CHAPTER SIX || A NEW DAY

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Alex woke up to an empty cell, Glenn was gone. the blanket he'd used on the floor now folded and placed on the end of her bed. groaning, she rubbed the sleep from her eyes getting up and heading out into the cell block. her eyes landed on the group talking, making her way over she wanted to know what the plan was for the rest of the day.

"what's going on?" Alex questioned as she joined the group stood around a table, all choosing their weapons, as her eyebrows knitted together curious to figure out what they were planning.

"we're pushing in. find the infirmary, warden's office," Glenn answered looking at the girl from across the table, his brows furrowed together confused as to why no one told her after picking up on her confused expression.

"Alright," she reached down to the two knives on her belt before Rick spoke again, crushing her hopes of having a productive Day.

"you're not coming," Rick stated looking down at his gun making Alex scoff and look toward Maggie who was standing next to him and was clearly getting ready to go with them. utter disbelief washing over Alex. As anger flooded through her veins, she wondered how logical this decision could possibly be.

"the sheltered farmer's daughter can and I can't?" she scoffed, all eyes now on her as she insulted Maggie. it wasn't intentional, the words escaped her lips before she even had a second to think. she didn't get how Maggie could go but she couldn't. a trained soldier, and an experienced one at that.

The look on Maggie's face, indicating Alex's words hurt to some extent, Alex just couldn't grasp how she, a soldier, a sniper wasn't allowed to help in any way. how was she supposed to bring anything to the group, prove she could fight if no one would let her? yet in reality, Deep down, she did know.

"Enough. you're staying. I need someone to stay with Lori and Carl." Alex scoffed. She knew something was off with her family, Rick, and Carl they both seemed different around Lori, and she knew why... but she couldn't help but think there was something more.

"I'm more capable than most of the people here" She shook her head turning on her heel, Daryl giving her a look shaking his head as she walked off. Rick following, close behind.

her past followed her around every corner there was no escaping the horrors that once happened despite how fast she ran away.

"you and Carl need to handle things here." Alex shook her head as she kept walking back into the main cell block, trying to gain her composure, her blood boiling at Rick's words.

"Hershel. Maggie? I'm a trained sniper. I was on the road alone for weeks." she turned to face her overprotective uncle with a glare of anger, despite his reasonings. there was one thing neither of them spoke of, one reason why Rick wouldn't allow his niece to go with them.

"stop. Listen to me, Alex. You're staying here with Lori and Carl this is for all of your safety. You know why I'm doing this." Alex ran a hand through her hair, emotions coursing through her veins. She did not need protection.

"Whatever Rick" She shook her head, this world she had been exposed to so much even before all this, She didn't need protection not then. Not now. frustration bubbled deep within her stomach as she tried to pull herself together and let go of the anger that lingered deep within her but she couldn't. She wanted to help.

**

Rick gave Carl the keys, as the group made their way out of the cell block, Glenn passing Alex on his way out. "don't die." Alex scoffed as he walked passed her, a small smile formed as he looked down at her nodding as he left. the sarcastic comment came almost too naturally from the brunette as she had finally calmed down enough for her mind to clear.

locking the door of the cell block as the group left, Carl looked to his cousin Alex as he leaned against the wall before sliding down it into a sitting position. Alex walked over to her younger cousin, sitting next to him they both sighed.

"you alright jelly bean?" Alex asked, Carl, chuckling at the nickname he'd been given years ago when they played bean boozled when Carl was 5 and almost threw up after eating a Rotten egg jelly bean, The memory inciting a smile on the girl's face.

"Yeah" he answered, Alex nodded leaning her head against the wall not believing the words her cousin said as he avoided the girl's eye contact hoping she wouldn't pry for more answers.

"I heard about the farm... and your mom. I just want you to know, Carl, if you need anything, I'm here. Even if you just want to talk," Alex said, trying to comfort her young cousin. The innocence in his eyes was not as it once was.

"Shane...I killed him," Carl said, his voice shaking. an instant relief seemed to fall from the boy as he let out the words that had plagued his mind since the farm. Alex immediately shook her head at his words, taken back. He was a walker. She couldn't imagine what the poor kid had witnessed in this world, how quickly he had to grow up.

"You killed a walker, Jelly Bean. That wasn't Shane," she comforted her cousin. Everything he'd been through caused an ache in her heart. She knew all of this would make him stronger, but he didn't need to be stronger. He needed to be safe. he didn't deserve any of this.

"you're a good kid, Carl, we all love you. nothing that happened... nothing that happens, none of it is your fault. me and your parents are gonna do everything we can to keep you safe and make sure you don't have to do that again" Alex sighed looking at the young boy who didn't reply, his mind consuming him, Alex wrapped an arm around his shoulders in an attempt to comfort him.

she never wanted him to have to deal with the same struggles she had, the demons that plagued her mind, she begged for them to never find their way into his.

Carl looked down, silence lingering between the two cousins as they waited for the rest of the group to return, Carol, Beth and Lori were somewhere in the cell block, unbeknownst to the conversation happening by the door, a conversation that would play on Alex's mind for weeks. The pair stayed seated by the gate Alex's attempts to comfort him clearly not working until an old game they used to play popped into her mind.

"rock paper scissors?" Alex questioned turning to the young boy who looked up at her with a look on his face as if to say 'Are you joking?'

"Really?" he chuckled looking up at his cousin whose expression was serious, anything she could do to take his mind off of it she would, and if a simple game of rock paper scissors would do that. she wanted to play.

"Absolutely. hey now if you're scared I'm too good I'll just ask Glenn to play when he gets back" she chuckled, The smile on carls face only grew as he held both of his hands out one fist over his open palm ready to play.

"not a chance" and the game began.. a simple game of rock paper scissors. yet between the two extremely competitive grimes one game could last for hours, after demanding rematches and accusing each other of cheating. one game led to the time going fast the pair was distracted by each other's laughter.. that was the closest to normalcy Alex had felt in months. Carl and Alex had always gotten along despite the obvious age gap.

yet the game was soon interrupted by a panicked shout.

"open the door! it's Hershel!" Her Uncles concern-filled yells shocked the two sat on the floor as Alex and Carl jumped up from their Seated position Carl rushing to open the door swinging it open to see the group rolling Hershel in on a table. blood. that was all she could see.

His leg, the blood. They rolled the poor man into the cell block. alex's heart immediately began to race as she rushed toward the group. Beth panicked shriek filled Alex's ears as she saw the state of her father. Alex jumped into action, ordering them to put him on a bed, adrenaline rushing through her veins.

"He got bit," Rick stated as he, Glenn, and Alex moved him from the table onto a bed in a cell. Beth and Lori stood panicked over them. Alex's heart skipped a beat as she processed Rick's words, this is exactly why she should've gone with them.

"I've seen this shit before. I'll do what I can," Alex said, her hands going over the cloth covering the stump where Rick had hacked Hershel's leg off. Both men stared at the young girl her words shocked Rick to the core, he knew she'd seen things... but this.

"I need bandages and towels," Alex ordered, her voice firm and confident. She knew what she was doing, and her actions proved it. she pulled the cloth from Hershel's leg to see the damage Rick had done. her heart raced, bile rising in her throat, memories of her time in Afghanistan flashing before her eyes as Hershel's blood coated her hands.

"We used all we had" Glenn panicked hands on the back of his head, his voice laced with fear, anxiety radiating from him as the tension throughout the room grew thicker.

"Well, fucking get more! now!" she looked between Rick and Glenn ordering them to get more so she could attempt to slow the bleeding, He could make it, she knew that. but she had to slow the bleeding. and fast.

Carl ran out of the cell to retrieve more towels as Alex put pressure on Hershel's leg hearing the panic of his daughter Beth behind her. Alex's heart pounded against her chest, had seen similar things while working, legs being blown off. but chopped, that was different.

"you think you can save him?" Rick questioned looking down at his niece. the panic was evident in his voice, as his panicked eyes met Alex's she looked up at Rick unsure... if they were equipped to deal with this type of injury, yeah.. but now.. she wasn't so sure.

what would Eli do...

"I don't know. I need to keep his leg elevated. get me pillows now." She ordered, Rick automatically rushing out of the room to retrieve some pillows. the tension in the air was thick as everyone looked to Alex to save him.. her heart raced feeling everyone's eyes on her. She had to save him. his daughters watching her every move.

"We could cauterise the wound, stop the bleeding, I can start a fire" Glenn suggested, panic lacing his voice. Alex shook her head as the Two Greene girls panicked at the mention of fire.

"No. the shock could kill him. we don't know what the nerve damage is like and ups the risk of infection" Alex stated As Carl handed her more towels, she took the towels from her cousin wrapping them around his wound and discarding the blood-soaked rags on the floor.

"We need to keep it clean, dressed and let it heal on its own," Alex stated, tightly Wrapping the wound with more towels as Glenn checked Hershel's pulse. Rick came back with pillows a look of panic consuming his features. Glenn lifted Hershel's leg so Alex could place the pillows underneath to keep it elevated as she heard a commotion coming from outside the cell block.

"ya'll live in there?" an unfamiliar voice echoed through the hallways as Alex's head shot toward her uncle as Daryl's booming voice followed, Alex's heart raced as she looked toward Rick in confusion, her eyebrows knitting together.

"what's that?" Beth questioned as Rick looked back before looking down at Alex. The uncle-niece duo sharing a mutual "fuck sake" look as unfamiliar voices filled their ears. Alex tried to focus her mind on Hershel's leg, her heart violently pounding in her chest, as The added danger of a new voice fuelled her anxiety.

"prisoners. it's alright. Everybody stay put." Rick stated, his voice was stern aware of the dangers new people could bring, specifically prisoners. Alex returned her hands to Hershel's wound looking next to her to see Carol, she could feel Hershels blood pooling beneath Her hands, the crimson substance leaking out between her fingers.

"help me. keep pressure on the wound" Carol nodded doing as Alex said, placing her hands  where Alex's were. Alex's hands left Hershel's wound, Carol now left to control the blood flow while Alex checked Hershel's pulse.

"pulse is steady enough for now" she nodded looking down towards Carol. a mutual sigh of relief echoed through the room at Alex's words. She grabbed another towel wrapping it around Hershel's leg as Carol replaced her hands Alex looked back to the two girls with teary eyes looking down at their father.

"I'm gonna do everything I can for him, I've seen worse and people have pulled through," Alex explained offering a small reassuring smile to the two girls, hoping she could at least soothe their anxieties a little...Her previous words to Maggie making a wave of guilt wash over her.

"I'm sorry for earlier Maggie... I really am" Alex apologised placing a hand on the girl's shoulder, Maggie looked up at her, teary-eyed yet offered her a small smile despite what she was going through.

"thank you Alex" She smiled, Alex nodded rubbing the girl's shoulder softly before walking off. taking a deep breath Alex couldn't imagine the pain they felt.

**

Alex had left Lori and Carol to keep an eye on Hershel as she left the cell to speak to Glenn, approaching him she noticed his eyes were soft, sadness consuming his features as Alex stopped in front of him wanting to ease his pain somehow. thick tension lingered in the air as everyone's thoughts were on Hershel the man who had saved Carl, the man who had offered the group sanctuary before Alex came along.

"we're not equipped to deal with this," he said sadness clung to his tone, the tremble in his voice making Alex shake her head as her gaze softened. the sadness behind Glenn's eyes making Alex bite her lip, anxiety rushing through her body as she thought about Hershel.

"I'll do what I can" Alex stated unsure of what to say to make him feel better. She was never good at that, she never knew what to say in situations like this. but Eli did. her best friend did, and she knew what he'd tell her. he'd tell her to listen, listen and tell the truth. so that's what she did. She would, she'd do what she could.

"I didn't know you had medical experience" he said looking down at his hands where he was playing with his fingers, anxiety radiating off him as he avoided Alex's eye contact.

"my best friend Eli, he was a medic. taught me a few things" Alex nodded, the mention of her best friend making her heartache. he would've been more valuable to the group than her, she thought.

every time she thought about him her heart shattered with grief, the feeling of losing him was one she would never forget. he was her saviour after all. he was the one who saved her life again and again, but she couldn't save his. and that fact haunted her.

Glenn nodded biting his lip, Alex sighed and stepped forward pulling him into a hug. his arms wrapped around her as he held her tightly. the lack of human affection clear in the way he grasped her, and the sigh of relief that left his lips when he felt her embrace.

Alex hugged him, the initial feeling making her body freeze from the lack of affection, yet she wanted to make him feel better, she hated seeing the way grief affected people. she hated it, it reminded her of Eli, her Mother.

"I'll do what I can," she repeated tapping his shoulder to break the hug not exactly comfortable with affection or human connection and the fact she enjoyed it.. that hug didn't just help him. it helped her.

"I just don't want to keep losing people"

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A-N// i promise you the second book is so much better than the first! please do keep reading it gets sm better