Curative

A relatively short chapter dedicated to our survivors learning a bit more about our dearest, Laura. :(

I hope you guys don't mind short chapters like this. I usually prefer to keep to about 7k-10k words minimum, but I felt like this chapter shouldn't go on that long since this scene already took such a massive section of the chapter itself. I really could've extended to the scene mentioned at the end of this chapter, but I felt like it would cheapen it in a way. Cause that scene might not take very long, but the aftermath will.

We're going to have more chapters dedicated to Laura interacting with the group finally. No more beating around the bush forcing you guys to wait for some group interaction lol I know my most popular chapters have all been people in the group doing something with Laura, so we might have a few guilty pleasure moments of just being able to follow Laura along one hundred percent!

I hope you guys are all alright with that. It means it'll be centered on Laura for a bit, but so long as you're all good with that it'll be coming up soonishhhhhhhhh

So if you prefer medium sized chapters, then huzzah! Here you go lol

Red stood overlooking the two wrapped bodies, he heard nothing but white noise in his ears. The bullet wound Markus sustained was irreparable. Even if Hershel was a surgeon with years of experience with gunshot wounds, there was nothing that could be done.

The second Markus was shot he was as good as dead. Some part of him wished he had been shot in the head so his last few minutes alive weren't spent suffering.

Braddock was broken hearted and a sniffling mess, having all too vividly recalled Elizabeth's death and now her brother was gone too. Blood or not, Braddock considered Markus his brother; he was family like everyone else in their group.

Everyone had given them space to mourn Markus, offering kind words, comforting hugs, and warm food. Red had told Daisy after they wrapped Markus up in the sheets beside Oscar.

He found her already crying before reaching out to take his hand. "I know." She had figured something had happened, but she knew when she heard Braddock crying.

He thought she would be distraught, but he didn't see that. She was sad, tears trailing down the sides of her face, yet she took a deep breath. "We have Laura. She can bring him back."

That's where he was now. Standing beside Markus' body waiting for Laura. No one had done it yet, to stop him from coming back as a walker. They held out hope that once Laura came back with Rick, she could do what she did for Sophia. Then Markus wouldn't have to be gone.

It didn't stop the hurt having watched their friend die. Red tried to keep his head distracted, to think about anything else so he could keep functioning. Rick was unstable, but Red wasn't. They needed strong people to fight with so he didn't have time to wander off.

He felt a hand on his arm and saw Carol beside him, offering a gentle and sad smile. He placed his other hand on hers, pushing down all those self-defeating thoughts that threatened their way into his head.

Red turned around and dropped onto a small metal chair, resting his elbows on his knees as he leaned forward. "This is only going to get worse." Though he spoke quietly, his voice sounded so loud in this place. A few people looked at him, curious. "If that Governor guy is okay doing shit like this it's just that ugly bastard Troy's group all over again."

"Troy?" Carol crossed her arms, sparing a glance to Braddock.

"Yeah, that guy who carried a torch for Daisy back before we found you and Laura. The cannibals." It had been a long time since anyone thought of those wild people in the woods. He wondered if any of them survived the horde. Carol just nodded.

"So what do we do?" She returned to Markus, cautious to keep some space between the body and herself. They were just waiting for him to reanimate at this point.

Glenn stepped forward. "We wait for Rick and Laura to get back. We need to start planning for a fight now." He, like most of the others, did not want to leave the prison. A fight was coming no matter what anyone chose to do.

"I'm not entirely certain we can fight here. We still have to clear out the tombs passed where Tyreese and his people were." Carol wasn't sure which one was more dangerous. The horde behind them or the Governor in front.

"So we run and they find us on the road. What then? If we fight here we at least have walls to stop the bullets." Glenn disagreed heavily, seeing the prison was a fortress they could fight from.

"We've been through this already. Arguing isn't helping." Red stood back up, waving the two down. "Rick will be back any second now, we'll all talk it out together."

"What about your man, huh?" Merle, as usual, forced himself into conversations no one invited him to. Red raised a brow at the smug man, silently asking him to explain himself. So he gestured to the wrapped body in front of them. "Your pal, what was his name?"

"Markus." Red spat, finding Merle's 'forgetfulness' offensive.

Being disliked really wasn't unusual anymore, Merle found it more entertaining to spit back. "Markus. Better be done with him soon 'fore he comes back and bites one of y'all fine folk." Somehow Merle had a way to make every neutral word addressing the group sound insulting.

"We're going to wait for Laura." Red's answer caused multiple people to perk up. Even Daryl pushed himself off the wall to join the conversation. He didn't have to ask though as Red turned to face Carol. "You said Laura saved Sophia, right? She brought her back after she had turned."

Realizing what he was planning, Carol nodded. "That's right. When Sophia got lost she got bit."

"That's our plan." Red stared Merle down. "That's what we're waiting for."

Daryl rounded the table, glancing between Merle and Red. The group was met with a whole new sense of unease as they suddenly all realized at the very same time that they were waiting for Markus to reanimate. Glenn ushered Maggie away, Hershel with Beth not far behind.

The tension in the room was cut with the mocking laughter of the ex-Woodbury lieutenant. Red glared daggers at the man, "What?"

Merle shook his head. "She can't bring folk back." His smile fading as he met Red's stare.

Daryl took the conversation from Red. It was far too obvious how tense the two men grew in a few seconds. "Why's that?" Hearing his brother, Merle glanced to see Daryl had gotten up and moved to the stairs to the exit door. His brother leaving his side put him closer on edge, sure now that perhaps he was in a situation he would lose. Instead of committing to his taunts, Merle eyed Daryl.

Before they pressed him, the metal door opened revealing a rather disheveled Rick and Laura. Her metal claws made an unpleasant noise on the door as she slammed it shut. Rick came down the stairs and sighed, relieved to be safe inside the prison walls.

Laura took only a few steps down the stairs before she caught Daryl's attention. The moment she paused to look Daryl over, assuring he was unhurt, was not lost on Merle. Once again, he made a note of Laura's familiarity with his brother.

Carol crossed the room, brushing passed Red. "Rick, are you okay?" She spotted blood stains on his shirt. Not just blood on him, but tears in the shirt that blood tinted the edges of. "What happened out there?"

Rick observed her as she inspected the cuts. "I'm fine. Got surrounded by a herd. Laura got to me first and we were able to just walk through them." Rick lazily gestured to Laura standing beside Daryl.

"You're covered in... are these punctures?" She couldn't figure out what had sliced through his shirt and skin so cleanly.

"I think we should talk about Markus, guys." Glenn redirected the conversation. It was getting all too chummy while there was a ticking time bomb in the room. Markus could get up in the next second or in a few hours, there was no way to tell.

The group couldn't agree more. Beth kept the kids in the cell block area away from the body with Maggie and Carl guarding the gate entrance leading to them. They were all ready to put down a walker the second it proved to be dangerous.

"Markus?" Rick echoed, urging them to continue.

"He's dead." Red stepped closer to Rick and Carol was quick to move out of the way. Hearing the news, Rick lowered his head and ran a hand over his mouth.

When Rick and Laura had rushed back to the prison, Laura had pointed out blood stains on the edge of the cell block building. It was far too much for someone to live through and he assumed someone had been hurt during the ambush.

Still, he had hoped.

"I'm sorry." Rick placed his hands on his hips, he knew no words would make them feel any better. He was keenly aware how Red's people had been getting hurt fighting for Rick's people. Micheal got shot, Daisy was beaten, and now Markus was dead.

"Oscar died too." Carol added, "But I'm afraid he can't be helped."

Rick's eyes narrowed. "Helped?"

Instantly Laura felt eyes on her from all sides. The whole room had focused on her sharply and it made her very nervous. She glanced left and right anxiously, feeling pressured and not sure why.

Red lead first, "You can save him, like you saved Sophia." Rick's head practically spun on the spot when he was reminded of this. It felt so... strange to consider turning not being the end. With Laura here it wasn't death, it was simply a transition to another state of being.

That would be a relief if Laura agreed. Unfortunately a million thoughts were rushing in her head and none of them were plans to bring Markus back. She couldn't revive Markus to be like her. Her memory of Sophia and having seen the little girl the other day...

She was more sure now than ever it was a mistake to bring someone back.

The room was deathly quiet drawing emphasis to Laura's hesitance. The longer she lingered the more suspicious Red became. "What do you need to do it? How long does it take?"

Laura blinked, she didn't want this to be happening. It was too soon, they didn't know enough about her. How was she to explain all the reasons why no one would want to be like her? Would they understand it or dismiss it as excuse?

How would she communicate any of it with the muzzle on her face? She knows Merle isn't going to sit patiently for an hour to translate the lecture she would have to give. Even if they forced him to do it, she didn't want them to know.

To explain why she would not do the same to Markus and she did to Sophia would also mean laying bare all the terrible things about this 'cure' she was given. And Carol even... to tell her these things would happen to her daughter or already happening... She didn't want to hurt the woman who provided so much warmth in her life.

Her mind drowned out the attempts to get her attention again. Until she felt a hand barely start to touch her arm and she jumped to the side, her head snapping to see Daryl appearing somewhat alarmed at her reaction. Everyone seemed just as surprised to see her so jumpy.

"Laura?" Rick pressed this time, taking a step towards her. To which Laura slid out of the way, eyes flicking between the people surrounding her. She had no idea what to do about this, but in her fear of exposure Laura approached Markus' body.

The body was wrapped in an old bed sheet, a red stain just below the head. He was still a corpse, the virus hadn't taken over yet. It could be soon though, she had to tell them. Even if it wasn't soon, they couldn't have a body hanging around just waiting to rise in the middle of the room.

She couldn't hide how her nervousness progressed to fear. She wasn't like she used to be and not just because what Woodbury did to her. Laura changed at the Greene's farm, she changed on the road with Carol, and Woodbury just drove it home for her.

"Is this all it is? Should we... do anything?" Red prodded quietly, trying to respect what he anticipated to be the revival of their deceased friend. The whole room was watching her, no one wanted to miss a walker being cured before their very eyes. Out of all the terrible things they had seen in this world, nothing would be quite like seeing a walker actually wake up and talk again.

"Last time we gave her some stuff." Daryl offered the next step, hoping to be Laura's voice.

Highly anxious to get things moving, Red turned the questioned to Daryl. "Okay, whatever she needs. We'll go out and get it ourselves, we won't be a burden. We can put his body in one of the cells in the other block and lock him inside while we're gone."

"No." Rick interrupted, catching Red's confused look. "You don't have to. We have everything needed; it's yours too now."

Red wasn't the most expressive of people in the world. He didn't have the words to tell Rick what this meant. "Thank you, Rick." His heartfelt thanks got a affirming nod from Rick.

Daryl, having been the one who had brought the supplies to Laura before, recalled exactly what was needed. Hard not to remember the day a little girl was brought back from the dead. As they were starting to move, the room was silenced again by their resident troublemaker.

Merle was always good being the bearer of bad news. He liked it and disliked it. He could do what no one else wanted to do, but needed to be done. For Laura he was exactly what she needed right now. Despite his constant need to be the problem in any situation, right now Merle was the only person Laura could trust to fix this.

He never looked at anyone else, he never watched Rick and Red deal it out or even to his brother. Merle watched Laura and only her. The second he saw her start blinking he knew something was wrong. When she jumped away from Daryl only proved it.

Laura only moved when she reacted to something, other than that she often acted like any other walker. She was dead still, quiet, and observant.

Laura did not need to breathe like the living did, yet he saw her chest expand as she took a breath. She did not need to blink like they did, yet she was blinking right now. These, combined with her skittishness, were all signs that she was terrified.

She was family now, like it or not, Merle couldn't shake his attachment to her. He didn't want her in his bed like a few of the men at Woodbury did. No, Merle was attached to her as a close, platonic companion. If anyone asked he'd say he didn't want to fuck a corpse, but he knew he actually started to give a damn about her. Family. He figured, but he'd rather die than admit it.

Instead of talking to the others, Merle strutted up to the blue skinned woman. His approach caught peoples attention, most notably Daryl and Red's.

Before Rick could leave, he was stopped by Hershel who pointed him right back to the scene behind him. Immediately, Rick returned to Red's side with Glenn just to the side with Carol. Maggie wasn't far off with Hershel at the gate to the cell block.

From what those familiar with Merle knew, the man didn't do anything without a goal. His companionship with Laura was something of a tense mystery to the people at the prison. The people of Woodbury did terrible things to their friend, how that came out to a friendship with Merle Dixon they had no idea.

Merle rounded to her far side so they couldn't see her gestures, just in case. She was scared and he didn't know why. All he did know was that no one messed with Laura, not now that they were finally free from Woodbury.

"You gonna tell me what's goin' on with you, girl?" He knew everyone could hear that and he wanted them to. A way of making sure everyone knew if something was wrong with her, they had something wrong with Merle.

Laura head turned up to see him, a man quite a bit taller than herself. He stood fairly close to her as if making this a private conversation. She didn't know how to explain it to him, she didn't even know how much he knew about her condition.

But she knew he would listen and wouldn't blow up at her. She trusted him completely.

So she tried to do what she could. She pointed to Markus, to herself, then back and forth and nodded. How to describe resurrection from being a walker?

Though Merle didn't translate for the others, he understood most of what she was trying to say.

"I can't turn Markus into me. I regret doing it to her, now she has to suffer for the rest of her life. It gets so much worse and there's no way to fix it. I eat people, human meat; how do I explain that to them? That's really not even the worst of it." Laura expressed herself openly to Merle, she didn't fear his reaction.

Merle's mouth twitched to a frown, "I get it, not so simple." He glanced up to them only for a second, judging their rather critical stares.

"The only reason I'm here today is because of Woodbury." Laura admitted, feeling shame creeping up. "If it wasn't for Woodbury or you, I wouldn't have come back from that edge. I'd probably have killed myself. Before Woodbury... I planned to kill myself, because I knew if I didn't I'd be something worse than a biter. You've seen it."

"Can't say I like the sound of that." He growled out, "And yeah, I know what you mean."

From the other side though no one had any idea what was going on. A few people knew this was Laura's way of talking and Merle had understood her perfectly. Even Michonne was eyeing the two from behind the cell block bars.

Before Laura could continue, Red had grown too impatient. "What's going on? Are we doing this or what?" It was meant rhetorically since he did not expect the request to ever be turned down. The request being bringing their friend back to life that is.

Laura had the ability, but only she knew the consequences of her cure.

Merle knew two things at this particular moment. One was that Laura was terrified of how they might act or treat her once it was explained. The second was how everyone always expected the worst from him and he grew accustomed to it.

So he took up the mantle of most hated person in the group pretty easily. "Sorry, folks. Ain't gonna' be no resurrection today." He passed Laura to her surprise. "Might wanna' get to diggin' those holes for the bodies 'fore this place starts to smell."

Red's eyes widened, "What?! What do you mean?" He left Rick and Carol to face Merle. "Why the hell not?"

Even though Merle was ready to take the hit for Laura, she insisted to be the target of blame. Merle was good to her, she wouldn't stand by and let him take the abuse for her. Moving passed Merle, she went closer to the center of the room to face everyone.

She pointed to Markus' body, to herself, and shook her head. No.

"No?! But why, Laura? We know you can do this, you did it with Sophia." Incredulous, Red approached Laura with hurt evident in his voice. "Markus is a part of our family. Yours and mine! Why won't you save him?!"

Laura shook her head again, pointing to herself, and placing a hand over her heart. She couldn't tell them why, she couldn't speak. Even then she didn't know if she'd be able to find the guts to confess that she was more walker than they had thought.

Carol, trying to break this up as Red grew more heated, interjected. "Laura had a lot of struggles she faced on the road. After the farm." She looked to the undead woman, pleading. "Is that why? Please, we need you to explain it."

Would this be it? Laura realized these could be the final moments she spent with these people. If she told them more, finally told them everything, would they accept her into the group?

Her pause gave Merle enough time to near her back, placing his metal 'hand' on her shoulder. "She ain't gotta' tell you shit."

Hearing Merle's usual mocking tone only inflamed Red's building fury. First Daisy was beaten, Micheal was shot, and now Markus lay dead on the table behind them and Merle failed to show an ounce of sympathy. In the early days Red was quick to anger and Merle was bringing out the very worst in him.

The second Red looked at Merle, everyone picked up on the rage. "We should talk about this." Rick placed a hand on Red's shoulder only for the larger man to push it off.

Instantly the mood changed to people trying to calm Red down. Even Braddock who had kept quiet could see the signs of the old Red coming back. He stood up and headed towards the group. "Red, man, let's talk it through like Rick said."

"The hell is there to talk about?!" Red barked, "Markus is dead! He died fighting for this place and you can help him! A fight we started for you!" He pointed to Laura, angry and feeling that anger starting to be vented.

Glenn tried to reach for Red's other arm, the group took this seriously. With Rick's mental instability, the Governor knocking down their door, and the walkers slowly surrounding them more and more each day; they didn't have time for infighting.

Daryl moved closer to Merle and Laura, even though he didn't understand he wouldn't turn against his woman and his brother.

Merle grabbed Laura and moved her between himself and his brother, raising his hand to hold back the enraged man. While anything Merle says would only add fuel to the fire, it didn't seem like anything could calm Red down.

"It's not fucking okay, my people are dying. We've gotten more people fucked up the last day here than we ever had on the road! We came here for safety, for Carol and her daughter, for you! I did what you asked, I kept my fucking word!" Red pressed more and more, seeing more people getting involved. "We need you and we need Markus! Tell me why, fucking tell me why!"

"We can talk this out." Rick put his arm across Red's chest.

Pushing back, Merle sneered at Red. "She ain't doin' nuthin' she don't want to."

For once Daryl found his brother standing up for someone. Nodding his agreement, Daryl made sure they knew he had his support. "We can talk, but if she says no, ain't shit gonna' be done about it."

As the confrontation got worse, someone had entered the room unknown to Red. Once Braddock looked over, he grabbed Red's shirt. "Man, stop! Stop, look." He yanked him and pointed to the cell block gate, seeing Maggie slowly walking in.

With Daisy, supporting her as they cautiously approached the fight.

"Red." Her tone was a warning one. Frail as it was, she could still make Red stop dead in his tracks. The only person who has successfully contained Red's rage had gotten up from her cot to stop this. "That's enough."

They all noticed the change in Red's demeanor. How he went from violence to seemingly like a kicked puppy. Maggie helped Daisy into the room, coming up to Red to see him so distressed. She placed a hand on his face, "It's going to be okay." Red's eyes dropped to the floor, shame replacing all the anger he had felt.

Daisy slowly moved passed him with his help, coming through the gathered group to see Laura tucked between Merle and Daryl to protect her.

She brought up her hands to Laura's shoulders and looked at her dead in the eyes. "You won't cure Markus if he turns?"

Feeling beyond exposed, Laura swallowed hard trying to push down that familiar pain in her chest and throat. She didn't want to break down like she did a few nights ago. They hurt her for it, the Governor stuck a brand on her stomach that still hurt.

Daryl saw that look on Laura's face that tore him apart. He wanted to help her, but he didn't know how. No one did.

Scared and singled out, Laura shook her head. No. Even after all that, she still refused. It was better to die than be brought back to be like her. She had the experience and they didn't. It was impossible for them to understand how she lived and what that meant.

And she was glad they didn't know. She knew her existence was pain, everything got worse and she had no idea how it would turn out. She had to stick by it, to show them that this cure was nothing more than prolonging the suffering she felt when she died.

Daisy looked disappointed, she had held hope Laura could do for Markus what she did for Sophia. "Yes or no. You have a reason?"

Laura nodded quickly, trying her best to show Daisy her reason was without a doubt valid. She wanted them to get it, to accept her as she is. She couldn't be the person they remembered from Atlanta, the person who still breathed and had a heart beat even if it was slow.

She was different now, she had changed. In her mind she was irredeemable. One of the dead, a thing that ate people. She had to now, it kept her alive. She had killed people for no other reason than to take their stuff back to Woodbury or because the Governor simply didn't want them there.

For Michonne, for the strangers she killed for Woodbury.

Daisy placed her hands on the sides of Laura's face. "I believe you." Daisy smiled as best she could. Her face still bruised and swollen. "I trust you."

Red gave her this incredulous look, but backed down without a fight. He couldn't argue with Daisy, he couldn't even disagree with her without feeling like trash.

For a moment Laura just froze before she sucked in a deep breath. She couldn't help the heat in her face and the tears down her face anymore. So much stress was being held in Daisy's hands and she acknowledged it. Daisy didn't question her, didn't dismiss her. She merely believed her.

"It's okay, I wish you could tell us about it though. I'd love to listen." Daisy ran her thumbs along the sides of Laura's face, crossing her blue skin and the leather of her muzzle. She hated the mask, but she respected Laura's choices.

Laura's clawed hands came up to Daisy's arms, careful not to cut her.

Merle pursed his lips, "Wrenchin' that damn thing off her is gonna' be one helluva' pain." He grunted lowly, feeling awkward as Daisy managed to get Laura to let her guard down.

Daryl glanced between Laura and Merle. Daisy was still holding onto Laura, trying to comfort the girl. He wanted to help so he pressed Merle for answers. "Why's that?"

Whenever someone else asked Merle a question, he'd dance around the answer mockingly. When Daryl asked him though... he knew he was going to give in. Especially with Laura now, he figured she and his brother got on more than he was hearing. So he shrugged, "Cause it's nailed into her mouth."

"What?" Carol gasped, others just as shocked to hear it.

Before people began rushing with questions, Rick cut them off. "What do you mean nailed? With actual nails?" His concern for Laura skyrocketed as he felt a pit in his stomach. The very thought of that- of something being nailed into anyone's head was beyond terrible.

"Yeah, big ol' nails about an inch or so long. There's a bit in the muzzle, keeps the whole thing on her so she can't talk. Girl's a fighter, kept bitin' those assholes 'til they nailed it on her." Merle explained, measuring out the nails on his fingers.

Daisy searched Laura's eyes, but when Laura didn't move to deny it even Daisy felt herself tear up. "Oh baby, they nailed that thing onto you?" Her voice wavered, tears starting to trail down her battered face. Laura dropped her head and nodded. "Oh god, sweetheart."

Daisy wrapped her arms around Laura, feeling her frame shaking as she sobbed silently into her shirt. Hearing Laura's pain expressed was gut wrenching, so she just pet her hair and held her tight.

Rick moved away, letting Daisy pull Laura back to one of the tables so they could sit down. He hated this, hating knowing this happened. That it happened at all. He couldn't help this time around, so he stood there thinking about all the other terrible things that must've happened. He couldn't help himself, his imagination was running wild.

Red moved to the far corner of the room, feeling like Laura might not want him near her. He had to watch over Markus anyways, if they weren't going to revive him than he knew he would be the one to end it.

Carol took Braddock away, the poor man still mourning his friend and wasn't sure how to handle this addition.

Daryl didn't go anywhere despite knowing he hurting. This girl he cared for suffered, in pain right in front of them, unable to tell them. He sat at the table, making sure not to go anywhere. He know she'd come to him, she always came right back to him when she needed him.

Merle watched his brother, he could see his eyes redden and chose not to be a part of it. He didn't like this touchy-feely stuff. Instead, he kicked up on the stairs just watching the group.

Laura's face was buried in Daisy's shirt, her body shaking hard from the strength of her cries. She just couldn't hold it in, she couldn't hold it back once she was confronted with it. Daisy rocked her back and forth, hushing her gently like trying to calm a child.

Desperate for that comfort she lacked for months, Laura reached up to hold Daisy tight. As her hands pressed to her back Daisy winced, feeling an involuntary flinch as Laura's metal claws started to cut into her back from the pressure.

Recognizing her restrictions, Laura released Daisy and in her frustration raised her hands and slammed them onto the table behind Daisy. The long slam of metal on metal caused everyone to jump and look at the source. The metal claws of Laura's gauntlets had embedded into the table, holding them there as Daisy held Laura tight.

"Are those... nailed on too?" Carol braved the question, her arms crossed to hold herself. Her heart yearned for Laura, her friend, the person who saved her daughter. She just had to know. "The things on her hands."

Merle nodded, "Yup, all of it. Nasty things really. Ain't none of us could wear 'em." He droned on. He didn't handle things like this well, never has. Even back in Woodbury he couldn't handle her crying after he beat that man to the ground.

"Jesus." Carol sighed deeply, sparing a long look at Daryl. She could see he didn't want to leave her side, he would be there for her until the very end. It made her glad to see them back together, to see how devoted Daryl really was to her.

She left the tables to pass Rick, putting a hand on his shoulder as she headed back into the cell block. Maggie gave her an appreciative smile as more retreated from the main room.

Laura lifted her head a bit, one of her clawed hands scratching down the table as she reached towards Rick. He saw her hand and hesitantly took it, trying to be careful of the claws. Her eyes flicked down to the muzzle on her face and back up.

His brow furrowed, his grip on her hand tightened. She repeated the action, looking down to the muzzle and back up.

Reluctantly, Rick nodded. She let go of his hand and she placed it back on the table, trying not to make more noise with it.

It was time to remove the muzzle.

Jomobabe45:
I feel for poor Markus. He deserved better, but he died fighting for the people he cared for. He died saving Axel too. Thank you for reviewing! Hearing from the readers makes me want to write even more lol

AtlasNerd:
I'm glad! This is just one shorter chapter of people being sad. Atlanta and Red Atlanta finally learn a bit more about what was done to Laura in Woodbury :(