Crossbow Hearts

My eyes followed the axe as it sailed downwards with all Rick’s might, it crunching into Alan’s leg and hitting bone. I couldn’t take my eyes away as Rick wriggled it free and struck again, hacking at muscle and bone. Trying to take his leg as quickly as he could. Each blow reverberating through my body. Alan’s screams piercing my ears before he passed out.
“We’ve got to stop the blood!” Tyreese shouted as he moved his weight from Alan.
“Tighten my belt on it!” I shouted focusing on what was really happening. Hershel came jogging out.
“What in God’s name is going on here? What have you done to him?” He demanded.
“He was bitten Hershel, Merle and I figure seen as we’re all infected and it’s the bite that kills us if we take his leg then we could stop him from turning.” I told Hershel.
“Rick cut his leg off.” Axel simply said.
“I thought we could save him, I thought I could help him, but I can’t stop the bleeding. I’ve tied off his leg…I don’t know what else to do. He’s still going to die.” Rick sounded so defeated.
“You’ve done this all wrong. What the hell were you thinking? Axel come here. It’s not horse hair, but it’ll do.” At first I didn’t get what he was doing and as he took a knife to Axel’s hair, but I quickly caught on.
“What we just did with the belt was temporary, to slow it. With Axel’s hair Hershel’s going to stop it by tying off his arteries.”
“Exactly Jamie. You guys had the right idea, but you weren’t quite there. If he hasn’t lost too much blood…he may live. Axel’s hair is coarse enough that it won’t slide off because of the blood. If I can stop the movement of the blood, it’ll coagulate enough to close the artery a little on its own or at least help hold the hair on it, which will be pinching it shut. We’ve got to get him inside, clean the wound before it’s infected.” The four men picked up Alan and took him quickly inside leaving me and Merle stood outside.
“Well I guess it’s never a dull day with you sugar tits.”
“Bite me Merle.”
“Any place you want tutsi.” He laughed as I rolled my eyes. “Can’t take it all too serious otherwise you’ll go crazy.”
“I know, but we should have made him stay put…Hey is that Daryl sat over there.” I asked noticing something slumped at the base of the guard tower. I jogged over Merle behind me complaining that I run too much. “Oh Daryl what the hell, why didn’t you wait for someone to help you down?”
“I don’t need no damn help.” I rolled my eyes at the attitude again.
“Well I guess you’ll be ok if me and Merle go back inside, see how Alan’s doing won’t you?” I said turning away from him.
“You mean to say you had me run over here for nothing?” Merle wheezed. “You fag Daryl.”
“Shit ok, help me.” He held out his arms for me and Merle to help him up.
“Ya know Merle I didn’t hear that magic word, did you?” Merle shook his head laughing up a storm.
“Man she’ll have you pussy whipped in no time! But Jamie you’re right I didn’t hear that magic word.” He laughed again staring down at his ‘baby’ brother.
“Alright you fucking prick. Jamie please help me up.” I smiled pleased with myself and grabbed an arm.
“Merle you gunna stand there with your thumb up your ass or you gunna help me?”
“Yes ma’am.”
“Now whose pussy whipped brother?” Daryl cracked a smile and I felt butterflies in my stomach quickly turning my face away from him so he didn’t see the goofy smile on my face. Chris and Julie came out just as we were heading in.
“You two going to help clear out the yard?” I asked.
“No why should we?” Chris snapped.
“Hey don’t take that tone with her, you little prick.” Daryl snapped. Merle letting go of him and getting in Chris’s face, Julie stepping back afraid.
“You’re going to watch your mouth you little shit, or I’ll watch it for you. You’re going to go help Dale and the others clear out these bodies. When I come back out if you aren’t helping I’m going to beat the snot out of you ya little punk.” Merle snarled at him.
“He didn’t mean it, did you Chris. We’ll help Mr, we will.” Julie said her eyes pleading.
“Merle stop scaring the kids. Tyreese won’t appreciate you threatening his daughter’s boyfriend.” I smiled at Julie, she smiled back tentatively and pulled Chris away.
I left Merle with Daryl as Hershel checked Daryl over and headed back outside to help the others.
“Jamie, you should be resting.” Rick scolded.
“I can rest when I’m dead. Right now we have things to do.”
We spent all week cleaning up the exorcise yard and checking through A Block that Andrew had left open. We found the armoury and a new cell block as well as the infirmary. I was out in the yard trying to help Hershel, Maggie and Beth as they instructed me, Glenn, Rick, Tyreese and Axel how to farm.
“We really are very lucky just how fertile this soil is. We can become pretty self-sufficient here when it comes to vegetables and perhaps some fruit.” It was a good thing really that Glenn had grabbed lots of different seeds from Wal-Mart. As I was watching Hershel work I became aware of some of the walkers moving away from the fence. I stopped what I was doing and started for the fence.
“Jamie where are you going?” Tyreese shouted. But him and Rick both followed after me when I didn’t reply. I couldn’t see past all the walkers so I climbed up the fence some and that’s when I saw four people coming towards us. Well I say four two looked like walkers with chains connecting them to one of the figures.
“What should we do?” I turned to Rick.
“The riot gear?” Tyreese suggested.
“We haven’t got time, we’ll have to take as many down as we can with the guns we have. Glenn get us some more guns!” Glenn took off inside as we worked on opening the gates. As Rick and Tyreese started to open the last gate I started popping off rounds taking down the closest walkers. As a path started to clear the two new arrivals made it closer I realised who one was.
“ANDREA!”
“Jamie?!” She pushed away from her companion, we’d cleared a big enough space and I threw my arms round her. I wasn’t exactly close to Andrea, but just seeing a face I knew again in the world we lived in was just amazing. We pulled them in and slammed the gates closed as quickly as possible.
“Oh god Andrea if I knew you alive, I would never have left without you.”
“It’s ok, at first I was pretty fucking pissed at you all, but I knew how it looked. And I can’t say I blame you, I would have done the same.” She hugged me this time. “I’m glad I’ve found you all again.” I turned just as Rick asked the new comer.
“You can stay, but they have to go.”
“Oh them?” The woman turned taking her katana and slicing the heads off the two walkers she had chained to her. “I don’t need them anymore.”
“We’ll need to take your weapons too.” Rick said. The woman shook off her hood. She was a black woman about my age, her hair was long and wavy. Her face was stern and she had an air of danger to her.
“Fine.” She handed them over.
“That isn’t necessary Rick, Michonne isn’t dangerous. I wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for her.”
“I know and for that I’m thankful, but we can’t be too careful anymore.”
“Andrea? Oh thank god you’re alive!” Dale shouted coming out and towards her. It was such a tender moment between the two. I never knew they were so close. All the hostility between them on the farm had gone. I backed up and headed into the cell block to tell Lori, Carl, Caleb and Daryl that Andrea was here and alive.
“Hey Lori, Andrea’s here.”
“She’s what?” She asked waddling out of her cell Carl and Caleb hot on her heels.
“Alive and here, she came with some woman named Michonne.”
“Oh god this is great! It’s amazing she’s still alive let alone made her way back to us!” Carl grabbed Lori’s hand and pulled her from the room Caleb running after them giddy with excitement.
“So she’s alive? I should have gone back for her.” Daryl said coming from his cell. He was still in a fair amount of pain so he was staying inside most of the time.
“Wouldn’t have done you any good. By the time you suggested it she’d have been long gone. She wouldn’t have stuck round the farm to be eaten by those walkers.” I said walking to his side. He turned his head down to me so I leaned up and kissed him.
“Guess you’re right.” There was a moan from the cell we’d moved Alan to. At first I wondered if he changed. Daryl ducked into his cell pulling out his hunting knife as I pulled my gun from my waist band.
“Is s-s-somebody there?” So he hadn’t turned. I tucked my gun away and hurried to his room.
“You ok Alan? Can I get you something?” Donna had been spending her time hiding in the library. She hadn’t even visited Susie who was showing signs of waking up. Lori was worried, but Donna wouldn’t let us fuss round her.
“I need you to look after my baby girl.”
“Alan what are you talking about? I don’t need to look after Susie, you and Donna are going to do that.” He shook his head.
“I’m dying Jamie, I can feel it. You, you and Daryl look after my Susie.” His voice was getting weaker. I put my hand to his neck finding his pulse. It was slow and weak.
“Daryl get Donna.” I shooed him out and ran to the yard.
“I think Alan’s dying! Hershel his pulse his weak and he keeps asking me to take care of Susie.” Rick, Tyreese and Hershel followed me back inside finding Daryl stood in Alan’s door way. “Daryl where’s Donna?”
“She wouldn’t come. I sent Maggie and Glenn to keep an eye on her. Just in case.” I nodded.
“Jamie?” Alan called for me again. Hershel stepped away shaking his head. I was right Alan was dying and there was nothing we could do about it. Tears pricked my eyes as I stepped to his side crouching down and taking his hand.
“I’m here Alan.” I hardly got to know the man, but losing him was already hurting. So few people left in the world and we were going to be one less. He motioned for me to come closer.
“Promise me you and Daryl will take care of Susie. Donna can’t cope. Please just promise me.” He whispered. I swallowed and let out a breath.
“Of course I will. I’ll look after her just like I do Caleb.” I assured him.
“That’s all I ask. I know she’ll be safe with you and Daryl….” His eyes closed and he took a breath, it slowly expelling from his body. A dying request before his last breath.