DISCLAIMER: I don't own The Walking Dead.
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Only 3 left to go after this one :D
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
"Not bad." Daryl says looking over what they got off of the S.W.A.T. walkers that they killed yesterday. "Flash bangs, CS triple-chasers, not sure how they work on walkers but we'll take them." Rick said setting them down and looks at the rest of the stuff that is set out on one of the tables in the common area.
"I'm not wearing this shit." Daryl said as he picks up a helmet and turning it over and when he does walker slime comes oozing out. Eva chuckles after seeing the look on his face as she loads up another magazine for the run that they will be doing in a few minutes. They will be pushing on into the prison to find the cafeteria and the infirmary today if all goes well.
"We could boil 'em." T says turning over a boot which makes even more slime poor out and on to the floor. "There ain't enough firewood in the whole forest, no. Beside we got this far without 'em right." Daryl said swinging a baton testing its weight.
"Hershel." Carol said when she comes walking into the room and then jerks her head motioning to the cells. Hershel turns and walks into the cell block without saying anything. "Everything alright?" Rick asks her and she just gives him a blank look before answering him. "Yeah, nothing to worry about." She said before walking off following after Hershel.
"Charlie I want you to keep watch outside while we do this run alright." Rick said looking over to the man who is gathering up some spray paint for them. "Yeah, sure no problem." He said handing the spray paint cans over to Glenn and Maggie before grabbing his shot gun and he makes his way outside.
A little while later after making sure everyone has enough rounds, their knifes and flash lights, they all walk into the cell block just as Beth and Mel walk out of the cell that they are using as storage and they bring out several newly cleaned ballistic vests and carry them over to them.
While Maggie, Glenn and T-dog help each other with their vest, Daryl helps Eva with hers and she is trying very hard not to giggle when his hands brush lightly against her very ticklish sides.
"You won't need that." Eva hears Rick say so she looks away from Daryl's smirking face to see that he is talking to Carl. "I need you to stay put." Rick said to him while taking a helmet from him. "You're kidding." Carl said looking at him in disbelief and in slight anger.
"We don't know what's in there. Something goes wrong, you could be one of the last men standing." Rick tells him and when I hear him say that I pull Daryl closer. "I need you to handle things here with Hershel to watch all of them." Rick said motioning to all the kids, Carol, Lori and Hershel who will be staying behind.
Carl just nods his head and simply says 'sure' and Rick nods back and hands him the keys before turning around. "Great, let's go." Rick said he said and everyone that is going starts filing in line after Daryl and they make their way to the door by the guard tower stairs to start their journey to explore the rest of the prison.
They follow after Rick around every corner going deeper and deeper into the very dark and bloody halls of the prison all the while having Glenn mark arrows back to the cellblock so they don't get lost in the maze like halls.
After walking around another corner they come upon several corpses all ate up to their bones. While Rick starts to move down to another corner Eva and T-dog stab each walker they pass with their rebar poles just to make sure, can't be too careful.
After several empty hallways, all of a sudden there is a thump sound and when Rick and Daryl start to go around the corner several walker prisoners start spilling out from around the corner and Rick and Daryl push back against them and Rick hush yells to 'go back'. So they all start running back the way they came following the arrows to get back to the cell block.
When Maggie goes to run around one of the corners Glenn grabs her arm and jerks her back out of the way of a walker's bloody fingers. With their way back blocked they all turn around to try to find another way there or at least a way outside.
Eva following after T-dog with Maggie and Glenn behind her, starts to run pass a T junction to follow the others when another group of walkers pour out blocking her way and Maggie grabs her vest and Glenn opens a storage closet door and tells them to get in, so they all pile into the walk in closet.
While Glenn makes sure the walkers that are banging on the door can't get in Eva shines her light around the room making sure that they are alone. Eva walks around all the shelves making sure that there are no walkers hiding and when she finds that they are alone she starts looking at what is on the shelves and they will have to come back here. You never know how much toilet paper means to you until you run out on it for months.
When she makes her way back to Glenn and Maggie she notices that there is no longer any banging on the other side. "When we leave the room, mark the door. This room is filled with toilet paper and cleaning supplies." She whispers to them and they both give her small smiles back, both happy to hear that.
After a minute Glenn opens the door and sees that the hallway is empty and before they leave Glenn sprays a large X on the door in white paint so they can find it later.
While they each whisper yell calling for Rick, T-dog and Daryl they finally hear an echo of Glenn's name. So they pick up their pace running towards the sound when all of a sudden they hear a thud and then yelling so they start running and they turn a corner to see the others.
"Oh god, I think it's broken!" T-dog yells quietly trying not to make too much noise while clutching his leg and knee. But when walkers start coming around the corner, the way Rick and them came from, Rick and Glenn lift him up and start helping him run, as they half carry him, following after Eva and Maggie, while Daryl watches their back from the walkers that are following them like starving sharks.
Maggie and Eva come upon a dead end with two doors chained up with a pair of hand cuffs, Eva uses her rebar pole and breaks it open and she quickly scans the empty cafeteria and lets the others in and when everyone is in she and Maggie slam the doors closed and she slides the pole into the door handles to lock out the walkers on the other side.
Eva then switches places with Glenn so he and Maggie can block the door so she can check on T-dogs leg. She takes off the bag off of her shoulders and grabs the small med kit out before taking her pocket knife out and she slices open his pants open from his lower leg to his thigh so she can see the damage.
Rick holds the flash light for her as she start going through everything Hershel has been teaching her. "Ok I don't think it's broken but it is dislocated and I can't do that, I don't want to further damage his leg, we need to get him back to Hershel." She says to Rick and Daryl as she wraps his leg up with bandage wrap with t-dogs rebar pole to keep his leg straight until they get him back to Hershel.
"Duck." Daryl whispers before siting up on his knees with his crossbow pointing to something behind them and Eva and Rick both whirl around with Rick having his gun out.
"Holy shit!"
Eva looks shocked as she stares at five very alive prisoners who are staring back at them before looking away to finish wrapping up T-dogs leg, Rick and Daryl can handle it. "Who the hell are you?" Daryl asks as he stands up and moves to stands to front of her and T-dog while Rick stands up.
"Who the hell are you?" One of the prisoners asks back. "Why don't you come out of there, slow and steady." Daryl says back as the prisons start filing out of the back room one by one.
"Rick we need to hurry the longer it's dislocated it will swell and cause more damage we need to go." Eva yells up to Rick before watching Glenn move passed Rick and Daryl and the prisoners and she watches as he dumps stuff of a serving cart and he rolls it out and over to her and T-dog.
"Who the hell are you people anyway?" The Mexican one asks and for the first time she notices that he is pointing a gun at them. "Don't look like a rescue team." The white prisoner said while Daryl and Glenn help T-dog up onto the cart so they can move him faster.
"If a rescue team is what you are waiting for, don't." Rick said to them as Eva packs up the med kit before standing and she hands it over to T-dog so he can hold onto it because she and Maggie will have to kill the walkers at the door while Glenn and Daryl push T-dog, so Rick can watch the prisoners.
"Are you crazy don't open that!" One of the prisoners yells but Eva and Maggie just ignore him and Eva pulls the rebar out from the door handles and they back up a few steps and then two walkers bust in.
Maggie using T-dogs riot shield slams a walker with riot gear up against the wall before slamming her knife under his helmet. While Eva hits the other walker over the head with the rebar pole like it's a baseball bat and Maggie turns around from killing her walker to see Eva's walker fall behind her and she stomps on its head breaking its skull easily.
And they all make their way out of the cafeteria with Maggie and Eva leading them back so they can get back to the others, with them only having problems with three other walkers.
After a few hallways Maggie finds one of their arrows so they start to follow it when all of a sudden Rick tells them to stop. When they do they hear one of the prisoners telling the others to follow the flash lights, before Rick tells them to go, so they start to hurry.
When they reach the door that leads to the cellblock Daryl lets go of the cart and he runs up to the door and he pulls out the keys to unlock it.
After he opens the door they push T-dog in and while Daryl and Rick stay back for the prisoners to reach them Eva, Maggie and Glenn finish pushing T-dog into the cell block after Carl opens the door for them.
"Lock it behind us!" Glenn says to Carl as they push the cart in and over to the second cell and Glenn and Eva helps T-dog hop off of the cart and onto the bed.
"Glenn go and help Daryl and Rick and Beth go and grab the red med bag from under my bed. Kailee take the boys and Sophia and stay in your cell, Mel go and grab a belt and some water from the supplies." Eva tells them as she and Hershel starts unwrapping T-dogs leg and they all leave to do what she asked.
"What is going on?" Lori asks her from her place by the door as she, Carol and Maggie watch her and Hershel help with T-dog's leg.
"We got separated and he fell and dislocated his knee and we were being chased by walkers, we went down a hallway and found the cafeteria where we found prisoners, alive prisoners." Maggie tells them and they all get quiet and over the sound of T-dogs grunts of pain they can hear Rick, Daryl and Glenn arguing with the prisoners.
After Beth and Mel get back with the supplies Eva asked for and after giving T-dog some pain meds, Eva holds the leather belt up to his mouth and he gives her a sad look before opening his mouth and biting down on the belt.
Eva moves past Hershel and stands next to Maggie as they hold down his legs and after every one is in position and after T-dog grabs a hold of the bed frame, Hershel tells him he will do it on five.
"One... two... three... crack!" Hershel counted down before shoving T-dogs knee cap back into place. They all stand there for a moment letting T-dog catch his breath.
"Man you said on five... what happened to five?" T-dog asks after spitting out the belt. "I couldn't do it with you tensing up any more with the swelling the way it is." Hershel replies as he probes around the area making sure that was all that was wrong with it.
After finishing his inspection, Eva holds his leg up lightly for Hershel to wrap up his knee easier and when he is finished he places a pillow under his knee and another under his foot, to keep his leg propped up.
"Try and get some rest ok. I'll come and check on your leg in a few hours to check on the swelling, until then keep it elevated." Hershel tells him before leaving the room with the others leaving Eva in the room alone with him.
"Here's some water and a couple granola bars in case you get hungry." She tells him quietly seeing as the pain meds are kicking in as she places the water and granola bars on a chair that she places right by his bed.
She pats his arm lightly before grabbing the med bag and the belt before leaving the room. She stuffs the belt into one of the bags in the storage cell before taking the med bag to her room and she shoves it under her bed before going to Kailee's and Mel's room and she takes Warren from Kailee's arms.
She sits down in one of the chairs and starts rocking him back and forth and she starts humming, making up the song as she goes. After getting him and Hayden to calm down she hands Warren back to Kailee after kissing both him, Hayden and Sophia on their foreheads before leaving the room.
She walks down the cell block checking in with everyone along the way before walking over to Maggie and Carl who are both standing by the door that leads to the common area.
"What happened?" She asks them and Maggie sighs before turning to her. "They took the prisoners outside." Maggie tells her before crossing her arms as she leans back against the wall and Eva nods her head before leaning against the wall next to Maggie as they wait for them to come back in.
When they finally do come back in, Glenn jogs over to the door and tells them that the prisoners are going to give us half of their food for his, Daryl and Rick's help clearing another cell block for them.
He kisses Maggie through the bars before running over to the others and they all leave. When the door closes behind them Carl unlocks the door for Charlie and locks it behind him. Eva shakes her head and pushes off of the wall and she walks back to spend some time with her kids.
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"This is what you call a little bit of food." Daryl asks shinning his light in Tomas's face after getting a look at all the food in the storage.
"It goes fast." He replies and Darryl can't help but scoff, this food can last their group for well over a month and without skipping any meals like they have been so that the kids and Lori can eat.
"Well you can have a bag of corn some tuna fish..." Tomas starts saying but Rick cuts him off. "We said half, that's the deal. What's in there?" Rick asks as he points to a meat freezer and one of the prisoners tells him not to open it.
Darryl was about to warn him but Rick beats him to it and after he opens the door a horrible smell spills out and Darryl can't help but to cover his nose with the back of his hand.
After dividing up the food, the guys start carrying boxes back to the cell block, Rick only carrying something small so he can reach his gun faster, for the walkers and the prisoners if need be.
After setting down his two heavy boxes in the storage cell Daryl walks over to Eva's room and he stands in the doorway and he watches her as she rocks Warren back and forth trying to sooth him seeing as how his teething started a while ago.
"Hey." She whispers when she finally notices him standing in her doorway. "Hey, I just wanted to check on you before we left to go clear them a cell block." He tells her trying not to stumble over his words as he watches her bend over to place a now sleeping Warren on the bed, man he loves those jeans on her.
"Just be careful ok." She says as she walks over the small distance to him before standing up on her toes, bringing her soft lips to his. He smothers a moan that threatens to leak when her hand tugs the hair on back of his head to pull him closer to her, he loves when she does that.
They both part quickly when they hear someone clearing their throat behind him. He turns and glares at Glenn but Glenn tells them that Rick is ready to go before saying sorry and walking off.
He sighs before looking back down to her not liking the sad look in her eyes. "I'll be right back and maybe we can finish the conversation we were just having." He says giving her a small smile not able to resist when a huge smile graces her face as she laughs.
"Oh... I'll be very happy... to have this talk again... and again...and again..." She said as she kisses up his neck up to his lips where she bites his bottom lip lightly before pulling away and patting him on his cheek.
"You better go Rick is waiting for you." She says with a coy smile on her face. "You will pay for that when I get back." He said before turning and leaving the room, man she drives him crazy sometimes.
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Needing something to do to distract herself from worrying over Daryl, Rick and Glenn, Eva brings Hayden over to Beth and Sophia's room so Sophia and him can play before walking over to Carol and Lori's room.
While waiting for the men to get back they talk about many things while Lori and Carol sew up ripped clothes as Eva takes apart two guns to thoroughly clean them.
After putting the guns back together and after finishing sewing up one of T-dogs shirts, Eva hears Warren crying from her room and after handing the shirt over to Carol, she gets up and walks back to her room. She lays down on her bed facing him and she starts to softly sing to him the lullaby while playing gently with his ear.
After getting him back to sleep she gets up and after asking Mel, Kailee and Beth to keep an ear out for him before making her way to the common area.
After making sure Carl closes the door behind her she walks over to the door and makes her way outside to see how Charlie is. "The guys back yet?" He asks after he sees her walking out of the door which she leaves open so she can hear if the others get back. "No not yet." She says while handing him a water bottle which he thanks her for.
"Has Rick told you how we are going to get rid of the bodies?" Eva asks as she peers through the grated fence at the bodies lying scattered around the courtyard and field.
"Yeah he wants to pile them up and burn them, get it done all at once and he agrees with your idea about the field not being safe to plant crops. So after everything with the prisoners settles, he wants to make a run into town so we can start building the boxes for the crops to hopefully get some before winter." Charlie tells her and she just nods already making a check list of supplies they will need.
After a few minutes of silence watching walkers mindlessly try to get through the outer fence, they hear the door leading to the prison open and she and Charlie both make their way into the common area with Charlie closing the door after them.
Eva sighs with relief when she sees that they are all fine. She walks down the steps taking note of the dark look on Rick's face that she hasn't seen since that night after leaving the farm.
She goes to ask but Daryl shakes his head so she closes her mouth and lets Rick walk up the steps as he makes his way out side to the cross walk that goes from this building over to the next.
After Rick shuts the door behind him, Eva and Charlie walk over to Daryl and Glenn and Charlie asks what happened. And so Glenn begins telling them about how one of the prisoners beat another to death when he got scratched, to how the same guy tried to kill Rick by throwing a walker at him, to how Rick killed him, to chasing down another and letting him get eaten by walkers, to the two prisoners that they let live in a hush whisper knowing that everything echo's in the cell block.
After Glenn tells them what happened Charlie leaves to go guard out front again and Glenn starts to walk off to go be with Maggie. "Can you tell Lori that Rick is fine when you pass her?" Eva asks Glenn and he nods before going to the cellblock.
Eva turns back to Daryl and after Glenn shuts the door behind him she walks over to him and hugs him burying her face in his chest not even caring about the walker blood that is getting on her face as she clings to the back of his vest. They were lucky today, very lucky and she knows from experience that luck runs out eventually.
When the cell door opens Eva quickly lets go of Daryl knowing that he still doesn't like any forms of PDA. She tells Lori where Rick is when she sees that it is her that came through the door.
While watching Lori walk up the stairs to go see Rick, Daryl brings his hand up to her cheek which makes her jump a little before relaxing and she stares at his face while he concentrates as he wipes her face trying to get off the walker blood that transferred there from their embrace.
When his eyes meet hers he forgets about the blood and leans down meeting her halfway as they begin to kiss. Eva didn't think that she would ever feel this way again for another man after the nasty divorce from her cheating husband and truth be told she doesn't think she ever loved her ex-husband even close to how she feels for Daryl.
She has finally admitted to herself that she loves him a while ago and she wants to tell him but the moment never seems right or the fact that she is scared he doesn't feel the same.
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Rick looks out over the courtyard and the field thinking over everything that needs to be done. He looks over to the door when he hears it open and he sighs and looks back over to the field.
"We'll start cleaning tomorrow." Rick says to Lori after a moment of silence. "Yeah that will give Carl a safe place to... do whatever he does these days." She says and Rick shakes his head a little.
"For the record, I don't think you're a bad mother." Rick says reminding himself that he needs to try to work it out with her no matter how hard it is to do so.
"Well wife is a different story, for better or worse right? I mean what are we gonna do hire lawyers and get divorced and split our assists?" Lori says and Rick can't help but to smile finding it funny.
"Maybe there's nothing to talk about anymore." Lori says and Rick can hear the sadness in her voice and Rick replays what Eva told him the night before, that she can die and he doesn't want to regret not trying at all to make it right, he still loves her he can't deny that fact.
So he awkwardly places his hand upon her shoulder and when she looks over at him he sighs. "I'm trying Lori, just... I'm trying." He tells her not looking away from her eyes which are starting to tear up.
"That's all I want." She whispers before leaning her head against is hand that is on her shoulder before looking back out to the field.
They stay there for a while just enjoying the silence together, his hand moving from her shoulder to her lower back, rubbing it gently like he did when she was pregnant with Carl.