I leaned over the railing, watching Beth, Lori, and Carl clean up what was left of the mess. We had spent all day cleaning the cells for the last three days. There was only a bit of trash left, but it wouldn't take more than an hour to clean up the rest of the main cell block. Then we can tackle the common area and be done for the day.
I watched as Lori struggled to pick up a torn-up book, one hand resting on her gigantic belly and the other extending to try to grab the book. Smiling down at the woman, I raced down the stairs and helped her, grabbing the book by the spine and shoving it in my trash bag. She smiled at me gratefully and rubbed her belly, a smile across her lips as she looked down lovingly. She reached forward, grabbed my hand, placed it on the peak of her stomach, and looked at me as the baby moved underneath my hand. A swift kick against my hand made my eyes widen, my heart swelling as I felt the tiny baby swim around in her womb.
"She's active," Lori murmured as she continued to look at me, her eyes filled with love and contentment. I smiled at her and pushed the hair from my face back.
"She?" I asked her, a soft chuckle escaping my lips, "How do you know it's a girl?" Lori let out a small sigh and continued to caress her stomach, a smile across her lips as she looked down.
"Just a feeling." She whispered as her gaze shifted behind me, her smile turning into a frown. I turned around and sighed, my eyes landing on Rick as he clipped his holster onto his hips. "That's your cue." It pained me that she knew he was looking for me specifically. Their marriage is in tatters, and I can't help but feel like I'm the cause. I shared one glance with Lori before walking over to her husband, wondering what he wanted.
"We're gonna clear out the yard, get the cars close to the exits in case we ever need to leave in a hurry. You coming or staying?" He asked me, his eyes landing on his estranged wife once more before looking down at me. I pursed my lips, feeling a sense of awkwardness rush through me as I continued to stand between the broken couple.
"What would you rather have me do?" I asked him, my voice lowering drastically as I looked up at him. He placed his hands on his hips and nodded as he devised a plan for me.
"It'd be quicker if you came out with us." Rick said, "The lot of us can work in pairs, and at least the courtyard will be clear by the end of today." I nodded at him, agreeing with his plan. The courtyard will be clear, and with all of us working, our immediate living area will be near perfect. I spotted Carl, his sheriff's hat covering his face as he tossed his blood-soaked rag to the side.
"Carl," I called out for him, smiling as he turned to look at me. Excitedly rising, he ran over and smiled brightly at me. "We're going to need you to take over for me here. I'm going to go help clear out the courtyard, so—"
"That means I'm in charge?" Carl asked me, cutting me off as he looked toward his dad—asking for confirmation.
"Yes," Rick answered, smiling as he looked down on his boy. Carl beamed up at the two of us, retreated to his original post—cleaning the walls—and looked around at the few who stayed inside to clean. I turned to Rick and nodded at him, ready to start my busy day in the sun. He led me out of the cellblock and held the squeaky door open for me as the sun nearly blinded me. I shielded my eyes from the harsh rays and groaned, regretting my decision to come out and help.
"What's the plan?" I asked as we slowly walked over to where T-Dog was using the truck to push the overturned prison bus out of the way.
"We're going to have the cars ready just in case we need to leave." Rick explained, "Two cars here on the east entrance and the rest by the west gate. Then we can start piling the bodies and burn them."
"Sounds easy, but knowing our luck, something's gonna go wrong," I muttered as we approached the rest of the group.
"Don't go jinxing it now." Rick chuckled as we both stopped by the bus. T-Dog slammed the truck's door shut and leaned against the front, awaiting instruction as Rick and I examined what Carol, T, and Daryl had done so far. "Let's get the other car in. We'll park them in the west entry of the yard." I nodded, noticing someone had already reversed the Hyundai into the gated entry.
"Good," Daryl said suddenly, making me jump as he appeared behind me. "Our vehicles camped out there look like a giant 'vacancy' sign." Rick tapped my arm and motioned me to follow him as he took a few steps forward, his back turned against the entryway as he looked out into the littered courtyard.
"After that, we load up these corpses so we can burn them," Rick instructed as he took in the number of bodies we had to burn.
"Gonna be a long day," I muttered, taking in the grisly sight before me. It wasn't a lie. This will easily take the whole day; if we move slowly, we could take up some of tomorrow. I looked around the group and noticed that Glenn and Maggie were nowhere to be found. They weren't inside the prison either. "Where's Glenn and Maggie?" I asked as I looked at the small group behind me.
"Up in the guard tower," Daryl said as he pointed to the nearest tower. I smiled as I realized they spent the night in the tower and held in a chuckle as it hit me; I mean, I would like to celebrate too if I had someone.
"Guard tower?" Rick asked, clearly not getting it, "They were just up there last night." I couldn't help but laugh at how oblivious he was. He just said it himself. They were up there last night! What else will they be doing!?
"Glenn! Maggie!" Daryl shouted at them, his hands cupping around his mouth to amplify his voice. The door clicked as it opened, Glenn's head popped out, and his chest was bare as he looked down at us.
"Hey! What's up, guys?" Glenn shouted down at us as he hurried to button up his pants. Rick wrapped a lazy arm around me as we both continued to laugh, the whole thing finally clicking in his head.
"You coming?" Daryl shouted at him, forcing another laugh to tumble out of my mouth. Oh, poor Glenn and Maggie.
"What?" Glenn shouted down, his hands fiddling with his shirt as he looked down at us. We all laughed, both embarrassment and amusement in the air between us.
"You coming?" Daryl repeated, his amused smile plastered on his face. "Come on. We can use a hand." I shook my head and bit back another chuckle as we all turned and headed to the overturned bus. Better that we each have a plan and designated roles before starting.
"Hey, Rick, June," T-Dog called out, his back towards us. I felt my smile falter as the two surviving inmates slowly approached us. Rick told me he had to kill two, and a walker bit one. He made a deal with these two – that they were to keep to their side of the prison and leave us alone, and in exchange, we let them live here. I sighed, removing Rick's arm from my shoulders, and walked forward, leading the way as my hand immediately flew to my pistol that was securely harnessed away. I stopped just a few feet away from them as I stared the two down. The smaller white one had his arms crossed around his chest in a cowardly way as he looked at me. The larger African man kept a respectful distance as he eyed me.
"That's close enough," Rick said from behind me, his hand reaching out and encircling my wrist. He did this that night at the bar, again when the prisoners first appeared, and now—is this his way of shielding me from danger? Cause it isn't very good. "We had an agreement."
"Please, mister. We know that." The small white one said, his voice filled with fear and emotion. "We made a deal, but you gotta understand..." The door to the guard tower opened, and Maggie and Glenn came running out, stopping once they saw the two prisoners. "We can't live in that place another minute, you follow me? All the bodies—people we knew. Blood, brains everywhere. There's ghosts."
"Why don't you move the bodies out?" I asked, curious as to why they willingly lived with the corpses. "You should be burning them."
"We tried." The same man answered, his blue/green eyes pleading, "We really did."
"The fence is down on the far side of the prison." The larger of the two answered, "Every time we drag a body out, those things just line up. Dropping a body and running back inside."
"Look, we had nothing to do with Thomas and Andrew." The timid white man said, his eyes landing on me. Does he think I'm going to try to make a case for them, and that's why he's pleading with me? Sorry to break it to you, bud. "You trying to prove a point? You proved it. We'll do whatever it takes to be a part of your group. Just please, please don't make us live in that place." I looked at Rick and shook my head once. I wouldn't feel comfortable with these two next to me while I slept.
"Our deal is non-negotiable," Rick answered, his grip tightening around my wrist. As I looked at the two men, I took a step forward, creating some distance between Rick and me.
"You either live in your cellblock, or you leave," I stated once, letting them know we were very serious about this. The two men exchanged a look and sighed in defeat.
"I told you this was a waste of time." The larger man said, his eyes landing on Rick. "They ain't no different than the pricks who shot up our boys. You know how many friends' corpses we had to drag out this week? Just threw them out, like." He sighed and looked down at his smaller friend, "These were good guys. Good guys who had our backs against the really bad dudes in this joint, like Thomas and Andrew. We've all made mistakes to get in here, chief. And I'm not going to pretend to be a saint but believe me... We've paid our dues—enough that we would rather hit that road than to go back to that shithole." Rick and I exchanged a look, my head shaking before he motioned his hand out for the two to follow us. We led them to where the first gated entryway was and motioned them inside before locking it on them.
"Come on, dude." The white one groaned as Daryl locked them in. I leaned against the overturned bus and felt instant relief once the shade hit my skin. T-Dog took the spot next to me and sighed heavily, sweat dripping from his brow as he looked at Rick and me.
"Them boys made sense." He muttered as he looked at me. Does everyone here think I'm the more reasonable one between Rick and me? Why does everyone look toward me when something's a bad idea? Sure, they made a case for themselves, but I knew I wouldn't feel safe with them next to me.
"Are you serious?" Rick asked T, his voice flooded with disbelief. "You want them living in a cell next to you? They'll just be waiting for a chance to grab our weapons. You want to go back to sleeping with one eye open?"
"I never stopped." T-Dog shrugged as he turned to Rick, "Bring them into the fold. If we send them off packing, we might as well execute them ourselves." I bit my lip and sighed, knowing their chances of survival on the road were close to none. God damn it, T-Dog.
"I don't know. Axel seems a little unstable." Glenn sighed. I looked at him, confused. Which one is Axel? "The smaller white one," Glenn explained as he caught my confusion.
"After all we've been through?" Carol asked, her headscarf looking mighty fine right about now. I wish I could wrap my head up like that, protect it from the sun. "We fought so hard for all this. What if they decide to take it?"
"It's just been us for so long—" Maggie trailed as she wrapped her arms around her chest, "They're strangers. I don't—it feels weird all of a sudden to have these other people around."
"You brought us in." T-Dog countered, his gaze shifting over to Maggie.
"Yeah, but you turned up with a shot boy in your arms." She pointed out. "Didn't give us a choice."
"We can make them work." I started, trying to find a middle ground, "They can work with us in clearing the prison, we'll help them clean their cell block, and if they don't try anything—we can bring them into the fold."
"They can't even kill walkers." Glenn pointed out to me. I bit my lip and sighed, hating myself for making a case for these men. I can't just put them out on their asses, though. They'll surely die.
"We can show them." I sighed, fully leaning against the bus.
"Those two might actually have less blood on their hands than us." T pointed out a smile in his voice as I sided with him. This is why they look to me. They know I can make a case for whatever it is. I should've been a lawyer instead of a museum curator.
"I get guys like this." Daryl spoke, "Hell, I grew up with them. They're degenerates, but they ain't psychos. I could've been in there with them just as easy as I'm out here with you guys."
"So, you with us?" T-Dog asked, his hand pointing to him and myself. Daryl shot me a look I'd never seen on his face before.
"Hell no." He sneered, "Let them take their chances out on the road, just like we did."
"When I was a rookie, I arrested this kid. Nineteen years old, wanted for stabbing his girlfriend. The kid blubbered like a baby during the interrogation, during the trial -- suckered the jury. He was acquitted due to insufficient evidence and then, two weeks later, shot another girl." Rick spoke, "We've been through too much. Our deal with them stands." I nodded at him, happy to finally be out of this little discussion. T-Dog looked at me, defeated. I shrugged my shoulders at him and sighed, hating that he felt this way—he was just trying to do what he thinks is right.
"Can't win them all, T," I whispered to him as I pushed myself off the bus. I wrapped my arm around his waist and led him out with me, the two of us deciding to start piling up some immediate bodies. We worked as a unit—he grabbed the heads, and I grabbed the feet, starting up a pile as we continued to work. I took a peek around and saw the rest of the group working, forming little piles as we continued to work with ridding the bodies. I don't know how long we worked, but surely it had to be over an hour with the heaps of sweat dripping from my forehead. Rick whistled over at us and motioned for everyone to come towards him, his hands on his hips as he admired the work we had just completed.
"Looks good so far." Rick praised as he wiped his brow. He turned his gaze towards the entryway and pursed his lips, most likely hatching a plan. "Move the cars to the upper yard. Point them facing out." I nodded at him and unclipped my set of keys, tossing them over to Glenn as he started to run ahead. "They'll be out of the way and ready to go if we ever need to bail." T-Dog and I walked in unison, tired from hauling bodies and exchanging lazy smiles as Rick slowed his pace. "We'll give the prisoners a week of supplies for the road." I shook my head and smiled at myself. Maybe that's why he and Lori and perfect for one another? They can't seem to make up their minds.
"You know as well as I do that they won't make it a week," I muttered to the man, keeping my eyes set dead forward as I felt my body cool down.
"It's their choice." Rick shrugged, his tone snippy with me. I rolled my eyes and continued pushing forward, not wanting to argue with him over this. He made up his mind; now, he has to live with his choices.
"Do they really have one?" T-Dog asked, causing Rick to get defensive and hold him back. I shared a glance with T-Dog and sighed, rolling my eyes once more and jogging forward to catch up with Daryl and Carol. It became silent between them as I approached, the silence buzzing through my head as I realized I might have interrupted something. I cocked an eyebrow up at Daryl and gave him a coy smile, already teasing him without letting the words flow out of my mouth. He rolled his eyes at me and grabbed my wrist, his harsh pull making me tumble as he dragged me over to his bike and started it. I couldn't help but smile as I heard the engine roar, the familiar sensation of the vibrations hitting my thighs as I straddled the bike. Axel came over to us. His arms crossed around his midsection as he admired the bike. His mustache twitched as he tried to muster words.
"Twin cylinder. Is that a triumph?" Axel asked Daryl. I looked at the rugged man and sat down, my arms already encasing his midsection even though he was still standing. I forced him down onto the seat and pinched his side—the least he could do was answer the man.
"Don't even look at it," Daryl warned as he revved the engine. I was looking for a different response, but what can I expect from Daryl? Daryl kept revving the engine, preventing me from hearing what Axel was shouting at the two of us as Daryl started to peel forward. The bike immediately kicked into full gear, and we flew down towards the west entryway. I rested my head against his sweaty shoulder, finally relaxing before continuing our grueling day. Daryl came to a slow and eventually halted, shutting off the bike's engine and kicking down the stand. My moment of relaxation was cut way too short, and now it's back to business. Daryl grunted once, telling me to let go as he rose.
I stood up and ran a hand through my hair, a few strands being pulled out as I did so. I'm in dire need of a haircut, this is just too damn long, and I could be easily grabbed. I nodded once at Daryl and started my walk back to where Rick and Glenn were, the two of them just tiny dots in the distance as I embarked on my long—but not so long—trek. The boots crunching on the gravel behind me signaled that Daryl was rushing to catch up to me. Daryl kept pace beside me and wiped his hands on his do-rag, his pale blue eyes darting to me often.
"What's up with you and Carol, Dixon?" I asked suddenly, catching the man off guard. He gave me his signature scowl and rolled his eyes at me.
"Nothing." He grunted as he picked up the pace, trying to escape me. I bit my lip and smiled, knowing I was in for a lot of fun.
"Uh-huh." I teased him as I jogged to catch up to him, "Is it you that wants her or the other way around?" Daryl gave me a warning look, his eyes hardening as he turned red. Damn, Daryl doesn't like talking about these kinds of things.
"The other way around," Daryl muttered lowly, his head snapping towards the growing men in the distance. We had about three minutes until we reached Rick and Glenn, more than enough time to annoy him thoroughly.
"If I were you, I'd hit it." I snickered as I kept my eyes on him. He turned a deeper shade of red as he spared me a glance, his lips in a tight scowl. "I mean, what's the worse that can happen?"
"Shut up, June," Daryl warned me as we picked up the pace. About two more minutes until I have to stop, and I'm going to make the best of it.
"Maybe that's why you're such an ass all the time!" I exclaimed, not bothering to keep my voice down, "You just need some ass and sweet release. If you want, I can run into the nearest town and see if I can spot a few rubbers."
"Jesus, woman. Don't you know when to shut up?" Daryl groaned, his eyes not meeting mine once. I smirked, knowing he was thoroughly pissed off at this point.
"Dixon," I gasped, seeing Rick and Glenn just a few feet before us. "Don't tell me you're a virgin?" I whispered to him, trying my best to keep my voice down. Daryl turned to me and stopped in his tracks, his face in disbelief and disgust. I bit my lip and held back a giggle. Now that's a look he's never given me before. Rick and Glenn closed the distance between us, probably wondering why we stopped in our tracks.
"June, I ain't never hit a woman before..." Daryl warned me, his voice menacingly low. I smiled at him and shook my head, disagreeing with him.
"Liar!" I exclaimed as I thought back to that day in the woods, "We fought before! You pretty much kicked my ass." Daryl took a deep breath and closed his eyes, probably hating me immensely at this very moment.
"Trouble, June?" Rick asked as he and Glenn approached the angry redneck and me. I flashed Rick a big smile and shook my head, making direct eye contact to sell my point.
"Nah, just getting on Dixon's nerves." I smiled, my gaze diverting to Daryl, "He's such a good sport!" I took a few steps toward Daryl and held my arms open, circling them around him. I felt him take in a few deep breaths as he tried to calm himself down as he rested his chin on my head. I pulled away from him and looked back at Rick and Glenn, "So, what's the plan?"
"Actually, I just need Daryl and Glenn for this one," Rick explained, a tight smile spreading across his lips. I frowned but nodded my head, understanding fully and clearing my throat. I shared one last glance with Daryl and flashed him a wink before walking towards C-Block. I can use this time to check in on Hershel and Lori while Rick goes off and does whatever he's gonna do. Anxious to see Carl, I started a slow jog; My eyes glued to the large building with the letter C. I entered the gate as Carol, T-Dog, and Maggie parked the cars alongside the fence—my eyes landing on Hershel, Beth, Lori, and Carl. Lori was in front. Her hand extended as Hershel got used to his crutches, his eyes firmly on the steps. They came down the steps and entered the courtyard—the fenced-off door slamming behind them as Beth followed her father closely.
Maggie ran up to me, her hand reaching for mine as we watched her father soldier on. Now that is one tough son of a bitch right there. We both exchanged delighted giggles as he admired the prison before him, surprised at how much we could get done. The silence enveloped us, and we were all happy and relieved to be in this prison for just one moment. My ears perked at the sounds of growls and groans, my heart racing as I realized those were close to us rather than outside the prison. I ran forward and paused, my hand grabbing my gun as I looked at the monstrous horde of walkers approaching us.
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I love it when I don't have much to edit other than a few grammatical mistakes, haha. Past me wasn't a complete dud at writing! :P
Anyway, hope you guys are still enjoying!
Have an amazing night (or day!)
Con Mucho Amor,
InMyDarkystHour