stayin' alive --- bee gees
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[JJ]
It had been months since the night of the farm. We hadn't stayed in one place for more than a few nights. We were exhausted- out of food, out of stamina and out of hope. Despite what Daryl had said, I hadn't talked to Rick. Sure, we had our civil discussions when it came to group decisions, but past that, nothing but silence...from me, at least.
In fact, there wasn't much talking within the group at all. Tension was high between everyone. When someone did talk, like I said, it was for a group decision.
Our newest break-in was an old, secluded house at the end of a gravel driveway. Rick, T-Dog, Daryl and even Carl went in first as the rest of us stood watch outside. We didn't enter until we were given the nod of approval from our trusty leader man Rick Grimes.
The lot of us sat circled in the living room as Daryl was picking apart an owl he'd just shot and Carl walked in with the only food he'd found...two cans of expired dog food, which Rick threw against the fireplace.
I grimaced at the options, glaring at Daryl's owl, "man, I'd kill for a Poptart right about now."
"Strawberry frosted?" Maggie asked.
I nodded, "mm, I can smell it burning in the toaster now."
T-Dog looked out the window, noticing the concerning number of walkers, "hey." He motioned outside as we gathered the supplies and packed the cars back up.
We didn't get far before stopping again and pulling out the map, "We ain't got no place else to go." T-Dog told us.
Maggie pointed, "When this herd meets up with this one, we'll be cut off. We'll never make it south."
"What would you say? About 150 head?" Daryl leaned against the hood.
Glenn shook his head, "that was last week. It could be twice that by now."
"This river could've delayed them." Hershel hoped, "if we move fast, we might have a shot to tear right through there."
"Yeah, but if this group joins with that one, they could spill out this way." T-Dog argued.
"So, we're blocked." I huffed.
"Only thing to do is double back at 27 and swing toward Greenville." Rick suggested.
T-Dog scratched the back of his neck, "yeah, we picked through that already. It's like we spent the winter going in circles."
"Yeah, I know." Rick sassed. God, he was so short-tempered these days. I mean, everyone was, but especially him. "At Newnan, we'll push west. Haven't been through there yet. We can't keep going house to house. Need to find someplace to hole up for a few weeks."
"Alright, is it cool if we get to the creek before we head out? Won't take long." T-Dog and the others grabbed some water bottles. "We gotta fill up on water. We can boil it later."
I looked to some nearby train tracks. "I'll be right back, too."
"JJ, you know the rules, no one goes off on their own." Rick stopped me. I rolled my eyes and scoffed at my brother.
"Come on, while the others wash their panties, let's go hunt." Daryl walked past me in the direction I was headed, "the owl didn't exactly hit the spot." We walked along the tracks, my boots clicking against the metal bar with each step. "Can you walk any quieter?"
"Can you smell any quieter?" I shot back, saying the first thing that came to mind.
"That didn't even make sense."
I huffed, "none of this does. We've been running for God knows how long, and haven't found some sort of secluded...something? This is Georgia. There's gotta-" I bumped into Daryl, not paying attention to where I was going and looked up. "Is that a prison?"
"Mhm. A shame." I looked at the yard, which was filled with walkers. "Let's keep movin'."
"No, wait. Hold on." I studied the prison. "I think we could make it work. Go get Rick."
"He's your brother, you go."
"He's your bestie." I joked, noticing Daryl wasn't budging, "Fine."
♮♮♮
[POV]
Rick agreed with JJ, they could make it work. He cut the fencing and ushered everyone through, having Glenn tie it back together. The group ran the perimeter to the side gate, figuring out a game pln.
"If we can shut that gate, prevent more from filling the yard, we can pick off these walkers. We'll take the field by tonight."
"So, how do we shut the gate?" Hershel questioned.
"I'll do it." Glenn volunteered. "You guys cover me."
Maggie protested, "no, it's a suicide run."
"I'm the fastest."
"No, you're not. I am." JJ sassed, "I'll make the run."
"I'll cover you." Rick told her, "Glenn, you, Maggie and Beth draw as many as you can over there. Pop 'em through the fence. Daryl, go back to the other tower. Carol, you've become a pretty good shot. Take your time, we don't have a lot of ammo to waste. Hershel, you and Carl take this tower. JJ, you focus on getting the gate, I'll take care of the walkers."
JJ nodded, her stomach twisting with nerves and adrenaline. Once everyone was ready and, in their spots, Rick and JJ gave Lori the nod to open the gate.
Daryl shot, sending an arrow through a walker close to Rick. Then, Carol shot, sending a bullet straight for JJ's boots.
"Sorry."
More and more walkers left the fence to go after Rick and JJ. When she made it to the gate, she kicked one of the walkers back, but another grabbed her arm, luckily, Rick shot it before it could do any damage. "I've got your back, but hurry."
She hooked the gates together and the Grimes' ran into the nearby tower, sprinting to the top to take care of the other walkers in the field.
"We actually did it." JJ smiled, looking at the yard, impressed.
"Did you ever doubt us?"
"Yeah." She joked, "you were right. There was a place. We just had to find it."
The others walked around the yard in excitement. "We haven't had this much space sine we left the farm." Carol laughed.
Come nightfall, they had built a fire and made themselves dinner. Rick continued to pace around the fence and Daryl stood guard.
"Tomorrow, we'll pull all the bodies together. Want to keep them away from that water. Now, if we can dig a canal under the fence, we'll have plenty of fresh water." T-Dog recommended.
"And this soil is good. We could plant some seed, grow some tomatoes, cucumbers, soybeans." Hershel looked over to Rick, who was still walking the perimeter. "That's his third time around. If there was any part of it compromised, he'd have found it by now."
"This'll be a good place to have the baby." Beth smiled at Lori. "Safe."
"Bethy, sing Paddy Reilly for me. I haven't heard that, I think, since your mother was alive."
"Daddy, not that one, please." Maggie said.
"How bout The Parting Glass?"
"No one wants to hear." Beth looked up.
"Why not?" Glenn shrugged.
"Of all the money. E'er I had, I spent it in good company.
And all the harm e'er I've ever done. Alas it was to none but me.
And all I've done, for want of wit. To memory now I can't recall.
So fill to me the parting glass.
Goodnight and joy be with you all."
Then, Maggie joined her sister and Rick came back to the group. Daryl and Carol also walked back over, turning JJ's attention to them.
"Beautiful." Hershel complimented.
"If only JJ had her guitar." Maggie looked over to her friend, causing her to smile.
"Better all turn in. I'll take watch over there. We've got a big day tomorrow."
"What do you mean?" JJ asked her brother.
"Look, I know we're all exhausted. This was a great win, but we've got to push just a little bit ore. Most of the walkers are dressed as guards and prisoners. Looks like this place fell pretty early. It could mean the supplies may be intact. They'd have an infirmary, a commissary."
"An armory?" Daryl added.
"That'd be outside the prison itself, but not too far away. Warden's office would have info on the location. Weapons, food, medicine. This place could be a gold mine."
"We're dangerously low on ammo." Hershel reminded. "We'd run out before we make a dent."
"That's why we have to go in there...hand to hand. After all we've been through, we can handle it, I know it. These assholes don't stand a chance." Rick walked off, followed closely by Lori.
♮♮♮
"How is she still sleeping?" Glenn asked Maggie as they waited for JJ to wake up.
"You would be surprised at the things she's slept through." Maggie shrugged. "One time, she was in such a deep sleep in one of her classes, the professor had to check if she was still breathing."
"I can hear you." JJ sat up. "The sun just came up. What's with all the chit chat?"
"We're taking the prison, figured you'd want in on the action."
Rick stood at the gate, unclasping the lock JJ did the day before and rolling the gate open. It was walker after walker, but we stayed in a circle formation, making sure nobody had their backs unwatched.
"We're almost there." Rick peered around a corner, seeing a shit ton of walkers, and quickly getting his and the groups' back against the wall. While Rick and Daryl shut the gate to trap the walkers on the other side, the rest of them took on the ones already on their side of the fence.
JJ and Maggie were the first to figure out how to take down the helmet heads, both proud of themselves.
"Stop." Rick halted Glenn, who was venturing into the open fence.
"Well, it looks secure."
Daryl motioned to the one over, "not from the look of that courtyard over there... and that's a civilian."
"So, the interior could be overrun with walkers from outside the prison." T-Dog sighed.
"Well, if there's walls down, what are we gonna do?" Glenn asked. "We can't rebuild this whole place."
"We can't risk a blind spot. We have to push in." Rick decided as the group began to take the first cellblock of the prison. It was quiet; there were no walkers in sight. It was messy, sure, but it was better than being out in the open.
As the group moved in, part of them began to drag the bodies out to the courtyard.
"What do you think?" Rick asked, impressed with the group's accomplishment.
"Home sweet home." JJ sarcastically muttered.
Rick shot a look, "for the time being."
Lori looked around, "it's secure?"
"This cellblock is." Rick assured.
Hershel set his stuff down, "what about the rest of the prison?"
"In the morning, we'll find the cafeteria and infirmary."
"We sleep in the cells?" Beth asked Rick, unsurely.
"I found keys on some guards. Daryl has a set, too."
"I ain't sleepin' in no cage." Daryl told them, "I'll take the perch."
Beth, JJ and Carl carried their stuff to the upper cells.
"Pretty gross." Beth judged.
"Yeah, remember the storage units?" Carl reminded as Beth sat down on the bottom bunk.
"It's actually- it's actually pretty comfortable."
JJ looked skeptical, as Carl went to climb up to the top bunk.
"You find your cell yet?" Hershel stood at the opening.
"Uh, yeah, I was just making sure Beth was safe." Carl quipped. "See you tomorrow."
JJ held in a laugh, "Night, Beth, night, Mr. G," and followed her nephew out of the cell.
"Goodnight, JJ." Hershel smiled.
"Hey, Aunt J, wanna share a cell? I take the top bunk."
"Mhm, because that's what every college-aged aunt wants." She sarcastically told him.
"Yeah, but I figured it could be fun like old times... and less creepy."
JJ grinned, "all right. But you better not toss and turn. I don't want that shit keeping me up all night."
"Oh, please, like that would keep you up?" Carl scoffed at his aunt, "You could sleep through a fire alarm."
"Could and did."
♮♮♮
[JJ]
We were about to go off looking for the cafeteria, commissary and whatever else we could find. Rick emptied a cubby space, "Flashbangs, CS Triple-Chasers. Not sure how'd they work on walkers, but we'll take 'em."
Daryl picked up one of the helmets Rick had laid out, "I ain't wearin' this shit."
He then passed it to me. "I don't want it." I sassed, "I know my hair doesn't look like the Ritz Carlton's finest, but I sure as hell don't want a walker gut balayage with a side of helmet hair."
"We could boil 'em." T-Dog suggested.
"Ain't enough firewood in the whole forest. No." Daryl stood up, "besides, we made it this far without 'em, right?"
Carol walked out to where we were gathered, "Hershel" and motioned for him to follow.
"Everything all right?" Rick questioned, thinking of Lori and the baby.
"Yeah, nothing to worry about."
As we were getting ready, Carl jokingly put on one of the clean helmets.
Rick took it from him, "you won't need that. I need you to stay put."
"You're kidding." Carl fought back.
"We don't know what's in there. Something goes wrong, you could be the last man standing. I need you to handle things here." He passed the keys to Carl.
"Sure."
"Great. Let's go."
Carl shut the door behind us.
We were cautious with the turn of every corner. There were decayed skeletons everywhere. Glenn spray painted the walls so that we could find our way back, but the hissing of the paint was the only thing heard.
Well, until Rick and Daryl, who were in front, started telling us to retreat. "Go back! Move!"
It was hard to see since the only light source was our flashlight, but we were able to eventually come to a stop to huddle, noticing Glenn and Maggie had fallen behind.
"Where's Glenn and Maggie?" I questioned, looking around.
"We have to go back." Rick decided.
"But which way?"
Once again, Rick and Daryl led the way, but the rest of us were close on their heels. We stopped when we heard Hershel screams of agony from the ground.
He'd been bit.
Rick took out the walker as Maggie began to cry. They carried Herschel into the cafeteria as T-Dog, Daryl and I leaned against the door to keep the walkers out.
"You got it?" Rick panicked. "Have you got it?!" We all knew the leg was going to have to be amputated, so Rick took off his belt to use to cut off circulation. "Hold him down." He grabbed a nearby hatchet, "only one way to keep you alive." It wasn't long before Hershel went unconscious from the pain.
"He's bleeding out." I looked up to Rick.
Daryl tensed, sitting straight, "duck," and held his crossbow up to the kitchen area of the cafeteria. There were five prisoners watching everything go down.
"Holy shit."
a/n: so side note [POV] just means 3rd person. cause until this chapter i've only done [JJ], but i didn't want it to get confusing. these ♮♮♮ just stand for a time jump/pov change. anyway...hope you enjoyed:)
until next time,
a + n <3