Skeletons - 𝐷𝑎𝑟𝑦𝑙 𝐷𝑖𝑥𝑜𝑛

𝑪𝒉𝒂𝒑𝒕𝒆𝒓 26 - 𝑭𝒐𝒖𝒏𝒅

Iris glanced up from Carol's beside as voices echoed from the entrance. Daryl turned back and she nodded, staying with Carol as he jogged out to see what was going on. Iris kept the damp cloth on Carol's forehead, gently pressing to keep her cool while she rested. Hershel and Beth soon came through, accompanied by Rick. Carol smiled at the sight of them, and Iris helped her sit up, gently cooing to go slow.

"Oh, God." She whispered, reaching up to hug Rick. He gladly accepted, echoing the sentiment.

"How?" Hershel asked, eagerly pulling her in for his own hug.

"Solitary." She replied softly.

"Poor thing fought her way into a cell. Must have passed out. Dehydrated." Daryl explained. Carol gasped at the sight of little ass-kicker, pressing a hand to her mouth as she doted over the baby. She turned back to Rick, an unspoken question in her eyes, to which he nodded sadly.

"I'm sorry." She whispered, tears lining her eyes as she brought Rick into her arms once more. Beth passed the baby over to her and Carol reacquainted with the others. Iris and Hershel followed Rick and Daryl back to the entryway, where a young woman covered in blood and gore was sitting, pressing a towel to her thigh.

"Is she—"

"Shot." Rick replied to Iris. She nodded and they walked over. "We can tend to that wound for you, give you a little food and water and then send you on your way, but you're gonna have to tell us how you found us and why you were carrying formula."

"The supplies were dropped by a young Asian guy with a pretty girl." She replied, her voice hoarse.

"What happened?" Rick asked.

"Were they attacked?" Hershel asked, suddenly worried.

"They were taken."

"Taken? By who?"

"By the same son of a bitch who shot me." She hissed.

"Hey, these are our people." Rick said, bending down to meet her eye line. "You tell us what happened, now!" He jammed his thumb into the wound in her thigh and she grunted, shoving him away from her. Daryl propped his crossbow up in preparation.

"Don't you ever touch me again!" She spat, pointing a finger to his face.

"You'd better start talking." Daryl warned. "Or you're gonna have a much bigger problem than a gunshot wound."

"Find 'em yourself." She replied shortly. Rick motioned for Daryl to put the crossbow down.

"You came here for a reason." Rick inferred.

"There's a town. Woodbury. About seventy-five survivors, I think they were taken there." She explained.

"A whole town?" Rick asked.

"It's run by this guy who calls himself the Governor— pretty boy, charming, Jim Jones type." She nodded, saying his name with disdain.

"He got muscle?" Daryl asked.

"Paramilitary wannabes." She replied. "They have armed sentries on every wall."

"You know a way in?" Rick asked.

"The place is secure from walkers, but we could slip our way through." She replied thoughtfully.

"How'd you know how to get here?" Rick asked.

"They mentioned a prison," She shrugged, "said which direction it was in, said it was a straight shot." Rick nodded briefly before he motioned to Hershel.