stone cold |twd|

chapter 58

The Governor began to walk away with Andrea and Marcie's father faced her, "You need to get back to your mother."

Marcie shook her head, "I want to help. I'm not a little girl anymore, dad. Just let me help... please."

Vivian sat on the ground, her bare back against the wall. Her knees were to her chest, trying to cover what was left of her dignity.

She could hear the gun shots. Glenn and Maggie fighting with Merle and the Governor's people. But she couldn't bring herself to stand up.

Everything hurt.

Her throat. Her face. Her ribs.

Her heart. 

Explosions came from outside her room and Vivian flinched. Did their group come to save them? Or was something else going on?

The door opened and Vivian held her breath.

Rick stepped through the doorway and he paused. Tears filled her eyes as he slowly walked towards her, unbuttoning his shirt to reveal his white t-shirt underneath,

"You came." She whispered, her voice cracking.

As he kneeled in front of her, he set his gun down and took off his button up and slowly placed it around her shoulders,

"Always." He responded softly,

"Glenn and Maggie-" Were they alive?

"They're okay. We got them." Rick assured her, "We have to go."

Vivian shook her head. Blood had dried on her thighs, but her core still ached, she was too scared to try to walk, "I can't..."

He kept his eyes on hers, "I know something really shitty just happened to you, I understand. But I need you to help me help you get you out of here, okay?" Rick reached for her hand and squeezed it gently, "Let's get you back to your kid."

Vivian wiped the tears from her cheeks before nodding. Rick helped her put her arms through the shirt before buttoning it for her. He handed her a gun, "Ready?"

She cleared her throat, "Let's do this."

Rick helped her stand and she limped towards the door. They met up with the others. Glenn was shirtless and had a swollen black eyes, with blood running down his neck.

Maggie was basically untouched, except she was wearing Glenn's shirt. It made Vivian question if she went through the same thing she did.

The farmer's daughter wrapped her arms around Vivian, but quickly pulled away when she let out a small cry of pain, "I'm glad you're okay."

Vivian gave her a pained smile before Rick squeezed her arm, "We need to go."

Woodbury citizens with guns were running the streets. Maggie and Daryl helped Glenn as they ran through the darkness while Rick had an arm around Vivian as she held a hand against her side.

They went into a random building and Maggie helped Glenn sit against a counter while the other men scoped the place out,

"Ain't no way out back here."

Vivian leaned against the brick wall and stared over at Glenn and Maggie. He was in so much pain. If she had given the Governor the information he wanted, maybe he would've spared them,

"Rick, how did you find us?" Maggie asked,

"How bad are you hurt?" He glanced between Glenn and Vivian, ignoring Maggie's question,

"I'll be all right." Glenn grunted,

Vivian glanced around, looking for the strange woman she didn't know who was with them earlier, "Where'd that woman go?" Maggie questioned Vivian's thoughts,

"She was right behind us." Rick answered, looking around as he noticed she was gone, and went to look outside through the window,

"Maybe she was spotted." Oscar suggested, "Want me to go look for her?"

"No. We gotta get them out of here." Rick stated, "She's on her own."

"Daryl," Vivian looked over at the Korean, who was being wrapped up in a sweatshirt Maggie had found, "this was Merle."

That caught the archer's attention. He gazed between the three of them, silently wondering if it was true,

"You saw him?" Rick questioned,

"Face to face." Glenn responded, "Threw a walker at me. He was gonna execute us."

Vivian's mind went to Marcie. Merle had mentioned more than once that she was in Woodbury. Her gaze went to Rick. He had told them that Marcie died back at the farm. Did he lie? Or did he simply think she wouldn't survive her wounds?

"S-So my brother's this Governor?" Daryl asked,

"No," Vivian stated, her voice sounding rough, "it's somebody else."

Somebody much worse than Merle.

"Your brother's his lieutenant or something." Maggie added,

"Does he know I'm still with you?" Daryl questioned,

"He does now." Glenn answered, "Rick, I'm sorry. We told him where the prison was. We couldn't hold out."

Rick patted Glenn's leg, "Don't. No need to apologize." He went back to the window and Vivian watched him,

"Rick..." She whispered and he moved to look at her. She silently beckoned him over and he gave one last look to the streets before moving over to her, "Merle said Marcie is here."

Their leader stared at her for a moment, trying to comprehend what she said before shaking his head, "Marcie's dead."

"Did you see her die? Because if you didn't, there's a chance that she's here-"

"She was shot." He hissed quietly, "She couldn't have made it. Not without medical attention." Rick looked over at Daryl for a moment, "Don't tell him. We can't go looking right now-"

"Don't you owe it to her? She saved your life more than once. We can't leave her behind." Vivian whispered,

He stared at her for a moment, his icy blue eyes piercing hers, "We can always come back. But right now, I have to get you back to the prison." He turned back to the others, "We have to get back. Can you walk?" He asked Glenn, "We got a car a few miles out."

He nodded, "I'm good."

Rick and Maggie helped him to stand and Daryl spoke up, "Hey, if Merle's around, I need to see him."

"Not now. We're in hostile territory." Rick ordered,

"He's my brother. I ain't-"

"Look at what he did!" Rick motioned to Glenn and Vivian, "Look, we gotta-- we gotta get out of here now."

Rick didn't want to leave Marcie behind, but he needed to get Vivian out of there and back to Liam.

"Maybe I can talk to him. Maybe I can work something out." Daryl begged, 

"No, no, no. You're not thinking straight." Rick whispered, making sure the others didn't hear, "Look, no matter what they say, they're hurt. Glenn can barely walk. Vivian..." He sighed, "How are we gonna make it out if we get overrun by walkers and this Governor catches up to us? I need you. Are you with me?"

Daryl stared at him for a moment before nodding, "Yeah."