HEART FOR BRAINS • the walking dead

019: blood and guts

Rick staggered forward, towards the trembling gate. Rio kept banging on it, not turning to look at the woman besides him or the snarling walkers behind. He just stared at Rick, who's eyes danced between him and Michonne.

"What..." his voice trailed off, eyes and thoughts wandering.

Rio looked past him to see Hershel further up the path, Carl running right past him. He stood up on his tip-toes, trying to get them to notice him.

Just then, Michonne dropped her hand from the fence, clasping the wound on her leg as she winced. The Walker besides her grunted, turning its head slowly towards the pair. The woman stepped back cautiously, pulling Rio with her. She still stared straight at Rick.

The walkers around them soon noticed they were different, one came up in Rio's face, their heads almost touching. The boy's hand jumped to his pocket, grabbing his pocket knife from his jeans and he plunged it into the creatures head. He pulled it out from under the walkers chin and pushed Michonne back as blood flicked across his face.

She let him go and drew her own weapon, now not having a choice but to fight. The woman swung her katana at two walkers, slicing their head in a row. She stabbed another between the eyes and stumbled back, letting out an exasperated breath as she removed the blade.

"We need to help them!" Carl shouted from behind the fence. He was now besides Rick, hands pressed against the chain.

"Yeah!" Rio shouted in agreement and hurried away, dragging two walkers with him, the others stayed by Michonne. He stabbed the closest one, missing slightly and slashing its neck. Blood shot at him and he tried to wipe it from his face as he stabbed again. He hit it through the eye and it fell back, toppling the second one over too.

Rio knelt down besides the two, keeping his foot on the arm of the still moving Walker. He looked up at Michonne quickly, seeing that she was struggling. He plunged his knife into the walkers forehead and scrambled up.

More were coming, the noise must've drawn them closer. Rio ran over to one that was sneaking up on Michonne, arms reaching for the back of her head. He took it down, turning around ready to kill another.

Michonne decapitated one, catching another in the same swing. It didn't hit the head so Rio finished it. He wasn't sure how many he killed before Michonne fell. She stumbled around for a second, loosing her footing and then she collapsed.

"Michonne?" He asked, dropping to her side on the floor. He shook her shoulders. "Michonne?"

She grunted in response and Rio swore to himself as more walkers surrounded them.

He stood up stabbing the one who was closest to him. He went to slash the next one when a shot fired, catching the boy off guard as it dropped to the floor. Rio turned to find Carl, gun positioned through the fencing. He didn't have time to say thank you before another one dropped, it's body splaying over Michonne's legs.

Rio hauled it off of her before he stabbed another, that was when Rick decided to come out. He pulled open the fence and ran, shooting down walkers immediately. Carl followed, taking out a few on the left before running over to Rio.

He gave him a quick hug and Rio cringed. "I'm covered in Walker guts."

"I don't care." He said, grabbing the basket of dropped baby formula. Rio took out the last two who approached as Rick inspected Michonne.

"She bit?" Hershel asked from afar.

"Gunshot." Rick answered as he slung Michonne's arm over his shoulder, she was barely conscious at this point. Rio ran behind Carl as he closed the gates, locking them hastily before heading back into the prison. Rick trailed behind them, making his way up the path.