Wake the Dead

It was now late morning, early afternoon as I squatted down and looked into the water of the creek. It wasn't clear, but I was still able to see my reflection in it. I was shocked at the way I looked, but at the same time I wasn't.. I'd been through hell and back this winter and my face definitely showed it... My eyes, too. My eyes where dead, like they have never been before.

I got sick of my reflection, so I ran my hands through the water, causing it to ripple. I sighed and then got down on both of my knees, cupping the water in my hands. I splashed it on my face and sighed on how good it felt. It was definitely late spring now, so the Georgia heat was starting to strike.

"I'll go over there and take watch and you can wash off." V said, pointing to a spot away from the creek. I mumbled an 'okay' to him and he walked over. I set my backpack and weapons on the ground, then made sure V couldn't see me. I stripped off my clothes and hopped into the creek. It refreshed me right away and I sighed as I stepped deeper into it.

I quickly scrubbed off the dirt and blood from my body as much as I could. I then stepped out of the creek and quickly put all my underwear and a clean pair of shorts. "I'm done!" I called out to V as I started to put my shirt over my head. I saw him appear, but then freeze in his tracks as he saw me.

He wasn't checking me out, he was staring at the scars on my leg, arm, stomach, and even neck. I quickly pulled my shirt all the way down and picked up my spear thing. "I'll go watch now while you wash up." I said and then quickly hurried off.

I heard the water start to splash eventually so I knew he was starting to wash off. After a little while he called out. "All done."

I walked over, avoiding his gaze and sat down by my backpack near the creek. "I think we should stay around here for the day." I said as I store off into the creek. I didn't hear V respond, but then I felt his prescience next to me as he plopped down.

I saw his reflexion in the water as he pulled his shirt over his head, I never realized how muscular he was. He then let out a sigh and i felt him look at me. "I don't know much about you." He said, but I didn't respond. "I mean you know about me and my life, but why don't I, yours?"

"Not much to know." I said blankly as I still store into the water.

"Sure there is. What the hell have you been doing all your life?" He asked.

"Surviving, just like I am now, the only difference is what I am trying to fight off." I said numbly.

"I've met people like you before." V said, causing me to raise an eyebrow at him.

"Yeah, I have. When I would be serving we would run across women or children that were beat by their husbands or fathers." He paused and I tensed at his words. "Sure, it would be somewhere like Iraq, but they all seemed similar to you. But, there would always be that one woman that we would interrogate and she would be cold, numb, and so unbelievably sad, but she wouldn't show it. And this woman, she lost so much, she was by herself.... alone." He paused and shifted so he was in my line of vision. "You are not alone anymore."

I felt my breath catch at his words and my mind start to shake. "No mushy gushy stuff." I said as I took my gaze off him and looked back to the water, not wanting to go deep inside my mind. "It's not mushy gushy, it's serious." He said, not giving up. "I want you to tell me about yourself. It will help."

I let out a sigh. "Like I said, there is not much to know."

"Well let's start with this; was it your father?" He asked.

I snorted a fake laugh. "He was barely a father."

He nodded, glad that he was making progress with me. He sat back down next to me and looked off into the water, too. "Did you have any other family?"

I felt my self start to feel sick at the thought of Syd. "Doesn't matter. They're all dead." I said, trying to keep my strong walls up, but my voice came out shaky. He let out a slow nod, knowing not to press that anymore.

"If you don't mind me asking.. Your scars?" Damn he was straight forward.

I sucked in a breath. Maybe I did mind him asking? But, I knew I didn't. I felt comfortable telling him something that I kept buried for so long. "Just pshycotic people I ran into here and there." I said, but then remembered the one on my arm. I snorted another fake laugh. "I guess I count as one of those people." I said as I looked down at my arm. He seemed to get what I meant as he adverted his gaze to my arm, also.

"Did you have a child?" He asked, probably because of seeing the scar on my stomach.

"I told you, all my family is dead."

"Not all your family." He said, causing me to look at him.

"You spoke about this group like it was your family, and I know that you think of me as that, too." V said with a sincere expression. I just looked at him for a while and then he let out a sigh. "Alright, enough with the mushy gushy shit. Your boring anyway." He said, jokingly, trying to lighten the mood.

I felt a ghost of a smirk appear on my face. "Jerk."

"Bitch." He responded, now smiling at me. I let out a breathy chuckle and hugged my knees. I was definitely a whole different person now, but at least l knew I had someone who cared. "Chocolate bars and potato chips for lunch?" He asked, obviously that was all he had managed to get from walmart.

We ate in silence and kept our ears listening for any unsettling noise. "I may even have more gummies for dessert." I looked over to him with wide eyes and he just shrugged his shoulders and looked away with a smile. I rolled my eyes and looked up at the sky and realized it was still that same, weird color. "It's going to storm." I said in full confidence.

"Oh really?" He said.

"Yep. I'll bet you all your gummy worms that it will be down pouring by dark."

"Oh it's on." He said and raised his hand for me to shake. Dumb ass was going to lose his gummies.

*

We spent the day by the creek, deciding to have a day off from walking. V was making more spears, all different sizes, and I managed to catch a few rabbits and frogs for dinner. I even made a weird little contraption so that we could catch some of the rain water. V still stood by his opinion that it wasn't going to rain, but he still helped me make it.

It was starting to get dark and I was skinning some rabbits when the sound of lightening cracking caught my attention. I looked up at V and held my finger out to him, signaling for him to wait a second with a smirk on my face. All of the sudden it started down pouring like never before. I shoot up and pointed at him. "HA! I FUCKIN TOLD YOU!" I said as I threw my arms and head back enjoying the feeling of the rain as it came down.

I heard V chuckle and then stand up, enjoying the rain, too. "Did ya hear that?" A voice called out from the distance. I looked at V with wide eyes. "Shit." He mumbled and then we quickly grabbed out stuff and ducked behind a tree. I held my machete out, ready for these people to fuck with me.

We sat there for a while, hearing nothing but the sound of the rain hitting the creek water. But then, the sound of branches being moved and footsteps caught my attention. "I don't think anyone is out here." An all too familiar voice said in the distance. There wasn't anymore talking for a while, just footsteps and then someone sighed. "Look out here all you want, but I'm going back to the others. Maggie is waiting."

Maggie..... Fuck! V must have seen something flash over my face, because when I was just about to yell out to them, he put a hand over my mouth a silenced me. I tried to get him to move his hands, but he was obviously stronger than me. I heard the footsteps fade away and then it was silent again, V let go of my mouth and I shot up from the tree.

"Where are you going!" He shouted in a whisper over to me.

I spun around. My soaking wet hair flying and sticking in my face. "I know them! That's them!" I said in a breathy voice. His eyes widened and he followed me as I ran in the direction I thought they went. It was now getting really dark and the rain was washing out trails, but I didn't stop running.

Maggie. That must have been Glenn.. Oh my god Glenn! Who was he talking too? Rick? Daryl? Daryl...

I ran, ignoring the pain in my ankle and the tiredness of my legs. The wind was blowing the pouring rain into my eyes, making it hard to see. I finally saw a clearing in the woods and then ended up running out on to a road. I looked straight ahead and all I saw was more trees on the opposite side of the road. I looked right, nothing. I looked left and saw taillights of cars moving in the darkness. V caught up with me and stopped to catch his breath, but I just started sprinting off again.

(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FPCeA5Vl29k <------ Song for next scene!!!!!!!!)

I screamed for them to stop, but I was too far away. I tapped into the desperation and emotion that was buried in my head and sprinted faster than I ever have ran in my life. "STOP!" I screamed. I heard the familiar purr of a motorcycle. "DARYL! STOP!" I screamed over the blinding downpour and thunder.

I heard someone honk their horn and then I heard another familiar voice. "Whats wrong?" Rick! It was Rick! I fell down on to my knees, unable to breathe, but accidentally fell on to my machete. "Dunno, thought I heard someone callin my name."

DARYL! That was Daryl!

I couldn't make my mind or body work to call out to them again as they looked into the darkness, not seeing me. I suddenly felt a mind blowing pain in my stomach, probably from where the machete had got me. I put my hand there and felt the blood pour out.

"I think you where hearing things." I heard Rick's voice snap and then him walk away. No no no no no. I'm so close!

I tried calling out, but my voice was weak and the storm silenced me. I saw Rick about to get back into his car. "NO!" I managed to croak out and then break down in coughs from the machete impaling my stomach. I saw Rick's figure completely stop and then start running over. When he got close enough to make me out I saw his eyes completely widen. "FIONA!?" He said in complete and udder disbelief.

I started to wheeze uncontrollably, trying not to pass out. I felt a presence behind me and knew V had caught up.

I saw another figure run up towards him and then a large crack of lightening touched down, lighting up everywhere around us, allowing me to see him. Daryl. I knew he saw me because his eyes widened and he looked like he saw a ghost. I heard his crossbow fall to the ground and then thunder roar out around us.

The rain was coming down so hard that my hair was dripping and sticking to my face and the blood was being washed to the ground from me. My wheezing could be clearly heard and I fell completely to the ground. V leaned down and pick me up. He carried me over to them and I tried to keep myself from passing out, this was really happening. "Oh my god." I heard Rick say and then saw him put his hand over his face in disbelief.

He then came running over to us and V handed me to him. Rick was too shocked to even worry about who V was as he grabbed me. My broken arm got squished weird and the pain was almost enough to knock me out. I let out a scream of pain and then yanked my arm so it was free. I started to have another coughing fit and then felt my broken ribs scream at me as well as the gaping slice in my stomach.

Rick ran me over to one of their cars and I saw every ones familiar faces and they where staring at me with disbelief. My ribs and stomach started to ache even more each time I coughed and my arm was threatening to make me pass out. But, I had to stay awake; I might not wake up if I don't.
"Someone open the trunk!" I heard Rick yell out as he ran over with me. My head was pounding and everything was happening so fast and blurry. Before I knew it Rick was shoving things out of the way and laying me down in the trunk. The lights in the car turned on and I saw his face. "Rick." I managed to croak out, not believing it was him. "Shh. Shh." He said and then turned around to the rest of the group. "Hershel!" He yelled out.

I saw Hershel appear and then eyes widen when he saw me. His mouth dropped open, but then he shock his head and focused. "We need to pull the blade out." He said. My eyes widen, fuck. "But, Rick we can't stay here. We already made enough noise, walkers could be surrounding here." He said.

Rick nodded and then left my side. I heard him yell at everyone to get in the cars. V appeared at my side and hopped in the back with me. "Who is this?" Hershel asked.

"I'm with Fiona. We spent the winter together." He said as he grabbed my hand. Black dots where starting to appear in my vision, but I kept on blinking to keep them away.

"Daryl." I managed to croak out, but was ignored.

All of the sudden Hershel got in the back seat of the car I was in and started to fold the seats down. We were in the van so there where two rows of seats behind the driver. Once he got them all down V backed up and let Hershel come by me. "DARYL!" I screamed as loud as I could.

I saw the door open and then with perfect timing Daryl climbed in, shock still all over his face. "Daryl." I choked out as I saw him. He came over on the other side of me and looked unsure if he should touch me or not. I reached my hand over to him and he immediately grabbed it. I felt the car move and realized we must have started to drive off. "Daryl you need to hold her down and... What is your name, son?" I heard Hershel say as I store into Daryl's bright blue orbs.

"Victor."

"Alright. I'm going to need you to get ready to apply pressure to the wound right after I pull it out." Pull it out? Fuck.

I felt someone cut my shirt open and then cold hands on my stomach. "It doesn't look like it hit anything major, but if we don't get it out now and stop the bleeding..."

"DO IT!" I screamed at them, not being able to handle the pain of it anymore. I looked back up into Daryl's eyes as he put a hand over my chest to hold me down. He store right back in to my eyes, his still wide from shock.

I felt someone grab the blade in my stomach and then- HOLY SHIT. I screamed out in hysterical pain and felt Daryl press down on me so I didn't move. I was coughing and wheezing more now as I let out more yells. Daryl didn't move his eyes from mine and I looked into them for something to hold on to as the blackness started to come up.

I felt someone press down on my stomach and I guessed that the blade was out. I tried to push the blackness down, but I felt my brain ache and then my eyes roll into the back of my head.