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LOSING, GAINING, AND KILLING FOR THE DAY

Come dawn Daryl and I were up and moving about. We were heading back in. I went into my cell and grabbed my bat and knife. I walked back out and waited with Daryl for the others to wake up.
Everyone was up, except the couple in the guard tower, but Daryl and I agreed to humiliate them this morning. We started back outside and worked on getting the bus moved.
"Okay," Rick started, "let's get the other cars in. We'll park 'em in the west entry of the yard."
"Good," Daryl commented, "our vehicles camped out there, look like a giant vacancy sign."
"No shit," I huffed.
"After that we need to burn these corpses."
"Gonna be a long day," T informed.
"Where's Glenn and Maggie," Carol asked, "we could use some help."
Daryl and I smirked at eachother. Our moment has come.
"Up in the guard tower," Daryl pointed.
"Guard tower," Rick asked, "they were just up there last night."
"They're like jack rabbits Rick," I stated, "they're horny as shit."
"Glenn, Maggie," Daryl called.
We heard the door click and Glenn came out buckling his pants. I smirked.
"Hey, what's up guys," Glenn called down.
We all chuckled between ourselves before I hollered up.
"You comin'!"
"What?"
"You comin'," Daryl repeated.
"Come on, we could use a hand," I laughed.
"Yeah, we'll be right down," Glenn called.
We chuckled between ourselves as we started for the other cars.
"Hey Rick," T called.
Rick, Daryl, Carol, and I turned towards T-dog. There they were. Axel and Oscar walking towards us. I reached for my crossbow but Rick stopped me as we started forward.
"That's close enough," Rick growled out, "we had an agreement."
"Please, mister," Axel pleaded, "we know that. We made a deal. But you gotta understand...we can't live in that place another minute. You follow me? All the bodies—people we knew. Blood, brains everywhere. There's ghosts."
Glenn and Maggie came out of the guard tower and walked a bit around them before stopping. I snorted.
"Why don't you move the bodies out," Daryl questioned.
"You should be burning them," I stated.
"We tried. We did," Axel informed.
"The fence is down on the far side of the prison," Oscar piped in, "every time we drag a body out, those things just line up. Dropping the body and just running back inside."
"Look, we had nothing to do with Tomas and Andrew. Nothing. You trying to prove a point? You proved it, bro. We'll do whatever it takes to be part of your group. Just please, please...don't make us live in that place."
"Our deal is not negotiable," Rick replied, "you either live in your cell block, or you leave."
"I told you this was a waste of time," Oscar told Axel, "they ain't no different than the pricks who shot up our boys."
I glared and went to lunge but Daryl grabbed my forearm, he never looked away from the prisoners as he held me. I struggled before giving up. He released me then and only then. I didn't move from my spot.
"You know how many friends' corpses we had to drag out this week? Just threw 'em out, like...these were good guys. Good guys who had our backs against the really bad dudes in the joint, like Tomas and Andrew. We've all made mistakes to get in here, chief. And I'm not gonna pretend to be a saint, but believe me...we've paid our due—enough that we would rather hit that road than to go back into that shithole."
Rick turned to Daryl who shook his head, then at me. I stared right back at Rick. Rick turned back to the prisoners, knowing my answer. We guided them towards the exit where our last two rides are. Daryl locked it up and made his way back towards us, where we were having a discussion. Well, we as Rick and the others.

"Are you serious," Rick questioned, "you want them living in a cell next to you? They'll just be waiting for a chance to grab our weapons. You want to go back to sleeping with one eye open?"
"I never stopped," T-dog calmly informed, "bring them into the fold. If we send them off packing, we might as well execute them ourselves."
"I don't know," Glenn sighed, "Axel seems a little unstable."
I tensed. I turned towards Glenn. I was unstable...probably more unstable than Axel. I looked back down at my feet, ignoring Rick and Daryl's glances.
"After all we've been through," Carol asked, "we fought so hard for all this, what if they decide to take it?"
"It's just been us for so long," Maggie agreed, "they're strangers. I don't—it feels weird all of a sudden to have these other people around."
"You brought us in," T-dog stated.
"Yeah, but you turned up with a shot boy in your arms. Didn't give us a choice."
I kept my gaze on the ground. I was tense enough as it was.
"They can't even kill walkers," Glenn informed.
"They're convicts, bottom line," Carol stated.
"You should've been a convict!" "You have no idea what you've done to this family, Wild." "I should've aborted you!"
"Those two might actually have less blood on their hands than we do," T-dog stated.
I hugged myself inward. They all had less blood on their hands than me.
"I get guys like this," Daryl spoke up, "hell, I grew up with them. They're degenerates, but they ain't psychos. I could've been in there with them just as easy as I'm out here with you guys. Same goes for Red."
"So are you with me?"
"Hell no. Let 'em take their chances out on the road just like we did."
"What I'm saying Daryl-"
"When I was a rookie," Rick stated, "I arrested this kid. Nineteen years old, wanted for stabbing his girlfriend. The kid blubbered like a baby during the interrogation, during the trial—suckered the jury. He was acquitted due to insufficient evidence and then, two weeks later, shot another girl. We've been through too much. Our deal with them stands."
I watched Daryl and Rick start walking before they both nodded at me. I reluctantly joined them.
"You okay?"
"Gotta be," I sighed.
"You know they didn't mean you, right," Daryl stated.
"I know...but I could've been there with them. If I kept going the way I was before all this? I could've been in here..."
"But you aren't, that's what's important," Rick informed, stopping us and resting his hand on my shoulder, "you're good June, you don't see it, but the rest of us do."
I nodded and we kept walking, the others slowly following.
"Move the cars to the upper yard," Rick ordered, "point 'em facing out. They'll be out of the way but ready to go if we ever need to bail. We'll give the prisoners a week's worth of supplies for the road."
"Might not last a week," T commented.
I rolled my eyes as we started up the cars, I was making sure the Hyundai ran properly after the shit it's been through. I closed the top and patted it before hopping on the back of Daryl's bike before he took off. Glenn closed the gate behind us.
I hopped off once he parked it. I helped the others park the three cars. I turned and smiled lightly at Hershel.
"Walkers," Carl yelled, "look out!"
I shot my head in the direction the walkers were coming from. I pulled off my crossbow and shot, until I ran out of arrows. I dropped my crossbow where it was and pulled out my throwing knives. I covered T-dog and Carol as I followed them. I ran out of throwing knives so I stuck to my blades. I pulled out my sword and my knife. I stabbed and sliced when I could. I waited with Carol, except T-dog got bit.
"No," Carol cried out.
T-dog quickly joined us as we raced off. An alarm started blaring as we went.
"There's a set of doors that will lead to a corridor," T-dog explained, "that'll get you back to our cell block."
"You should stop."
"I'm getting you two there!"
"Stop!"
"Why? Sit here and wait to die?"
I glanced behind us to cover us as we went. I holstered my sword and stuck with my knife instead.
"I'll do what I have to. You're not becoming one of those things."
"I can't ask that."
"It's the pact, remember?"
"This is God's plan. He'll take care of me. Always has. He's gonna help me lead you out of these tunnels."
We continued on. We took lefts and rights and more lefts and rights. It was all becoming a blur.

"We're almost there."
Two walkers appeared and Carol went to shoot but was out, and I was already out of everything beside my melee weapons.
"Go back!"
"No. We're close. We're close!"
"No!"
T-dog ran forward out of Carol's grasp. He threw them against the wall and told us to go. We ran forward as he repeatedly got bit. I gave him a sorrowful look before we ran. Carol and I made twist and turns but we ran into a herd. I gave her my knife as I pulled out my sword. We pushed our way through. I turned to Carol, except she wasn't with me. I spun around.
"Carol," I yelled desperately, "Carol!"
"I'm okay," I heard her yell, "find somewhere safe! I'll meet you back at the cell block!"
I hesitated before going, I stabbed a walker in the face and I went to pull my sword out but it got lodged. I glanced around before giving up and shoving myself into a broom closet. I leaned my head down on my knees as I savored my air.

-Daryl's POV-
We ran across some walkers and Rick shot them. The body they were eating was T-dog's. I glanced at my feet to see a scarf. Something Carol was wearing. I looked over at Rick before looking down angrily. I just hoped they didn't get Red too.

We ran back outside.
"Hershel," Rick ordered.
"You didn't find them," Hershel questioned.
"We thought maybe they came back," Glenn offered.
Hershel and Beth both shook their heads.
"What about T? Carol?"
"They didn't make it," I commented.
"June," Beth asked.
"Dunno. Didn't see her bat or sword. Just what's out here."
"That doesn't mean the others didn't," Rick pointed out, "we're going back. Daryl, Glenn you come with-"
There was a crying baby. We turned towards it to see Maggie and Carl coming out. No Lori. Rick had a melt down and Carl looked stoic. I looked down. First T-dog, Carol, possibly Red and now Lori...
Anger started flowing through my veins at the thought of Red. How she didn't back down from fights, always runnin' off on runs to come back bruised in some shape or form. To how she protected us like we were her last salvation to life. My mind roamed back to when she told me how her parents treated her. Training her to be an animal.
She had to be alive then. Her instincts would've taken over...no. No they wouldn't...Rick shut those down. I closed my eyes. Rick shut those instincts down when he gained her loyalty. She took orders from us like a dog, but Rick was the one she was bound by. The leader. The only time her instincts really ever took over was if Rick was threatened. Left on her own for longer than a few days, she turns rabid...that I know first hand.
I tuned back in.

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