Curative
By Kaimaler
Alright and here we go. Months and months have passed... Review replies are at the bottom! :)
Where do our people stand and where are they? Time to get some action moving... About time we see some familiar faces...
Also there's a somewhat descriptive rape scene in this one, so be warned. I'm not into pulling grammatical punches for the ease of reading. The scene is described as it pertains to the story. So feel free to ignore the description, but the scene does have a bearing on what's going on.
Ahh... and after what? 10 chapters, 85,000 words later, we've finally arrived. Welcome to Season 3 of The Walking Dead. We're catching up technically to Season 3, Episode 3 and Episode 4. But specifics amiright?
This also starts as a Laura / Merle companionship chapter. I wouldn't say that they're "friends" conventionally, but Merle warmed up to her and she to him. So there's a lot of complicated feelings and Merle goes a bit outside his usual characteristic, but remains himself through it. Figure he might be learning a thing or two... hmm... :)
Merle was Laura's only human contact now, she relied heavily on him to satisfy her need for interaction. Though she did not see him as often as she wanted, Laura had time to grow more attached to the man who initially gave her trouble.
The time had come for her to go on another run with him into a town farther away than others were willing to go. The Governor used Merle and Laura for the worst or more risky jobs. This time they had been sent to a market that had been boarded off by survivors during early days of the outbreak and was now overrun. With Laura's company they were able to enter and exit without facing a rush by the herd there.
They were returning from this run, the packs of scavenged food, clean drink, and weapons all secured in the truck bed. Laura, as usual, was driving the truck while Merle kicked back in the passenger side. The drive took about an hour but the supplies they carried back were worth the trip. They were even so lucky to retrieve gas and filled the canisters with siphoned fuel which made back the fuel they burned getting to and from the boarded up market.
Merle was half asleep and Laura realized how comfortable she had become around this man. She hated the company of anyone in Woodbury, knowing none of them were with her, only using her. None of them cared if she pulled them from a herd of the undead or died slowly. Merle's companionship was already known to her, but she had grown an attachment to him that surpassed what she initially thought possible in Woodbury.
They learned to communicate even with the muzzle and bit. He could understand her and did not mince words for her sake, he neither abused her or coddled her. He treated her like the partner she is. The Governor ordered her around and told her to look out for him, but she went beyond that. She kept him close to her when given the chance and actually liked being around him.
Though Merle was not a kind man, he did give her the respect no one else did. He looked out for her even when she had done nothing more than what the Governor told her to do. He did not care, he did what he wanted out beyond the walls of Woodbury. Alone out here she could not harm him without facing severe punishment, should he ever want to abuse her she could not do much against him.
But he never even thought about it. To his credit, Merle never considered putting a hand on her after she was finally released from the room they locked her in. She was there to answer questions and she did. As far as Merle was concerned that should have been the end of her involvement with Woodbury. Thinking back on the people he was told to hunt down he felt the guilt of their deaths and their suffering.
The Governor was merciless. He did not care who they were or if they were even a threat to Woodbury at all. Laura's group was not a danger to Woodbury, but they had supplies that he wanted. One of the few people to ever escape him. Laura did not know how Merle thought about everything going on in Woodbury, both to her and what the Governor was planning.
Merle usually made his opinions known, most often very loudly or offensively. He had a way about him that was more aggressive than it needed to be. Laura found she was opposite, she was aggressive but she kept her thoughts to herself. Not only because she was forced to by way of muzzle, bit, and the conditioning to train her.
Laura was silent both because she was made to and she wanted to be. She had very little to say and what she did she only said it to Merle, who understood her. The need to remove the muzzle had faded months ago. The only person she wanted to communicate with already could speak to her, she did not care beyond that. So Merle and her developed and fostered a bond somewhat reluctantly.
They traveled, scavenged, and survived outside the walls together. Merle told her things she did not quite understand, things about a world she could no longer remember. Times before the outbreak he found enjoyable to tell, explained things to her that he thought were funny, and she listened. She never said much about them and did not really remember what he talked about half the time.
He talked a lot, he talked to her, and included her in those talks. He made her feel a spark of humanity, but it failed to maintain when they returned to Woodbury. Of course none of this was ever Merle's plan when they went out, he did not treat her any differently than anyone else. It was that which made Laura feel relaxed around him.
A few nights when they were camped outside the walls like the night in that cabin she did not mind sitting with him. When hurt she helped him the best she could, when she was hurt she was fine with him doing what he needed to do. A few cases of running into other survivors had resulted in her being stabbed, cut, shot, or just generally attacked. Merle experienced the same, but he was far stronger than she was. Fighting off someone for him was usually not a problem.
Laura had developed her own strength through the physical tests back in the lab. She exercised as part of a routine they had her on and her strength far surpassed what it had been. On a rare occasion Laura had found herself carrying Merle back to the car or to Woodbury. It was not an easy task. The man was nearly twice her size and she had to get stronger to handle these incidents.
To be entirely fair of course Laura had been in trouble to need help from Merle like that. She remembered facing a survivor who had long since lost his mind to the wastes. She had caught up to him but had not known he was living in the area and placed traps. There was a rope under her feet, the man just in front of her, and she was knocked out cold.
While unconscious Merle had handled the man, far more experienced looking out for traps and shot the man before he could cause more damage. Merle took his pack, went back to Laura, and picked her up. She remembered coming to and Merle noticed, commenting that she needed to look out for traps or she'd get herself killed.
Laura did not disagree and found she had sprained an ankle on the rope. She was alright limping back, but he insisted. Merle complained that it would take too long for her to limp back and he did not feel like staying out late again.
So now, in the car together, Laura felt confident that this man would do nothing to harm her so long as she did not provoke him. She was defenseless to the people of Woodbury, if they wanted to bring her harm, they would do so. She might not make it easy, but that was not enough to stop them most of the time. Now, driving back to Woodbury, Laura found herself wanting to remain outside with Merle.
Her days outside Woodbury with him were comparatively better than anything within the walls. He treated her well and she wanted to stay outside with him. It would have made her life much easier, but she knew the doctor wanted her back for another round of tests.
She did not much care what the tests were, all she wanted was to be here with someone who did not call her an it or order her around. Merle did not have to tell her what to do, she knew what to do. He felt no need to constantly give her directions and so far what she did had worked out far better than anything else. Other groups sent out were not near as successful as Merle and Laura.
Not even alone did they come back with the same success that they did together. It was a combination of their strengths that made them so effective, one without the other was still better than the average, but not the best they could be.
Woodbury was just up this last road, the debris meant she had to drive a little slower. When she dropped speed Merle woke up, noticing they were moving slowly down a road full of obstacles. He yawned, looking to her and nodding. It was time to put on a face for the guards and the Governor. They were themselves outside the walls, but within both learned in their own way they had to hold themselves back.
Laura sighed, tapping a finger on the steering wheel. Merle chuckled, "You said it." He agreed with her impatience and annoyance with the road though still obviously a joke pointed at her inability to speak. The guards never took the time to clear out the back entrance streets. They just let old cars and fallen trees make it harder on anyone coming back in. Laura looked at him, blinking, and huffed, gesturing sharply to the cars with a fist and opening her palm.
"They're too damn lazy to even fix that light hanging outside the warehouse. You really that surprised they ain't come out here and cleaned all this mess up?" Merle responded to her silent statements. The only person even capable of grasping the general idea of her strange form of communication.
Laura took a deep breath, flipping her wrist to tap her fingers on her chest then flicking her hand to the debris covered road around them. She blinked again, glancing down to the seat between them before turning back to the road.
Merle nodded, "If they don't make you do it they'll make me do it." He grumbled, "Lazy fucks can't do shit without me having to spoon feed them. I ain't here to keep them happy, but they sure do act like I am."
The gate began to open for their arrival and Laura drove straight in, careful in case anyone was no paying attention as their truck entered the walls. The metal gates rattled as they were closed again behind them, the locks snapped in place and the guards returned to their usual positions.
The truck rolled to a stop and she cut the engine. Merle popped the door and stepped out of the truck, Laura close behind. She came around to the truck bed and opened the door. Dragging out a pack she turned to the guard approaching the vehicle, part of the people who help unload into the warehouse for inventory checks. He was taller than her and burly, but not muscle defined. He came up behind her, uncomfortably close and looked down to her.
Laura was a bit shocked to see him so close behind her and when she looked up to his face in a moment of surprise, he had a hooded look on his face. He looked at her up and down, she avoided eye contact as she was trained, and held the pack up for him to take. His leering making her skin crawl, but he took the pack from her hand, waited a moment while eyeing her, and turned to take the pack indoors.
It was only a moment but that man made her uncomfortable. The look on his face told her enough about why he was so disturbing to her. She decided to ignore it, she would be returning to the lab after inventory and she would not have to see him.
She stepped into the back of the truck, moving the packs closer to the edge so the rest of the people could collect them. She kept the train moving, tossing one pack to them, letting one person take it, then tossing another. It made quick work of the supplies they had gathered for the few days they had been out. She was ready to be resting in her dark cell again. It blocked out all light and there was rarely ever a sound, bringing some level of peace and quiet to her long days.
The last pack was handed off to a woman who picked it from Laura and headed back inside for inventory.
Finally finished with this trip and her day, Laura checked to make sure there was nothing left in the truck. It was dark out so it was unlikely for anyone else to spot anything. She felt it was done, nothing else around and Merle had long since moved to the far building, leaning against the wall waiting for the work to be done. He was required to stay until everything was out of the way, the moment it was done he'd usually be gone.
She knew he was not really paying attention to what they were doing, only sticking around in case the Governor decided to show up again. He had shown every time they returned, but the Governor was not seen much these last few days. From what Laura picked up and Merle told her about the Governor had some people arrive and brought them into Woodbury to be part of the community. Apparently they took up a considerable amount of his time.
There was not much explaining the situation to Laura. The Governor willingly brought survivors into Woodbury to welcome them into the community. Laura wondered what he was planning on doing to them if he kept them alive without harming them. He was devious, there was always a reason behind an action for him.
Merle had been busy handling that situation. He described the event to her, but did not elaborate on much. It was not something he was keen on discussing as he clammed up about it almost as quickly as he started. He was never the quiet one, so Laura put together these people were important somehow. She knows Merle mentioned their names, but she could not recall as it had very little influence on her.
Anything about this situation failed to really interest Laura, but she was relieved the Governor was not always around now. It allowed her another few moments of peace before being called again.
Laura stepped to the edge of the truck and hopped down, her boots hitting the ground with a thud. She turned around grabbing the edge of the truck bed door lifting it to snap it shut. She caught the scent of another person near her and spun to see the same man from before. He had dark hair and unkempt stubble, he wore a black shirt and utility pants. There was nothing remarkable about him except his intentions.
Alarmed she failed to snap the truck bed door and let it drop back down. The man incredibly close to her again, she felt her skin crawling. His hand reached up to her face and she winced as his knuckles brushed the side of her face, running over the leather edge of the muzzle to the skin below moving hair to the side. His eyes were looking straight down to her chest.
The heavy leathers were no longer needed as it had gotten much warmer outside. Not that she needed clothing to protect her from exposure, but it was the attire they provided for her. Now as it grew hotter during the day they had only given her a tan tank top with utility pants about two sizes too big for her. It left a lot of her unnaturally blue skin exposed and an unnecessary amount of cleavage.
Laura had never been the beautiful athletic girl before the outbreak, not that she knew anything about it. Now she carried a well defined body that had been fed plenty to give her a fuller figure, no longer just a starved girl hiding from the living. She developed a more attractive figure if the blue skin and collection of scars did not deter the on looker.
In this case, it had not. Her blue skin only made her more exotic to the man. The scars decorated her body made it feel like a conquest. Worst of all she was completely at his mercy if she should resist and harm him, she would face severe punishment. Laura had been able to suffer through men like this, but did not want to face being branded again. It was a greater pain than what he intended.
Laura bent backwards, involuntarily. She was disgusted by his attention, but did not use the metal claws they gave her or the strength she had to fight him. She had faced too many punishments for hurting the Woodbury guards already, one more time and she would earn herself the iron.
Seeing her recoil from him appeared to anger him. As if his unwarranted affections for her was meant to attract her to him. It did the opposite of course and she found him as revolting as the rest. He grabbed her upper arm, pulling her closer to him. He looked around them for a moment before deciding on a place, he yanked her arm forcing her to follow him.
She stumbled from being pulled around roughly, but she did her best to keep her gloved hands away from him. One cut and she would have a fresh new burn. So she kept her hands to herself, trying to follow him though the awkward angle made it a bit difficult.
He pulled her down the sidewalk of the building beside them, to an alley between the wall and the building. It was a building for storage only and this section of the wall had no platform to patrol. The privacy allotted was not ideal, but enough for him. There was a few tables and chairs in the alley meant to be a place to set weapons of the people captured. It had been empty for some time as they had not brought anyone back for nearing on two months.
He whipped her around him, nearly throwing her into the middle of the relatively narrow alley. She managed to regain her footing before falling to the concrete below. Laura looked around herself, seeing a dark alley was rather stereotypical; she already knew what he wanted but this spot was strangely iconic. She felt strange being outside like this, it felt very unnerving.
When she looked at him he took a moment to look over her, getting more excited about having her to himself. He came up to her in two long strides and grabbed her tightly with a nearly bruising force. Her hands came up to push him away, but she resisted the need to get him away from her. A hand reached down to her lower back and the other to the back of her neck.
He bit her neck while made her jump at the suddenness. His hands roamed her figure, finding purchase on whatever bare skin he could find. Laura was tense, her eyes closed, just hoping to distract herself long enough for this to be over. Being used against her will was relatively common during the first few months in Woodbury, it became less frequent the more work she did for the Governor and the undead behavioral traits she displayed.
It did not make it any easier in the end, but she became somewhat accustomed. Perhaps the most disturbing part of the rapes were how she began to expect them, no longer just hoping for it to end.
She felt his body pressing against hers tightly, he wanted her bad enough to ignore how tense she was. He did not care for her willingness, only what he could get out of her.
Leaning back from her he grabbed the tank top and pulled it over her head the shirt getting caught on the gloves. He yanked them over and off her gauntlets and relished in her nude upper body, finding her lack of a bra more of a turn on. Laura felt even more awkward being outside, half naked. The cool night breeze chilling her naked skin.
He took her her body immediately, his hands grasping her breasts as he leaned over to bite them, causing her to flinch away from him. It was enough for him though, he was already ready to take her just thinking about her earlier.
Laura was pushed to the table beside them her hands bracing herself against it. He pressed his chest to her back and reached around her to unbuckle her belt and unbutton her pants. The pants being too large for her came in handy for him as he found the moment the belt was undone the pants would slip off if he just pushed them lightly.
She felt his breath on the nape of her neck as he undid her utility pants. His hand flat and sliding over the defined muscles of her stomach and back. "Bend over." He demanded. Leaning over her, pulling at her hips and pushing her upper back so she would bend over the table. Hands ran over her back, his hips pressing against her. She heard the clang of his belt buckle than him unzipping. "I've been waiting to fuck you all night."
Her clawed fingers cut into the table as she braced herself, biting down on the bit in her mouth, and closed her eyes. She felt him enter her with a satisfied groan, his bucking hips pressing her into the table. "Good thing you know how to take dick, I'm not the gentle sort." He held her down with a hand on the middle of her back, the other grabbing a fistful of her hair and yanking it back straining her neck. His threat was not unfounded as he bucked into her hard, causing especially sharp pains to shoot through her body.
She grunted as he became more brutal, he reveled in making the rape as painful as he could with hard thrusts, but the pain only lasted a moment. As quickly and as harshly as he started, he stopped. Laura opened her eyes, expecting there to be more. Too scared to move for fear of him deciding the best way to keep her still was to beat her, a decision shared by previous rapists when she resisted, Laura remained bent over the table.
A new scent confused her and she wondered what was happening. Before she lifted her head to see what was going on behind her, a hand grabbed her left shoulder. Ready for the man to continue she tensed up, but was spun around and pulled upright. Bewildered, she did as he wanted and stood back up, her metal gloves tapping and scraping the table below her.
A voice reached her ears but she failed to realize someone was talking to her. Laura shook her head and focused on the voice and face in front of her. "Hey, girl, you there?" A sentence she found Merle asking her a lot. Sure enough it was him, standing in front of her, slightly leaning over to be at eye level with her. Laura shakily nodded her head.
He looked down, seeing her in a state of undress. A quick glance around and he saw the discarded shirt. Laura was a bit too dazed to grasp what was happening. These people beat her, use her, and never once show her any consideration. Merle was always different, but she did not think he would go out of his way. Which is what he did here.
Picking the shirt from the ground he set it on the table behind her, still seeing she was mostly unresponsive. He had seen shock before and did not expect her to snap out of it immediately.
Instead he reached down and slipped the waist of her pants back up, buttoning the pants and buckling the belt. They hung still rather loosely on her wide hips, but it was better than standing entirely naked. This was amazingly difficult for a one handed man, he ended up pushing the metal cover on his lost hand into her and using his good hand to fix the rest.
Merle took the shirt back from the table and went to put it back on the woman in shock. He took it one step at a time though, pulling one arm through the shirt then the other, tugging it over her muzzled face. He straightened it over her torso, knowing he likely had touched her quite a bit in places that she did not want anyone to touch her. It was unavoidable when trying to dress someone who was shaking from shock. He did what he could and it was far more than anyone else. It took some doing, but he managed to do it with one hand.
Finishing redressing the woman he took his hands off her entirely, seeing if that might allow her to get ground on what had happened. The man who Merle found raping Laura was nursing a head wound on the ground nearby, hissing as he touched the sensitive spot. He knew better than to argue with Merle, a man regarded highly by the Governor.
He pulled her to the far end of the alley, opposite side where they had parked the truck. The man stood up, watching Merle leave with Laura. Merle pulled no punches and taken beat the man to the ground, after five punches the man surrendered, unable to gain any ground against Merle. He was not particularly the hero type, but Laura and him grew too close.
In the dark barely illuminated by the street light on the main road about fifty feet away. Laura looked around, still staring straight into nothing. Merle stood her on the corner and looked her over. No signs of injury beyond what he had found going on in the back alley. He waved a hand in front of her face, disrupting her thoughts and mild panic.
"Come on, come on back..." He waited as Laura's eyes blinked rapidly and she shook her head, running a shaking gloved hand over her head. Laura took a deep breath and swallowed hard. Her nerves calming down as she came to see Merle standing in front of her. "You alright, girl?"
Laura took a moment to think about what had happened, the man who pushed her over the table, then seeing Merle here. She had not yet pieced everything together or realized her situation before her closed hands pushed Merle away from her. He figured that meant she needed some room, but as he took a step back, Laura stepped forward.
He tried to give her space, but now he saw she was having something of a breakdown. She made what he thought was a rather pathetic mewling sound and heard her sniffling. Merle was not the kind of man who knew what to do with a crying, traumatized woman. "Whoa now, ain't no need for all that." He tried to calm her down as Laura leaned on him for support.
They had gotten close outside the walls and it finally had come back inside with them. Some unexplained and complicated part of Merle was attached to this woman and he felt responsible for her. Both because he was one of those who brought her here, but also because they had spent to much time surviving outside together. He knew she looked after him when they were beyond the walls, now he was looking out for her in Woodbury.
A difficult and very risky position to be in.
Laura tried to resist crying in front of Merle, but the aftermath of what had started as another brutal rape broke her resolve just for a moment. She felt her tears coming down and gave up trying to stop. She leaned against Merle's chest, crying and thankful at the same time. It was clear to her that he stopped the man from making her night much worse, but with Merle's companionship it crushed her to know this was her life. The only person decent to her was Merle and he would never win awards for best friend.
Warily Merle patted her back with his only hand, the metal cover under her other arm to support her. "It's alright, just-" Merle struggled, he was not comfortable with rampant emotions like this. He also realized telling her to 'just breathe' was a poor choice of words. "-Just relax. I gotcha." His attempt at comforting her were desperately taken from what he thought someone in his position might say. He had no idea in the end.
So he stayed there and waited for Laura to finish, reluctantly holding the broken woman. Not that he did not want to help her, but more that he had no clue how to handle this situation.
They had gone further than they planned. Escaping the farm house was the only way to survive those people, but now they had been on the road, hiding from place to place, always just minutes from another herd or facing a rush. The undead surrounded the area, shuffling along the roads and woods, there was no place safe from another group.
Red and Micheal focused on taking the ones in their path out. Carol and Markus got to work covering the sides and rear. Braddock now carried two bags and Melanie in his arms, the poor girl far too tired to go anymore. Braddock considered himself very lucky he was a strong man so he was able to handle the extra weight, but eventually it would slow him down.
Shelter had never been as good as the farm house, but they never returned to it though they were forced to circle back to it once months ago. By then the people who attacked were long gone and no longer searching the area for them. Red spent too much time thinking about how they lost Laura and failed to explain it to the others.
He knew Carol blamed him at first, Laura was her friend and protected her out here. Now Laura was gone and Carol was alone with people she did not know well. Red and the others would never hurt her and she knew that, but it did not change that they lost someone.
The journey away from the herd had never been the same after that. While the farm house would have easily been a good place to wait out the herd then slip out behind them, they knew they lost that chance. With Laura gone, the herd coming from almost every direction, they were forced to back track more often than they liked. It was risky, but it was their only choice.
Their time outside left everyone tired, thirsty, and hungry. The food and water they carried with them from the farm house had long since run out and the only thing they had left were guns. Helpful for the dead, not so much when facing starvation or dehydration.
Scavenged food was nearly impossible the find, the area seemingly cleaned out by other survivors, potentially the group that raided them at the farm house. They were constantly paranoid about the area they were in, knowing these people were around. It was a frequent and frustrating topic they discussed when camping overnight.
Red did not have any answers out here, either about how to avoid the herd or how to stay under the radar of that other group. He was growing more stressed every day, the months had grown long and unforgiving. They were all thankful it was no longer ice cold outside, but the sudden change from cold and dry to hot and humid was punishing for the group.
They all pitched in where they could, trying to make the humidity bearable while traveling. Not much could help aside from finding shade to cool down, but shelter was few and far between. Their food almost entirely came from what they could hunt as most homes or stores they found were entirely empty of food.
As per his hurried agreement with Laura he kept Carol close at all times when traveling. He was careful to watch over her, make sure she was not in harms way as they attempted to stay on the path to find Carol's group. Aside from owing Laura a debt they did not believe they could fulfill, Carol's group was the best chance they had out here against a herd.
The few sightings there were of other survivors were confirmed by Carol as not part of her group. For safety they avoided anyone Carol did not recognize. They lived constantly fearing what was around the next corner.
Months of struggle with nothing but a hundred undead on their trail and no sign of the people Carol was looking for. After some time they were forced to give up their search and focus on supporting themselves. Which was difficult by the aforementioned lack of supplies in the area and the herd keeping them from going further to try the nearby towns.
Markus and Daisy did what they could to keep spirits up. They were both the optimists of the group, with Red the realist, Micheal a pessimist. Braddock was... a collection of opinions that Carol always enjoyed talking about. He was not a religious man or really atheist, but he believed the outbreak and the end of the world happened for a reason. Be it something scientific like humanity overlooking the dangers of overpopulation and their ability to quarantine the infected quick enough or the wrath of god.
Carol liked his open mindedness though she was not religious either, she appreciated Braddock's colorful view of such a bleak world. He was always a sweet, gentle man regardless of his impressive stature. She knew he often spoke seriously about their situation, but he always made it easier to speak about. There was no pity party he threw, it was a view of the world that Braddock liked to elaborate on with someone willing. This person was Carol almost every time, rarely did the others talk. She often compared their discussions like reading a well written book.
Daisy was a bright, flowery girl who Carol pinned pretty quickly. She did not hide her wealthy background or the fact she was a spoiled child, sheltered from the world before the outbreak. To be here now, alive and fighting, was impressive considering her previous ideas of a bad day. Before the Wildfire virus ended the modern world Daisy's worst days consisted of spilling coffee on her new shirt, breaking a pair of her Gucci sunglasses, or breaking an acrylic nail.
Now the delicate beautiful young girl learned how to fire a gun, kill the undead, and survive off scraps. She never wanted to hide herself or who she was before, but she showed she was not shallow and incapable. Daisy went from a frivolous lifestyle to being one of the few survivors to make it this far, not just because she was with others who cared for her, but because she is smart and truly capable.
Carol tried to read Red but was always met with the same stone wall as Daryl had put up. He was thick skinned and took control of the group as the de-facto leader like Rick. He looked out for everyone and never made a reckless play unless they had no choice. He was strategic and planned well ahead of the obstacles they faced.
Micheal and Markus were a bit different. Carol knew Micheal was ever the romantic, but he had no expressed much interest in her. Largely due to the fact Carol was Laura's friend and he did not want to bark up that tree again. He left well enough alone, which was smart for him. He was no idiot, but he could certainly be blinded by his own ideas.
Markus struggled, he was a man faced with many losses and smiled despite them. His resolve is to be the hopeful member of the group regardless of his losses and the risks he takes. Carol liked him immediately, finding his wide smile and jokes as a way to make her forget about the world around them even for a short time. They got along well.
Of course that left Melanie, but she was young and did not have much thoughts on the new world. She was a strong girl, capable of holding a gun or a knife. There was no fear of the undead, no fear of what will happen tomorrow. Everyone helped care for her and Carol especially enjoyed looking after her. She would often think of Sophia while with Melanie.
This group was tight and cared deeply for each other. Carol was happy to be a part of this group, she did what she could and showed them she was more capable than they gave her credit for. She survived out here with Laura for some time and was continuing that success; Carol was more than just a woman Laura protected. She was able to survive on her own if needed.
At this time she wanted to find the others, to find Sophia, and bring this group with her. The numbers would bolster their own but their capacity to survive would help both groups if they came together.
Carol did not doubt that Rick would be glad to welcome these people who helped her and Laura so much. They all did enough to earn a place with the others. They were not searching for the others currently, but were sure to keep the road they took close by. They needed food and water more urgently than before, so they needed to break off the trail just for a short while.
Red did not mention that they had been following so long there was no real assurance they were even on the same road anymore. The plan was to follow the highway and check the local areas around it, so far that brought them the occasional place to sleep, some food and water, but not enough to survive on and continue searching. He felt bad about breaking off the road for a while. Eventually they would come to check this area anyways, but it was a bit further than they were planning on so soon.
He was sure to apologize to Carol about having to leave behind the search. She was understanding, as usual, and helped out however she could. He was glad to have her along, especially since she was not the type to berate him for giving up yet. Carol would continue looking for the others even if Red's group did not. Risking starvation was not the same as leaving the plan entirely.
Right now they were without any shelter moving through the woods as the roads were too much of a risk. If another group like the one that attacked them showed up they would be done for. Far too weak to fight off any more attackers they already had their hands full with the dead.
Their luck was changing as they continued through the woods overnight well into midday. Everyone was beyond exhausted, Melanie was up and walking as she was able to sleep overnight with Braddock and Markus taking turns carrying her. The others were not so lucky and began to slip up, missing a walker or two, tripping over a branch. They needed a place to rest, they would not make it staying awake another night.
Carol looked to Red, still a bit desperate to get back on the trail to finding her group, but acknowledging they needed food and shelter fast. She took out her canteen and took a small sip from the luke warm water. It was half full and there was not much left spread through the group either. They needed to preserve what they could.
She sighed, her feet sore and eyelids heavy. When she was with Laura they could camp anywhere, the undead did not bother Carol with the protection of her cured friend beside her. When Carol got tired, sore, or hungry they could always change their path no matter where the dead were. They could walk right through so long as Carol remained low profile.
Red looked at Carol, everyone in the midst of taking a break. They were pushed to their limit, burning energy they did not have. Carol handed the canteen to Melanie, keeping the young girl hydrated. Daisy gave Carol a small smile to show she was appreciative of her. Carol just smiled back and hung the canteen back around her.
Red leaned against a tree, waiting for everyone to catch their breaths and ready themselves to move. He did not know what to do at this point, without finding any place with some supplies soon he knew someone would start to go first. They would be unable to continue and the group's only chance to save them would be to find food. The reality someone might be left behind was becoming too real for him.
As Braddock took a sip of water from a nearly empty bottle of water their peace was shattered by a gunshot. Birds fled the trees around and the group all jumped in shock, wondering where the shot came from. The gunshot was followed by another two shaking the group from their stunned silence.
"What the hell was that?" Markus readied his pistol, unable to see anything around them. "Where did it come from?"
"We should get out of here, there's no telling who was shooting or why. I don't think we want to stick around to find out." Markus suggested, his shotgun in his hands. The group was in a mild panic about the strangers who the gunshots came from. They were not close enough to see anything, but the source was nearby.
Carol tried to look through the overgrowth but could not make out anything signifying a shootout. She remained on high alert, watching the area for anyone coming up on them.
Red pushed himself off the tree, Daisy put Melanie behind her, and Braddock checked to make sure his rifle was loaded. Everyone had a role to play and they never hesitated. It was time to protect the group.
"Micheal is right, let's move out of here." Red directed, "We don't want to get caught up-" More gunshots interrupted him, there were quite a few all one shot at a time. That told them there were multiple guns in play, which meant multiple people. The frequency of the shots told them there was something going on. "-come on, let's go."
Carol listened, she heard a voice. There was yelling and she could not make out what was being said, but these people were yelling. It is a panic telling her these people were fighting something, likely the dead, but perhaps another group. She weighed her options and found a chance to find someone else.
There was a slim chance these people were who she hoped they would be especially this far off the main road. It was the only other people they had heard this entire time and Carol knew she needed to find out for certain. They had seen one or two people out alone, they were easy to write off as strangers. These gunshots and yells; she had to get closer to know.
The others were moving away before Daisy saw Carol standing there, ignoring the directive to move out of the area. "Carol, are you alright?" She asked, the question gaining the attention of the others. They all came to find Carol standing and looking in the direction of the gunshots.
Carol did not even turn around to see the worried looks on their faces. "Wait here." She said before jogging off into the woods, her pistol loaded and ready just in case. She had to know, this was the only sign of other survivors they had seen in so long. This was way off the main road they had been following, but she would take any chance she needed to be with her daughter again.
Knowing what Laura struggled with she wondered how Sophia was handling it without anyone there to help her. The world was already confusing and terrifying for a little girl, but to be what she is... Carol only hoped she could find some way to help from her experience with Laura.
"Carol!" She heard Red call out behind her, the crunching of dry leaves and grass below their feet. The group followed Carol, trying to stop her from rushing into a bad situation without anyone to help her. Red wanted to weigh the chances of this being her group, the dangers of finding more armed strangers. Carol did not want to wait, the gunshots were directing her where to go and she needed to follow them while she had the chance.
But it was that voice calling in the distance that drew her to find out who this was. Carol knew that perhaps her hunger and desperation to find anything was tricking her. The voice was familiar and too faded to make out right, so she had to get closer to find out. Whatever the person was shouting it was urgent, if this was who she hoped it to be, she wanted to be there to help.
So she rushed of recklessly to find the source, hoping for some good news.
The gunshots were louder and she heard the voice again. "Come in here!" It was loud, demanding. Something was wrong. Carol knew that voice; she was right.
She turned to see the others trying to keep pace behind her. "It's them! I hear them!" She cried happily, "Hurry up, they're in trouble!" She picked up speed, running as fast as she could with her rifle around her back and the pistol in her hands. Red doubted her, thinking she was just too wrapped up in the possibilities, but they could not stop her and did not want to lose her.
Red picked up Melanie to help keep up with Carol. Their boots kicked up dirt and attracted a few walkers in the area. None of them were close enough and most were more distracted with the gunfire and yelling. Braddock brought up the rear with Daisy right in front of them, they were all slower than Carol who was driven by pure adrenaline.
Carol came to a thick underbrush, using her knife to help cut a way through it. The briers of overgrown blackberry and thorn bushes cut into her skin, it hurt but not nearly enough to stop her. She came tearing through the far side of the overgrowth to a clear field, inside of it stood a massive concrete structure with barbed wire fences.
She paused a moment, looking over the complex in front of her and spotted a few people inside the fences. One was at the fence, tying the chain links together. Others were rushing along the fence pathway into the courtyard of the building. It was protected with high towers, at least three industrial strength fences, and old vehicles offering some cover inside the field.
Red ducked through the path he saw Carol cut, using his own body to shield Melanie from the thorns. When he came out the other side he was as stunned as Carol. "Holy shit, it's the West Georgia Correctional..." He shook his head in disbelief, amazed it was still standing seemingly unharmed. There were people inside which he certainly did not expect. He looked to Carol who was slack jawed. "Is it them? Can you tell?" He asked tentatively, figuring he knew the answer already.
Carol nodded with a tearful smile, "Yeah, it's them." The gunshots snapped her back into action, "They're- something's wrong. They're in trouble, we have to help!" She pleaded with Red who nodded, setting Melanie down.
"You trust these people with our lives?" He only needed one answer, this was a risky play for them.
She turned to him, "I trust them with my own daughter. They'll be good to you, they won't hurt anyone unless someone hurts them." Carol was entirely confident Rick and the others would do no harm to anyone else. They were not like that group that attacked and always tried to do the right thing in the past. There was no question in her mind they would be able to get along peacefully.
Red nodded and Carol immediately took off towards the fence where she saw what appeared to be Glenn tying the fence up. She kept herself balanced running down the incline to the prison fence, her pistol in her hand and her other hand waving out to get Glenn's attention. "Hey! Hey! Keep the fence open!" She called gaining Glenn's attention.
Shocked did not begin to describe Glenn's reaction to seeing someone they thought was either dead or just gone. He lifted his head, pausing from tying the fence up. "Carol?!" Then he saw the people coming up behind Carol, one was right beside her with a rifle in his hands. This changed Glenn's excitement to see her to defensiveness.
She came up to the fence, grabbing it with her hand. "Glenn, what's going on?" Carol asked breathlessly, fatigued from running all the way to the prison fence line. He glanced between her and the group behind her nervously. Carol picked up on it, "It's alright, they're with me. They're here to help - now what's wrong!" She shook the fence urgently, trying to get Glenn to focus.
"The-there are walkers in the courtyard. I-I don't know how, we cleared it out!" He replied, pulling the fence open. Unsure if he should let the others in Carol did it anyways. One after the other the group entered the fences, their guns drawn and prepared for action with the walkers inside. "Oh man, this is bad." He muttered, wondering how pissed off Rick would be when they all got inside.
Carol looked to see the two men running back into the prison were nearly at the main gate entrance. She patted Glenn on the shoulder. "Come on, let's go help them!" She took a deep breath and started sprinting to the gate with Glenn beside her, Red just behind her. The others were a bit behind and Daisy only ran slower than the others because she held Melanie's hand while trying to keep up.
Glenn and Carol would be the first faces anyone sees, hoping to dispel any concerns about the strangers behind them. They were here to help, not here to cause issues with the people inside the prison.
As they turned the corner they saw Rick and Daryl had slid to a stop just before the main gate and turned to see this group approaching. Alarmed, Rick and Daryl brought up their weapons to focus on the strangers. Glenn raised his hand with Carol doing the same beside him, trying to keep them from firing. The strangers behind them had weapons, but were not aiming at anyone. They did not appear aggressive.
"Wait, wait! Don't shoot!" Carol called to them and they realized what had happened for Glenn to let these people in. There was not time to be happy to see Carol; the walkers would not wait for a reunion.
Rick lowered his pistol first, obviously pissed about these people but Glenn approached first with Carol close behind. Daryl had his crossbow on the others, "That's far enough." He did not falter. Glenn handed the keys to Rick, panting and unable to find words about the group with him. Not that they had any time for it.
Carol put a hand on Daryl's shoulder, "It's alright, they're with me. They're good people and they want to help." He did not move an inch, though he was glad to see Carol there. The risk of these armed people inside the prison with their people was not acceptable.
Only because of Rick's desperation to protect his family, having seen Carl and Lori in the courtyard when the walkers appeared, he skipped dealing with these people. He turned around and rushed to unlock the door, fiddling with the mass of keys on the chain before popping the lock open. When it cracked he threw the chain door open and turned to Daryl, with a quick nod Daryl followed him inside.
They did not have time, judging from the gunshots and screaming from inside. Rick made it to the second lock, passing by two people in prison jumpsuits that were surprised to see so many people returning with Rick, Daryl, and Glenn. There was no arguments as the new group passed through the fences following Rick's lead.
This group was better armed than Rick's. They carried military grade weaponry with rifles, shotguns, and more modern pistols. In this emergency the weapon upgrade was welcome.
Bolting through the open field in front of the concrete prison, they all came upon another fence. Rick's shaking hands from the sudden adrenaline made unlocking the gate difficult. Red lined up the others to the gate, "Check your fire, clear out the dead!" His group all took aim and fired through the fence, cutting down the densely packed walkers inside while Rick fumbled with the keys.
"Let's go, pull it!" Rick exclaimed, Glenn and Daryl throwing the gate open. Glenn charged in with a machete, Rick shot a walker, and Daryl went straight into the thick of it.
"What the hell happened?" Rick looked to the people standing in a fenced entrance to one of the buildings. Beth and Hershel were standing there, safe from the walkers inside the fence but just barely made it there.
Beth was visibly shaken by the ordeal, "The gate was open!" She cried, holding onto Hershel who leaned on the fence and his crutch. They were all terrified for the others, hoping they managed to get out in time.
"Where's Lori, Carl - everyone else?" Rick begged, breathing heavy and panicked. The walkers just appeared and put them all at risk. Rick was a combination of terrified for his family and enraged something like this happened in the first place. They had secured this area already.
Hershel pointed to the other part of the facility, "Maggie lead Lori and Carl into C block!" Beth spoke from behind her father, "And T was bit." Bad news. The group still continued clearing the courtyard, Red stayed nearby Rick. The two leaders needed to have a talk when all this was over, but Red knew they were in a bad spot. To show he was here with good intentions they would help anyway they could.
"Anyone else?" Rick kept looking around himself to make sure there were no walkers on him. He only saw Red watching his back.
Beth shook her head. "I couldn't tell." Rick pointed to Hershel and Beth, "Stay put."
Glenn was closely followed by Markus and Braddock who helped keep the numbers of undead off of him while he checked the fence the walkers came through. He was glad for the backup but still felt antsy with well equipped strangers at his back. Carol said they were alright though and he trusted her; it was a struggle though.
Micheal kept up with Daryl, spreading out the walkers to make accessing them one by one easier. He used a knife while Daryl put the others down with his crossbow. Daisy stayed with Melanie near the entrance, not wanting to take her deeper into the mass of walkers.
Rick and Red came to the others, their numbers and firepower making quick work of the walkers. "Those chains didn't break on their own. Someone took an axe or cutters to 'em." Glenn had gone to the fence inside the courtyard where walkers had still roamed, finding the suspiciously broken chains. It was unlikely a chain in that condition would break from the walkers. It was designed to hold people, walkers were not enough to break it in such small numbers. It would have to be a herd to break through.
Red looked to see Markus and Braddock at Glenn's back and felt rather proud to see his group interlocking with Rick's so smoothly. They were all survivors, protecting each other.
Rick turned around to see the the two prisoners they had found inside the prison and glared. "You think they did it?" Glenn asked, earning an alarmed look from Red.
"Who else?" Rick answered, but found Red's hand gesturing to Rick. He paused to see what the newcomer wanted.
"You mean those guys aren't part of your group?" Red looked between Rick and Carol. Carol shook her head an shrugged, telling Red she did not know them. Rick waited a moment before answering, still concerned about these people.
He looked at the two men entering the main gate by Daisy and Melanie, "No, we found them here. There were three others but they died, two tried to kill us. We were kicking them out of the prison before this." He explained after seeing the encouraging look from Carol. She was the connection between the groups and they were all still tense.
Red whistled to catch Daisy's attention, seeing the woman with Melanie hiding just behind her leg. "Daisy," Red waved her over and she looked around to the walker corpses carefully, keeping Melanie away from them just in case one of them was still animated. She cautiously made her way to stand in front of Red and Rick. "Daisy stay away from those two men. They're not part of the group, keep your gun up and stay with those two on the stairs. Got it?"
Daisy nodded quickly, "Yeah, yeah I got it. It's just- is it alright if Melanie goes into the fence with those two? I don't want to cause trouble, but I don't want her out here exposed. It's dangerous and I can't watch for those two, the dead, and Melanie. It's just too risky." She looked to Rick, her free hand holding Melanie to her side. Rick looked to the girl behind her sister, holding onto Daisy tightly.
Red did not assume Rick would approve and waited for him to make a decision. He would not argue with Rick, but it did play a roll in how they would look at this leader. Rick nodded, "Alright, she can go inside the fence with Hershel and Beth. No weapons inside, but you can stay outside with the gun." He allowed this bit of leeway and Daisy was thankful.
"Thank you, I'll give them one of our guns too, fully loaded just in case." Daisy smiled, giving Red a nod before walking off towards the others on the staircase. Hershel, the older man, was one legged and struggling to remain upright and the other was a young girl. Daisy was not scared of them with Melanie, but she was worried if she had to try and protect them both from those two ex-prisoners and the undead. Melanie could be hurt if anything went wrong.
Red gave Rick an appreciative nod, "We'll help you look for your people and clear out the buildings if there are more dead inside." He offered help and Rick was reluctant to accept it.
Carol stepped forward, "It's alright Rick. These are good people, they never hurt us. Let them help." She vouched for them, but Rick turned his attention to her directly. He was breathing heavily already, catching his breath from running around the prison and the brick wall of adrenaline he was hit with.
"Us?" He asked Carol to elaborate. The group looked between themselves and their shared silence did not go unnoticed by Rick, Daryl, or Glenn. It was suspicious to say the least, but he gave Carol a moment to explain.
"It's a long story, but I wasn't alone when I met them - Laura was with me. This is the group Laura was with before she ever met Glenn or any of us." She answered shakily, earning a wide eyed look from Glenn. Rick had too many thoughts running around about and they were still missing people. Carol noticed the look Daryl was giving her and knew she would be explaining a lot more later.
Rick turned to glare at Red, but Daryl spoke up first. "You mean the group that tried to kill her? Ended up tossing her down a buncha stairs?" He was defensive of Laura, their relationship together even after months of being apart still tore at him.
He sighed, "Yes, alright. We fucked up and we talked about it. What happened was between us and we can throw blame later, but right now you have missing people and the dead in your house with them. We can sit here and have a pissing contest about who fucked up worse or we can get inside and get shit done to save your people." Red growled, knowing Laura told them about what happened in Atlanta.
Rick agreed, "This isn't the time for this. We need to find the others now and I don't have the luxury of being able to turn down your help." He met Red's eyes, "If you do anything-" Rick started but was interrupted by Carol.
"They won't Rick, trust me. They aren't bad people, they just made a mistake." She insisted, "The same mistake any of us would have made if we didn't know better. If you didn't stand up for her that day outside the CDC Shane would've killed Laura. So if you all want to act like we didn't assume Laura was turning or already turned, than you're lying. We all did and we all struggled with it, but it's over. So move on and let's go help the others." Carol snapped at Rick, putting his conclusions about the group to rest.
Red and Rick had a moment of silence, but Carol's outburst was enough to shut Rick up. "Alright. Maggie took Lori and Carl to C block, we need to clear it out and find them before they're overrun."
"Here," Braddock stepped forward, swinging his pack down and unzipping it. "We have enough guns and ammunition for everyone. Take what you need and let's do this fast; without losing anyone else."
Glenn grinned, pulling out a machine pistol already loaded. "If this isn't enough to clear out the prison..."
Rick was thankful for the firepower of course, but it was time to move. Daryl was fine with his crossbow and looked to Carol, "Not all of us made that mistake." He commented, but said nothing further before following Rick to the fence to C block. The group ready to tackle the rest of the walkers inside the prison.
As Rick reached out to grab the handle an echoing alarm blared from the prison walls, megaphones blasting the alarm as loudly as possible. It was deafeningly loud and attracted every walker around the prison. Confused and panicked, Rick turned around to the others who were just as bewildered as he was.
"What the hell is that?!" Glenn looked up to see the sound system on the walls.
Red sighed, everything about this day just went from bad to worse.
adelphe24:
No problem, I love to talk to my readers. It helps me understand what they are expecting of this story and keeps my head screwed on straight so I don't risk "Jumping the shark" as it were.
Well, Merle and Daryl do not exist in the comics. They are exclusively TV show characters only, but I do very much so enjoy their arch through the series. So whatever happens with them happens based on the characters I personally can read from the show. Mainly it's my own opinion, so we'll see how it goes down. I will be changing some things from the show, but I don't want to venture too far and risk alienating my readers who enjoy this kind of fanfiction.
^ That was not so much an answer as it was a work around to not say any spoilers hahahahaha
I appreciate that comment quite a bit, torture is fun to explore but absolute poison to a reader. I can describe the events in detail and let everyone read the meticulous detail that goes into effective torture or I can allow you the reader to create your own idea of what Laura suffered through. Giving what you as a person would consider terrible torture and inflicting it onto Laura instead of me telling you what I think is the most excruciating.
- That being said the only main forms of torture and abuse I describe are the hot iron branding to emphasize her weakness to heat and fire. The sexual assaults that create the mental disconnect between herself as a walker and herself as a human, creating severe mental trauma as it pertains to her character development.
And some of the tests which are exclusive forms of indirect torture relating, explaining, and detailing Laura's existence. The tests are not usually meant as direct torture methods but rather live study, but also showing that the doctor, her father, performed an autopsy on her while alive and various other surgical, physical, mental, and subconscious tests that bring life to Laura's condition.
And their reunion is coming up, so get ready! It's not going to be a smooth transition. A lot has happened in the span of about eight months since the farm house was overrun. Laura changed dramatically both physically and mentally. I'm more concerned about how Daryl will accept this obviously undead version of Laura.
Merle accepts her more as a companion in a shitty situation, but that will play a role I'm certain. :)
Gemini's Revenge:
I'm glad you're liking how I try to detail Laura's existence. It's a lot of work, but I feel like it brings a certain daunting reality to a zombie with a conscience in a post-apocalyptic world caused by the overwhelming zombies.
I was not aware there were others stories like this one! I'm excited to try and find them, but I started writing this story because I wanted to see a more unique main character could do. I didn't want just another human in the group, it doesn't carry enough weight to be super interesting to me.
But the existence of an aware zombie - that would be worth staying up late for hours to read. But I couldn't find anything, there were no stories I found detailing this kind of character. So I wanted to make my own and hope other people enjoyed the concept too! :)
And I am beyond glad no one has called Laura a Mary-Sue.
I like to abuse her, but not because I want my reader to pity her - I want Laura to get back up and fight, struggle with the reality of a world with no laws, but find her own way through. I want Laura to become a kind of testament to determination and strength of will.
Laura is weak to certain things and her fear is driving her. Right now, in Woodbury, she isn't trying to survive and fight; she's terrified of what they will do to her if she does not follow orders. The mental conditioning (classical conditioning or Pavlovian conditioning - example is Pavlov's dogs) is reinforced through negative punishment.
It's a long laundry list of problems, but Laura is not some kind of god that can resist the training that no other living mammal could.
She is not alive because she wants to live to fight another day - Laura lost the fight. That's it, there's nothing else to it. Laura lost, but anyone would either die or accept humiliation like she did. She faced torture for months, psychological torture, and a severe mental break.
I think that accentuates that Laura is not a Mary-sue. Eventually, though time, she may or may not heal from this ordeal. But the damage is lifelong and will forever scar her mentally and physically.
I'm really thrilled to hear someone say that actually! I put a lot of thought behind Laura's condition and how it works. She's built muscle over time and developed defined strength, but her condition does make her lighter and generally weaker than most well fed, well build humans her size. It does make her fast, her senses sharp, but also means over stimulation is a very real threat.
Human senses are remarkably delicate for what they are. A flashbang is enough to daze Laura for about ten to fifteen minutes if she was looking directly at it, even a flashlight to the eyes could blind her for about a minute or two, and loud noises like someone yelling into a megaphone directly into her ear would deafen her for about five to ten minutes and make her unable to walk a straight line. (knowing that our ears are directly related to our ability to balance)
The eating human flesh part was extremely fun to underline.
I mean, why do zombies want to eat people anyways? If the brain stem is only reanimated through a virus, why desire to eat humans over other food sources?
Humans are not naturally capable of eating or desiring to eat other humans. This is both because of the disease Kuru (which is absolutely fatal with no cure) and because it's a bad move survival of the species wise. Zombies in shows, movies, and books all show that they WANT human over any other kind of food. The Walking Dead "Walkers" do the same thing.
So when a zombie, only reanimated through a virus of the brain stem, eats a person why doesn't it contract this disease through the prions of a human brain? Yknow the whole old school movie zombie "Braaaaiiinnnnsss!"
Surprisingly in this explanation I've written for Laura a zombie craving human flesh and especially brains actually makes some sense. Prions that cause the Kuru disease is mostly in the brain, since prions are those little things that make folds in our brain. Google search:
"A prion is a type of protein that can trigger normal proteins in the brain to fold abnormally. Prion diseases can affect both humans and animals and are sometimes spread to humans by infected meat products. The most common form of prion disease that affects humans is Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD)."
This is pretty much what mad cow disease was all about. Cows eating cows and contracting a disease from it.
I decided that since the zombie's preferred food source IS other human beings that there must be a connection to this neurological disease and the Wildfire virus. (Wildfire virus being the name of the zombie virus in the Walking Dead)
That's pretty much the general idea. Hoping people think my math on this one makes sense haha :D
Sorry for the long winded rant! I'm just excited that I feel like someone noticed all the work I've been putting into making this story and Laura's character truly one of a kind. :)