Chapter Thirty One
In was manic.
We wasted little hesitation getting inside the prison - which took time itself as we had to open the gates without letting the walkers, that were gathering outside, inside. Once inside though, we all jumped out of the car and Rick sprinted into the grass compound and up the hill towards the yard, with the rest of us in quick pursuit.
The others.
Imaginable things were running through my head as we raced towards the yard. Them all being overrun by walkers without warning, the creatures attacking from behind, sinking their teeth in, ripping their flesh-
Oh God Sophia.
Rick stopped in front of the gates, his eyes frantically searching the yard. The rest of us joined him, us all observing the chaos in front of us. Somehow the walkers that had been locked in the gate at the opposite side had gotten through. Even from this distance, the gate was visibly wide open. How did it open? The alarm echoed out, ringing through our ears but due to the crisis at hand, it didn't phase us all as much as expected.
"We need to shut that gate and clear out this yard." Rick ordered, sternly, raising his knife.
"That's a whole lot of walkers." Glenn muttered, swallowing hard, but regardless produced his machete and eyed the situation at hand with uneasiness.
"Ruby take this." Rick handed me a strip of cable that we had been using to secure gates and doors. "You're in charge of securing the door." Great. "Andrea, you cover her back. Everyone else take out the walkers, look out for each other. Got it?" When we all nodded with understanding, Rick wasted no time in opening the gate and charging in. We ploughed after him.
I dodged the rotting hands, with a few close calls, but Andrea kept my back and brains were exploding from all directions. I ignored the threat of using up our supply of ammo - we had an armoury after all - and shot as many of them as I could before reaching the gates. Andrea kept off any walker from my behind as I dealt with the gate, my hands shaking as I tried to tie the cable securely. My thoughts were over-powering me, I felt sick to the core thinking about all the possibilities.
"Done." I muttered, stepping away from the gate and ramming my knife into a snarling head. Andrea and I joined the blood bath.
It was almost like a massacre. The killings were brutal and bloody. There was no strategy, merely kill and clear out. Once the last of the walkers in the yard fell, we all looked around at the mess that we had created.
Our once secure home had been violated.
"Lori!" Rick screamed into the air, over the alarm. "Carl!" Hissing with frustration, he raised his pistol and took shots at the speakers that displayed the blaring noise. The noise drowned out, but it was still evidently coming from inside the building too. We stared around.
I checked the bodies, looking for anyone recognisable and hoped, prayed, that I didn't. I couldn't cope with the thought of burying Sophia's body - or anyone's for that matter - along side Allen's twins and his wife. I was so sick of death, I couldn't deal with losing anyone else I had grown to care for.
"Sophia." I breathed a sob, realising that I had failed Carol's wishes in keeping her safe again. Carol is probably looking down wishing she'd asked someone else to look after her daughter. I was such a failure-
"Ruby!" A voice called, startling me and catching the attention of everyone else, having been heard even over the alarm.
Unnoticed until now, was a caged compartment, separated from the yard and secured in only a small space. Inside was two figures, both so very familiar and the sight of them was welcomed instantly. I rushed forward quickly.
"Sophia!" I cried, smiling. The girl opened the door and ran to meet me, jumping up into my awaiting arms. I laughed with the girl, taking in her breathing being and never wanting to ever let her go again. Tears welled my eyes as I felt relief course through my body. She was alright. I grinned at Herschel who was the other figure inside the compartment, thanking him for looking after her. He nodded with a smile in return. Rick stepped forward to take the man's outstretched hand as an affectionate greeting.
"What happened?" Rick demanded, eyes frantic as he addressed the farmer. Herschel sighed.
"It was madness, Rick." Herschel began, the rest of us gathering around to listen. "We were just outside when we suddenly realised that gate was open. No one saw how they opened, it was very perculiar. We tried to get back to the cell block, but ended up getting separated. I got Sophia and myself to safety while the others ran inside. I don't know what happened to them or where they are. Then the alarm was going off - Rick, I don't know what happened." Rick grasped Herschel's shoulder and squeezed tightly.
"We have to get back to the cell block, see if anyone made it there." Rick said, sternly. "Herschel, you and Sophia stay here until it's safe. Don't come out until one of us comes to get you." Herschel nodded, reaching for Sophia's hand. I kissed Sophia's head and squeezed her tight before letting her go with the old farmer.
"And Rick," Herschel called before we set off inside. "Be careful. I think the prisoners had something to do with this." Rick nodded firmly before leading the way towards the door to the prison.
I smiled sadly at Sophia, feeling a heavy weight lift off my chest at the thought of her being safe. I knew she was in capable hands with Herschel. She waved back and the pair got back into the compartment to wait for it to be safe. I quickly followed after the others, feeling sick at the prospect of what had become of the others.
Inside, the alarm was even more deafening - contained in the corridors and echoing off the walls. The lights flashed uncontrollably and I wasn't sure what we were expecting when we turned each corner. It was like a scene of a horror film. Though our life was a horror film now, wasn't it?
Images of the group's dying faces kept flashing in my mind. The inevitable possibility that not all the group were safe. Oh God, I didn't want to think about it. The very people I ate dinner with the evening before, those I'd only said goodbye to that very morning-
Daryl.
My head went light and I had to pause and grip the wall for support. I wanted to throw up, I wanted to scream, I wanted to cry. Get yourself together! I thumped my head hard, trying to snap myself out of it, but only seeing the hunter's limp body, his inners a mess on the floor around him-
"Ruby, c'mon!" Andrea's voice heaved me back into reality and I had to quicken the pace to keep up. My thoughts were praying to at least find Daryl in the cell block - selfish it may be, but I couldn't deny my thoughts. If anything happened to him- Don't think about it.
The sounds of groaning and shuffling gathered our attention as we got closer to Cell Block A and I knew immediately that everyone tensed. What had become of our home? The processions' pace slowed as we rounded the corner and I saw the cell block door in sight over the shoulders of my fellow survivors. It was wide open. Not good.
"Rick?" Shane murmured quietly. Our leader grunted with frustration, taking a few steps forward to pick something up from the floor by the door before turning around and heading towards me. I noticed that what he picked up was the cable we usually used to tie the cell block door secure. It wasn't broken though, not ripped apart by the strength of a dozen walkers pushing at the cell block door. It was just undone and carelessly thrown to the floor. Strange? I raised a questioning eyebrow what Rick held the cable out to me.
"We'll all head in, blunt force is our strategy. We clear out our cell block so we have a safe location to regroup with the rest. Ruby, you're last in; secure the door behind us so no more can get in and overbear us." Rick paused so I could nod with understanding, taking the cable from him and gripping it tightly. "We take back this prison in small steps. Finding the rest of the group is our main priority right now. Got it?" When everyone nodded, Rick stormed to the front of the group and didn't waste any time making his way toward the cell block door. The rest followed in pursuit and the massacre began again.
There was an over-alarming number of walkers in the cell block, but between the six of us we worked through them. All the while, I kept my wits about me and my eyes scanning the approaching corpses to see if any face was familiar. Hopes were rising when we had yet to find a fallen member of the group.
Glenn and I made our way up onto the upper level of cells and immediately noticed the gathering of walkers pounding on the door of the security room. Someone was inside? We glanced at each other nervously before quickly making our way forward towards the group.
"This should be interesting." Glenn muttered, raising his machete defiantly. I agreed and Glenn whistled sharply, gathering the attention of a couple of them. When noticing an easier option of food, the group's attention was diverted and they began to stagger towards us. Great. We raised to the challenge and began the slaughter of caving in heads with our weapons and brute force.
They each fell with dull thuds and ones behind tripped over the bodies of their fallen fellow walkers. Instead of getting up, the dumb creatures tried to crawl towards us, ignoring use of their legs. Glenn made quick use of his machete and took the easy target of taking out the ones on the floor. For a brief moment he seemed to have forgotten about the ones still on their feet and there was a close call when a walker nearly sunk it's teeth into Glenn's bare shoulder. I was on hand quickly, shoving the walking corpse back so it collapsed against the closed door and I jumped forward quickly to sink my blade into it's forehead. It's movements stilled and it faltered to the floor. There was a pause after it did, Glenn and I physically exhausted from the activity. I glanced back at him.
"Thanks." He nodded, rubbing his neck and looking pale. I sent him a small smile in return before turning my attention toward the closed door. "You reckon someone's behind it?" Glenn asked, jumping over the fallen bodies and standing beside me.
"Only one way to find out." I muttered, raising my fist and banging sharply on the solid door. "Hey! You in there? It's Glenn and Ruby! Open up, it's safe!"
There was another pause and I swallowed hard, hoping and praying that someone was alive behind the door. I listened carefully as the sound of footsteps seemed to approach the door and my stomach hitched as the lock appeared to creak. Hope? In a moment, the door was open and I couldn't control the happiness I felt when I saw the living, unscathed figure that was Maggie Greene.
"You're alright." Glenn gushed, not even taking a moment's hesitation before rushing forward and engulfing the farmer's daughter into a hug. From over Glenn's shoulder I saw the happiness radiate from Maggie's face and she smiled at me, tears in her eyes.
"Have you seen my dad? Is he alright? We lost him in the chaos. I don't know where he went-" Maggie strung out, holding Glenn at arms length and glancing between him and I. Glenn shushed her softly and smiled.
"He's fine. He got him and Sophia to a safe place." Glenn explained, stroking Maggie's cheek gently. "We told him to wait there for now until it was safe enough." Maggie's physically looked relieved and she relaxed in Glenn's arms as he kissed her gently on the forehead.
"Have you seen anyone else?" A voice called from within the room. Glenn and I stepped further into the room to get a look at who the voice belonged to.
Axel was sat on the sofa, his face a picture of terror, his whole body tenser than usual. His jumpsuit was bloodied but I thankfully didn't see any visible bite marks or general injuries. That was the last thing we needed right now. He shuffled nervously under our scrutiny before glancing up at the person in front of him, who had a gun trained at his head.
Lori's face was tear-stained and her clothes faired no better. The woman's face looked visibly drained and she had a sickly yellow colour to her face. With her free hand, she held her bump, which looked as if it had grown over the course of the day, and I could see that her breathing was erratic and I could hear her panting. She was alive though. And that counted for everything.
"Oh thank God, you're both alright." Lori strained a smile, her lips cracking. "I would come and hug you but-" Her eyes glanced down at the prisoner sat on the couch, who shrank away form her gaze. "Who else is with you?"
"The rest of us from the run out are down below, clearing out the cell block." Glenn told her. "And like we said, we found Herschel and Sophia before." Lori turned to him with a frantic expression.
"No one else?" She breathed. When Glenn shook his head, Lori's shoulders slumped. I knew what she was thinking. Carl.
"I'm so sorry, Lori-" I tried, but she shook her head and attempted to smile.
"We'll find him." She nodded, more to herself than any of us. "Rick will find him."
As if on command, footsteps approached the security room, echoing loudly against the metal platform. We didn't need to look to know who it was. Rick was first into the room, followed quickly by Shane, with Andrea and Tyreese lagging behind. There was a moment's hesitation as Rick glanced around the room before setting eyes on his wife. He scoffed a sob and lurched forward, taking Lori in his arms and holding the woman tightly to him. Glancing at Shane, I saw the tense expression on his face and the frustrated way he ran a hand over his bald head.
"Thank God you're alright." Rick murmured into his wife's shoulder. I smiled at the couple's reunion, remembering Glenn and Maggie's a few moment's previous. I was thankful that the lovers were together and united so quickly and though I held fond thoughts for each pair, there was still a bitter emptiness within me that I didn't want to place. Though we had found more members of the group, looking around the room wasn't enough to convince me that the rest were alright. We still remained broken.
"Just the three of you?" Andrea asked once Rick and Lori had pulled apart. Maggie nodded stiffly in reply.
When Axel coughed awkwardly, eyes turned to the man and Lori's attention was back to holding a gun at his head. The happy reunion was over now. Rick's face plastered of anything but suspicion and firmness as he regarded the prisoner and the rest of us waited on the wings as Rick eyed the man up and down.
"We think he's responsible, Rick." Lori explained, lowering her gun when Rick told her to. Rick glanced between her and Maggie, getting a confirmation from the latter before turning his attention back to Axel.
"I'm not, I swear!" The man tried, quickly, his eyes frantic. "I ain't done nothin'!"
"Then what the hell happened?" Rick asked darkly. "Who did this?" Axel's lips tightened and the man rung his hands together nervously. Just taking one look at the man was enough to conclude he knew more than us. Much more. Rick scoffed and raised his own gun to the man's head. Lori backed off a little, letting her husband step up. "You tell us now because I won't hesitate to blow your damn head off."
"No, please don't-"
"Start talking!"
"Alright!" Axel cried, glancing around frantically before nodding. "But I had nothing to do with it, because ya'll get suspicious and-"
"Spit it out." Shane hissed, cutting the stuttering man short. Axel paused and swallowed hard before turning his full attention to Rick. He took a deep breath before talking.
"Andrew and Big Tiny." The names were enough for the group of us to begin sharing looks. Rick's gaze remained focused though and I saw his eyebrows burrow. Axel continued. "They're angry at ya'll for letting in those people and blaming Big Tiny for what happened. And-" He paused to glance around awkwardly. "They're angry for you killing Thomas. They wanted to act out revenge on ya'll but the only way they could think of was overrunning the prison and hoping that the group was wiped out with all the walkers." Rick's gaze hardened and he glanced up to share a look with Lori. "You gotta believe me, I had nothing to do with it, I swear!"
"Rick?" Lori asked softly. There was a pause before Rick sighed and lowered his gun. Axel breathed a sigh of relief.
"I believe you." Rick nodded. "But that doesn't mean I trust you." Axel nodded stiffly. "You know where they are now? Andrew and Big Tiny?" Axel shrugged.
"I can't be sure, but my guess is the generator room."
"Why's that?" Andrea asked, folding her arms across her chest.
"Cos they set off the alarms and my first thought is that they probably waited there because it was safe when the walkers were let loose." Axel shrugged before turning to Rick again. "Or maybe they're waiting for you to come to them?" Axel's words were left to sink in and Rick's face fell thoughtfully.
"So, what do we do now?" Maggie asked. "The others are still out there. We need to find them." Her words snapped Rick back into action and the man spun on his heels and marched over to the camera feed. Lori and Shane joined him, flanking his sides as they scanned the monitors.
"Who's still missing them?" Glenn asked quietly as the trio searched the cameras.
"Carl." Lori immediately piped in.
"T-Dog." Andrea offered.
"Sasha and Allen." Tyreese continued.
"Daryl." I concluded and silence fell onto the group again as our thoughts were will the remainder that were still out in the prison somewhere. Potentially lost and fighting for their lives. If they still had them.
"There." Shane said suddenly and the group gathered over to see what he was looking at.
On the monitor he was pointing too, showed a long corridor with two very prominent figures walking down it. One small, a familiar sheriff's hat on top of his head and his gun raised back down the corridor at something we couldn't see. His companion was firing arrows down in the same direction, his head darting about to check all directions, his movements so familiar. Daryl and Carl.
We should have rejoiced at the sight of them. They were alive, that was for sure. But their movements sent dread through the group, they were far too alert and they were aiming their weapons at something. They also appeared to be running away from that something too.
Their movements backed up and they were then lost from sight. What followed after them though caused the shock of horror to course through everyone. A group - pretty much a herd - with no less than thirty walkers staggered after them, their movements quick and eager for the kill.
"Oh, my baby!" Lori sobbed.
And just then, the monitors went black. And the prison fell silent.
"What the fuck?!" Shane hissed, jumping forward and get them back on again. "Who the hell touched something?!"
"No one." Glenn muttered. "The power's gone off." Shane paused.
"The alarms too." Andrea continued.
"Big Tiny and Andrew must have pulled the plug on us all." Axel muttered from his point on the sofa. Rick glanced over his shoulder at him with a raised eyebrow. "Guess they must be in the generator room after all."
"Rick, our baby is out there and we can't see him." Lori gushed quickly. "He's being chased by so many of them! What if he-"
"He'll be alright." Rick quickly shushed his wife. Lori scoffed, tears already welling and she glared at her husband. "He's with Daryl and Daryl won't let anything happen to him." This seemed to reassure the woman a little.
"We need to go get him." She replied, forcefully. Her tone apparently leaving no room for argument. The feeling amongst the group seemed to agree with her - we needed to go get the others. Rick glanced around thoughtfully before nodding.
"Andrea, you alright to hold down the fort here?" Rick asked the woman directly. She seemed stunned for a moment before nodding. "Lori and Maggie stay with her. Andrea if you can, get to Herschel and Sophia and bring them back to the cell block where we know they're safe. It should be fine out there for you to do that." She nodded again. "Glenn, Tyreese and Ruby; you search the prison and find the others. Bring them back here." We nodded in reply. "Shane and I will head to the generator room and see if we can find Big Tiny and Andrew." He met Shane's gaze and the latter seemed pleased with his designation and nodded with approval.
"Rick, is that wise to do that?" Lori questioned. "Shouldn't we wait until the rest are found before we confront them?"
"Ruby, Glenn and Tyreese will find the others." Rick said again. "We need to get rid of the threat though. We don't know what else they're planning. "
"But only the two of you-"
"No one must follow." Rick cut in, firmly. "It's too dangerous. You all remain in the cell block. You three; if you find anyone, you bring them back here and wait too when you find everyone. Don't come after us."
"But-"
"We'll be fine, Lori." Shane cut in, shrugging carelessly. "Rick and I can take 'em down easily." Lori didn't look convinced but she must have known she wasn't going to get anywhere as she merely nodded.
"Stay safe, all of you."
…
With the power down, the corridors were dismally dark places. The fear was mounting with every step. We kept the beam of our torches low and our pace steady. Luckily, we hadn't come across too many walkers to handle yet. The first few provided quite a few scares as we weren't use to seeing them wandering the corridors anymore, but we managed to dispatch them without attracting attention of too many to take care of.
Tyreese lead the way, taking unofficial leadership of our trio. Neither Glenn nor I minded and I didn't think either of us would have made a better job taking charge. It was odd how much we trusted Tyreese now, after everything. But under the circumstances and after everything we had been through with him and his group, I think the trust had been laid out and grounded. Tyreese especially had done all he could to compensate our taking them in and I think it was safe to say that he had, if not very almost, earned his place in the group.
Glenn brought up the rear, leaving me in the middle. I could hear the kid's shuffling footsteps behind me and his erratic breath - the fear was evident in him. I concentrated on controlling my own terror and breathing and hoped he was coping with the situation better internally than he was externally.
Suddenly, Tyreese held up his hand and I had to quickly stop myself before I walked into him. We had come to a corner of the corridor and I watched as the man peeked his head around the corner. He seemed to observe it for a long time before turning back to us. His face wasn't visibly in the darkness but there was something about his silhouette that spoke volumes.
"There's a group of them down there." He breathed, quietly. Glenn stepped closer to hear. "They're gathered around something on the floor, eating." There was a long pause as the words sunk in.
"One of the group?" Glenn murmured. Tyreese's silence said it all and I swallowed down the lump as I listed off the possibilities in my head. Please no. "Can you see who it is?"
"No." Tyreese replied. "But we better go have a look." His voice sounded tired and he hesitated a little before carrying on down the corridor towards the small group.
Glenn and I followed and the three of us quickly, and as quietly as we could, took out the walkers. I let my eyes remain focused on the hungry dead and not at the thing they had just been eating. I had to keep my mind focused, I didn't need to break down at the sight of a fallen comrade while I was trying to take out the walkers trying to kill me. When the last one fell, we remained silent. Our torches were on but didn't stray near the body on the floor. We were all afraid to look.
"Suppose we should get it over and done with?" Glenn offered, weakly. He sighed before I head his footsteps on the floor step closer to the body and he raised his torch to illuminate the body for us, so we could see it's identity.
At first we were met with the wrenching sight of inners ripped apart, spewed out across the cold, concrete floor. It was a mess, one big disgusting mess. And it was from one of our own. Glenn hesitated before letting the beam wander slowly up to the face and when it did, I couldn't help but fell relieved when I saw them. Though I immediately hated the thought of mine when Tyreese spoke.
"Oh God no." Tyreese breathed and the face of Allen was revealed. There were the sounds of Tyreese collapsing back against the wall and as he tried to regain his breath. "No, Allen, no!" Glenn and I didn't say anything for a long while, letting the man mourn for his friend for a moment. "Why the fuck- after everything. Oh God-" A pause of silence.
"We need to keep looking." I urged, quietly when the man didn't speak for a long time. I expected a bitter remark but was met with nothing. This wasn't comforting either. "Tyreese, your sister is still somewhere and we need to find her." The mention of his sister was enough for Tyreese to control himself.
"Alright." He murmured, his voice breaking. "When this is over, I'll come back and get the body. I'll bury him with his family."
"He'll be with them now, just remember that." I tried, hoping to at least provide a little comfort in the dire time of strength. Tyreese didn't reply for a moment and Glenn and I waited patiently for him to focus again.
"C'mon, lets go." Tyreese finally said, taking off down the corridor away from Allen's body. I paused to take one last look at Allen - This could have been Carl or Daryl or even Sophia. I felt the bile rise at the prospect and quickly followed Tyreese to get away from the stench of death.
As we continued our search, the hopes of finding the others had been considerably dimmed at the sight of Allen. Tyreese's thoughts must have been racing over the possibility of finding Sasha in the same state and I could imagine the man wouldn't handle finding his sister in the same state as controlled as he had done upon finding Allen.
I couldn't get the images of Allen's expression out of my mind. It was a look of pain and that said it all - he had died as painfully as it seemed, probably pinned to the floor with walkers clawing at his stomach. The thought of his final moments being filled with so much pain, especially lying alone on a prison floor, sent agony through me. How could one man deserve so much pain; physically and mentally? Wasn't it enough to take his wife and children away from him? But to give him a horrific death too just seemed barbaric. If there was a God, then he was one sick bastard.
I thought of the others in the same state. I couldn't imagine breaking the news to Rick and Lori if Carl ended up the same way. The devastation on his mother's face was enough and just thinking about Lori's expression made me ache. I couldn't do that to her. I was determind to find her boy and bring him back to her. Sophia was alive, so it was only fair that Carl was too. Unless the 'Messiah' had other plans.
Daryl will look after him.
The pair's prospect didn't look so great when seeing their situation on the monitors. But Rick was right, Daryl wouldn't let anything happen to Carl. The hunter would make sure that his sole goal was to look after him and bring him back to the cell block to his mother. They could already back there now. I continued to repeat this in my head to try and convince myself that it was true.
"Shush." Glenn suddenly hissed. The three of us stopped and waited quietly. "I'm sure I heard something." We waited again.
"No!" A scream echoed down the corridor and it most certainly sounded familiar and female.
"Sasha!" Tyreese screamed and was bolting down the corridor before Glenn and I could react.
Glenn and I followed, with the aid of Tyreese's heavy footsteps to guide us after him. The corridors were winding and I wondered if we should stop Tyreese before he walked into something dangerous. We didn't know where Sasha was, but her scream signalled that she was in reach of danger. Before I could stop him though, Tyreese was brought to a halt by running into a figure.
"No!" The figure cried, lashing out at Tyreese, who restrained them quickly.
"Sasha, it's Tyreese! Calm down, you're safe!" Tyreese told his sister. Her flailing actions stopped and she soon flung her arms around Tyreese's neck and her staggering sobs were muffled by his shirt. Glenn and I remained alert - we were glad she was alive, but she was making a terrible amount of noise.
"Are you alright?" Glenn asked. The brother and sister pulled apart and a torch was raised to Sasha's frantic face.
"Oh God, it was hell!" She cried. "They were everywhere! We didn't know where to run! And he-" She paused to hold a hand over her mouth. "Oh God, they got him! They got him!"
"Who did they get, Sasha?" Tyreese asked, calmly.
Sasha shook her head and pointed numbly down the corridor she had just run down. Tyreese glanced back at us and nodded once. This time, Tyreese and Glenn took lead together and I let Sasha hold my arm tightly for support as we headed down the corridor. The more steps we took, the more Sasha's fingers dug into my forearm. They got him - who was this 'him'? I didn't think I wanted to find out.
The sounds of squelching and snarling halted our steps and I forced myself not to dry heave at the sound. The sound of feeding. Another member of the group was dead. But who? My stomach plummeted and I knew now that it was one of three missing members of the group, all of whom I wasn't ready to see dead. I wasn't ready to see anyone dead. I had had enough for the day, I didn't think I could cope with knowing who it was.
Glenn and Tyreese took out the walkers; there was only three of them, and we made our way toward the body. When we saw it, Glenn immediatly staggered back in shock. When I saw his face, I shook my head, not wanting to believe it was true. I felt sick. I ached. I wasn't ready for it at all.
T-Dog.
He was in much the same state that Allen was and I couldn't control myself as I pried Sasha's grip of off me, probably much more forcefully than intended, and fell back to lean against the wall. Bile raised to my throat. T-Dog was gone. Dead. Memories of the man's laughing and smiling face blared in my mind and rather as a reminder of him - a happy memory to preserve - it only acted as a mocking gesture at his demise. Only a few hours ago, T-Dog had flung a careless arm around Daryl's shoulder and joked before I set off on the run with the others. A prominent happy grin on his face.
And now he lay broken, ripped apart, on the cold ground. Nothing more than walker food now. He was no longer T-Dog - he had no smile or cheeky grin on his face. Only pain.
Would we be met with the same fate for Daryl and Carl too?
I couldn't handle that.
"Ruby?" Tyreese tried. I ignored him, bowing my head and pulling at my hair in an attempt to numb the inner pain with physical pain. "Ruby, you need to head back to the cell block."
"We need to find Daryl and Carl." I muttered.
"Glenn and I will keep looking." Tyreese continued. "You take Sasha back to the cell block and tell the others about-" He trailed off. Tell the others about Allen and T-Dog. "Ruby, please. Head back with Sasha." I heard the authoritive tone in his voice, but also the plead. I heaved myself away from the wall and nodded, regardless of the lack of vision.
"You better find them." I breathed to Tyreese, before reaching out to grasp Glenn's hand to give it a reassuring squeeze. I couldn't imagine what was going through Glenn's head after seeing T-Dog - his friend. "Be safe." Glenn squeezed back weakly before letting his arm fall limp by his side. "C'mon, Sasha."
While Sasha and I headed back the way we came, Tyreese and Glenn continued down the other corridor. Sasha stayed close to me and we were comfortable without conversation. My thoughts were racing too furiously to try any attempt of reassurance for the woman right now. Though I gathered she knew that and I was thankful she didn't try anything.
It was when we rounded the corner, I knew we would have to pass Allen's body. I kept to the side of the corridor, avoiding the middle where Allen's body lay sprawled and I wasn't sure if I should break the news to Sasha now or wait till we reached the cell block.
"Did you see Allen?" Sasha asked suddenly and I swallowed hard. "T-Dog and I saw him go down."
"Yeah," I nodded, numbly. "We found his body." The silence was the reply I received and we continued back the cell block the same way.
Upon sight of the cell block doors, I felt a glimmer of hope that we would find Carl and Daryl waiting for us inside. Perhaps they had made it back whilst we were out? Maybe Rick and Shane would be back too, having taken Andrew and Big Tiny down? Then all that was left to do was get Tyreese and Glenn back here and the group could makes plans to take back the prison. But things were never that simple.
Maggie stood at the cell block doors and opened them quickly upon sight of Sasha and my approach. She studied us silently, before casting a frantic glance back down the corridor behind us as we entered.
"Glenn?" She tried. I shook my head.
"Him and Tyreese are still looking." I told her numbly. My tone must have said it all as Maggie quickly shut the door securely.
"Something's wrong." She stated - not asked.
I turned to face the cell block, feeling a sigh of relief when I saw that Andrea had managed to retrieve Herschel and Sophia back from the compartment outside and that they were both safe within in the cell block. Sophia quickly rushed over to hug me, though I gave little enthusiasm in response and the little girl took a step back with a worried expression.
Herschel was sat on one of the benches, Axel opposite him. Andrea stood nearby, her hands on her hips and her gun latched on her belt. Very tomb raider. Lori took a few steps towards me though stopped, her mouth opening and closing wordlessly as she observed Sasha and I. I felt Maggie's presence enter the circle as she went and stood by her father. And that was it of the group.
Daryl and Carl hadn't beaten us to the cell block. Shane and Rick were still not back.
"Do you need medical attention, my dear?" Herschel asked Sasha gently. I glanced at the woman, taking her appearance in the light of the cell block. She looked dishevelled but not injured, no blood appeared to stain her clothes. She shook her head.
"I'm fine." She breathed, her voice husky raw.
"What happened, Ruby?" Lori quietly. She looked a lot better than when I saw her last, her hand absently rubbing her belly. Her expression was soft, but I could see the fear behind her eyes. The fear that I would tell her the news that would break her entire life.
"Allen and T-Dog are dead." I said, bluntly. My voice echoed across the cell block and nothing was said for a moment. I took in everyone's expressions and seeing the resignation of horror in their eyes. Andrea's hand flew to her mouth and I saw her eyes well up a little. A break in her normally hard exterior. Maggie and Lori looked to be swaying the same way, though the latter looked still intently interested for me to continue - to hear about her baby's fate. "No sign of Daryl or Carl."
Lori nodded slowly and I could see a small flicker of relief in her expression but I didn't hold it against her. She was glad for the small blessing that I hadn't listed off Carl's name with the ones dead. She was a mother and I couldn't blame her for feeling that small relief. It was still evident that the news of Allen's and T-Dog's - especially T-Dog's - deaths had been saddened news to her though.
"Rick and Shane still aren't back yet." Maggie announced, as if trying to fill the silence. It was an unnecessary observation but it seemed needed to lift the cover of death that was crowding us.
"Power is still down too." Andrea nodded, sniffing loudly. "Perhaps they haven't even gotten to the generator room yet?"
"It is a fair bit away." Axel offered and I was surprised by the man's attempt of reassurance.
"They'll be fine." Lori nodded, turning on her heels and walking away suddenly. I watched the woman go before patting Sophia lightly on the head and following after her.
Lori marched into a nearby cell and I hesitated before walking towards the cell door. I lingered for a moment, observing the pregnant woman as she lowered herself onto the creaky bed. Lori didn't look up at me, but I sensed that she knew I was there. Once she had seated, she rubbed her hand carefully over her belly.
"It's getting nearer." Lori muttered absently. "Only a few months left and we'll have to welcome a baby into this prison." She smiled faintly before staring down at the floor and bracing herself on the bed.
"Have you thought of any names for it yet?" I asked, guessing that Lori needed the conversation as a distraction from her missing husband and son. I needed the distraction too as I didn't want to think about anymore fallen comrades.
"We were thinking of Henry if it's a boy; after my granddad." Lori began, not looking at me. "And I like the name Judith for a girl but I don't think Rick likes that as much." I smiled.
"Those names are lovely." I breathed. Lori nodded once and I noticed her knuckles growing white as her grip on the bed sheets tightened.
"If I make it through the pregnancy, I'd like to hope that we'll have a somewhat stable life for my baby to live in." I frowned.
"What do you mean 'if'? Of course you'll make it through." Lori chuckled breathless, glancing up at me with tired eyes.
"Giving birth is hardly the safest of procedures in a hospital with the right equipment, let alone in a prison on some dingy couch with hardly anything sanitary." She countered. "Plus, Herschel's not got the training to help a human give birth so the odds are weighing against me at the moment."
"Herschel knows what he's doing." I said, shaking my head and hating the defeat that was in the woman's tone. "He'll deliver your baby and you both will be fine. We got a lot of stuff today on the run out that will help him and when this is all over, we'll go out again and get some more. You'll be fine, I promise."
"Please don't make promises you can't keep." Lori begged, softly. I eyed the woman for a moment and she sighed. "I'm sorry for bringing this up-"
"No, it's fine. I don't mind." I attempted to smile which seemed to reassure the woman. We remained silent for a moment, just contemplating each other's company. I eyed the woman's stance, seeing a complete reverse to what I would normally regard from her. I swallowed the lump down in my throat and shook my head once. "You can't give up." I began, catching Lori's attention. "You're one of the strongest people I know, you can't give up on yourself like this." Lori smiled faintly.
"My son's missing, my husband's gone again, I have little prospect for the future of my baby - if it manages to even have a future-"
"You've just got to try and remain positive." Lori scoffed.
"How can I?" She challenged. "The world is so screwed up now and I can't even work out what's right and wrong anymore." She sniffed loudly, wiping a stray tear from her face. "I've made a lot of mistakes since the start of the outbreak, so many that I regret. I guess, I'm just waiting for the world to take it's revenge on me for the hurt I've caused to the ones I love." Her eyes glazed over as she stared off towards the opposite wall. I chewed my lip thoughtfully for a moment. "And it seems that all of this," She gestured around vaguely with her hand. "Is it's revenge."
"Do you regret what happened between you and Shane?" I braved asking, not surprised when Lori's eyes spun on me, in a moment of shock. She eyed me silently before answering.
"I don't know who is the father of this baby." She breathed quietly. "And I don't think I can find it in myself to regret everything that happened," She paused. "With Shane." I kept my face neutral at her words - I wasn't here to judge the woman before me. She was my friend and she needed me right now. "If it hadn't happened then there may have been a chance that the baby-" She trailed off, rubbing her belly again, fondly. "I don't regret the baby."
"We all make mistakes. Surely you wouldn't be punished because the mistakes you've made with the blessing that is your upcoming child?" I challenged, catching the woman out for a moment. She stared at me thoughtfully.
"But I don't know what will happened when the baby's born-"
"Preciously, you don't know." I cut in quickly, shaking my head and smiling softly. "You can't give up yet when you could be hold so much hope for the future. You can't give up on a life you could have because of the bad possibilities. You can't give up on this baby." I paused to let Lori have a moment to think. This was certainly a huge distraction from the situation. When she didn't reply, I continued. "You know, it was an unlikely source that kept me going when I wanted to give up on the world. I held no prospect of anything, no reason to truly live, until Merle Dixon told me otherwise." When Lori raised an eyebrow I smiled. "I know, an unlikely source. But what he told me was true. Sometimes, you've just got to try and look at the positive of things. Looking at the negative all the time will drive you into madness."
"You got that advice from the likes of Merle Dixon?" Lori asked. I smirked.
"A mixture from both Dixon brothers actually." I shrugged. Lori smiled, a proper smile that lit her glowing features and illuminated her beauty. "And I know that our situations are completely different, but surely the same rule still applies? There's got to be a counterbalance of positives and negatives to everything we do surely? Yes, the world has gone to shit but it can't all be darkness and death out there. There has to be some light left in the world." Lori shrugged.
"I guess you're right." She nodded with a warm smile. Another moment of silence.
"What happened between you and Shane anyway when Rick got back? Did it all stop? If you don't mind me asking." Lori scoffed and shook her head.
"I don't mind." She reassured me. "Shane told me Rick was dead. My husband had been shot in the line of duty and had fallen into a coma before the outbreak and Shane was visiting the day it all hit near us. He came and got Carl and I and told me that Rick was dead. I grieved for my husband's death and all the while-" She cut off, shaking her head with a furious expression as she relived the memories. "So I was furious when Rick showed up in our camp that day; alive and well.
"I told Shane to stay away from us, but Shane being Shane-" She trailed off and paused for a moment. "Nothing's ever right with Shane anymore. He's different than what he was before and I'm scared of what he's becoming - of what he's become. What you see of him, what you know to be 'Shane', that isn't him. That's not who I remember him as. That's not the man I remember before the outbreak." She shook her head and sighed. "He's like a wrecking ball now, destroying everything in his path. He's heading somewhere and when he finally collides with his destination-" She cut herself off again, her tone so calm and thoughtful, but terrifying at the same time. "He's going to break something."
(Author's Note): Well that was a hard chapter to write, as you can probably tell by the delayed update! Very sorry about that. Thanks to all that reviewed the last chapter, you guys are awesome!
And have a shocked a few of you? I've mixed a lot of things up as you can see. Hopefully you people like the switch up so far? But of course, there's more to come - the group's still broken after all. I felt sad writing T-Dog off, but I guess he never had such a prospectful future after what happened to him in the show. And Lori - I certainly altered things where she's concerned. She's still very alive BUT very pregnant. So the birth is still something to come people! Though I know I scared a few of you with the last chapter where Lori was concerned (Robyn; are you happy Lori is still alive?!).
Thanks again for the reviews, please tell me what you think of this chapter. What do you think will become of Daryl and Carl? What do you think has happened between Rick and Shane and the prisoners? Your reactions to the deaths and the situation so far? I hope you'll all enjoy the action that is to come! :) I'll update as soon as possible!