Deadland

Chapter 120- Horde

Alyssa's eyes widen, "W-What? No, it's fine. I can walk on it." She then shoves Inejra away from her and uses the wall to stand up. She stretches her injured leg out in front of her and puts way too much pressure on it, causing her to scream out in pain and fall back to the ground. 

"Alyssa, I'm gonna have to pop it back into place." I tell her as Inejra holds her head again. 

"No, no you don't! I was just being dramatic! Adrian, you don't!" She pleads, trying to swat my hands away. 

I huff and turn to the group, some of whom are staring at the country of Walkers below us, the rest who are staring at us. "Jerry, hold her arms down." 

"On it, boss." He says, jogging over to us and grabbing her arms. "Sorry, dude." 

"No, no, no, Adrian, please!" I can hear genuine fear in her voice, it hurts my heart I'm about to inflict this kind of pain on her. Her pleads and the sound of the Walkers around us makes me sweat, my hands are shaking with anticipation and I'm trying to figure out how the hell to do this. 

I place my hands above and below her knee, putting my thumbs together on the misplaced side that's closest to me. "I'm sorry, 'Lyss." I whisper, shoving my thumbs forward. Her knee makes an audible crack and she wails out in agony, holding onto Jerry's hand. I focus my attention on how her knee looks now, still fucked, but it seems like it's back in place. I exhale slowly and ask her if she can bend it properly, which, with a cry of pain, she does. 

"You did so good, 'Lyss." Inejra assures her, petting her hair as Alyssa sobs in her lap. "Fuck, I'd be in shambles right now. You're a bad fucking ass...with Adrian's amount of stubbornness." 

"Unfortunately." I add. 

"Uh...hey guys?" Jerry says standing up from Alyssa. Following his gaze, all of us look up and see Alpha, standing above us with an annoying ass smirk while holding a torch. Carol stares at her for a moment before screaming an angry, blood-curdling scream, her audible breaths hoarse afterward.

"Magna!" I exclaim, running to her as she tries to climb up the wall. I grab her feet and with every ounce in me, heave her up as high as I can, my body shaking with tension. Daryl quickly joins me, holding her up a few inches higher with my hands just supporting her other foot. 

"AH!" She yells in frustration, falling to the ground. 

"Shit, you alright?" I ask as Daryl and I help her up. 

"I almost had it." She assures us, reaching to try again.

"Nah, it's too high. You'll risk breaking your neck." Daryl says, grabbing his flashlight. "We'll find a better way." 

I make my way back to Alyssa, ripping my shirt in half to tie her knee. "Why're you doing that?" Inejra asks as Alyssa tries to slow her breathing after crying. 

"It helps with pain and inflammation somehow...I don't know how but it does." I respond, wrapping the cloth tight around Alyssa's knee. 

"I taught her that." Alyssa says, groaning as I tighten the cloth. 

I nod and pull her pants leg down, "You did." 

"Hey," Magna says, turning to us after looking around with the group. "We found a way out but..." 

"Shit," I whisper, already thinking the worst. 

"Alyssa's gonna have to jump across rocky platforms." She informs us, an apologetic tone in her voice. 

"Fuck, that's gonna hurt, isn't it?" Alyssa nods to herself. "That's gonna hurt." 

I sigh heavily and try to think of a way to make it easier on her. "Daryl," I announce, turning to him. "How many people d'you think can fit on the rocks?"