Stars and Scars [D.Dixon fic] TWD

35

Cassie joined Rick, T-Dog and Daryl as he checked his crossbow over and the Rick helped T-Dog with his riot gear. Cassie looked up to see Lori watching them so she sent her a small hopefully comforting smile.

She then turned to see her nephew putting one of the clean riot helmets on which were way  too big for him. It made her laugh as he accepted that it wouldn't fit before she noticed Carl smiling at Beth. Over the months on the road it seemed to Cassie that Carl had matured a lot for a boy his age ,but with the world they were in he had no choice, and developed a small crush on Beth.

As Maggie helped Hershel who had insisted on coming along into his own vest Rick moved towards his son taking the helmet out his hands. "You won't need that. I need you to stay put

"You're kidding" Carl said the annoyance in his tone clear as he looked his father up and down.

"We don't know whats in there.Something goes wrong in there you could be the last man standing" Rick joked slightly making Cassie wiggle her eyebrows at Carl.

"What do you think Aunt Cass?" Carl questioned the blonde.

"Im with your dad we need you to handle things here. Your in charge little man" Cassie told him which gave Carl the final push to agree to stay behind.

"Sure"

"Great. Let's go" Rick told the group who would be going through the tunnels as  they started to head out the cell block with Carl locking the door behind them.

Rick walked in the front with Cassie and Daryl behind him torch and gun up at the ready.Daryl had his set of keys on him and was opening the different cell doors as the group kept moving.

The sound of rats squeaking as they scurried along the floor was the only sound as the groups flashlights moved around keeping a lookout for anything dangerous or useful. Dead bodies with splatters of blood around them lay in different spots causing the horrible stench that was burning Cassie's nostrils.

Glenn had brought with him a can of spray paint and was currently spraying a large arrow on one of the walls so the group could easily navigate their way around the dark tunnels.

Just as Cassie had begun to walk forward with Rick Maggie's shriek brought her back to the group only to realise it was only because she had accidentally bumped into Glenn giving her a fright.

After that the group was silent again making their way through the tunnels, shining their flashlights all over to check for anything.

It was all calm as they walked down the long halls until they rounded a corner and all of a sudden they were face to face with a large group of walkers snarling and groaning.

"Go back! Go back!" Rick shouted to the people at the back as they started running back the way they came walkers quickly approaching behind them.

"Cmon this way" Daryl called out to them to follow him as they ran,the number of walkers seeing to just keep growing.

They managed to make it round a corner to catch their breath but we Cassie scanned the panting bodies around her she realised they were missing two people.

"Wheres Glenn and Maggie?" Rick asked them but nobody knew.

"We have to go back" Cassie insisted not wanting to lose either of them.

"But which way?" Daryl questioned but nobody could answer him. They didn't fully know their way round the tunnels yet so weren't sure how to find their lost friends.

They quietly started to make their way through the tunnels again calling Maggie and Glenn's names softly in the hope they'd hear them.

Cassie was checking down a corridor with Daryl when the sound of Hershel screaming in pain sounded out causing them to start running behind Rick to find the older man.

They round the corner where he was last seen and saw him fallen to the ground a waker taking a bite out his ankle which was swiftly shot in the head by Rick.

After that Rick and Glenn made their way to the injured man each one putting their arms under one of Hershel's. Daryl was in front of them with T-Dog at his side to lead them all away from the danger.

Cassie noticed Maggie stood in shock as tear flowed down her face at a rapid pace. Cassie hurried to the brunette taking her gently by the arm. "C'mon Maggie lets go check on your dad" she told the women softly before she started to lead her in the direction she saw Daryl take the others and thankfully they were only a few seconds behind and caught up quickly.

They reached a door that had been locked shut from the outside with a pair of handcuffs which luckily broke easily when T-Dog broke down the door allowing them to all run in and place Hershel down on what seemed to be an old cafeteria floor.

The door was being banged on by the hungry walkers but thankfully T-Dog was there to hold it shut as the others worked on helping to keep Hershel alive.Daryl and Rick cut off the bottom of his trouser leg in order to see the bite and Cassie couldn't help but grimace at the sight as Maggie worked on trying to keep her father calm.

"Hold him down" Rick told them with a heavy sigh as he took of his belt knowing what he would have to do to keep Hershel alive as he wrapped the belt around his leg just above the bite. "Only one way to keep you alive"

And with that Rick picked up his hatchet and began bringing it down hard and fast onto Hershel's leg blood spurting out everywhere.Soon the only sound was of the flesh tearing as Hershel passed out due to the blood loss.

"He's bleeding out" Cassie alerted them from her crouched position next to Daryl who seemed to be focused on something other then Hershel's severed leg which seemed weird to Cassie.

"Duck" he whispered to Rick who lowered his body as Daryl jumped up crossbow already pointing at the wall opposite him.

Cassie ever so slightly raised her body to try and see what Daryl was aiming at and to her surprise it was 5 men in prisoner outfits.

Things just got a lot more interesting.