began to ring all over the prison catching the attention of the remaining walkers outside.

- Oh you've got to be kidding me. — I heard Daryl's voice beside me.

- What the hell is that?! — I yelled looking at them.

- How do you turn those on?! — Rick asked glaring at the two inmates.

- The alarms are connected to a diesel tank, okay? — one of them explained. —The hacks shut 'em all off when the prison was overrun — We all looked at him with doubt, how do we know this men are telling the truth?

- Come with us! — Rick ordered walking to one of the prison entries.

We entered the prison tombs looking for the generators room but still calling at the others that were missing. We had to get rid of the walkers that entered this side on the prison moments before while looking and calling for Lori, Maggie, and Carl. Rick lead the way running and killing the walkers through the infinity corridors of the building, in a corner he stopped all of a sudden and glances at us. I could see he was frustrated, the sound of the alarms was constant and pounding in our ears like a drum.

- Somebody is playing games! We'll split up and look for the others. — He said loading his gun again. — Whoever gets to the generators first, shut 'em down!

Daryl ran behind him with Oscar following. Glenn and I looked at each other for a brief second before we started running again. We split in a double hallway exchanging a few words about finding each other outside. I was turning in a corner when I heard the noise of a machine and I stepped with caution at first glancing at the corridor, dust was floating in the air and I looked down noticing footprints on the floor. Rick's voice echoed from inside the open door and I knew they had found the generators. Relief filled me when the alarm stopped finally, until I heard someone yelling. I walked rapidly looking inside the room. Rick was fighting with an inmate I left for dead and the guy had a machete menacingly swinging the knife at the sheriff. The guy shouted something about shooting at Rick, and get the prison back. Daryl was aiming his crossbow at the erratic man whose Rick was still fighting, the inmate all of a sudden aimed a handgun at Daryl.

I saw red.

My heart stopped in my chest for a millisecond, and I thought how no one there had noticed my presence. I think is crazy how all your life can't matter when you see someone you care for being threatened in front on you. It was more instinct than another thing. I felt the blood boiling in my veins when I aimed my shotgun at the inmate's head. I pulled the trigger and felt the gunshot's sound trembling in my bones.

I didn't even see when the dead guy fell to the floor. My feet got me to Daryl before I could breathe again. He was looking at me, something like worry shinning in his eyes.

- You okay? — I breathed out asking him. Daryl nodded without saying a word, and quickly looked back at Rick.

- We need to go back — Rick informed and we all stepped outside.

Everything was a mess. T-Dog was dead; Lori, Carol, Maggie and Carl still remained lost somewhere inside the prison. Rick was panicking telling us we needed to go back inside and look for them. Sophia and the others had stepped out the cell blocks. The girl was grabbing Effy by the arm and was whimpering and sobbing for her mom. I was loading my shotgun crouched on the floor when a baby cry was heard in the yard. I stood up slowly taking at the view in front of me; Maggie was there, she was safe and walking towards us with a baby in her bloodied arms. Carl came walking after her his eyes on the floor. The sheriff walked to them frantically asking about Lori, but I already knew it.

- Rick no! — Maggie tried to stop him from coming inside the tombs again.

- No... — He cried — No, no, no!

Rick was devastated, he fell on his back sobbing and crying uncontrollably. In a moment he stopped, standing up he grabbed an axe and walked furious getting inside the prison again. No one attempted to stop him this time. Glenn tried to comfort Maggie while Hershel checked the baby. I didn't pay much attention of what was happening or what they were saying, a headache was drumming in my temples and I tried to pull myself together. For me, all around stopped for a second, how could something good turn out in the most unfortunate way?

I didn't know I was tearing until someone grabbed at my arm. I turned glancing at Daryl's chest in from of me, looking up he gave me a little squeeze glancing directly at my eyes.

- Ain't no time for cryin' — He mumbled wiping a tear from my cheek with a rough thumb — You keep this place in order while we're out lookin' for formula. Okay?

It surprised me that he was even talking to me, trying to comfort me in his own way, I think in the only way he knew or could. I nodded and wiped the remained tears from my eyes. He let go of my arm and nodded back before walking to the gate.

The baby was a girl, she seemed healthy but hadn't stopped crying. Beth was carrying her, trying to calm the little creature while we waited for Maggie and Daryl to come back with the formula. So I checked on the kids, Carl and Sophia were sit together and Effy was there with them giving to the two younger ones a little word of hope and courage. I walked passing the common area and got in my cell, I changed my dirty clothes and washed my face a little with a wet rag. I slipped into a clean pair of jeans and my black Jack Daniel's t-shirt.

Looking for a little of fresh air to clear my thoughts I walked out the blocks to the prison grounds. I felt the grass under my boots and the cool air shivering in my skin. Glenn was digging a few feet away, I noticed Hershel was there too talking to him. I approached them quickly and Glenn noticed me first giving me a small sad smile.

- How's everything inside? — Glenn asked me.

- Beth's taking care of the baby, Effy is watching over the kids, Rick... must be still in the tombs.

- A third of our group in one day — He said still digging in the ground.

- 'Cause of one asshole. — Hershel exclaimed, with disdain. Glenn stopped and looked at us.

- Part of me wishes that we killed all the prisoners on sight — Glenn confessed.

- He's dead now — The old man muttered — You were there when they killed that inmate, right Mary?

- Yes — I said almost in a whisper — But they did not kill him.

Glenn threw the shovel to the ground and glanced at me.

- You mean that prick's still alive? — He nearly yelled, rage burning his black eyes. I knew I tried to suppress the thought in my mind, but I couldn't. It was still there and I had to speak it out loud.

- No, he's not alive — I paused — Because I killed him myself.

So, new chapter here ;)