"Daryl left?" Carol screws her eyebrows at Rick, "He's gone?" Her voice cracks. Rick tilts his head at her with sorrow as he places a hand on her shoulder. Meanwhile, I wipe the dried tears from my eyes as Ash holds me up. My arm throbbing as I move it. Fuck that hillbilly freak. What everyone said was right about Merle. He truly was a deluded piece of shit but Daryl must love him for some reason. Carol tears up as she understands Rick's lack of reply. "Gone?" Her teary eyes look over to me then piercing into Ash's beside me then into my bleeding arm. "Your arm." She gasps rushing over to me before pushing Ash away and taking me into her own arms. "We need to get you to Hershel." She panics rushing me up to the cell block.
Carol, even though a childless mother, she still owned those traits about caring for everyone like she was the mother of the group. Her heart was huge and we all loved her for it.
Hershel stands in front of our cell block as he looks over Maggie. Maggie kisses her dad on the cheek as Beth rushes over to us, engolfing Rick in a hug. Glancing to me, she pulls me close to her tightly and puts a bit too much pressure on my arm. Charlie steps forward as he sees me and his eyes immediately shoot to my wounded arm. "What the fuck happened to your arm?" He curses loudly causing a stern look on Hershel's face, "And who the fucking shit is this? Where's Daryl?" My eyes drop down at the mention of the younger Dixon brother and Charlie nods silently.
"Got shot by that fucking cowboy loving dickbutt." I wince at the pain.
"Who? Daryl?" Charlie snaps but I shake my head.
"Let's get her inside." Hershel ushers. Charlie takes me from Carol's grip and wraps his arm around my waist. He hauls me up the stairs and into the cell block. Ash walks closely behind everyone as he takes in the view of the not so homely cell block. A group of four sit at the benches inside where we usually eat. Three men and one women. Well, well, well. Who the hell are they? I couldn't get much of a word in before I got hauled into the cells. Charlie tries to lay me on the bed but I force myself up. But he tries to lay me down again. "Stop, you need to lay down." Charlie tries to force me down again but I once again defy him. He sighs, finally giving up. He wasn't going to win this one.
Hershel hobbles in and sits beside me on the hard matress. He takes my arm into his hands and moves it gently around as he inspects the ghastly wound. I try to keep in my sounds of pain as he begins prying at it with some tweezers. The bullet becomes easily unlodged from my skin and caused a wave of painful relief through me. "You're lucky." Hershel inspects the bullet between the tweezers, "It was mostly a graze wound. Bullet wasn't as dislodged into your skin so healing shouldn't be too bad, thankfully. But you will steal need to take it easy for it to heal properly, understand?"
"Yeah, right." I roll my eyes. I can't take things easy.
Hershel raises his eyebrows at me, "I mean it, Kaia. Take care of yourself." He ruffles through his bad of magical goodies and pulls out a few things. "I'm gonna give it a wash with some clean water and apply a dressing to it. I'll change it for you again, tomorrow." He splashes water over my wound gently causing me to hiss before patting it dry. The bandage and dressing get wrapped around my arm tightly to make sure the wound doesn't reopen. "Do you mind me asking what happened?" Hershel tentatively looks up to me for a moment as he continues wrapping my wound.
"It was my fault. I felt like we were being watched and I wasn't looking in the right place. Then that shithead comes out of nowhere and attacks us." I ramble.
"Shithead?" Hershel questions, ignoring my use of language.
"I mean how the fuck is that related to him. He's so kind and that prick is just such a crazy fuck face." I continue, shaking my head around.
"Who?" Hershel asks, "Who?"
"Fucking Merle." I blurt out and Hershel looks at me in shock.
"Daryl's brother?" Hershel asks in disbelief, "I thought he was dead."
"Clearly not." I rant again, "He's alive but mind you he only has one working hand. The other is all metal with a long knife on the end. He looks like he is straight out of a serial killer documentary. Then the madman shot me right in the arm at least I was considerate of where to shoot him. It completely bounced off his metal stump and he retaliated by shooting me somewhere much worse. Hersh, I have no idea what Maggie and Glenn went through and I'm so sorry I couldn't do anything to help. It was my fault and you can blame me for what happened to your daughter. I won't be offended, really." My mouth finally comes to a stop as the old man rubs my back.
"Not your fault." He nods, "Mind my language but it was that bloody 'Governor'. Merle is somewhat of a crazy person but I don't think he could plan this out by himself. He had others." Merle did seem pretty stupid if I was to be honest. But he didn't seem like a plan man. He was unpredictable and does whatever his rage was telling to in that moment in time. How could two people who come from the same home and parents be so different? But I guess Daryl isn't too different from his dick turd of a brother. He left us.
"Bloody isn't a bad word, Hersh." I smile at him as he finishes tying my bandage up. He side eyes me and wipes his hands on his trousers.
"Who's the man you brought back?" Hershel looks at Ash who is standing along the wall outside the cell.
"Ash." I reply.
"How do you know?" He tilts his head at me, "Looks like you two have history."
"He's a friend." I nod, looking at Ash. He catches me looking and smiles at me with a small wave. "I'll send Glenn in." Brushing my hands on my jeans, I get up and walk out of the cell coming across Charlie who flirts with Beth as she holds little rascal. I call Glenn to come in.
Ash walks towards me and I meet him half way. He tucks a piece of my hair behind my ear and smiles down at me. I force a smile back as he pulls me into him. My head gets pulled into his chest and the smell brings back a train wave of nostalgia. Gently, he plants a kiss on my head and then I take a step back. Something didn't feel right but I couldn't put my finger on it. Ash rubs my cheek gently and looks at me confused. "Are you okay?" He asks. I nod even though I wasn't sure if I was okay or not. I hadn't had time to think about me. Besides from the immediate surges of pain that ran through me occasionally.
Looking up at him, the memories from the days of the woods flood my mind. Him and I together every night protecting Miles from the things outside our little tents. We'd take turns taking watch so we could both get some sleep and also protect my brother. Ash treated him like his own and I loved that about him. But the one night we took advantage of our feelings was the one night shit went down. I was stupid to make those mistakes again but this time can be different. The prison seemed secure from walkers and random people who tried to sabotage us. Maybe it was time to get a life for myself and accept having emotions, well atleast until my wound becomes better.
Looking to my side, Beth sits on the stairs with the baby in her arms as she rocks her gently. I gently peel myself away from Ash and bend down next to Beth. "My turn." I smile at her.
"But your arm-" Beth shakes her head at me.
"It's wounded not falling off. I'll be fine." I assure her. She tilts her head as she thinks about it. Uncertain, she holds the baby towards me as I set my arms up to support her head and body. Beth plants the baby into my arms and leaves her arms close beneath. "Beth, I'm fine. I won't hurt my little rascal." I nod and she moves her arms into her pockets. Gently rocking, I move closer to the rest of the group and Ash follows along.
"So what now, do you think the governor will retaliate?" Beth speaks up as she stands close to Charlie. A smug smile playing on his lips at their proximity. Maggie replies with a simple, "Yes."
"It sounds like he's got a whole town." Carol crosses her arms, "We're outnumbered and outgunned."
"We could use some reinforcements." Hershel suggests. Rick looks at the old man and nods.
"We could do with some more ammo, heavier machinery. We could take out those assholes easily." I tell them.
"Only problem is Andrea." Carol shrugs her shoulders.
"She chose dick over family. She can deal with her consequences." I shake my head. That barbie wannabe bitch put this on herself. I never liked her annoying ass even before she shot Daryl. Maybe the samurai enjoyed her company for all those winter months but she would get over it.
"Woodbury isn't much of a threat. Well at least the residents aren't, I mean they couldn't kill a fly if they had to." Ash explains, "The Governor is the problem. His men are meat heads who want to channel their anger towards something which makes them feel like real men." Rick tilts his head at him as he speaks but doesn't reply. I could see his cop hat being put on as his tries to master whether he was lying or what do to next.
Rick looks over by the stairs and he becomes uneasy. He shifts from foot to foot nervously as he stares as if something was there. I place my hand on his shoulder and snaps his head to me, shaking his head. I screw my eyebrows as Rick looks back at the stairs momentarily.