Sometimes a Married Sheriff Isn't a Bad Thing to Do in a Zombie Apocalypse

Katherine’s head lay in Rick’s lap as he drove around as fast as he could to get the plan in motion, constantly looking down and checking to see that if she was still breathing. She had become paler than usual, to the point where she looked like she was dead and blood spattered were marked up her face and across her clothes. The belt was keeping the blood from spurting out her arm but Rick needed her supplies as soon as possible to get her stitched up. He couldn’t believe what he had done.

“Stay with us, Katherine.” Glenn shook her unharmed shoulder, worried that they might be too late. He looked back through the rear view mirror to see that a crowd of walkers were after them and they drove around the front of the department store to see the crowd outside as well. It looked like absolute hell. “Oh my God. Oh my God. They're all over that place.”

“You need to draw them away. Those roll-up doors at the front of the store… That area? That's what I need cleared. Raise your friends. Tell them to get down there and be ready, and to get Katherine’s things. I need to help her.” Rick explained to him, trying to steer carefully whilst holding Katherine so she didn’t fall off the seat. Her short frame was lying between the middle and driver’s seat, Glenn also holding her body so she didn’t go flying into the dashboard to hurt herself even more.

“And I'm drawing the geeks away how? I… I missed that part.”

“Noise.” Rick continued to drive down the street, scanning for the fastest car that he could find before coming to a red sports car parked on the sidewalk and barely touched apart from the collection of dirt and scratches from the walkers that had passed by it.

Rick unstrapped himself from the seat, getting out of the car and gently resting Katherine’s head on the seat before running to the car with Glenn and smashing the window. The alarm blared from the car and walkers far from them had turned to the direction of the sound as Rick got inside and hot wired the car with success for Glenn.

“Go, quickly, I need to get them.” Glenn scrambled to get inside and he drove off down the street at a startling speed, the car’s noise going with him and Rick jumped back up into the truck and pulled Katherine’s still body against him. “You’re going to be okay, I promise.” He kissed her forehead, keeping a grip on her as he began to speed off in the truck.

He drove back towards the back of the store, knowing that Glenn would have distracted the lot of them by now he got the truck into the loading dock of the department store, getting out of his seat and making his way through the back and then getting it open, banging on the door that was directly behind it. He heard the shouts of Andrea, Jacqui, Morales and T-Dog as they opened the door as fast as they could and then all jumped into the back of the van, Rick going back to the front as well as Morales.

“Let’s go!” T-Dog shouted, getting in and slamming the van door down and Rick sped off, Morales looking down in horror to see Katherine’s body covered in blood.

“Is she bit?!” The Mexican exclaimed.

“No! I pulled her off the fence, I need her kit.” Rick gestured and clicked his fingers for Andrea to give him her backpack that had all of her supplies in. Andrea gave it to him and handed it to Morales to get out the kit as Rick focused on driving them out of the city. “When we’re out, we’ll switch.” Rick referred to once they were out of the city then they’d stop so Rick could fix her up and put her in the back with the others and Morales could take over driving.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

“Is that all muscle?” Jacqui asked Rick as his hands worked the needle and thread through her arm as he sat in the back of the van with the others, Morales now taking his spot and Rick was putting all of his attention on Katherine. He didn't have a clue what he was doing, but he was trying his best. It was found out that T-Dog was going to let Merle go but he dropped the key down the drain, having to leave him there up on the roof. Rick didn’t care very much, Merle was a danger to the group and he was a danger to Katherine, he wanted to keep this merry band safe as well as the brunette in his arms; drifting in and out of sleep.

“Oh my God, will she be able to use it?” Andrea questioned in horror, holding Katherine's torn leather jacket.

“I’m th’ doctor here.” They jumped at the sound of Katherine’s hoarse voice, looking up at her pale face and she gave them a cracked smile. “If I heard ye correctly, I’d said ye were worried, Blondie.” She chuckled weakly in Rick’s arms, the Sheriff now smiling wildly – half way through her arm and he mentally noted that he was going to give her massive hug and possible kiss when he is finished. “Ye did sterilize th’ needle?”

“Of course,” Rick nodded and Katherine hissed at the shooting pain. “Doesn’ it hurt anymore?” He asked in concern, unsure if she should be feeling horrible pain or nothing at all.

“A little.” She whispered, looking down at her arm. “There’s Vicodin in me bag, th’ wound on me leg was never patched properly either.” Katherine motioned for T-Dog to get it with a polite smile and he rummaged through her bag and handed them over graciously. Katherine, with the help of Rick, poured out three pills and knocked them back and swallowed dryly. “That’ll help.”

“I’m so sorry, Katherine. I didn't listen to you.” Rick apologized once again to the wounded Irishwoman with sad eyes, finishing up with the poor stitching and put the used supplies in a corner of the van and he pressed a bloody hand to her cheek, caressing. Jacqui, T-Dog and Andrea watched the two of them, sure that every time that they looked into each other’s eyes – Katherine and Rick were the only two people in the room. “I’ve ruined your life.”

“No, ye really haven’t.” She replied, her hand over the one that was against her cheek bloodied cheek. “Tis' but a scratch.” The brunette smiled and Rick gave a disbelieving laugh at how even after Rick had put her through excruciating pain she was still in a great mood. “Have ye ever watched Monty Python?” She smiled. The gaping wound had also extended to the point just over her jaw, it wasn't as bad as her arm though, she could live with it rather easily.

“I see it! Black Chevy right?” Morales questioned from the front seat and Katherine nodded, going to speak again and lift herself up but Rick shook his head, thumb brushing along her vermilion ghostly.

“No, rest. Yeah, it is.” Rick said back to Morales and they felt the van slowing down. “I need to put this around it.” He grabbed a packet from the box which contained perfectly clean, white bandages and he tore it open with this teeth so he could get the wrap out and layer it around the cuts that went from the top of her forearm, around her arm and just over her shoulder where it sat across one of her tattoos. Katherine bit down on her lip as he wrapped it tightly and the van finally came to a stop, Morales getting out and greeting Dermot to tell him everything that had happened in the past few hours.

After a few minutes of explaining, the back doors opened to reveal Dermot standing there in an outrage and concern for his niece. T-Dog, Andrea and Jacqui were ushered out and Rick helped Katherine stand once her arm was freshly bandaged so Dermot could get a look at her.

”Lord’s name, lass.” Dermot gasped, his hand hesitating to touch the scaring that was soon to come to her. “Can ye move it?” He questioned, his eyes full of fear that Katherine may never be able to handle a gun and protect herself ever again. Andrea had given Katherine her jacket back, one arm slipped through the sleeve but the other side was hung around her shoulder.

”A little. A lot of th’ muscle is fucked now.” Katherine answered him quietly, sitting on the edge of the back with Rick at her side holding her other hand. “I don’ know if I’ll be able te-“

“No, don’ say that, Katty. Yer gonna be right as rain, I’ll make sure of that.” Dermot assured her and she gave him a bloody smile. The Irishman turned to Rick with sore eyes. “Was this ye?” He flamed immediately, his thick accent barking at him.

“We needed te get out, Dermo. I’ll jumped over th’ fence and got my arm caught, slipped and fell from the rain.” Katherine answered almost immediately before Rick could even open his mouth to tell her uncle the exact truth of what had happened. “Rick saved me, I owe him.” Dermot calmed down a little, still upset and angry to see what had happened to his niece.

“Well, I guess I should thank ye then..” Dermot stretched his hand out for the cop, making Rick looked down at it sceptically, disbelieved that Dermot has accepted Katherine’s lie and wanted to thank Rick when it was actually his entire fault. “Ye saved my niece’s life. If it weren’ fer ye, she wouldn’ be here right now and she’ll never see her brother again. Thank ye.” Rick dropped Katherine’s hand gently and reached for Dermot’s, clasping it and shaking firmly. “I guess we better be off, got that gas?”

“Right here, sir.” T-Dog stated from behind them, holding up a red tank full of gas that would help their way along the road until they found some more. They were a little preoccupied.

“Good, lad.” Dermot took the red tank and made his way over to the parked Impala next to the house, Rick getting out of the van and helping Katherine out and stand up carefully on the pavement.

“My legs ain’ broken, Rick.” Katherine gave him a playful smile, Jacqui handing over Katherine’s bag to her with a comforting smile. The Irishwoman turned to the group that she had met, apart from Glenn who was probably on the way back to camp and Merle who was handcuffed on top of a department store in the city. She gave them all a warm, thankful smile, looking at each one of them with tired eyes. They'd just been through a whirlwind of hell but she was glad that she met them.“It was good meeting ye all, which I could have under different circumstances. Good luck and be careful on yer way back te yer camp.”

“You’re really going? It’s going to be getting late soon, you guys should come with us for now. You need to rest properly.” Morales stated from the side of the car with a suggestive smile, happy to have met Katherine and a little disappointed that she was leaving. Everyone else felt the same – apart from Andrea.

“He’s right lass, got us a hard night away wit that arm of yers.” Dermot called back and Katherine gave them a look of apology. “We can eat, sleep and then leave tomorrow. Malachy will still be there.” Dermot put a hand on her unharmed shoulder, giving her a hearty smile.

“No. I got te get Malachy no matter what, a shredded arm ain’t gonna slow me down. Good luck all of ye, God speed.” She nodded and each one of the group came up to her and gave her a friendly hug, bidding her farewell and good luck on her travels. Everyone apart from Andrea and Rick. “Give my love te th’ kid.” Katherine said to T-Dog, referring to Glenn.

”Will do, K.” T-Dog smiled at her, getting back in the back of the van with the others and it was ready to go, the late afternoon coming down around them and Katherine turned to Rick with a soft smile.

“Thank ye fer everything. I couldn’ have done it without ye.” Katherine thanked him brightly and Rick’s eyes jumped down to her arm and began to wash over with guilt once again. “Let’s face it, I’m pretty stupid. It was bound te happen.”

“You’re not, you should have told Dermot the truth.” Rick almost scolded her.

”Nah, it was me fault. I’ve climbed enough fences in me time and spent time around barbed wire not te actually put me hand through th’ loop.” She gave an enthused chuckle but she was still amused with herself nonetheless. Rick still didn’t understand her, she was undeniable crazy. “I’ll miss ye most of all, Rick Grimes.” She bumped his shoulder with her hand, smiling widely.

“You too, Katherine. Be safe.” He wrapped his arm around her in a half hug, breathing in her scent that he will surely remember before pulling back and drinking in the image of this remarkable woman. Katherine tip toed so she could place a kiss on Rick’s cheek before smirking, giving a lazy salute and spinning around to sway in the direction of of her car and waiting uncle.

”I’ll see ye in hell, Grimes!” Were the last words that he had heard from Katherine-March McKinney.