Left Behind (sequel to Not Alone)

Ch. 7 - Ain't Sleeping In No Cage

Daryl
“Okay guys,” Rick said early the next morning as we stood near the gate leading into the prison itself, “everyone stays in formation.” It was me, Rick, T-Dog, Maggie, and Glenn to clear out what we could of the prison. “Ready,” Rick asked looking back at us as we nodded and he opened the gate. We stood in a circle making our way farther in, Rick up front with Glenn on his left and T-Dog on his right, then me and Maggie were watching the back. “Don’t break ranks,” Rick shouted at T-Dog as he moved to get something off to the side. “We need that,” he said as he grabbed a shield. “Almost there,” Rick said as we made our way closer to the prison itself.
Didn’t take us long to secure another open area. Rick and I closed another gate to keep more geeks from piling in on us and overrunning us in the process of trying to clean it out. I was looking around at what we’d cleared out while Glenn was running over to the gate where the others were standing and waiting. “Stop,” Rick said, causing him to slowly stop and looking at him confused. “Well,” he said looking around, “it loos secure.” I looked around some more. “Not from the look of that courtyard over there,” I said and pointed to what I was talking about, “and that’s a civilian.” “So the interior could be overrun with walkers from outside the prison,” T-Dog said looking back to Glenn and the rest of us. “Well if there’s walls down,” Glenn said, “what are we gonna do? We can’t rebuild this whole place.”
“We can’t risk a blind spot,” Rick said, “we have to push in.” I watched Rick walk off and we all followed him to the entrance to a building labeled Cell Block C. I placed my knife back in its holder and looked to Rick as I placed my hand on the handle to the door that would open the block for us. We walk in cautiously, our weapons locked and loaded, waiting for anything that might jump out at us. As Rick walked up to the control room for the area, Glenn, T-Dog, Maggie, and myself stayed down on the floor in the commons area where the tables were at. I glanced up at Rick as he showed me the keys to the actual cells in this block.
We unlocked the door and quickly snuck inside as quietly as we could. I took the lead, with my crossbow raised and ready for anything. I made my way slowly up to the next level, as everyone else but Rick stayed down below. He made it way up the steps and joined me after checking out another door on the other end of the room. Once he joined me up top, we were going to check out the few cells closest to us when we heard a noise coming from the other direction up here. I had lowered my crossbow a bit to look behind me. When I looked back to Rick, I turned around towards the sound to investigate, lifting my bow back up so I was ready.
We make our way down the walk to the other cells, finding two cells with a geek or two in each one. I watch as Rick pulls his machete out and walked back to the cell with the two geeks in it while I stood in front of the one that had a single geek inside. I plunged the blade of my knife into its skull while keeping away from its flailing arms, and ended its existence in this world. Rick and I unlock the cells those geeks had been in and roll the bodies off the landing we’re standing on to the floor down below so we can burn them and all the other geeks we’ve killed since getting here.
I stay up on the landing after clearing it of any geeks and just watch as Rick steps down to the bottom floor and watch as he talks to Lori while the others pile in. As I stand there watching Rick and Lori, not really listening to what either are saying, I can’t help but think about what it would’ve been like to have my girl here with me and knowing that she’d be able to have our baby safe and sound without worrying about any geeks trying to bite into her in the process. I feel tears threatening to spill down my cheeks and quickly fight them off as I turn back into the group’s conversation about the prison just as Hershel speaks up.
“What about the rest of the prison,” he asked as I looked down at them from where I stood. “In the morning we’ll find the cafeteria and infirmary,” Rick said. “We sleep in the cells,” Beth asked sounding confused about the whole idea. “I found keys on some guards,” Rick said to her as he looked to the others, “Daryl has a set too.” “I ain’t sleeping in no cage,” I said as everyone finally looked up at where I stood on the landing, “I’ll take the perch.” I turned from the group after that, headed for the perch where I could get my things set up. Nearly eight months and it’s still tough as hell to sleep without her by my side. I miss ya baby, I thought to myself as I looked out the window above me and into the sky.