Chapter 5: Favors

They had stayed at the prison for a couple of weeks and everything was probably the best it had been since the apocalypse began. Lori was showing and she regularly got advice from Herschel and Brooke gave her some peppermint tea to smooth the symptoms of the pregnancy. She was almost six months along and the baby was healthy from what the doctors could tell. Brooke was in the kitchen of the cafeteria one morning making French toast for everyone. She was almost done and she felt a kiss on neck.

"Mornin'." Daryl greeted and she turned around.

"Morning." She replied and gave him another kiss.

"So, last night was fun." He smirked and she laughed.

"Yes, yes it was." She smiled and he gave her another kiss. She grabbed the walkie-talkie. "Breakfast is ready!" she announced. Everyone filed in and Daryl served Rudy some of the dog food that Brooke found in that silver Hummer a long time ago. Everyone ate their French toast and thanked Brooke for cooking. The day went on as usual for just a little while. They were all hanging out in cell block C when Glenn looked down from the binoculars.

"Rick!" he called and Rick came running. "There are three cars coming!" Rick grabbed a gun, Daryl grabbed his crossbow, and T-Dog grabbed a gun as well. Brooke grabbed her bow and arrow.

"Sit this one out." Daryl said. "We don't know what they want but I'm not chancin' that they won't be very nice to the women." Brooke sighed and put down her weapons. She gave him a worried kiss.

"Be careful then." She said and the trio walked out. Brooke climbed up next to Glenn and they took turns with the binoculars. She saw a taller man with dirty blonde hair, blue eyes, and some stubble. She could see the man and Rick getting into a heated discussion. The other group got back into their military style trucks and the trio walked back into the prison. "What was that all about?" she asked and everyone gathered around.

"He calls himself the Governor. Apparently there's this little town, the last town on Earth as he calls it, named Woodbury. He said that this is his land." Rick explained.

"Well what did you tell him?" Lori asked.

"I told him we fought for this place. We spilt blood." He said. "He told us to watch our backs, you never know what's comin' and then he left."

"So that means he's planning on attacking us." Brooke concluded.

"More than likely." Rick sighed.

"We can't go back to the farm yet." Herschel said. "It's too early."

"Well, then what do we do?" Carol asked.

"We stay and stand our ground." Daryl said. "Rick's right. We fought for this place and we need it." Everyone had some sense of worry in their bodies. After a few hours it was close to being evening. Lori had felt sick again and Brooke went out in the woods to try and find some herbs, or something to help her out. Daryl wasn't exactly thrilled by the idea of her going out but she said she would bring Rudy with her. They had walked around for a little while when Rudy started growling. Brooke ducked down in the long grass to see the three cars near the woods.

"I swear I saw some people back here." An Asian man said. Brooke gasped and she started to move back. Rudy kept growling and crept towards the group.

"Rudy no!" she whispered but the dog kept going forward. She tried to grab his tail but it was too late. Rudy had his teeth barred and was snarling. The group noticed him and the Governor came out of one of the cars. He cocked his gun and Rudy lunged towards him. BLAM! Rudy fell to the ground lifeless. She sprang up and ran away from the prison. There was no way they were going to do that to the group.

"I jus' saw somethin'!" a man with a familiar voice announced.

"Well go after it!" the Governor ordered. She heard boots trumping behind her and she ran faster. She jumped up into a tree and drew her bow. The man that was chasing her stopped at an angle so she could just see his face.

"Merle?" she whispered.

"Where are ya?" he asked. "Don't worry, ol' Merle won't hurt ya!" he had a steel cast around his stump where he had cut off his hand. She had an idea that would either save her or kill her. She jumped out of the tree and Merle threw her to the ground. He lifted his steel arms but stopped. "Brooke?" he asked in disbelief.

"Hello Merle." She greeted with a smile. "So are you going to kill me?"

"No." he said but still kept her to the ground.

"Good because I'm calling in that favor." She said.

"What do you want?" he asked.

"Do you need a doctor at Woodbury?" she asked.

"We're in desperate need of a doctor like you. You know, the kind of work you do." He confessed.

"Take me to Woodbury with you." She said.

"Why should I, sugar-tits?" he asked.

"Because you owe me one and I have a plan that will keep you, me, and Daryl safe." She said.

"You found Daryl?" he asked and she nodded. He lifted her up.

"Now just present me to the group as you usually would but tell them I'm a doctor." She said and he nodded.

"What?" he asked. Ever since Meemaw died, Merle acted differently with Brooke. She had helped him out so much and he decided to be a little more polite to her. They had actually become real friends.

"We went back for you, Merle." She said and he looked at her.

"What?"

"We went back for you." She said. "Why didn't you stay where you were? You knew at least Daryl would come back."

"The walkers were reachin' at me and somethin' jus' told me to do whatever it took. So I cut off my hand and I ran into Woodbury. They patched me up and the blacksmith came up with this. I was surprised they didn't kill me but when I told them how I survived they decided to keep me around." He explained.

"I will say Dixon, the cast makes you look more badass." She smirked and he chuckled. He grabbed her by her hair after a short moment of walking.

"Play along." He ordered and they walked towards the group. She still saw a lifeless Rudy on the ground. "I found this pretty little thing all alone up in a tree!" he announced and threw Brooke to the ground again. She winced for real. "Apparently she couldn't hang on to the branch she was holdin' on too!" Merle laughed. She looked down on the ground but her chin was lifted up. She stared straight into the eyes of the Governor.

"You did catch a pretty little thing here, Merle." He replied.

"I'm not a thing!" she barked and tore her chin away from his hand.

"She's feisty too!" Merle howled.

"What do y'all think we should do with her?" The Governor asked the group.

"We could use her for just a little bit." A man suggested with a suggestive grin. Brooke's heart stopped at the thought that her idea had already failed.

"I was thinkin' the same at first until she told me she was a doctor." Merle announced and The Governor's ears pricked up. He leaned down and helped Brooke up.

"So you're a doctor?" he asked.

"Yes."

"M.D. or PhD?" he asked.

"M.D." she replied and he nodded with a smirk.

"I'm sorry about Merle over there. If we had known about your profession we would've greeted you properly." He stuck out his hand. "I'm the Governor of Woodbury, the last city on Earth. I would like to ask you if you would be the doctor for the town." Brooke had an unsure look on her face. "You'll have your own building, a microscope, all the materials you will need." He said.

"I would love to become the doctor of Woodbury." She said after some thought.

"May I ask what your name is, miss?" he asked.

"Dr. Brooke Walsh." She replied and he nodded. She got into the same car as the governor and Merle and they left. She took the window seat and they stopped in front of the prison.

"They don't know what's going to hit them." The Governor stated. Brooke saw Daryl in the window with binoculars. She knew he could see her. She slowly shook and mouthed an "Don't. I love you". He could see him nod and they drove away. Her plan was reeling through her head. She had to destroy Woodbury from the inside out.