Chapter Thirty-Two
"Here. Take her." Rick says barely even glancing my way as he places Judith in my open arm before he is moving.
Moving towards where the very much alive woman that has come to a stop at the fence.
"Where's he going?" Daryl asks.
"There's someone at the fence."
"What?" he asks in disbelief moving to try and get a better look.
"There's a woman-" I start to repeat before he cuts me off.
"I see her. Get the kids inside. Go up to the perch or the kids' cell. Don't come down 'til I say" he tells me before following after Rick.
"You heard him, get up to the perch" I sternly tell the kids moving to herd them back inside.
"When we get inside, can you grab a jug of water and the formula?" I ask Beth and she nods hurrying ahead to open the door.
As soon as we're inside I usher all 3 kids up the steps while Beth gathers the things I asked for and gets Carol from her cell. I make the executive decision that instead of staying on the exposed perch we're going in the kids' cell.
"Just sit down, chill. We're gonna hang out 'til Daryl comes up. Okay?" I tell them and they nod all moving to get comfortable.
No sooner than Beth and Carol joining us in the cell with more than the requested supplies, do we hear raised voices and a commotion.
"Who do you think she is?" Carl asks.
"I don't know."
Carl's question would end up being answered sooner rather than later, when Daryl climbs up the stairs and asks me to join him on the perch, not half an hour after the initial commotion.
"Who is she?" I ask in a whisper, shifting Judith in the baby wrap.
"Name's Michonne, she saw Maggie and Glenn get attacked. They were taken by someone called the governor. She brought the stuff they found for Judy back here to tell us."
"Oh my god" I whisper.
"We're going after them."
"Obviously"
"We're going to be leaving soon. I delayed Rick just enough to come tell y'all. I want y'all to stay inside the prison. We're leaving Rick's keys with you. If you don't feel safe, lock yourself in up here. Okay?" he tells me pressing a ring of keys into my hands.
"I will."
"Who's going with you?"
"Me, Rick, Oscar, Michonne. Axel is going to hold down the fort downstairs, Herschel said he'd stay with him and join y'all up here when the sun sets."
"Okay. Be safe"
"Always. Love you."
"Love you too" I repeat stretching up for a kiss.
No sooner than him pulling back is Rick yelling up the stairs for him causing him to roll his eyes and huff as he moves down them, telling Rick that he was just filling me in
"Beth, Carol, can you come here for a second?" I call towards the cell, and I hear shuffling as they presumably make their way to do that.
"What's going on?" Carol asks as she comes to a stop next to me.
"Do not freak out."
"That doesn't help" Beth tells me.
"Glenn and Maggie were taken, by someone called the Governor or some shit. The woman saw it and knows where they would be taken to. Daryl, Rick, Oscar and Michonne are going to get them back."
"Oh my god"
"I know"
"Your dad said he'll be up here when the sun sets. Axel is manning downstairs, and I assume outside."
"Okay. We'll be okay. They'll be okay."
"Exactly"
Time passes by strangely while we wait. Eventually Herschel brings up the basket that Michonne had with her along with some canned fruit and a sleeve of stale crackers.
"Rick briefly tore through the basket to make sure there wasn't anything harmful in it but other than that I'm not sure what was brought" he tells me handing over the basket while Beth sets about passing out the meager dinner we have.
"Well let's see what we have then" I tell the small group as I kneel next to Penny's bed as Hershel settles onto Carl's bed with the boys and an excited Anneliese who hurriedly crawls towards him and pulls herself to her feet, using his suspenders for leverage.
"Looks like we've got a can of formula, 2 sleepers, some diapers, and a baby name book" I announce pulling everything out of the basket.
"Well, the sleepers will definitely be of use, you might have to double up on them if you ever want to be able to put her down" Beth says gently taking a sleeper from me and replacing it with a can of fruit.
"Hey now you need to eat too" I tell her pulling laughs and lightening the mood for a few seconds, and only a few seconds it is.
"When will they be back?" Carl asks for the probably 30th time.
"They will be back when they are back" I tell him meeting Herschel's eyes.
"Where did they even go?" Carl asks this time giving me a look that just begs for information and who am I to deny this child who only a little over 24 hours ago lost his mother and almost lost his father.
"They went to get Maggie and Glenn; they got caught up in a bit of a situation and Michonne came to get help for them" I tell him glancing at both Carol and Hershel
"So, Da-Daryl and Rick went to go get them?" Jack asks, seeming to stutter on what to call Daryl.
"They did and hopefully they'll be back soon, but until then we have to man the fort and right now that means bunking down together, safe in here. Alright?"
"So, we're just supposed to sit here and do nothing?" Carl asks and now he's frustrated.
"For tonight. Tomorrow we will do what we need to do like normal" I tell him with finality and let Herschel pick up the conversation from there, something about what things they should plant within the next few months, as I go about shifting a stirring Judith from the sling.
Judith, it seems can tell something is amiss. I end up on the perch to give everyone else some semblance of peace inside the cell, as Judith has decided that even though she's not even 2 full days old that she no longer requires sleep and never mind keeping down her food she doesn't need to do that either. All in all, we both manage a grand total of 2 hours of sleep. But now that everyone else is rising she has drunk and kept down 2 ounces of milk and is sound asleep in her wrap while I take a brush through my own hair.
"Mama, can we go get breakfast?" Penny asks as soon as Beth pulls the sheet up out of the way.
"Sure, sweetheart let's go" I tell her taking her hand as we move down the steps and into the common area, where we're joined by everyone else just as I set a pot of water to boil.
"I brought this down to maybe pick out a middle name for Judy?" Carl almost asks showing me the baby name book and I nod at him encouragingly.
"Sounds like a plan to me"
"Go sit and help" Herschel says shooing me away from the burner, and I'm honestly too tired to protest so with a nod of thanks I join Beth and the kids at the table and take a squirming Anneliese into my arms, careful not to squish Judith.
"Zoe"
"Judith Zoe?" I repeat.
"Doesn't sound right" Jack says with a shake of his head.
"Viola"
"Judith Viola?" another head shake
"Rose"
"Judith Rose Grimes" that one gets a pause and then another shake.
"Olivia"
"Are you going backwards through the book?" I ask with a laugh.
"Mayybbeee" Carl says before continuing.
Throughout all of breakfast we go back and forth with the names until finally we land on one that just sounds right
"Aileen"
"Judith Aileen"
"I like it" Beth says.
"Me too" Jack adds, and nods are given from both me and Hershel
"What's it means, Carl?" I ask.
"It's Irish for bright shining light."
"That's beautiful"
"Sounds like something my mom would've picked out" he murmurs.
"She would've loved it" I tell him honestly with a gentle smile.
It's quiet for a moment before Carl speaks up again.
"How are we on formula?"
"We should be good for a month."
"Maybe Carol and I can go on a run at the end of the week to get more" he suggests which puzzles me, everyone should be back long before then.
"Your dad and the others will be back by then" Beth says stealing the words right from my mind.
"We don't know that" Carl says almost defiantly "Right now Judith is the only family I've got."
"That is not true Carl, and you know it. You are just as much my family as I am yours and don't you ever forget that" I tell him sternly reaching across the table to grasp his hand.
"Still kind of feels like we're all alone" he murmurs.
"But you're not, you're like my weirdly slightly older brother" Jackson says nudging Carl with his elbow making him laugh.
Only for all of us to freeze a second later as a woman's yell pierces through the air.
"What was that?" Beth asks.
"That was from inside" Herschel says.
"Was that Carol?"
"She's out keeping watch in the guard tower with Axel" I tell them meeting Herschel's eyes and already preparing to unwrap the baby as quickly as possible to get them somewhere safe.
"What if they came back in for something? What if they're in trouble" Beth asks anxiously
"Let's check the guard tower see if she's up there" Carl says reasonably for once.
"How could anyone else get in?" Jackson asks.
"The tombs are filled with walkers" Herschel says shooting down that idea.
"That wandered in from the outside, someone else could've done the same thing" I tell him as Carl begins to stand and I hastily rise with him and grasp his arm to keep him from going anywhere.
"I'm going"
"I cannot let you go down there" I tell him immediately.
"My father would go" he retorts and even though I so badly want to tell him his father is not who I would currently think of as sound of mind, but I keep my mouth shut.
"Let him go" Herschel says making me shoot him a look.
"Send both boys, they both have guns and the training" he amends not that it makes me any happier
"No, if one or both of you go, I'm going with you" I tell them point blank already handing Anne to Beth and unwrapping Judith and passing her to Hershel.
"Check your guns, make sure the safety is off, but do not point it unless there is a walker in front of us. Do you understand me?" I ask them as I check my own guns and grab Beth's machete from where she placed it on the table.
"If we're gone too long get up to the guard tower" I tell Beth and Hershel before kissing all 3 girls on the head and leading the way through the door that Rick only emerged from yesterday.
Both boys are walking as close to me as they can without being literally on my heels, as we move down the hallways following the sounds of screams.
Somehow, we've ended up near the boiler room that Lori gave birth and died in, and I can tell the moment Carl realizes it because he pauses.
But the pause is short as a walker comes stumbling around a corner growling and reaching for us, I stab it quickly before nodding at both boys as we continue following the screams, which have turned from blood curdling screams to someone screaming no over and over again.
After what seems like an eternity, we round a corner into a storage room of sorts to see multiple living people and some dead. There's a man holding a woman sitting on the ground and 3 other people fighting off walkers, walkers that outnumber them easily 2 to 1, causing us to waste no time in shooting the walkers, bringing the living people's attention to us immediately.
"Come on!" I order them as more walkers start to come through a door that I assume leads to the outside
I hastily shove both boys in front of me, not bothering to check if the strangers are following as we make our way back of the room and into the maze of hallways.
"Hurry!" Carl calls glancing over his shoulder just as it sounds like someone hits the floor hard making me pause and turn.
"Go! Just go" The man holding the woman tells one of the other men who moves back towards them.
"Let me take her" the other man offers shucking off his bag and giving it to the third man while the other woman gives cover against the walkers emerging from the room.
"Look out!" Jackson calls just as walkers begin to approach us from the other direction.
"You have to leave her" Carl tells them.
"No way" the man who picked up the woman, who I can now see has a bite on her arm, says right before punching a walker and gesturing for us to move.
Finally, we stumble through the door that leads to the hallway that connects to our cell block and I quickly toss Carl the keys so that he can lock it behind us, before turning my attention to the strangers
"Oh god. Donna?" the original man who was holding Donna I guess asks as the second man places her on the ground "Is she dead? Is she dead? Baby?" he asks frantically cradling her face in his hands, but even I can see from here that she's not breathing, and her eyes have begun to take on the glassy sheen that all walkers have.
"I'll take care of it" I tell them, cocking my gun as the man breaks down in tears.
"Woah!" the second man says resting a hand on my gun "Whoa Lady, wait a minute."
"She doesn't have that long" I tell him pushing his hand away.
"Who the hell are you? How did you get in here? Who are you with?" not Donna rapid fire asks approaching and I can sense both of my boys tense even from across the room and I minutely shake my head, hopefully they understand that I want them to let me handle this.
"Look, we can help you. But first things first" I tell them at large recentering my gun on Donna's forehead.
"No, we take care of our own" the second man says grabbing a hammer from the third man, who now that I'm looking at him doesn't look much older than Beth.
"No Tyrese" Donna's whoever moans holding her hands in his, and while I feel for him the longer, we wait the more chance that she's gonna turn and bite him.
"Look just take Ben and lean against the wall. It'll be quick" Tyrese tells him, and I catch Carl's eye and motion with my head for him and Jackson to go through the open door that leads to our cell block. Which they both do quickly and quietly as I begin edging myself around the group and to the door
"It's okay, it's okay" The man tells Donna kissing her forehead before laying a handkerchief over her face. Just as the man grabs the teen and Tyrese pulls back the hammer, I pull the door shut and lock it, grabbing all of their attention.
"Hey! What are you doing?" not Donna practically yells as I step back from the now locked door and push both boys towards where Beth and Hershel stand at the doorway between the community area and our cells.
"Lady did you just lock us in here?" Tyrese asks.
"Open the door" the woman demands but I just shake my head.
"This room is secure, you'll be safe." I tell them
"Open this door" the woman demands again walking up to the door and grasping one of the bars.
"I can't" I tell her
"Come on lady we're not animals" I think Ben says
"Don't do this" the woman begs and while I feel for them, hell I even understand, I don't know them, don't trust them, and my kids are in here.
"Hey! You can't just leave us in here! Open this door! Open it! Now!" the woman yells her eyes flitting between Hershel, Beth and me while banging on the door.
"Sasha! Back away from their door and let the lady go" Tyrese says coming up to the door, making her take a step back, he for whatever reason has decided not to fight on this.
"Look around you, this is the best we've had it in weeks" he tells her as they both move back into the middle of the room "Her house." he tells her before glancing over his shoulder at Donna "We've got other things to do."
"We don't want any trouble" he says in my direction before leading Sasha away to take care of their own.
Turning away from the door I let out a breath I didn't even realize I was holding and walk across the common area as quickly as possible to pull both boys into my arms and press kisses to their heads.
"Shouldn't we help them?" Beth asks.
"We did" I tell her, holding my boys close.
"Hey" I call in a low voice to the … guests in the separated part of the cell block.
"What do you want" Sasha snaps flying to her feet.
"Well, I want to have a conversation, introductions, lay some ground rules that type of thing."
"We don't want your fucking curtesy-"
"Sure, do we get let out of here for that or?" Tyreese cuts her off.
"I think that can be arranged" I tell him already sliding the key into the lock.
I lead the four of them to one of the tables in the communal area.
"I'm Gen. I want to apologize for seeming cruel for locking you all in that area, but I need you to understand that my family is in here and they are my responsibility before strangers who broke into our home."
"I understand that, thank you for helping us. I'm Tyrese"
"Sasha"
"I'm Allen, this is my son Ben."
"Well now that that is out of the way, I have a few questions that I need answers to."
"We will try to give you answers" Tyrese answers seemingly speaking for everyone.
"Why are you here?"
"Like, at the prison?" Ben asks and I nod.
"We were looking for a place that's safe."
"Okay, are you with a larger group?"
"No, it's just us" Tyrese tells me, and I nod briefly meeting Herschel's eyes from where he's standing just beyond the locked door.
"Okay, last question for now. Have you ever killed someone?"
"Uh, no?" Ben almost asks.
"Only when they've been bit." Tyrese answers and both Sasha and Allan nod in agreement
"Well okay, thank you. I am going to be frank with you. I am just a small part of a larger group. Our sort of leaders or point men whatever you want to call them are not here right now. I along with the others here with me are willing to let you stay, give you food and water but once they get back, they will have the final decision." I tell them.
"Thank you, seriously thank you" Tyrese says giving my hand a quick squeeze.
"How many of you are here?" Sasha asks her head tilting as if she could hear the number of people in the neighboring cells.
"They'll be joining us in a moment so introductions will be done then, for now I am going to start lunch for everyone" I tell her pushing away from the table and starting to head towards where Herschel is unlocking the conjoining door.
"Where are your quote-on-quote leaders." Sasha asks almost slamming to her feet.
"They had to go help some of our other people" I tell her finally moving through the door and into the pantry cell to grab some things to cook.
"You're letting them stay?" Carl asks joining me in the cell.
"I am, your dad and Daryl will have the final say when they get back but for now, they will stay" I tell him passing him two cans of vegetables.
"Are you sure they're safe?" He asks.
"Carl. I am not sure anyone is safe anymore" I tell him leaning down to meet his eyes "But we cannot always assume that everyone we encounter is out for blood, okay?"
"Okay, Gen, I trust you."
"Good, now pick a mix in, potato flakes or rice?"
"Rice, I think"
Lunch goes remarkably smoothly, the four newcomers almost awed in the presence of not one but two babies, and the kids happy as they were to make faces at the new strangers stuck close to me, Beth, or Herschel.
Evening is quickly approaching, and I cannot help but feel the anxiety that everyone is radiating at how long our group has been gone, almost a full 24 hours.
Judith has just closed her eyes when the outside door slams open and I fly to my feet.
"What's wrong?" I practically yell at Axel.
"They're back. They're coming up the road now."
"Shit okay" I bite out turning to look at the four newcomers, "I think you guys should wait in here until I tell them about you, they can both be a little intense and I'd like to head them off" I tell them and Tyrese nods pulling Sasha to sit back down next to him.
I nod my thanks at him before leading the way outside the cell block and into the sun that is getting close to setting.
"Do you think they got them?" Beth whispers from next to me
"I know they did" I tell her with a smile grasping her hand in mine as we wait for the cars to pull through the gates.
It feels like eons before they are actually getting out of the cars, and I find myself doing a headcount as each person emerges.
Glenn and Maggie head quickly to Beth and Herschel, Anneliese being squished in a hug before Maggie plucks her from her sister's arms for a hug of her own. Michonne is standing off to the side watching all of us, and Rick is strangely standing by the car not looking at any of us instead staring resolutely at the ground.
And that's when I realize. The cars are empty. And Daryl is not standing in front of me.
I almost trip in my rush to get to Rick, hastily shoving the boys and Penny towards Beth as I go.
Rick looks up when I stop barely a foot away from him.
"Rick" I try to say but it ends up being a whisper.
"Gen, he" he starts to say before cutting himself off.
"Rick where is Daryl" I demand.
"His brother was there, at, at Woodbury and they were forced to fight each other-"
"Where is he?!" I demand again this time my voice rising as dread fills my stomach and my arms clench onto Judith, asleep peacefully in my arms, no clue that everything is very much not right.
"He left with his brother."
"What?" my voice lowers again just like that because Daryl would not, never in a million years leave us.
"What do you mean he left?"
"Merle, his brother" Rick starts to explain and continues to do so when I nod, of course I know who Merle is "he was at the Governors side and when we got found, he made Merle and Daryl fight each other. After we got out Daryl and Merle split off because Merle wouldn't be welcomed here"
"I know he's an asshole Rick, but fuck Daryl is-"
"He's the reason Glenn looks like he does."
"Merle is?"
"Yes Gen, and Daryl chose to go with him instead of coming back here" Rick snaps, causing me to rear back in shock. And then he's turning away from me and heading closer to the fence, either looking for something or looking for nothing,
"Take a breath girly, that's not all he said" Michonne says coming to a stop next to me, making me realize that tears are threatening to spill down my face and I was in fact holding my breath.
"What?" I ask swiping at my eyes.
"Daryl told Rick to tell Gen, I'm assuming that's you, that he will be back as quick as possible he just has to get Merle safe first."
"Yeah, yeah okay, thanks" I tell her, I knew he wouldn't leave but fuck if it doesn't hurt all the same. If it doesn't make a pit settle in the bottom of my stomach and my body almost vibrates with anxiety at the thought of him not coming back.
I'm broken by my thoughts when Rick storms past me heading straight for the cellblock door. Shit.
"Rick! Rick! Stop! I have to tell you something" I yell after him, almost running to catch up to him but by the time I do he is already screaming at the newcomers that they need to leave.
"Carl" I call, grabbing his attention "Take your sister and get upstairs now" I tell him, pressing Judith into his arms and nodding for Jackson and Penny to follow him, Beth passing Anne off to Jack when they go past her.
But my attention is already back on Rick who is now yelling at an empty room as the newcomers shakily make their way to the exit. Rick is very clearly seeing something or someone who is not there and is obviously not as okay as we thought.
"Fuck" I curse rushing into the food pantry cell and shoving some cans and packages into a box before rushing out the cell block and catching up to the newcomers at the fence where they are trying to decide which way to go once Axel opens the fence.
"Wait!" I call making Tyrese turn to me.
"I'm sorry. I'm sorry I don't know what's going on but here's this it's all I could grab. Be safe" I tell him pushing the box into his arms and rushing back to the cell block in almost a sprint.
"Where is he?" I ask as I slam into the room to find Rick gone.
"Back to the tombs" Herschel answers
"Fuck. Fuck. Fuck." I growl out grabbing my hair with my hands and leaning over to catch my breath.
"Okay. Alright. We'll regroup tomorrow, right now we need to prioritize. Beth, can you take the kids some fruit for dinner? Judith should be ready for her bottle soon if she's not already." I tell her before turning to Glenn and Maggie who are both seated across from Michonne at a table "You two, three. Injuries. Water. Food. Bed. In that order" I tell them getting slight nods in return
"Great. I'll grab the first aid kid, Herschel you grab the water?" I ask before heading for our slight first aid kid without waiting for an answer.
And that's how half an hour later I end up straddling a table bench dotting ointment onto Glenn's eyebrow while Maggie and Michonne both nibble at some canned peaches.
"Hopefully you'll avoid infection, but the swelling will have to go down on its own, no ice here I'm afraid" I ramble out, my constant stream of chatter being the only thing to fill the silence.
"Gen" Glenn says, and I hum in response turning to grab a butterfly bandage.
"Gen" he says again.
"Yes Glenn?" I ask pulling the wrapper off
"He'll come back" he tells me.
"I know that" I tell him placing the bandage.
"You're shaking" he states.
"I'm fine" I tell him pushing up and away from the table.
"Gen" Apparently its Maggie's turn now "C'mere" she says standing and folding me into a hug before I can say otherwise, and I can't hide the shaky exhale that leaves me as I wrap my arms around her too.
"I will be okay; I have no other options. And he will come back, he has no other options, because if he doesn't, I'm going to hunt his ass down" I tell them at large pulling back from the hug and getting a cut off laugh out of Glenn and a smile out of Maggie.
"Now, I've likely got to go settle some kids in bed and prepare for the night shift. Michonne, I'm sure Carol won't mind if you share her cell, Maggie can tell you where it is?" I offer but more so instruct thinking that Carol would likely sleep in the watchtower where she retreated after grabbing a can of fruit.
Grabbing the keys off the table I make my way to the door that leads to the tombs before turning back to look at Herschel, Maggie, Glenn, and Michonne.
"I'm locking the door to the tombs, when he comes back, he can knock".