Curative
By Kaimaler
Review replies are at the bottom!
Hey guys, we're about to break into OC territory here. So get ready. This chapter will contain... many things... hmm, yes... many things.
Without spoiling it I hope you enjoy it. This will be an OC heavy chapter, dialogue, scenes, and events. Toss me some feedback if something feels off to you. ;)
West Georgia Correctional...
A hollow sound came from the tombs. Laura listed, she heard them growling. Behind this group of survivors was an ocean of dead, hidden in the dark tunnels of the prison. Held off only by the labyrinth they were lost in and the locked doors that halted their advances.
She wanted to be in there with them, hiding away from the living that held her in this cell. There was rarely any silence, when there was it was not for long. The people inside the mess hall were almost always talking, moving, or coming to look into her cell. She wanted to scare them off, do something to tell them she was not on display for them.
Laura focused on the sounds of the dead radiating from the tunnels. She wanted to blend into the crowd, be indistinguishable from the others. Even if she stood in the group of the living anyone could pick her out. There was a yearning she always felt when she could hear or see a herd nearby. Trapped in this cell, separated from the only creatures in the world that she was actually safe around.
They kept making noise all day while she was in the prison and well into the night. They had quieted down after the events with those new people arriving, losing interest in whatever had gone on. She preferred their company over the living, how she could stand in a crowd of the dead and feel like she could be safe.
The living detested her and misunderstood what she is. Laura sighed, she felt like a teenager feeling misunderstood by her parents. The difference being parents cared, the living tortured her for it. She is a creature unlike all the others. While she could be with the dead, she still did not feel like she belonged. There was no place, no people that Laura actually fit in with. No one that knew what it was like to be dead and aware of it.
It grated on her nerves when the living wandered around, not even trying to stay quiet. They were loud and obnoxious, almost never giving her an hour of silence.
She scooted into the far corner of the top bunk and waited. Her arms wrapped around her knees, her hands entirely useless. Red came stomping through the cell block and she watched him just about to pass her cell when he paused and looked down. The plastic water bottle that Daisy had given Laura she had thrown back out the cell in defiance.
Red sighed and picked it up, the thin plastic crinkling in his hands. He looked up, seeing her trying her best to hide in the shadows of her cell and moved on. Laura had not even started to come around, she remained standoffish and Red did not have the time or energy to figure that out.
He entered the mess hall where the others were and threw the bottle into a trashcan by the side door leading to the tombs. Tyreese looked up, seeing Red rubbing his face. The man was exhausted and Tyreese felt for him, knowing their arrival in the prison was causing stress on the group. He did not want to step on toes and wondered who was more in charge, Red or that boy Carl.
Tyreese stood up, approaching Red who froze in place. He put his hands up to show he meant no harm. "Hey, I just wanted tell you... We appreciate you letting us stay here and for helping us. Food, water, shelter, and Donna."
Red did not move for a moment before nodded slowly. "Yeah, you're welcome. We got more of our group out right now, when they get back we'll be talking about what will happen with you and your group." The news seemed to unnerve Tyreese. He grew concerned about what that meant. Red shook his head, "Not like that. I mean, technically this is their prison. My group arrived and someone in my group knows theirs... My point is, we got lucky. I can't promise they'll want you to stay. They barely let us stay."
This calmed his nerves a bit, but it was still not good news. "Whatever we can do to help. We just want to contribute, be a part of a community."
"I know and I know it's hard out there. We all understand." Red ran a hand over the back of his neck, "We don't know you, your group, and we don't know if we can trust you. It's not about how bad you want to have somewhere to call home or how compassionate our groups are; it's about earning that trust. Unfortunately, that takes time and... we're limited on that right now."
"We can work for it, we're capable." Tyreese stood up for his group, Sasha watching from the bench behind them. "I promise you won't regret giving us a chance."
Red withheld a groan. This was not his prison, these people were not his group. He did not have a real say in who stayed and who goes; all he knew is that Rick would not be happy about these people inside their cell block. He could not go against Rick's wishes, but he had a mercy in him that struggled to listen to the rules of this world.
He did not want to kick this group to the curb just because they accidentally entered an inhabited area. They had no idea, they apologized profusely and after a few moments to think, they were respectful to their rules. It was not really forced imprisonment, the group needed to rest and they could not allow them free reign of the prison while Red and the others slept. It was far too risky.
Tyreese was thankful to have a place secured from the dead and the living who had not attempted to harm him or his people. For that he backed off, accepted they were to be locked in, and rested. So far that appeared to be the right move as Red and the other people they had seen did not bother them. They left his group to their own devices, to mourn their loss and try to cope with a long arduous journey here.
However, out on the road Red had always tried to give people a chance before making a decision. He knew the prison was not his and he did not have the power to go over Rick's head about this.
Looking at this man he was being polite, but he was pleading for his group. He wanted to live, somewhere with shelter and other people who could support one another. Tyreese so far appeared level headed and a voice of reason for his group.
Red bit the inside of his cheek and nodded. "Okay, fine." He spoke shortly, "I'll give you a chance to earn a place here. No promises, even if you do a good job it does not mean you get to stay. Just keep your head down and listen; if you can prove you and yours are trustworthy I will do what I can to put in a good word for you. If you don't convince me, we'll just have to wait for Rick to come back. He's not in a friendly mood, so don't expect much from him."
Tyreese nodded fervently. "Yes, absolutely. All I can ask is my group is treated with respect too."
"We won't ask of you anything that would hurt you or your people. But you have to understand, there is another group out there and we are stuck. There might be fighting, some people might die. If you want to throw your hat in the ring then I'll give you the chance to help us; I can't ask you join the fighting though." Red enforced the danger to Tyreese, who knew the weight of their situation.
Sasha stepped up, "Fighting? Another group? What did they do to you? How are we supposed to know we're on the right side in all this?"
Red shrugged, "You don't. I could tell you a dozen stories, but there's nothing I can do to prove it to you. All I can tell you is in there. That woman in the cell, she was our friend and we thought we lost her months ago." His eyes met Sasha's, "Somewhere between the time we lost her and a few months ago she was captured by another group. When she was with us there wasn't a scar on her and she was kind and outgoing. You see how she is now, I don't have to explain. That's why we don't like this group and that's why we're prepared to fight them."
Sasha and Tyreese shared a look, communicating their mutual concerns. "If you're telling the truth, what the hell did they do to her? How do we know you didn't do that to her?" Sasha's suspicious eyes looked over Red, calculating her judgement of him.
"Like I said, I don't really have a way to prove it." He put his hands on his hips, he met Tyreese's gaze. "We lost her once and something happened to her. We don't know what exactly, but you can look at her and tell me what you think. You'd probably be right. Imagine if you lost Sasha, found her a few months later and she looked like that. You can understand why we're all tense right now with this other group. Everyone is on edge."
Tyreese thought about it for only second. He was a reasonable man, but he could be quick to anger. He pushed it out of his head. "Only way to know if you're telling the truth is to get to know you. It's a two way street."
The slightly smaller man nodded, "I'd expect nothing less. We won't ask you to do anything tonight. Eat, drink, and get some rest. We'll help you bury her tomorrow morning." Red shifted on his feet before leaving, he unlocked and exited the front of the cell block and secured it behind him. Tyreese and Sasha watching him go; a lot on their minds.
Red's stride was long and hurried, he was heading out to take over for Carol as Maggie had taken over for Axel. The shift change was to allow Carol and Axel rest, but also a chance for Red to inform Carol what had happened inside the prison. He knows she must have heard the screaming, even if it was dulled by the concrete walls. She would have questions, he was ready to answer them.
Looking to the guard tower he knew Carol was posted in he took a moment to breathe. He was beyond exhausted. He had not eaten yet or had any water and in this heat he was sweating. Stress both mental and physical was beginning to strain him, he had to keep moving. Red had kept his people moving, kept everyone together, and it had begun to strain him a long time ago.
He placed a hand over his chest, feeling a pressure building. Working to calm himself Red took drawn out, deep breaths. Slow and steady until he felt that pressure fading. His constricted chest began to relax and he sighed. It was time to take watch.
Red began to climb the tower, careful to keep himself at an even pace as he ascended. He took it easy, taking his time to reach the top before knocking on the trapdoor top. Footsteps above him told him Carol was on her way to open it. They traveled around the edge, the click of the door, and stopped above the door. With a heave and a squeaking hinge, the trapdoor was opened to reveal Carol up top offering him a hand up.
He accepted happily, lifting up to the guard tower floor. Standing on the metal floor he brushed his hands off and turned to close the door. Carol watched him closely, curious. He was breathing a bit hard, sweating, and she knew he was tired. She felt for him, how hard he worked just like Rick. Her hand on his shoulder she tried to how her support.
He sat on the desk edge, folding his arms across his chest. A heavy air rested on their shoulders. The silence between them grew thick before Carol broke it. "What is it?" She did not yet know what happened inside the prison. She heard the sounds inside the prison, but could not abandon her post while they were still watching out for another group.
"There's a group inside the prison - not the same people we're worried about. Someone new, they're lead by a man named Tyreese." Red explained, watching Carol's expression evolve into stunned silence. "They were trying to escape the dead in the tombs, but ended up getting cornered. Carl brought them back into cell block D and we're keeping them in the mess hall for now. Locked in, but after the dust settled they seem to understand why."
Carol had to have a moment to process all this information. A few problems popping into her head quickly, one of the worst being Rick blaming Red for this. The complications that could arise from these strangers were far too great. "Red-"
"I know, I know." Red's fingers pressed on his temples to sooth his developing headache. "Carl made the decision to bring them back, I didn't want them to think we were a broken group so I backed him up. The girl, her name is Sasha, she was pretty upset at first. She was a handful, but Tyreese got her to calm down. They're all just on edge... they lost someone in the tombs. One of the men's wife, Donna. She was bitten."
"Shit." Carol cursed, surprising Red. He found her curse to have slipped out, she had never uttered anymore more graphic than dang it during their travels. It would be more amusing if their situation was not so dire. "What are we going to do?"
Red tapped his heel on the metal bar behind his foot. "I told him I'd give him a chance to work and earn a place with the group."
"Red-!" Carol protested.
"I can't just let them go. I have to give them a chance." He insisted on his decision. "Even if Rick doesn't agree, I can't turn people away without letting them try. These people could be just like us when we arrived. Hungry, dehydrated, tired - no place to rest but out in the open. If that's true, how can I possibly expect Rick to accept us when I can't accept them?"
She paused and thought about his question. It would be hypocritical of him to turn them away, but his willingness to accept others was not questioned. "That's not the issue, Red. This is their prison, they took it themselves and they have the right to say who stays and who goes. We might not like it and yes, maybe Rick has... things he needs to work out. No one is questioning your generosity."
Red gave her a hopeful grin, "I have to try. At least I can put in a good word for them if they do prove they're good people and will help out around here."
"You always try." She responded with a smile, a bit sad, but proud of Red. His morals were strong and he had no intentions of bending the rules to fit others. His will and determination was always his strong suit.
"Your shift is up. Here," He handed her the keys to cell block D. "Carl gave me these, but you'll need them to get in. They're right inside the mess hall. If they give you any trouble just shout, I'll come help you."
Carol sauntered back to the trapdoor out. "You're already showing them a great deal of trust. You must really have taken a shine to them."
Red shrugged. "What can I say? I've got a soft spot for struggling survivors teetering between death by malnutrition and being eaten alive." He gave her a wink and a charming smile to see her off. Carol raised the trapdoor and climbed down, Red approaching to close the door behind her. Once she was gone he let out a deep breath he had been holding.
Living in this prison was already getting to him.
He picked up a small folding chair and set it to look out the window, dropping himself on it tiredly. He was ready for the day to end, only two more hours before the next shift then he could finally go to sleep and wash this long day away. Red saw Carol heading back to cell block D no doubt to rejoin with Melanie and Sophia. The squeal of the door just barely reaching his ears as she entered.
Red leaned back and looked out over the fences. It was dark, hard to see anything by the trees and underbrush. He wondered what Rick and his team were doing now, if they had found Woodbury and this Governor. He was worried about them, though the trio seemed very capable. Rick, Daryl, and Glenn. A group that Carol talked about at length. They had brought the group through many dangers, he hoped they would return with Markus and Micheal.
They volunteered to go and Rick was thoughtful at first. After a discussion between Rick, Carol, and Hershel he was convinced. He brought them along and Red was now thinking about their wellbeing. It was a dangerous mission to take anyone on. Red had no reason to not trust Rick, everyone had vouched for the man. Carol told them enough and while he was still cautious, they could not gain footing in the prison and with the group without taking chances.
Micheal and Markus took the chance for everyone else. Red only hoped it was enough.
Looking down to the cell blocks he heard the door open, catching his attention. Carol emerged and made sure the door was locked behind her. She crossed the courtyard, looking up to the guard tower and waved. It was not beckoning him, just greeting him and telling him everything was alright. Red waved back and she continued to cell block C.
When she disappeared inside he leaned back in the chair again and relaxed, watching the fence line in peace. Listening to the wind in the trees and the insects. It was peaceful out, a perfect atmosphere to calm down and relax. Red breathed deep the fresh clean smell of the woods around the prison; it had been a long time since he could just enjoy the peace and quiet.
It would not last long however, as he heard someone heading up the guard tower. Seeing nothing around the fences and chastising himself for not paying closer attention, he figured it was just someone from the group coming up to speak to him.
Rocking himself up and out of the chair, Red moved to the trapdoor and waited for the knock. The person climbed higher, stopped, and there was soft rasping at the door. Red pulled the handle and lifted the door open, holding it up while the person entered. He saw Daisy pull herself up and into the tower and he shut the door. "Hey, shouldn't you be asleep before your shift?" Red asked standing by the door to the platform surrounding the tower.
Daisy pushed the door open, relishing in the cool breeze. "Felt like getting some air. Figured you could use some company."
Red nodded, stepping out to the catwalk with Daisy beside him. "It's quiet out. Suppose I could use some help staying awake." He joked, seeing Daisy brushing loose hair out of her face. She breathed in the cold air, enjoying the bright scent of the evergreens.
"It's been a long day, would you like to get some rest before your shift? I could take over. Give you a chance to relax." She offered, her hand gently holding her long hair to keep it from her face. Her eyes met his giving him a soft smile.
"I'd rather just get my shift over with so I get go straight to sleep, not having to get up again until morning." He leaned on the railing, looking back to the gate. "But thanks, I appreciate it."
Daisy leaned over the railing beside him, the two bathing in unmarred moonlight. It was a sublime feeling to be able to bask in the brisk breeze and soft light. They had not a restful night since the farmhouse, always moving and running, never able to stop and catch their breaths. Daisy looked at Red, realizing how much he had aged since Atlanta. The lines on his face more defined, a serious and grizzled look about him.
She grew to appreciate Red, what he did and how hard he fought for the group. Daisy laid a hand on his shoulder, catching his attention. Red looked at her, sighing. He always appreciated the support she gave him, she was always somewhere nearby when hard decisions had to be made or he had to deal with a tense situation. When he explained how they lost Laura, when they planned their escape from the cannibals, and when he had to tell Markus that to spare Elizabeth turning they had to take care of her.
All the work to keep them alive, Daisy was always by his side. Be it food shortage or fending off a rush of undead. "I hope Rick doesn't mind that I've given these people a chance to earn a place in the prison. I told them don't rely on it too much, but if they did what they could and proved they could be trusted... I would try to convince Rick."
Daisy turned to face him and Red leaned on his right elbow against the railing. Her hand sliding around to his upper arm. "You always try to do the right thing. It makes me happy to see through everything you still keep a sense of morality. You're a good man, Red."
He chuckled, "Thanks, I'm glad at least someone sees me like that."
She shook her head, her smile widening. "Red, everyone thinks that. You don't give yourself enough credit. You're far too critical of yourself." She stepped closer to him, easing her way in front of his chest less than a few inches away. Red was a bit distant, trying to keep his concerns over Rick's return in check. "Hey, you are a good man. I know the group thinks that, I know Carol sees it too. It's only a matter of time before Rick and his people see it too."
Red raised his left arm to hold Daisy's forearm, squeezing it gently to show he was listening. It was a silent action they did now out of habit. When Daisy placed a hand to support him, when he wanted her to know he acknowledged that support he would hold her hand to him or however close he could get to the hand. "I hope so. I hope we get to stay here, with everyone. Maybe one day we'll just be one whole group instead of two separate groups trying to make it work... Maybe-"
Daisy's other hand reached up to the back of his neck and used his body to pull herself up to him. In one deft motion she brought her lips to his, utterly shocking the man until he was frozen in place. Her lips were soft, barely touching his in a gentle kiss he was only just now beginning to register.
His hand pushed her forearm away carefully and she broke from him. He had not reciprocated and she was worried he was rejecting her. Red looked down between them, swallowing hard as he tried to think about what to say. All the things wrong, all the things that could be wrong.
"Daisy, what- what are you doing?" Red's voice was just above a whisper, his usual gravely voice disappearing when he spoke too softly.
An uncertain look that made his stomach twist. She caught his eyes, "I think that's pretty obvious. I believe I was kissing you." She tried to make light. Red would be amused by her if this was not much a weight on him.
"I-" He breathed, his hand still holding her forearm perhaps tight now than he meant to. Not enough to hurt her, but enough to tell her he was struggling. "Daisy I'm almost thirty years older than you. I'm old enough to be your dad."
She scoffed, a knowing smirk on her face. "Why do you think age matters out here? After all, how much time do you think any of us have left." The end a statement of fact. Her eyes relayed her confidence to him. Red looked away, down to the prison below. He tried to find a fault in her argument, but words floundered in his head uselessly.
"We have nothing in common- I mean, what would we talk about? Or how would we spend our time together?" He stumbled over words, trying to apply a sense of severity to Daisy's coming on to him. He had no idea she thought about him like that, she had never shown anything like this to him before. There was a close friendship, but not a romantic relationship. "Look at me Daisy, are you really attracted to salt and pepper hair and wrinkles?"
Daisy moved closer to him and he felt a significant part of his self control being pushed as her body began to press against him. Her chest against his, her stomach flat on him; it was powerful stuff. He had not dated any woman seriously since his wife's passing before the outbreak. She was the love of his life and there was still this dull ache when he thought of her. Red did not consider seeing another woman romantically as he was too busy raising his son.
Her hand on his neck rose to his jaw, her fingers gently combing his lengthening hair. "What else to we need to be interested in but our survival and our friends? We're in a world where good people are hard to come by. I'd be an idiot passing up a chance with a good man." Her eyes trailed over his chest and back to his face. "Besides, you know how handsome you are. I've been attracted to you for sometime now and I have an idea of how we can spend our time together." Red's eyes went wide; he had only now thought about being involved with her. Her suggestion had not yet reached him.
Daisy raised her head back to his face, placing a soft kiss on his jaw. Her hand pulling his hair while she trailed her affections down his neck. "Daisy-" Her head pulled back and she hushed him.
Leaning to his ear, her cheek against his, he could feel her smirk. "Don't think about it, just do it." He released her forearm and her hand lowered to his waist.
Red's breath was shaky, but he did not deny he wanted her. His rough hands came to her hips and he stood up straight. Daisy was a beautiful woman with long blonde hair and, if Red wanted to be shallow about it, an incredible body. How his stunning creature was attracted to him- he didn't care. Her kissing him, her tongue on his neck, and her nails on his skin.
He had enough restraint and enough doing the right thing. This was something she wanted, an idea he had never considered and did not dare approach. Privately presented to him Red felt a powerful need to feel every inch of her and tonight that was exactly what he would do.
He grabbed her wrist, again harder than he intended and pulled her inside the guard tower, pulling her around him until she gained her footing in front of him. One hand reached to her stomach, slipping underneath her shirt to feel the impossibly smooth skin of her stomach. Another hand running down the length of her body from her ribs to her thigh.
Knowing she had successfully convinced him, she went directly for her prize. Her hands trailed down his chest and felt a jolt go through her body as her fingers dances around the defined muscles of his abdomen. "You know, for an old man; you're in fantastic shape."
That earned her a low chuckle from Red. "Not so bad yourself." His hand split her arms apart, stopping her from reaching his belt. His own hand traveling up her shirt until he cupped her breast. "Not yet, I'm want to make this last." A wicked smile on Daisy's face told him she approved.
He spread the covers down on the floor, a makeshift bed that someone had set in the guard tower. He pulled her down and reveled in the woman before him. Tonight was his night.
Four hours later...
"You know they fucked in that guard tower, right?"
She choked on the cereal, nearing coughing it right back out of her mouth. "Braddock!" Maggie barked, clearing her throat and attempting to swallow her food. They were just outside cell block D on one of the tables in the courtyard. It had been a few hours and they were ready to switch guard shifts. Red's three hours were up and Daisy was to relive him, but they noticed no one entered or left the guard tower.
The question was directed to Carol. Maggie had told Braddock something, but she attempted to be polite about it and not spread rumors around. Braddock knew what she was saying immediately and his filter... almost did not exist.
Carol sighed, "Yes, Braddock. We know." The larger man shrugged. "Could've put it a little nicer."
Braddock laughed, "What for? We're all adults and you saw them, Maggie." The woman shook her head, trying to finish her breakfast.
"Please, please do not remind me." Maggie pleaded, taking another bite of her food and chowing down as quickly as possible. The image of Daisy bent over the table in the guard tower, Red very obviously naked behind her - she shuddered. Thankful she didn't actually see anything obscene, just the very sexual position they were in. Immediately she turned around and did her best to never ever think of it again. Somewhere between the "Yes, fuck me!" and "Take it!" Maggie had lost the ability to ignore their night time activity. Instead she retreated to the cell block and waited it out, letting Braddock retake the guard tower with Carol.
"Hey, Maggie. Isn't that where you and Glenn sleep?"
"Braddock!" Carol chided. She found the whole thing very amusing, but resisted laughing for Maggie's sake. The poor woman was the only reason they knew Daisy was up there. Certainly saved them time searching for her and accidentally trying to enter the guard tower while Daisy and Red were preoccupied.
The man put his hands up and patted the table beside Maggie. "Sorry you got scarred for life." Carol was about to chastise him further when he hurried away, escaping Carol's punishment. Carol struggled not to laugh, a few untimely giggles escaped her and earned a desperate look from Maggie.
With the end of the relatively loud, voluminous sex Braddock and Carol dismissed themselves from the tower and allowed Maggie to take watch again. Red and Daisy apparently done with their... adventures.
It was still dark out and Braddock was heading back to bed. Carol staying with Maggie just a big longer while she saw Red on the catwalk throwing his shirt back on. She tried not to smile, thinking about what Braddock said. They were a bit indecent about it, very shameless, but Carol was glad to see something help Red relax. She only hoped their relations did not complicate things and they weren't doing what they were doing as friends with benefits. It always ended poorly.
Carol could not see Red doing that. He had never once made advances to Daisy, herself, or Laura. The group did not say much about Elizabeth and Red's relationship, but what little they did say it was respectful. No indecencies there. Apparently Red and Daisy was the only case of a romantic entanglement in their group, Braddock was surprised at first before putting a hand over his mouth to muffle the sounds of his laughter.
Red leaned on the railing, Daisy approaching behind him wrapping her arms around him. Carol ran a hand down Maggie's arm before turning to go back to her cell block to sleep.
Sophia and Melanie were moved into cell block D since Daisy was busy and Carol was going to stay with Hershel, Carl, and Beth while this other group was still in the mess hall. She entered the cell block, seeing Sasha awake she offered her a polite smile and gestured her to excuse her. Sasha looked between Carol and her brother, sleeping on the ground using the comforters provided.
Carol crossed the room as quietly as possible before Sasha approached her. "Hey," Carol paused, looking at the disheveled woman. "You know about that girl in the cell?" Sasha asked, wanting to see if a woman could answer that. Carol appeared sheepish, very classic housewife and Sasha figured she could get answers out of her. If this housewife was scared of something, Sasha would be able to pick up on it.
Sasha had her hands on her hips, her expression was not aggressive. Carol nodded, "Yes, she's a friend. Why?" Carol returned the question.
"She's really messed up, I'm just worried for our group. My brother, he won't say it, but we don't want to be somewhere women are... not respected." Sasha answered the truth. Tyreese and Sasha had discussed how strange a rather creepy it was to have that woman locked up. She had something wrapped around her hands which appeared to restrict her and she was... odd. Sasha never got a very good look at her, but she could see some of the mangling.
To sooth Sasha's nerves about a leadership that looked down on women, Carol walked with Sasha away from her group to give them some privacy. Sasha was fine joining her on the far side of the room. In a quiet whisper, Carol responded. "If you ask me half the women here are tougher than the men; I think some of them know it."
Not... exactly what Sasha expected. Carol's tone was jovial, far too light to suggest anything negative. Sasha's face contorted in confusion as Carol gave a sly grin. "If you're asking if our men look down on the women, the answer is no. Laura, that girl in the cell, is very unique and she's also very hurt. I was there when we lost her. When they brought her back I saw our leader Rick just trying to give her space, but he was so happy to have her back."
"So your men, they don't do anything to women? Why do they have her locked up? That's a bit extreme. I mean, how do you know for certain they don't... do anything?" Sasha was genuinely worried about the rest of their group returning. So far it was a toss up if they were decent people or not. "How can you be sure?"
Carol shook her head, "Listen to me when I say this. Laura is hurt, she's scared and when we brought her back she lashed out and nearly hurt some people. That cell is for our protection and hers. She needs time to heal from her ordeal." Glancing up to the cell where Laura was being kept she could see the reflecting light of her eyes watching them. "Not a doubt in my mind that the men here wouldn't lay a finger on her without her consent. Rick and Laura were very close, the best of friends and she trusted him. She was even involved with another member of our group. She is our friend and we want to help her heal after what happened to her."
"But that's just it, when I asked that guy, Red, he just gave us this PG answer." Sasha seemed a bit offended by Red's attempt to be polite about it. He mostly just did not want to answer their questions. He was tired and he had watch shift; so he let them imagine. "What happened to her and is that why part of your group isn't here?"
Red had told Sasha that earlier, at least to a degree. Carol nodded, "I don't know for certain though I can guess. I think it's best to stick with that. I know that's the answer you didn't want, but perhaps we should leave the guessing and facts for Laura when she feels strong enough to talk to us again."
Sasha was not satisfied with Carol's answer. She left it alone though, believing that was the best she would get out of Carol. "Alright, well. Goodnight, I'm going to head to bed soon."
"Get some sleep, you deserve it." Carol gave a kind smile before heading to the cell block door and unlocked it, trying to open it slowly and as little as possible. The metal hinges squealed, but she managed not to wake the exhausted group. Carol locked the door and turned around, looking to the cell block lit in blue light from the moon just barely passing through the barred windows.
She took a deep breath, ready to rest after a long night. Beth and Maggie had taken Sophia and Melanie to sleep, but Carol knew her daughter would not be resting. She took after Laura in that way, she never slept. Always just laying there resting her body, but never felt the need to drift off.
It was a slight concern, but Sophia gave her nothing to be worried about. Even after all this time Sophia did not display any of the struggles Laura did with turning. Carol hoped that meant Sophia would never experience them. Perhaps it was a bit cruel to think about Laura as the worst case scenario of Sophia's condition. Looking to the cell beside her, Laura's eyes never moving from Carol - she was downright creepy with those reflective eyes. Like a prowling big cat... only caged.
Carol missed her friend. Laura and her had gotten along so well once. She felt close to the cured woman, able to reach her when no one else could. Carol approached the cell, Laura did not move, so she felt she would be fine a bit closer. Whatever had gone on, whatever made her so feral it was worse than Carol ever wanted to imagine. So she did not think about it, going to great lengths to avoid it entirely. Not to disrespect the suffering Laura survived, but because she did not want speculation to hide the truth.
Sasha was disturbed seeing anyone locked up like that. She did not like being trapped in the mess hall, but figured there was nothing that could be done about it so she calmed down. While Carol understood how difficult it must be to accept being imprisoned especially in a literal prison, their safety came first. Unfortunately, this meant Laura was visible from the mess hall.
"Mom?" A small voice caused Carol to paused and turn around. Midway down the stairs in the cell block was Sophia, holding the doll Daryl recovered from the creek bed back on the Greene farm so long ago. She had never let it go through the long months separated from her mother. She held it for comfort the same way she did when her father was alive.
Carol blinked, a little tired. She smiled at her daughter who took that as a sign she could come down. A jolt of alarm struck Carol's heart when she realized Sophia did not know Laura was here and Laura had not seen Sophia. She wondered how Sophia would react, how Laura would see the ghostly pale girl she had brought back from death.
The bite wound on Sophia's shoulder had healed over with a defined scar. Carol hated seeing it, knowing how badly it must have hurt. Sophia walked up to her mother, one arm coming around her midsection in a loose hug. Sophia was beyond happy to see her mother again, she had cried for hours in relief. The little girl experiencing more emotions in that one moment than she had done in her life.
The girl had begun to grow up. Their months on the road, running from the herd and scavenging for food had thickened her skin. Carol believed that this ordeal changed her, but there was more going on beneath the surface than she knew.
Carol held her daughter to her, her hand on the back of her head petting her hair. "Hey, there's my big girl." Her voice low and soft. "I'm about to go to bed, do you want something do to while I sleep?"
Laura slid off the bed slowly, her eyes sharply focused on the little girl. She smelled different, looked different, something felt strange about her. Laura, for once, was not familiar with whatever she was picking up from the arrival of this girl. Her scent was harder to find, there was no bright smell of sweat, blood, or breath from the girl. There was also no scent of the dead on her and she was not trying to eat the woman, so she was alive.
Her feet touched the concrete floor gently, the boots not making a sound as she eased the rest of her weight off her hands and onto her feet. She lowered herself to a crouch, staring at the pale girl as they spoke. Laura neared the cell door without being heard, her stealth capabilities far beyond that of the average person. Without paying close attention Laura knew she could sneak up on just about anyone. She had to be careful, calculate her every step before taking it.
Laura rose to stand in front of the bars, the woman and girl still not noticing her. She looked at the older woman, smiling at the girl and the little girl holding the woman tightly. She regarded the scene between this adult woman and this strange, almost scentless little girl with curiosity. Laura had never seen another person with so little signature behind her.
It was almost as if she was invisible, not because she gave off no smell but because Laura could not recognize it as anything. There was no smell of the living or dead, not a smell of plants, animal, or machinery on her. Laura could not tell what that strange aroma was.
The woman looked up to the top of the stairs, Laura ignored the movement. She was fascinated by this girl, she did not care what anyone else did. Had she followed Carol's gaze she would have seen the older man standing at the top of the stairs, gesturing to Laura's cell with urgency. Her head whipped around only to come face to face with Laura who was barely an inch away from the bars.
Carol jumped, her hands pulling her daughter back with her. The shock of seeing Laura right beside her, close enough to touch, had scared her. She had not heard a sound, nothing from the cell at all. Laura managed to sneak off the bunk bed, across the cell and right up against the bars without Carol hearing anything. Her hands held Sophia to her firmly, the little girl turning to see the woman being the bars.
She did not realize this was Laura at first, it took her a moment. She knew the adults had been talking about Laura and knew she was here, but did not know she was in this cell. Sophia could smell better than the others as well and had been trying to work through all the scents she could find. There was a distinct difference between the people of her group and the dead roaming the tombs. That much was easy to find out on the road.
After the initial fright, Carol saw Laura was not moving for her or Sophia. Carol did not want to believe Laura would attack anyone in the group, but the way she lunged at Rick... she had to be careful all the same. Having moved a bit further from the bars, Carol knew she was out of reach so the tense moment of realizing how close Laura was calmed down.
A few moments passed and none of them really moved, each person too tense and alarmed by Laura being within reaching distance of Carol and Sophia. Instead of leaving the cell and Laura, Carol saw how intensely focused Laura was on Sophia. Laura did nothing to hide it and did not care if she alarmed the people; she only wanted to see the girl and understand why she was different. It was easy to pick up on.
"Laura?" Carol asked, catching the flick of her eyes before they looked back to Sophia. "Do you want to say hello to Sophia? I told her how sorry you were for what happened back on the farm."
Sophia looked up to her mother and back to Laura in the cell. She did not speak, only turned to see Laura while her mother's hands still held her. The woman she knew as Laura, the woman who brought her back from death, was standing here looking like something out of a nightmare. She had strange things on her hands, on her face, and her shaken and hurt look scared Sophia.
Though Carol did mention Laura's... attack on Sophia in a general sense, she did not say much about why it happened. Carol was worried she would scare Sophia with the truth, knowing she is as Laura is.
Carol glanced between the two, finally understanding what was going on; why Laura was so focused on Sophia. She is as Laura is. They were the only two people who had turned and came back. "Laura, you remember what happened to Sophia. You remember back on the farm when she... turned." Laura's eyes met Carol's and for the first time there was an expression on her face. It read of confusion, she did not understand. The confusion was contagious.
The clicking of crutches descended the staircase in the cell block, Hershel came down to see exactly what was going on. Laura watched him hop down, step to step with the railing as his support. He pulled the crutches in front and used them to near Carol and Sophia almost protectively.
"Sophia, do you want to say hi to Laura?" Carol gently urged the girl to greet the blue skinned woman.
Sophia was nervous, but listened to her mother. "Hi, Laura."
Hearing the girl speak, Laura crouched down to eye level with her. Laura's strangely bright pupils were definitely strange to the girl. While Sophia did turn, she was only a walker for a short time, her appearance and senses not nearly as dramatically changed as Laura's. She did not experience everything the same, yet she had been able to use some of her senses to protect herself. Mostly to tell when someone or something was coming, when to hide.
Laura's wrapped hand reached between the bars and stretched out to Sophia, a kind of gesture they did not understand.
Behind the bars, Laura was intoxicated with the scent of this girl. She was so strange and her presence stood out, like a soft light in the shadows. Carol spoke to Laura and she heard what she said, though Laura did not know what she was talking about.
"I don't think she does." Hershel's ability to read people was unequaled in the group. He observed Laura the moment she arrived and now, seeing how clearly surprised and confused she was looking at Sophia. Laura did not express much since arriving, only by lunging at Rick, trying to escape into the tombs, and attacking Rick and Daryl when they caught up to her; he had begun to put the pieces together.
"What- What do you mean?" Carol kept a hand on Sophia, turning her head to Hershel. A sense of discovery about them, as if they had just found a new piece to this puzzle.
Hershel nodded his head to Laura, "She hasn't greeted a single one of us. She attacked Rick and Daryl, both people she was very close to." He explained his theory, the evidence supporting it. "We've had to put her in that cell because Rick was worried she'd attack again, because she was scared. I think that's true, but I also think there's more to it than being scared."
"She was hurt, those people captured her." Carol tried to argue the point. Not to diminish Hershel's thoughts on Laura, but in denial of what his theory meant for them. "Michonne told us they kept her in a cage, they did things to her and she's probably afraid; feeling like she has to defend herself..."
Hershel sympathized with the woman. What he was saying would certainly be a hard pill to swallow. "You said Laura was afraid of losing herself." He looked at her reaching her hand out to Sophia, "I know it's hard to hear, but maybe she did. We might have to learn to accept that."
Carol put her free hand over her mouth, "Laura-" She choked, "Laura, do you remember Sophia?"
No response from her, Laura ignored Carol entirely. She heard her, but she did not care. Sophia was what she wanted, she wanted to smell her and understand her. There was such a noticeable distinction between Sophia and Carol.
"She's like you, Laura." Carol knelt down with her hands on Sophia's shoulders, "She was bitten, she turned, and when I thought I had lost her- you brought her back. I told you I could never repay you for what you did. For saving my daughter. Don't you remember?" Carol felt her eyes sting and water. Hershel felt terrible for this woman and her friend. He never had much time with Laura, she was always away from the group with Daryl or getting injured somehow.
Sophia tentatively raised her hand, her fingers brushing the material wrapped around Laura's hand. Carol raised her own hand to stop, just in case Laura lashed out again especially if she did not remember them.
When Sophia's hand was inside the wrapped claws of Laura's hand, Laura closed her hand as best she could. It was not rough, she was not attacking or forcing the girl to do anything. Sophia remembered Laura and though she did hurt the girl, she had gotten a bit older than the last time they met. Sophia was a shy, scared little girl who learned her fear from her broken household. Out here she learned she was helpful to the people who protected her and when she asked, they often spoke of Laura as the woman who saved her.
Sophia had her own will, she began to emerge from her shell on the road. When they had to tell her Carol was missing, it broke her heart. She was hurting and there was no time to carry her around. Through insistence and support from Rick, Hershel, and Lori; Sophia found her place.
Carol watched as Laura brought the girl closer. Her hands were harmless with the strips of torn clothing wrapped around the sharp edges and long talons. Sophia stood in front of the bars and Laura leaned forward, the muzzle on her face almost touching the bars.
Too nervous to speak, but brave enough to approach, Sophia froze in place a Laura looked over her. Carol was interested to see Laura recognizing Sophia was like her. If Laura did not remember Sophia or those days at the farm; than this moment would be important to all of them. A way to reconnect with Laura.
Before they had any time to build on this connection Sophia and Laura shared, they heard gunfire from outside. Carol jumped up, the piercing shots shattered the peace. Laura's arm retreated into the cell and she backed away, sheltering herself in the shadows again. Hershel looked to Carol, alarm and growing panic on their faces.
The gunshots awoke the prison and soon Braddock jumped out of the cell he was sleeping in, rushing down the stairs to Hershel and Carol. Carl not far behind.
"What the hell was that?" Braddock asked, followed by more gunfire. "Get some guns, everyone!" Carl rushed to the cell block door and unlocked it, swinging it open to let everyone out. Filing through the cell block was Braddock, Carl, and Carol rushing to go outside.
Inside the mess hall the gunfire had woken their guests. Tyreese joined up to Hershel as he saw everyone going outside. "What's going on?"
"Don't know." Hershel's answer was simple as he hopped up the stairs to join the others outside.
Tyreese looked behind him, seeing his sister just as alarmed as he was. "Come on." This was a golden opportunity shining on him to help show their loyalty and willingness to protect the group. Sasha nodded, following him as he ran through the door they had left unlocked. Allen and Ben unsure, worried about what could happen, but joined up with Tyreese and Sasha.
Just outside the cell block they could see the light of gunfire from the guard towers. Red, Daisy, and Maggie already firing on something outside. Carol looked to the fences and gates, seeing a vehicle had broken in through the fence. The tangled mess of barbed wire and sections of the gates entirely broken into. The field was open to the outside, but the courtyard was still locked.
It appeared that the vehicle used in this assault had popped a tire and suffered from the chain link fence wrapping around the wheels. It was immobile, but the people driving it were not. They returned fire on the guard towers.
"Carol!" In front of her was Braddock handing her a rifle from the pack of weaponry he had picked up from inside the cell block, "Get down, they're inside the field. Don't know how many."
She took the rifle, checking to make sure it was loaded. Looking up to the guard tower she saw Red and Daisy crouched behind the railing. They were pinned by too much attention from the peopling attacking. Whoever they were, she had to get them off to give the tower a chance to defend themselves.
Aiming down the sights, her hands a bit out of practice with a rifle these days, she fired off a few rounds at the car. A few of her shots shattered the side windows, the new fire noted by the people behind the car. They took cover, halting their attack on the tower. It gave them enough time to peak out from behind the railing and return fire.
Braddock kept just beside Carol, using the fortifications they had put up at the security gate to protect them. He was better up close, but he could make this work. Behind him emerged Tyreese and his group, staying behind cover. "Give us a gun, we can help!" Tyreese insisted, just behind Braddock. He was being honest, he wanted to help and his group were ready to defend themselves.
Looking to Carol they were both unsure. Braddock shook his head, "I can't- I can't risk it. Just stay down, there's not many of them." He winced from the bullets hitting the wall beside them. "Stay inside! We'll take care of these assholes."
Tyreese didn't blame him for not trusting them, but they were under attack. He could not leave his people weak and vulnerable. Carol did not allow them weapons either. He had to do something.
On top of the guard tower Red was relieved to see the others helping down below. Finally able to get a shot off, Red kept their attackers pinned down best he could. The one vehicle was stranded, but these people were still fighting. He thought about who they could be, people from the group Michonne told them about? Why would they just barrel into the gates without a plan?
If these were not the people from the group they might not have known about someone living inside the prison. They may have been trying to escape walkers or just wanted in the prison for protection seeing it was relatively clear.
Daisy was a few feet beside him, waiting for when he needed to take cover to open fire herself. It created a stream of shots that turned the tides on the intruders. "What a great way to end the night." She laughed, "All the elements of a good movie. Action, adventure, and graphic content." She gave him a wink. Though her tenseness and heavy breathing gave away how truly worried she was.
Red nodded, "There can't be anymore than three of them down there. We're just waiting until they fuck up."
"Why the hell would they assault a prison with three people?" Daisy raised her voice over the gunfire. Red ducked back behind cover and Daisy peaked out just enough to get the rifle over the edge. She fired a few pot shots at the car, but no one was visible.
"Jackasses." Red replied, "Idiot jackasses that are about to be dead."
Back on the ground, Tyreese had begun to make a plan. He needed a gun to protect his people and the group that allowed them to stay here. Braddock and Carol were distracted and perhaps later on they would make him regret this. This was his life, the life of his sister, and Allen and Ben. He did not hesitate to fight for them and he would never do so.
Tyreese saw the weapon pack leaning against the wall just behind Braddock knee. Taking a deep breath he grabbed hold of the handle, slipping the pack from underneath Braddock's nose. Carol noticed it however and turned to aim her rifle at Tyreese. Braddock saw Carol turn her attention from the car to the people behind him. He cursed, he forgot he put the bag down there. They were in such a rush he had not paid attention to where it went.
Sasha put her hands up with Carol's rifle aimed at them. "We just want to help! You can't expect us not to fight. If they roll in through here they'll kill you and us. We don't have a choice. We have to fight."
"Put the bag down!" Braddock called, ducking away from incoming fire. "Dammit, we don't have time for this!"
Sasha reached into the pack, pulling out the first gun she could. A rather large submachine gun came out and the gun surprised her at first. "Jesus." She took it in both hands, the weight rather intense for a weapon this size. She checked to make sure it was loaded and the safety off. Satisfied, she crouched down to take a spot beside Carol who was caught between the two groups. "Fire at them, we're going to help so just accept it!" Sasha yelled, making Braddock blink.
Tyreese, Allen, and Ben took out a weapon a piece ranging from a pistol to a rifle for Tyreese. He stepped up, it was time to prove they were decent folks ready to fight for each other.
"I'm going to try and move up, see if I can get a better shot. Cover me!" Tyreese headed down the stairs behind them, waiting until the group started firing. Braddock let out a string of curses under his breath, knowing he'd catch shit for this later from Red and Rick no doubt.
"Wait!" Carol announced, letting the attackers fire a few rounds at them. Waiting until they had to reload or had the towers firing at them. When she saw Red over the edge shooting at the group, she came out of cover and fired. Braddock, Sasha, and Allen taking the chance to open fire and flood the strangers by the vehicle. "Go now!"
Tyreese wasted no time, he bolted out the gate closer to the fence line where they had put up more fortifications. Sounds of gunfire rang in his ears, he could not believe they went from running from a herd in the woods to open warfare between two strange groups. It was one hell of a night. He stumbled to the makeshift wall, ducking behind it. Braddock saw him reach the cover by the fence and they let up on the group.
Maggie in the tower over saw them trying to pin the group down. She did not have a good enough line of sight to do anything but pierce the side of the car. While it was helpful to scare them back into cover, she was completely unable to hit any of them. She had to rely on the others to get the job done.
So far these people were playing it safe, staying behind the car until they had to reload then returning fire. It was very mechanical, no attempts to overwhelm, rush, or escape. She tried to see them on the far side of the car, only able to glimpse one or two when they came far enough out of cover. That car was entirely ruined, there was no way it would ever run again to get them out.
In the other guard tower, Red came to the same conclusion. That car was totaled, it had taken at least a hundred rounds by now and a lot of those bullets focused around the hood of the vehicle. With both tires on one side blown out, the glass shattered, and these people still fighting; he wondered what the hell their plan was from the beginning.
On the ground Tyreese had managed to stay hidden behind the cover they placed earlier that night. The group attacking had not seen him run behind cover and remained unaware he was attempting to get closer.
"Wait!" He heard Carol shout over the gunfire again, letting him know they were working on giving him the opening he needed. The back and forth continued for a few minutes, they were relentless.
Braddock reloaded his rifle, throwing the empty magazine away. "These sons of bitches. What the hell are they doing? They're not even moving. They just think they can roll on us and we'd just take it?"
Sasha looked to him, "Maybe they were like us and didn't know someone was here."
"They charged the gate." Carol thought, "They must've known someone was here. Why did they just stop in the middle of the field? The others must've retaliated the moment the car broke through. There's no way they didn't know."
The group got down, two of the attackers aiming at them and firing. The bullets digging into the stone and metal around them, they heard a few shots ricochet off. They were stuck and it was a bad place to be in. No one but the guard towers were in position and they stopped the car with their side to the towers. It was a larger vehicle, but they could not tell what.
Tyreese used this opportunity to try and cut at least one down. While they came from behind cover to return fire on his people, Braddock, and Carol; Tyreese took the chance to surprise them. He came around the edge and held his breath, hoping his aim had stayed true all this time. All it took was one bullet and he saw one of the assailant's head snap back, falling to the ground.
He had got one, the other jumping to the side to take cover with his ally dead. Red looked to the source of that shot and saw Tyreese ducking back behind cover. "Tyreese got one, the last two are pinned! Let's wipe them out." Daisy nodded, standing up with Red and holding down their triggers blasting the car with hellfire. Braddock and Carol took this as a sign to clear out the remaining two.
Maggie got purchase as the only tower with a line of sight to the very front of the car. One of the shooters took cover there and she aimed. Her aim confident, she knew she could make the shot. Using the rifle given to her by Red's group, she steadied her shot and nailed the attacker. He fell dead the moment that bullet hit him. A clean shot, now there was only one.
As the ground fired onto the car, someone made their way around. The attack was meant to be a decoy but he knew the men sent with them were fresh faces. They had no real experience and Merle did not much care if they survived this. They lasted even less time than he thought they would; a comment on their inability to perform.
They burst through the gates as a distraction and he did not feel the need to tell them they were just a distraction. Merle took a side path around, making his own way into the prison with wire cutters and his own arsenal of weapons on his back.
He knew, somewhere here, was answers to where his brother was. Glenn was a part of the Atlanta group, Andrea said Daryl was still with them and believed he likely escaped the farm when the herd came. If he couldn't find anyone else with that group, he planned to get the answers out of Glenn.
Merle gave the group with him bad information, he directly lied so they would be willing to accept his plan. The wire cutters severed the chain link fence, leaving a hole Merle could climb through. He had three men behind him all heavily armed and ready to fight back. They had to be careful, Merle had to make sure that they didn't accidentally shoot someone that had the information he wanted.
He was painfully aware that one of these people in this prison could be his brother. "We want prisoners first, take a hostage and get them to put down their guns. We're looking for our missing girl and the Governor wants her alive."
"Can't imagine why." Caesar Martinez was beside him, "The doctor hasn't found anything new. Test after test, he never comes back making any real progress. Why does Philip care?"
Merle set his jaw straight, "We're not here to ask questions, we're here to do a job." He glared at the man beside him, "So let's do it and get the hell out of here."
Martinez backed down, seeing how short tempered Merle was right now. He had not shown too many emotional bouts against Martinez, knowing he reported directly to the Governor. When Merle was pissed off enough to snap at him, he knew something was notably wrong.
They jogged through the side of the prison, just outside the cell block courtyard. There was a line of recently used vehicles, telling Merle this was their 'garage.' They put their backs to the wall, sliding along as quietly as they could until they reached the corner. Merle checked his pistol, the others putting their backs to the wall with their weapons raised and ready.
Looking around the corner he could just barely see a man on the ground, behind the fence. Unrecognizable at this distance, he didn't know who it could be. The guard tower was manned, there were two in one and appeared to be a lone sniper in the other. Gunfire came from around the corner, telling him there was no way to get through without hostages.
Merle eyed the stranger behind the fence and plotted his course of action. He wanted Laura back alive and he wanted to know where his brother was if he was not here. After that he had it all worked out, a way out for them all. The group with him didn't need to know that, all they had to do is their jobs and all his scheming would come to fruition.
It didn't take much for the pieces to fall in place. The two groups were already at each others throats and Merle was pleased he got to strike first. Completely unaware of the attack on Woodbury that happened hours ago. He felt in control and ready to move. A hostage would put this in his favor. These people would protect their own, willing to stand down if it meant saving one of their own.
Merle fully expected to prey on that. "Let's make it happen, boys." Merle grinned, "Grab him."
adelphe24:
EEEE I'm glad you are getting into it. I'm trying to get better at writing action sequences.
And I'm with you, I can't get over them. They're so damn cool, I'm fangirling over my own creation. xD
elljayde:
I'm glad you're enjoying it!
And they are actually not sure how Laura got Sophia to turn back. Seeing how devastated and distant she is they cannot promise any chance to return Donna. It is entirely possible to them that Laura never comes back or reverts to who she was. They're also in a certain level of denial that Laura isn't really there anymore. Laura is, for all purposes, feral. The only thing keeping her together is the bit of humanity she had retained from the Voice and the muzzle keeping her from actively eating anyone. Which is also a very real possibility that the group is avoiding (which we will see in later chapters)
Without Laura's cooperation they could never bring Donna back as she is the only person who knows what to do. Layering that on they have no idea who these people are and not willing to offer something that might never be possible. They could not share Laura's existence as she is, risking more threat to the terrified and scarred woman.
And yeah, Laura's incredibly messed up living life as a kind of sentient walker. She knows what she is and finds empowerment from it, but it meant so much at Woodbury... the road to recovery will be challenging. :(
I hope you continue to enjoy the story! :)
Gemini's Revenge:
I love talking to readers. It helps keep me grounded on what they really like and what I want to do so I can try to keep everyone interested in the story. I also enjoy talking to readers because I like to share my work and appreciate people who take the time to discuss it with me. I know I can't give out spoilers because that would ruin it, but sometimes there are things I want to talk about with people who are a fan of my work. Some of it has happened and I can talk about, others... best saved for later. ;)
I'm seriously happy you think I do so well writing. I put a lot of effort and a chapter can take between 5-15 hours to write depending on the complexity. It took about 13 hours to write the previous chapter as I wanted it to be FULL of cool stuff. As a result it took a lot more time to put together.
This chapter was much easier as I've already had some time to think about it. In this situation we're about to see Merle's strategic planning come into play. He's a smart man, he knows how to get what he wants and what he wants in Daryl and Laura.
I won't spoil anything, but next chapter will be... colorful. ;)
I hope you continue to enjoy my writing. I will do my best to keep the quality up... Though my action sequences could use a little work haha I'm still better at writing slice of life rather than shoot outs. So I apologize if my flow is a bit off this chapter. :x
Gryffindor Rat:
Haha I'm glad you liked it! I had a good time writing it, but it took about 13 hours to write it out... So I passed out after I was done! xD
Yup, again, you got exactly what I wanted. They are used to walkers, people being eaten by them, and even fighting others. (Randall / Shane)
But this is on such a whole new level for them, it would be hard to anyone to comprehend it with ease. They're both realizing this is Laura's life, this is what she knows now AND partially in denial. Because they have a job to do, their people are at risk. They need to focus, but even more than that - they don't want to know that this is where Laura ended up. For what she is this is what happens to her.
It's... hard for them to take it all in. No one would look at it and go "Oh yeah, she was experimented on here" and walk off. So I had to try and convey that sense of discovery paired with denial.
Really they know, they really do deep down. If they sat down and thought about it they would understand. But with everything going on they want to ask a million questions in hopes that something comes up telling them it's not true.
Yes yes yes, the best of a bad situation. That's precisely what they're trying to do. They are denying the worst, but some believe there was no way it was this bad! That it would take a sick and demented mind to do this to another person. Also because they feel their worst fears could not be the right answer. They had to be missing something else.
Either way, they all know deep down the reality and it scares them. It scares them to think someone did this willingly with no remorse. That Laura experienced this without a way out. And both parties are still alive.
Laura's father is... complicated. He believes her to be dead, an imprint of the living girl she was. I can't say much here, I don't want to spoil anything. So I'll have to smile and nod. :)
It is unfortunately true that Laura was awake for everything and fully aware of what was being done to her. I wanted to write some "passes out from pain" parts, but it didn't make sense logically with how I've been painting the *science* behind Laura's condition. To knock her out she has to be hit on the back of the head, hard. To pass out from 'pain' or rather 'over stimulation' in her torture it would be the branding. Even then it would largely be spots, white out, not a full black out. She had a few cases of being knocked out, blacking out, but it stemmed from when she was still partially alive. :x
I wanted them to see gruesome details like the missing organ, but did not want them to understand exactly who it belonged to. In the future we will see more about that and their reactions to this news.
I am debating on spending a lot of chapters breaking this news to the group, piece by piece, and writing entire chapters dedicated to the things Laura experienced and her moving on from them. There will be a lot from time from Point A to Point Z, so we'll have plenty of time to learn and engage in the interpersonal relationships with Laura again. Just like back on the farm, we'll almost entirely be exclusive to her.
What they would do to her father... hmmm... it will be a challenging time to say the least. When they finally understand what went on and learn who he is.
That is exactly what happened. Rick considered the information in these folders to be far more valuable than the guns. As far as he knows he will never have another chance to understand Laura on a greater level than he ever did before.
I am, again, debating on dedicating a lot of time to Rick reading the books. Since there is a TON of stuff there I might just make a spin-off collection of chapters involving Rick reading these folders. I don't think many people will want to read 4-10k words surrounding the content of those folders.
I was actually thinking about making a little personalized prop at home and titling it the "Heart" folder; the first folder Rick picked up and realized what he was looking at before collecting the rest into his pack.
He wants to help her just like she helped him. It is a bad time however as Rick is going off the edge in the next episode or two from TWD. :(
Rick cares about her more than the guns. He might be teetering on entering "CrazyTown" but he still knows who his friends are.
I think it's fair to assume that Rick will accept Laura before everyone else, including Daryl.
When Laura first showed herself he knew nothing of the world around him except that the dead roamed the world and they would eat him. He learned that and managed to survive.
He took Laura in and though he did not know how improbable it was, he figured it out. Rick accepted Laura, kept her secret, and protected her even from the others; people he considered reliable friends.
Daryl... he will have many moments, many good and many bad. He will either come to terms with what Laura is or he will not. Even if he does there are more details to her life he will have to be able to look at directly. This will be a grand trial for him. But Daryl, though he won't say it really, loved this strange girl. She became incredibly important to him very quickly, a fact that both alarms him and comforts him.
He will hear from multiple sources that she was captured, beaten, tortured, experimented on, and raped. He will have to work though that this was not a one time ordeal. This was not an attack she managed to get away from and survive like before. She escaped the men in Atlanta and she survived Red's group.
He believes Laura is tougher than she looks, but more vulnerable than she acts.
There's a lot more to this, but I don't want to ruin the enjoyment of reading it in future chapters.
We will see how it plays out... :)
Merle understands her so well even without speaking to her... she understands him too. The two are good friends, better than they even realize. They will stand up for one another - this will be a surprise to the others.
Merle loves his brother, he wants to be with him and protect him. They're a pair and that's all there is. But Merle developed this companionship unintentionally and he will come to accept Laura as a part of their band.
Daryl and Merle will be discussing Laura a lot. :x
I feel like Rick and Red are similar, but with different problems.
Red had a harder string of luck while Rick actually ended up much luckier.
Yes, Rick lost his wife... but he had a daughter and has the means to feed, shelter, and raise her. Rick also lost the Greene farm, made a wrong bet on the CDC, and had to kill his friend.
Red was stuck with a large group of cannibals, one wanted Daisy so much he was willing to either convert or kill his group to have her. Red lost Elizabeth due to a rush job during their escape; which he feels guilty for. Red nearly killed Laura, an innocent woman who just escaped a group of rapists. Red was never able to find shelter again. They remained at the farmhouse which was attacked and resulted in Laura's capture; a fact he feels immense guilt for. Red, early on, even lost his son. Red... he's suffered a lot.
He deserved some love. ;)
In this case Rick and Red are attempting to work together. Rick is doing it for Carol (now also Laura) and Red is doing it for everyone in his group and even Rick's, knowing their added numbers will help protect the prison.
Red's becoming tied to Carl reluctantly. He lost his own son and Carl is about the age he would have been. It's a struggle for Red to really even look at Carl, the son of the leader, and not see his own boy. As a result Red is fiercely protective of Carl, which will have a moment to shine later. ;)
Rick is loyal to survivors, to the living, and he would do anything to avoid more violence. Unless provoked of course.
I'm glad you enjoyed that scene. It took a bit to write out, but I wanted it to slide together well. I'm working on my ability with action scenes, I am relatively limited with it since I work a lot more on individual characters and smaller scale action. Like something between two to six people... But two massive groups entering a full scale shootout... it's very hard and I'm practicing.
So any advice on it is appreciated. I'm always trying to improve! :)
I'm really happy it blends into TWD so well, I wanted it to seem like a "Rick Plan."
I always felt like... after the herd at the Greene family farm that Rick and Daryl's relationship became a close friendship. They only need a look or a few words to talk to each other.
They've bonded during their time on the road together. They are perfectly comfortable in each other's company and trust one another completely.
However, in the previous chapter I wanted to really display that Rick is able to see and accept these things... only a bit at a time for sure, but a lot better than Daryl.
Daryl's very smart and a natural born survivor. His weakest spot is his relationships and how he feels about other people, how responsible he feels for them. Which he does and he always will now.
Eventually Rick, when he comes back from crazy like in the show, he will have to talk to Daryl. Give the hunter some support to help deal with the suffering his woman went through. It might be dramatic, but the pain your loved one feels turns into pain for you too. It's not physical, but Daryl will come to understand it's a terrible, helpless pain all the same.
When Merle cut his hand off to escape he experienced it. But Merle is a survivor and he knew that, because of this and the people around him he was able to work through that and keep an eye out for his brother.
Laura is a bit different. Laura's extreme and extensive suffering was the result of cruelty shown towards her and what she is. She is and will always be targeted for the creature she is. This will be a source of tremendous rage for Daryl; he will hate anyone who dislikes what she is.
Oh yeah, Atlanta and Red Atlanta will have their reckoning and we will find out how tightly knit they become. People will survive together and die together. It's gonna be fun :)
I know that his character development there is why he died. Merle would likely have survived if he just stayed his usual self, but instead he showed his true colors for them. He is a severely damaged man, cast out wherever he goes; the permanent pariah of any group before or after the outbreak.
He died because he wanted to protect his brother and the people his brother cared for. By extension, Merle cared for the group and he knew- he knew absolutely if Rick did what he planned to do he would die. Daryl would likely die too, if not be destroyed by Rick's death.
Merle saved potentially the entire group. His sacrifice was powerful and hard hitting.
However, the events that spawned his death no longer happened with the change of group and Laura's involvement.
So the end result of this war with Woodbury will be different.
It will be hard for them to accept Merle and Laura's relationship. They are effectively the Rick and Daryl of Woodbury.
Rick and Daryl don't need many words to understand each other. They are open, efficient, both fiercely protective and loyal to one another.
Merle and Laura are, by definition, the same. Though their relationship was very strained in the beginning and they were punished severely for simply fostering it; they have persevered.
Merle will shine a lot of light onto Laura's situation and what she is for the group. It will be fun to write! :)
I'm thrilled you've had a good time with the story so far. I'm constantly working to bring you guys more! :D