Curative
Still in a transitional phase while certain events begin to unfold. :)
Got a blog at thebarkingraccoon . tumblr . com
Gonna post art and maybe some cut content from the story there. Planning on doing some non-canon and some canon 'imagines' and shorts there for this story. I also take requests ;)
Laura was sat at a worktable in the gyms of the prison, her hands pressed flat to the table as she waited anxiously to start. She wasn't sure what removal of this muzzle would mean in the long run and she didn't care. She wanted it off now more than ever.
Beside her was Daryl, just as nervous about the whole thing. It would hurt tremendously and he hated knowing there was nothing he could do to help that. They would just have to get it done with and let the pain subside on its own.
First, they needed a place to start. "How do we do this?" Daryl posed the question to the room. Rick, Merle, and Hershel were present for the process. Hershel in the event medical attention was needed for Laura or anyone else.
Merle, sitting on a metal table against the far left wall, pointed to Laura. "You're gonna' want those things off her hands first, I expect." He eyed the metal claws pressed against the table. "You try to pull those nails, it's gonna' hurt like shit. Could end up gettin' swiped."
Rick agreed immediately. Back in the cell block with the Woodbury soldiers she cut them apart, it was clear they were dangerous. But seeing Laura's hands retreat from the table defensively caught his attention. It did seem she did not want to remove them.
Her hands curled closer to her body, fearing their removal. They were her only protection, something that held everyone at arms length. Imagining them gone... it would be like removing her only armor.
Seeing her withdraw, Rick approached the table she sat at. "They gotta' come off. If not now, eventually, but we can't risk someone getting hurt removing the muzzle." He only took a second to point out the small punctures in his shirt. Reminding her that even though she did not intend to harm Rick, the gauntlet cut him anyways. It was a risk they had to handle first.
Or she could remain mute, let Merle interpret their made up sign language, and continue on how they had been. More misunderstandings and desperate attempts to communicate with her. Even worse, with Woodbury attacking the prison, being able to talk was more important than ever.
The gauntlets were a threat to everyone around her, ally or not. She could easily end up hurting people and they would have to hold her to remove the muzzle as it is. The pain of removal wouldn't be something she could sit through without flinching. It was going to hurt, she would flinch, and all it took was one second to reach for someone and accidentally cut them.
Of course, cutting them with the bladed claws was only a minor risk. It was where she could accidentally cut that was the problem. Getting nicked here or there wouldn't bother them, slicing someone's face open, poking an eye, piercing an artery in the wrist. So many things could go wrong if they were left unchecked.
Wrapping them worked enough to help restrain her in the tombs, but it wouldn't be enough when she could tear through them. Even if she managed not to, the gauntlets needed to be removed.
While she was working through letting them go, Daryl reached over to place a hand on her left shoulder. He stood just behind her right side, making sure she knew he was there for her. He adamantly refused to not be there for the removal. He knew it would hurt, he knew it would hurt to be there, but he wouldn't be there for his woman.
"It's alright, ain't no one here gonna' hurt you. Ya' don't need 'em." His comfort was appreciated with Laura leaning back slightly in her chair to rest against him. Taking that sign of encouragement, Daryl rubbed her arm and gave Rick the go ahead.
He stayed standing, holding his hand out towards Merle. Though he was eyeing hard the comfort between his brother and Laura, he tossed Rick the pliers and vice grips. The prison was not short on tools in the workshops.
Placing them on the table, Rick waited for Laura to be ready. She wasn't against the pain of it, she had them removed multiple times. She just didn't want to feel weak.
With support from Daryl, Laura accepted that they did need to come off. The separation they caused between herself and the rest of the group was damaging. They also restricted her use of other weapons somewhat, making her limited to only a few ways to fight Woodbury.
She cautiously placed her hands back on the table, letting the metal clink as her fingers touched the surface. Unsteady, but willing Laura braced for that pain.
Rick reached forward and took hold of her left hand, closely inspecting the gauntlet for the nails. Once he looked at the metal it was pretty clear where they were. There were only two embedded into her forearms, the heads of the nails were flat and large enough to get a good grip on.
He used the vice grips, adjusting the size to match the ends. Ready to start pulling, he looked up to Daryl. "Might need to hold her other arm." He gestured to the right hand resting on the table, twitching in anticipation.
Taking her arm above the hand, Daryl made sure he was out of reach. He ensured his grip was tight and Laura would not be pulling it free while Rick worked. To ensure the hand he was going to pull the nails from first was secure, Rick pressed it into the table with his own body weight.
"Alright, ready?" Rick glanced between Daryl and Laura. Both nodding their confirmation. "Here we go."
The vice grip locked onto the nail head and Rick pulled hard. The sudden sharp pain shooting up her arm caused her whole body to tense, the muscles in her arms instantly pulling to try and stop the pain. Laura relented though, gritting her teeth on the bit in her mouth and snapping her eyes shut.
Rick pulled harder, only just starting to see the pin slide from the gauntlet. It had been stuck there for days making it need more force than normal. Adjusting his hand on the vice grip, Rick yanked the pliers up with the nail being uprooted with it.
He didn't waste time and went immediately for the next nail. Trying to make the process as quick as possible, he repeated the same. Once the nail budged even slightly, Rick applied all his force to yanking the nail out of place.
Laura grunted, doing her best to resist fighting against it. But once the nails were out, the gauntlet could be removed like any other glove.
Rick grabbed her arm with one hand and the gauntlet with the other. Her arm slid out of the metal contraption and Rick placed it to the side as Daryl released her other arm.
Black blood dripped from the reopened woulds. It was a small amount, she didn't bleed like they did. So she was already superficially pleased that any veins didn't spray blood everywhere. It wasn't much, but anything to distract her from the pain.
She flexed her hand and fingers, it felt so strange to do so without the gauntlet on. As she closed her hand into a fist she felt her nails poking into her palm. They were sharp and longer now that she hadn't been able to shorten or dull them for months.
It went the same with the second hand, holding and pulling the nails out with all the force he could. He made it quick, trying to spare her some pain at least.
Once her hands were free she looked at them both, bare blue skin and long nails. Looking at them she quickly realized that even without the gauntlets, she still had a weapon.
It felt incredibly strange to be touching other things again, her skin sensitive. It had been quite some time since she last had them removed.
"Time for the muzzle." Rick didn't reach for it, instead he left that for Daryl. They had agreed interacting with Laura would be mostly left to Daryl as she had expressed less stress around him since they returned.
She felt his hands on the back of her head, quick to start unbuckling it. He wanted it off the second he saw it, he hated the whole set Woodbury strapped to her. He didn't know how to feel about her friendship with Merle, it seemed very complicated to him. He wouldn't say it, but it hurt to see her to tortured and he could barely stop himself from holding onto her. The muzzle, the gauntlets, they were part of that torture; he felt he had to do right by her and help her get them off.
Later on when they have time he would ask about Merle and Woodbury. A growing ache told him he might not want to do, that he'd rather never ask and just move on, but he knew she wouldn't be able to. Were he in her position he knew he couldn't.
Once the buckles were undone he reached to pull the muzzle away from her face, only to end up tugging her head forward. Laura's nose scrunched up and she grunted in the sharp pain that followed. He released it, looking over the muzzle.
He hadn't registered that the muzzle was attached to the bit inside that kept her silent. Once he took a better look, he could see between the leather straps to the connected leather bit.
Before he could speak up about it, Merle approached with wire cutter pliers. They were a bit rusted having sat in the prison workshop for the last year, but they would be sharp enough to get it done. Rick took them from Merle, noting Daryl's hesitance to perform that removal. It wouldn't be easy, it would hurt far worse than the nails in her arms did.
"Hold on tight, I'll make it as fast as possible." Rick warned, letting Daryl get a grip on her arms again. He didn't want to do it either, but it had to be done. They couldn't leave Laura muzzled for however long they all had left.
Red sat in his self-imposed separation from the group. He knew he was being aggressive, far too quick to anger, and he needed space to relieve that stress. Daisy had calmed Laura down effectively, her gentleness always went a lot further than his temper.
He didn't like that Laura wouldn't bring Markus back, the idea of being able to help someone and choosing not to... it was beyond him.
Without hesitation or doubt, Daisy accepted Laura's refusal as rule. She did not insist or ask for explanation; she just said Okay. That simple act of trusting their friend, the person that sacrificed themselves to protect the group, had taken Laura off guard.
He knew they owed Laura, he did right by Carol. How could he raise a candle to Laura choosing to stay back though? He wanted to understand Laura like Merle did, that would make everything so much easier. He could just ask her why...
But wouldn't that defeat the point? They all trusted Laura despite her change and despite when she lunged at Rick. Not even Carol held a grudge for her hitting her with that book. She completely forgave and forgot without a second thought.
Out in the field they had buried Oscar and Markus, beside T-Dog. A graveyard they started with the hope that if they managed to keep the prison, they would be able to remember their lost friends.
With their final goodbyes, the group accepted their losses. The prison was their home too now, regardless of anything else. They fought and died for this place, even Rick welcomed them through his unstable haze. The man struggled under the strain of leadership during hard times, yet he stuck it out.
"Hey you." Carol came out with a glass of water in her hand, offering it to Red without asking. He thought for a moment and recognized Carol was keeping tabs on him. He accepted the water, taking a long gulp from the glass.
"Thanks." Hearing his defeated tone, Carol sat on the bench beside him keeping her light shawl around her shoulders. It was hot out, but sunburn was still a real threat.
Red didn't look at her, he didn't want to stomach the blame he knew he deserved. He had lost his temper more and more the last few days and his group took note. He knew they wouldn't harass him over it, even though he felt like they should.
Without Daisy to manage the group's dynamic it was hard to balance himself. When Red was helpless to protect Daisy and Maggie he felt that anger rising. Then Micheal returned with a bullet wound, though it was not critical he knew it was only a few inches from being Micheal's death. Markus died in a spit ball fight with Woodbury; they didn't commit to a full attack but Markus died for it. Finally, Laura refused to revive him when he knew she had the ability.
All of this within a day. Within one day he faced losing half of his family. Now the only people from his group that could stand on their own was himself and Braddock. Little Melanie still too young to fight.
He got Carol to her daughter, to her group, but the cost to his was crippling.
Without a word Carol leaned over to him, wrapping her arm around him as they sat side to side. Surprised, Red braved a slow glance to her only to see her staring off into the trees. No words to be said, only comfort to know they were there for each other.
Red raised his arm and pulled the smaller woman to his side, holding her to him. The two sat in a comfortable silence and Red felt a little less alone.
Inside Braddock had stopped crying, instead deciding to do something with his time while they waited for Rick, Daryl, and Hershel to come back. No one cared where Merle was, he hadn't even been asked to go with them to take off Laura's muzzle. He followed regardless, choosing to insert his company in any situation he could.
Braddock and the others already buried Markus and Oscar. Braddock shared his sorrows with Axel and had a moment of brotherly love with the ex-inmate.
Braddock decided he liked Axel despite his complicated joining with the group. They got along well and he talked like an open book, completely unafraid to share what he was thinking or his life before. Meeting someone new to swap stories with brought Braddock some well deserved respite from the last few months.
Now he took up caring for Daisy to give Red some time to himself. He also started to go through their collective weapon stores to catalog everything they had. Weapons from both Rick's group and Red's, another form of symbolizing their union as one team.
The work didn't go unnoticed by Glenn and Maggie, who appreciated the effort. Braddock was quickly joined by Carl who he took the time to teach about the weapons in their arsenal. What guns took what ammunition, reloading, proper aim technique, and which guns are better at what.
Braddock would never call himself a gun guy before the end of the world, but he definitely became one after. With Carl's help they were making quick work of the catalog, coming out quite pleased with the results. While Rick's group only carried a few weapons here or there, Red's group had a stockpile capable of arming them all.
Though guns were no good without the food Rick's people had in the prison. The amount of food they had was stunning to Braddock, he hadn't seen so much food in one place since the cannibal's camp and most of that was human meat.
Braddock almost gagged at the idea. So much meat with no reasonable source really should've told them something was wrong, but they all admitted they were a little dense back in the early days.
He leaned over the postal basket to see Judith inside, squirming around upset cause she was hungry. Braddock blew a raspberry at her, making a few funny faces to get her attention. When she started to giggle Braddock couldn't help the goofy smile that spread across his face.
He reached in, letting her grab his fingers that dwarfed her entire hand. She found him funny and always laughed at his antics. Her laughter only brightened his day and he was grateful they allowed him to visit her.
"Thanks for watching her." Beth returned with a bottle of formula in her hand. Braddock stepped away to give her space to feed Judith.
With a smile, Braddock expressed his appreciation. "Anytime. She's just a bundle of joy." He could feel his face rosy from laughing with the girl. He spent some more time just watching Judith eat and Beth hush her to sleep, getting her to find some rest. It had been quite loud since last night when Woodbury attacked, leaving very little time for her to sleep.
Beth turned to see Braddock, leading him out of the cell so Judith could sleep. He was happy to follow, he wanted to check on Daisy after he spent a moment with Judith.
As he carefully and quietly made his way down the stairs, he headed to the cell Daisy rested in. The curtain draped over the entrance giving her some privacy as she healed. She was significantly bruised, the attack had seriously injured her. Hershel said she was lucky to not have a concussion or fractures, but she still needed rest.
He stood at the curtain, raised his hand, and rapped his knuckle on the curtain. "Knock knock."
Daisy grinned best she could, "Who is it?"
Braddock rocked on his heels. "Just your neighbor from down the cell block, Ma'am. Wanted to check in is all. Did you know there's a zombie apocalypse going on?"
"Oh goodness, I did not. That sounds just awful. Thank you for letting me know." Braddock could hear the lilt in her voice, telling him she was smiling. "Why don't you come in, Mister Braddock. The door's unlocked."
He lifted the curtain and poked his head through, "Oh, just Braddock is fine, miss. Mister Braddock is my father." He stepped in, letting the certain drop behind him. "It's not wise to leave the door unlocked. I've seen some of those zombie open doors before. Got to stay safe!"
"Dear me, what would I have done without you." Daisy laughed through the strain of her throat. Hearing her difficulty caused Braddock to give her a pouting face. The image of Braddock pouting made her laugh even harder and forced him to crack a smile. "To what do I owe the pleasure, Braddock?"
"Just doing my civic duty and checking in on the most beautiful woman in the world." He offered kind words of praise just to see her smile.
"You mean seeing if I need anything because Red is off feeling sorry for himself after he threw a fit in front of the whole group?" Daisy translated Braddock's usual sugar coated truth.
Clearing his throat, Braddock took another step forward. "I- well," He rubbed the back of his neck. "... Yes."
Daisy put a hand on her stomach, forcing herself to resist laughing at Braddock's bashful face. "I'm okay, Braddock. Just sore really. I'll be back on my feet in no time."
Rushing to kneel at Daisy's side, Braddock gently took her hand. "No, no. We have everything under control. It's okay, take all the time you want. There's no rush."
Rolling her eyes, Daisy scoffed. "We're starting a war with a neighboring group, of course there's a rush."
Braddock opened his mouth but his words got caught in his throat. "Okay, see here-" He patted her hand with a playful huff. "I came in here to cheer you up and make sure you're comfortable as can be. I feel like I maybe did the opposite."
"You always cheer me up, Braddock. I'm just worried for them, for Red and Rick. Leaders of both our groups compromised. It's a difficult situation we're all in." Daisy expressed her fears, knowing she was unable to properly help while she was laid up. "They deserve to rest, stop being leaders for a bit to breathe. Just like anyone else. It's bad timing that this other group showed up right when we found a place to lay our heads."
Braddock turned to sit on the floor, leaning against the cot Daisy rested on. Her hand came to his shoulder, gently patting him. "I know, I don't know how to lead like Red does. He became a good leader because you were there to keep him together. I don't got your way with words, like what you did earlier. Laura was so messed up man and you completely broke her down with only a few words." Braddock groaned, running his hands down his face in his despair. "I don't know how you always seem to know just what people need to hear. It's like you're in their head, reading their minds."
Daisy giggled, trying to hide a quite cough from her abused chest. "That's because I am. Reading their minds, their innermost thoughts. Their very souls laid bare before me!" She managed an over dramatic voice, mimicking a typical magician voice. Braddock chuckled and placed his hand over hers. "Honestly, I just think about myself in their position, knowing what I know about them. Then I think, what would I do, how would I feel? But to do it right you have to be honest with yourself. No lies, no bravado, no ego, no bias; just you and how scared you'd be. It can be a very humbling experience if you do it right."
Braddock nodded solemnly. "We talking about Red, Rick, or Laura?" He glanced over his shoulder to catch Daisy's eye. She gave him a soft smile.
"Well, let's see. We know Red, but what about Rick. How do you think he's feeling?" She was giving him a challenge and Braddock so desperately wanted to rise to the occasion.
"Uh, he's probably really scared and stressed out, y'know. Leadership, people relying on him. That's a lot to handle for one guy." He bit his lip, trying to think of more. He knew Daisy would have a list of all the things bothering Rick already and he wanted to try and match it. "He's mourning his wife, Lori. She died in childbirth when we got here. But he's so happy to see his newborn."
Daisy hummed to herself. Gathering her words before speaking knowing Braddock was waiting on an answer. "That's good. But if I was being honest with myself in his place. I wouldn't be stressed from leading, I'd be stressed from the people dying because I made the wrong choice. The others who may be blaming me without saying it, who disagree with my choices and are telling everyone else. That hurts the group, hurts our chances of survival. My wife died, a wife from before the world ended. Mother of my son, now also my daughter; a daughter that'll never meet her. Combined with that I'm not eating, not resting, finding out all these terrible things are going on... I don't think I could even find it in me to be happy about having a baby. I can't see myself even stopping to see her. I'd be so swallowed whole by guilt, fear, grief, and anger."
Braddock turned fully to her, "That's... a little dark." His shoulders dropped a bit as he sighed deeply. "I guess you'd be right. Damn, no wonder he lost it."
"Guilt, stress, grief, sleeplessness. For months even before his wife died." Daisy closed her eyes, remembering the early days of their survival. "There's only so much a person can take. That's why we're patient with them, because a little understanding goes a long way. There still might be more we don't know about him too."
"Right. That's what I'll be." Braddock took her hand gently squeezing it. "I'll do right by you, Daisy. So you just rest and don't worry about anything. We cover for each other, like always."
"Like always." He give her hand a final squeeze before laying it on the bed.
"Get some rest, thanks for talking to me, Daisy." Braddock took a deep breath, preparing for the rest of the day. He felt like he had to keep preparing; anything could happen at anytime.
"Braddock." Daisy stopped him before he could leave. He regarded her with a raised brow and a sideways grin. "How are you doing?"
He knew what she was talking about without needed explanation. He kept thinking about Markus too, kept wondering what he would be up to right now. But he was gone, he wouldn't be coming back. Just like the people they had all lost, his family, their families; Braddock accepted it. "I'll never not miss him. He was my brother, blood be damned. But we gotta' go on for the people still here. I'm not gonna' check out on you, Daisy. I'll always be here for you guys." Braddock give her a small wave which she returned. He left the cell, making sure the curtain was covering the entrance, and continued on his way.
He left to see who was in the main cafeteria area only to be caught by the loud screeching of the gate to the tombs. He paused to watch Merle push the door open and walk out, followed closely by Rick and Hershel, with Laura and Daryl.
The group had returned and the tools for compliance nailed into Laura had been successfully removed. Rick carried them, the gauntlets and the muzzle just handing from his hands. He was relieved and excited to see Laura without the muzzle on.
Then he saw her and his excitement to see her dropped. She looked exhausted, someone on the edge of the worst depression of their life. She looked beaten, so completely defeated and sad that he almost didn't want to look at her anymore.
She was being helped by Daryl who had swallowed his feelings on the matter so he could support her. He had an arm around her waist, his other hand holding onto his crossbow sling. He kept looking back to her, checking her, and moving forward.
She walked just fine, he wasn't supporting her weight in that sense. He was just keeping her close and guarded, a man who's there for his woman. Braddock was glad to see the care from the hunter. Daryl hadn't been the most agreeable and he understood why. Seeing how kind he really could be brought a whole new respect for the crossbow wielding survivor.
Daryl passed the cafeteria with Laura, leading her to the cell block to rest. They didn't say a word, they just left to find some comfort. As they passed Braddock he noted Laura was holding a hand over her mouth, bandages on both her forearms.
Leaving the group behind, Daryl took Laura to the only place he knew she could sit and relax. He sat her down on his cot, the cell he had chosen for himself. Knowing the cell was claimed would prevent anyone from wandering in without cause. He stayed there with her, unsure how to handle his feelings about Laura's pain.
Hershel and Rick stayed in the cafeteria, with Merle leaving the cell block and Braddock approaching the two men.
"What happened? Is she alright?" Braddock's worried tone earned a comforting smile from Hershel. Seeing Laura so... damaged and lost was causing some concern for her well being to come bubbling to the surface.
Hershel gestured to the cell block, "She'll be fine, she's in pain, but she'll recover with a little time."
"What about pain meds? We don't have a lot of medicine, but we'll give her whatever she needs." His offer was generous considering they had maybe a few half bottles of pain killers left at best. There was nothing that would stop Braddock if he could help sooth someone else's pain.
"Meds don't work with her." Rick answered before Hershel could. The information he had gathered at Woodbury had clearly documented the uselessness of drugs had on her. It described how each medicine they used on her did absolutely nothing. "But thank you. She'll have to work through it for now."
Braddock's posture fell somewhat, feeling disappointed he couldn't help her. "Alright, I guess. I wish there was something we could do."
Once more, Hershel was glad to see the large man showing so much care for others. It reinforced the vote of confidence they took in Red's group joining them at the prison. "I'm sure she'd appreciate your concern. Perhaps when she's rested for a bit you could visit her and let her know you're thinking about her. She's in a dark place, she'll need people now more than ever."
Hearing some hope, Braddock felt a bit revitalized. "Right, that's what I'll do then..." He shrugged, "Later, of course."
Rick came up to a table and dropped the muzzle and gauntlets on the surface. These torturous tools had been stuck into her with nails and he had tore them out of her. This feeling wasn't pleasant. It hurt him to hurt her.
He found himself recalling the first time he met Laura and she showed him her injuries. The bruises that told a story he couldn't stand thinking about. People did this to her, another human being not just Laura. They took this sweet girl and subjected her to their abuse.
It had happened again, though he dare say this was infinitely worse. They didn't abuse her, they tortured her with the goal to cause her suffering.
When she came to them in Atlanta, she came to them despite her trauma. Now, Laura had sought refuge with them despite them. Which he knew because she didn't remember them all, she couldn't see straight anymore. She was here to escape Woodbury by any means necessary.
He got a closer look at the scars etched across her blue skin. The scar on the edge of her upper lip, above her brow, across her neck... His jaw clenched and his teeth gritted. Woodbury was coming for them now too and not just because of Laura.
Woodbury and its Governor would've come for them the moment they found the prison. It was only a matter of time before the monster arrived at their doorstep.
Rick turned to Braddock behind him, "Tell everyone come in, we need to plan for their next attack." Without second guessing him, Braddock hurried out to the folks on watch to call them in.
It didn't take long for people to trickle in. They didn't dare brave the watchtowers or the open courtyard, everyone stayed behind cover just in case. Braddock rushed to retrieve Glenn and Carl, Maggie having headed back inside herself.
The group gathered, everyone surviving the taking the prison and the attack from Woodbury now stood together as a single group. Had they stopped to realize this was the moment they all bonded as a team, together with complete trust in one another.
Braddock grabbed his and Carl's catalog of their armory and brought it with. They had to know how they compared to the Woodbury armory... or whatever survived it.
A few people were missing, namely Daisy, Micheal, and Laura. The trio being otherwise incapacitated for the time being. With the losses they suffered their stance against Woodbury was looking weaker by the day. To make it through to the other side, they would have to play conservatively.
The discussion was a standstill between fighting and running, before Rick ended it. "We're not running."
"We can't stay here." Hershel insisted knowing they were trapped between a hail of bullets and a horde of walkers. If they stayed in the prison they would have to fight one or the other sooner rather than later.
"What is there's another sniper? A wood pallet won't stop one of those rounds." Maggie countered her father, arguing the risk of braving the woods without being able to see the enemy. It was an impossible fight if they were to try and escape.
"We can't even go outside." Though she did not fight with them, Beth knew the danger was far too great so she agreed with her sister.
Carol sighed, "Not in the daylight." Her suggestion was to run in the dead of night, to get away when Woodbury soldiers would be unable to tell the difference between them and a walker.
Tired of the argument, Glenn laid down the plan without room for discussion. "Rick says we're not running, we're not running." He agreed with Rick entirely, that trying to escape the prison with Woodbury having the advantage of cover would get them all killed.
"No. Better to live like rats." Merle's unwelcome judgment of the group caused everyone to wonder why they even let him in the cell block.
"You got a better idea?" Though Rick's tone was sarcastic, he was hoping for a better idea.
"Yeah, we shoulda' slid outta' here last night and lived to fight another day. But we lost that window, didn't we?" Merle leaned against the concrete wall, offering no help to the group at all really. He was harsh, abrasive, but they were stuck with him. "I'm sure he's got scouts on every road outta' this place by now."
"We ain't scared of that prick." Daryl's response to his brother was tough talk, but not even Merle was blind to the odds against them.
Merle, for all his faults and violence, felt no shame in being afraid. "Y'all should be. That truck through the fence thing, that's just him ringing the doorbell. We might have some thick walls to hide behind, but he's got the guns and the numbers. And if he takes the high ground around this place, shoot, he could just starve us out if he wanted to."
"We took out Woodbury's armory." Rick spat back, "They're out of every gun in that place. We took what we could carry, with that we might've evened the odds."
Not hiding how impressed he was, Merle agreed. "So now it may be even. Still, if he plays a war of attrition with us, we'll lose every time. The Governor's willing to lose people if it means he takes us out. That's the kinda' man he is."
"So was the attack a waste of time? All that risk for nothing." Glenn angrily shoved his gun back in its holster. Everything that happened at Woodbury and at the prison while they were gone. The idea that their people got hurt for nothing was beyond frustrating.
"It wasn't for nothing. We got guns, ammo, hell even grenades. The Governor's gotta' watch his supplies now. That counts for something." Maggie was quick to defend the attack against Woodbury. Both because she knew how guilty Glenn felt for leaving and for the group because the attack was worth the risk.
"So what're we gonna' do?" Beth came down the stairs to her father, concern evident in her voice.
"I said we should leave." Hershel repeated his plan to the group; to Rick. "Now Oscar and Markus are dead. We can't just sit here."
Rick didn't comment. The plan was to stay and fight, he had nothing else to say. He heard them out, he made sure everyone knew they were staying; he had enough now. But as Rick turned to leave he was followed by an angry Hershel.
"Get back here!" Hershel demanded and the entire room backed down. No one had actually heard Hershel angry before, so they stayed to the sidelines. "You're slipping, Rick. We've all seen it, we understand why. But now is not the time. You once said this isn't a democracy. Now you have to own up to that. I put my family's life in your hands. So get your head clear. And do something."
Rick didn't have a way to reply. He needed that space to think and he left without another word. The group knew the plan, now they had to prepare.
Braddock held the catalog in his hand, he and Carl knew they had enough weapons and ammo to fight Woodbury. But Woodbury was willing to sacrifice more people than the prison even had living inside of it. Guns helped, but they wouldn't save them.
He sighed, running a hand through his hair. "Well, I guess we should start handing out the guns. Just cause we got a lot doesn't mean we should be careless." Braddock looked to Carl, holding up the log. "Let's get to work, little man." Carl was happy to help, to feel like a valued part of the group.
Once the group dispersed it didn't take long for Daryl to retreat back to his cell. He came for Laura specifically, letting others take watch first. He wanted to be near for her to help her through the immediate pain.
Merle watched closely and waited just at the end of the cell block. He knows something was going on for certain now. His brother was all too familiar with the undead girl for this to just be taking care of a member of their group. This was a personal connection so he stayed there to wait for Daryl to come back out.
Inside the cell, Laura was laying on the cot trying to focus on anything but the pain in her jaw. It had dulled somewhat thanks to her body that didn't work quite right. She didn't bleed a lot, she healed relatively slowly compared to the others, and the pain wasn't as terrible as it would be for the living.
When Daryl threw open the curtain he barely got even a lazy glance from her. He looked around the cell and bit his thumb, a common nervous tick. When Laura saw that familiar shy hunter biting his thumb it brought up some strange feelings of endearment.
She grinned so faintly if he blinked he would've missed it.
Daryl didn't expect anything other than a nod or shake of the head, but he asked anyways. "How ya' feelin'?"
Laura swallowed, her mouth tasted like the copper in her blood. She had to inhale to speak and she nearly forgot to. Sucking in a deep breath, she opened her jaw just slightly to answer him. It was difficult, she could growl and hiss like any other walker, but speaking was a challenge.
Just like the early days in Atlanta, Laura learned to speak. Though not from external trauma to her throat or lungs, but rather lack of use and then screaming. It tore her voice apart.
She inhaled and with some effort, managed to give Daryl the response he wasn't expecting. "Hurts."
Surprised, he dropped his hand and came closer to her. Her voice was a welcome change. With the silence between them broken, Daryl came to crouch beside her on the cot too unsure to reach for her like she would for him.
She saw his struggle to interact with her. Daryl was much easier to read than he was back on the farm. Her nose crinkled as she recalled another memory. A collective of times in camp with him on the edge of the trees. A farm house in the distance, so it was only the two of them out there.
He was stoic, detached from everything around him. But not to her, he let her stay with him, even in his tent while he slept. She remembered that feeling to have someone beside her in bed. He slept with her there laying at his side and even on top of him.
There was never a question of safety between them. He got her up after her fall into the small creek bed and when some accused her of something he defended her. At the end of the day he brought her into his tent, while he slept completely vulnerable. He trusted her implicitly.
Right now he was trying to be gentle with her, a trait he wasn't well known for if at all. He was rough around the edges even though he had a good heart. Not a lot of people saw that in him especially back in the quarry. But she never attributed him with the same negativity the others did.
Merle could be a cruel man with a violent temper. He liked to hurt and offend people, it got them further from him and his brother. People thought the Dixon brothers were the same.
Though Laura was worried after her first meeting with Merle, she didn't treat Daryl any differently than anyone else. With her he felt like he belonged, he fit with her and their relationship worked. It was difficult to express for him, yet he didn't reject it.
Laura reached a hand out towards him, her hand open for him. He took it slowly and gripped her head.
"I... don't remember much." Her voice was husky, it clearly took effort to speak loud enough to be heard. Even then it was fairly quiet. Her admitting her memory loss wasn't entirely news, but it was different hearing her say it. As if he had to face what forced her to lose those memories. "But I know... I care for you."
She lifted such a weight from him shoulders in only a few words. Some part of him had feared he would lose her and the closeness they had.
"You ain't gotta remember on your own. I'll tell you everythin'." Daryl sat on the ground, his arm leaning against the edge of the cot. "... Do you wanna' know?"
Laura tried her best to give him an encouraging smile. "Yes. Remind me."
"We met in a quarry outside Atlanta. Couple of our folks went into the city to scavenge some when you met 'em. Merle caused a lotta' trouble and y'all had to leave him cuffed to a roof." He wasn't the talking sort usually. But Laura remembering the group, him, and everything that happened along the way was important. It took a great deal of force on his part to move passed it. For Laura, he did.
"I remember. Merle knocked me out." She huffed a strangled chuckle. Causing Daryl to grin shyly, glad to see this change in her. Laura listened intently, taking in as much as she could.
"Right, he did. And y'all just packed up to go get him. All ya' knew 'bout him wasn't good, but you went with us. We didn't talk a real lot then, you were real scared'a bein' outed. 'Specially after Red an' 'em..."
Jomobabe45:
Hehe that's exactly what we did this chapter lol
The muzzle and gauntlets are finally off! We get to see Laura finally starting to heal. She's still noticeably scared, but she's strong. We'll still see some tension with her and the group while things move forward :D
Gilyflower:
God I know, I've been dying to finally get to this point. They're off and we have finally heard Laura voice for the first time in a LOOOOONNNGGG time!
Gemini's Revenge:
No worries, I figure sometimes my alerts don't go out for some time. I dunno why but it does seem to happen a lot where y'all get notifications like 2-5 hours after I posted. I know for certain because I tested it out with a dummy account. It still delivers the update late sometimes. :P
Oh geez, ohhhh geeeez, you've got me blushin up a storm! You're so nice, it feels incredible to have a reader so dedicated to the story. Like it's crazy when I started writing I thought this story would be disliked or generally unpopular. But it's like #86 most favorited Walking Dead fanfic. I'm so floored at the outcome of this story I'm honestly just blown away.
It is a shame the TWD fandom seems to be fading out. I hope we'll see a resurgence during the Rick Grimes movie. That may bring a whole buncha fans in!
Oh now that's damn good to hear! I want people to feel like they can really feel what Laura is experiencing. Her trauma is difficult to put into words, I'll be spending a LOT of time trying to piece it together for everyone! I hope I can do more like that for you, it really means the world when people review. But especially readers who return and keep coming back.
Now that's something truly difficult to describe. How the reviewers keep a story going lol but it's true. I would do anything and everything to make sure I reply to all reviews. You guys literally make this story happen. Without you I would've lost the will to write at maybe chapter 20? If that even.
So thank you for reviewing, for coming back, and for expressing what you love about this story and the character. I hope I never disappoint and, if I do, always feel free to tell me! I'm happy to correct any mistakes and work on the quality even if it's already published. :)