Ruins

12

I actually strolled on my way back to the house. I enjoyed the nice breeze, and my clean skin, and full belly while it lasted. Who knew what tomorrow would bring.

But tomorrow was actually another good day, then another... until it wasn't. I understood. I didn't trust these people either, not all of them anyway, and I sure as hell wasn't afraid to pack up and leave in an instant, but that wasn't what needed to happen yet. So the evening that Rick attacked Pete... I wasn't surprised. I could tell exactly who he was.

He drank constantly, even when working on a patient, and one night he was even aggressive with me.

Denise and I stayed in the infirmary late, studying together and as she went to leave Pete stumbled in. He had a small gash on his knuckle.

"Woah, woah. Are you alright?" I shot out of my seat, rushing to help him.

"I'm fine." He grumbled, pulling his arm away from me.

"Let me help, Pete." I soaked some cotton with alcohol, reaching for his hand again.

"Get away from me!" He screamed, landing a debilitating blow to my chest.

I gasped in a breath, scrambling away from him. The fresh air outside only helped me a little, and luckily- or unluckily, I'm not sure- I ran into Daryl first.

"What'sa matter with you?" He questioned, as I nearly barrelled into him.

"Pete- He-" I gasped for my breath, but as I felt his arms around me my eyes began burning with emotion. "He shoved me."

Daryl tore away from me, but I latched onto his arm.

"Don't Daryl. He's drunk, it's not worth it." I begged. "Please- we need this place." I tugged at his arm, finally breaking his attention from heading back to the infirmary.

"C'mere." He stuffed me under his arm and into his chest as we walked home.

That was the evening before he left to go out and recruit with Aaron. This evening Daryl wasn't here to protect anyone from Pete, or Rick, but Michonne was.

After Michonne knocked Rick out, they put him in an empty room. And Deanna decided to hold a meeting, deciding his fate, whatever that maybe... the group would follow Rick.

I spent most of the day in the infirmary with a silent Denise, and unconscious Tara.

I wet her lips with a Q-tip, and rotated her arms and legs for her.

"You know for the record I don't blame Rick..." Denise spoke, making me smile after a moment. "We need your people." She shrugged.

"Thank you." I whispered.

"You coming?" She asked, it was about time for the meeting, it was beginning to grow dark.

"I think I'm gonna stay with Tara for a little longer." I gave an excuse. I couldn't bear to hear what they had to say- not without an outburst anyway.

I let out a sigh, leaning my head over Tara's legs. "You're lucky you get to sleep through this." I muttered. "Okay, I take that back. I wish you'd wake up." I shook my head, thinking of how we had just lost Noah, we couldn't lose anyone else right now. "We need some of your witty, dark humor right now."

I sat by her bed, reading some more of the surgical textbook, until a loud shot ran shock through my body. I made sure I had my knife and ran as fast as possible to the meeting site.

Once I got there... I saw three bodies. A walker, Reg, and Pete. Deanna was hunched over her husband's body sobbing.

"What happened?" I questioned, seeing a gun in Rick's hand. I pushed through the crowd to where Maggie was, then I saw Daryl, Aaron, and a man I assumed was a recruit.