Dean's Dixon

Separated

Things at the prison seemed to go from bad to worse. Rick got back WITHOUT Carol and both the Dixon's had very similar reactions to him asking her to leave. Maggie tried talking to June about why it was the right decision but her and Carol had even more history than her and Maggie; Carol being asked to leave felt like a betrayal, even if June wasn't the one responsible for it. She'd needed to get away from Rick for a couple of minutes, clear her head and try to wrap her mind around his decision but shooting from the sick bay brought both women running. Taking the walkers out had been priority one but when they heard about Glenn, June urged her friend to go help her husband while she went and checked on the others, relief coming in the form of her brother and the others returning with the meds. By the end of the night, they all felt as though they'd run a marathon but none of them knew just how far from over it  was.

"How ya feelin June bug?"

"I'm fine. Hershel thinks a few of us must have some kinda immunity to this, that or the tea is magic."

"Well, I wasn't happy ta find you in there but not surprised either. How are our boys?"

"Much better now that they've gotten that medication in 'em. Hershel released them to go outside and enjoy the sun for a bit today. I think he knows they need it after being cooped up for so long."

"You gonna go with 'em?"

"Of course. They're better, they ain't completely healed up."

"Right. I'll meet ya outside then."

It was supposed to be the start of a brighter outlook. Yes, they'd lost a lot of people and that was never easy, but now they had medicine and would hopefully not lose anyone else. They could clear out a different cell block for the survivors, close off D block and do their best to move past it. That was the plan. Daryl and June had already decided to try to go looking for Carol, try to fix this shit and get their family back together, but they wouldn't get that chance.

"June!"

"Winchesters... I told ya ta wait for me, I was gonna help ya out here."

"Stop it baby. We've leaned on you enough, time for us to stand on our own again."

"I'm allowed ta worry about the people I love Dean."

"Didn't say you weren't but I saw you try to lift Sam the other day, and as hilarious as it was to see my 6'4 brother be hoisted up by my 5'4 girlfriend, you were definitely struggling a little."

"What he's trying to say is..." Sam cut in, giving his brother a pointed look. "Was we appreciate all you've done and continue to do. We just want to stretch our legs a bit, make sure they still work."

She smiled up at her friend and finally relented. That mother hen complex she'd developed had gone into overdrive since the illness hit and she fully realized she needed to reign it in. Sam and Dean hadn't gotten hit quite as bad as some others and she could admit that they looked much stronger today than they had in days. Instead of saying anything she motioned with her head and they followed her over to Sasha, the conversation starting off relaxed and getting cut completely off by an explosion and the return of the governor... this time with a goddamn tank.

"Daryl, what the hell are we supposed ta do against a fucking tank?"

"Take the gun and shoot June, all we can do."

"What about the bus?"

"Not yet. Maggie's got Beth on it, if it comes ta that."

"Alright... Dean, Sam."

"We're with you June."

She moved slowly over to Maggie and Beth when Hershel and Michonne were brought out. The governor was spouting his usual bullshit, trying to get Rick to turn over the prison and Rick trying to plead with him to think this through. Promising they could live in the same place and remain separated, not that anyone truly believed that, but they knew he was only doing what he could to protect them. Rick hadn't been put in this kind of position in months, making unilateral decisions for everyone, and though him refusing to give up the prison had been the right move no one was ready for what it cost them. The second the sword came down on Hershel the whole family broke, shooting through the tears and hellbent on killing every last one that sided with the governor.