Wake the Dead

"Firecracker!" I heard V's voice call.

"Whaaaat?" I crocked out groggily.

"We found the armory, thought you might wana see some of the good stuff we got." He said as he leaned against the cell doorway. I sighed and slowly rolled out of the bed. I slid on my boots and then walked down to the table all the boys were at with V. They had a bunch of guns, blunt weapons, knives, grenades, tools, and armor spread out everywhere.

Rick gave me a nod as I approached and I instantly lit up at the sight of all the weapons. I saw Daryl pick up a helmet and gross goo poured out of it. "I ain't wearin this shit." He said and grossly put it back down on the table. "Got this far without it." He then picked up some type of plastic stick and pretended to swing it like a baseball bat. He obviously was enjoying the weapons.

Hershel went off to check on Lori and we started to grab some of the body armor to put on for our journey further into the prison. Daryl gave me a look, not wanting me to come with them, but I just brushed it off and V helped me put armor on over my chest. He strapped it up tight and then just like that I was ready to go.

Rick told Carl he had to stay here and watch over everything because pretty much everyone besides Carol, Lori, and Beth were goin out. We all grabbed a flashlight, gun, and our melee weapons before heading out of the cell block.

The corridors were dark and creepy as we crept through, shinning light down the halls. There were multiple dead bodies lying around, making everything smell. We turned the corner, coming into what looked to be another cell block and Glenn spray painted an arrow for us to find our way back.

It was even more disgusting here as the smell hit us; there were bodies that were completely ate apart and rotting lying around. There is no way for anyone to ever get used to that sight.

Everyone was on edge and fully creeped out by our little adventure into the prison. I heard Maggie let out a yelp, causing us all to spin around, weapons ready, but it just turned out she ran into Glenn. We turned back around and I now could feel my heart beating very fast from that small scare.

We turned another corner, ready for something to come at us, but the hallway was empty besides the trash and occasional dead body. The noise of Glenn drawing another arrow was the only thing to be heard as we quietly walked forward. Everything seemed oddly quite until the noise of something being bumped caught our attention. We turned one more corner, but quickly retreated as a bunch of prison inmates growled at us. "Go back! Go back!" Rick called out as we all spun around, running back.

It was a struggle to find our way back, but we turned the corner that looked to have an arrow on it. Maggie's scream as walkers came out from that way too, causing us all to run backwards again. "This way!" Daryl called out as we ran down a hallway and into a small closet. We ducked down and stayed quiet, but then I noticed Glenn and Maggie weren't with us. "Where's Glenn and Maggie?" I asked in a hushed voice.
"We have to go back." Hershel whispered. "Which way?" Daryl asked as Rick stood up, quietly pushing open the door. We all silently crept back down the hallways were we lost Glenn and Maggie, occasionally calling out to them. No one could here anything, but then the sounds of Hershel's screams rang out through the walls.

We quickly ran back to see that a walker had grabbed him by the leg and took a bite. Glenn and Maggie got there the same time we did and Maggie immediately started crying out to her dad. Rick came up and shot the walker then helped pick up Hershel. Walkers started to pour out, hearing Rick's gun shot and I quickly ran up and put my machete through as many heads as I could. They finally got Hershel up and I followed as they carried him back away from the walkers that were approaching.

Hershel's cries of pain and Rick's yells where controlling my mind as we ran away from the walkers. I saw two double doors up ahead, so I quickly ran over and broke off the handcuffs that were locking it with my machete. I held open the door as Rick and Glenn carried Hershel in and laid him down. T-dog put a metal bar through the door handles as him, V, and Daryl held it closed. I ran over and saw Maggie holding Hershel's head in his lap as he cried out from missing a chunk of flesh.

I knew that we needed Hershel alive and well.. I had an idea.. I quickly took of my belt and tied it above his leg. Rick seemed to catch on to my idea and reached behind him for his ax. "Only one way to keep him alive." Rick said and then brought the ax down on Hershel's leg. Daryl now ran over to hold down his other side while he cried out as Rick repeatedly brought the ax down.

Hershel eventually passed out from the pain so now you could clearly hear the ax breaking off his lower leg. The sight was absolutely terrible and Rick looked at the ax and then blood on him like he was in disbelief of what he was just doing. Rick finally brought the ax down one more time, breaking the lower leg off completely."Hooooo- He's bleedin out." Rick said as he tried to remain calm about what he just did.

I didn't even realize I had grabbed onto Daryl's arm, but once I snapped out of it I quickly removed it. Daryl then looked up and I followed his gaze to see prisoners staring at us. "Duck." Daryl said to Rick and then shot up, pointing his crossbow at the prisoners. "Holy shit.." One of the prisoners said.... they were alive?

"Who are you?!" Daryl snapped at them.
"Who are you...?" They asked back.

"He's bleedin out!" Rick yelled as we grabbed a bunch of rags and held them to his lump of a leg. Maggie was frantically trying to keep it together as Rick asked her to keep putting pressure on it. "Come on, nice and easy." Daryl said as the few prisoners walked out.

"You have medical supplies!?" I asked and then ran into the little room they were hiding in, ignoring their protests. I didn't find anything useful for right now, but towels and a medical table that rolls. Glenn ran in and helped me roll it out. He then helped Rick lay Hershel down on it as T-dog and V opened the door, killing the few walkers by it. Glenn, V, Maggie, and Rick started to roll Hershel out and I was going to follow, but saw Daryl was still standing there with his bow pointed. "DARYL!" I yelled at him, getting his attention. He then looked at me, then to the prisoners, and back to me again as he ran down the halls with me.

We caught up with them and they ducked in a hallway so Daryl and I could take out the walkers coming up for us. We then flattened against the wall so they could roll him through. "GO. GO. GO!" Daryl yelled, signaling for them to roll past us. We barely managed to find our way back with the panic that everyone was in and the lack of light. We heard noises behind us, but noticed it was just the prisoners following us. Daryl then ran ahead and opened the door to the cafeteria. "OPEN THE DOOR! IT'S HERSHEL! CARL!" Rick yelled as we approached the cells. I heard the cries of the people that saw him and then saw them frantically roll him in.

I don't know if it was the panic, shock, fear, injuries, or just me being winded that I couldn't breathe. Daryl stayed back in the small cafeteria waiting for the prisoners so I put my hands on one of the tables and wheezed. "Daryl.." I breathed out and signaled to the tight armor on my chest. He quickly ran over and undid the straps, then helped my yank it above my head. I let out a grunt of pain as it stretched out my stitches, but then almost collapsed when he got it off and I had no support. He quickly caught me and helped me sit down on one of the tables.

"You ate anythin?" He asked and I shook my head slightly. "Drank anythin?" Again, I shook my head no. He cursed a little under his breath, but then shot up, aiming his crossbow at the prisoners that arrived. "Cell block C, section 4, that's mine gringo. Let me in." A greasy looking prisoner said. He looked kinda Mexican with his longer hair and skin tone.

"Todays' your lucky day, fellas. You've been pardoned by the state of Georgia; you're free to go." Daryl said as the slowly walked in.

"What you got goin on in there?" The same prisoner asked.

"Ain't none of your concern." Daryl said, surprisingly calm. The prisoner pulled his gun out from his jeans. "You ain't gona tell me what's my concern." He said, trying to threaten us. Daryl took a step closer to them. "Dude, the man's leg is messed up. We're free now, what are we still doin here?" Another one of the prisoners said. "He's gotta point." Daryl said in a low voice.

T-dog came out with his gun raised, causing the greasy prisoner to raise his and for them to all start yelling at each other. I could tell Daryl was getting fed up with these assholes very quickly. "Ain't nothin for ya here! Why don't y'all go back to your own sandbags!" Daryl yelled in his rough, raspy voice. "Would you all shut it?! You're givin me a headache!" I said, getting them all to shut up and look at me right as Rick ran over.

"How many of you are in there?" The greasy prisoner asked, pointing his gun at Rick now.

"Too many of you to handle." Rick hissed at him, staying surprisingly calm. He was always good at that.

"You guys rob a bank or somethin? Why don't you take him to a hospital?" The prisoner asked. We all looked at each other, these guys didn't know what was going on...

The prisoners started to explain how 10 months ago riot broke out here and they were locked up by a guard lookin out for them, but no one ever came to help. "And that was 293 days ago." A big African American man said.

"294 in my coun-" The only white man started, but was cut off by the greasy one. "Shut up!" That prisoner was trouble, and he wasn't going to last long with us. "There's no national guard... No government. No hospitals. No police... It's all gone." Rick said, causing the prisoners to stare at us in disbelief. "For real?" The white one asked. "Serious." Rick confirmed.

"What about my mom? My kids? Yo, you guys got a cell phone we can use to call our families?" The big African American guy asked.

"You just don't get it do you?" Daryl hissed at them.

The prisoners still had disbelief on their faces. "Ain't no way."

"See for your self." Rick said and then led them outside. I stayed on sitting on the table with as they all went off to show them the new world. V walked in and sat down by me, letting out a sigh. I stood up and inspected all the blood that now stained my clothes and skin. I then looked down at my arm and noticed it was starting to swell and turn a unnatural color. I decided to push it to the back of my mind, we've got other stuff to worry about now.

They came back in and told us that they were going to give them half of the food left in the cafeteria and we decided to come with them this time. It was better than watching Hershel bleed out..

We walked into the room, which apparently was the main cafeteria, that we cut off Hershel's leg in. We avoided the foot that was in the middle of the room and listened as the prisoners told us more about their situation. Apparently the big guys nick name around her was Big Tiny, which was actually kind of funny. "You guys done jerking each other off? I'm sick of waiting back here." The greasy prisoner said. I Everyone face immediately dropped, this guy was an asshole. I walked into their little closet hide out, past the prisoner. "But, I wouldn't mine this fine thing jerking me off."

I turned around, completely disgusted and gave him the nastiest look. "Fuck off." I said coldly as everyone else came in, not hearing his little asshole comment. I turned back around and walked in to see shelves full of bagged, boxed, and canned food. This is a shit ton!

Rick had the same expression on his face as I probably did and Daryl just got up in the prisoners face. "This is what you call a little bit of food?"

"It goes fast." The asshole prisoner said. Daryl just grunted at him and started to inspect the food. "You can have a bag of corn, some tuna fish.."

"Said half.. That's the deal." Rick said in his leaderly voice.

"Or we could just kill 'em and take it all." I hissed out, talking more towards the greasy asshole prisoner, but he just smirked at me. I didn't know his name so I've just decided to call him the asshole prisoner all the time now.

"What's in here?" Rick asked as he opened a metal door, but then slammed it shut and started coughing like he was about to throw up at the smell. The asshole prisoner just started to laugh, but then the white guy who looked like a farmer seemed kind of embarrassed. "Can't wait for my own pot to piss in." He mumbled... Gross.

I went across the room and bent down to grab an empty box to fill with cans of food, but immediately regretted doing that. "Should make this fine thing do all the liftin, not a bad view." The asshole prisoner said. I immediately turned around. "You best shut the hell up before I put my blade through your thick skull!" I snapped at him in anger. I'm not sure what was keeping me from killing him right now. I turned back around, but as soon as I did I felt a hand slap my ass.
I quickly spun around, but before I could do anything Daryl put his arm at the assholes throat and shoved him against the wall. I gripped on tight to my machete, taking every ounce of self control not to send it through this assholes head. Rick came over and pushed Daryl off, then V came up and gave a solid punch right across the prisoners face. I looked back at Daryl who was being held back by Rick and had anger glazed over in his eyes.

The guy still had a smirk when he stood back up straight, holding his jaw. "Ya don't touch her, talk to her, or even look at'er again, unless ya want an arrow in the head. Ya hear?" Daryl snapped in a venomous voice at him. The asshole just put his hands up in the air and took a few steps back. I tried to catch Daryl's gaze, but he wouldn't even look at me.

We all grabbed some bags of food, carrying them back to our cells. When we got what looked to be about half we brought them over some of our melee weapons to help clear out the cell with. We had to tell them all about how not to uses guns unless you are desperate because it attracts the walkers; it felt like we were teaching a damn class.
"Stay tight, hold formation. No matter how close the walkers get. Anyone breaks ranks, we could all go down. Anyone runs off, they could get mistaken for a walker, get a knife to the head."

"That's what you aim for, the head." I said to them, playing teacher.

"Ain't got to tell us how to take down a man, sweetheart." The asshole said to me. I saw Daryl clench his fists and take a step forward, but I ignored it as Rick gave them more instructions. All the prisoners then grabbed a weapon we had set down and we went off into the hallways to clear the next cell block.

Daryl peeked around the first corner and then signaled for us to follow. I was on the right side of all the prisoners, with V on the left, T-dog in front, and then Rick in the back as we, for the second time today, walked through the corridors. I heard Daryl give a few more instructions to them, but then nearly jumped out of my skin at the yells of the prisoner next to me. "It's comin!" He yelled, receiving 'shh's' from everyone.

The groans of the walkers stumbling around the corner caught every ones attention. There was only a few of them and Daryl started to count down, but then out of no where the prisoners started running and yelling like this was some damn prison fight. We all stood there, in shock at how dumb these guys were. A few of them pushed one onto the ground and started beating on the walker while the others held ones arms back so someone could come up and repeatedly stab it in the stomach.

This wasn't a fucking prison riot... We all looked at each other and then walked over to them, shoving them out of the way and putting knives through the walkers heads. "Gotta be the brain." I said as I pulled out my machete from one of the heads. We walked down a few more hallways and were met by a few lingering walkers. Each prisoner took their own, practicing on getting them really dead. "Stay in tight formation, no more prison riot crap." Rick said as they took down the last one and we pressed on.

The prisoners moved to the front and started to take out the more walkers that kept stumbling over. I heard a yell come from behind us and I ran over with Rick to see that 'Big Tiny' had backed off and ended up getting scratched. I took out the walker that was in front of him, but then spun around at the sound of multiple gun shots. I angrily looked at the asshole prisoner who decided to be an asshole and pull out his gun to take out the walker behind him.

Rick gave him the same look as I did, but then we were distracted by the fact that big tiny was scratched. Everyone else came over now after finished off the rest of the walkers and we inspected his back that had the scratch on it. "I'm sorry." Rick said, but he really wasn't sorry, I think he was kind of glad.

All the other prisoners started bickering about that 'we had to do something' for him, but there was nothing we could do. Out of no where the asshole prisoner comes up behind Big Tiny and shoves his pick ax in the back of his head. He then repeatedly stabs him, sending blood everywhere like a damn pshyco. I looked over to Rick, who was looking back at all of us, with wide eyes. This guy was no good. How could you just do that to one of your friends with out any hesitation?

We then walked off, all of us thinking the same thing; we need to kill this guy. We opened up a door that seemed to lead into a laundry room and we walked in with our weapons raised. There was nothing in here, but there was two big doors that had walkers trying to get at us from the other side. The asshole prisoner looked at them and Daryl threw the keys at his feet. The groans of the walkers were now clear through the doors. "I ain't openin that." The asshole prisoner said.

"Oh yes you are. You wanted this cell block, you can open that door... Just the one, not both, we need to control this." Rick said to him. We all stood behind the prisoner with our weapons ready as the prisoner unlocked the door. He then, like the asshole he is, swung open both doors and ran back. "I SAID ONE DOOR!" Rick yelled as he back up from the oncoming walkers. "Shit happens." The asshole prisoner said and then started to slice walkers.

They kept piling through the doors and I also couldn't help but notice the prisoner slice a little bit to dramatically and almost hit Rick. Rick luckily dodged it, but then the asshole grabbed a walker and threw it at him, causing him to fall over. I was too surrounded by walkers to get to him, but luckily Daryl saw too and went over to help him.

We finally got down to the last few walkers and took them out, but then I felt the cool air on my stomach. The asshole prisoner decided to pull that "I accidentally swung to far" trick and cut open my shirt down the front. "You fucking dick!" I yelled at him as I tried to cover myself up. He then locked eyes with my arm that was purple and swelling. "What you got goin on there." He asked with a smirk on his face. Everyone now looked over at me as I held onto my arm, probably thinking I was scratched. "It's nothin." I told them.

"What is it?" Daryl asked in a stern voice as he took a step closer to me. I didn't want to deal with my arm right now, but I guess these people had to know. "Broke it a while ago and it healed wrong." I shrugged. "Hershel said I gotta re break it to fix it, but I thought I would worry about that later."

I showed them my arm and saw Daryl run his hands over his head. I put my arm down, but before I knew it, there was a hand on my throat and wrist while I was being shoved up against a wall. I realized it was the asshole prisoner, but before I could do anything, he brought he foot up and crushed it against my arm, causing a loud snapping sound to ring out.

I hysterically screamed at the pain of feeling my bones break and slid to the ground as the prisoner was pulled off me. Daryl and V rushed over to me as I started to hyperventilate from the pain. I'm pretty sure had it been an ounce worse I would have passed out, but I was trying my hardest not to.

"Was an accident, bro." The prisoner said as he turned to face Rick.

"Yeah, I get it. I get it.. Shit happens." Rick said and looked him cold in the eye before raising his machete up and bringing it down on his head. It's about time.

"NO!" One of the prisoners yelled and tried to go after Rick, but he just kicked him away. The other prisoner got up and ran out. "I got him." Rick said as he chased after him. The other two prisoners just stood there and Daryl yelled at them to get down. The one that looked like a farmer started to beg for his life, but the other just told him to shut up, smart.

V helped me stand up, completely avoiding my broken arm. I was breathing heavily and trying my best not to cry, or pass out from the pain. Daryl then walked over to the other part of the room and dug around, but eventually came back with a plain gray T-shirt. He helped me slide my ripped one off, while shielding me from the view of the others and then helped me put the new one on. I let out whimpers of pain as he tried to guide my broken arm into the sleeve. Our eyes met for a second as he pulled it down over my stomach, and just looking into his eyes I felt the need to be with him. He then stepped away from me and aimed his crossbow back at the prisoners. The shirt was way too big on me, but it was better than nothing.

I leaned over and picked up my machete, ready to kill the bastards out of pure anger. "Fi!" Daryl called as he held me back before I could swing my machete at them. I let out a groan of anger and defeat as I stopped struggling in his arms. "Son of a fuck!" I called out as my arm started to scream like hell at me.

Rick eventually came back, even more pissed off then before. He pulled out his gun and pointed it back and forth between the prisoners. The one that looked like a farmer continuously begged again, and I had to say that he did seem innocent, but I was too mad to care.

Daryl put his knife to the other prisoners throat while the other one told his side of the story. When he finished, in one swift movement, Rick pointed his gun at the other guy, but he didn't say anything besides the fact that he doesn't beg. Rick put his gun down and then yanked the prisoners up, taking them into their cell block. The pain in my arm was too distracting for me to listen to what they were talking about, but they quickly came back and we went back to our cells.

Daryl walked by my side the whole way back. It was honestly the closest I've been to him in months and just feeling his presence made my emotions knock at the surface. I pushed them down and focused on something else... anything else besides how much I loved Daryl Dixon...