The group had, oddly enough, taken a small turn for the better. In the midst of Daryl's condition, it only seemed to bring the people within the prison closer. Rick had been successful in the words he had spoken to Nora, keeping to his guns and forcing the group to pull together in their sorrows - even with Merle. The eldest Dixon brother seemed completely content in conversing with Rick about certain things regarding the Governor and keeping with his brother, even through Maggie's daily inspections of him and Carol's occasional visits to bring him food. Glenn and Jose remained clear of the redneck, neither of them wanting to deal with another encounter and angry enough at Rick's decision to keep him around.
For today, Jose remained in the yard with Carl, doing a little bit of a workout to keep himself in shape while Carl participated, counting push-ups along with him. Andrea was bettering her skills in combat with Michonne, preparing herself for any moment where she would be without a gun to save her. Beth was humming a soft tune to herself, tending to baby Judith happily while rocking her to a serene slumber in her arms. Merle remained in the infirmary with his brother, devouring a plate of food that had brought to him earlier.
Nora had secluded herself, same as she had the past few days. The only person who seemed to notice was Carol, who was now folding the recently dried laundry in the cafeteria as Rick approached her with a gentlemanly nod of his head. Carol offered a genuine smile, hopeful and sweet, in his direction.
"Morning." Carol offered, her honeyed tone dripping pleasantly into Rick's ears. The Sheriff offered a grin and moved to help her in the sorting process of her task. "How is he?"
"Same as yesterday. Maggie looked over everything before she went to be with Glenn for a bit." Rick's face dropped almost immediately. "Says he's the same. Non-responsive." Carol emitted a small, worried sigh, choking back any words of grieving and trying to keep the conversation lighthearted.
"He'll be okay." She reassured the Sheriff, placing a calming hand upon his arm to urge him to hold his head up a little higher. Rick offered her a smaller smile in return, taking up a folded shirt and sorting it into Glenn's pile. "I'm more worried about Nora right now, anyway."
Rick tossed her a curious glance. "Why?"
Another sigh fled the honorable woman's mouth before she stopped her folding and turned to him. "It's actually something I was planning on talking to you about. Nora's been a bit dista-"
"Dad!" Carl shouted while he and Jose darted towards them. The Sheriff's son looked dead serious, his face a sick, ghostly pale. "It's the Governor! He's here!" Panic welled in the Sheriff's heart and he tugged Carl instinctively behind him.
"Jose. You 'n Carl round up the others. Lock the main cell door and keep everyone inside if y'can! GO!" Jose didn't need a second telling. He scurried behind Rick to tug on Carl's sleeve and the boy accompanied him to gather the rest of the group. Carol almost spoke up. "Carol, you go with 'em. Make sure Judith is safe." The sweet woman nodded in response, disappearing immediately to tend to Rick's only surviving daughter.
Rage boiled in his blood as he closed his fists and hurried towards the yard of the prison, where Michonne and Andrea stood in preparation to defend. His eyes did not deceive him. There, in the main path, leading up to the prison gates at full speed, was an armored van. It bulldozed through the feeble fences, rendering the group almost completely powerless against the stragglers that remained around the prison gates and eventually skidded to a halt upon the gravel.
An armored guard slipped through the passenger side. Rick readied his hand upon his gun, which was still nestled within the holster. The guard rounded to the rear doors of the van and pulled them open in a hurried manner, eventually taking off with the driver as the walkers poured from the crate and invaded maliciously. While gnashing teeth directed towards Rick and the two equally exposed women, the passenger and driver sped off from the scene, slipping back through the depleted gates and disappearing from sight.
"Son of a bitch!" Rick cursed, turning his head to the two women standing faithfully at his side. They only nodded in his direction. Andrea readied her own gun, which had still been tightly strapped to her hip during her spar with Michonne. The ebony warrior simply readied her sword, disciplined and ready for the battle to ensue. Rick turned back to the horde, then all three formed a line and drove towards the horde. The trio formed a circle, keeping their backs strictly to one another. Rick fired two shots. Two members of the undead horde plopped to the ground. Andrea's aim didn't fail either, taking down three in their tracks. Michonne remained brave with her hilt, ramming through the skulls of two oncoming walkers that threatened them.
"Chica!" Jose shouted as he burst into Nora's cell. The raven-haired Irishwoman tossed a hardened glare at the Mexican boy, who looked panicked. "Gov's attacking! We got a horde closing in. Some stragglers got past the-HEY!" Nora didn't wait for the boy to finish before she reached for her quiver, tossing it around her body. Her lithe hands then doubly drove for her katana and bow, bursting past the Mexican and unintentionally almost knocking him off his feet while shoving him out of the way. Lenora ignored his fumbling and used what little energy she had left to bolt towards the infirmary.
The dead were spilling in on all angles. Even Rick, Andrea and Michonne had been forced to go further towards the zone of the prison. A few walkers had made it past their defenses and ventured into the prison. Rick cursed to himself as they inched closer to where they didn't want to be.
"We gotta lead 'em away from the prison!" He announced. Michonne sliced down another walker with a feminine growl. Andrea continued firing shots, reaching for another clip she kept in her boot, dropping the one she had emptied and reloading swiftly.
"How d'you suggest we do that?" Andrea asked, worry thick in her tone. "We're a little outnumbered here!"
Beth kept her gaze upon the door to her cell, curious as to why she had heard muffled yelling, then complete silence. With baby Judith in her arms, she braved her courage and ventured through the archway of bars and began inspecting.
Merle, on the other hand, was swarmed. Four walkers had been only the beginning before two or three more had joined in. With his feet promptly placed but a few feet away from his beloved brother's bed, he stood in proud defense, stabbing into one walker and dropping him instantly before moving to block an oncoming ghoul with gnashing, rotting teeth. Merle stumbled back, dropping to one knee. He only found an arrow bursting through the skull of the opponent. For a moment, he almost thought it was Daryl. But then the walker slumped to the floor and he was relieved to find the Galway Archer closing in on the scene.
Merle allowed the Irishwoman to pull him to his feet after his shock dissipated. Eventually, Nora tugged a sai from her boot, shoving it at him so he could have a bit more protection. Merle nodded in mute thanks, though the dinky weapon seemed like nothing compared to the one he always had strapped on him. Still, it was better than nothing at this point.
"Not bad fer a Mick." Merle stated, as he once had when Lenora had burst through the dungeon door in Woodbury like some rabid animal. But this time, the words were sincere. The racial comment was almost a term of endearment in his tone. Nora merely tossed him a curt incline of her head, allowing the term to form a complementing shape in her foggy mind. "Still look like hell, though."
And, of course he had to ruin it. Nora glared at the secondary comment instead, sliding her bow towards the side wall of the room and her katana was brandished instead. The sheath struck the floor and her skilled foot kicked it over to lay with her bow. The blade pierced through the skull of another walker before tugging back from the destructive blow and lopping off another's head. Merle leapt into action just as well, slamming a sai skillfully into the brain of another.
Three down. Four more to go.
"Hello? Carol?" Beth's voice echoed while she passed through Cell Block C, a worrisome gaze painted upon her features. For some reason, she received the foreboding feeling that she had been a complete idiot for ferrying a napping newborn into what seemed to be a very possible danger. "Anybody?" Her voice became more meek. The Southern Songbird tossed wild, panicked eyes tossed all throughout the hallways. A sharp intake of breath was initiated when she noted a stray walker appear from around the corner.
She almost screamed when another, ghostly arm reached out and grabbed her arm. However, a very warm, living hand clasped over her mouth before she could make a peep. Jose curled both himself and the blonde girl into the shadows of the stray cell, keeping an arm around her waist so she and the baby would remain close to his chest. Judith stirred. Jose held his breath. However, when she immediately went back to her peaceful slumber, the breath released in mute thanks to a God he'd never prayed to before.
The three remained completely silent as they waited for the walker to pass them by.
Carl and Carol had luckily come in to save the day. The Sheriff's son raised his silencer, taking out the very walker that threatened Beth and the baby. Once the three in hiding had emerged, Carol sprang for Beth, hugging her gently over baby Judith and rubbing the child's head in thanks that she was okay. Carl shook Jose's hand in appreciation.
"I locked the cell block off. I think that was the last of the walkers." Carl stated. Jose nodded before Carol turned to them.
"Let's not assume that right away." She urged them, keeping them on their toes. "Beth, you and Jose take Judith back to your cell. I'll stay outside with Carl and make sure no stragglers get to you." Beth nodded, giving an almost heavenly gaze to the Mexican before he returned the look awkwardly and gently guided her back to her cell.
"Close it!" Michonne shouted as Andrea and Rick forced the undead to remain outside. Some of their arms reached through, stalling their attempt at closing the door. Michonne thought quickly, striking her sword downwards and lopping off the few limbs belonging to the walkers that were in the way. The door slammed shut. Rick and Andrea got to work on keeping it closed. "I'll go check on the others." Michonne assured them.
"Go." Rick stated firmly, not liking the thought of Michonne going alone, but knowing that they had little options and he needed Andrea's help to keep the door closed.
It all happened so fast. One minute, Nora was fighting bravely at the redneck's side - both of them there for the same honorable purpose. Next thing he knew, the Irishwoman had slid from the corner of his eye and collapsed for no reason on the ground, knocked out cold.
For some reason or another, the Irishwoman just happened to pass out, leaving him on his own to defend his brother. Merle cursed under his breath, but kept with the battle. So he steeled himself against the fight. Losing was not an option.
Michonne had already ensured everyone's safety regarding Judith. Informing them to keep the door tightly locked, she disappeared to weave through the coiling hallways of the treacherous prison in order to get to the infirmary, cutting down any stray undead that she encountered. By the time she had reached the entrance to the makeshift hospital, she trudged forth, intent on killing the last walker Merle had to face.
Her sword pierced through the back of the corpse's skull just as Merle had thrust Nora's blade through its eye. For a moment, both stared at one another's steel as the walker remained almost like a pig that was run through for roasting, impaled on both ends and only still standing due to that fact. After a moment, both regarded one another and jerked their blades back to their sides, allowing the body to slump to the floor.
"Is everyone alright?" Rick shouted as he approached the locked cell door with Andrea in toe. Carl rushed with the keys to let him inside. Rick immediately pulled his son to his chest when he saw Beth and the others pouring from her cell. Overwhelmed with relief, he held his son a moment longer before he released him, then moved to place a gentle kiss atop his daughter's head as she slumbered happily. "Did you get into any trouble?"
"Almost." Beth responded, almost glowing. "Jose saved us." Rick turned to the Mexican, clapping him on the shoulder respectfully. Jose nodded in understanding before offering Beth a wary smile.
Michonne swiftly moved to place herself at Nora's side, kneeling down to check for a pulse. There was a sigh of relief as she detected one, though it wasn't too strong. Merle, who had instinctively placed himself at his brother's bedside, glanced over to the black woman and curiously asked, "She gon' be okay?" She nodded in response as she moved to brush some of Nora's hair out of her face. Her hands moved to pluck the Irishwoman upright so that she could prepare to carry her. Knowing that his brother was okay and seeing Michonne struggle with dead weight of Nora, Merle went over to offer his assistance. With his help the two of them managed to scoop Lenora off the floor and carried her to one of the beds.
Breathing heavy from their exertion, they unceremoniously dumped Nora onto the bed. They lingered there, heads down, and standing on opposite sides of the bed drenched in sweat. After a few minutes they became painfully aware of each other and slowly looked up and into each other's eyes. Holding that gaze. Surprisingly it didn't feel awkward, or unpleasant. A wry smirk came across his face.
Michonne, finally, rolled her eyes and spoke. "No." Merle, keeping the same smile on his face, began nodding slowly. Michonne shook her head from side to side but still smiled lightly.
Merle looked around quickly, "There's a supply closet 'round th'corner. How's 'bout you n' I make with th'nasty n' we can forget all 'bout all this shit." Merle made a gentle nod toward the empty beds, "Hell, we could do it on one'a these beds here," He gestured toward Nora and Daryl, "they ain't gun' hear a thing - they're too busy in dreamland." Michonne slowly stood upright and began to walk away.
Merle called after her, "Where ya goin'? S'the best offer you'll get!" The smile never leaving his face. He watched her ass until she had gone, and then dropped his head and laughed.