𝐂𝐑𝐎𝐒𝐒𝐇𝐀𝐈𝐑𝐒.
chapter nineteen; Two Doors Open
" Don't make her mourn your father while he's still alive. "

THEY MADE IT back to their cell block without another incident.

  Vex helped lift Hershel from the cart they'd wheeled him on to a bed, Carol quickly joining her side as they worked.

  "What do you have leftover, Dean?"

  "Painkillers, antibiotics," Dean said quickly, "Some gauze--"

  "Get it all," Carol urged, "Vex, don't let go of this, I have to lift his leg."

  Vex nodded, her hands staining red as Hershel's blood soaked through the towel she held.

  "Here, I got it," Dean said, quickly as he returned with a bag, quickly placing his hands where Vex's had been, "Take a second, V."

  She blinked rapidly, standing slowly.

  The world felt far away as Vex started down the stairs, wandering to the communal area she knew Daryl was in.

  "We have company comin'," Daryl whispered.

  Vex swallowed thickly, unholstering her gun as Daryl lifted his crossbow. 

  Sure enough, the prisoners from earlier came wandering in.

 "S'far enough," Daryl said.

  "Cellblock C," One man said, "Cell 4-- that's mine, gringo. Let me in."

  "Today's your lucky day, fellas," Daryl said, "You've been pardoned by the state of Georgia. You're free to go."

  "What you got goin' on in there?"

  "It ain't none of your concern."

  "Don't be tellin' me what's my concern," The first man said, grabbing his gun from his waistband.

  Vex mirrored his movements, stepping forward so she was side-by-side with Daryl.

  "Chill, man," Another inmate said, "Dude's leg is messed up. 'Sides, we're free now. Why are we still in here?"

  "Man's got a point," Daryl said.

  "Yeah, and I gotta check on my old lady."

  "A group of civilians breaking into a prison you got no business bein' in-- got me thinkin' there ain't no place for us to go."

  "Why don't you go find out?" Daryl said.

  "Maybe we'll just be goin' no. . ."

  "Hey, we ain't leavin'."

  "You ain't comin' in, either," T-Dog said as he rounded the corner, lifting his own pistol to the man who mirrored him. 

  "Hey, this is my house, my rules," The inmate said, "I go where I damn well please."

  "It ain't your house anymore," Vex said, tilting her head, "Simple as that."

  "We ain't going nowhere--"

  "There ain't nothin' for you here," Daryl argued, "Why don't you go back to your own sandbox--"

  "Hey, hey, hey!" Rick called as he entered, "Everyone, relax, there's no need for this.

  "How many of you in there?" The inmate that held his gun to T-Dog questioned.

  "Too many for you to handle," Rick said easily.

  "You guys rob a bank or somethin'?" The inmate questioned after a moment," Why don't you take 'im to a hospital?"

  The group looked at each other, unable to find words at the moment.

  "How long you been locked in that cafeteria?"

  "Goin' on like 10 months," He responded after a moment.

  "A fight broke out," Another inmate said, "Never seen anything like it."

  "Attica on speed, man."

  "We heard about dudes goin' cannibal," Another man started, "Dying, coming back to life. Crazy."

  "One guard looked out for us. Locked us up in the cafeteria, told us to sit tight, threw me this piece, said he'd be right back."

  "Yeah, and that was 292 days ago."

  "94, 'ccording to my calcula--"

  "Shut up," The first inmate said harshly. 

  "We been thinkin' that the Army or the National Guard should be showin' up any day now."

  "Military fell."

  The inmates looked at Vex uneasily.

  "What do you mean?"

  "There's no military anymore," Vex shook her head, "No. . . government."

  The inmates looked at one another.

  "No hospitals," Rick continued, "No police. It's all gone."

  "For real?"

  "Serious?"

  Vex could see the revelation cross each one of their faces.

  "What about my moms?"

  "My kids? And my old lady?" A man said, "Yo, you got a-- a cell phone or something that we can call our families?"

  "You just don't get it, do you?" Daryl said.

  "No phones, no computers," Rick listed again, "As far as we can see, at least half the population has been wiped out. Probably more."

"Ain't no way."

  "See for yourself."

  Daryl nodded to Vex, the woman wordlessly returning to the cell block to help Lori and Carol tend to Hershel.

  "How's he doin'?"

  "Better with Dean's meds," Carol greeted, "Bleeding's slowing down, too."

   "Good," Vex nodded, "I'll talk to Rick, and see if we can get the infirmary next on the list. Hopefully, they'll have some crutches for 'im, more medicine and gauze. . ."

  Carol nodded, thanking the woman. 

  Vex remained there, staring as Carol held pressure, feeling entirely helpless.

  Until she realized while she may not be able to help Hershel, she could sure as hell be there for his daughters.

  The woman walked silently, finding Maggie already sitting with Beth, along with Zeppelin Williams.

  "Fixin' up his pants, huh?"

  Beth looked up as she finished cutting a leg of the pants, already on edge after her talk with Maggie.

  "Yeah."

  "Well, I think he'll appreciate that," Vex smiled softly, taking a seat by the girl, "I can hem 'em if you want some help."

  Beth nodded, a sparkle of hope shining in her eye as Vex dug through her bag, producing a small sewing kit.

  "Vex. . ." Maggie said quietly.

  The woman stood, threading the needle as she did, stepping outside of the cell with Maggie Greene on her heels.

  "There's no harm in having hope, Maggie," Vex responded once they were out of earshot.

  "You're the first person who tells us to live in reality and now--"

  "This is your father's life," Vex said, meeting the woman's eyes, "I know you may have a different way of coping with that, and that is okay. But Beth's still young. Don't make her mourn your father while he's still alive."

  Vex reached out, squeezing the woman's shoulder, before re-entering the cell with Beth and Zeppelin.

  The girls sat under a heavy cloud of emotion; Beth was holding out hope, but that didn't make it any easier on her.

  Zeppelin spoke first, recalling one of her first memories with Hershel, where he'd gotten her up on a horse and cheered when she made it around the property.

  Beth smiled, telling her own stories, and after a while, even Vex joined in.

  She, for one, knew it was always better to focus on someone's life, rather than their death.

  "Yo, V."

  Vex looked up, seeing Dean and Daryl approaching the cell with weapons at the ready.

  "We're clearin' out a cell block. Could use the help."

  Vex nodded, pulling herself to her feet.

  "Mom. . ." Zeppelin said quietly, "Be safe."

  Vex pressed a kiss to her daughter's head, doing the same to Beth Greene, before departing.

🗡

  Daryl, Rick, and T-Dog had already given the prisoners the rundown on walkers. That you had to aim for the head, and guns were a last resort.

  Vex had also been under the impression that they'd been told to stay in formation, but she had a feeling this wouldn't last.

  They walked in rows of two down the halls, with Daryl in the lead, flashlights lighting their way.

  Vex heard the shuffle of a walker far ahead of them, looking to Dean who nodded.

  "It's comin'!"

  Rick quickly shushed the prisoner who had called it out, as Daryl held a hand up for the group to halt.

  Two walkers shuffled around the corner, and Daryl began counting to three-- but, of course, the prisoners rushed the walkers early.

  Vex watched as they attacked the walkers, clearly not understanding the instruction of 'go for the head', as they punched and kicked, stabbing the walkers in their stomachs and chests.

  "So. . . they're idiots," Vex mumbled, standing back with the rest of her group.

  They continued walking until hearing the approach of more.

  "Gotta be the brain," Daryl said, sending an arrow through a walker's skull, "Not the stomach, not the heart. The brain."

  "I hear you. The brain."

  Vex watched as one prison quickly chopped down the next walker, aiming correctly this time. The next two were sent down quickly as well, and the woman thought if they kept on, they may actually have a chance.

  "Stay in tight formation," Rick said, "No more prison riot crap."

  More walkers came toward them, the group taking them down with ease-- until Vex heard gunshots from behind her, looking to Dean in concern.

  He nodded, remaining stationed with the group as Vex split off, a hatchet in her hand. 

  She spotted Rick and two of the prisoners instantly, her frustration getting the better of her as the rest of the group approached after finishing off the last of the walkers.

  "He said don't use your damn gun," Vex said.

  "Man, I--"

  "We have bigger things to worry about," Rick said to Vex.

  And then it was revealed that one of the prisoners had been scratched.

  "I'm tellin' you, I don't feel anything," he said as Rick shone a light on his back, "It's just a scratch."

  "I'm sorry, man," Rick said as the man turned to face him.

  "I can keep fighting!"

  "You cut that old-- old guy's leg off to save his life," Another man tried to reason.

  "Look at where the bite is."

  "Guys, I'm fine! Just-- I'm fine. Look at me-- I'm not changing into one of those things."

  "Look, man, there has to be somethin' we can do," Another prisoner said, "We could just lock him up."

  "Quarantine him."

  "We gotta do something. Why you just standing there? We gotta save him!"

  "There's nothing we can do," Rick informed evenly.

  "You son of a bitch."

  "It's not his fault your guy got scratched--!" Vex defended.

  "I'm alright--"

  Vex watched as Tomas, the same man who had shot his gun, took his weapon to his friend's head, toppling the man. He kept going until the man was unrecognizable, and he himself was covered in blood.

  They kept moving in silence, Vex took the lead at Rick's request; the man and Daryl holding up the rear to watch the prisoner.

  Vex and Dean lead them into the laundry room, the woman scoping it out before giving the 'ok' signal to Dean and Daryl.

  Daryl closed the door behind them as Rick tossed a seat of keys at Tomas's feet.

  "I ain't openin' that."

  "Yes, you are," Rick said, "If you want this cell block, you're gonna open that door. Just the one, not both of them. 'Cause we need to control this."

  Dean, Vex and Daryl joined the group, circling the doors, as Tomas picked up the keys, jangling them as he unlocked the door.

  "You bitches ready?" He asked, yanking on the door to no avail, "I got this."

  And then he yanked again, flinging both doors wide open to welcome a group of walkers.

  "I said one door!"

  "Shit happens."

  Vex kept close to Dean as the walkers flooded in, each of them taking down any that came their way rather quickly. The commotion was unnerving, Vex attempting to keep eyes on the walkers as well as her group-- and she swore she only moved her eyes from Rick for a moment, but when she looked back he was gone.

  "D, cover me," She said, rushing to Rick who was wrestling with a walker.

  She quickly buried her hatchet in the thing's head, pulling the body from Rick and offering him a hand up. 

  She returned to the commotion, between Tomas and Dean, only to take out one walker before dodging a wild swing from Tomas's weapon.

  Vex kicked the man's knee out from under him, Tomas hitting the ground harshly as Vex killed the final walker.

  "The hell was that?" She dared, approaching the man as he stood, with Rick joining her side.

  "It was comin' at me, bro," Tomas shrugged to Rick, before looking to Vex, "Accident."

  She exchanged a quick glance with Rick, which only confirmed in her mind what he was about to do.

  "I get it, I get it," Rick said, "Shit happens."

  They stood in a heavy silence for a moment, before Rick's machete was buried in Tomas's head.

  "No!"

  One of the prisoners came at Rick but was quickly knocked down. He scrambled to his feet, running out of the room.

  "I got 'him," Rick said, taking off after the man.

  Dean looked between his sister and Rick for a moment, earning a nod from the woman that sent him running as well.

  "Get on your knees," Daryl threatened the prisoners, his crossbow raised at them.

  The two men complied quickly, looking between Daryl, Vex, and T-Dog.

  "We don't have no affiliation with what just happened," One of the men spoke up, "Come on, Oscar, tell him."

  "Stop talking, man."

  Vex shifted her gun in her hand, joining Daryl in holding the larger of the two inmates until Dean and Rick returned, the latter pulling his pistol out quickly and holding it to Oscar's head.

  "We didn't have nothing to do with that," Oscar said, holding his hands up in surrender.

  "You didn't know? You knew," Rick said, "Daryl, let's end this, now."

  Rick moved quickly to the other prisoner as Daryl held his knife to Oscar's throat, waiting on Rick's word.

  "Sir, sir, please listen to me," One of the prisoners cried, "It was them that was bad, it wasn't us."

  "Oh, that's convenient."

  "You saw what he did to Tiny. He was my friend. Please, we ain't like that. I like my pharmaceuticals, but I'm no killer. Oscar here, he's a B and E, and he ain't very good at it neither. We-- We ain't the violent kind, they were! Please, I swear to God! I wanna live!"

  Rick hesitated, before moving his gun back on Oscar.

  "What about you?" Rick said after a pause.

  "I ain't never pleaded for my life," Oscar said, "And I ain't 'bout to start now. So you do what you gotta do."

  They stayed there for another long moment before Rick pulled them off of their feet.

  The group walked the prisoners to their designated cell block, leaving them after only a moment.

  "Think they're gonna survive?" Dean questioned as the group made their way back to Cellblock C.

  Vex sighed, patting her brother on the back.

  "If they can adapt," She responded quietly.

  And they walked without another word.

  Carl greeted the group as they returned, he and Glenn standing outside of the cell Hershel was occupying.

  "Hershel stopped breathing," He announced, "Mom saved him."

  "It's true," Glenn confirmed.

  Rick and Vex entered the latter standing between the Greene daughters, resting a hand on either of the backs.

  Beth leaned into Vex, resting a head on the woman's shoulder.

  They watched Hershel for a moment, the man still unconscious-- until his mouth twitched.

  Maggie sat beside him, placing a hand on his chest, waiting with bated breath.

  And soon enough his eyes fluttered open, revealing the same man-- he hadn't turned.

  Maggie and Beth rushed to him, Rick quickly uncuffing the man as he opened his eyes fully, before squeezing Rick's hand.

  Vex smiled, her eyes burning with unshed tears, before departing to give the family some space.

  "Hey, Vex, can I. . ." Lori said, nodding her head.

  "Yeah," Vex agreed, following the woman into the communal area of the cellblock. "Everything alright?"

  "Listen, I. . ." She sighed, "It's none of my business how you choose to raise your daughter, so it's no judgment on my part. . . I just wanted to let you know that she left with Carl. They went on their own to find the infirmary."

  Vex blinked rapidly.

  "Well- what? They just, they just left?"

  Lori nodded.

  "I mean-- wasn't-- wasn't anyone watching them?" Vex sputtered, "That's-- that's been the agreement, here; Dean and I go out, and somebody make sure my little girl is okay--"

  "I know-- Carol and I were focused on Hershel, I shoulda--"

  "They shouldn't have done what they did, we can agree on that," Vex said strongly, "But they're children-- they make decisions without thinking it through, that is what children do-- and you-- you guys promised me if I went out that you would make sure she was safe."

  Lori stared, her mouth opening but no words coming out.

  "If you don't hold up your end of the bargain, I don't hold up mine," Vex said with finality, turning on her heel and leaving Lori Grimes with her thoughts.

  Vex climbed to her sleeping spot, finding Zeppelin had already taking up residence, chatting with Daryl Dixon.

  "Zeppelin."

  The girl looked up, eyes wide.

  "Come here."

  "I. . ." Zeppelin mumbled, looking to Daryl, "But I don't want to."

  "Want Daryl to hear what you did?" Vex said, crossing her arms. "I assure you, he'll chew your ass out, too."

  Zeppelin stood quickly.

  "Mom, I was just--"

  "You went out without telling anybody, into a place we haven't cleared, where we know there are walkers," Vex said, approaching the girl, "The hell were you thinking, Kid, you could've gotten yourself killed?"

  Daryl was surprised by the revelation

  "But I was with Carl, we had weapons," Zeppelin said, "We went out together 'cause we knew no one leaves alone--"

  "You are eleven years old, you shouldn't be going out at all, let alone without telling someone," Vex laughed dryly. "What if something happened? What if Carl got bit-- what if you did? What happens then? I come back and you two are missing, we got out to look for you, and I have to find you-- what then?"

  Zeppelin's lip trembled.

  "I just wanted to help," She whispered.

  Vex sighed, rubbing her brow in stress.

  "You don't leave without tellin' people."

  The woman looked to Daryl, who spoke surprisingly calmly.

  "Whether you wanna help or not, we don't take risks like that," Daryl continued, "Shoulda waited for us to get back."

  Zeppelin nodded, wiping a tear as it fell.

  "I'm sorry," She said thickly, "I won't do it again."

  Vex nodded, ruffling her daughter's hair.

  "Go on, get to bed."

  Zeppelin didn't argue, quickly gathering herself and departing to her cell.

  Vex groaned as she lowered herself to her bed, resting her arm over her eyes in exhaustion or stress or something in between.

  "You're a tough parent."

  "She could commit mass murder and I'd defend that girl," Vex sighed, rolling over to face the man, leaning up against the wall picking at one of his arrows, "I'm only tough when she puts herself in danger."

  "Mass murder, huh?"

  "Just about," Vex snorted, "Night, Dixon. Wake me up when you need a break."

  Daryl's eyes moved from his arrow, watching Vex Williams twist and turn in her sleeping bag before finally finding a comfortable position. This was one thing he'd been surprised by, learning rather quickly during their time on the road.

  When Vex said she was going to sleep, it was two minutes before she was out.

  She'd explained it was all some routine she was taught overseas, that sleep didn't come early to the sound of gunfire, but it was necessary. 

  It never failed to shock Daryl, though, even now, it took her no more than 2 minutes before her body went slack, face burying deeper into the blanket she rolled into a pillow.

  He shook his head, standing from his seat, ready to take watch the entire night and allow Vex her rest.

WORD COUNT : 3252