𝐢𝐧𝐯𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 - 𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐤 𝐠𝐫𝐢𝐦𝐞𝐬

3.02 - bite

briar, rick, glenn, maggie, daryl, t-dog, and hershel all set off early the next morning into the tombs to clear them and hopefully find any useful equipment. maggie and briar had insisted that hershel shouldn't go, but he said that he needed to "earn his keep". it's like he wasn't the group doctor.

briar put on a moldy piece of riot gear and t-dog came up behind her and secured the straps on her vest. she smiled, turning around and was met with a mirror image of her bright eyes and big smile. despite the obvious fact that there was a huge possibility of the unknown taking both of their adolescent lives, their company was enough to keep each other from going insane. "we're gonna be okay." the man nodded his head, putting on his arm pads as they walked together with their weapons holstered on their bodies.

the group begun their journey and it felt like the woman was drowning in sweat. it didn't help that the riot gear was so heavy, it felt like she was shedding pounds every time she took a step. as a walker approached her, she used her knife to stab it in the side of the former prisoners balding head. the riot gear was too much to fight with. she ripped it off of her torso, the only thing protecting her being the black long sleeve shirt that she stole from lori. the group continued, before rick turned around and two of the group were gone. "maggie! glenn!" the groups shouts were met with no response which worried the eldest man, who's body radiated with concern for the two members of his family. he rushed ahead, spotting them as he hugged maggie. the reunion was short lived as they continued their journey through the tombs.

"ahhhhh!" hershel had been bitten in the calf by an unsuspicious looking walker which everyone was sure was dead. briar quickly sent a knife into its head, the rest of the group taking care of an unconscious hershel as they ran into the closest door. the walkers in the nearby hallway had heard his screams, barricading them in as they lowered him onto the ground. rick ripped his pant leg, the bite embedded into his calf, creating a sight that you couldn't bare to look at but couldn't look away.

glenn took maggie away as rick said, "we need to cut it off." under his breath as he unbuckled his belt; was it bad fo briar to say that he looked so fucking hot right now? he tightened it just above the knee, taking out his machete as briars stomach felt queasy and maggie's cries for her father grew, as if she was a small child. daryl turned to briar who turned away, feeling awkward before putting his hand on her shoulder, rubbing his thumb along the back of her shoulder blade. the first crunch was the worst; but briar soon drowned them out at the sight of five inmates with very much alive eyes staring back at her through the bars of the kitchen.

daryl and briar wasted no time in aiming their bows at the five men. rick yelled in the background, insisting that they had to go and they dropped their weapons before they helped to carry the one-legged man. they ran toward the gate that led to their cell block, carl running to open it before they flew in, taking a spot in the clear cell. carol, lori, and t-dog all begun to try and stop the bleeding which made briar feel far too sick, so she went outside the cell and sat next to carl who played with the ends of his growing hair. "you okay, carl?" he looked up as he snapped out of his trance, nodding his head though briar could tell his adolescent brain was in shock.

"i just feel helpless," he sighed, looking up through his eyelashes, "i want to do something. and you need to help me."

briar didn't realise what she agreed to when she said she'd accompany him, but it definitely wasn't going into the tombs that still weren't clear and going to the infirmary. they stood with their arms touching as they held their weapons in front of them. a walker came closer to the duo, carl wasting to time in taking his silenced pistol and sending a bullet through its head. the woman's eyes widened; she never knew how great he was with a gun. they made it to the infirmary and filled up briars duffel with anything they could see. if they couldn't use it now, they could use it later. their way back was simple, briar taking out the other walker that they saw on the journey, and they made their way to hershel's cell with bright smiles. however, when they returned, lori stood up with a face of thunder. "where the hell have you been?"

"we went to the infirmary!" carls excited tone dropped as he noticed the worried and furious faces of his friends. "i was fine, i killed a walker-"

"you killed a walker?!" lori scolded, "and you," she pointed at briar who looked like a kicked puppy, "you let him go out there when hershel just got bit?" both carl and briar looked at each other, the latter rolling her eyes before walking out of the room - not before she threw the bag at loris feet. the two had slowly grown to hate each other during the nine months on the road; lori despised how she became closer to carl than she was herself.

———

gray speaks!

guys this is the worst chapter i've VER WRITTEN WHY IS THISSO SHITTY OMG anyways it's been a week or two and i went camping and i'm abt to go on holiday so idk if i'll be updating often for the next little while but tysm for all the support yous are gen so cute i love you so so much 🫶🫶🫶

word count : 1006