Crossbow Hearts

“Daryl? Can you hear me?” I asked shakily turning him over. He had to be ok, he just had to be. Blood was pooling through his shirt and the movement I caused in moving him had him groan in pain. At least I knew he was alive. I pulled off my button down shirt and pressed it firmly to his side. I knew basic field first aid, but I didn’t have anything with me. And this needed proper treatment. My hands fluttered to his face gently cupping it. I never thought I’d feel this strongly about him, especially after how we met and the initial hostility.
“Daryl you need to stay awake!” His eyes flickered up to me. “I’m a get Hershel he’ll fix this!” Then I did what had almost happened twice now. I pressed my lips to his fleetingly before pulling away and standing up. “You help me move him to the table!” I barked out like an order to the bearded man. He didn’t question me just helped me lift Daryl as gently and quickly as possible on to one of the tables. “If he is worse when I get back or moved from there I will kill…all of you.” Then I turned and ran. I blasted through the cafeteria doors, down the hallway and out into the exorcise yard. I slipped and fell over the bodies strewn across the yard coating my legs in blood and gore from the decomposing bodies. I picked myself up quickly and made it to Daryl’s bike. It felt like I’d ran miles to get there. I yanked out the radio.
“RICK!!” Static then,
“Jamie? What’s wrong has something happened?”
“There were inmates inside one stabbed Daryl! I need Hershel now!”
“Ok Jamie keep calm,”
“Don’t tell me to be calm Rick.”
“OK you’re right you should see us in a moment.” Just as he said it they came into view. The second the cars stopped Maggie ran out grabbing a bag and then ran with Hershel towards me. Thankfully Dale was keeping Caleb in my truck. I sprinted back careful not to trip this time as I came back towards the cafeteria I pulled out my gun again. The bearded man was stood over Daryl holding my shirt to his wound. The other men were sat on the benches all sat silently. I got closer and could hear him and Daryl talking about motorbikes. But Daryl’s voice was strained and weak. He looked over to me as I came in tucking my gun away.
“Bout time you got here, I haven’t got all year.” Daryl tried to joke, but it didn’t work. We should have stuck together then I could have stopped this from happening.
“Jamie maybe you and these four gentlemen should go outside.” Hershel suggested. The men made to leave, but I didn’t until Daryl looked at me.
“Move it cos I ain’t going anywhere, you need to go tell Caleb I’m ok, weird kid seems to like me for some reason.” I smiled sadly turned and left. The bearded man fell into step with me. He had a middle aged spread, bad teeth and looked like your stereotypical biker, but he seemed nice enough.
“So…I’m Axel, it’s nice to meet some more people, you’re Jamie right?” I nodded in no mood to talk with anyone. I needed to get outside before I exploded on the ass that had stabbed Daryl. I was visibly shaking from how angry I was. We walked into the yard and was met by Lori.
“Jamie, is he ok?” She asked putting a ‘comforting’ hand on my shoulder. I shrugged away from it.
“I don’t know, Hershel and Maggie are helping him.” I heard someone snigger, I turned to see it was the guy that had stabbed Daryl. “What you think this is funny?” He was the youngest looking of all the men. He had scruffy un-kept black hair, scrawny and mixed race. “You think this is a god damn joke?!” I growled stepping closer to him.
“No it’s just…” He waved his hands in front of himself defensively and I saw the shank still in his hand. And that was all it took for me to flip out. I tackled him to the ground and punched him in the face only for Rick and to my surprise Tyreese to pick me up and carry me away. What Tyreese was still doing with us baffled me, but right now I really didn’t care. Rick pinned me to the side of Hershel’s SUV.
“Jamie now is not the time for this. We need to stay calm and focused. Now inside what’s it like?” I took deep calming breaths just like my C.O use to tell me.
“Cafeteria is clear, hallway clear, cell block B clear. Rest of the prison off limits till further reconnaissance.” I sounded like I was in a briefing, but I felt better for it.
“Ok well for now we can start moving the bodies and burning them.”
“Yeah maybe we should make a pile of them over there away from where we’ll be living.”
“That sounds great to me Tyreese, we can start now.” I vaguely wondered when the decision for Tyreese’s group to stay had been made, but at the same time I really didn’t care. I slid down the SUV as they walked away the rest of what they were saying falling on death ears. The next thing I knew Caleb was throwing himself at me.
“Jamie are you ok?” I nodded and held him to me.
“Jamie…Daryl?” Dale asked as he slowly sat down opposite me.
“I don’t know, but Hershel is helping him. I shouldn’t have agreed to go to the cell block on my own I should have stayed with him.”
“Jamie it’s not your fault. You couldn’t have known, but he’ll be ok Hershel knows what he’s doing.” I nodded if I could make it this far then Daryl would live. So I couldn’t just mope round here. I stood up placing Caleb on his feet.
“Right Caleb stay with Dale I’m going to help the others move the walkers.” He nodded and walked away with Dale to Carl and Lori. I got to Axel first.
“Hey um sorry about…”
“Don’t worry bout it sweet thing you had every right to be pissed.”
“Thanks,”
“Well as I said I’m Axel and we might as well get this out of the way, it’s obvious we’re inmates.” I nodded, Rick and Tyreese coming to join us. “I’m in for armed robbery, this here’s Thomas he’s in for what was it again Thomas?”
“Tax fraud…” Something was off with that guy, something badly wrong, there was coldness in his eyes and it gave me the creeps. He was a nerdy looking man with rounded glasses, he smiled friendly at everyone, but something wasn’t right about him.
“Right Tax fraud, this here’s Andrew.” I glared at him, Andrew was the one who stabbed Daryl. “He’s in for drug offences and this is Dexter.” Dexter was a bald headed black man a tattoo on the left side of his head a symbol of some sort, both ears pierced and about the same height as Tyreese. He was the one who had tried to come at me when I had my gun trained on the others.
“I was in for murder, but don’t worry it was my last.” Dexter said solemnly.
“Who did you kill?” Rick asked.
“My wife and her lover, but like I said it was my first and last.” I nodded fair enough.
“Well I’m Rick Grimes….” Those of us nearby went on to tell what we did before and how we got here.
“I’m Jamie as you know, I was a Sergeant in the Army, Artillery. Now are we here to chit chat like a bunch of house wives or are we gonna clear this shit up?” I got a chuckle out of them well all but Thomas. Shifting the bodies was slow laborious work. Eventually we got them piled up. I turned round wiping at my brow and saw Hershel and Maggie coming from the Prison. I took off towards them at a brisk pace.
“Is he ok?” I asked as soon as I was in ear shot of them. Caleb had seen and ran towards us grabbing my hand with both his small ones.
“He will be, I cleaned and fixed everything the best I could. But he’s going to be laid up in bed for quite some time. We’ll also need to move him to one of the beds in the cell block if it’s clear as comfort is key right now.”
“Jamie can we see him please?” Caleb pleaded.
“Would that be ok Hershel?”
“Of course visitors would do him some good.” I hugged Hershel and Maggie before walking with Caleb inside.
“Daryl! Are you ok! Jamie was really worried!” I wish I could quite him sometimes, I felt the blush creep up my cheeks as Daryl looked at me with eyebrow raised.
“Yeah I’m fine kid, I’m a tough son of a bitch. You haven’t been crying none have you?” Caleb crossed his arms defiantly.
“No big boys don’t cry. I watched as Jamie tried to beat on the guy that stabbed you, but Rick and that Tyreese guy stopped her, then I went and waited with Carl, Lori and Dale while Jamie moved dead bodies.”
“Good kid, can you get some water for me?”
“Sure Daryl I can do that!” I stood awkwardly as Caleb ran off to the outside.
“Worried about me huh?” Daryl said not looking at me.
“Yeah I guess…what happened erm,”
“Nothing happened except you had my back.”
“Yeah I guess so.” Lucky for me Caleb was back like lightning offering Daryl a bottle of water. I left Caleb with him as I went to the cell block picking up my bat as I went. Hershel said he needed to be comfy. I picked out two cells and left my bat in one that I would share with Caleb until I could be sure of the inmates and Tyreese’s group. Then went to the one next to mine and placed the mattress from one bed on to the other then tested it for comfort, it was nowhere near as good as my old bed, but considering the conditions we had been living in it was blissful.
“You ok there ma’am?” I jumped at the sound of the voice, turning quickly my hand going to my gun, only to see Thomas.
“I’m fine thank you, just setting up a bed for Daryl to sleep on.” He nodded staring at me. I didn’t feel safe, but I’d be damned if I let him intimidate me. I stepped forward. “If you’ll excuse me I have some things to get.” He moved slightly and I pushed past and out into the hallway.
“Hey Jamie, Hershel says Daryl’s going to be ok.” Lori smiled at me rubbing her stomach, her baby coming along nicely.
“Yeah he is, just needs plenty of rest. I hope you don’t mind that I picked out rooms for me and Caleb and one for Daryl.”
“No of course not I best go do that now myself.” I grabbed her arm. Thomas was still lurking in there.
“Just let me get some things Lori and I’ll come with you.”
“Ok Jamie, is everything ok?” I wasn’t sure if I should say anything, then Thomas walked out so I kept shut.
“Yeah just I can then bring some of your stuff to and then you’ve claimed your cell.” She smiled at me, I knew she didn’t quite believe me, but let it be. I grabbed my gun bag and the bag with a few spare clothes of mine and Caleb’s. Then headed to Daryl’s bike. I wheeled it in, Tyreese and Allen coming over offering to the close the gates. I picked up the saddle bags and threw them over my shoulder.
“I’ll take some of that Lori.” I took one of her bags and we walked in together. I put Lori’s stuff down in the cell she chose and then put the other things in mine and Daryl’s rooms. Moments later Hershel and Rick supported Daryl into the cell block.
“You can put him in here; I doubled up the mattresses to make it a little more comfortable.”
“Good Jamie that’s great.” They placed him down and we all went back to work bringing in things Axel and Thomas being very helpful, though it didn’t make me trust him anymore. Dexter and Andrew however kept to themselves and in Andrew’s case I felt that was a good thing for him anyway. I put Caleb to bed and he quickly drifted off to sleep. I followed soon climbing into my own bed sleep eventually taking me into another fitful night’s sleep.