Curative

A somewhat action-y chapter. Shorter than the last one by about 900? words. All dedicated to the end of Season 3, Episode 10 "Home"

Thank you and goodnight! I'm really tired haha~

The day dragged as the Georgia heat beat down on the survivors at the prison. With everyone at their posts sweating it off, keeping bottles of lukewarm water near them.

In the courtyard Glenn was heading to the pickup truck they scavenged. But he didn't get far with Hershel following him. They were speaking, but it was too quiet for the others to hear. Their expressions told anyone looking in that Glenn was particularly unhappy.

Hershel, to his credit, was trying to manage him. Red had since calmed down from escorting Tyreese and his people out of the prison. Daisy was resting and he couldn't help her. To burn off this energy that built up Red started to help fortify the prison with Carol and Axel.

Though when he saw Hershel chasing Glenn down, he left the two and quickly followed. A lot was going wrong with Rick's group and they needed help. Defending the prison is important, but if the people inside tore themselves apart first, the prison would be useless.

As Red neared the two men, he could make out more of their conversation.

"By yourself? How can you possibly think that's a good idea?" Hershel's tone told Red that he knew Glenn was being ridiculous. He was trying to knock some sense into Glenn the only way he could anymore.

"I can't just sit on my hands." Last night was their first fight against another group. People, not walkers. It started something in the group that changed them. Red knew what that was like. After the group Red and his people ran into, after killing some of them to protect themselves and escape... it changed everyone.

Right now that change was happening to this group. Red didn't think of himself as a charismatic person like Daisy. She could convince a man dying of thirst that he didn't need water.

"He won't be going alone." Red stepped up, placing an assuring hand on Hershel's shoulder. "I'll go with you. No sense sticking around here, every body has this place under control."

Grateful, Hershel gave the man a thankful nod. "Good. I'd feel better about you going out there with a capable fighter to watch your back."

Glenn looked like he wanted to argue the point, but as he looked between Hershel and Red he knew he had lost. Sighing, Glenn agreed begrudgingly. "Fine, you can come. Just make sure you have something to kill walkers quietly and a gun." Glenn met Hershel's eyes. "Don't know what we might find out there."

Red patted the holstered gun on his side, a strapped hunting knife on the other side. "I'm good to go. Let's get a move on, we're burning daylight."

Glad to see Glenn going out with someone gave Hershel exactly what he wanted. If Glenn got stuck somehow he knew Red would get him out. After everything that happened, all they survived, Hershel didn't know how Maggie would handle losing Glenn.

Watching the two men jump into the truck, Hershel turned his attention to the man outside the fences. The dark figure in the distance was walking along the fence, just barely behind some overgrowth. He knew they needed Rick to come back, there was only so much they could do.

"Hey, Hershel?" A man approached, one of Red's people. He hadn't spoken to Hershel before so he was nervous addressing the man.

Hershel turned to see the man near him. He definitely came off as nervous. "Markus, right?"

He nodded fervently. "Yeah, that's me. I, uh... I wanted to ask you something. I don't want to seem rude or... step on anyone's toes here." He gave a nervous chuckle, wringing his hands together. Awkward and tense, he pressed on. "It's about Rick."

Curious, Hershel turned to him, his crutches clicking on the concrete. "You're a part of our group now too, don't be so nervous." He reassured the man he was fine and gave him his best friendly demeanor.

"Is he normally like this? Or, has it happened before?" Markus stood, arms crossed. The events of earlier still played in his head. "... Before all this I had a friend who went off the deep end. He got into some bad stuff, drugs mostly. But he had a few loose screws already though. It got bad with him, but he was still my friend. So I get it, I just wanted to ask."

Hershel shook his head. "I'm afraid this is the first we're seeing. When we got here Rick's wife Lori passed away in childbirth. Rick couldn't be there to help her since the prison got overrun and separated them. He hasn't been the same since."

"That's when we got here. I remember seeing the baby. I'm..." Markus ran a hand over his face, wiping off the sweat and dirt. "Shit, I'm so sorry. I wish we had gotten here sooner."

"Thank you, but don't worry about that. There's nothing you could've done. This world is a hard one, we have to be there for the people who are still here." Hershel offered some support to the man beside him. They didn't know each other at all really, but he was glad to see this group integrating with his own.

"Maggie and Beth, they're your daughters?" Markus pointed back to the cell block they were in. Hershel just nodded yes. "They're good people. Ah, Beth's been taking care of Micheal and Melanie. I can't tell you how thankful we are." He explained why he asked, trying to show his appreciation.

Hershel always did like hearing his girls doing good. Beth was always a sweet girl and he felt proud to hear her working hard. "Of course. It looks like you'll be sticking around. We're glad to have you."

Markus shrugged with a smile on his face. "I can't tell you how long it's been since I was actually happy to see other people."

The two men shared a short laugh. Perhaps it was little dark thinking that finding other living people could be a bad thing, yet they found some camaraderie in their shared struggles.

Outside the fences, Laura was doing what she did best. Wandering the woods on watch because no one else could. She kept walking through the trees and underbrush, listening for anything on the road. As she crossed the gravel road, she heard a vehicle coming from the prison.

The pale blue pickup truck drove passed with Glenn and Red inside, heading towards the front of the prison to check for breaches.

Laura watched them pass, listening for the truck in the distance slowly fading away. She turned back into the trees, crunching her way through. More walkers stumbled around her, groaning lowly as they searched for something to eat.

She didn't bother with them, just let them continue on their own. They weren't hurting anyone out here and a soft barrier between them and whatever else was out there was better anyways. So she walked through them, shifting through one tree to the next walker and the next thorny bush after that.

It was quiet out and searing hot. She was momentarily glad she didn't seem to sweat that much. What a complicated day. With... complications. And many... things going on.

Laura rolled her eyes and groaned in frustration. She felt like a complete idiot. Desperately trying to think of anything except Daryl was taking up all her time. Every time she found something else to focus on she found herself circling right back to the crossbow wielding hunter.

It had been so long since she had been with him, with the group. She cared for everyone, or rather, she knew she did back before Woodbury. They all cared for her clearly and that was difficult to come to terms with. She knew she wasn't quite there yet still.

People in the prison were so ready to accept her back she could do anything. She could come and go as she pleased, do what she wanted, say what she wanted. Freedom was proving to be more daunting than she ever anticipated.

With nothing tethering her to this place physically she could up and leave right now. Leave the prison, leave Woodbury, and go exploring like some character from a book adventuring an abandoned old world. No leash, complete control of herself.

Leaving this tortured life behind and escape. To quite simply run away from it all.

But she couldn't stop seeing Carol's face, those gentle yet firm hands that told her she had their support. How they looked at her return after such a long time apart. Torn from their group, forced to change, and now all they wanted was to have her back.

She couldn't talk to them. Merle wasn't going to translate everything and she didn't want him to. There were some things that were private. Like the things she wanted to talk about with Daryl.

But of course, she couldn't say anything with the muzzle on. Her voice she knew was still there, she could make sounds so it did exist. She just hadn't been able to utter words for weeks now, since the last time the muzzle was removed.

She flicked her finger against the leather on her face. It might be an archaic solution to Woodbury's problem, but it also give Laura a degree of separation that protected her. It kept her interaction with them more impersonal, a thin barrier between them and the Laura they knew.

Did she really want protection against these people though? They had so far only been good to her and those blurry memories she could bring up were good too... except for one person. A man that jumped at her, something happened, but it wasn't clear. It didn't matter right now because she hadn't been attacked by anyone here.

Trying to ignore the doubt in herself, she kept moving forward. A one woman patrol through the woods. She was always doing things alone, or in some way apart from others. It was just more of the same.

Until she heard some footsteps through the trees and they weren't hobbling along like a walker. Cautiously she went to investigate, scanning through the trees until her nose caught scent of someone, a living person. From there it wasn't hard to track down the person.

The person stopped upon seeing her, staring directly at her intrusion. It was Rick looking disheveled and confused.

They both waited for the other to do something. Laura gave a slight nod to acknowledge him and he returned it. Still she stayed and watched him as he paced through the thick overgrowth.

"What are you doing here?" Rick was curious, he hadn't been there when Glenn handed out tasks for the group. Seeing her out in the woods was a surprise, but he knew she would be fine out here. She didn't need protection.

Laura, unable to answer, shrugged. She pointed to her eyes then back to the gravel road leading out of the prison, then made a circle with her hand. While it was somewhat clear, Rick didn't catch all of it. "Watching the road?"

Not quite. Laura figured that was about as good as it was going to get so she tilted her head and nodded.

He didn't seem keen on knowing more as he had started to walk away. Intrigued, and worried for him, Laura took a few slow steps to follow him. She kept her distance as she watched over him. He needed someone out here to watch his back, there was no telling how many walkers roamed the woods surrounding the prison.

Hell, there could be a whole herd thirty feet away and they'd have no way to know, until it was too late.

Hearing Laura behind him, even though she was a little bit away from him, was bothering him. He was waiting for someone, he didn't want anything to stop that. Not now, not when he so desperately needed this to happen. The stress, guilt, and loss he felt had reached such a boiling point he wasn't sure how to continue anymore.

He continued a few more steps before he stopped. Putting his hands on his hips, dropping his head with a sigh. He turned around to see Laura not too far away, just behind the trees with her unnatural eyes cutting right through him. He felt like a piece of meat, something vulnerable out here while an animal looked at him with hungry eyes.

Shoving the thought out of his head, Rick averted his gaze. "Do you need something?" Laura shook her head barely, almost unnoticeable. She made no move to leave, so he pressed more. "Did they send you out here for me?"

Laura shook her head again. No, she wasn't given a reason to be here with him. She simply chose to be here, to watch his back.

"I'm-" Rick started to point to the woods, but thought better of it. He knew there was something wrong going on, that his whole reason being out here sounded crazy. Thinking about it, he supposed it was crazy. He didn't know how to continue, how to explain why he wanted to be out here. "I'm busy."

Laura's head tilted to the side, her eyes shifted from left to right, then she raised a brow in question. That was clear enough to express her doubts.

Swallowing hard, Rick's expression hardened. What could she want with him? He looked over her entire body, scrutinizing the details he had wanted to ignore since she arrived. The torn clothes, blood stains, and scars. What did all that mean and what did it mean that she was here?

Or was she here? He knew what he had been seeing and hearing before were not real. He wasn't so far gone that he couldn't recognize the obvious delusions that clouded his mind were not actually happening.

But was this another one of those? Was Laura here in the trees just staring at him or was the real Laura actually back at the prison? It was difficult to tell, she hadn't said anything and her demeanor with them changed so quickly he couldn't accurately guess what she would do next.

So he concluded there was a very real possibility this person in front of him was not the real Laura. To which he softened his approach, taking a few long but slow strides towards her. She didn't move despite him nearing her, she just stayed in place.

The man was teetering on insanity from stress. She knew he was losing himself and knew that didn't automatically mean he was dangerous, regardless of the display from earlier in the prison.

"Are you trying to tell me something?" His voice had changed to this low, shaky tone.

Even if she was trying to talk to him, which she was not, she still had the muzzle on. So Laura just blinked at him, no way to convey how she was worried about him being out here alone with an unknown amount of walkers around him.

He was unstable which did mean his ability to fight, to protect himself was compromised. She could still hear far enough to tell if a car would be coming, her task on watch was not put at risk. She was capable of listening for trouble and keeping an eye on Rick.

She was not privy to the thoughts racing in his head. Which became painfully clear when she saw his expression break, his usually quite tough posture having started to crack in front of her.

He couldn't look at her, this maybe-hallucination of Laura. So he looked out to the trees, tried to focus on anything but the scars he saw. "Did I do this?"

Laura was entirely unsure how to handle that question. He didn't do anything wrong as far as her memory told her. There was no animosity she felt between the two.

"Is it my fault?" His hand came up to her shoulder, but he couldn't bring himself to touch her. Instead, his knuckles brushed against her and she flinched. The questions he asked jarred her from her usual stoic exterior. How could she answer these things? What did he mean?

"What happened to you, what they did to you." He started again, his throat tightening. "Was it my fault because I wasn't there for you? I didn't do enough, I should've done more. You deserved more."

She could see his eyes reddening. A man with a broken heart breaking even deeper. He lost his best friend, his wife, more friends after that. Having Laura near him inflamed those wounds further. "What could I've done better? Can you forgive me?"

It was all too much for her to take in. She didn't expect this, she didn't want this. He was utterly shattered and she had no way to fix him. She couldn't even fix herself. Laura took a step back, retreating from the man. She couldn't give him the answers he wanted.

"I'm sorry." He reached out to her, grasping her in his arms. Alarmed, Laura froze up on the spot, a split second of fear shooting up her spine as this much larger man engulfed her. Again, he repeated. "I'm so sorry." She knew from his voice he was starting to cry, but she couldn't see his face.

Hearing him hurting was hurting her. It never was easy hearing other people in anguish, it's a natural reaction to feel that pain radiating from the person. Laura knew Rick though, she believed those faded memories told her good things about him.

Trying to be supportive, Laura carefully reached around to hug him back. Trying her best to complete the embrace while also not accidentally cutting him.

He pulled back, taking a deep breath. He looked at her muzzled face for a moment and smiled. Even though she looked the way she did, acted different too, he was glad to have her back. But he was still waiting out here, waiting for others.

Once he released her, he backed away. "Thank you, I-" He pointed away from her, "I better keep going."

Before she could do anything about it, he retreated. He wasn't sure how to feel about that exchange, he wasn't even sure if that was the real Laura. All the same he went to escape from her. Or rather, not from her but the feelings it brought up being near her.

Laura was entirely floored and was wholly unsure how to handle that. She came around to watch his back while patrolling the prison and ended up facing a tearful Rick expressing his fears and regrets. He asked forgiveness and she had no one clue as to why.

Without questioning that experience or pursuing him, Laura left Rick to his own devices. She would keep an eye out for him, but she wouldn't follow him anymore. Whatever happened there was more emotional than she was capable of handling right now.

Opting to leave that alone and not think about it for the foreseeable future, Laura headed back to the road. Anxious to put some space between them so she could think. She had so much to work through, so many things to remember.

Adjusting to life in the prison would not be easy. Especially with Merle complicating their relationship to the groups surviving here. He was her only friend in Woodbury, he helped her where everyone just let her suffer. She couldn't stand the idea of leaving him behind like they did back in Atlanta.

Laura paused, blinking. Back in Atlanta. She remembered the city, she was with a number of people and Merle was there. They were on the roof, Merle was attacking someone, Rick was fighting Merle, and she got hit somehow.

But what she distinctly recalled was Merle on the roof, locked up there as everyone else escaped. They left him behind and he lost his hand for it. She remembered that. It might not be a completely clear memory, but it was there.

She wouldn't leave him stranded this time. He had been there for her the only way he could be in Woodbury, now she was going to pay back the favor.

It felt good to remember, to have solid memories before Woodbury locked her in that cell. Now she was sharing her freedom with the people that were a part of those memories. She felt the desire to run away, to start somewhere else... but she also knew that was the easy way out. To stay here at this prison, to work through the trauma she endured; that was the hard choice.

In the end she would have her family back, if she stuck it out. The way they looked at her, how they handled her... Rick just now even. She wanted to be with them again, the way they wanted.

Before she had another second to process it, she caught a scent in the breeze. This time it was coming from the opposite direction Rick was in. It was unfamiliar, but she wondered if another one of their people were outside the fences.

Following the scent she came to the opposite side of the gravel road and through a particularly thick line of brambles. The closer she got, the more strange it seemed. There were quiet footsteps up ahead and they were slow.

Laura reached for the pistol at her side. Those steps were creeping towards the prison. Their weight, cautious approach, and unfamiliar scent told her this really was a stranger. Before she alerted the prison however, she would get sights on them.

She kept low, sneaking through the trees with her eyes wide open and pistol drawn. The scent grew stronger and the quiet sounds came from just up ahead. So she went lower and spied on the man with an automatic weapon in his hands.

This was absolutely a Woodbury soldier and he had no idea she was there. Laura raised her pistol, aimed, and fired.

Back at the prison people were hard at work putting up defenses. Carol, Axel, Oscar, and Markus all worked together doing their part. The walk way was now shielded with spots set up all around to help cover people in the courtyard.

Things were looking fairly good. With the prison on full watch and fortifications going quickly, they felt like they were doing all they could to protect each other.

The group had strengthened their resolve to stay and fight as each person grew closer to the next. The prison was a fortress, even if it was a compromised one. They could make it work.

Then came a loud bang from a gunshot. Everyone snapped to attention and the tensions rose. Someone had fired a round and no one knew where it came from. Rushing into cover, their weapons trained on the treeline, they held their breath.

"Beth, take them inside!" Markus waved the girl to the others. Carl, Melanie, and Sophia had all been outside. Nodding, Beth rushed to gather everyone and pushed them to the cell block.

From the trees a figure broke through the tall grass. It was Laura who raised her pistol to the sky and fired again. It was the only way she had to alert the prison to the Woodbury soldiers.

As she did, gunfire broke out all across the prison front. Bullets raining to the front of the cell block and watch towers. They couldn't get a clear look at the shooters, they had to reach secure cover first. Maggie ran out of the cell block with guns, tossing them to Carol and Beth.

In the watchtowers Braddock and Daryl were getting pinned down by a constant barrage. The Woodbury soldiers were covering for their leader just outside the fence line. He arrived with a few others on the ground; the Governor.

Laura had no decent cover out in the woods, she had to retreat where they couldn't see her. As bullets kicked up dirt and wood chips around her, she ran deeper into the trees keeping her head down.

Markus and Axel were stuck in the courtyard protected by the fortifications they were busy putting up when the attack happened. Axel had his pistol, but Markus hadn't carried a gun with him. A fact of which he was cursing himself out for right now.

They were trapped, bullets flying everywhere. The first person able to return fire was Carl, who managed to hit right by one of the shooters forcing them into cover.

"Axel, Markus! You're gonna have to run for it!" Carol called out as she watched the wood pallets between them and the shooters slowly be chipped away. It would only be a matter of time before the bullets cut through.

"We need cover fire!" Markus yelled over the hail of bullets. He turned to Axel and saw him working with the pistol. He looked nervous, his hands were completely unsteady. Markus cursed under his breath. "Can you shoot?"

Axel winced, "I ain't ever used a gun before." He was terrified for sure. Markus couldn't blame him, they were in an astoundingly bad position. So he reached over and grabbed the gun from Axel.

"I'll cover you, just get to them, okay?" Markus put and arm around Axel's shoulders, sliding passed him so he would be closer to the side he would need to run towards. "Don't stop, don't look, when I say go, you go. Got it?"

Axel tried to still his hands, those nerves shot through him worse than he ever expected. He wasn't a coward, he just never been in a gunfight before. His nerves were shot beyond control.

"It's okay, we gotcha'!" On the other side was Oscar and Carol, both there waiting to pull him behind cover.

"Wait!" Markus tried to time it just right, he had to get his shot off with enough accuracy to give Axel cover. He knew the shooter was in the tower at the end of the courtyard, he knew the space between Axel and the others meant he would have to give him a good few seconds.

He took a steady breath to calm his nerves and prepared. "Go!"

Markus aimed the pistol towards the tower, the shooter in his sights, and fired. Axel bolted as the first few shots from the pistol rang out. The man in the tower ducked back behind cover, the bullets hit too close for him. It gave Axel plenty of time to reach them.

Another rain of bullets spread between them. A shooter from the edge of the fence had been waiting to cover the man in the tower.

Despite his quick aim, Markus couldn't react fast enough. The bullets spread across the opening as Oscar grabbed Axel and pulled him down. While Axel was safe, Oscar was left in the open. Three shots his Oscar and blood splattered across the concrete.

Markus kept firing until the pistol clicked and he had no more ammo. The man unleashed another burst fire and struck Markus in the neck. He gasped, blood already filling his mouth as he fell backwards on the hard ground.

"No, no!" He could hear some people crying, but he really couldn't make out much else. Oscar was killed by the third bullet that pierced his skull and Markus laid on the stone struggling to breathe.

Axel was pulled away from Oscar and into cover behind Carol and Carl. He didn't know what to say as he saw Oscar laying there. He died trying to help him, he died protecting his friend. But the gunfight was still on as Woodbury soldiers kept them down.

In the trees Laura had rounded away from the sights of the towers and back to the road. She brought up her pistol and aimed it at one of the men standing beside a tan pickup. He dropped, but the shot attracted others. A man in the truck bed turned around and started firing at her.

She raised her hands to protect her head. The metal of the gauntlets shielding her while bullets flew out around her. Tucking herself behind a tree trunk, she tried to wait out for a reload. She was stuck with a pistol while they all had fully automatics.

In the guard towers, Braddock and Daryl finally got a window to return fire. Braddock looked to help Carol, Axel, and the others handle the man shooting from the treeline. They needed the others to be able to fight back, but they were pinned down.

Daryl followed the sights to see Rick taking cover by an old wooden crossing. It took a moment to find out where the shots were coming from, but once he saw the man peeking out from behind a tree he provided the cover fire Rick needed to move away.

Before the fight progressed further, the people from Woodbury stopped shooting entirely. In the distance loud rumbling could be heard. Woodbury was waiting for it as it came roaring down the gravel road right through the broken gates of the prison yard.

Laura knew exactly what that was. It was their walker delivery truck. Stuff a herd in, drop them off. It wasn't Woodbury's full force, they were just antagonizing them.

The truck tore up the road as its brakes screeched to a halt, drifting the truck into the yard just off the road. From there, the back of the truck dropped and the dead came pouring out. Dozens upon dozens of walkers roaming the yard. Since the gate was broken the night before no one was out there, but it was compromising to the fences.

The driver swung open the door and jumped out, heading straight back out of the fence line. Once the driver was running back, Woodbury opened fire again.

This time Maggie got a lucky shot on the soldier in the tower. As he went down they were able to turn their attention to the gate and treeline, spotting a number of people laying down cover fire.

Laura couldn't get around to him and she wouldn't risk her life against his. She knew he was right there, the Governor came personally to oversee this first attack. It didn't matter when she was stuck there with a pistol that had at least ten rounds left. She was not entirely familiar with this pistol.

As the pickup turned to leave with the Governor inside, Laura leaned out from her cover to fire on the truck. She heard the bullets hitting metal and saw the passengers duck, but they were already racing down the road. Laura dropped her hand as she watched the truck drive down the road.

Shit. She turned back to the prison, seeing the herd fill the yard. Her eyes flicked back to where Rick was. Shit, shit, shit, shit. She broke into a sprint, racing to him as fast as she could. The gunfire was bound to attract walkers in the area.

Rounding the fence line, she heard the unmistakable sounds of enticed walkers. Loud snarls brought her attention to a small herd by the fences.

Raising her pistol, he shot a few in the head to thin their numbers. If they were already onto Rick's scent they wouldn't care if she was there to mask it. They would have to fight their way out even with her there. So she kept firing, bringing down walker after walker.

In the distance she heard a call. "Rick!" Laura figured that meant it was looking fairly bad for the man up ahead. She stopped firing, instead just pushing through the herd. If she could break their sight for a second and get him behind her, she could hide him. All she needed was-

There he is! Rick was just ahead, but he wasn't fighting with the rifle in his hand. It must've been out of shots during the gunfight. He was using his knife to cut down walker after walker, but he was quickly becoming overwhelmed by the sheer number of dead ambling his way.

He was cornered and he knew it. A walker grabbed his shirt, another leaned forward to bite him only to be held back by a metal hand.

Pulling back, Laura shoved the sharp claws of her gauntlets straight into the head of the walker holding onto Rick. It pierced the skull with a sickening sound before it dropped to the ground. Surprised, he turned to see her beside him.

"Laura-" She pushed him away, aiming her pistol at the walkers in front of them. One walker dropped, the other she missed and had to fire again. Laura cursed, the pistol must be starting to run low now. She had used nine shots so far.

Rick didn't argue with her, he trusted her to get him out of this. The safest way to do that was getting away from the walkers attracted to the prison. She kept a tight grip on his arm, dragging him along with her deeper into the woods. The group at the prison watched them retreat, disappearing from sight entirely.

They ran through the trees together as fast as they could. Laura kept pushing the walkers away or using her gauntlets to kill them. She didn't want to bring more by firing the pistol.

Rick looked behind them, seeing the herd following not too far behind. He kept up with her though, managing not to trip on the tree roots or small burrows at their feet.

But she kept running, forcing him to follow her. When Rick tried to slow down, Laura tightened her grip on his arm which made the metal start to cut into his skin. He winced, "Laura!" She flashed him a warning glance as they kept running.

She never slowed down, not even for a second. Rick looked back again, spying still more walkers that followed. Up ahead was a short ledge created by a dead downed tree. She just needed to break sight and hide him for now, they could work on getting back after that.

The herd was still on their trail not far behind when Rick forced her to stop. They had to head back to the prison, he couldn't keep running away. He was stronger than Laura and when he pulled to stop she would either cut up his arm or stop with him.

She slowed down, trying to tug his arm to tell him to keep running. But he pulled his arm free. "We have to get back there." He urged, insisting as he pointed away. "They need us. Now."

Laura frantically looked around them, she could hear the number of walkers surrounding them quickly. Too many to fight and they were following Rick's trail. Just standing there wouldn't work while they could still see him.

He turned around, ready to rush back to the prison. But Laura could hear it, the walkers in that direction coming for him. At least a dozen that would quickly overrun him and she wouldn't be able to protect him.

She couldn't tell him why what he was doing was wrong, she couldn't argue the point. She tried to growl and hiss, sounds of a walker that made Rick spin around to find the walker. Again she growled, causing him to realize the sound was coming from her.

"Laura?" He questioned. The sounds were... not living. He didn't know what to think, but for a split second he felt real doubt. Especially when he saw her eyes lock with his own.

He didn't give her much of a choice. The walkers were coming, more than he thought there were. She did what she thought was best and charged Rick.

"What're you-!" Laura lunged at him, colliding with him with her entire body weight. The hit knocked the wind out of him and sent him to the ground with Laura on top of him. He grabbed onto her as her gauntlets again stuck into his skin causing him to grit his teeth.

He struggled with her, trying to remove her hands from him. She pressed more, but he didn't realize she was laying her body across his in a last ditch effort to protect him from the walkers. Seeing her above him, those strange eyes looking through him... he wasn't sure what to think.

But as she fought back against him he heard the telltale sounds of the herd behind them approaching. His breath quickened, they were coming and Laura was keeping him here pinned.

Looking back towards the prison, he saw them shambling closer. "Lau-" Her gloved hand slapped over his mouth instantly to shut him up. For this to work he couldn't utter a single word or the walkers would catch on. As he was forced to lay there he finally realized what she was doing.

She was doing what she could to hide him, just like she had done once with Daryl on the Greene farm. She could mask someone from the dead so long as they didn't act out. So he stilled himself, trying to ensure he was tucked under her as much as possible.

The first walker neared them, its leg passed not even a foot away. They watched it and the others that surrounded them. They could smell the air, they were following the scent of the living, but could not pick out Rick from below Laura.

So long as he kept still, he would be safe. Laura kept her hand over his mouth just in case.

Back at the prison Glenn and Red had returned. They heard crying from the courtyard first before they saw the carnage.

Blood pooled around the two men. Oscar had died before he hit the ground and Axel remained by his side, holding his hand as he mourned his friend.

Hershel was called out immediately after the gunfire stopped. Markus was on the ground bleeding, a wound in his neck. He survived the initial shot, but the wound was grievous.

Braddock raced from the tower to see him on the ground and dropped to his knees beside him. He grabbed onto Markus trying to stop the bleeding. "Hey, it's okay man. It's gonna be alright." He felt the blood under his hand pouring out around him. "We'll get you fixed up."

Markus gave Braddock this tired smile as he tried to choke out. "Liar." It didn't come out, but Braddock knew and he smiled through his tears.

But that was it. There was no fixing this. Markus bled out in Braddock's hands.

Braddock felt his face dripping with tears. "Markus..." He choked on his sobs as he lost his friend. They had been together for so long they were family. They lost Elizabeth first and now her brother... Braddock felt helpless to save his friend.

Maggie came up behind Braddock, placing a hand on his back as he mourned his friend.

Glenn and Red got out of the truck as fast as they could, rushing to the courtyard to see. Glenn stopped just before reaching the two bodies laid out on the concrete while Red ran to Braddock.

Red looked at the large man crying his heart out and felt his own break. There was nothing to be done anymore, they were gone. Red knelt beside Braddock and swung his arm over his shoulders, pulling him close. The larger man just held onto Red.

Carol leaned over Axel and wrapped her arms around him, giving him a shoulder to cry on. He was the last of the inmates to survive now and he was part of this group.

No one dared interrupt their grieving, no one wanted to say that's that, let's move on. A new fire was lit in this group, a burning desire to give the Governor his payback. They took these men from their family and there was no one that could replace them.

Red didn't know what to do. He just looked towards Hershel and Glenn, gave them a nod, and made sure to watch Markus' body. He would reanimate at some point, but he could let Braddock stay with him a bit longer.

They remained there to mourn for some time before it came time to bury the bodies. They would say goodbye together, as one family.

AtlasNerd:
I'm glad to hear it! I hope this one got you even more so! It's fast paced since the attack at the end of episode 10 was very short, so I tried to emulate that. Like everything happens too fast and ends before you expect it to.
I like to update a lot when I update once haha
I really want to do more with the sign language thing too when the characters have more than precisely 60 seconds to talk lol

salice89:
I'm happy to hear you like it! Yeah, poor Laura and Merle. Granted Merle is kind of a jerk, but he's got a soft spot for Laura for sure lol