(1) Wolf in Me (D. Dixon)

Chapter Seventeen

Rick leads Miguel back with his hands tied behind his back, Diana, T-Dog, and Daryl are not that far behind them. The doors open and Rick pushes Miguel inside, but he is right behind him. Diana, T-Dog, and Daryl flanking him, hands close to but not holding their weapons, just yet. But they are ready when need be.

"I see my guns but they're not all in the bag" Guillermo points out as he and his people move in closer, closing in around the group of five of them. Daryl glances around, watching them all get in way too close.

"That's because they're not yours. I thought I mentioned that" Rick counters. The two of them staring down one another. It is pretty much a stand off, more so this time around in comparison to earlier. They are inside the lion's den. Outnumbered and surrounded.

"Let's just shoot these fools right now, ese" Felipe pushes. "All right? Unload on their asses, ese"

"I don't think you fully appreciate the gravity of the situation" Guillermo informs Rick, ignoring Felipe's outburst.

"No, I'm pretty clear" Rick cuts Miguel free and then pushes him forward lightly, encouraging him to join his people. "You have your man. I want mine"

"I'm gonna chop up your boy. I'm gonna feed him to my dogs. They're the evilest, nastiest man-eating bitches you ever saw. I picked them up from Satan at a yard sale. I told you how it has to be. Are you woefully deaf?"

"No, my hearing's fine. You said come locked and loaded" Rick readies his gun, which signals Diana, Daryl and T-Dog to ready their own weapons and point them at the closest person on the other side. Rick himself aims his gun at Guillermo. "Okay then, we're here" It is very tense as they all wait for someone to make the first move. None of them seem to want to be the one to do it. Suddenly, an old woman comes out from behind the group, pushing her way through the men there.

"Felipe! Felipe!" Felipe turns to greet the old woman, but at the same time shielding her from Rick and the others. Just in case.

"Abuela, go back with the others... now"

"Get that old lady out of the line of fire!" Daryl warns them. Guillermo turns to the old woman and Felipe.

"Abuela, listen to your mijo, okay? This is the not the place for you right now"

"Mr. Gilbert is having trouble breathing. He needs his asthma stuff. Carlitos didn't find it. He needs his medicine" The old woman begs the two men.

"Felipe, go take care of it, okay? And take your grandmother with you" Guillermo scolds Felipe softly.

"¡Abuela! Ven conmigo por favor"

"Who are those men?" 'Abuela' asks as she spots Rick.

"Por favor, ven conmigo" Felipe begs of her but she pushes past him to stand in front of Rick.

"Don't you take him"

"Ma'am?" Rick asks her softly. For whatever reason they are her, the old woman is just a bystander. A civilian caught in the middle.

"Felipe's a good boy" She tells him. "He has his trouble but he pulls himself together. We need him here"

"Ma'am, I'm not here to arrest your grandson" Rick assures her.

"Then what do you want him for?"

"He's... Helping us find a missing person. Fella named Glenn" Rick tucks his gun away as he talks to her.

"The Asian boy? He's with Mr. Gilbert. Come. Come, I'll show you" She takes Rick's hand and pulls him along. Rick turns to look at Diana, Daryl, and T-Dog who are looking to him for guidance here. "He needs his medicine" Guillermo sighs and motions to his men.

"Let 'em pass" He orders his men, sounding rather defeated. Diana lowers her gun, tucking it away now that the threat seems to have passed or at least been put on hold. There is clearly something else going on here.

......

The 'Abuela' leads Rick, Diana, Daryl, and T-Dog into a nursing home attached to the back of the building they initially came through where they discover that there are a lot of elderly and sick patients living. A nursing home. Felipe touches his grandmother's shoulder to get her attention.

"Abuela, por favor. Take me to him" She then takes Felipe's hand and leads him onward into the large room ahead of them, a gymnasium. Rick glances at the rest of their group, and they all seem to feel the same. That they might have misjudged this group. That they could have made a mistake regarding them. They could have shot them. Killed them.

.......

The group enters the gymnasium where they find an elderly man having an asthma attack surrounded by other patients, as well as Glenn. Felipe is helping an elderly man, holding an inhale to his lips.

"All right. All right. Nice and easy. Just breathe. Just breathe. Just let it out. Just breathe. Just relax" Felipe mutters fondly to the older man.

"What the hell is this?" Rick asks, his confusion still in place.

"An asthma attack" Glenn answers. "Couldn't get his breath all of a sudden"

"I thought you were being eaten by dogs, man" T-Dog admits to Glenn who then looks over to said dogs. Three little chihuahuas in a pink fluffy dog bed. T-Dog rolls his eyes and shakes his head. Glad that Glenn is alive, but annoyed at being deceived that way. It was a rather nasty, but understandable, deception. Guillermo and his people are protecting the vulnerable. That's very admirable, especially when the rest of the world has fallen apart around them. Diana crouches and stares down the dogs who are barking, constantly, her eyes flashing gold for a split second before they stop barking almost immediately and then crowd around her looking for attention. Diana smiles and picks up one of the dogs before standing and scratching under its chin softly.

"Hi" Diana coos at the dog, her eyes soft on its little face. Obviously, she loves dogs and it feels like so long since she's had the chance to actually interact with one. Behind her, Daryl is watching as the other two dogs scratch up her legs trying to get her attention. And Diana is smiling. A real smile. He doesn't recall her smiling at all since he's met her. Not like this. This is the sort of smile that he imagines would have been more common pre-walkers. Not one layered with the pain and fear that they all have. For a moment, there is none of that on her face. Daryl finds himself smiling a little too. These moments are incredibly rare now.