Forbidden Love- Rick Grimes Love story

85

Joey's POV

I opened my eyes to see that I was in a hospital room and in a hospital gown. "Mom?" I called out, but no answer. I looked to my right to see another hospital bed with Beth laying in it. She had stitches on her face and a broken arm that was casted. I went to move quickly over to her, but I doubled over in pain. I looked down to my abdomen to see an incision that was stitched up. I moved a bit slower to walk over to Beth and I shook her, "Beth. Beth, please wake up." Beth jolted awake and looked over to me. "Joey, where are we?" I shrugged, " I don't know." I walked over to the window as Beth followed to see the city of Atlanta just as destroyed as it was the last time I had seen it, if not worse. I looked over to Beth confused, "Somewhere in Alanta." We walked over to the door, but when I tried to open it, it was locked. I beat on the door, "Hey! Let me out of here!" We heard walking coming towards the door and backed away from it. Beth pulled out her IV as a doctor and police officer walked into the room. He looked at the two of us, "Everything's okay. Okay?" The officer looked to Beth's IV, "Put it down. Drop it right now." Beth complied as the Doctor looked at us, "I'm Dr. Steven Edwards. This is Officer Dawn Lerner. How are you feeling?" I looked up at him, "I'm confused. Where are we?" "Grady Memorial Hospital in Atlanta." Dr. Edwards answered. Beth looked to him, "How did we get here?" Dawn looked at the two girls, "My officers found you two on the side of the road surrounded by rotters." Beth and I made eye contact for a moment before looking back to them. Dr. Edwards points to Beth before pointing at me, "Your wrist was fractured and you sustained a superficial head wound. And You had some internal bleeding, a few fractured ribs, and also a superficial head wound." Dr. Edwards looked to us, "Can you remember your names?" Beth speaks for us, "I'm Beth, and that's Joey." I think back to what happened that night, Daryl! "The man I was with, is he here, too?" Dawn looked at us, "You two were alone. If we hadn't saved you, you'd both be one of them right now. So you both owe us." Dawn and Dr. Edwards gave us scrubs to change into before leaving the room. I looked to Beth, "We've got to get out of here. Get back to Daryl." Beth looked back to me, "We don't even know where he is." I look back to her, "Anywhere is better than here. There's something off about this place. That I owe you-" Beth cut me off, "Joey. Let's just scope it out first, okay?" I nod, "Okay."

"Couple of them out there were on a run about a week ago. They found two boxes of Bisquick and a Merle Haggard tape at a truck stop, and then this gentleman under a bridge. Cardiac arrest and extreme dehydration." Dr. Edwards tells them as they walk into the room. "I tried to do what I could." He says before turning off the machines. "Wait, that's it?" Beth asks and Dr. Edwards shrugs, "If patients don't show any signs of improvement...Well, Dawn calls it." Dr. Edwards waits until the patient flat lines before going to the bedside with a sharp object and stabs him in the head. Beth and I help Dr. Edwards roll the body out of the room on a stretcher. Dr. Edwards stops to talk to Dawn as I slowly step forward walking slightly away from them, trying to see my surroundings. I feel a pull at my arm and see that it's Beth besides me. I watch as a police officer comes out of one of the rooms and as we look into the room, a girl inside shuts the door on our faces. "Come on, body's getting cold." Dawn spoke as she walked passed us with Dr. Edwards following pushing the gurney.

Dr. Edwards led us through a door that Dawn had unlocked. "How many people live here?" Beth asked him and he shrugged, "Just enough to keep us going. Some of us started here, some came as patients. Everyone has a job." I looked ahead to just see an opened, empty elevator ahead, knowing what we were going to do with the body. "Can't we bury him?" I asked him and he shook his head, "No, we only go out when we need to. It may not be the most dignified disposal system, but we work with what we have. We've managed to secure and guard the stairwells, but the windows are blown out on the ground floor. Rotters find their way into the basement when they hear a noise. And if the bodies are warm or warm enough, they clean up some of the mess." Dr. Edwards uncovered the body. Beth nodded looking down the hole, "Use everything you can use." Dr. Edwards sighs as he pulls the side of the gurney closest to him up, causing the body to fall, "Plus it's the fastest way down." There was a few crashes before you could hear the ultimate splat, then the walkers came for the noise.