Solitary {2} : The Walking Dead

Chapter Thirty-one.

The World Before.

Iris leans her back against the wall, playing with her ring as she watches Carol sit in front of the prisoner, "Let's get started." Carol says, lifting the sheet and revealing food, "So, what's it gonna be? Honey or jam? Strawberry or apple?" she asks.

The man sits forward "All of it." "Not a problem. We have plenty here." Carol says, spreading it on the bread "For lunch, I was thinking salted fish. I like to wrap 'em up in a fresh piece of lettuce, add a little-" "What do you want?" the man asks "Well, right now, we're just gonna talk." Carol says.

"Pass." "Okay. Then, eat." Carol says handing the man the food, he looks down at it before slowly taking it, he nervously takes a bite of the food, soft cries escaping as he eats it, "Good?" Carol asks. The man spits the food on Carol's face "No."

"Where's the horde?" Carol asks, standing up and driving her knife into the prisoner's shoulder, the man lets out a scream "Tell me." Carol orders "Lady, you have the animal in you... If we were out there, I would take you like a bitch in heat." the man says.

Carol steps back and slides her ring on her finger before pulling back and punching the man, again and again. "That's enough." Daryl says, Carol steps back and Iris watches Daryl step up to the man "You're all weak."

"Gonna start with your fingers first. Then both your ears. Then we'll take all your teeth." Daryl warns "You lie to yourselves. To each other. You fight for what? Sandwiches?" the prisoner asks, Daryl grabs his arm and holds it against the wall, hovering his knife over the man's fingers.

"You ignore the truth when it's staring you in the face. I would never betray Alpha. She rescued me. She protects me. She loves me. She loves us all. She sacrificed her own daughter for us." the man says, "She killed Lydia?" Iris asks, stepping forward.

"Oh. She did. And I am willing to give my life for her." The prisoner says, Daryl looks back at Iris, Carol rushes out of the cell, Iris and Daryl quickly follow her "Stop." Daryl says.

"This ends now." Carol says, looking back at them "You're not getting Lydia mixed up in this." Iris snaps "He swallowed every ounce of Alpha's bullshit. Every ounce. If he sees that Lydia's alive and well, gets it that his great leader lied to him, then maybe that changes something." Carol explains

"Please. That kid's been through enough." Daryl pleads, "Let her make up her own mind. This is the only way, and you know it." Carol says, before turning and walking into the house.

...........

"I don't know. We came back, and he was shaking in pain." Gabriel says as they run back into the cell, "Put your healin' hands on me, Doc." the prisoner shouts, Iris stands back and watches them, "I'm burning up here." he cries.

Dante lays the man down "What's the problem?" he asks "How the hell should I know?! Just make it stop!" the man shouts, Iris watches as Siddiq and Dante try to help the man, "All right, his breathing's labored. Pupils dilated, his muscles are convulsing, but no signs of infection." Suddenly the man sits up and starts coughing up blood all over the two doctors.

Daryl steps in and holds the man down, everything goes quiet when the man stops breathing, the door opens and Iris steps forward "no" she says.

Iris grabs onto Lydia and pulls her out of the room, "just stay here" Iris says before walking back into the basement, "This morning Did you give this to him?" Siddiq questions "Yeah, for pain and inflammation." Dante says "You killed him." Siddiq says.

"How? No, that's yarrow." Dante says, panicking "It's hemlock." "I-I didn't know. I-I didn't know. I thought, uh-" "What? You thought what?" Siddiq questions.

"I never thought hemlock would be in the bag because, um" "Because what, Dante?" "Because you packed it." Iris looks up at Gabriel before looking back at Siddiq.

"If people find out, they'll panic. If Alpha finds out" Gabriel says as he stands over the prisoner's body " She won't." Daryl says, pulling his knife from his belt and driving the blade into the prisoner's head, Iris stares at the body, "I'll clean up the mess." Daryl says "I'll help. 'Cause it's not your mess to clean." Gabriel says.

...........

Iris slowly walks through the dark streets, listening to the sounds of the night, as she walks past Siddiq's house she hears Coco cry, she stands and listens, Iris pulls her axe from her belt and walks up to the front door, knocking and waiting, when the cries continue and no one answers Iris opens the door.

Iris runs up the stairs, "Siddiq!" she shouts, she runs into the bathroom, she freezes when she sees Rosita crying as she tries to calm her baby, she looks down at Siddiq's body on the floor, "are you okay?" she questions, walking over to Rosita.

Rosits cries as Iris wraps her arm around her, pulling her into her body, she stares down at Siddiq's body "come on" Iris says, guiding the woman and baby out of the bathroom, Iris looks down and sees Dantes body on the floor in the next room.

"Go outside" Iris says, she watches Rosita walk down the stairs, Iris looks down at Dante, she slides her axe back into her belt and pulls out her knife, she kicks the man in the stomach, watching as he starts to wake up.

Iris leans down and holds her blade to the man's neck, "get on your stomach" she orders, the man slowly rolls over and Iris grabs his arms, yanking them back, "stand up now" the man slowly stands and Iris holds her knife to the mans back, dragging him down the stairs.

"Iris, you okay?" Daryl asks as she steps out of the house, "i'm fine" Iris says as she continues to drag Dante to the infirmary, the others following, she pushes him down onto one of the beds and ties him up.

Iris watches as Daryl punches the man, "Hope that hurts." Daryl says, stepping back and standing next to Iris. "It doesn't matter. None of this matters. Watch enough people get incinerated, devoured alive, you see how ridiculous it is getting attached to ourselves. But knowing that sets you free." Dante explains.

"Is that what you're doing? Setting us free?" Carol asks "If you learn that lesson, it'll only help you." Dante says, "What, so we can be more like you?" Daryl questions, lighting his cigarette, "Accept the future."

"Siddiq depended on you. Why put him through all that hell in the barn just to kill him months later. I-I can't see an ideology behind that.?" Gabriel asks "I liked Siddiq." Dante says "Oh, you liked him?" Rosita snaps "He wasn't part of the plan. But he found out who I was, so I had no choice." Dante says.

"What plan?" Iris asks, "Encourage your paranoia about us which will push you into bad decisions. Places like this are cruel promises to their people, and they crumble at the smallest nick." Dante says, "Hell, I'm gonna enjoy watching you rip each other apart over what to do with me. Just like with Negan." Dante continues.

"Is that what you want? A public reckoning? A chance to be heard?" Gabriel asks "That's what you'll give me. Because it's right." "We helped you." Rosita says "Why? 'Cause you wanted another doctor around? You got something from me, too. Don't pretend you didn't." Dante says.

Rosita mutters something in Spanish as she paces back and forth, "No one is actually kind. We are selfish. We are brutal. Come on. Even seeing all those heads on spikes didn't teach you what people are?" Dante questions, Rosita kicks him in the back, making him fall on the ground.

Iris steps forwards and grabs the man, pushing him back on the bed as Aaron steps into the house, Iris punches the man, "shut up" she mutters.