Daddy's Little Girl

Chapter 27: Fight Club

The air in the prison was thick with tension, after the happy homecoming of the Dixon family, the prison group realized they needed to make a decision on what the next move was going to be. The adults all stood around arguing about whether to stay at the prison or go. Katie was in no mood to argue, when she looked into the Governor's eyes she saw nothing different than when she looked into the eyes of a walker.

The cold and calloused nature of this man is what truly struck fear into Katie. If he hardly batted an eye at letting a 13-year-old girl be beaten by one of his men then what would stop him from hurting Carl or Judith? She knew her father and uncle couldn't be safe with the Governor either, he'd seen their faces and knows their names, the only option was to stay and fight. It was odd for Katie to not weigh in on the group decision as she was never one to stay silent.

The fear of the Governor coming back had the group behaving like caged animals, however, the more Katie thought the more she knew that running was not an option. Even if they wanted to run, she knew they couldn't, from her insight into The Governor, there was no doubt in her mind that he had snipers and scouts on every exit of this place.

Merle had proven Katie's thoughts to be true when he began to antagonize the rest of the group. Locked away from the cells in the common area. With Merle and everyone else talking she couldn't get her thoughts straight, she knew Rick would make the right decision, he had to.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

"If we're going to stay and fight we need training, we should take those old mattresses from one of the other cell blocks and put them in the common area, it's easy enough to take down walkers hand to hand but humans are a different battle entirely" Katie suggested. After yet another fight about Merle staying at the prison, Katie was doing her best to diffuse the tension, and maybe some hand-to-hand training would be a good way to blow off a little steam.

Beth peeked around the corner of her cell, "I'd like to learn, just in case" she said offering Katie a ghost of a smile. Katie nodded, "then it's settled, I'll go get the mattresses," she said sheathing her knife in it's holster and strapping her new bow across her back.

She looked over at Carl and raised her eyebrows as if to say come with? He wordlessly sheathed his own knife and started toward her as they slipped out of their cell block cautiously. Rick said he hadn't seen any snipers outside so it was safe. Katie let out a breath she didn't know she was holding as they walked to Cell Block B.

"Stressed?" Carl asked as they walked in step.

"Very. It was getting a little overwhelming in there and I needed a second" Katie said, her accent thick and low. Carl could still see the remnants of her injuries, a bandaged head wound, split lip, and a bruised cheek did nothing to dull her maturing features. There was more age in her face, but in a subtle way to show she was growing.

Her eyes remained the same, thick dark lashes and the silver rings squinting against the Georgia sun. Carl never asked about exactly what happened to her in Woodbury, and he didn't want to. He knew if Katie wanted to talk about it, she would. So instead they walked quietly, Carl couldn't deny he did wonder what happened.

Was it a walker or someone else who did these things to her? From the way everyone was delicately treating Katie, Maggie, and Glenn, he knew the answer couldn't be good so instead, he was silently supportive.

Katie knew Carl wondered what happened to her, it was clear by his questioning looks, and when he stared ever so slightly at her injuries. She wasn't offended by any means, just not ready to talk yet. As they reached the door to the cellblock, she pounded three times with her fist to make sure there weren't any walkers waiting for them inside.