Tragic Coincidence | Daryl Dixon

Chapter Twenty-Three

The sounds of a baby crying woke me from my rather peaceful slumber, and winced when the sun burned my eyes when they opened. Beth was walking past me with Judith trying to calm her, she was rather agitated this morning, I knew we needed to push farther into the prison to prevent agitating the walkers outside the fences even farther. "She ok?" I asked softly after I rolled up my sleeping bag. Beth looked up from the crying baby and gave me a tiny smile, one that I returned.

"She's just hungry I think, but i only have enough formula for one more bottle" She said softly, rocking Judith from side to side. I placed a hand gently on Judith's head before grabbing the formula and bottle out of Beth's bag and making her a small bottle, I really needed to go on a run as soon as we cleared an area inside of the prison. "Ill get some today" I told her before walking over to Rick and Daryl, who were talking across the field. 

"Morning Emma" Rick said smiling as i walked over to them. I smiled to him before glancing at Daryl who was messing with the strap on his crossbow. "Em's" He said with a nod and a small smile. "Guys we need to push in as soon as possible, Judith is out of formula" I said nodding behind me to Beth who was sitting with Hershel and Carol feeding her the last of her food. "Damn, ok get Maggie, Glenn and T-Dog and we'll push through in five" Rick said before walking over to the gate we would be going through.

"Stay close alright?" Daryl asked stepping closer to me. The six of us would be going into the courtyard hand to hand instead of using our guns....we didn't have the ammo to waste, and that was something else we needed to find when we were out. "You too" I said shoving him lightly with my hand, he only smirked and headed behind us to gather the rest of our group.....

"Alright, don't break rank!" Rick shouted as the six of us walked slowly back to back into the courtyard.I had my large hunting knife in my hand, and was wedged in between Maggie and her hatchet and Daryl and his crossbow. Maggie ran forward and hacked into a walkers skull, and i heard the whizzing of an arrow on my other side. As Maggie ran to the wall to attack another walker, I killed two easily that had stumbled in front of us. 

It didn't take long for us to clear out the walkers around us in the courtyard, it really was a good plan to go in formation to cover each other's backs. We silently walked over to the other side of the courtyard, but Rick ushered us back as he saw something up ahead. I couldn't see what it was, but I could hear the groans echoing against the concrete walls. I peeked around and saw two walkers with what looked like riot gear on, helmets and all stumbling out from behind a dumpster. I quickly put an arrow in my bow and let one fly, it just bounced off of the helmet and fell to the ground. 

Rick and T-Dog ran forward towards the other open gate, and quickly fought with several walkers who had stumbled through. Maggie and Glenn ran to take care of the two walkers in riot gear while i stood back and started taking walkers out with my bow, shooting any that got too close to the group. "Daryl!" Rick shouted as him and T-Dog tried desperately to close the gate, with numerous walkers. I quickly shot one that was blocking the opening to the gate, and the three of them shut it with ease when Daryl showed up to help. 

I looked behind me to see Maggie and Glenn had taken care of the two dressed walkers and smiled to see the work we accomplished. Rick came to my side breathing heavy, and Daryl soon followed, I could see he was looking me over to make sure I was ok even without asking me out loud. "You think insides overrun?" Maggie asked as she wiped her hatchet on one of the dead walkers on the ground, all of our weapons were covered in blood. "Could be, that's a civilian there" Daryl said pointing to a dead walker in a flowy yellow dress. 

"Only way to know for sure" Rick said nodding to the cell block door that was up a small flight of stairs. "Daryl you take the back, Emma you take the front with me" Rick said placing a hand on my shoulder before walking up the stairs. I gave Daryl a tiny smile before following our leader, T-Dog and Maggie were right behind me, Daryl and Glenn were covering out backs. Rick slowly pushed open the large metal door, it creaking loudly. I half expected a herd of walkers to come stumbling out and attacking us, but all we heard was silence.

The cell block wasn't large, had a few tables in a small room with a guard tower placed in the center, and a separate gated door leading to the cells. I slid my bow onto my back and took out my knife knowing my bow wouldn't be that useful in these close quarters. Rick walked off into the guard tower while Glenn and Maggie secured the perimeter of the cell block. T-Dog, Daryl and I went to clear out the cells. 

The bottom cells were completely empty, but we could hear groaning coming from up the stairs. Daryl and i walked up the stairs slowly, our knives at the ready. We walked past the first cell....empty. The second cell had one walker inside that slammed it's body against the bars on the door. Daryl placed an arm in front of my body and pushed me gently into the railing and out of the walker's grasp. I looked down the hall and saw three more walkers sticking their undead hands through the small opening to their cell. "T, we got some up here" Daryl called down to T-Dog who was making sure we didn't miss anything down below. 

"Alright" I heard him call before I saw him job up the stairs to us. "I got this one" I said softly, gently removing Daryl's arm from in front of me. He nodded before walking down to the next cell,and quickly stabbed the walker in the skull, and soon we had all of the walkers that were trapped inside, laying on the bottom floor thanks to the set of keys that Rick found on a dead guard. 

I was dragging one of the dead inmates across the floor when the rest of our group started walking inside to the cells. "It's secure?" Carl asked looking around at the cells in awe. 

"This cell block is" Rick responded smiling down at his son. Carl nodded and ran off to find a cell for himself. "Home sweet home" Carol said placing a gentle hand on my shoulder before walking into a cell with T-Dog, yeah something is definitely happening between those two. I smiled when I saw the two of them whispering together, and T-Dog place his hand on her cheek. I looked away quickly as to not spy on their private moment, I was happy they could find love even with the end of the world.

I dragged the dead body the rest of the way to the other part of the cell block, and jumped when I felt a hand on my shoulder but quickly relaxed when i saw it was just Daryl. "Come get some rest so we can go get some formula" He said softly reaching down to grab my hand and pull me back to the cells. "Dare I'm ok really, I'm ready to go now" I said quickly, but in reality i really was dying to take a nap. It took longer than I thought to clear out all those walkers and that mixed with my adrenaline wearing off plus moving bodies really took its toll on me, I could hardly hide my yawn from him. 

"Yeah sure you are" He said with a chuckle as he pulled me down onto a mattress that was on the second floor, hidden off to the side. I plopped down on one side while Daryl laid down on his stomach beside me. "Didn't want a cell?" I whispered resting my arm under my head as a pillow. "We ain't sleeping in no cell" He mumbled. "just go to sleep Em's" Daryl said before wrapping his arm around my waist and squeezing it gently. "Don't have to tell me twice" I said softly before my eyes grew heavy and I fell asleep listening to Daryl's soft breathing.