digging graves// rick grimes x OC//

Days Gone By Part 3

   The next morning comes after a fitful sleep for Winona, she assumes it was like that for everyone, too. Morgan gives Rick some clothes to wear in the meantime, he begins to give Winona some of his wife's clothes for her to wear, "No. No, you keep them, I'll find some clothes somewhere else, I have a few changes in my backpack. Keep them for her memory."
   He gives her a nod, "Thank you, I appreciate that, these and a handful of photos are all I've got left of her." Winona solemnly nods. He turns to both Winona and Rick, "Alright, you guys need to learn how to take care of walkers and what puts 'em down. It doesn't matter if you hit every vital organ— if it's not a headshot they won't stop." They nod, understanding. Morgan hands them face shields, a baseball bat and a shovel, "Now there are two in the yard, one's leaning against the fence by the sidewalk, the other is by the bushes."
   Rick opens the door quietly, "Are we sure they're dead? I have to ask at least one more time." Rick looks for confirmation.
   "They're dead, except for something in the brain. That's why it's got to be the head." Winona begins to head over to the walker by the bushes and Rick heads over to the one against the fence, it notices Rick and hisses at him, the other one hears this and notices Winona sneaking up on it. It starts to go after her, she hits it hard against the head and the being slumps down to the ground, she grins, proud, and Duane gives her a thumbs up.
   She looks over to Rick, the walker is limping over to him, he swings the bat and hits him but it doesn't drop, he hits it again and again, it finally stops moving. He stops and kneels on the ground Winona starts to worry about him reopening his wound.
   "Y'all alright?" Morgan asks, concerned.
   "I need a moment" Rick clutches his abdomen, Winona goes over to him to make sure he's alright.
   "Good news, Grimes, you're alive but keep hitting like that and the wound is gonna reopen. Lord help me if it does because it won't be the walkers that get you, it'll be me," Winona sternly tells him.
   "Yes Ma'am," he chuckles, "Nurse Graves will dig my own grave, won't she?"
   "Damn right," she crosses her arms, "Understand?"
   "Loud and clear," he salutes her, she moves over to help him back up.
——
   The group heads over to Rick's house, he walks in and drops his face shield by the door, Winona does the same.
   "They're alive— my wife and son. At least they were when they left."
   "How can you know?" Morgan interrogates, "By the look of this place—"
   Rick cuts him off, "I found empty drawers in the bedroom. They packed some clothes— not a lot, but enough to travel."
   "You know anybody could've broken in here and stole them clothes, right?" Morgan questions.
   "You see the framed photos on the walls?" Rick asks pointing at the mantle with the bat, "Neither do I. Some random thief take those too, you think?" He moves over to a cabinet and opens it, "Our photo albums, family pictures— all gone."
   "Photo albums," Morgan laughs, they look at him confused, "My wife— same thing. There I am packing survival gear, she's grabbing photo alb..." He stops looking away.
   Duane walks forward, stating, "They're in Atlanta, I bet."
   "Ah, like the Refugee Camp that the emergency broadcast said to get to?" Winona asks, recalling the memories.
   "That's right," Morgan confirms, "A huge one they said, before the broadcast stopped. Military protection, food, shelter. They told people to go there, said it'd be safest."
   "Plus, they got that disease place," Duane adds on.
   "The Center for Disease Control said they were working out how to solve this thing," Morgan finishes. Rick nods and walks over to his kitchen and opens a cupboard with a bunch of keys, he grabs the top middle ones. Winona recognizes them as the police station's keys.
   "Winona, you can grab some of Lori's clothes, I'm sure she won't mind, you guys are pretty close," Rick tells her, she nods. Winona grabs a black t-shirt, some ripped jeans, and a pair of combat boots Lori left. When she had packed her backpack, she hadn't expected the end of the world, so she didn't have the shoes or clothes that would allow the movement she may need. She notices a zip-up hoodie, that when she tries it on, it's a little big but she's fine with that. She knows there are showers at the police station so she doesn't change, she really hopes they work still.
——
   They make it to the police station and Rick unlocks the door, cautiously going in with the bat and a flashlight. They head to the locker rooms and try the showers, they work. Morgan beings to speak, "Gas lines have been down for maybe a month."
   "The station's got its own propane system," Rick explains, sticking his hand under the water, "Pilot's still on."
   "Does that mean hot water?" Winona asks, excited.
    Rick nods, "Winona, they should work in the women's locker room, too. Be careful, we'll be here. If something happens, holler, I'll come running," he tells her.
   "Alright, Grimes. However, if something does happen while I'm showering, I don't think I want to see your bare ass coming out with a bat." They all laugh at her statement.
   "Yeah, yeah alright go take a shower, you stink," Rick jokes plugging his nose.
   "Right back at ya!" she salutes and walks towards the women's locker room.
   As she goes in she remembers how she had to sneak around the hospital. Luckily for her, there are no walkers. She starts the shower up and strips. She steps in and basically melts. "Ahhh hot water," she says to herself, she notices that there was a razor left behind and a bunch of shampoo and body wash. "Am I in heaven right now? Hallelujah." She goes through her routine, excited and feeling clean already.
——
   Back in the men's locker room, the boys were all excited, too. Rick's shaving his scruff he grew in the hospital while Duane whoops.
   "Oh my Lord," Morgan exclaims.
   "Hot Water!" Duane happily says.
   "That feels good, right?" Morgan asks his son.
   "Bring it , Bring it, Bring it around, Uh!" Duane starts to sing while going around in a circle dancing under the water. They all start laughing at the boy's antics. "Yeah. I'm wet. Take that. What?" he continues.
   They finish up and get out of the showers.
   "Duane. Dressing room back there," Rick directs the boy while handing him his clothes.
   "What do you say, Duane?" Morgan asks.
   "Thank you," He says while scurrying to go change.
   Rick nods, he begins to speak as he hears Duane shut the door, "Atlanta sounds like a good deal. Safer anyway— people."
   "That's where we were headed. Things got crazy. Man, you wouldn't believe the panic. Streets weren't fit to be on. And then my— my wife couldn't travel— no, not with her hurt— so we had to find a place to lay low. And then after she died, we just stayed hunkered down. I guess we just froze in place," Morgan tells.
   "Plan to move on?" Rick questions.
   "Haven't worked up to it yet," Morgan replies and Rick nods understanding, "What about Winona? What's her deal, how'd she get saddled with you?"
   Rick chuckles, beginning to explain, "Ah, she's my best friend's fiancée, she worked at the hospital I got admitted to after being shot and has been taking care of me ever since. She stayed back after the broadcast to make sure I would stay alive."
   "You're telling me, her fiancé let her stay back?!" Morgan asks, completely baffled at the fact some man would just let the love of his love stay back and potentially never see her again. They both start to get dressed.
   "She told me she had to convince him to let her, but yes, I question that at times, too," Rick reveals, "When I first learned Shane, her fiancé, let her stay back it genuinely upset me; if that was me with Lori, there would be no way you could convince me to ever leave her or Carl. However, thanks to him, they were able to make it out alive, so I'm grateful for Winona being that strong to be able to send her own fiancé to help my family. She is one of the most selfless people I've met and I am forever in her debt."
   "Oh wow. I can see how big of a heart she has. She tried comforting Duane, even though she didn't know him and she always tries to make him laugh," Morgan states. They finished getting dressed.
   "Yeah, she really is a great person. I'm gonna go see if she out of the shower yet," Rick tells Morgan, who nods.
——
   Back in the women's locker room, Winona feels at peace, she lathers the shampoo in her hair and rinses it out, she scrubs her body clean of the dirt and grime of a whole month with no showers. She finishes up and turns the shower off. Winona steps out and dries off, putting on the borrowed clothes and shoes. Just as she does there is a knock on the locker room door, she froze— expecting a walker.
   "Hey, Doc, you alright in there?" Winona relaxes when she hears Rick's voice. She goes over and opens the door. He's already dressed in his old uniform.
   "Yup, just finished up, Sheriff," she grins.
   "I'm a sheriff's deputy, not a sheriff," he laughs while correcting her, Winona nods.
   "Yeah, I know, so I'm officially promoting you, just like how you call me 'Doc' even though I'm only a nurse," she says with a smirk growing on her face.
   "Alright, if you say so, come on let's not keep the others waiting," he says laughing, she nods and begins following him. Rick pauses and turns back to Winona, "Hey, I hope you don't mind, but Morgan had asked me about your backstory and how you were 'saddled' with me— as he said—so I told him. I'm sorry if you didn't want him to know, I know it wasn't my place."
   "Don't beat yourself up, Rick, I would've told him soon enough. How'd he take my 'backstory'?"
   Rick chuckles, "Ah, he was pretty upset with Shane leaving you behind, I was too, but he can see how selfless you are. I still haven't thanked you for doing that."
   "You don't have to thank me, Grimes. I'm just glad he was able to help your family." Winona sighs, her heart aches when she remembers how Shane left her, "We should probably start heading, don't wanna worry them."
   "Yeah, you're right," Rick turns back around and begins to walk, Winona following.
——
   Rick leads them all to the weapon room and unlocks the door. "A lot of it's gone missing," he states.
   "Daddy, can I learn to shoot?" Duane asks, "I'm old enough."
   "Hell yes, you're gonna learn, but we've got to do it carefully, teach you to respect the weapon," Morgan replies, rolling his sleeves.
   "That's right. It's not a toy," Rick tells him.
   Winona agrees, whilst looking at a Beretta, "Mm-hmm. You pull the trigger, you have to mean it." They look at her, "What? Shane taught me how to shoot, he said that I needed it in case he wasn't around," she says looking down, "But, hey, I've got you, Grimes, aka the 'Deadliest Dillinger' around," she winks, they all chuckle.
   "Anyways, what Winona said, always remember that Duane," Rick chimes in.
   The boy nods curtly, a serious expression dawning his face, "Yes sir."
   "Here. Load up," Morgan commands, handing his son ammo to pack the duffle bag.
   Rick takes a rifle off the wall and looks through the scope, he turns to Morgan, "You take that one. Nothing fancy. The scope's accurate." Morgan holds it up and tries the scope. Rick cocks a shotgun and Winona tucks the pistol into the back of her jeans.
   They finish loading up and head out of the station. As they're exiting, Rick gives them advice,
"Conserve your ammo. It goes faster than you think, especially at target practice."
   "Duane," Morgan calls.
   "Uh-Huh?"
   "Take this to the car."
   "Okay." The boy starts to head over and Winona follows him.
   She helps him load up, she goes over and hugs him tightly, "You stay safe, okay?"
   "Yes Ma'am. Take care of that bank robber, won't you?" They chuckle.
   "Of course, look out for your pops." He nods, she ruffles his hair and walks back over to Rick.
   She begins to hear their conversation, "Are you sure you won't come along?" Rick asks.
   "A few more days. By then Duane will know how to shoot and I won't be so rusty."
   Rick opens the door to the police car and grabs a walkie-talkie, "You've got one battery. We'll turn ours on a few minutes every day at dawn. You get up there, that's how you'll find us."
   "You think ahead," Morgan points out.
   "Of course he does, he's Rick Grimes." Winona cuts in, leaning against the trunk.
   Rick laughs, "Can't afford not to, not anymore. Also... Winona, is it okay if I take the gas from your Jeep for the cruiser?"
   "Yeah of course, that thing won't last long anyways. Shane was always telling me to get rid of it." Rick nods.
   "Listen, one thing— they may not seem like much one at a time, but in a group, all riled up and hungry— man, you guys watch your ass," Morgan advises, Duane walks over.
   "You too," Rick says.
   "You're a good man, Rick. I hope you find your wife and son," Morgan says, shaking Rick's hand. "And Winona, I hope you find your fiancé... and when you do, give him a slap for me," he says hugging her.
   "Aye, Aye Captain," she laughs.
   Rick turns to Duane now, shaking his hand, "Be seeing you, Duane. Take care of your old man."
   "Yes sir." Winona and him share a glance and salute each other, but immediately after, he runs over and tackles her with another hug.
   They break apart at the growl of a walker. Looking over, they see one walking towards the fence. Rick recognizes him, "Leon Basset?" Morgan pulls Duane behind him and Winona stands beside Rick. "I didn't think much of him— careless and dumb— but... I can't leave him like this."
   "You know they'll hear the shot," Morgan argues.
   "Let's not be here when they show up," Rick says walking over to the fence. Winona siphons the gas from the Jeep and grabs her backpack, tossing it in the trunk of the cop car.
   "Let's go, son. Come on," Morgan tells Duane, they run over to their car. She waves at the father-son duo and gets in the cruiser. Rick shoots the walker and gets in the driver's side. They pull out of the station, Morgan honks and Rick blares the siren twice.
   "Alright Sheriff, it's just you and me now. Road trip time," Winona whoops.
   Rick laughs, "Yep, but first I want to make a pit stop." She raises an eyebrow.
   Rick stops the patrol car at the place they saw the first walker in their lives. Winona realizes he's there to put her out of misery. She watches as he gets out of the car and heads over to the rotting woman. She starts to hear faint gunshots, and thinks to herself, "Probably from Morgan."
   Rick squats down and she can tell he's talking to walker, the walker looks up at him and tries to move to grab him but Rick shoots her and finally puts her at rest. He walks back to the car and gets in, and so starts their journey to Atlanta.
——
   Winona is looking out the window to the open fields surrounding them when Rick tries the C.B. again, "Broadcasting on emergency channel. Will be approaching Atlanta on Highway 85. Anybody reads, please respond. Hello. Hello. Can anybody hear my voice? Anybody out there? Anybody hears me, please respond. Hello, can you hear my voice? Hello. Hello. Can anybody hear my voice? Can you hear my voice? If anybody reads, please respond. Broadcasting on emergency channel. Will be approaching Atlanta on Highway 85. If anybody reads, please respond." Rick stops and sighs.
   "Hey it's alright, maybe we're not in range of anyone yet," Winona tries comforting him, but she's also getting nervous.
   "Yeah you're right, thanks Winona."
   "Anytime Grimes."
   He looks at her and smiles, noticing the zip up hoodie she's wearing, "Hey, is that my hoodie?"
   "Huh? Oh I didn't know it was yours, I thought it was Lori's. I'm sorry."
   She goes to take it off to give it back but he stops her, "I wasn't saying to give it back, keep it, it looks better on you than it did me." He chuckles and looks back towards the road.
——
   The car runs out of gas, and this time the duo is not by any gas stations. Rick flips down the visor and grabs the photo of him, Lori, and Carl. They grab the bag of guns, Winona's backpack, and the jerrycan.
   Heading straight, they find themselves in front of a small farmhouse, "Hello?" Rick calls out, "Police officer and nurse out here. Can we borrow some gas?" They set the bags down and start to walk toward the house. "Hello?" Rick calls out again, he goes up to the door and knocks, "Hello? Anybody home?" No answer.
   They continue to walk around the front and as they look through a window they see multiple bodies, each with a shot through their heads and a message on the wall written in blood:  "GOD FORGIVE US"
   "Oh God." Winona says covering her mouth, tears prick her eyes.
   The pair sit down on the bench that was in front of the house, Rick spits, seemingly trying not to vomit, and runs his hands through his hair, disgruntled by what they just witnessed. He looks up and notices a truck but when he goes to check it out, there are no keys, and he didn't want to hot wire it.
   Abruptly, they hear a horse neigh, Winona chuckles, "Look at that Grimes, my nickname for you might just come true."
   "It looks like it just might." He heads into the pasture after grabbing some rope from the barn, "Easy now. Easy. We're not gonna hurt ya. Nothing like that. More like a proposal." Winona snorts, Rick is full blown talking to a horse, he looks back at her and smiles; soon enough he goes back to talking with the horse, "Atlanta's just down the road a ways. It's safe there— food, shelter, people. Other horses too, I bet. How's that sound?" He gets closer and loops the leash around the horse, "There we go. Good boy. Good boy. Good boy." He softly says as he adjusts the rope, "Now come with me. Come on. Come on. Come on. Good boy." He leads him out of the pasture and Winona follows.
   In the barn, Rick finds reigns, a saddle, and a blanket for under the saddle. They mount the horse, "Hey, Cowboy, uh— so I think I'm gonna fall off," Winona says worried.
   "Then hold on to me. I don't bite," Rick turns to her and winks, proceeding to laugh at her expression.
   "Alright, Grimes," she says, going to hold onto his waist, "Just don't do anything crazy, I'm not trying to end up like my last name."
  He chuckles, "We'll see." Rick starts talking to the horse again, "Just go easy okay? I haven't done this for years." Right when Rick says that, the horse starts galloping causing Winona to hold on tighter, "Woah. Woah woah woah! Easy now. Easy, boy. Easy. Easy. Ea— Whoa whoa whoa."
   At this point Winona is full blown cackling, "Looks like he's not gonna listen to you, huh, Cowboy?"
   Rick joins in with the laughter, "He just needs some time," he says patting the horse.
——
   Reaching the highway into Atlanta, they didn't expect to see all the abandoned cars on the way out, instead of in the way in. Winona was beginning to feel on edge, "Shit, Grimes, I have a bad feeling about this."
   "Hey. Hey, it's gonna be alright." He reaffirms, squeezing her hand that was still wrapped around his abdomen. He clicks his tongue, signaling the horse, "Let's go."
   As they begin to ride through the city, they see how abandoned everything is. The fact there is not a single soul around becomes extremely unsettling for her, "Rick, we really should turn back."
   "Winona, I know what it looks like, but we don't know what lies ahead, our families could be there."
   "But there's the possibility that they're not, too, Rick. They might've not even gone into Atlanta."
   "I know but we just need to confirm this, just in case."
   "Alright Grimes."
   They continue moving forward, passing Marietta Street, they see military vehicles and helicopters either abandoned or completely wrecked. As they ride past a a bus, two walkers see them, lunging at them, scaring the horse, "Woah. Steady. There's just a few, nothing we can't outrun." He makes the horse go faster and right when he turns a corner with a tank, they hear a helicopter flying above. "Hyah!" Rick makes the horse run, and as they pass another street, there's a gargantuan group of walkers waiting there. The horse neighs gaining the unwanted attention of them.
  "Dammit! Rick we need to go!" Winona yells at him.
  He turns the horse around and keeps going, "Shit. Shit. Shit." They run into another group of the walkers- they're cut off,  "Oh, shit." He turns the horse around and it bucks, causing Winona to lose her grip on Rick and fall off the back.
  "RICK, GO! I'll be fine, there's no time! Be safe, okay?! AND DON'T DIE ON ME," she commands already running before Rick can debate. Evading walkers, she turns down an alley way and runs into a body, "Fuck me, I'm dead," but as it turns around, she sees it's a young asian man— who isn't dead.
   He looks behind her and sees a group of walkers following her, "Oh shit. Follow me." The man tells her and he begins to run, she follows after. He leads her up a ladder onto a roof, "We can navigate and get out of the city from here."
   "Woah. Woah. I'm not just leaving my friend." She tells the guy, but at this point she doesn't even know if Rick's still alive. He sighs and walks over to the ledge, looking down, she follows. They watch as the horse is eaten alive and Rick is tossed over onto the ground, all that they see is him going under the tank and hearing his gun.
   The man sees how upset she is and worried, "Wait, I think there's a hatch at the bottom of the tank that he could get into. I don't think he's dead." She looks at him and when they hear a muffled gunshot from within the tank she knows he's right... Rick's still alive.
——
   Winona's pacing around the roof, the man begins to speak, "Hey lady, you can calm down, your boyfriend will be alright— I found the channel of the radio inside the tank."
   "Boyfriend? Oh no, he's not. That would be a funny sight, anyways, the name's Winona, and who might you be?" She laughs, holding out a hand for the man to shake.
   "Oh... sorry. Uh, Glenn. Glenn Rhee." He returns the hand shake.
   "Nice to meet you, Glenn Rhee. Now let's save that idiot stuck in a tank."
   Glenn switches over to the channel and begins to talk into it, "Hey, you. Dumbass. Yeah, you in the tank. Are you cozy in there?"
——
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