A/N:Thanks to everyone who followed/favorited since the last chapter! I disappeared again but just for a shorter time, I'm still getting back into my groove.

-casper6six6: Me too! It took a while, but we're back on schedule…..hopefully!

-Micky-Moo: It will be interesting to see how everything goes down for the next couple of seasons. I think things may get intense!

I stared at the live inmates for a few seconds before Rick tugged at my arm hard.

"I need you to focus, Maggie's still in shock. You have to hold this hard! Hard!" I nodded and took the wadded cloth from him pressing it against Hershel's stump. "Hard!" I nodded again pressing against the wound as hard as I could. Rick propped Hershel up as Glenn reappeared with a cart. He and Rick lifted Hershel placing him on top and I moved back into place trying to stop the bleeding. Maggie walked up holding more cloth so I could switch, once what I was using became too soaked.

"T-dog, the door!"

"Woah, don't open that!" T-dog pulled out the scrap of metal and used it to kill the one walker who wandered in.

"We got this!" Glenn and Rick started pushing the cart out and I had to move sideways to keep up with them, while still keeping pressure on the wound. "Daryl!"

"This way, this way." Rick lurched stopping the cart and pushing it backwards. "No, no, no, back, back up. Daryl!" Daryl quickly shot the straggling walker, retrieving his arrow quickly. We rushed down a different hallway, but it became clear that the inmates had followed us.

"Go, go, go, go, go." We reached the cell block surprisingly quickly and Daryl unlocked the first door. "Carl, open the door! It's Hershel!" Carl opened the cell block door and let us in.

"Oh, god!" My mom followed us into the cell, where Lori cleared off the bed.

"He got bit."

"Oh, god, he's gonna turn!"

"Did you cut it off?"

"Yeah."

"Maybe you got it in time." Lori moved to help lift and I pushed her out of the way.

"Move Lori." I helped them shift Hershel onto the bed before stepping back.

"I need more bandages!" My mom had taken over stopping the blood flow.

"We used everything we had."

"Well get more! Anything!" Lori grabbed Carl's arm, pushing him out the door.

"Carl, run upstairs get the towels from my bag." He took off and I turned to Beth as she grabbed my arm.

"Is he going to die?" She immediately choked up and I wrapped my arms around her neck holding her close.

"No, no, no. He's gonna be ok." She laid her head on my neck staring down at her father, who lay pale on the bed.

"We have to keep it elevated. Somebody get pillows!" I was glad my mom had taken over looking after Hershel it had gotten to me.

"He's already bleed through the sheets." Maggie seemed close to catatonic.

"We can burn the wound to clot the blood. I can start a fire."

"Oh god, please don't do that." I held Beth tighter to me.

"The shock could kill him; besides it won't stop the arteries from bleeding. We just have to keep it dressed and let it heal on its own."

I held onto Beth as she cried gently against me. I watched as my mother pressed the towels up against Hershel's leg, Lori propping it up with pillows Rick had brought from the other cells. From the other room you could hear raised voices and I tensed, while Beth jumped.

"What was that?"

"Prisoners, survivors." Everyone turned to Rick shocked and he held up a hand. "It's alright, everybody stay put."

I pushed Beth into Lori's arms and followed Rick and Glenn out of the cell. Rick turned back and grabbed Glenn's arm.

"Don't leave his side. If he dies you need to be there for that." Glenn looked down and nodded slightly. "You think you can do this? Maggie'll be there"

"I got it."

"I can bring T in here..."

"I got this." Glenn stared at Rick fiercely, who nodded. He turned to me and handed me his set of keys.

"You lock the door after me." I nodded and followed him towards the other room, grabbing a shotgun on the way. I made sure it was loaded before locking the door after Rick went out. I stood along the bars watching the prisoners, gun raised to my shoulder. I kept my eyes on the my with the handgun, he seemed like the only real threat.

"Hey, everyone, relax. There's no need for this."

"How many of you in there?"

"Too many for you to handle."

"You guys rob a bank or something? Why don't you take him to a hospital?" I let the gun fall to my waist and stared at the men, how could they not know?

"How long you been locked in that cafeteria?"

"Going on like ten months."

"Riot broke out. Never seen anything like it."

"Attica on speed, man."

"Ever heard about dudes going cannibal, dying, coming back to life? Crazy."

"One guard looked out for us, locked us up in the cafeteria. Told us to sit tight, threw me this piece, said he'd be right back."

"That was 292 days ago."

"294 by my calcula…"

"Shut up!"

"We were thinking that the Army, or the National Guard should be showing up any day now."

"There is no army."

"What do you mean?"

"No army, no government, no police. There's nothing. It's all gone."

"For real?"

"Serious."

"What about my mom?"

"My kids? My old lady? Yo, you got a cell phone or something that we can call our families?"

"You just don't get it do you?"

"No phones, no computers. As far as we can see at least half the population's been wiped out." The front man slowly lowered the gun as he listened. "Probably more."

"Ain't no way."

"See for yourselves." Rick led the prisoners to the door to the yard pulling it open. They slowly walked out into the light. Daryl walked over to me and I looked up at him.

"Anythin' happens you shoot first ask questions later, ok?" I nodded and he reached through the bars and ran a hand down my face, before he turned and followed Rick to the yard. I sighed and leaned against the bars, laying the shotgun against my shoulder. I stood up straight again, as Rick came back in walking over towards me.

"We're helping them clean out a cell block. Go back and help with Hershel. Don't open this door for anything, until we get back." I nodded and he turned walking back over to the group. Daryl nodded at me, which I returned before moving away from the bars and back to the open cell where Hershel lay.

"How's he doing?"

"Blood's got to stop sometime." Mom smiled at me weakly.

"It's already slowed a lot." Lori gave me a tired smile as she rinsed out a towel. I watched Beth wander out of the cell and walk up the stairs, but I didn't follow her. I sighed and turned from the cell going back to my post by the door. There's was nothing else I could do for Hershel and I would feel better keeping watch. After a few minutes I turned when I heard light talking to see Glenn and Maggie arguing quietly I turned back towards the bars to give them some privacy. I heard the outer door open and I saw T-dog walking carrying a couple boxes, followed by Rick with two large bags.

"Foods here."

"What you got?"

"Canned beef, canned corn, canned cans." I laughed and smiled as he walked past. "There's a lot more where this came from."

"Any change?"

"Bleeding is under control and so far no fever, but his breath is labored and his pulse is way down. And he hasn't opened his eyes yet."

"Take my cuffs and put them on him. I'm not taking any chances." Glenn took Rick's cuffs before walking into the cell. I walked back to the bars watching for anyone else to bring food back from the cafeteria and laid the shotgun against the wall. Daryl placed a variety of weapons on the table before walking over to me. I opened the door and he slipped in pulling me tightly against his chest. I wrapped my arms around his waist and he laid his head on mine.

"We're gonna help them clear out a cell block. Then we each stay to our own sides." I pulled back a bit and looked up at him.

"Hershel almost died and now you're going to help clear out another cell block." He put both hands on my neck and rubbed the skin with his thumbs.

"We got more people, stay in formation, we'll be fine." I shook my head and he leaned down kissing me gently. "Come back to ya, promise."

"I love you."

"Come on, Daryl." Rick stood by the door and Daryl nodded before hugging me tightly. He reached down and cupped my butt, before reaching between my legs and rubbing me once roughly.

"I'll come back and finish the job." His breath was hot in my ear and I blushed as he pulled away.

I followed him to the door and locked it behind him before watching T-dog, Rick and Daryl address the prisoners at the table. I turned and went back up to the perch to wait.