Into The Dark

{40} Dr Mamet

Ash had left Alex's apartment a while ago. She was sure both her and Michonne were up by now. It was just getting daylight. She left a note telling them what she was doing so they didn't worry. Well, she didn't tell them everything, but enough to let them know it was her choice.

She had gone back to the building where she was examined by those two doctors. She wanted to get her legs as soon as possible. And if that meant running into The Governor...then so be it.

Her legs were the only things that were going to get her out of here. Without them, everything else, all their plans, were pointless. Without her legs, she was never leaving Woodbury.

And she couldn't let that happen. She had to get back to the others. Lately, that's the only thing she could think about. She just had to get back. No matter what.

So she trudged forward, through the empty halls toward the examination room, looking out for anyone who looked like a doctor. If getting home meant having to face her hell, well, she'd do it. No questions asked.

She froze in the hall, her hands resting on the wheels of her chair. Home. She hadn't even been to the prison, their new home, if they had even secured it to where they could live there, and she was already calling it home. But then she realized...it wasn't the prison she was calling home...it was the people who went into the prison to make it their home.

Those people...her people...they were her home. It didn't matter where they were, if they were separated like they were now, those people will always be Ash's true home.

Another realization hit her. She couldn't live without them. She needed to get to them. She needed to get out of Woodbury. She needed her legs.

So she quickened her pace once more and trudged into the examination room. Luckily, a male doctor was leaning over the cabinet in the corner of the room, working on something. He hadn't even heard her come in.

"Hello." She spoke, causing him to jump and turn around quickly, trying to conceal what he was doing. Ash tried peering around him but he moved in her way.

"Y-yes? C-can I help you..?" He asked stuttering. He seemed scared of her for some reason. She racked her brain to see if she recognized his voice but she had never heard it before. They had never met.

"I was...wondering if I could...speak to Dr Stevens or Dr Mamet?" She said as she tries to look around him but the man blocked her view every time with his body.

He nodded frantically as he turned around. "O-of course! I'll send them r-right away!" He said as he gathered what he was working on and rushed out of the Examination Room.

Ash stared after him confused. Was it just her...or was he a little to eager to get away from her? She shrugged as she waited for one of the Doctors to come.

Not long after, the dude must have run fast, a new male Doctor came into the room with a clipboard. He had glasses and brown thinning hair. "Hello Ashley. We meet again." He said.

A nerve clicked in Ash's mind as he spoke. She new this man. She met him once before.

"You must be Dr Mamet. Its nice to finally put a face to the name." She said with a nod.

The man, Dr Mamet, smiled and nodded before folding his arms awkwardly and looking at her. "I hear you were looking for me?" He asks.

She nods. "Yes...I want to walk. I am tired of being stuck in this chair. I was hoping you could help me with that?" She asks, telling nothing but the truth as she looked him in the eyes with a pitiful look upon her face.

Dr Mamet hesitated, much like the man who tried to hide what he was doing from Ash, and looked from the door to Ash then back. "W-well...I-I...I mean, of course you do! W-who wouldn't? B-but-"

"But? You guys promised to help me walk again if I stayed. I'm staying. Now I want my legs back." She nearly snapped. But then she thought of another approach. "You're hiding something, aren't you? All of you. That other guy, he was terrified when I came in and caught him working on something. What are you hiding?" She asked as she wheeled toward him, making him back up into the wall unless he wanted his feet run over.

He stammered as he shook his head and held his hands up. "N-nothing. I am hiding nothing." He said as his his eyes darted to the door once again.

Ash looked over at the door, wondering why he kept looking back, but saw no one there. She was about to turn back to the Doctor when she looked down and noticed a shadow moving on the other side of the door. Someone was on the other side, listening in. And she had a good idea who it was.

She turned back to Dr Mamet and backed away from him, giving him room to step away from the wall. She stared at him knowingly and he gulped. She shook her head and looked down.

"I want my legs, Doctor. That's all. I miss being able to walk freely. Not...constricted to this chair. Please...tell me you will help." She begged looking up at him, choosing her words carefully.

He stared at her, and then the door, and then back at her. He nodded as he spoke. "I'm sorry, Ashley. But we haven't found the parts to fix your legs yet. But when we do, I will let you know." He said.

Ash smiled, despite hearing the words he spoke. He was going to help her.

Dr Mamet turned around and wrote something down on a piece of paper before handing it to Ash. She looked down at the paper before back up at him.

"I see...thank you, Doctor. Please let me know if you find anything." She said as she smiled at him.

Dr Mamet returned the smile and nodded. "Of course. I best be going, now. Have a wonderful day, Ashley." He said before walking out through the door he kept starring at. Ash didn't dare turn to see if he was behind the door. She already knew the answer.

She looked down at the note Dr Mamet had given her.

'Find me in the South building. Farthest room to the left. Away from prying ears.'

Ash nodded. If this is what it took to get her legs, to get home, no questions asked.

|***|

Ash found herself at the South side of Woodbury. It wasn't hard to figure out which was the South Building. It was large and red brick walls lined the outside of the building. It was the farthest building South and it was quite far from the examination room she was once in so it took her quite a while to get there.

Luckily, she managed to evade Alex and Michonne, who was on the street looking for her. Well, Alex was asking people if they saw her and Michonne was just standing there looking around. Guess they found the examination room empty by the time they got there. They were obviously much faster than she was. Which was why she needed her legs. To keep up once they get into the woods.

Ash took the back ways to the South side of town to not run into them. She didn't have time to explain everything. She had to meet Dr Mamet as soon as possible. Who knew when the Governor would leave for his next run? They have to be ready for their window.

She entered the building and made her way to the back of the building. It was eerily quiet, the lights flickering then dying out then flickering back on. But she continued on despite everything in her gut telling her to turn around and go find Michonne and Alex. Her brain told her this was the only way to getting back home.

Sometimes it was hard to choose who to listen to, your heart or your head. This was one of those times, as she sat in her wheelchair, opening the door on the left. She wished she had chosen to listen to her gut instead as she entered the dark room.

"Hello?" She called as she wheeled in. She looked around but it was too dark to see anything. "Dr Mamet? You here?" She asked.

And just like that.

She heard a slight whish to her left but as she turned to look who was there, she felt a needle being stabbed into her neck.

Ash felt her eyes droop as her head lolled to the side. She felt two hands grab her face and pet her hair. "I'm so sorry. So sorry, Ashley...but you were just the perfect specimen..."

And just like that, she was out.