Curative

By Kaimaler

Review replies are at the bottom. ;)

So... yeah, I think I've finished beating Laura while she's down. The pill was hard to swallow, but we got it down good enough.

Merle has seemingly had enough, he's pissed off and prideful. The Governor's stepped on his toes and we're about to see what that means.
Laura just experienced what is best described as the single most painful, agonizing, excruciating torture she has ever been through. Couple that with the psychological torture with the lights / white noise in her cell - Laura's crossed to a whole new level of shattered. We'll get to see where that goes soon enough.

Back in the prison Rick has started his tombs crawl from Season 3 where he vengefully starts killing every walker he can find after Lori's death. Man it was a rough time for him.

Red's group is trying to merge with Rick's, but with the group in such disarray it's hard to tell if the Atlanta group is actually accepting them or too desperate to stop them. Not that they mind, but they absolutely do not trust them. Glenn is nervous as hell with an armed Red in the car. The others watch Red's group like hawks.
Carol knows neither group will hurt the other without provocation. Now both groups need to know this for themselves.

But shit is quick to go wrong, especially when Woodbury is still out there...

The trip back to the prison was uneventful. They searched through multiple stores for even the chance at finding baby food. For the most part it was fruitless, but they managed to find four canisters of baby formula dropped down the back end of a shelving unit. It was not much, but it was enough until the next run. Towns a bit further out could be reached if they had the time.

Daisy was driving them back this time with Glenn in the passenger, Red and Braddock in the back checking and counting supplies. Glenn watched closely, but so far did not have any negative opinions on these people. He did not trust them, but he also did not believe they meant any harm. If they had wanted to, with the firepower they carried, they could have taken the prison.

If they were aggressors Glenn realized he would have died first as he was on the fence. Then likely Rick and Daryl before the rest of the group. His group was weak at that moment, it brought their guard down to the possibility of other people hearing the alarms and seeing a group in disarray. Thankfully the people who were near and found them were friendly and stuck their necks out to help.

Glenn found himself alright with these people since Carol vouched for them. She was a good person for sure and she seemed different somehow. The last time he saw Carol was back at the Greene farm and she was a nervous woman. Now she carried a rifle, had steady aim, and functioned more like a survivor. He supposed if she made it this far she would have had to come out of her shell and steeled herself to face the world without a group behind her.

Laura was another case, just as nervous as Carol before the horde came and wiped out the farm. She was afraid of people he knew that and she started to shy away from the main group while on the Greene farm. Daryl and her got closer and Daryl wanted to be away from the others. He certainly came around, now someone Glenn knew was always watching his back and had his trust entirely. Glenn supposed that even Laura must have changed like Daryl and Carol.

It was impressive to see his group come closer together, he wondered if this new group would become part of that or if they would split off. Glenn hoped that they were trustworthy, they really needed more people now. They lost too much, holding the prison would not be easy, but if these people joined the group he wondered if they could really make a go of the prison.

They would almost double the numbers in their group, but they had to know if they could trust them. Chances like that were few and far between, most of the time it ended up bad. During this trip the group with Glenn had no problem watching his back and carrying anything he gave them; so far so good it seems.

The SUV hummed to a stop, Micheal and the prisoner sliding the gate shut behind them. It was dark by the time they returned, having not much luck with their outing. Some formula was better than none, but they would have to make another run to have enough food to support the newborn.

The inner gate rolled shut and Micheal locked it. Everyone inside and they could just see the bike Daryl and Maggie took up ahead. They made it back before them, which made sense considering they actually had a target to search. Glenn and Red had no idea where to find formula around here, most places being empty. As the SUV engine cut, Red could just see Carol up ahead with a little girl in her arms.

Red smiled, "Now that's a sight I never thought I'd see." Glenn looked at him and Red gestured to Carol up ahead, her daughter in her arms. "We've been looking for months, I admit I didn't think we'd ever find you. But that right there, I think I speak for all of us when I say that made it all worth it."

Carol stood, slightly leaning over the blonde haired little girl. She was smiling brightly having reconnected with her daughter. Glenn just grinned and stepped out of the car, the rest of the group filtering out while gathering the supplies they scavenged. There was only enough for one backpack and a half, so it was not much work to carry out.

Glenn came up to Carol, looking between her and Sophia. "We all missed you, Carol." He gave her a half hug with Sophia in the middle, Carol was overjoyed to have everyone back, to see them alive.

"If it wasn't for Red and his people, I don't think I would've made it." She was smiling brighter than they had ever seen her. "I'm so relieved you all made it... I just wish I could have met T and Lori before all this. I'm... I'm so sorry." Glenn just nodded while Carol was caught between losing her friends and reuniting with Sophia. It was a complicated mix of emotions.

"They would've been happy to see you." Glenn could just see Lori's face if she had the chance to see Carol return. Or T-Dog's bear hug that would squeeze the life out of the smaller woman. It hurt to think they never had the chance to see each other.

Sophia was... different. She had changed just as Laura did overtime, but her appearance was not the same as Laura's. She was paler for certain, her white blonde hair was almost just white. Her skin was between pale and pale grey. Her eyes had a golden iris and a red circle around it. While her appearance differed from both Laura and the group's, she was passable as Sophia as she was and the undead Sophia she turned into.

Everyone noticed, but they had to look closer to see it whereas Laura's could be spotted easily. When the group approached, it was clear that Sophia is more than she seemed. The little girl's appearance threw them off.

"Daryl and Maggie came back, they found some formula for the baby, but not much. Did you have any luck?" Carol asked, looking from Glenn to Red and the group behind him.

Daisy just held up her pack, "But not much is right. There's just not a lot of baby things out there... Or anything really. The town is pretty much barren." She dropped her arm, their run brought back minimal supplies. It was likely their worst run as a group in months.

Carol sighed, "Well, every bit helps. Come on, we should head inside with the others." She ushered Sophia in before herself and the rest. The metal door squealing as it opened up. The group filed in behind Carol and Sophia, the door clicking shut behind them. It felt good to have solid walls around them that were safe and not full of walkers.

Red waited on the stairs, still watching his group and Rick's interact. Inside the cell block was Daryl holding the newborn, feeding her a bottle of the formula they found. The group spread around the room just watching, like it was the most interesting event in the world. An infant born in the hellish world they barely managed to survive in; a baby would be a great challenge.

In this rare moment of peace everyone sat down to watch Daryl feed the baby, talking to her softly and rocking her. He took over for Rick with ease, treating the baby as a child of the entire group rather than just someone else's kid. Red took a seat on one of the cafeteria benches. Daisy sitting on the opposite side from him, just glad to be here.

There was a moment looking at the newborn that Red felt an old wound striking back at him. He saw Daryl coddling the baby, the group affectionately watching. Red remembered when he held his son like that, a huge smile on his face just from looking at his child. His wife always told him his smile was doofy, like it did not fit his features. Everyone described him as a stern, grizzled man. But he couldn't help the giddiness he felt holding his son.

It took a moment for him to distance himself from watching the newborn. There was an instinctive protectiveness of the child, but he knew it was subconscious. A mammalian desire to keep the specie alive. It was hard to ignore.

When the newborn was fed, Daryl let Beth take the baby into the cell block rooms with Carl and Sophia. It was time to deal with the elephant in the room and Red had been waiting all night to get it done. He would have to explain what they were doing here, who they were, and why they should be able to stay. It would be a hard sell, these people did not look like pushovers. Daryl especially, but Red was sure the older man Hershel was just as hard to crack.

Their supplies were on the table, the baby items they managed to find in town earlier that day. Everyone was exhausted, but they could not sleep with strangers roaming the prison. It was a bit tense, everyone in both groups standing or sitting throughout the room. No one was talking, yet they were all anxious too. Not a person could see themselves going without putting their two cents in.

Daryl was looking directly at Red and he knew why, he understood. Glenn explained the situation between Daryl and Laura, how Red's actions in Atlanta already influenced his opinions on him and his people. This made everything far more complicated and Red already had Laura's forgiveness, now he apparently needed to earn theirs.

"So how long have you been looking for us?" Maggie started, it didn't take much to feel the tension between Red and Daryl. She figured it was best to nip this in the bud before anything came of it.

Red looked to Carol first, "We found Red's group about two months after the farm. We stayed for about a month I think. After we left we started back on the path we know you took, but nothing really stood out to us. It was dumb luck that we were near enough to hear the gunshots, if it weren't for that we'd probably still be looking." She explained, knowing it would sound better coming from her, a member of their group they trusted, rather than from him. "We haven't... eaten in nearing on three days. The area was cleared out, we've been struggling." Carol hoped that hinted she wanted to share the food they had with them.

There was still a question on their minds. Carol said Laura was with them, that she was there when they all met. Daryl did not ignore Carol's return, he was glad to see her back in his own way, but Laura was not here and he wanted to know why.

"Daryl," Glenn stepped up, "He told me what happened to Laura. I don't know if we can believe it, but..."

Carol gave Glenn and Daryl a sad look, "I was there, I saw it with my own eyes. Laura didn't make it back with us... we were attacked by another group." The Atlanta survivors all shared looks, concerned about their own safety, but also what had gone down with this other group. If they attacked they were aggressive, which meant everyone was a target to them.

Daryl gave Carol a critical, but not disbelieving look. "What happened?" He turned his intimidating stare back to Red, wanting him to answer this time. Carol was on both sides and Glenn was on his group's side. At this point there was no qualms between the two. There was still a lot to go through.

"We waited until the cover of night to get out. Laura spotted someone in the woods scouting, said he was not well stocked but appeared to be fed and not too concerned about the cold. We discussed it and decided we needed to leave the farmhouse, we stayed too long and this man, whoever he was, likely belonged to a group. We didn't want to find out." Red remembered waiting the entire day to leave, the anxiety made his sick to his stomach but he kept himself together. "Packed ahead a time, we left that night."

Daisy slid up the seat to Red, offering a kind of silent support for their leader. Red is a good man, but not invincible. Losing Laura was hard on them all. Carol more than the others, though she never diminished their grief just because she knew Laura better than them.

He took a deep breath, his voice level and soft. "They cornered us in the house. The yard was surrounded by a brick and iron fence. We had an escape route behind the house, we had a blowtorch and cut through the bars just in case we ever needed to get away." A flash of his memory when he picked up the bars from the grass and set them on the brick edge. "We hid in the house and snuck out the back. One by one we hopped the fence, I told Laura to go ahead of me but she insisted I go first. She helped me over, I turned around and pulled her up..."

Red looked over his group, all of them in their own state of grief and guilt over the loss of their friend. That night felt like it stretched into weeks, days later they never felt like that night ever really ended. A string of bad luck, risking dehydration and starvation, no place to rest, a herd at their backs. It was a constant stress on them just to keep moving. They were tired, hungry, and their emotions got high on the road. They argued, begged, and simply waited. Everyone hoped for an answer to their troubles.

Red rubbed his hands together, thinking of that night. He remembered reaching over the red brick wall, how the stone scratched his skin and dug into his arm. When Laura grabbed his hand he strained himself just to get her up, knowing that the bricks were cutting into him. "I held her up on the wall, we were running out of time. The group knew we were in the backyard and started searching for us. There were people inside and outside the fence..."

He felt Daisy's hand on his shoulder, a sign of support. The Atlanta group listening intently and knowing it was bad news seemed to make it worse. They dreaded the rest. "Her exact words were- 'Red, do me a favor would you?'..." Red's hands grasped together tightly, "'Take care of Carol. They're good people and they're your people. When you find them, tell Rick I said you were okay... Tell Rick and Daryl I'm sorry, but that you're all okay by me.'" He remembered everything she said to him, he couldn't forget it. He would not lie and say he didn't think about it often. Red could see her saying these words to him, he was frozen in place, denying that she would not be escaping with them.

Red leaned back, "Laura knew we couldn't get away. They were everywhere, they were going to find us. I tried to tell her she was crazy, that she would die if she stayed back. She didn't argue, she said she forgave us and that she was going to hold them off and give us time to get out." He thought of the shattering feeling he had when he felt her slip out of his hand. "I tried to hold onto her, but she let go and went back. We couldn't go back for her, those people were everywhere and looking for us... we had to go. I wish I could've pulled her through, that I could've forced her to come with us." He finished, still thinking of watching Laura disappear into the overgrown tall grass of the backyard.

Carol looked to Daryl, "Red got us out of the area, but Laura gave us the chance to get away. They were all around us, we didn't have a choice to go back for her or we would. I know I blamed him for the longest time after that, but I knew it wasn't his fault." She spared Red and apologetic look.

Daryl had resisted his usual ticks, no longer feeling the nervousness he used to. Hershel remained fairly unfazed by the story, his opinions his own. Glenn was already stuck between believing them and thinking it all one big lie. Others like Maggie and the prisoners were less affected, not knowing Laura particularly well, but empathizing with the group.

Cynical, perhaps more so than he was known for. "How do I know you didn't just drop her?"

Daisy's incredulous expression spoke wonders. "Laura was our friend, you can't possibly believe we'd just-"

"Kill her?" Daryl remarked, stoic and quick witted as ever. "Nah, you're right, that doesn't sound like you at all." Red remembered his snide comment from earlier, his relationship with Laura already told him this was not going over well. Red did not mind disbelief, reasonable mistrust. Malicious intent went a bit beyond Red's capacity for understanding.

"What happened in Atlanta is history. We saw Laura alive and we knew we made a mistake. It's over, it happened; Laura moved on." Daisy defended her leader and her friends, "We all loved Laura. She was angry about Atlanta and none of us blamed her, but when we were all threatened Laura stood up for us."

Carol shook her head, "I was there and Red did all he could. If you can't believe them, you can believe me."

"Did you see her do it?" Daryl asked Carol directly, "He says she said a whole lot before staying behind to protect the group. So did you see her, did she say all that stuff about us?" He gestured to her to tell them all what she remembered of that night, how it all happened.

She swallowed hard, "I... didn't hear any of that. Laura was on the wall, we were on the other side watching for walkers and those people, but that doesn't mean he's lying."

Daryl stood up, knowing without Rick around the mantle to question everything and protect the group had fallen on his shoulders. He was not about to drop that ball. "How do we know you didn't drop her to save your sorry asses." It was more of a statement than a question. Red immediately understood Daryl's implications; murdering one of their own to survive.

He posed a good point though. Carol did not see Laura willingly drop inside the fence and the others were suspicious now as well. Red just shrugged, "I know what went down. She hated what we did but she didn't hate us. Believe what you want, we all miss Laura and we don't have to prove that to anyone. We know what we did was wrong, but that was between ourselves and Laura."

"Daryl, Laura was turning." Carol stepped between Daryl and Red. The entire room turned their attention to her, "I can't tell you how many times I woke up finding Laura holding a gun to her head. Or when she told me to never go near her. How I needed to have a weapon in my hand at all times. That I shouldn't let her come near me. That the closer I was... the harder it was to resist." Carol choked up a bit, thinking about Laura gritting her teeth as Carol reached out to her. The two months they were alone were the hardest because she knew she was losing her friend.

Glenn frowned, "Was she really that far gone?" It was disturbing news to say the least.

"When we last saw her at the farm she didn't display any sign of turning." Hershel spoke up, his own examinations of Laura when they thought she had died. "She told us she was cured in a way, that she didn't have the same desires as the walkers. She was still herself and told Rick she was only worried about turning. What changed in the last few months?"

"She told Rick." Glenn answered and Maggie was right beside him nodding her agreement. He explained it to Carol and Red's group. "Rick told us after we left the farm, we camped overnight and he told us that Laura talked to him before the herd hit the farm. She said she was scared and told him she might turn. Maybe... maybe she knew it was time." He was not sure how saying that would blow over, but it did hit them hard.

Carol shook her head, "She was closer to that edge than she told us, any of us." She emphasized the end towards Daryl. "Laura wanted to protect us from herself and she told me... what happened with her and Sophia. She knew after that it was over and she had to leave. That night when we escaped the farm she said she was leaving the group and it was just luck for me that she was there."

"Sophia...? What happened with Laura and Sophia?" Maggie asked this time, curious about what Carol meant. No one but Carol knew apparently, Sophia had never told anyone about it. Carol wondered if that was because of their life before the outbreak when Ed was still alive.

"Laura told me that when she woke up in the farm just before the herd hit us..." Carol felt a bit nervous about this. She never believed Laura capable of hurting anyone, especially not Sophia. "She attacked Sophia, she said she grabbed her by the neck and when she got control again she dropped her then tried to leave. We came into the house to find her after she had fallen down the stairs still trying to get out."

"Shit." Glenn sat beside Maggie, he knew this was bad. Not that Laura did anything, but that she could not stop herself from doing it in the first place. This was a huge sign that Laura was not safe to be around anymore if she hurt Sophia before she could do anything about it.

Daryl did not have much he could say to that, but Red did. "Laura would never hurt anyone unless they hurt us first, she wouldn't even hurt us when we nearly killed her. If she did anything to harm Sophia, a little girl, she did it because she wasn't in control anymore. Laura started to turn, I just wish I knew that beforehand." He placed a hand over Daisy's on his arm, trying to show her he appreciated her support.

"That's what I told Laura. She fought whatever it is, the virus we all saw in the CDC how it works. Whatever it is it's still inside of her and she told me the times she... they weren't often, but she told me about times she nearly lost herself." Carol ran her hand under her eyes quickly, "Sometimes I'd hear her in the room with me or while we were outside. She never sleeps and when I went to sleep sometimes I'd hear her approach me or see her watching over me. Laura admitted it was her trying to resist... it." Carol was unable to find any purchase in her own words, stumbling weakly over what she wanted to explain to them. "I never told her sometimes when she came I was awake."

"She tried to...?" Glenn vaguely recalled asking the same question a long time ago regarding to Laura. He did not need to say it for them all to understand.

"I woke to Laura kneeling beside me one time, she had this... look in her eyes. Predatory." Carol shuddered, remembering the disturbing look of Laura's shadow over her, a storm raging behind them, and her eyes reflecting the light from the lightning. "It took a minute, but she came back. She knew she couldn't hold on forever, so if Laura stayed behind to save the group- I know she did it because she knew that no matter how long we survived or if we ever found you again, she could not come with us. Eventually, she would either have to leave or... worse."

"So you believe she sacrificed herself knowing that you couldn't get away from that other group and she wouldn't survive anyways." Hershel summed up, from what Rick said before, it seemed plausible. "That would seem like the most likely reason for all this. It would explain Laura leaving the group in the first place and why she isn't with them any longer." He reasoned peacefully, trying to keep everyone level headed.

Daryl just nodded deftly, "You all looking to stick around?" He gestured to Red's group. There was nothing more to say on the matter, he wanted to hate them for Laura, but he would not try to punish them for it especially if that was the truth. He wanted his position known and to let the strangers know they were not just going to roll over and let them take the prison.

"We were hoping to. After getting Carol back to her daughter we wanted to stay and help out. More numbers raises all of our chances." Red allowed the topic to drop, waiting to see how agreeable everyone was.

"Can't just let you roam the prison, don't know you." Daryl and the others were agreed on that. They were still strangers regardless of how they wanted to be seen. Red had no issues with it.

"We can stay somewhere away from your people, we don't want to cause trouble." He sighed, leaning against the edge of the bench table behind him. "You can lock the doors as long as you let one of ours stay out here and Carol stays with us. Make sure if anything happens we both have leverage."

Carol nodded, "They won't hurt anyone. I wouldn't be with them if they did; I'll go with them." She was fine with that trade, she was a perfect in between. "So long as Sophia can come with me."

Red smiled, "Don't think I could say no to that if I wanted to."

"I'll stay with them." Micheal figured it was about time to throw his hat in the ring, "I know Carol wouldn't lead us wrong. If she says you're alright, I believe it. Plus Daisy needs to be with Melanie, Braddock's intimidating, and Markus... once he lays down you're not going to convince him to get back up." The mentioned people chuckled at their friend, far too tired to come up with any worthwhile reply to him though.

"That could work, in case anything happens we'll have... uh, well technically bargaining?" Glenn felt awkward saying that about these people, "I know we have to take precautions, but Carol wouldn't lie and if these people were a threat, they wouldn't have brought Carol here after months of looking for us. They risked their lives for this."

"You mentioned your people haven't eaten in days." Hershel offered, "Now we can't offer much, but if you're willing to trade ammunition or weapons for food, we can certainly come up with something." It was an enlightened idea and the group was more than happy to take part in the deal.

Braddock pulled his large backpack off his shoulder, Markus doing the same. "We have enough guns and bullets to clear this prison five times over and I did notice you guys seemed pretty limited. If we trade an agreed on amount for equal value in food, I don't see why the trade wouldn't work." Markus unzipped his pack, "I guess the trick of this will be agreeing on value and what we are able to spare. The machine pistol Glenn picked up earlier today, you can keep it. Consider it a gift."

"We won't ask to take more than we need to get by. We hope the same goes for you." Hershel stepped forward, his crutches tapping on the ground. He looked to Daryl to find this answer, Glenn and Maggie coming up to help.

Red started to unload the weapons and bullets they were willing to part with. "We won't give you too much, if we do end up... not here we can't spare much. If we do stay and we all work together, than it won't matter anyways. Our guns, your guns; they'll all be used to protect each other so it doesn't matter who carries them."

"Same goes for food. If everything works out the prison will be home to all of us." Glenn added, "So I guess this is just... an investment."

"And a damn good one." Carol came up beside Glenn and Daryl overlooking the guns, surprising the group so used to the sweet Carol back on the farm. "These people are good. They know how to fight, they watch each others backs; better than any of us did back on the farm. We all had it pretty easy, washing dishes and letting the kids play outside. Red's group didn't have that so they learned how to survive."

"Yeah, so did we." Daryl requited.

Red smiled at him, "Difference is we did it all along since the very beginning. I think that makes us the experts." It was a harmless joke, though there was truth in it. They did know how to survive on the roads better than the Atlanta survivors. The day was long, it was nearly midnight and everyone was ready to turn in. Red was trying to be friendly, though he was well out of his comfort zone reaching out to the other group.

Glenn responded positively, "Careful, we might think that's a challenge."

"Bring it on, kid." Braddock came up from behind the group, playfully elbowing Glenn. "I bet I can take out five walkers to every one of yours."

"Hey he said survival, not walker killing. I don't think that's the same thing, the idea is to not get caught by a herd." He picked up a pistol, unloaded with the safety on. It was a bit older, but the size and weight suited him.

"Everyone's idea of survival is a little different. Some people hit harder and others live in trees; to each their own." Braddock shook his head, taking the pistol Glenn picked up and dropping it on the table carelessly. He reached to another pistol beside it that was a bit narrower but had an added sight and better grip. Braddock handed it to Glenn, "Try that one. It's well made compared to that crap you picked up, we keep that old thing around just in case. This thing has a good sized clip, sights, and good recoil. If you're making a trade, make it worth it."

Glenn nodded, trying the pistol in his hands. The red dot sight was a significant upgrade and he appreciated the suggestion. He liked this pistol and it would certainly be used when he needed a pistol.

The rest took a gun a piece, only one weapon larger than a pistol went to Maggie. They needed a long range weapon and they had happened to scrape up two sniper rifles from a military outpost guard tower. The original owner long dead after having shot himself with one of the said rifles.

"Well hold on now," Markus stepped up, "Those rifles are few and far between... If we part with them they're worth a lot. I can see you having one and us having one, but I know guns like these are rare now." He shared a look with Red who nodded in agreement. Maggie turned to Daryl before setting it down.

"We could use a sniper in one of those guard towers. We got rifles up there, but nothing like this." She handed the rifle to Daryl, allowing him to look over it before a decision was made. Markus was correct of course, sniper rifles like that one were worth their weight in gold out here. With defensible positions a sniper could hold of an entire group of people when used effectively.

"That one alone would be worth enough food to feed us all for a day." Red pointed out, "But since we plan on sticking around and making this work, how about you keep the rifle and give us enough food for tonight." He offered a deal for Maggie's pick and she was agreeable to it. Most of the group believed Red's would be around for a while at least anyways.

"Alright." Daryl handed it back off to Maggie who was pleased to have it.

Red gave Daryl an appreciative smile, knowing the gruff man was at least trying to come around. He extended the olive branch and while it was not much, Red was ready to take whatever chance he gave them. The next few days would be spent trying to earn their place with Rick's group and Red was ready for it.

The food was brought in and Red could not care less what they were eating, so long as they all got some. Thrilled to eat Red's group sat around one table and had themselves an easy end to a long, trying few months. It was well deserved and everyone felt like a weight was lifted from their shoulders. Both groups could get along if they worked together.

Red understood Rick was not around, but Daryl is. He needed to cooperate with the hunter to make it in the prison. While their leader was busy with the loss of his wife.

Maggie had since gone to her cell with Glenn to sleep. Her day was more stressful than the others, she shared that burden with Carl. Performing a c-section on a living and aware woman after never having done it before. As terrible as it was and the memory of Lori's goodbye to Carl, she was able to save the baby. That was the good news everyone needed to hear.

Hershel took a seat beside Red, partaking in some of the food Glenn and Daryl brought up for their own people too. He kept watching the newcomers with great interest. People who came so far to bring one woman to her daughter, it was unique in a world full of violent strangers.

He noted how Red checked over his people first before eating his own food. He saw him take a smaller serving than the others so as to give them more to eat. There is defensiveness behind these man that kept his people and himself alive, but he was selfless. Red clearly watched over his own carefully, considering their well being before anything else.

Red was eating, but he had a half portion compared to the others. Hershel took a ladle of rice from his pot and reached over to Red's plate, dishing it onto his plate. Red froze watching the older man give him two larger ladles of rice, effectively feeding Red the amount of food he denied himself so the others could eat more. Daryl and Carol watched Hershel closely, Carol more happily than Daryl for sure.

Confused, Red looked up from his plate to watch Hershel setting the ladle back down. Hershel met his eyes and smiled, "You remind me of someone else in our group. Rick's a good man, he's got us this far." He looked to Red's group, "You got them this far. It's not easy, you should keep your strength up."

Red nodded, "Yeah, thanks." He continued eating, now with more than twice his original serving. He was hungry, more so than he initially thought. In only a few minutes he cleared his plate, happy to feel full again.

Woodbury...

"It's time to go." The Governor's voice came through the static. He reached down to the stereo plug and pulled it, killing the static and giving her a moment to adjust. All the lights but the one in the hallway shut off, putting an end to burning in her eyes.

The cell door slid open and she heard every footstep as he entered the cell. His leather shoes tapping against the concrete, the material of his pants shifting as he crouched down beside her. Everything sounded far away and dull, she could not make out what he was saying as if she were underwater. She experienced this before when she was hit with the flashbang, she remembered how she could not hear anything for a few minutes.

Here though it was far worse. The deafening static went on for the entire day and night, only just now stopping when the Governor wanted her. "Come on now, I have a job for you." He put a hand on her arm, pulling her to roll onto her back. Laura did not react in anyway, she was unresponsive. She felt like every nerve in her body was shot, her tolerance for pain had been surpassed a long time ago and still it got worse.

"You'll be going out with your favourite pal, Merle." He grabbed the muzzle on her face and pulled it side to side, checking to make sure it was still secured. He followed suit with the gloves, checking them over to see they were still well secured into her arms. The roughness caused the wounds to tear and begin to bleed, though Laura bled slower than anyone the Governor did take note that her blood was black, when thin it was a dark red. He found every facet about their live in biter fascinating.

He stood up, his hands back in his pockets. Looking over her for only a moment he turned to the men behind him and they understood. Both men were on either side of her and reached down to grab her arms, lifting her up from the concrete. The Governor turned and lead them out of the cell, passing under the hall light, the buzzing light searing into her sensitive skin.

Laura's mind was an empty blank of pure fear. She was scared of them, scared of more torture that she had not earned herself. Anyone breaking rules that pertained to her could be punished, but she would be punished with them. Making friends in Woodbury proved worse than simply being alive. Laura did not care to survive, her life held no value to her as the only option was more torture or death. She would have happily chosen death.

Right now she was completely limp as they dragged her back into the room she had been strapped into. Just being in the room again made her feel like someone had just taken a whip to her back and she jolted involuntarily. The walls pressed down on her and the chair just in front of them felt like a black hole pulling her helplessly into it.

"She still got some life in her." One of the guards commented, holding her steady as they dropped her back in the chair. Laura pulled herself back up, desperate just to be out of the chair. With a hard push on her chest the man held her down, keeping her sitting on the old torn leathers. Her clawed fingers dug into the chair as adrenaline flooded her body.

She twitched uncontrollably, gripping the seat like her life depended on it. There was a rushing force in her head that screamed at her to get out, get out! She could not handle the torrential flood of terror that felt like it had reached into her body and grabbed onto her heart and stomach with bruising force. Laura growled non-threateningly, it was a high pitched sound that expressed her fear. She was not trying to beg with words, only sounds came into her head.

"Shh now, that's not going to get you anywhere." He came to stand on her right side, the other man still holding her to the chair. "I have an opportunity for you. See, someone has gone missing and we need to find her. You're our best tracker, the fastest out of everyone here. And this woman is good, she's smart, she's a survivor. So we need our very best to get her. Understand?" He leaned over, barely a few inches from her face.

Laura's wide eyes told him shew as still very preoccupied panicking. The anxiety to be out of this room, out of that chair was more powerful than his politely veiled threats. Glancing between her strange eyes he decided he should get her attention. With a half hearted sigh the Governor reached over and gripped the burnt flesh of the new brand on her abdomen.

Her voice was scratchy, huskier than it had been. As he pressed into the burn she cried out, jumping in the chair but held still by the other man beside her. "Are you listening now?" He rose his voice and Laura nodded frantically. "Good. Do you understand what I asked you?" She looked around the room briefly and shook her head.

The Governor dug his fingers into the branded mark and listened to her wailing. "I need you to find this woman and bring me her head and her sword. You do this for me, we'll turn the lights and that radio off. You can sit in that cell and eat. Refuse or fail and we'll find out if there's any bare skin left on you that isn't scarred and we'll burn that." His hand remained tight on the burn, waiting to see if his open threat registered with her.

Laura nodded quickly, her entire body shaking in fright. "You understand?" She nodded again and the Governor released the burn, the man letting her up from the chair. She jumped out of the chair and doubled over, her hands covering the burn but not touching it. She hissed in pain, trying to get the searing to stop. The Governor came up behind her and patted her back, "Follow me then, we'll have to get you ready."

He lead her out of the precinct, the two men just behind her keeping her moving. It was hard to even think with the burn demanding all her attention, pleading for it to just stop burning. The Governor did not mind and kept walking ahead of her, taking her out into broad daylight. The sudden change from blinding white light, to the dreariness of the precinct, and now the bright morning... Laura felt like she was developing a migraine from it.

She stood up straight, her hand reaching over her left side to protect the burn from the heat outdoors and hopefully from other people trying to use it like twisting a knife in her side. Laura saw a few people up ahead of them, they were armed and waiting for the Governor to show. They were wondering if he was going to get her to come outside with him, if she was capable at all.

Yesterday was the worst day she had ever experienced, greater pain than anything Woodbury had come up with for her. But she did not die, she survived the trauma and was standing still. Laura did not consider that a win in the slightest, knowing that should anything go wrong they'll do whatever they can to make the next time even worse... if there even was a physically possible way to make it worse.

The Governor came with his hands on his hips, standing in front of the table of weapons and gear. He turned to look at her standing behind him and grinned, he waved her along. "Well you can't go out there with nothing, I told you, this woman is a survivor. You have to protect yourself and the men you're going with."

Laura stepped up to the table and looked at the weapons on it. There were two rifles, a pistol, a machete, a hatchet, and a hunting knife. She picked up a rifle and the machete, preferring the feel and weight of the weapons. The rifle would be good for long range and the machete would be all she needed for close range, finally her claws could be used as a weapon. She was fairly well armed at this point.

Before she could gauge if these weapons were what she wanted the Governor turned to the group being sent out and pulled Laura aside with him. He pulled out a shirt, torn and relatively worn out. "You can smell a lot more than we can. You can track better too. Stands to reason that you can follow scent." He gave her the shirt, she slid the machete under her belt and the rifle hung under her arm. "So you take that with you, that belonged to her so it smells like her. Follow the scent and you'll find her. Just like dogs do."

Laura did have some experience tracking through scent trails, but it was not particularly easy especially with a trail that was a few hours old. She followed people who were nearby within the hour, that was not very hard at all. Bringing the shirt to her face she breathed in the scent of this woman the Governor wanted dead. Unsure, but driven by her fear of failure Laura would try to track through scent.

"You all know what to do," The Governor turned his attention back on the men around him. "Merle's just outside those gates waiting for you. Let's make this quick so you all can be home for dinner." He had that usual smile on and nudged her to follow the men. He already spoke to them beforehand, they had a contingency plan in case Laura did not follow commands.

The gates opened, they were going on foot. Laura stayed with the group, her head reeling from the sudden changes. From the blinding cell to being back outside, it was hard to take in all at once. She stumbled for a moment before focusing on her task, she had to get this done or the severity of her punishment could break whatever sense she had left.

She needed to be sharp, to do what he said on pain worse than death. Laura gripped the machete handle hanging in her belt and looked ahead. She could not stand the idea of going through anymore.

When the gates rattled as they stopped wide open, she spotted Merle on the other side. She scarcely believed he was there, looking no worse for wear. His actions caused her punishment, their companionship made him defend her, and the Governor warned him to not grow attached. It was natural for two beings surviving in an unforgiving world to bond and they did so.

The group exited the walls, stepping out of the way of the gates as they rolled shut. Laura flinched as they clamped down behind her; she was outside again and all she felt was pressure to perform.

"Come on y'all, she's got a head start." Merle overlooked his group and spotted Laura with them. He was surprised, the Governor did not tell him she was coming with them. He did not hesitate though, they were still under watch and he had to move now. If they had a chance he wanted to talk to her, see what could be done about her position.

Merle turned and lead the group away, heading directly into the woods their target disappeared in. They had a trail, all they had to do is follow it now.

adelphe24:

Oh geez I really do to, it's gonna be great to tell this whole story haha
I can't wait! :D

Gemini's Revenge:

Yessss I've been excited to get all this out in the open. There's going to be more Atlanta x Red Atlanta group interactions in the next chapter, this is to just put it out there and get them together.
If I was in Laura's positions... If I found myself to be one of the undead, cured in a world of zombies... I think I'd probably stick with the zombies. Gather a massive horde and just start building my own life. I'm a pretty solitary person so "loneliness" isn't something that bothers me too much. If I decide I want human interaction, with Laura's senses finding people would be much easier than normal. I could look for connections, meet people, and move on.
If I was in her position right now... I don't know man. It's hard to imagine the world of hurt Laura's been suffering. I don't know what I'd do there...
If I was just a normal person in the world... I mean I know of various fully stocked and currently empty bunkers in the world I would likely make my way to finding one of those. Hit up the local gun stores, clean out stores of dry food that fills me. Crap like ramens, noodles, beans, etc. Stuff that keeps and never needs really anything to be edible. Bunker down and set traps, I know how to hunt and place bear traps so that could come in handy. Get like dozens of those and just set them everywhere.
If I couldn't get to a bunker I'd go to a warehouse where finding anyone would be a pain. Like the Atlanta IKEA.

Also I actually live in the area where TWD was filmed. I live in Woodstock, Georgia. I go to Macon all the time, Athens, Newnan, and Atlanta too. TWD cast and crew even requested my sister's backyard to film. King County isn't actually a real place, but it's like southern metro-Atlanta.
The scene between the Governor and Rick, when they met to talk about a truce? That was my sister's place. The uh... the buildings aren't all like that, but y'know how it is. They messed around with the area to produce the area they want for the show.

One of the best places would be out there in Savannah and the Georgia islands, walkers don't swim and those houses are designed to handle tropical storms and hurricanes. Plus to escape the undead all you gotta do is hop in the water or grab a boat. Suppose I would have to learn how to eat dolphin? There's a lotta dolphins around the islands.