Stars and Scars [D.Dixon fic] TWD

Prologue

Cassie Grimes was sat in the hospital room holding her twin brothers hand in hers. She had came as soon as she had gotten off work not bothering to change out her work clothes with fresh flowers for Rick as he lay in a coma after being shot on duty. Across from her sat Shane Walsh Ricks best friend who wanted to make sure the women wasn't alone during such a hard time.

Before he had arrived she had been updating Rick on what had been going since he had been asleep in the coma. Even if it was just telling him about what she had for lunch one day she wanted to speak to him even though she knew she would get no response she found comfort in it.She wasn't sure if Rick could hear her but she talked anyway wanting him to know she was there and she always would be right by his side till he woke up.

The two adults sat in the room surrounded by light conversation. Rick and Shane had been best friends since high school and whenever they did something together Cassie would always be with them. Rick,Cassie and Shane were like the three musketeers back then if you saw one of them the other two wouldn't be far. But as they grew up things changed and Cassie and Shane weren't as close as they were before but Rick was clueless as to why.

All of a sudden the sound of running ,screams and shouting could be heard. Cassie and Shane both jumped out their seats running towards the door. When Shane swung the door open him and Cassie were met with loads of people running down the hallway. Shane grabbed a woman dressed in a nurse uniform pleading her for help, grabbing her to stop her from running away but she managed to get out of his grasp and keep running in the same direction as everyone else.

Shane started running down the hall Cassie following him close behind so as to not be left alone. He grabbed a gurney and was about to push it back to Rick's room when the sound of gunfire began. Looking up, down the hallway in front of them the two saw a group of soldiers in full gear and masks pointing guns at a group of civilians standing against the wall.

Without warning the soldiers gunned down the civilians, the sound of gunfire ringing through the corridors and Cassie's ears. The next time she looked over to where the soldiers were standing instead of a group of civilians there was now a pile of dead bodies. Cassie was unsure why the sound of gunfire continued as all the people over there were dead by the looks of it but she wasn't about to go run over and ask.

Just then she felt Shane's hand on her own and he pulled her away from the slaughter still happening as they headed back to Ricks room pushing the gurney with them. Shane left the gurney by the door as the two ran over to where Rick lay in his coma. Cassie went to him and held his hand.

"Rick w-were gonna get you out of here" she mumbled, squeezing his hand before letting it go as Shane went to pick up Rick's body. He had Rick in his arms as he looked up at the screen and all the wires Rick was connected to before he sighed and placed him back down on the bed. Shane ran round to where Cassie was kneeling by Rick and knelt down beside the worried blonde who was twirling a ring on her finger as if to try and calm herself.

"Cassie I don't I- I don't know what to do" Shane admitted to her. Cassie was about to respond that she didn't know either when they heard the door handle click as someone opened the door. Shane grabbed Cassie's hand as he ducked down beneath the bed pulling her down with him. The two were sitting hiding behind the bed together until they were sure the soldier had left the room, the only indication of this being the retreating footsteps. Now the only sounds in the room were the steady beep of the hospital machine as well as Shane and Cassie's breathing.

Shane then lifted himself away from his close position next to Cassie's and put his hands on either side of Rick.

"Listen man if you're gonna wake up, if you're gonna do anything I need you to do it now" Shane stammered slightly shaking Rick as he hoped his words would cause his best friend to suddenly wake up.

"Please Rick, just show us a sign that you're there, anything Rick please" Cassie choked out as a few tears started to fall from her eyes. Suddenly an explosion was heard shaking the hospital and the room they were knelt down in. The screens that were once lit up with Rick's medical information now shut down.

Before Cassie didn't know what to do but now she was really worrying about what would happen next. She watched as Shane looked at Rick and placed his head next to Rick's chest listening for his heartbeat. Shane then stood up and when he looked over at Cassie she could see the tears threatening to spill.

"No- no Shane please don't tell me what I think you're going to say" Cassie choked out as she began to sob "No no please don't do this Rick please wake up please!" She felt Shanes arms wrap around her as he pulled her into a hug just as he had the day she found out Rick had been shot.

"Cassie we gotta go" Shane said, trying to guide the sobbing women to the door. As he did she fought to get out of his grasp to get back to her twin brother. Shane went out the door with his gun out ready for anything that may come at them while Cassie stood in the doorway to the room still sobbing over her dead brother. Over the sound of her sobs was gunshots coming from down the hall.

Shane took Cassie's hand and gently led her out the room as they both took one last look at Rick before leaving the room. Shane moved the gurney he took to block the door to the room we're Rick was kept and handed Cassie a towel to place over her mouth as he did the same thing. Shane began to lead the pair out his gun still at the ready with Cassie right behind him.

The pair managed to make it to the hospitals carpark seeing too many dead bodies on their way their. Cassie's car was in the space next to Shane's jeep so they ran over to where the vehicles were parked together.

"Shane what do we- what are we going to do" Cassie asked Shane but by the look on his face he didn't even know himself.

"We have to do what Rick would have wanted. Get you,Lori and Carl somewhere safe" Shane told her as she nodded her head in agreement. If she was being honest she would have thought that a hospital would be one of the safest places you could be but clearly she was wrong.

"Where's safe though?" She asked him but he couldn't give her an honest answer as he didn't know himself. Cassie watched as the man in his uniform ran his hands through his black hair a habit she had noticed he had whenever he was thinking or was worried.

"I'm not sure but our best bet is to head to Atlanta I'd guess" Shane told her. It was a complete shot in the dark heading there but that was the plan. The pair shared a hug before going their separate ways Shane in his truck to his house and Cassie in her car to hers. Little did she know life as she knew it was about to change.