𝐑𝐞𝐛𝐞𝐥《 𝘋𝘢𝘳𝘺𝘭 𝘋𝘪𝘹𝘰𝘯 》

t w o// R E 𝗡 𝗢 𝗩 𝗔 T I O

"Okay, let's get the other car in." Rick said as Smith parked the red Chevrolet inside the gates. "We'll park them in the west entry of the yard."
"Good." Daryl came closer to the man. "Our vehicles camped out there look like a giant 'vacancy' sign."
Smith shut the car door close and stood by Daryl's side. She felt herself smile internally as he said 'our vehicles'. Smith felt happy knowing Daryl was officially part of the group, he had been for a while but it just made her content. Now she was sure he wouldn't leave, she didn't want him to.
"After that, we need to load up these corpses so we can burn 'em."
"Where's Glenn and Maggie?" Smith questioned, looking around for the pair. "We could use some help."
"Up in the guard tower." Daryl pointed towards the tall construction.
"Guard tower?" She frowned. "They were just up there last night."
"Glenn! Maggie!" Daryl's voice came out raspy as he shouted, probably caused by the nicotine.
The door up in the guard tower creaked open, revealing a shirtless Glenn buttoning up his pants, struggling with his belt.
"Hey, what's up guys?" He smiled awkwardly.
The people near the gate laughed and chuckled at the scene, suspecting the events that had led to it.
Daryl smiled wide with his hands placed on his hips. "You coming?"
"What?"
"You coming?" He repeated. He had done it on purpose. Purposely used a word with a double meaning just to tease the man up in the tower. The group muffled their laughs, not wanting to look like fifth graders laughing at a sex joke, but that's exactly what they looked like. "Come on, we could use a hand."
"Yeah, w-we'll be right down."
"Sickos." Maggie commented, peeking her head through the door, messy hair and fallen bra strap.
The rest of them walked to the gate, laughing and nudging each other.
It was so great to see Daryl Dixon laughing. Smith had only heard him laugh once before, back when he told her the story of how he had been lost in the woods and forced to wipe his butt with poison oak.
Smith caught herself smiling wide at the image of Dixon smiling and not at the joke. Her eyes widen and she sucked on a breath, hoping it wouldn't grow into something else.
She was just happy he was integrated in the group. Yeah, that was it. And nothing else...
"Hey, Rick." T-Dog called out.
Rick turned his face towards the sound and his smile dropped. The prisoners.
That's right. The prisoners.
Daryl had told Smith that same night after Hershel's unfortunate situation what had happened and why him and Rick had been gone for so long.
They'd found five prisoners. But only two of them were alive, right now. Thomas, he was called, a Latino prisoner had tried to kill Rick, more than once and so, the former officer did what had to be done. Next, a man named Andrew had sided with Thomas. Rick had locked him in a small patio full of walkers and finally, another man named Big-Tiny, he was bit and then violently murdered by his 'friend', Thomas. From what Daryl had told her, Smith could feel that Thomas was a lost cause.
So, now, there were only two left, Oscar and Axel. They seemed not to be a threat, but they were in prison, after all.
Rick made his way towards them and whispered 'Come with me' to the group.
"That's close enough." He threatened. "We had an agreement."
"Please, mister." The blonde man pleaded. Axel was his name. "We know that. We made a deal. But you gotta understand... We can't live in that place another minute." He admitted, refereeing to cellblock D, the one Rick, Daryl and T-Dog had cleared for them to be in, apart from the group. "You follow me? All the dead bodies... People we knew. Blood, brains everywhere. There's ghosts."
"Why don't you move the bodies out?" Daryl asked.
"You should be burning them." T-Dog said.
"We tried. We did."
"The fence is down on the far side of the prison." The other man, Oscar, said. "Every time we drag a body out, those things just line up."
That man, Oscar, seemed to be a lot calmer than his colleague, Axel. He seemed to be a lot more nervous and agitated. Desperate, even.
"Look, we had nothing to do with Thomas and Andrew. Nothing!"
Daryl pushed Smith back softly with his arm as the blonde man walked closer. Glenn and Maggie got down from the guard tower at that same moment.
"We'll do whatever it takes to be part of your group." He pleaded again. "Just please, please... don't make us live in that place."
Rick squinted his eyes at the man. "Our deal is not negotiable. You either live in your cellblock, or you leave."
The man sighed and Oscar whispered. "I told you this was a waste of time. They ain't no different than the pricks that shot up our boys. You know how many friend's corpses we had to drag out this week? Just threw 'em out, like." He paused to sigh. "These were good guys. Good guys that had their backs from pricks like Thomas and Andrew. Now, we've all made mistakes, chief. And 'm not gonna pretend to be a saint but believe me. We've paid our due. Enough that we would rather hit that road than to go back into that shithole."
His speech seemed to have impacted no one but Smith. Maybe because she was stupid and refused to see the bad in people.
Rick turned his head back, looking for Daryl's take on the matter. The squirrels' man shook his head and that was more than enough for Rick.