Struggling to Connect: The 6th Book

Chapter 34: A Moment

TW: mention of cutting

Hours later, as I'm sitting in the lazy boy in Daryl's room, dog perks up and looks around. He starts to lowly growl and it catches my attention. I whisper over to him, "what's going on boy?" And keep my eyes on him to see what he does. He continues to growl at the door and stand defensively. His demeanor continues to put me on edge so I stand up and grab the ridged weapon that's behind the door and quietly shush dog with a treat before opening the door to the hall. As I slowly take a few steps there's a gunshot on one of the floors above me. I hurriedly head to the stairs and slowly ascend, not hearing anyone fighting I'm or crying in pain. Half way up the stairs I see Judith and RJ running down and I mutter, "Daryl's room, now." And they nod and run down. When I get up the stairs I see the tall man always on alpha's side standing over Mary's body.  I take a few steps back towards the open door of a room and utter, "hey!" Ready to end him.

He turns and slowly comes towards me. He raises his arm to hit first but I jump back and swing, landing a hit to his stomach. He coils for a moment but I mis judge and thing it hurt him more and he swing his knife, slicing my arm. We both swing again and miss, but he gets my other arm with another cut. At his next attack, his arm is up so I quickly take the ridged weapon and slam it into his stomach again, this time pulling across to make sure it cuts him. He falls behind me into the dresser and we turn again to face one another. I decide this is the time to go for the kill but he anticipates it and grabs the weapon, ignoring the ridges that just be cutting his hand and manages to get it away from me, throwing it down and punching me in the throat, causing me to lose all air and fall down. I can feel him hover over me and I can't even process what's about to happen when Mary yells out, "stop!" From behind me, I can't see her, everything blurry and in spots but she calls, "alpha wants me alive. Step towards me." And a moment later he is leaving with Mary and I'm crawling slowly to the bed to try and get myself up to find the kids.

When I get to Judith and RJ, they are huddled in a closet with dog. Judith in front, gripping the gun she used to shoot Beta. I confirm to them they are safe and I make Judith promise me she will stay inside with her brother. After she does, I stumble to the infirmary to do what I can with my wounds and clear out Alexandria from the mess that was brought in. By morning, our two groups returned and even Aaron made it back, without the others though. He tells us what happened, how everyone got split up after escaping the cave, but that Connie and Magna didn't make it out. After telling him what happened here, we decide a few people need to make the trip to hilltop, and I insist on going. "Gabriel, I did everything I can here. Everyone who wasn't killed I fixed. But I can't fix my own right arm. I need their doctor to do it." He agrees, and the few of us making the trip quickly gather together to leave.

When we arrive at the hilltop, not everyone is excited to see Mary, a whisperer with us. I make sure to tell them that she saved my life, but that doesn't change many opinions of her. However, I don't have time to argue with them about it as my right arm is still bleeding through my wrap job and I quickly find the doctor to stitch me up. Afterwards, when I'm sitting on the porch of Barrington house with Yumiko, rewrapping Kelly's foot before I go out with some of them to help look for Connie and Magna. Maybe I'd get some clues as to where Lydia or Negan ran off to as well. As I finish up, Luke mutters, "Ah, Kel, this is nuts. You can hardly walk."

"I'm not leaving my sister out there." She grumbles back, "I'm going with you guys."

"Miko, help me out here." He asks their friend to side with him.

Yumiko ignores him and asks her own question, "what was the last thing Magna said to you?"

"Why does it matter?" I question back, finishing the knot.

"We're getting 'em back." Kelly asserts.

"Yeah, and what if we don't?" Yumiko decides to ask the hard question, "you know? All we're ever gonna know is that damn ceiling caved in."