Tequila Talkin' (Rick Grimes)

eighteen

'If you truly want to be respected by people you love you must prove to them that you can survive without them'
Michael Bassey Johnson

Violet's POV

As the group gathered around to get ready to clear some of the cells Carl insisted that he went and Rick told him no. Carol came up to the group and said that Lori needed to talk to Hershel. Rick seemed a bit concerned but quickly turned his attention back to the task. " Flash bangs, CS triple chasers, not sure how they'd work on walkers but we'll take them." He said as he looked through the bag.

" I ain't wearing this shit," Daryl stated as walker gunk fell out of a helmet.

" We could boil them." Tdog suggested.

" Ain't enough firewood in the whole forest besides we've made it this far without them right?" Daryl retorted.

" I will clean what I can but just in case we need them." I stated. Hershel returned back to the group. Rick gave him a look but Hershel didn't make eye contact. He put on a clean vest and we headed out to the tombs which Tdog called them. There's dead bodies all over the floor and Glenn spray paints arrows on the walls so we can find our way back. Maggie shrieks as she has accidentally ran into Glenn scaring herself. We all look at them before moving on.

Suddenly we see a lot of walkers as we turn a corner. "Go back! Go back! Move, this way!" Rick shouts. We turn around and get split by walkers as we were ambushed. "Where's is Glenn Maggie?" I questioned. "We gotta go back." We carefully exit the room to search for the couple, Hershel snuck off in the opposite direction and then we heard screaming. We took off running and a walker had bitten his calf. Rick shot the walker and we grab onto Hershel as Maggie and Glenn turn the corner. We were blocked by walkers until we found a door with a chain wrapped on the handles. Not knowing what was inside Tdog cut the chain and we rushed in. Tdog and Daryl tried to hold the door shut as we laid Hershel down.

I quickly took my belt off and gave it to Rick. "Only way." I stated. Rick wrapped my belt around Hershel's leg like a tourniquet before taking his hatchet to his leg. Maggie was bawling her eyes out and I noticed a couple inmates watching us. "Duck!" I stated and aimed my gun at them as Daryl came over as backup. "He's bleeding out!" Rick stated. They got a table with wheels and lifted the older man onto it. We quickly hauled ass back to the cell block.

Everyone was panicking and calling orders as we got Hershel back and laid down. They all started trying to stop the bleeding with towels and sheets. All we had. We needed medical supplies as soon as possible. I ran up to the guard tower dismissing Tdog and Daryl arguing with the inmates and found a map of the prison. I searched for the infirmary. Once I found it I circled it and slipped it in my pocket. I made sure I had ammo and my knife. I slipped a vest on and saw Rick come into the area with his gun raised at the new people.

I quickly slipped away and out the back cell door back into the dark and creepy corridors. I shined my flashlight through the halls and slowly made my way around the corners being as quiet as possible. I finally found the infirmary and opened the door finding it still well stocked. I stuffed my duffel bag with pain killers, rags, IV fluids, bandages, and anything useful to Hershel.

I could hear walkers banging at the door. "Shit" I whispered. I slung the bag over my shoulder and quickly slid a table in front of the door before opening it. The walkers snarled at me. I took out the ones I could before shoving the table even further out to take out the two others. I jumped over the table and hurried back to the cell block. Carl let me in, knowing where I had been. He wanted to do it but I told him I would if he held down the fort.

I went to Hershel's cell and sat the bag down. "This shit should help." I stated out of breath.

"You went by yourself? You could've been killed!" Lori looked at me.

"But I wasn't. Now help him." I retorted and walked out to catch my breath.

"What were you thinking, Vi?" Glenn questioned me.

"Please. I'm fine and Hershel has a fighting chance now. Leave it alone." I told him.

"I worry about you!" He shouted "You're my best friend and you can't be pulling stupid shit like that."

"I'll hear it from Rick later, Glenn. I understood the risk but Hershel needed those supplies and I handled it. It's over with. So don't okay?" I looked at him before leaving the situation. Most of the guys were outside with the inmates showing them what's been happening so I had time to cool off before Rick finding out what I did.

________

As nighttime fell Rick killed two of the inmates, one getting killed by one of their own, and the other two were held up in a different cell block. Hershel had woken up which was a great sign and was now resting. The bleeding slowed and I managed to stick an IV in for him to get fluids and pain medicine as I was a EMT before a cop. "Thank you." Maggie said to me and squeezed my hand. I nodded giving her a sympathy smile before exiting the cell.

"We gotta talk," Rick caught me and I sighed. "You cannot be pulling stuff like that. You could've been killed and nobody would've known until we found what was left of your body," he said, angrily.

" I wasn't killed and Hershel is fine right now. What I did might've been stupid but it could've just saved his life so I wish someone would give me a little bit of respect and quit talking to me like I'm a child. I'm a grown woman and I can make my own decisions and I decided to do what I thought was best in the situation. Everyone else was busy with the inmates and trying to save Hershel's life I did what I knew needed to be done." I shouted.

" We are grateful for what you did but I just cannot lose you right now." He replied.

" Well you didn't. I'm fine. I'm standing right here. I can handle myself." I retorted.

"Please just don't do it again," He whispered.

" I won't especially after all the bullshit I got today." I stated. He pulled me into him, hugging me. I wrapped my arms around him and sighed. Todays been a long hard day. We almost lost a huge part of our group. "I love you." He kissed my forehead.

"I love you too, Rick." I replied.