CHAPTER TWO
ii. ISOLATION

RUTH

ONLY ONE COLOR was visible to Ruth. Black. The bed she rested on wasn't visible in the pitch black of the night, the moon barely shining through the small window.

Ruth went to pull herself up from the soft bed, but was brought back by cold metal touching her wrist. Her right arm was handcuffed above her to the bedpost, keeping her in place. On her left, a small needle pricked her hand, an IV pole beside it.

The fluid inside dripped at a steady pace. Drip. Drip. Drip. She felt no pain, but she did feel confusion. A yawn erupted from her, and she leaned against the pillow, gazing up at the white ceiling.

"We can't trust her. What if she came from the same group as the other kid?" A man's voice echoed through the door.

"She might have, but she mentioned she was running from a group. We can't force her to go back there, Shane." Glenn's voice said quietly through the door.

"Y'all didn't see her out there. She was terrified. Fuck it if she knows him. She's a completely different person. The girl's basically harmless right now anyways." Daryl replied. Ruth scoffed.

"I am not." She muttered.

"She needs to be locked up and away from the rest of us. You really want her in the same house as your girls, Hershel? I say put her in the barn with the boy." A deep voice echoed. Ruth's eyes narrowed at the statement, and she yanked on the handcuffs that kept her arm in place.

"Hello? Let me out!" She shouted. The voices hushed at her calls, and heavy footsteps reached her door almost immediately. The white door opened, revealing the man from before with the shaved head, Rick, and Hershel.

The man looked at Ruth with utter distaste and charged towards her, but Rick placed his hand on the man's chest to stop him. "Shane, just slow down a bit."

"She's gonna lead that group back here and we're all gonna be left for dead, Rick. You want me to slow down?" Shane glared at her, and she pushed her body further against the bed frame in an attempt to distance herself from the hot head.

Hershel glared in his direction. "You can decide later what to do. Right now, she needs that wound checked. Either bite your tongue or leave." He said. Shane huffed and glared in her direction before storming out the door like a child that didn't get what they wanted.

Rick's eyes met Ruth's in a scrutinizing gaze. He wanted to figure out if she really was as bad as the men at that bar. He needed to know if she was a part of that group so he could act accordingly. The man only wanted to ensure the safety of his family. If that meant the girl had to leave or be... executed, he would do as such. Hershel looked closely at the sutures, checking for any abnormalities.

"You're lucky this didn't get any worse than it did. I think you'll be alright." The older man said, placing his hand on her shoulder. Ruth failed to conceal a flinch, which the sheriff noticed from the corner of his eye. She felt Rick's gaze soften, but she ignored it as Hershel lectured her on staying in the bed.

"You need to stay off of this for at least a week, probably longer. Otherwise, you might tear a stitch." He said.

The girl sighed, "Fine. Can you take this cuff off? The IV is keeping me here anyways." Rick raised an eyebrow before taking the keys from his pocket and unlocking it. Ruth rolled her shoulder in an attempt to lessen the discomfort.

"I need to ask you some questions, Ruth. About your old group. You see, we have some people who don't necessarily trust your being here."

"Just ask. I'm all ears." She said, a small smile reaching her lips before vanishing.

"What was the group like?"

She paused a moment, licking her lips. "A man named Andrew ran it. It was mostly an all male group, but people like my sister and I joined along with them. Being a woman in that group was terrifying. They did things to-" She stopped, gulping and avoiding Rick's eyes.

"What did they do?"

Ruth sighed, digging her nails into her palm."They hurt my sister. She... she did it to keep me safe."

Rick saw how uncomfortable she was and quickly changed the topic. "Was this group camped out some place?"

"We were moving from place to place. I'm sure if they found this farm, they would take anyone out in their way for it. If you find them, do not and I repeat do not bring them back. All of your men will die and your women will wish they were dead with you."

Rick sat there puzzled at the woman, wondering why she told him everything in an honest manner. Little did he know, Ruth was one of the most blunt people in existence. She told it like it was, and never any other way.

He sighed. "So, why did you run?"

"Andrew, the leader, wanted us to go after another group. Said they killed some of his men." Rick's breathing cut short as he thought back to the small group at the bar. He remembers their bodies collapsing in agony on the ground after bullets touched their flesh. He remembers the pain they suffered, and he didn't feel bad.

"Do you know a kid named Randall?" Ruth's eyes widened. This was the group? The people who killed six of their men?

"That idiot?" She sighed. "Yea I know him. Never was useful during his entire time with the group."

This confirmed Rick's fears. She was a part of the group that threatened their safety. He held up a hand to his pistol, pulling it from his holster and calling out the door. "Shane, come here."

Rick was convinced that this would protect him. This would protect Lori and Carl. This would protect the group and Hershel's family. This was right, not morally wrong. The girl recoiled back as he walked closer to the bed. Ruth's eyes pleaded for him not to kill her. She wanted to run, but she couldn't risk tearing a stitch. He sighed. Was he really going to go through with this?

Shane entered the room, his eyes darting between the two. Ruth frantically shook her head as Rick raised the pistol.

"Please. Whatever I did, I'm so sorry." She cried. It hurt Rick to look at the girl tremble at the sight of him. She probably thought of him as a monster at this point, but he just wanted his family to be safe.

"I'm sorry." Rick raised the pistol and hit it over her head, knocking her unconscious. Her body slumped against the bed, a small bump emerging on her temple.

He heard Shane sigh beside him. "I'll take her to the barn." Rick said quietly.

"Good."

Hershel was called to remove her IV, and her body was carried out the door. Rick caught the confused looks of the others as Ruth's frail body hung limp in his arms. Glenn and Maggie looked disappointed, while Daryl remained silent at the woman.

Rick reached the barn doors, ignoring Shane's smug expression as she was leaned against a wooden post. Randall shouted and pleaded like usual, but stopped when he recognized the girl beside him. Her arms were cuffed around the post, and the two men left in silence. Only one walked with a proud strut, while the other slumped slightly in shame.

••

"Ruth."

"Ruth, come on. Talk to me." His voice hissed from beside her. His annoying pitch made her head ache, and she tried her best to feign unconsciousness.

"Ru-"

"Oh my fucking god, do you ever shut up?" She hissed.

"Sorry." He said quietly. Ruth had to admit this kid was annoying. She wanted nothing to do with him. "At least we'll die together right?" Randall smiled slightly.

Ruth scoffed and faced him with a glare that scared most, and he gulped. "You're the reason I'm dying in the first place."

Randall went to speak, but the doors opened revealing the bright sun. Daryl stood threateningly at the entrance.

"The hell did I say about talkin' to her? You best keep your mouth shut, you piece of shit." He shouted at Randall. The kid pleaded for him to stop, but the man threw a punch directly at the kid's jaw. Daryl stood back up to his tall stance, his eyes meeting Ruth's with a small glare.

Ruth was grateful, though, because she could get some peace from the chaos that wrapped itself around her like a constrictor. It suffocated her lungs as it got tighter and tighter, and it was something that she couldn't really control.

The chaos was like a plague. It moved from person to person and didn't stop until the said human could escape.

The chaos didn't stop, Ruth realized, and neither would she.