Wake the Dead

The cries of little ass kicker made me slowly start to come out of my deep sleep. I was curled up weirdly at Daryl's side and my head had rested on his shoulder while his leaned against the wall. He was slowly starting to wake up, so I reached down and grabbed little ass kicker from him. I held her tight with my good arm while I shifted off of the bed.

I stood up and then watched Daryl as he rubbed his eyes and then grabbed his crossbow as he stood up. His sleepy eyes and messed up hair made him look almost as cute as the baby, but as he stretched out, he looked more hot than cute.

I walked out of the cell and went down the stairs to meet the others that were sitting at a table. Carl saw us coming and immediately stood up to take his sister from me. I carefully handed her over and watched how Carl adored her.

"Rick back yet?" I asked, looking around the group, receiving multiple people to shake their heads no. "I'm gona go find him." I said as I checked the ammo in my gun and then made sure my knife was with me. I then walked over to the table with all the weapons on it and grabbed a flashlight.

"Ya ain't goin out there alone." Daryl said, stepping from behind me.

"Yes, I am. I need to talk to Rick; help him. I'll be fine." I said as I walked towards the cell block gate, Daryl following behind me with the keys. I turned around and waited for him to unlock the door, but he just looked at me. "Ya be quick an' don't do nothin stupid." He said as he reached over and unlocked the doors.

I stepped out and then turned to face him again when he shut the gate. "Don't worry too much, Dixon." I said jokingly as I pulled out my knife and made my way deeper into the prison.

I turned on my flashlight as I made my way down the dark hallways for what felt like the thousandth time in the past few days. I saw multiple dead walker bodies on my way that Rick must have taken his emotions out on.

I aimed my flashlight down the hallway I had just turned on to and noticed that the door to the room we took Lori into yesterday was opened slightly. My best guess was that Rick was in there.

I slowly pushed open the door and looked around, surprised to see that Lori's body was completely gone. I walked down the stairs and saw a trail of blood, and then a dead walker with a full stomach... I gagged at the sight and couldn't believe what I saw. It fucking ate her.. all of her.

I pushed it to the back of my mind as I silently made my way deeper into the boiler room, only worried about Rick right now. I walked past a bunch of chains and out of no where I was slammed against the nearest wall. Quickly going into survivor mode I grabbed the arm that was at my throat and bent the wrist backwards.

I then saw the wedding ring and realized it was Rick, shit. I pushed his arm back and spun so he was now with his back against the wall. He looked at me dead in the eyes, with his dark crazed ones for a moment, but then went to take a swing at me. I quickly ducked and then with as much force as I could I shoved his body hard against the wall. "Rick! You stop this right now!" I yelled at him, but he just gave me the same look.

He shoved me off him and I stumbled backwards. He started to take steps over to me, I knew he didn't want to hurt me, he just wasn't thinking straight right now. His emotions where checking out and his mind was going numb to everything he once felt; I know what it's like. "Rick you fuckin look at me right now." I said as I took a step towards him, meeting him halfway. I put my hand on his chest to keep him from coming closer. "You see me?" I asked him as he just looked at me with those dark eyes again. "I want you to breathe, deep breaths, and look at me. And I mean really look at me." I continued as I connected my gaze with his.

"Do you remember the day we got overrun on the farm and I lost my sister?" I asked him. "Do you remember when I made my way over to you guys at the high way?" I continued to press on. "I was in the same damn state you are in right now and I remember every single one of the looks people gave me. Full of pity and fear... fear! They thought I was crazy and judged me for it." I said, still pressing my hand on his chest to prove a point. "But, I am here and I am looking right at you, not afraid, and sure as hell not judging. I'm also not going to tell you everything is going to get better because I can promise you that it is not. Look at me... do I look okay?" I searched his eyes and I felt that I was starting to get a response from him. "People are going to die, Rick, and we can't control it or ever be ready for it, but we can be strong. Be strong for the group, for Carl, and for that beautiful new born baby.... For our family!" I paused and looked at him deep in his eyes. "So I want you to breathe, deep breaths."

Rick's closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose as he took a breath in and let it out, good. He opened his eyes back up and they didn't look as crazed as before. I gave him a weak smile and reassuring nod as he looked back into my eyes.

He all of the sudden looked up and around frantically. "You hear that?" He asked and then quickly turned around and went to the front part of the boiler room by a table. He then quickly picked up the phone that was sitting on the table. I looked and noticed that the phone wasn't even plugged in, but Rick just started talking to it.

Rick was going crazy, it wasn't hard to tell, so this must be his minds way of acting up for not having closure. I walked over to the table and listened as Rick talked. I wasn't going to stop this, I was going to play along, he needed to get this out. He apparently was talking to someone about somewhere safe that they where at, but they wouldn't tell him where. "I have a son.... A-A new born. I'm with a good group of people, can you take more in?" He asked and then listened closely to some voices I didn't hear. "Please! No! Don't leave! Please, we're dying here!" He cried out into the phone, but then hung it up a second after.

He looked down to the phone as I walked over to him. "What did they say?" I asked.

"T-They'll call back in 2 hours." He said as he pinched the bridge of his nose again.

"2 hours, okay. That's enough time to get cleaned up and eat something." I said. "And maybe even beat up Daryl for naming your newborn little ass kicker." I joked, trying to lighten the mood.

Rick just let out a breathy laugh and looked up, giving me a nod. He then grabbed the machete of mine and we made our way back down the halls. He stopped at a room that had running water in it and he cleaned him self up.

I waited in the hallways for him, on high alert for anything to come by, but nothing did. He finally came out, looking more like the Rick that wasn't about to kill somebody.

We made our way back to the cell block and Rick took the keys opening up the door. "Don't tell the rest of the group.. Not yet." He told me, referring to the phone call. I nodded and he pushed open the door. "Everybody alright?" He asked as we walked in.

Everyone immediately turned to look at us and away from their bowls of food. I put my hand on Rick's back, reminding him to be strong, and then made my way to Daryl who was sitting on the stairs. He handed me a bowl of food and I gave him a nod as I sat on the step below his feet. "What about you?" Hershel asked Rick as he walked over to them.

"Yeah.. Cleared out the boiler block." He said, looking down at Carl.

I felt people eye me, especially Daryl, wondering how I got Rick back. "How many where there?" Daryl asked, trying to keep normal conversation with him.

"I don't know.. A dozen, maybe two. I have to get back, though. Just wanted to check on Carl." He said as he turned around.

"Rick." Glenn called over and stood up. "You don't have to handle taking out the bodies. We can help."

"No, I do." Rick said and then walked over to Daryl and I. "Everybody have a gun and a knife?" He asked.

Daryl nodded. "Yeah, runnin low on ammo, though."

"Maggie and me were planing on making a run this afternoon. Found a phone book.. Some places we can hit for bullets and formula." Glenn stated.

Rick nodded and then looked back at Daryl. "Cleared out the generator room, Axel's there tryin to fix it up. Gona sweep out some lower levels, too." Daryl stated to him.

"Good. Good." Rick said and then hurried out of the cell block. Hershel called after him, but Rick wasn't going to come back, he had a call to get to and an imaginary one at that.

I let out a sigh and started to eat whatever was in my bowl, something from the bags of food we got the other day. I quickly scarfed it all down, I hadn't realized how hungry I was. Hell, when was the last time I ate? I even finished before Daryl and he seemed to notice; he held his bowl out to me that still had food in it to take. I shook my head no and pushed it back to him, I wasn't about to take more than my serving. "You goin to clear out the lower levels?" I asked him.

"Yeah, bringin Carl, V, and Oscar." He said. I was about to offer to come with them, but Glenn got my attention. "Hey, Fiona, we could use an extra hand on the run if your up for it.." He said. I wasn't about to tell the no, so I simply nodded. "Sure thing."

*

"We just hit the powdered formula jackpot." Glenn said as we carried out the crates full of formula from the store we just ransacked. "Thank god." Maggie mumbled.

"Also got beans, batteries, cocktail wieners, mustard.. it's a straight shot back to the prison from here, probably make it back in time for dinner." Glenn went on. I rolled my eyes at them and went to the back of the car, loading up the crates I carried. Maggie went on about how she liked the quiet, but then out of no where a familiar booming voice rang out. "And where's this place y'all callin home?"

I quickly spun around and saw Glenn and Maggie had their guns pointed at someone. That voice was so familiar... too familiar. "Merle...?" Glenn said, causing the bells to ring in my head. Merle!

"Ho-Hooooly shit!" Merle called out. I had my back pressed up against the car, hidden, making sure no one else was here.

"You made it..." Glenn stated, his voice hard.

"Can you tell me... Is my brother alive?" Merle asked.

"He's more than alive." I said as I stepped around from the back of the car, into Merle's view. His jaw dropped. "Oooooh my if it isn't little miss Daft. Hows your daddy?" He asked with a smirk on his face.

"Hows yours?" I asked in a harsh tone, getting him to shut up about it.

Merle tried to get Glenn to take him to Daryl, but Glenn denied, not risking for Merle to have a group and to lead them to the prison. "Oh come on now, you can trust me." Merle said in the most untrust worthy voice ever. I gripped onto my gun, having it ready just incase anything happens.

Out of no where a gun shot rings out and the car window shatters. I quickly flew down, shielding my head afraid that I might have caught a bullet, but I didn't. I quickly grabbed my gun and shot back up, running over to Glenn who had his gun pointed at Merle who had his gun at Maggie's throat. "Merle you better back the hell up." I snatched at him.

"Or what, princess? Ya gona shoot me? I thought we were friends!" He snickered, but then his face fell. "GUNS IN THE CAR! NOW!" He yelled and pushed the gun further into Maggie's throat. Glenn and I quickly through are guns into the car.

"LET GO OF HER!" Glenn shouted at him

"Now we're gona go for a little drive.." Merle said.

"We're not taking you back to our camp." I snapped at him, anger boiling in my veins.

"No, we're goin somewhere else... GET IN THE CAR, DAFT. GLENN, YOU'RE DRIVIN. MOVE." He yelled, calling me by my last name.

Glenn and I looked at each other with hesitant glances, but then Merle just put his finger lightly on the trigger. "Don't!" Glenn cried out and then made his way to the drivers seat as I went into the passenger one.

Merle threw Maggie in the back seat and climbed in after her, keeping his gun pointed. I wanted so desperately to make a move out of pure anger, but I had no plan that wouldn't result in one of us getting killed or Daryl's brother.... Damn you Merle.