Solitary: The Walking Dead

Chapter 145.

Turn the herd.

"Mother Goose, this is Eye in the Sky. Come in, please." Iris chuckles and looks up at Rick, he rolls his eyes and stands up, holding the walkie to his mouth "Mother Goose?" he questions "Yeah, no offence, but your call signs suck, so we can do better." Tara's voice says, Iris stands next to Rick, "Rick!" Iris looks up to see Alden, Iris and Rick start walking towards Alden.

"Tara, you got something to report?" Rick asks "Yeah. 'Horatio' just hit its mark, right on schedule." "Okay. Let's do this." Rick says, stopping in front of Alden, "Copy that, Mother Goose."

Iris listens as Jerry starts to sound the alarm in the distance, "Rick. Carol asked me to check up on the Saviors who've gone AWOL. I just heard back from..." Alden explains but Rick stops him for a second, "Yeah, I wanted to talk to you about that. Just hold on. Tara, how's it look?" "Yeah, we got 'em. They're turning."

"Good. Keep an eye out for stragglers. Let 'em clear the camp, then fire up number two before they reach the lumber site." Rick explains "Copy that." "What about those Saviours?" Rick questions Alden. "I just heard back from Sanctuary, and none of the guys who walked off made it back home." Alden explains.

"None of them?" Iris questions, her eyebrows furrowing "No. And some of 'em had families. One guy had a new kid. There's no way they just up and left them." Alden explains "Piper Two, do you read?" Iris ignores the radio "So, what do you think is going on?" Rick asks "I don't know, but the Sanctuary group's gettin' worried, and they're the only ones here without guns, so..." Alden says "Yeah, well, we disarmed Sanctuary for a reason." Rick says.

"Piper Two, this is Eye in the Sky. Come in, please."

"There are more of them here than from anywhere else, and they're scared. If they wind up deciding they're safer back home, this whole thing's a wash." Alden says "Well, I'll make sure they're protected." Rick says "Oh, so, they work for you, and you protect them, huh? Who's that sound like to you?" Alden questions.

"Piper Two, come in. Do you copy?"

"Tara, what's going on out there?" Rick questions, "That second siren isn't going off. If the herd isn't pulled soon, they're gonna run right into our crew." Iris looks up at Rick, panic taking over as she thinks about Daryl and Aaron out there.

Iris pulls out her knives and starts running towards the crew, Rick follows after her, collecting a group on the way, Iris raises her knives and starts driving the blades in the walkers heads, Iris turns to see Daryl trying to hold Aaron up as they try to go back to camp, "Iris go with them! Enids gonna need your help!" Rick shouts. Iris runs over to the two men, looking down at Aarons mangled arm.

"Move!" Iris shouts, getting the people to clear a path, "Enid!" she shouts, the girl runs out of the tent and finds the injured man, "Where's Siddiq?" Daryl questions as he helps Aaron onto the bed, "He's gone. It's just me." Enid Panics "It's just you, then." Daryl says "you've got this kid" Iris reassures.

Aaron screams as they pull the shirt away from his arm, "I have to amputate." Enid says walking away to get supplies "What?" Aaron questions "There ain't no other way?" Daryl questions, Iris uses a cloth and wipes the sweat from Aarons forehead, "The only way to stop the bleeding is to amputate and cauterise the wound." Enid explains, "What?" Aaron panics.

"Here." she says handing Daryl something to tie around Aarons arm, "Wait. Wait." Aaron cries out, Iris continues to wipe away his sweat, "You got something for the pain?" Daryl questions "It wouldn't kick in fast enough. We have to do this now." Enid says, "sorry, man." Daryl says, "I need you two to hold him down for me." Enid orders, Iris holds onto Aarons non injured arm.

Iris watches Enid begin to spiral, "hey you've got this" she says, looking at the girl "You can do it. Do it!" Aaron says Enid begins cutting into Aarons arm, the man screams out in pain. Iris watches as the man passes out from the pain and blood lost.

"You did a good job" Iris says to Enid as the girl bandages Aarons arm, Iris quickley stands and follows Daryl as he storms out of the tent, they walk into the meeting tent to see Carol "And I don't give a shit what you were trying..." "Who was supposed to turn that herd?" Daryl asks, cutting her off, Iris looks into the corner to see Justin.

"Hey, the walkie wasn't charged." the man panics as Daryl starts walking closer to him, "Bullshit. It's a solar walkie. You didn't think to check it?" Daryl questions "It's not my fault the radio's a piece of shit." Justin snaps, Daryl throws a punch at the man, Iris watches as Justin falls out of the tent, Daryl close behind, going at him and punching him more.

"Daryl, stop!" Carol shouts, Iris just stands and watches, Justin has been nothing but trouble so she's happy to see him getting his ass handed to him, "Daryl!" Carol tries again, Daryl picks up a frypan and smacks it across Justin's head, "iris do something" Carol pleads, turning to the red head, Iris doesn't look at the woman and watches Daryl beat him.

"Daryl!" Carol says, grabbing Daryl's arm and stopping him from hitting Justin "I said stop." she snaps, "We'll deal with him, but not like this." Carol says "There's only one way to deal with these assholes." Daryl snaps, walking away from everyone.

Carol turns back to Iris, "i got him" Iris says, walking after the man, "what? You coming to tell me I was wrong?" Daryl snaps, not looking at the woman behind him "no. i would've done the same" Iris says, Daryl stops and looks down at the floor, "i'm sorry, i shouldn't have snapped at you" he mumbles, Iris walks over to him and stands in front of him "it's okay" Iris says, reaching up she places her hand on the back of his head and lowers it down, kissing him.