The Third Dixon [The walking dead]

Chapter three

The first light of morning seeped through the small, barred windows of the cellblock. Measi stirred, eyelids heavy, feeling the weight of the previous day still pressed against her shoulders. Nathan's arm draped lazily across her waist, anchoring her to the bed.

"Morning," he muttered, voice rough from sleep.

Measi let out a small groan, shifting closer. "Morning," she replied, barely lifting her head, letting her fingers trace idle patterns across his arm.

For a long moment, they simply listened to the quiet—the occasional shuffle of Hershel moving about, the soft murmur of Maggie or Beth somewhere down the hall. The prison, once so full of chaos, felt like a temporary sanctuary.

Nathan finally rolled over to face her, brushing a loose strand of hair from her face. "You slept okay?"

Measi shrugged, blinking up at him. "Better than I thought I would. I keep thinking about... everything out there. What we just went through." Her gaze dropped to the floor. "I don't think I realized how exhausted I was until now."

He nodded, eyes soft but serious. "I know. Me too. But... we made it. We're still here."

She let out a humorless laugh, leaning her head on his shoulder. "Barely."

Nathan's hand brushed against hers. "Hey, we've got each other. That counts for something, right?"

"Yeah," she whispered, letting herself smile. "That counts for a lot."

The clatter of metal echoed down the hall—a reminder that life in the prison didn't pause for their moment of peace. Two prisoners remained somewhere deeper in the complex—Axel and Oscar—but they were confined to another block, far enough that their presence didn't intrude. For now, it was just the two of them, the quiet hum of the morning, and a small sense of relief.

Measi finally pushed herself upright, stretching, then shook her head lightly, smiling at Nathan. "I'm gonna check the supplies from yesterday. Make sure everything's still good."

Nathan followed her without hesitation, fingers brushing hers as they moved. "I'll help. You're not doing this alone."

She glanced at him, warmth tugging at her chest. "I know. But I like having a little quiet for a bit. Just the two of us."

Nathan grinned, letting her take the lead. "Alright. Quiet it is... for now."

As they moved through the cellblock together, the early sunlight glinting off the concrete walls, Measi felt a small measure of peace settle over her. Outside, the world was still dangerous, unpredictable—but in that moment, here in the prison, with Nathan at her side, she could breathe.

Measi moved silently through the corridors, Nathan just a step behind her. The echoes of their boots on the concrete seemed unnaturally loud in the emptiness, a constant reminder of how still the prison had become. The walkers were all cleared from this section yesterday, and for once, the only danger was the occasional loose piece of debris or the groan of old metal.

She opened a storage room door, the hinges creaking softly, and started pulling supplies off the shelves—cans of food, bottled water, bandages, and antiseptics. "Still looks like we've got a lot of stuff," she said, balancing a box in her hands. "If we keep this place organized, we could survive here for a while."

Nathan crouched next to a shelf, picking up a few cans and examining the labels. "Yeah... I never thought I'd see a pantry like this again. Feels weird, huh?"

"Feels like a dream," Measi said, letting the box rest on the floor. She grabbed a small stack of first-aid kits and wiped a smear of dust from one, inspecting it. "After everything, it's almost too quiet."