Deal with the prisoners is now underway. There will be some changes going forward, which I'm excited for you to see play out.
Disclaimer I don't own The Walking Dead just my ocs and plotlines.
Tabby's POV
She had no idea how long she has been doing this. They're still trying to stop the bleeding, it has slowed down, but not enough. If she had equipment, then she'll be able to stitch him up right away, but they didn't. She doesn't want to risk Hershel going into shock if she cauterises the wound.
"It has to stop eventually right?" Lori asks her and she nods.
"Yeah, it's slowed down quite a bit already." She answers her and Lori wrings out the bloody towel in the sink.
"If we can get him through this-"
Lori corrects her. "When we get him through this."
"We'll need crutches." Carol finishes her sentence.
"We'll figure that out later, right now, I want to focus on keeping him alive." She informs the two women who nod in agreement.
"Right now, we could use some antibiotics. Pain killers, some sterile gauze. There's gotta be an infirmary here." Lori mutters.
She was putting pressure on the wound, her hands were just red at this point in time, no skin on show.
"If there's one, we'll find it. You gotta be worried sick about delivering the baby." Carol points out to Lori.
"Look at me, do I look worried?" She asks the woman.
Carol gives her a once over. "You look disgusting."
Tabby snorts at the comment.
"So do you." Lori reminds her and looks back at Hershel. "We'll get through this."
Callie's POV
After making a deal with the prisoners, they introduced themselves, the leader was Thomas, his lackey was Andrew, the tallest man was called Big Tiny. Then there was Oscar who was the quietest one, and then there was Axel, the most nervous.
They were working their way back to the cafeteria, they wanted their half before starting in case they turned on them.
"Pantry's back here!" Thomas exclaims and walks to the back.
T-Dog looks at the four remaining prisoners. "You never tried to break out of here?"
Oscar sighs. "We tried to take the doors off. But if you make one peep in here, then those freaks will be lined up outside the door growling, trying to get in. Windows got bars on them that he-man couldn't get through."
Axel shakes his head in annoyance. "Bigger than a 5-8."
"You wouldn't find me complaining." Big Tiny mutters. "Doing fifteen. My left leg can barely fit on one of those bunks."
Rick looks at Big Tiny in surprise.
She was amazed at the man's height, it was comical when she stood next to him, he was twice her size.
"Yeah, they don't call him Big Tiny for nothing."
That's when Thomas makes his presence known. "You done jerking each other off? I'm getting sick of waiting back here." He disappears again but they follow him.
She almost sighs in annoyance but had to refrain from doing so.
When they get to the pantry, she gasps at the sight of the food. There was a tonne there.
"That's what you call a little bit of food?" Daryl quips, glaring at Thomas.
"Goes fast." Thomas tries to justify but they had enough food for everyone in here for months with all of that food. Daryl hums. "You can have a bag of corn, some tuna fish." He gestures to the food around him and she narrows her eyes at the man.
"We said half, that's the deal." Rick bluntly responds and Thomas goes silent. Rick notices a door. "What's in there?"
Big Tiny warns him. "Don't open that."
Rick opens it and gags before slamming it shut. Thomas and the rest of the prisoners laugh.
"You wanted to know!" Thomas enjoys making a mockery of Rick.
"Can't wait for my own pot to piss in." Axel mutters, embarrassment on his face.
"You'll have plenty in your cell block." Jeremy quips back and she notices the dark look in Thomas' eyes.
They grab half of the food, and she looks at Rick and T-Dog.
"We'll take it back to the others. As much as we can carry."
Luckily the walk back was straight forward, even the prisoners helped them carry things back to their cell block. But she didn't miss that Andrew and Thomas were talking in whispers.
Noa's POV
Tabby managed to stop the bleeding, and now they just needed bandages and other supplies to clean the wound and cover it so it doesn't get infected.
Beth was on the floor of the cell, cutting up Hershel's pants when Maggie appears in the doorway.
"What you doing?"
"He's gonna have a hard time walking around with one side of his pants dragging on the ground. You know, he could trip or something." Beth says, ripping the rest of the fabric.
"There's a good chance he won't wake up." Maggie informs her.
"Maggie." She warns her twin sister.
Beth looks at Maggie confused. "Why are you so eager to give up on him?"
"I'm not giving up on him." Maggie denies it.
"Sure sounds like it." Beth argues with her.
Noa knew this was going to happen, Maggie is a realist while Beth is a dreamer.
"I don't want you to get your hopes too high. We're not equipped to deal with something like this." Maggie points out to the youngest Greene.
Beth stares at her. "We have Tabby and Carol."
"Carol's not a doctor, dad taught her a few things to help with the baby."
"She stopped the bleeding. And what about Tabby?" Beth challenges her.
Maggie sighs in annoyance. "Tabby was in medical school, she still has a lot to learn. Tell her Noa."
Oh no. Now she was brought into it.
"I'm not saying anything." She doesn't want to get involved in an argument, they were already dealing with their dad injured and the possibility that he could die, she doesn't need to deal with their argument as well.
"Of course you won't, you always take her side." Beth snaps and she looks at her younger sister in shock.
"I don't take sides." She denies, but the words tasted wrong in her mouth.
"When it comes to Maggie you do! You always take her side or say you won't get involved but secretly you agree with her." Beth was getting angry now so she just stayed quiet. Maybe she did take sides without realising? Beth shows their dad's pants. "These will do just fine." She mutters before storming out of the cell leaving the twins there, basking in the silence.
"I'm sorry for getting you involved." Maggie apologises and she shakes her head.
"Don't be. We're already dealing with daddy possibly dying, don't need an argument on top." She tells her before leaving as well.
Maybe she needed to be more stern in her choices and stand her ground. Not take sides but remain neutral, but will also listen to her younger sister.
Callie's POV
Rick and T-Dog came back from dropping off the food into the cell block, while the rest stayed with the prisoners outside into the mess hall. They didn't want the prisoners anywhere near their people.
There was something about them that she didn't trust, maybe it was the idea of them being prisoners and not knowing their history. They could be abusers, thieves, rapists, pedophiles, murderers, and this world only enhances the darkness in people. This world creates darkness even in the nicest of people, it creates chaos, uneasiness, distrust.
Rick and T-Dog had set out the manly weapons, raging from hammers to poles they manage to scavenge over the winter.
There were a bunch of weapons on the table in front of them, and the prisoners made no move to pick any up, expect Thomas.
"Why do I need this?" Thomas raises a manly weapon, "when I've got this." Before he raises his gun cockily and she rolls her eyes at the testosterone levels from the man.
"You don't fire guns." Daryl voices, he could sense her annoyance with the man. "Not unless your back's up against the wall. Noise attracts them, really riles them up."
At that Thomas goes quiet, the common sense hitting him. The other prisoners look uneasy at the reveal.
"We'll go in two by two. Daryl will run point with T, I'll bring up the rear with you." Rick looks at Andrew. "Callie with Axel, Jeremy with Big Tiny, then Thomas and Oscar in the middle." He waits for a moment, making sure the plan is processed by the prisoners.
That's when she cuts in. "Stay tight, hold formation, no matter how close the walkers get to us."
Rick nods his head in support. "Anyone breaks ranks, we could all go down, anyone runs off, they could get mistaken for a walker, end up with an axe to the head."
Big Tiny swallows uneasy at that. Even with the man of that size, he was kind, he did have a good heart, which was weird considering he was in prison.
"And that's where you aim." Daryl announces and the prisoners look at him. "These things only go down with a head shot."
Thomas smirks. "Ain't gotta tell us how to take out a man."
"They ain't men. They're something else." T-Dog reminds Thomas and the rest of the prisoners, and the silence that follows gives them a realisation that they're no longer people.
"Just remember, go for the brain." Rick reminds the group.
Connor's POV
He was sorting out the food in one of the cells, where their main supplies were, when Carl entered and grabbed a flashlight.
He narrows his eyes at the boy, the all too familiar feeling of when he and his sister Maya left the farm house the night the herd hit. "Where are you going?"
Carl looks at him, taking a moment before speaking. "Gonna find the infirmary. Try and stop me."
Connor almost rolls his eyes at Carl, but decided against it.
"I'm coming with you." He announces and when Carl goes to argue he raises a hand. "The more hands the better, we can get enough for Hershel and everything there."
That did quiet Carl down a bit. He looked reluctant for a moment before sighing.
"Fine." He huffs. "But we go now, we won't tell anyone."
Connor knew it was a bad idea, but it was either Carl goes with back up or alone. He would rather be with Carl and make sure everything goes smoothly, and Lori would appreciate it more. His mom is going to kill him.
He nodded at the boy, and together they went into the darkness of the tombs, their footsteps the only sound the two made, their weapons in front, with a flashlight that Carl was holding. The more Connor looked at Carl, the more he saw Rick and Callie, the eyes, that's what it was. They had the stark blueness that made him shiver.
He saw the look when Callie broke down that door, herself covered in so much blood, that he only could see the blue of her eyes. She looked powerful. When Rick entered, he was the same, covered in blood, the only contrast was the blue of his eyes, against the red.
They were the eyes of two leaders, leaders that they were extremely lucky to have.
Carl raised his gun and shot at a walker, the silencer muffling the sound and the sound of the walker hitting the ground was only heard.
He makes a small noise and Carl looks at him, and he points at the door. He could barely see the markings but he saw that cross but he wanted Carl's flashlight to be sure.
Carl shined the light on it and the Red Cross was staring back at them, and the two boys shared a grin with each other.
Connor grabbed the handle and pushed the door, it makes a horrible creaking sound that made him wince, his weapon was ready, in case they were jumped and he was right to do so.
A walker in a doctor's jacket immediately punched but Connor stabbed it in the eye. Thank god he grew over the winter, if he was still that small boy from the beginning, he would have struggled, but thanks to Callie's training, he was set.
Carl closed the door behind them, and they were greeted with an empty infirmary, but the stock was glaring at them. It was a good day despite what happened.
Callie's POV
Some time had passed and they were walking slowly through the dark tombs. It was eerie, walking through what once you would be able to hear the mumbling of prisoners and keys of the wardens. Now, it was silent. The whole world was silent.
She missed the sound of cars, yes they had cars now, but she missed the bustle of the city. Missed hearing people, which was weird of her since she loved being silent, but she loved watching. That version of her yearned to see her family, maybe once, but she didn't.
"Man, it's too damn dark in here." Big Tiny curses, breaking the silence and she didn't blame him. God she missed electricity. The hum of the lights if you were close enough to hear them. But with the world ended, she could see the stars at night and they were beautiful, all the light pollution has now gone from the world.
They were walking without flashlights and only using the advantage of the small barred windows for the natural light, which was hardly anything.
Daryl gestures to his weapon. "Gotta hold it up high in front of you. You're gonna hear 'em before you see 'em."
Big Tiny listens to Daryl's instructions and holds his weapon higher.
They could only hear the scuffle of their footsteps until a small snarl could be heard.
"It's coming!" Axel exclaims.
"Shhh!" Daryl snaps at the man.
Dear god these people will get them all killed.
Two walkers arrive, appearing from around the corner. She tightens her grip on her machete and before she could do anything else, the group of prisoners let out a yell in unison and charged at the walkers. They start attacking the walkers, aiming at everywhere but the head.
Oh dear god.
"You wanna taste me?!" Axel screams and begins stabbing one repeatedly in the stomach.
Her mouth was open in shock and she looked to her left and right at her companions and saw they all looked at the sight before them with complete shock.
She shares a look with Rick. Unbelievable.
Tabby's POV
The bleeding had stopped, she was just covering the wound with the blood soaked towels. Glenn was looking at his watch, the watch handed down from him from the man in jeopardy.
Harriett was keeping Daisy and Maya occupied with the help of Summer and Amy. Carl and Connor were organising the supplies, while the rest of them were crammed in the cell, waiting for Hershel to wake up. His hand was handcuffed to the bed, as a precaution, which the Greene daughters understood.
A loud squeal breaks out and Glenn looks out of the cell to the door.
Were they back from helping the prisoners?
She looked at Glenn's confused face. "Thought you both were organising the food." It was more of a statement than a question.
Carl and Connor appear with a bag. "Even better." They both said in unison grinning.
"Check it out!" Carl exclaims and drops the bag in front of her.
Tabby sees a glimpse of white and rips open the bag and gasps at the sight. It was full of medical supplies.
Lori looks at her son astonished. "Where did you get this?"
Tabby immediately grabbed what she needed, disinfectant and the dressing.
"Found the infirmary." Carl said nonchalantly. "Wasn't much left but I cleared it out." Connor coughs. "We cleared it out." Carl corrects himself, gesturing to himself and Connor.
Tabby was disinfecting the wound and began dressing the wound. It was looking more and more promising. Hershel will have a better chance with all of this.
"You went by yourselves?" Lori asks the two boys shocked.
"Yeah." Carl answers and Tabby looks at Lori and Maggie, who both look shocked. Josie looked enraged at her son.
Lori sputters in shock. "Are you crazy?"
Carl gives her a look. "It was no big deal I killed two walkers."
Lori just stares at her son with a look of disbelief. "Alright..." she gestures to an unconscious Hershel. "Do you see this? This was with the whole group!"
Carl was starting to look angry. "We needed supplies, so I got them!"
"I appreciate that, but-
"Then get off my back!" Carl yells at her.
"Carl!" Beth's yell causes him to go silent. "She's your mother, you can't talk to her like that."
Tabby finishes off wrapping the bandages around Hershel's leg.
Lori decides to speak again. "Listen, I think it's great that you want to help but-
She didn't even get a chance to finish before Carl leaves the cell running.
Callie's POV
"It's gotta be the brain." Daryl instructs and shoots an arrow into a walkers head. Its head snaps back before it collapses onto the floor. "Not the stomach, not the heart, the brain!"
Another walker arrives.
Axel nods. "I hear you, the brain."
Oscar stabs the walker in the head. "Like that?" More walkers arrive from around the corner.
Callie nods her head. "Yeah."
There were a lot of fucking walkers.
Axel looks antsy before he too kills a walker. Rick follows suit, disposing of his walker quickly. Another walker comes in front of her and she stabs it in the head with a sickening crunch.
"Stay in tight formation, no more prison riot crap." Rick barks at the prisoners.
Just then the corridors were swarmed with more walkers.
She didn't know what happened, one minute she was killing walkers, the next she heard screaming, and quickly turned to see Rick kill a walker. Her heart dropped. But she saw Big Tiny clutch his arm and the walker nearest to Big Tiny was shot by Thomas multiple times in the head.
She went towards the large man and saw a deep scratch mark on his upper back. He was bit.
"Rick." She calls over and Rick goes to him, and Big Tiny turns around, allowing them to look at the wound. There was fresh blood dripping down, but the deep scratch wound was staring at them, mocking them.
"I'm telling you! I don't feel anything, it's just a scratch." Big Tiny says, gesturing to his back.
Rick looks at the man with pity. "I'm sorry man."
"I can keep fighting!" Big Tiny protests, looking between her and Rick and she had a bit of respect for the man. His time was up but he wants to continue on.
But the pair of them stayed silent.
"You cut that old guys leg off to save his life!" Andrew points out dumbly and she gives him a look.
Rick turns to him with a bewildered look. "Look at where the bite is." He hisses at him, gesturing towards the wound.
Big Tiny turns towards them then. "Guys, I'm fine! Just..." he breathes deeply. "I'm fine." He says gently. "Look, look at me, I'm not changing into one of those things."
"It's not always instant." She responds to the man who looks dejected at that. She felt sorry for him, finally got out of a locked cafeteria and is now bit.
"Look, man, there's gotta be something we can do, we could just lock him up." Oscar suggests brightly.
They still didn't understand, but that's because they haven't seen it.
Axel nods his head enthusiastically in agreement. "Quarantine him!"
She closes her eyes, she felt sorry for them.
"We gotta do something!" Andrew nods his head and looks at the pair of them, not doing or saying anything. "Why are you both just standing there, we gotta save him!"
Rick looks at him sadly. "There's nothing we can do."
If they could have done something, then Jim would be alive and many other people.
Andrew looks at the pair of them in disgust. "You son of a bitch."
"It's common sense." She snaps back at him.
Big Tiny sighs. "I'm al-
He was interrupted when Thomas whacked him across the head with a hammer and blood splatters everywhere causing her to blink and step back in shock. He gives her a look before stabbing him repeatedly in the head, a loud squelching sound echoing through the tombs and she looks on in disgust.
He looks up, staring at Rick, his face covered in blood and walks away.
What the actual fuck?