Solitary: The Walking Dead

Chapter Seventy-four.

It's Glenn.

Iris sits on the porch steps, lifting her cigarette to her lips with her blood stained shaky hands, she looks at the puddles of blood on the road. As she stares at it she thinks of all the people that have died, she thinks about Glenn, wondering if he's okay. She thinks about Sasha and Abraham, wondering if their car has broken down yet. And then she thinks about Daryl, is he going to make it back? Is he safe? Is he hurt?

She thinks about how she didn't even say goodbye to them, she thought they were going to be back after a few hours but now it's been too long and she might never get to see them again. She thinks about the men and women she killed, the smiles on their faces as they killed. She stands up and continues to smoke her cigarette as she walks towards the infirmary, "what can i do for you?" Denise asks "I got hit in the wrist. Just need to strap it up and I'll be on my way" Iris says.

Denise grabs out the supplies and walks back over to Iris, the red head holds out her hand and Denis begins to wrap it, "tighter" Iris says, "you need to make it tighter so it's supported" she adds, Denis tightens it slightly and looks at Iris to make sure it's right "that's better. It also means you're using less of the fabric" Iris explains.

"How do you know this?" Denise asks "I was a cop" Iris says, the real reason is that she would have to fix herself up everytime her dad would hit her, "i can come by and teach you some of the things i know when things are quieter" Iris offers as Denise finishes wrapping her wrist, "i would really appreciate that" she says "thanks" Iris says before walking away.

............

"You ready to start training?" Rosita asks walking up to Iris, "yeah" she says and they walk over to the meeting spot. "Now, when the blade connects, don't jerk it right back. You'll get stuck." Rosita explains, "Stuck?" one of the men asks "Like an axe cutting into a tree. It's easier to get a blade into bone than out." Iris says "So what should we do?" "You should slide the machete down through the wound. One fluid motion." Rosita says

"Okay, you ease it through the bone like this." Iris says, using her knife and showing them what she means, "All right?" she asks, looking around at the group of people, Iris works with one of the women while Rosita talks to Eugene. "Are the noises scarring you or can we get back to our lesson?" Rosita asks, Eugene walks away and Iris and Rosita get back to the lesson. "When you're out there in it you need to expect the unexpected. Anything can happen. If you think it's over it's not. If you think you're safe, you're not" Iris explains, walking around and watching them practise their knife work.

........

Iris walks through the streets again, making sure everything is still in order, she looks up at the sky and freezes when she notices green balloons flying in the sky, she runs over to Rick, Maggie running behind her. "Who do you think it is?" Iris asks Rick, looking back up at the balloons, "it's Glenn. It's glenn" Maggie says, trying to catch her breath, suddenly the sound of wood breaking catches everyone's attention, they all look to see the church outside the walls fall, aiming right at them "shit" Iris says running out of the way.

Everything goes silent before the horde starts climbing through the hole in the wall, "Everyone, get back! Get into your houses, go!" Rick orders, shooting the walkers that get close to him, Iris runs as fast as she can towards Carl "come on! Inside!" she shouts to him "Ron! Now!" she adds, noticing the boy not moving. Iris takes them to Jessie's house, knowing that Judith was there, "the walkers are inside the walls" Iris tells the blonde woman.

Shortly after, Iris sees Rick and Michonne carrying Deanna, she grabs her hand gun and stands in front of the house, clearing a path of walkers "Rick!" she shouts, getting his attention and they make their way into the house, Iris quickly follows them upstairs, "what happened?" she asks as Rick lowers Deanna on the bed, "she's been bit" he says, Iris assesses the wound and realises she can't do anything about it.

She stands up and leaves Michonne and Jessie to sit with Deanna, she walks downstairs and looks out the windows, she starts closing all the curtains and sits on a chair with her gun in her hand, she watches the door and waits. She hears crashing and glass breaking, getting up she follows Rick and Jessie to the noise, "Carl!" "Ron!" "Carl! Let me in! Carl!" "Ron!" "Carl, open the door!" "Ron, open the door right now!" the parents shout over the crashing as they bang on the door.

"Back up" Iris says to Jessie and Rick starts hitting the door lock with his axe, when they manage to open the door the boys run towards them, walkers filling the room, Rick shuts the door and they start grabbing things to keep the door shut, once the door is secure Iris sits back in her spot in front of the door. She zones out the rest of the world, keeping her focus on the door, watching it like a lioness watches her prey.

"Iris. I need you to keep an eye on Deanna" Rick says "okay" she says, standing and walking up to the room the woman's in, "are you my babysitter?" Deanna asks as Iris sits down at the bottom of the bed, "how you feelin?" Iris asks "like shit" Deanna says. "I'm glad Aaron found you... i think you're going to be good for this place" Deanna says, smiling at Iris.

"I don't know about that" Iris says, "you're strong and brave" Deanna says, Iris stands when the sound of the walkers grows louder, she runs out of the room to the top of the stairs, "whats happening?" she asks "they've made their way in" Carl says.