Chapter 3: Getting to you

Rick managed to finally get through the blocked door after trying for nearly 20 minutes, but just as his mind was beginning to wonder who'd blocked him in, his attention, pulled by the fact that the hospital seemed empty. The flickering lights hung falteringly on the seeling, the bullet holes and empty shells on the floor, and most disturbingly, the chained door with the writing 'Dead Inside Do Not Open'.

What the fuck?

A billion warning signs were going off in his head. He knew he couldn't stay here. His steps were unsteady as he made his way to the exit, and when he got outside, a wave of acid welled up from Rick's belly. All that lay before the man were dead bodies piled on top of each other, so much so that he was sure he could climb them. There were military trucks outside the hospital, and cars crashed all over the place, from the roads to houses and stores. Something told Rick that everything he'd known was gone. Barefoot and in a hospital gown, he did his best to journey to his apartment.

She's still there, right? No, probably not. The flowers were withered. She ain't been there for a while. What if something happened? What if…

"No, you can't think like that, Rick!"

As he slapped his face to knock out the negative thoughts invading his mind, he heard a sound coming from the back.

It was a woman. She wore white bedroom slippers with blood on them and a bloody pink nightgown. Her golden, long hair was all over the place, and her face, specifically her mouth, was covered with red, reminding him of the incident he and Shane encountered with the mother and child before he ended up in the hospital. Two plus two started to make sense to Rick as he began to connect the dots. I didn't have a weapon, and though he knew he had to fight her off, he hesitated, not because he didn't understand that she was dangerous, but because of the large bump on her belly. She was clearly pregnant. Regardless of what was wrong with her, he didn't want to hurt a pregnant woman.

I'm close to home. My legs are getting better, even if my feet are killing me. I'll make a break for it…Yeah, that's the plan.

And so he made a dash for it. He knew she was still behind him. Rick, however, kept his eyes straight. Pulling up to the gate, he heard gunshots ring from above his head, and he ducked.

When the shots stopped, he turned, only to see nine bodies dead on the floor and a rugged voice calling out.

"Hey, you! Are you crazy?"

Rick didn't respond. He felt a jolt surge through his body. Adrenaline sent his senses into overdrive, as if the shock had momentarily heightened his awareness, sharpening his perception of the world around him. He saw the masked man make his way to the gate, and it was enough to trigger his flight or, seemingly, his fight. Just as he was about to sock the man in the face, the man stepped back in shock.

"Oh my God, Rick! What the hell!"

What!

Rick's huge blue eyes gave a startled look. After a few seconds, he realised he knew that voice.

No! He's supposed to be in Spain!

The man took off his mask, after pulling him into the safety of the gate.

"Jeff…"

Rick began to scope out the area. Almost everywhere was boarded up like a fortress.

"We can't stay out here; we'll draw attention."

…

Jeff brought Rick to his apartment. Taking out a can of cream corn, he threw it at his brother.

"Eat. I'm sure you ain't eaten food for a while."

"How the hell did you get in my apartment? Where's Chonne?"

"I think you're asking the wrong questions, baby brother."

"Shane called me when you got shot, so I cut my little trip short. By the time I got here, things were already going to shit. Michonne wasn't here when I reached... Looks like she packed a few stuff in a hurry. If I didn't know this place, probably wouldn't even notice."

Rick could feel a headache going on. It was like he was getting whiplash.

Those people… They've gone crazy, chasing and eating people… Like that little girl.

"Those people you kill—" Before Rick could continue, Jeff cut him off.

"Not people."

"What?"

"The walkers—they're not people. They're dead."

"What?" He asked as if he hadn't heard what his brother had said.

"Those people are already dead. Once you get bit, that thing takes over. First, you get cold sweats, then pain... What kills you is the fever after the pain. Ain't no fighting it... After that, you come back as a walker; there's no you no more. Some of them remember how to do things… At first, I thought there was still something—someone in there… But there ain't; it's just muscle memory."

Rick wanted to call bullshit, but what he'd seen really couldn't be argued with. His hands trembled excessively, his fingers twitching with nervous intensity. The startling revelation sent shockwaves through his entire existence. He tried to organize his thoughts while holding his hair with both hands.

"Ricky, I thought you were dead... I heard that the area got overrun. Military wiped out most of the herd and people alike, but they fell just like everywhere else… You should clean up.

Jeff's voice began to crack.

"I've gotta find Michonne."

"What? You don't even know if she's alive!" He cut himself off before Rick bore a hole in him. "Look, I'll help you find her, but we're gonna have to get you cleaned up and a change of clothes. I promise."

"Okay…"

"We'll move in the morning."

"Alright, but we should go to the station before we leave... Get some weapons."

"That's a great plan. Go get cleaned up. The water still runs from the emergency tanks… Not for long, though."

Rick nodded in acceptance, dragging his tired feet to the bathroom. He lay silently in his tub, with only his thoughts to keep him company.

Shane would've taken her to safety. I'm sure of it… But where the hell do I even start? Forget it. I'll cross that bridge when I get there.

Both Rick and Jeff stayed in the living room until morning. He and his brother technically didn't have any family outside of each other, but he always put Michonne, Shane, Daryl, and even Sasha in that box over the years. As much as Jeffery and Richard loved one another, they weren't always on the best of terms. They both had ideologies that often clashed with the other's, and Jeff, being the oldest, always questioned Rick and his choices. It made him feel less than when he was questioning how he lived his life at every corner, but it was different with the family he chose. They didn't agree sometimes, but he could always talk to Shane about anything, and he was sure the feelings were mutual. From the age of seven until now, Shane may not have shared Rick's blood, but the two were brothers. It was the same with Daryl. The man had been abused his whole childhood, leading him to be reserved and brooding. Those who don't know him would never know how gentle and emotional the man really was. Sasha's a spitfire. Blunt with her words to the point, some might think her rude. What set her apart from being a bitch, however, was the lengths she would go to for someone she cared about.

And Michonne was his safe haven. He'd known her since she was sixteen, leaving her the youngest in the group. So he, Shane, and Daryl quickly assumed the protecting brother position. It didn't matter what the situation was since she always understood what to say. The relationship they shared was significantly different from the others, and although she understood who he was as an individual, there were certain aspects of himself that he never wanted her to see. Rick didn't know when his feelings for her shifted, and it didn't matter, especially considering how things were just now. What mattered was that him discovering his family and keeping Michonne safe.

They're safe. They have to be.

Those were the thoughts that lulled him to sleep.

…

Flashback

/One week after the hospital/

"Chonne, you need to eat... Just a little."

As she lay in the tent, Shane gently stroked her back. Michonne didn't answer since she was too miserable to say anything. Daryl, who was seated right next to Sasha on the other side, couldn't help but feel terrible for her. He stood up to speak with Shane, impatient to see what he could do.

"I could go hunt something, make light like a broth… She gotta eat."

"What she needs is something for the nausea." Sasha interrupted.

"Yeah, I get that, but she ain't eaten in days."

"I already told Tyrese to bring back some Gravol and, if possible, some ginger."

"So what, we just suppose to wait?"

"I'm not saying that. We can try your idea, but I'm not sure how much help that will be."

Shane, though listening to the conversation, didn't intend to join. He realised for a while that it wasn't only nausea that had been affecting her. It could not possibly have been easy to be pregnant whilst the world was going to hell and the father of your child was dead. She buried her head in the warm, fuzzy blanket as he continued to rub her back in comfort.

We need to talk…

"You should do it, man; she might drink it... Sasha, can you help him? I don't wanna ask Merle, wherever the hell he is. Don't trust those new folks either."

"Alright, let's get going, you big dog."

In response, Daryl rolled his eyes and grumbled. Sasha trotted behind him as he made his way to the task at hand. Shane drew Michonne to him as they walked away, clutching her tight to keep her steadfast in his chest.

"Everything's gonna be fine."

"You don't know that, Shane."

"I'm the only one that does… You're suppose to be the hopeful one, Hmm."

She went silent for a bit as she clutched her chest.

"How? You saw what happened! They kill so many people, even bombing all over the place… People are coming back from the dead…Rick…" She trailed off. She tried to speak, but she was choked by her forming tears.

The nagging anguish kept him awake at night for the entire week. He had fallen into a deep depression. He and Michonne had unspokenly agreed to keep what had occurred to themselves a secret. Shane's eyes felt scratchy, and he was apprehensive from lack of sleep. He hadn't moved his gaze away from her once, fearful that something bad would happen if he made a mistake.

"You blame me..." There was a sad smile plastered on his face.

She paused, her muscles caught in a brief weakness, her pupils widening fully with terror and dismay, leaving her motionless. She held his hand tightly, looking up at his face so he could see her sincerity.

My selfish behaviour caused this.

"No! I never blamed you! I know you were just trying to protect me…If you had taken him, all three of us would have died; I know that…"

"It makes me real happy to hear that."

"I'm sorry; I've been caught up in my own personal feelings. I haven't even considered how you've been taking everything." Not wanting to meet his gaze, she bent her head.

"Don't apologise! You ain't done nothing wrong... Look at me. Look at me!"

"I can't imagine what you're going through right now with the baby, Rick... Hell, even the world is going to fucking shit."

He held her face in his palms. He needed his next set of words to register, not only for her but also for himself and for Rick.

"My folks died a long time ago; you know this. You, Rick, Daryl, and Sasha, you're all my family... Chonne, I'm always gonna protect you and be there for you, even if you hate me for it. The same goes for that baby."

A tear escaped her eye. She let out a small smile after exploding into a nervous laugh in his direction.

"Sorry… I'm an emotional mess today. It's the pregnancy, I swear."

Drying her teary face, Shane kissed her on the forehead and pulled her into a warm yet unyielding hug.

"You're squeezing me, Walsh." She mumbled into the curve of his neck.

"How about you finally agree to eat something, even if you don't want to? Then I'll let you go, hmm... That's a fair trade, right, missy?"

"I will."

"Good."

…

Present time

[three days after Rick wakes]

"Tyrese and Glen been gone for two days; they ain't never been gone that long."

"They're probably dead."

The blond woman spoke bluntly in response to Daryl's concern. Sasha, listening next to him, tossed her head in her direction, ready to have a clash of words.

"My brother isn't dead. What the hell, Andrea? Isn't Glen your friend?"

"Look, I'm just being realistic. We gave them the entire day. It's late."

"Yeah? Well, keep your thoughts to yourself and hope that you don't end up in a similar position!"

Before the argument could start, Daryl came forward.

"Sasha and I can go look for 'em."

The group, including the newcomers, gathered around the campfire. Shane, who stood over Michonne, looked over at Daryl disapprovingly.

"No, that's too dangerous. We wait … If they don't come back by tomorrow, then there ain't nothing we can do."

"That's my brother you're talking about! You want me to just stay here and wish for the best!"

"Yes! That's exactly what you're gonna do! I'm not just gonna let you throw away your life for some unknown! You okay with Daryl risking himself?"

She couldn't believe he'd say such a thing to her. Turning in a heated circle and laughing. Her hands trembled with restrained rage, fingers curling into fists, nails digging into her palms, the agony grounding her in the midst of the storm of her emotions. She wanted to scream, but the word never came out.

Daryl reached to calm her down, but she slapped his arm away. She always had a temper, and it was rearing its head at that moment. She and Shane threw daggers at each other, neither wanting to relent. Eyeing the other in defiance for about ten seconds, Sasha finally broke away and marched off to her tent.

Michonne, who was watching the battle, looked up at Shane, who was hovering over her like an umbrella. She looked at him with an anxious expression after tugging on his sleeve to get him to sit and talk to her.

"Why are you being so mean?"

"Because she's gonna get herself killed. Ain't nothing wrong with a little tough love."

"I know, but try and be a bit understanding, or at least a softer approach."

"You saw her stand down. My call was right. She needs to understand that we can't save everybody and the sooner she gets that through her head, the easier it'll be… You and I both know that."

For a while, the two were silent. Her shoulders shrank, an immense burden of grief pressing down on her frail form like the weight of the world. He was caught in a melancholic reverie, his gaze haunted by the ghosts of past losses that refused to leave. They were simultaneously thinking about Rick, and they were both aware of it. Michonne was going to speak again when she got distracted by sounds she couldn't immediately identify at that moment. Tapping Shane's back, she asked in a hushed tone,

"Shane. Do you hear that?"

Dragged out of his thoughts, he focused on her words and then turned his attention to what she was talking about.

"Yeah, do not leave my side. Everybody get ready; the dead are here!"

There were about thirty to the group's fourteen. Daryl grabbed his bow from his back while Shane ran to grab his shotgun. Sasha, who heard the commotion, grabbed her pistol and sprinted out of the tent to aid her friends. A blood bath had already started. She saw Dale trying to get into his RV with a dead one on his tail, so she rushed over to shoot them point-blank in the brain.

"You stay in here; don't leave!"

"The Peletiers!"

Watching what Dale was pointing to the back of her, she turned and saw the Peletiers screaming. Ed was being ripped open from his stomach. She had no intention of helping the man. What concerned her were his wife and child. His wife, Carol, was being bitten in the throat as her daughter clamped her hands over her mouth and watched in horror. The child crouched down, her voice streaking loud; it got the attention of the nearby dead as they turned in her direction. She was about to be devoured. Sasha, who noticed, tried to get to the girl on time, even though it was futile. Luckily, Michonne reached before her, swinging an old, rusty pipe, bashing as many skulls in as she could.

Michonne pulled the child behind her. In the midst of her whacking, She saw Sasha come over to help, raising her gun to shoot. It seems that she didn't realise that she was out of bullets. Michonne could see her nostrils flare, and her breathing became laboured as the muscles in her jaw tensed. A bit in over her head, Michonne's desperation etched its way into every crease of her face as she used the pipe to keep them at bay. Just as she believed they were finished, she heard gunfire from her right. Shane and Daryl took care of the rest.

Seeing that they were all dead, she looked at the little girl she was protecting and embraced her.

"Sofia. It's okay, it's okay."

Michonne did her best to comfort the girl who'd just lost both her parents. As she looked around the camp, she noticed that out of the fourteen people who were present, only eight came out unharmed. Her, Sophia, Shane, Sasha, Daryl, Andrea, TDog, and Dale. There was one more who was still alive, but she was not long for this world. Andrea's younger sister, Amy, was bitten on the side of her belly. Andrea sat on the dirt floor with her sister, in tears, not wanting to leave her side. Sasha offered to put the girl out of her misery, but was snapped at, so everyone gave them their space while keeping an eye out. With all the deaths and Glen and Tyrese missing, everyone's spirit was at an all-time low. Merle left that morning after he and Daryl got into a fight, and no one knew if he was coming back, not even Daryl. After damaging the heads, the group gathered all the corpses, burying those that belonged to the camp and burning the rest at Michonne's behest.

She stayed with Sofia the rest of the night. The girl's life had just changed for the worse, and she didn't want to separate from her at all. Michonne could not blame her one bit. She knew that Ed Peletier abused both his wife and daughter in more ways than one. She had known since the day Shane caught him, and he and Daryl beat an inch between life and death.

You poor, sweet girl... Maybe it's for the best. Your father was a bastard, and your mom, bless her soul, couldn't protect you.

"My parents are gone too, but I have Daryl, Shane, Sasha, and now you, so I know I'm going to be okay. Because they're always there for me, just like I'm going to be there for you, Sofia. You're going to be fine, Sofia. I will never let anything happen to you, I promise."

She stroked her back till she fell asleep, surprising Michonne after all that took place. She was happy that she was getting some rest.

As if waiting for this to happen, Shane made an entrance.

"I told you to stay next to me. You almost got yourself killed!"

"Keep your voice down; Sophia is sleeping."

Shane rubbed his head, as he often did when frustrated or fuming. Her response caught him off guard so much that his next words were,

"Don't do that again."

The two didn't speak as their eyes fell on Sophia, who was nuzzled into Michonne's side. The child kind of looked like a puppy who was motherless.

"Well, we're all orphans, so hurray for equality..."

What she said left him speechless. He didn't expect that from her mouth, of all people. That was something he would say. He let out a small chuckle.

I guess even she likes a bit of dark humour. She said it deadpan too. How the hell am I suppose to respond?

"I'm sorry, that was terrible."

Scratching at her forehead as if she could pull off the lines of worry, she blinked slowly, exhaustion seeming to veil the brightness of her gaze.

"Nah, don't apologise. It was kind of funny. Thinking about it, all our folks are gone... You need rest. Go to sleep."

"Does it matter? Day will break in like two hours."

"Yes. Now go."

"Alright. Good night… Or Good morning."

"Good night…"

…

Michonne woke up to the sound of a loud vehicle, followed by Sophia. When she got outside, she saw Glen pulling up in a red Rolls-Royce and having a merry old time. Almost three days, they were gone in total, and he didn't seem bothered at all. She had the sudden urge to hit him when a silver car soon followed behind. She saw Tyrese hop out, and Sasha wasted no time running to hug her older brother. Tyrese then turned to Michonne to tell her something, but her eyes were already glued elsewhere. She took a step back, her body retreating reflexively as if her mind had initiated a defensive response to protect her. She covered her mouth with her hands, her eyes wide with disbelief. Surprise had gripped her, threatening to burst through her lips in an uncontrollable gasp.

"Michonne…"

The world seemed to slow down; every detail seemed amplified and bright, as if his heightened state of excitement had opened a new level of perception. He slouched back in the golden sunlight, a pleasant sigh departing his lips. His pulse hammered like a wild drum, the quick beats sounding through his chest as adrenaline surged through his veins, increasing his eagerness with each step towards her.

"Rick…"

Her mind whirled in dizzying circles; her breath hitched and froze in her throat, a halted moment of quiet as if the shock had stolen her own voice. As she shifted, the world around her seemed to blur. Her body felt heavy, clenching her chest, her heart racing, each beat a loud echo of cardiac shock as her legs crumbled.

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N.B

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