A/N: So, I was just getting ready to upload a new chapter I FINALLY finished and realized that I had failed to publish this one. So, you will receive two updates today :) Yeah, I know I've been really slack, and I am sorry about that. I won't burden you all with my excuses, just enjoy and please read and review!
There was a lot of work to be done and we got to work early the next morning; bringing in and positioning the cars, burning the corpses, and a security check. It didn't take long for us to shed our jackets, the sun causing sweat to form on our brows. It was warming up again and the feel of the sun on my skin was blissful.
"Hey Rick," T-Dog called, pulling our attention to him. He was looking back at the prison and I saw two figures standing there. The prisoners. We all started walking toward them, Rick leading the way with an angry gait.
"That's close enough," he called to them once we were within a few feet of each other. "We had an agreement."
"Please, mister we know that. We made a deal. But you gotta understand, we can't live in that place another minute. You follow me?" Axel began in that annoying whine he had. Every time he spoke I wanted to plug my ears. Unfortunately, he continued. "All the bodies, people we knew. Blood, brains everywhere. There's ghosts." I don't think the man could speak a full sentence, but I understood. This was their first exposure to this world. I remembered how difficult it was.
"Why don't you move the bodies out?" Daryl asked practically.
"You should be burning them," T-Dog continued.
"We tried. We did," Axel said.
"The fence is down on the far side of the prison. Every time we drag a body out, those things just line up," Oscar said.
"Look, we had nothing to do with Tomas and Andrew. Nothing. You trying to prove a point? You proved it, bro. We'll do whatever it takes to be part of your group. Just please, please, don't make us live in that place." I began to feel bad for them. I honestly believed they weren't a part of the attack on Rick, but what I wondered was what they did to get in here.
"Our deal is not negotiable. You either live in the cell block or you leave," Rick said firmly, deciding for us.
"I told you this was a waste of time," Oscar mumbled. "They a'int no different than the pricks who shot up our boys. You know how many friends' corpses we had to drag out? Just threw them out, like... These were good guys. Good guys who had our backs against the really bad dudes in the joint, like Tomas and Andrew. We've all made mistakes to get in here, chief, and I'm not gonna pretend to be a saint, but believe me, we've paid our due. Enough that we would rather hit that road than go back into that shit hole," he finished with passion.
I definitely understood where they were coming from, there was a time when we were the strangers who needed help. Hershel and his family took us in when they had no reason to trust us. Rick did not concur with my idea, however, and he and Daryl locked the two into the inner set of gates with a box of provisions for the road. We were going to let them go once we finished our tasks. T-Dog asked to speak with all of us and we huddled up a few yards away.
"I think we should let them be part of the group," he said, voicing the thought that I had been forming in my mind.
"Are you serious?" Rick sounded incredulous. "You want them living in a cell next to you? They'll just be waiting for a chance to grab our weapons. You want to go back to sleeping with one eye open?"
"I never stopped. Bring them into the fold. If we send them off packing we might as well execute them ourselves," T continued and I couldn't help but think about how much he sounded like Dale.
"I think he's right. We don't know that they'll try anything; they haven't shown any aggression towards us this far," I spoke up after another moment's consideration. I could tell everyone was shocked, especially Rick.
"I don't know. Axel seems a little unstable," Glenn said with a shrug.
Carol spoke up next. "After all we've been through? We fought so hard for all this, what if they just decide to take it?"
"It's just been us for so long," Maggie continued and I could tell this conversation was pointless. Even if all of us agreed to let them stay, Rick was in charge and would never let them. "They're strangers. I don't...it feels weird all of a sudden to have these other people around."
"You brought us in," T-Dog said, echoing my earlier thoughts about the Greene family taking us in when we needed help.
"Yeah, but you showed up with a shot boy in your arms. Didn't give us a choice."
"They can't even kill walkers," Glenn said.
"This world is new to them," I reminded gently. "We weren't so great at it either when we first started out. Give them time; they'll figure it out."
"They're convicts. Bottom line," Carol pointed out the obvious flaw. They did something to land themselves in prison.
"Those two might actually have less blood on their hands than we do," T reasoned and I couldn't help but glance at Rick at the comment.
"I get guys like this," Daryl spoke up for the first time. "Hell, I grew up with them. They're degenerates, but they a'int psychos. I could have been in there with them just as easy as I'm out here with you guys." I squeezed his arm as he finished.
"So are you with me?" T asked.
"Hell no. Let 'em take their chances on the road just like we did." I couldn't say I was surprised by his opinion, maybe a little disappointed, but not surprised.
"What I'm saying, Daryl..." T started but Rick interrupted him.
"When I was a rookie, I arrested this kid. Nineteen years old, wanted for stabbing his girlfriend," I had heard this story a hundred times from Shane, I knew where he was going with this. "The kid blubbered like a baby during the interrogation, during the trial, suckered the jury. He was acquitted due to insufficient evidence and then, two weeks later, shot another girl. We've been through too much. Our deal with them stands." That was the end of the conversation and we all knew it; no one argued with Rick anymore.