Chapter Forty One
I lurched out of bed with a sudden feeling of constriction overwhelming me. The sickening ghost like touch lingered all over my body, making me feel dirty, disgusting. My throat felt tight and I struggled to breath, panting heavily as I tried to focus my senses into reality. I wanted to heave and my stomach lurched again, my hand rushing to cover my mouth in the sudden urge to vomit.
"Ruby?" A timid voice asked and I spun quickly to its source. Sophia stood against the wall opposite the bunk we shared, her eyes wide and scared. She clutched Eliza her rag doll between her fingers as she observed me with an expression that sent shivers through me. Beside her, Toby lingered, eyeing me with a tilt of his head. I studied them both carefully.
"It's alright, sweetie." I tried to soothe, my voice shaking a little. I held my hand out towards Toby and the dog bounded over to let me stroke him. He grumbled happily when I ran my hand over his ears. Stroking Toby calmed my nerves. "I just had a nightmare." Sophia relaxed slightly and I swung my legs off the bed - deciding that I had had enough rest.
"You were tossing a bit, saying stuff that I couldn't hear." Sophia told me, stepping forward to pat the shepherd gently. "But I didn't know if I should wake you or not-"
"I'm fine now, don't worry." I tried my biggest, brightest smile and Sophia gave me one in return, seemingly believing my pretence. "Where are the others?"
"Either sleeping or downstairs." She informed me. "I think Rick is waiting for everyone to be up before talking." I nodded and hauled myself to my feet, using the bunk's framework for leverage. My body ached at the sudden movement, but it was bearable. Sophia observed me with concern but I beamed down at the little girl, holding out my hand for her to take. She did so immediately.
With Sophia's help, we made it down to the lower floor where a small proportion of the group was gathered, Toby leading the way across the landing and down the stairs. Rick was still with Lori, I noted firstly. Glenn, Maggie and Sasha were all resting and Tyreese and Axel were on watch in one of the guard towers. The rest were gathered around the benches. Sophia led me to the table before rushing to Carl's side to observe the bundle in his arms. It seemed an odd sight for the kid to be holding a baby, but the way Carl pulled it off it seemed as though he was a natural. He stared down at his baby sister in almost wonder, smiling when Sophia approached and held the infant out for his friend to see.
"Was supposed to be me taking care of her." Andrea spoke, suddenly beside me. I glanced at my blonde friend. "I'm not the best with children though and I think this is the first time Carl's held his baby sister properly." I smiled in admiration at the scene of the group's youngest together.
"How are you feeling, dear?" Herschel asked, getting to his feet and approaching me. I nodded.
"Better after some sleep." I admitted, ignoring the way the old farmer's eyes implored mine. "How's Lori?"
"She's awake." Herschel told me, my eyes widened at the news. "Weak but growing stronger by the minute." A pause. "She's been asking for you." I raised an eyebrow at this.
"For me?" I muttered in surprise. The old vet nodded.
"Rick has filled her in on what's going on, but I think she just wants to make sure you're alright herself. I told her I'd send you up when you had awoken." I nodded at this before my attention was brought to the youngest members of the group again.
"Has she seen Judith yet?" I asked in wonder.
"She's been in and out of daze over the past couple of days but yes she has seen her daughter. She managed to hold her for a few moments before passing out from exhaustion after she gave birth to Judith. We've promised Lori that we would take care of her until she was back on her feet again."
"Perhaps she'd like to see her now?" I suggested softly, turning to Herschel. The man shrugged his approval and I limped towards Carl and Sophia. "You doing a good job at being big brother, Carl?" The boy grinned up at me.
"This is easy!" He cried, holding the infant so naturally that I couldn't help but believe his words. I smiled at him, eyeing the baby in its peaceful slumber in his arms.
"You mind if I pinch her from you? I was going to go see your mom and I was thinking that she'd like to see Judith too. If that's alright with you?" I asked and Carl nodded an affirmative. I was passed little Judith carefully, her brother instructing me on how to hold her, which position she was comfortable with and what to do if she started crying. I smiled at the little boy and assured him that I would look after her.
"Ya need any help gettin' up the stairs?" A southern drawl muttered from behind me and I rejoiced at the idea that it could have been either Dixon brother as they were both here. I knew which one it was though and smiled softly at the younger Dixon, shaking my head.
"I'll be fine, thank you." I assured the man, who nodded curtly and took his seat again. "Keep Toby down here for me, will you?" Daryl nodded immediately, clicking his fingers to get the dog's attention. Toby bounded towards the hunter and took the man's offered affection. His brother beside him seemed barely unable to contain the knowing smirk on his lips and I decided to ignore him altogether, making my way toward the stairs without giving him the satisfaction of meeting his gaze.
Getting to the top floor proved more difficult with my arms full but I managed it and sighed with relief, feeling proud of my conquer. On my way towards the security room, I stared down at the infant in my hands, finally having the opportunity to see the new addition to the group in full scrutiny.
Judith was still in a peaceful slumber, her tiny hands curled up near her mouth and her toothless gums chewing absently on her little fingers. Carefully, I ran a finger down her soft cheek, feeling her skin so heavenly soft beneath my touch. I smoothed down the tiny tuffs of hair she had on her head and smiled down at her when she murmured unintelligent noises in her sleep. She was so delicate, so fragile looking. Judith slept so soundly, completely ignorant to everything going on around her; to the dangers and evil in the world. And yet, this would be the world she would grow up in. She would never experience a time when the dead did not rise and from the day she was born, her life would be a constant battle for survival. In some respect, I envied the small bundle of innocence, how peacefully and absently she continued to sleep. But yet, considering her prospect in life, I realised how hard the road would be from now on for her; for all of us. My arms shook a little, not due to her weight for she weighed so little, but from the weight of this revelation. I felt saddened, grieved. I wondered if the decision to bring a new life into the world was such a great one, not just for Judith but for the group too? My heart sickened a little, but I had reached the door to the security room now and knocked hesitantly on the wood.
"Come in." A distant voice from within called and I opened the door carefully, balancing Judith in one arm to use the other.
Rick sat beside the couch, smiling warmly at me when I entered. I returned the smile briefly before turning my attention to his wife. Lori was sat up a little now, her back resting against the arm of the couch. Her skin had eased off from its sickly pale complexion and I noticed her cheeks had reddened slightly in colour; a good sign, no doubt. Her chest still heaved shakily upon each breath but taking in the smile on the woman's face, I didn't think it bothered her.
"I think I'll leave you to it." Rick announced. "I'll set about gathering the others, I'll send the kids up when we start discussing things, so you can come join us, Ruby." I nodded, making my way further into the room. Rick turned to his wife and leant down to place a kiss upon her forehead. Lori leaned into his touch and smiled absently at her husband when Rick moved away. He paused before leaving, eyeing his daughter in my arms with a smile. With one final, gentle pat on my shoulder, Rick left, closing the door softly behind him. I tried to shake off the fact I had flinched when Rick touched me, trying to pass it off for rocking Judith gently. Quickly, I sat down in the chair Rick had vacated, trying to ignore the feelings of regret at the fact I had flinched at Rick's touch. Rick's. The feelings of disgust still lingered though.
"I don't suppose either of us know where to begin." Lori stated after a moment of compatible silence. "Seems like it's been ages since we've spoke." A frown fell on her lips as she studied me thoughtfully. "Rick told me what happened to you." I smiled sadly, rocking the sleeping infant slowly.
"Everything just kinda went crazy, didn't it?" I admitted quietly, turning to look at Judith briefly. "One minute you and I are talking in here, the next Michonne turns up, we get taken hostage by the Governor and you finally give birth. It's been a crazy few days." Lori nodded slowly, her eyes gazing at her daughter for a moment.
"Rick tells me that you brought Merle back with you?" Lori began and I nodded in confirmation.
"He was with the Governor and his men. Merle saved me though, both Michonne and me." I told her, hoping to redeem the man a little. "He may be an ass but I know there's still good in him, what he did in Woodbury proves that."
"You trust him then?" I nodded. "Rick has told me he's wary of him, doesn't know if Merle plans to turn on him for what happened in Atlanta. I suppose I can't make judgements yet until I've seen the man myself. But if you said he saved you, then I guess that favours my opinion on him." I smiled softly at the woman, overwhelmed with happiness at seeing her more like herself again; long before Shane had died and hers and Rick's relationship began to crumble. It seemed little Judith was the tool to bring them back together again.
"How are you holding up?" I asked, my eyed lingering to the bandage around her stomach. Lori wheezed a chuckle.
"Feels like I've just had something ripped out of me. Which in theory, I have. Everything burns and stings." She winced a sigh before smiling down at her daughter in my arms. "It is all worth it though for little Judith." I observed the woman's face silently before glancing down at the baby in my arms then studying the woman's stature again. "I would ask to take her from you, but I know Herschel doesn't want me to put too much strain on my wound and I'd like to get better as quickly as possible so I can be able to take care of her properly." I nodded.
"And we'll all take care of her until you are up on your feet again." I assured the woman with a faint smile. "I'll even have a go and I'm not even at my strongest right now." Lori beamed at me, looking at me with so much overwhelming happiness that I was taken back for a moment.
"I'm so glad you're alright." I chuckled, wincing slightly as I did.
"It's not as bad as it looks." I assured her, gesturing vaguely to my face and bruises. "If the asshole thinks a few punches will kill me then he's got another thing coming." I attempted to chuckle lightly, though Lori's face fell serious as she frowned.
"What happened in Woodbury, Ruby?" She tried, softly. My eyes widened a little, though I covered the shock quickly by averting my gaze to stare down at the infant in my arms. I opened my mouth, but Lori ploughed on regardless. "Something more happened than what you and Rick are letting on. I know it. You know you can tell me anything, Ruby."
I'm not sure what made me tell her, but I suddenly felt the overwhelming urge to let it all out. Sure, it had been briefly discussed with Daryl but only briefly. There was a heavy weight upon my chest and my skin still burned with the memories of the Governor's touch. The fear I felt in that dingy room in Woodbury would return to me and no matter how much I tried to push it away, it still lingered. It may have been Lori's soothing voice or perhaps the knowledge that I knew she would not judge me, but I found myself relaying everything that happened over the course of my confinement in Woodbury. Right from Michonne and my capture right to Rick taking me to safety. And everything in between.
She remained silent for it all and I made a point at ignoring the imploring gaze that she was directing at me. I didn't want to look up and see disgust in her ever trusting eyes, I couldn't bring myself to see that. My mouth seemed to work at its own accord, taking every little detail into consideration and when retelling the events before my release, I found myself shivering at the memories and struggling to form the words properly. I stared down at Judith as I spoke, studying her lovely face and trying to memories every inch of her. In an attempt to dull out the pain. When I had finally concluded my woeful story, there was a heavy silence in the room. One that was growing increasingly uncomfortable by the minute.
"I'm sorry that you had to go through that, Ruby." Lori began, softly. "No one should ever have to go through that." I braved raising my gaze to the woman and was taken back by the intensity behind her stare. There was no disgust, no rejection, her eyes remained true and full of love and almost pity. I bit back the feeling of uselessness when seeing the pity; I didn't want to be pitied.
"He didn't do anything." I muttered. "Not like he did with Michonne." A pause and I let out a humourless laugh. "And here I am, acting weak and pathetic when she is out there strong!" I chewed my lip thoughtfully, hating how much of my resolve had faded. Lori reached out and weakly grasped my arm between her loose grip, careful not to jolt Judith too much. I raised my gaze again, meeting hers and tried not to shy away from the love and pity again.
"Don't you ever think that you're weak and pathetic, Ruby." She urged, defiantly. "Because you are most certainly not. You have no reason to feel shame for how you're feeling. That man is vile and a disgusting excuse for a human being who will be made to pay for all he's done. But don't you ever think that what happened makes you the weak one because you are one of the strongest people I know and I know that you won't let this beat you." She paused, squeezing my arm a little. "I'm not sure what can really be said to make this better for you, I don't think anything I say can. But I can tell you this; don't bottle things up, Ruby. Don't shut everyone out. You'll do yourself no good by keeping it all inside. If you need to talk, then we will be willing to listen. Don't ever think that we will think any less of you after everything because you are family to us, Ruby. Don't you ever forget that." I allowed myself a small smile at the woman's words, relishing in the brief moment of warmth they gave me. It was a step in the right direction that's sure and I couldn't help but feel a slight reassurance after letting it all out.
"Rick and Daryl know." I breathed with a sigh.
"But they think that he-"
"Yes." I nodded. "Well, Daryl doesn't as I set him straight." Lori's lips pursed a little.
"Would you like me to talk to Rick?" I shook my head violently.
"No." I muttered, curtly. "I'll do it-" A pause. "In time." It was hard enough talking about it with Lori and Daryl. The woman nodded in understanding before smiling sadly.
"How are things with you and Daryl?" She asked, carefully. "I know that things weren't all great before you left and what with what happened to you-" She trailed off, looking sheepish and I shrugged.
"Talked things through with him. As far as I know, everything is fine now." I remembered briefly the scene Merle walked in on and suppressed a blush. Now was not the time to think about that!
"And have you discussed your feelings yet with him?" Lori asked, straight to the mark. I raised an eyebrow at her bluntness, surprised her defiant attitude.
"Not exactly." I muttered. "We've talked about stuff. But not really our-" I was stuttering uselessly now and I saw the smile creeping onto Lori's face. "Feelings. It's not really the time. With this upending war and all that." Lori attempted to shrug, as much as her wound let her.
"No time like the presence." She countered with a large grin on her face. Slowly though, the smile faded. "Of everyone though, Ruby, don't cut Daryl out. I know what happened at Woodbury will be touchy for both of you, but I think being honest with him is what you need." She sighed. "I know you hate the way he looks after you but he does it because he cares. I know you don't think you need his protection but even the strongest of people need help from time to time." In my arms, little Judith murmured slightly as there was a pause as we waited to see if she'd wake up. She didn't and Lori continued. "And with Merle being back, I think Daryl is going to need you more than ever too. It's not going to be easy having his brother back but together I know you can pull through it. Together you can pull through anything. Don't push him away, Ruby."
Further musing were interrupted as Judith decided to have her input, wailing a little, and the conversation was dropped as we set about taking care of her. I was hesitant with the baby, especially in its mother's presence, but also because I had never really had chance to interact with one ever in my existence. I recalled holding a few of my cousins' babies way before the outbreak, in my younger years, but that was as far as it went. As soon as they started crying, they were thrust away immediately. But here, with her mother incapacitated, Judith was under my care in that moment. That was a terrifying thought.
We finally managed to quiet Judith down with some of the baby formula that Herschel had gotten ready and left beside Lori's bed. Judith suckled the bottle contently and I was glad that the panic was over. Until the next time. Lori smiled faintly down at her daughter, the exertion apparently tiring her and met my gaze when I turned to her. There was a moment of compatible silence before Lori opened her mouth to speak, apparently wanting to continue our previous conversation. We were interrupted however when a light knocking on the door was heard.
Sophia and Carl entered the room, Toby bounding after them, informing me that Rick was gathering everyone together downstairs and that I was called to join them. The children - and dog - were sent up to watch over Lori and the baby and I nodded, allowing Carl to take his sister from me. Lori's expression grew in happiness as she watched her children together and she met my gaze with a smile.
"Think about what I said to you, Ruby." She urged softly. I nodded.
"I will." I promised and made my leave, patting Toby's head as I passed and smiling down at Sophia.
The rest of the group were all gathered down by the benches, with the exception of Tyreese and Axel who were still on watch. Everyone had taken a seat, beside Rick and conversation paused as I made my way down the metal steps to them. I smiled awkwardly at the leader before taking a seat in the one Daryl quickly vacated for me. I smiled warmly at the man, giving him my silent thanks as I knew that if I had been made to stand for the duration of this meeting, it would have been a struggle. Daryl in turn took a stand beside Rick and I blatantly ignored the shit-eating grin on the older Dixon's face opposite me.
"Well, I guess we better discuss our next plan of action then." Rick began, slowly. "I don't think I need to relay the details again, you all know the story. We're under threat by a man who calls himself The Governor and his town called Woodbury. I think all we need to do is look at Michonne and Ruby to know what these people are capable of." I shied away from the stares I suddenly got, feeling tense under the brief scrutiny. "For those who don't actually know what Woodbury actually is, it's a town not far from here. With numbers far more than we have."
"I'd take a guess 'nd say there's around 80 people in Woodbury." Merle piped in before smirking at Rick. "But that's without the casualties they probably got after ya little raid." Rick nodded once, looking annoyed at the man's input, but probably more so about the man himself.
"And we think they know where we are." Rick continued. "And if they don't know exactly then they'll no doubt find us eventually. It's a wonder they haven't before but I suppose we've been lucky." He sighed and ran a wary hand through his hair. "His people are heavily armed, we've seen that first hand. And their numbers are over alarmingly greater than ours."
"Are you saying that we run then?" Andrea asked, slowly, folding her arms across her chest.
"Run?" Rick muttered before shaking his head. "No I'm not. We went through hell and back to get this place, to get it secure. I have no intention of abandoning it for these people."
"But if we're outgunned and outnumbered then what real chance do we have?" Sasha asked, a slight tremble to her words.
"We have every chance. This is our home and we are not going to let them take it!" Rick replied, defiantly.
"My opinion is not swaying to either side, Rick, but I feel obliged to remind you that you have a wife who has recently undergone a caesarean without proper medical equipment." The old farmer began. "She is wounded and I don't feel that moving her will do her any good. There are so many risks if we do, she is at risk of infection already under the conditions we're in. Moving her may cause problems with the healing." Herschel added, diplomatically. "It will take weeks for her to heal, but we may not have that long."
"It could be weeks, months, days before they find us. But I think it's safe to say that they will eventually." Rick muttered in reply. "We just need to make sure that when they do get here-" A pause. "We're ready for them."
The silence drew out for a moment and the cell block felt suddenly very eerie. It was broken though quite quickly.
"Ya noble words are all well 'nd good, Officer." Merle cut in, suddenly, no hint of a smirk on the man's face anymore. "But ya don't really understand what ya dealin' with 'ere." Rick's eyes narrowed into a glare.
"'And you do?" Rick muttered, getting a brief smirk in return for his heavy glare.
"They developed a new sport in Woodbury, ya know?" Merle began, slowly. "They'd chain a punch of walkers in a circle 'nd make a couple of guys fight in the middle. The townsfolk would all come 'nd watch, sick ain't it? Men, women… children. Not to mention that I'm sure Ruby has filled ya'll in on our previous little run in with this guy? That man loves violence, probably gets off on it. 'Nd I suppose we gotta remind ourselves 'bout what their hobbies are regardin' women." There was a pause as Merle's words lingered around the cell block. The man had finally taken to talking sense, but they were words no onewanted to hear. "Ya honestly think that if the Governor gets 'ere, 'nd he will, ya right about that, that he'll put up an easy fight?"
"So you think we should run then?" Rick snarled at the man. Merle held up his hands. "I suppose it would be you who would suggest running, wouldn't it? You have a tendency for that, don't you?!"
"That ain't what I'm sayin', Officer." He replied with a glare of his own. I was surprised for a moment that Merle didn't heed to the argument but the man ploughed on, ignoring the last statement Rick had made. "I'm sayin' that ya need to get ya freakin' head out ya ass 'nd start thinkin' tactical! Ya need to fortify this place, get yourselves some lookouts, plan ya attack formation. Get ya escape route ready if need be. Cut the whole "we ain't gonna let 'em take it" bullshit 'cos if they come down 'ere packin' heavy artillery then they'll tear this place apart. Ya need to think realistic, 'cos if it comes down to it 'nd we're bein' pushed into a corner, then the only option is to split. Regardless of 'how much' ya 'ave been through in this damn place."
"You know, for a complete jerk, Merle is actually talking sense." Maggie muttered, earning herself a triumphant smirk from the man.
"We could load up the RV and vehicles with everything we have, get them positioned ready for a getaway if needed." Glenn suggested. "We could gather all the gas from the prison buses in the vehicle bay and empty the kitchens for our food supply."
"Still got the armoury too." Daryl added. "We got enough weapons to distribute, I suppose, 'nd ammo to last a while. But we gotta ration it, don't fire unless needed. Don't need to be trigger happy at a time like this."
"See! Now ya people are gettin' somewhere!" Merle muttered with a grin. He was ignored.
"We could maybe gear ourselves up in the riot gear?" Glenn continued. "Though I'm not sure if they'll be enough to go around-"
"I don't see why we don't just leave now that we have the advantage?" Andrea suddenly cut in, startling the group. All eyes turned to her. "We could pack up everything and just go, save the bloodshed. We have no chance against these people."
"This is our home, Andrea. We cannot give in!" Rick cried.
"And why not?" Andrea challenged. "What do we honestly have here that's worth dying for?"
"It's secure here, we have a life here-"
"Yes, but if these people come then we won't have any life to live!"
"Running is not an option!" Glenn suddenly cut in.
"We have children to think about too, remember!" Andrea muttered. "You honestly think that starting a war with these people will be good for them? They can't be expected to fight!"
"We're not saying that they have to." Rick shook his head and Andrea raised an eyebrow.
"So what, you're gonna lock them in here until it's over?" She countered. "Leave them to wait until we're all killed off and the Governor and his men come looking for any survivors. I think we've heard enough about this man to know that he wouldn't go easy on children."
"Your attitude on the man has changed dramatically." Michonne muttered, eyeing the woman. "You were all for joining him before the kidnapping." Andrea narrowed her eyes at Michonne.
"That was before he was a threat."
"And he wasn't a threat before?"
"Why are you so adamant that we leave, Andrea?" I muttered without thinking. Andrea's eyes turned to me, her anger leaving her as she was now addressing me and not Michonne. There was still a hint of irritation behind them though.
"Because I'm not liking the idea of engaging in battle against these people! None of us have the experience of warfare and yet we all stand around acting like soldiers gunning up before a fight!"
"Speak for yourself, Blondie." Merle muttered. "Was a Sergeant back in the day." Andrea sent the man a glare, which he returned with an easy smirk.
"So what happens when we leave this place then?" I carried on, addressing Andrea. "We find somewhere new, start a new life and all that. You honestly expect that if we leave then all the Woodbury threat will go awaytoo?" Andrea's expression faltered a little. "Merle, Michonne and I were hounded after we left them. They attacked the farm and we ran then. Look at us now, months down the line and they're back again. No matter how many times we run, they'll still follow. Why not get rid of the threat once and for all?" Andrea didn't answer for a moment and a frown fell on her face.
"Look what happened on the farm when they attacked last time." She began, slowly. "We lost our home then too. We lost Patricia, Jimmy, Beth-" She paused to send Herschel and Maggie an apologetic glance. "Carol-" A pause as she swallowed down the lump in her throat. "Dale. Are we really ready to lose anyone else?"
"Last time we weren't prepared for an attack." Rick cut in, suddenly. "But now we have the advantage. We have this place," He raised his arms, gesturing vaguely to the cell block and prison that we inhabited. "We have vantage points, places to fight from, guns, ammo-" He paused and glanced at Merle before sighing ruefully. The man himself raised a questioning eyebrow at Rick's stare. "And we have Merle; who has had army experience which will become useful. Not to mention I have my police training too." Merle smirked triumphantly and I noticed Daryl roll his eyes at his brother's smug actions.
"We have the tombs as well." Glenn added quickly. Everyone turned to him in confusion and he turned sheepish at the sudden attention. "The parts of the prison outside of the safe zone; T-Dog used to call them 'the tombs'." There was a moment of silence as the group tried to push aside the memories of the fallen. "We could use them to our advantage. We know it better than them, if they make it inside the prison then we could lead them down there, have the walkers take care of them."
"That's a last resort." Rick nodded slowly.
"I thought our last resortwas to run?" Andrea muttered, bitterly, folding her arms across her chest. Everyone ignored her.
The planning continued on a little longer, more ideas being thrown back and forth amongst the group. I remained silent for the most part, having nothing to add to the discussion any further. It was soon decided that fortifying the prison was the first place to start. Glenn and Maggie were quickly sent to patrol the perimeter to check for any weak spots in the fence and to inform Axel and Tyreese of the conclusions that had been made. Sasha and Andrea were put in charge of gathering all food and medicines from the kitchens and infirmary and bringing it all back to the cell block. The latter of the pair seemed thoroughly aggravated with the decisions being made but obliged to Rick's orders obediently. Herschel had returned himself back to Lori and the children, to check on the wounded woman and inform them on the decisions. I noticed the tense look on the man's face as he ascended the stairs, a thoughtful one. I couldn't ignore the man's words regarding Lori and her condition. In the need to run from the prison, would we be able to move Lori safely without inflicting damage on the woman? Time would surely tell.
The five of us that remained were an odd bunch, consisting of Rick, Daryl, Merle, Michonne and myself. Now with the free seats, Rick and Daryl obliged to seating themselves at the table and the former sighed loudly before turning his full attention to the older Dixon brother.
"Until all this is over, can we cut the shit with you?" He muttered, raising an eyebrow at Merle. "You could prove to be useful but we don't need the hassle too. Now it not the time." Merle scoffed.
"Ya can't tell me what to do, Officer." Merle countered bitterly before shrugging. This was all Rick got in a way of confirmation from the man, but it was enough.
"Now, you talk tactics-?" Rick began, trailing off. Merle frowned thoughtfully before leaning forward and resting his handless arm on the table. I noticed the way Rick glanced down at the contraption warily but he said nothing.
"We'll start off with establishin' people's positions." He began and Rick raised his eyebrow. "Ya got ya fighters 'nd then ya got the ones who'll stay on the back seat-"
"Right," Rick nodded. "Well, I suppose those on the 'back seat' will be Lori - for obvious reasons - and the children."
"What 'bout the old man?" Merle muttered and Rick frowning a little.
"The man's our only medic, would it be best to keep him out of sight?" Daryl suggested, lightly. "Plus ya wife will need him." Rick took a moments hesitation before nodding in agreement.
"So ya keep those 'ere, ready to scarper if needs be. The rest ya need to assign basic positioning." Merle began before sighing. "Suppose ya could just let everyone do as they please, but that could get messy. If ya have a basic plan for when the shootin' starts then everyone knows what they're job is. For example, it'll be useful to have a couple of snipers. Anyone good enough?" There was a pause.
"Ruby is." Daryl muttered and I turned to him in confusion. He smirked a little, one that didn't quite hold much sincerity. "Might as well put those lessons from Shane to good use, huh?" I suddenly remembered the lessons I had endured with the man and I was surprised that I had forgotten them all so quickly. I let out a brief chuckle before shrugging.
"Andrea's pretty good with a rifle too." I suggested, remembering that the woman has also taken up some of Shane's one-to-one lessons.
"Blondie 'nd Ruby it is then." Merle nodded. "We gotta play at everyone's strengths, use them to our advantage." There was a hesitation as he glanced down at his handless arm. "Can't say I'm too great at usin' guns. My disability renders me pretty fuckin' useless with one. Hand-to-hand combat though; I'm lethal." No one questioned him.
"Me too." Michonne nodded. "Can't say I'm all too great with the things either, never really used one. I'd prefer to use my sword."
"You two could take on a surprise attack?" Rick suggested. "Perhaps find a way to take the Woodbury group from behind, while they're distracted with the main fight? You could take down the stragglers."
"That's a vague idea, Rick." Daryl pointed out, though his older brother shrugged.
"One that can be worked on, Baby Brother. But a good one even so." Merle smirked at the leader, good-naturedly which Rick took with a grimace. "Reckon we'll only be able to put that idea into motion though when they bring the fight. When we see what approach they're takin', we can decide our plan from there, regarding a surprise attack from Micky 'nd me."
"And the rest?" I urged.
"Who are ya best fighters?" Merle asked, turning to Rick. The man paused and then sighed thoughtfully.
"Daryl, Glenn and myself probably but the others know how to use a gun too." Rick informed him. Merle nodded.
"Well, if we play off the idea that you threeare the power three - sounds fuckin' cheesy, I know. Get over it." I smiled a little and Michonne scoffed. "You'll be the main body of our attack, the ones that aim for the big guy - obviously I'm gonna have my share at gettin' to that asshole, but you three will be the ones whose main focus is him. We take him down then the rest is piss. Once their leader is gone, they'll not know what the fuck to do 'nd it'll be an easy fight for us." The man smirked darkly. "If ya have the rest in defensive positions then I think we've got ourselves a pretty strong team."
"One that can beat the Governor?" Rick muttered. Merle hesitated before shrugging.
"We'll see, Officer."
After Maggie and Glenn returned and confirmed that the perimeter was as secure as it ever will be, the next step was to strengthen our 'base' - as Merle put it. Wooden and metal crates taken from the kitchens and various rooms amongst the prison were constructed into 'battle stations' - another of Merle's terms. The cars and the RV were moved to the side of the yard, beside one of the guard towers and were positioned ready for a speedy getaway if needed. Besides the obvious uses of the guard towers, other vantage points were constructed and slowly the prison was becoming fortifiable.
When darkness struck, Axel and Tyreese switched shifts with Sasha and Maggie and the group returned to the cell block for the night. The night was tense and I wasn't sure how well people slept, with the feeling of an upending attack occurring any minute. Though when morning came, everyone quickly resumed the same positions as the day before and we carried on our jobs at quick pace.
The days began to add up and while we were happy for the time provided to prepare, I knew that the tension was mounting amongst everyone. We were all on edge, just waiting now for an attack. Most of the prison became tactical after under a week's worth of work though Rick was forever in need for improvement, hassling the group to keep up the pace and growing more agitated by the passing hours.
"You know, I can't say my guns skills are up to scratch either." I heard Tyreese say to Rick one day. "Been using my hammer pretty much since the start of the outbreak. Suppose I can point and fire in the right direction, but I can't guarantee that I'll reach my target." Rick chuckled at this.
"It's fine, Tyreese." Rick assured the man. "You can join Merle and Michonne in their 'combat attack' as Merle calls it." Tyreese smiled his thanks at the man and left the leader to visit his wife in peace. I watched Tyreese from my seat on a bench, having found myself with nothing to do that particular day. I was sat on the bench alone, Toby no doubt somewhere with Sophia and Carl. My injuries were a lot better now they'd had some time to recover and the aching was dying down slightly. I still took Herschel's pain medication when I was instructed to, but thankfully I hadn't needed to complain about anything else other than the usual soreness.
I watched as Tyreese made his way across the upper platform, smiling pleasantly at those who past him, before making his way down the stairs. He walked towards me when he reached the bottom, greeting me with a friendly smile.
"How are you doing, Ruby?" The man asked pleasantly. I smiled in return; I had always liked Tyreese. He was a good man.
"I'm better, thank you." I replied. "I feel almost myself again!" Almost. Tyreese beamed in return. "How about you?"
"Can't deny that I'm nervous about this upcoming fight, it's getting wary by the day, isn't it?" I grimaced in agreement. "Though it's a good thing we're prepared."
"Yes it is." I nodded, my musing interrupted as Michonne approached the table, her eyes darting between the pair of us, lingering on the man beside me.
"Rick wants a couple of people to check that the entrances into the tombs are secure." She announced.
"Sure, you want me to come?" I offered, already rising to my feet. Michonne quickly shook her head.
"No, you stay here. I know you're getting better, but I think you should sit this one out." Michonne told me, firmly, before turning to Tyreese. "Fancy joining me?" The man shrugged, standing and smiling briefly down at me.
"See you later, Ruby." He nodded before following Michonne out of the cell block. I frowned, watching the pair go with confusion.
"Think too hard 'nd ya head may explode." An obnoxious voice muttered, suddenly beside me. I didn't need to look up to see who it was. There was a creak as Merle took a seat on the bench opposite me. "What's with the scowl, girly?"
"Just confused, that's all." I admitted, turning my attention away from the door Tyreese and Michonne had just exited out of and looked to Merle. The man smirked.
"Doesn't take a lot, does it?" He countered and I glared at the man, only making him chuckle. "What's got ya thinkin', darlin'?"
"Michonne and Tyreese." I told him and Merle raised an eyebrow before scoffing.
"So, Micky's found herself a man, huh? Didn't think I'd see the day." Merle muttered, nodding. "Lets hope they don't breed, we don't need any more Mickys on our hands." I rolled my eyes at the man.
"That wasn't what I was suggesting." I muttered, though the possibility was being considered in my head as I spoke. An odd situation. "Rick's favoured him to join you and Michonne on the combat attack." Merle's eyes narrowed at this.
"So, I'm bein' left with the fuckin' love birds, huh? Lucky me!" I grinned at the man's distaste. "I swear they go all gooey-eyed 'nd I'm takin' the man's head off!" Delightful!
"Ain't you the charmer." Merle smirked before setting his gaze to a serious one.
"While we're on the topic of lovers though," Merle began, slowly. I stifled the groan that wanted to emerge as I guessed what he wanted to ask. "Ya fuckin' my brother?" I scoffed at this.
"Thought we'd established that I wasn't?" I pointed out with a roll of my eyes. Merle shrugged.
"When I suggested it the first time, I didn't think nothing of it. Then I saw ya both together." Merle smirked. "I mean, where would that little moment have led if I hadn't have interrupted ya both? Holdin' hands can go a long way." He raised his eyebrows suggestively and I sighed at the man's blatant nature.
"I'm not with Daryl." I urged, trying to make a point with the man as I knew that this teasing would only be the start of the torment.
"Ya like him better than me?" Merle asked, curiously, though there was a growing smile on the man's face.
"I like you both in different ways." I replied, mysteriously, letting the man chuckle darkly.
"I'd sure hope so, as things could start to get real complicated between the three of us!" I couldn't repress the urge to smack the man upon the side of the head and was surprised by the hearty laugh he let out at my actions. "In all seriousness though, girly, ya want me to smack some sense into Baby Brother?" I raised an eyebrow in confusion and Merle sighed dramatically. "The ass ain't so good at workin' out what his feelings mean, he has a tendency to just ignore them. Doesn't really understand when he's got a good thing goin' on 'nd tends to drive them away. Now, before he lets that happen with you, ol' Merle can step up 'nd make him see sense." A pause and yet another smirk. "If that's what ya want?"
"I don't know, Merle." I admitted after a long hesitation. "With everything going on at the moment, I think it's best that everyone focuses on the threat of Woodbury. We don't need things to get too complicated do we? I think I'll wait till after all this has ended before deciding what to do."
A sudden thoughtful look fell over Merle's face as he contemplated my answer. One that was ever so serious and ever so strange to see on his face. The silence stretched a moment as Merle seemed to delve my response with careful examination. Finally the man shook his head once and murmured in a grave tone;
"It may be too late by then."
(Author's Note): Took my time this time, didn't I! Apologises, my internet has been lagging whenever I've been up for posting the next installment, but here it is! It's not too exciting, just the planning etc. I wanted to set a starting point for the group's planning, rather than have them head straight into the fight. Hopefully Merle's input is believable as I do believe he talked about his time in the army during season 1 (sometime during his ramblings on the roof!). I have no knowledge on warfare, so all their tactical planning is made up from my head! Hopefully you guys liked the plans they're creating? Will it work, I wonder...
And a random comment - I mentioned that Andrea is good with a sniper rifle. I know most would state otherwise - she did shoot Daryl after all! - but in the comics she's actually really good with a gun. So I'd like to bring that skill of hers into my story! She has some use, people! Plus, I'd like to attempt to make her more like her comic conterpart, because I really like that Andrea compared to the series Andrea. I hope you people didn't mind!
Thank you to those who have commented on the last chapter, your words mean a lot! And also, I have posted a link on my profile to another fan's work for this story. WinchesterSalvatoreLover has made a banner for Loginquitas and I urge you all to go take a look. The links to other fan work for this story is on there too! I thank those who have produced work for Loginquitas, I'm honoured!
Thanks again to everyone, I'll have an update up ASAP. Please leave a comment! :)