[Finished] Living Among the Dead

59. Adaptation

"Anne; Michonne and the group of new recruits just went after Daryl, Jesus and Aaron," I'm startled awake by the words and by Enid's shake of my bed.
"Anne, the walkers, they're talking. Rosita's convinced Daryl, Aaron and Jesus are in serious trouble."
"Daryl's in trouble?"
She nods.
I rush up and start getting dressed in a hurry. "Will you-"
"I'll stay with the kids."
"Thank you!" I say, hurrying out the door.

"Get him out of here," I can hear Jesus say once I finally find the group, they're in a graveyard. "Go, I got this!"
"And I've got you," I add, hopping over the fence ready to help.
Aaron runs to help Eugene get out of the gates as Jesus and I start fighting the incoming dead.
We start chopping heads, one after the other after the other, that's when I hear Aaron yell, "Jesus! Anne! Come on!"
Jesus and I exhange a look, a nod, and then start towards our group, I take out one of the dead and out of the corner of my eye; I see one duck from Jesus's swing, and then stab Jesus in the back.
I hear the chilling whisper, "You are where you do not belong."
"Fuck you, Prick!" I yell, swiping at the dead myself as I hear Aaron's yells of, "No! No! No!"
After I stab the dead's shoulder, he side steps my next swing, and as another goes to get me from behind, I see an arrow hit it's head.
As the rest of the group start jumping in and helping to kill the dead; I rush over to Jesus, quickly applying pressure to his wound, "We have to get him back!" I yell, all but tearing my shirt off to make a makeshift bandage. Aaron stands in front of me and Jesus, just absolutely bawling.
"Aaron, stop crying and help me lift him."
I see the tears falling faster, so I stand up and slap him, "Aaron! He is not dying today. You hear me, now help me lift him." Aaron nods, finally helping me. "We have to get him back."
That's when the chilling whispers start up, "They're trapped."
"Circle 'round."
Daryl's dog starts barking, his noise blending in with the whispers that seem to be closing in on us.
"Don't let them slip by."
"Keep them together."
"We don't have much time!" I yell. "His lung is going to collapse if it hasn't yet."
"You die now."
I feel Jesus start to shake violently in both Aaron and I's arms. "Fuck, can you guys keep them away from us? We have to put him down, I'm going to have to puncture a hole in his chest to help him breathe."
They start fighting once more as I take a part the pen I had in my pocket and quickly blow the ink out, I then grab a tiny bottle of whiskey I'd been keeping in my jacket for a rainy day. I quickly dump some of the whiskey on the pen, throwing a prayer to whoever might be up there and then stab as hard as I can in the side of Jesus's chest.
"Now. Go. I'll cover you." I hear Michonne say.
I nod, holding the pen and pulling Jesus back up with Aaron's help.
"Die. Die."
"Come on!"
"Let's go!"
We carry Jesus out the exit of the gate, running as fast as we can while carrying him.

"Here, let me carry him." I nod, letting Daryl take the brunt of Jesus's weight, so he and Aaron have him propped up as we move.
"Who the hell would do this?" Yumiko asks. "Even think about doing this?"
"I suspect some vessel filled with a chunky salsa of abnormal impulses and metastasized rage," Eugene explains.
I realize a little slower than I'd have liked to that their speaking about the walker masks some of the living dead were wearing, having meant now we have real life living fake walkers to worry about as well as the actually dead walkers.
"It's full-on batshit," says Magna.
"You think there's more?" Aaron asks.
"Yeah," Daryl confirms.
"So, what do we do?" Yumiko asks.
"Right now, keep moving." Michonne orders.
We make it to the horses and walk them while I take back over for Aaron in carrying Jesus with Daryl at my side.
"He's coming to!" I shout, gently lowering Jesus down.
"Wha- Ow."
"Don't talk, there's a pen stuck in your side, we're taking you back to Hilltop. We'll get you there, but it's going to hurt like hell. I need you to be quiet, and Jesus. I am so sorry."
Jesus nods, and groans louldy as Daryl and I help him back up, Aaron quickly jumping back in so that it's he and I carrying Jesus at this point.
"Okay, lets go!" Daryl orders.
Jesus grunts in pain with every single step we manage to make.