A Place Just For Us (Rick Grimes)

Chapter Five: At Close Quarters

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❝ Living easy, living free
Season ticket on a one-way ride ❞

For someone known to love spotting defects in everyone else, I derived a certain satisfaction from concealing my feelings behind my usual indifference. Everyone liked him, I had to say I was starting to like him too.

     I could tell everyone in the group had easily fallen for his smart way of leading and he used the good of his heart to do that. So how could I not like him? Even if he didn't appreciate my place in the group, I couldn't help but look up to a man like that.

     Daryl seemed to be his right hand no matter what. Also he had earned a strong liking from everyone, and I could tell that by the way every single one of them said goodbye to us when we left.

     The car ride was a quiet ride. Neither of them said a word to me unless they needed directions. Many Walkers roamed the highways, but we rushed past them without difficulties.

     It took us only twenty minutes to get to the pharmacy. There were no Walkers in sight when we parked the car close to the entrance, and I realised how much luck we had when there was still some stuff left.

     "This is what I call a ghost town." Daryl mumbled, his crossbow positioned towards the entrance and ready to use it. "Ain't even Walkers out here."

     Rick and I filled our pockets and backpacks with whatever we thought could be useful. "I stayed here for a while. But it's not as safe as you think." I warn him. "I'm sure there's a few wandering around."

     Daryl gave me a nod. The pharmacy reminded me of my  short stay in this little town. It's safe as long as you keep quiet. It was the first place I found after burying my dead friend in the woods. No idea what it was called, but it could never have been a town with many people.

     Rick took all of the bandaid's from the walls, along with the pain killers. I just took whatever I thought could be necessary; it's better to take more than less.

     "Guys." Daryl suddenly said, gazing through the windows. "We got company out here."

     "Great." Rick mumbled.

     I zipped up my backpack, hanging it over my shoulder in a hurry. I stole a look outside myself as I got the knife out of my belt, ready to use it if necessary.

     "We should finish up and go back soon." Daryl said to us. I gave him a nod though his back was turned to me and his eyes were gazing outside once again. "Wait— shit— there's men coming this way."

     "There's people here?" I asked surprised.

     "Yeah, and they got lotta weapons."

     "Hide." Rick hissed at us.

     Daryl immediately moved himself to the back. There was no time to leave the pharmacy, but my feet were glued to the ground even though I knew that was the only hiding place in here.

     Rick signalled to me to follow them, but I moved too slow, hence why he wrapped his fingers around my wrist and dragged me with him. We ended up rushing to the toilets in the back. Was it stupid for us to hide in them? I think so, but we didn't have a damn choice.

     "Rick—" I wanted to tell him my knife had fallen out of my hands, that I'd lost it on our way here, but he quickly shushed me, his hand covering my mouth.

     I could feel his warm breath hitting my ear. "Don't say a damn word until I say so."

     And even after I had nodded, he kept his hand over my mouth. He clearly didn't trust me. But how could he after only a week?

     We had locked the door— neither of us knew if that would save our life or kill us. All we could do was keep quiet and wait for the men to leave, and pray that Daryl wouldn't risk coming out of his stall too early.

     Hearing footsteps and voices behind the door made the adrenaline in my body start to boil. Squeezing my eyes shut, I placed my hand over Rick's. I was too afraid that I'd make a sound and get us caught. I couldn't get us all killed, I couldn't.

     "There seems to be no one in here." A man said loudly to another. "But these stalls are locked."

     More footsteps. Rumbling. One of them pulled the handles down more than a few times and I couldn't help but sink my teeth in Rick's hand. He raised his gun, pointing it at the men that stood right behind our door— our hiding spot.

     I could feel Rick inhale deeply, his chest rising and falling as it was pressed against my back. His finger rested on the trigger. How tempted was he to pull it?

     "They're probably already dead in there." Another said carelessly. "As long as there's not one of those things in here, I'm good."

     With that being said, I could hold onto the smallest bits of relief that I had. And so could Rick. He lowered his weapon to the floor.

     He was almost about to let me go, but the loud gunshots not too far away from us scared me to death— almost literally. Rick quickly pulled me down to the floor, and that's when I realised the men had shot up Daryl's stall and we were next.

     I looked Rick into his eyes and I watched him put a finger to his lips. "Whatever happens..." He trailed off in a whisper.

     I couldn't describe what it felt like when bullets rushed through the wooden door, slamming into the wall behind us. The sound made me want to vomit and the fear made me want to cry louder than I'd ever had.

     So close to death.

     I couldn't tell you how long we sat there and listened to the silence around us. Eventually Rick got back on his feet, his ear against the door. "I think they're gone. I'll go first. Stay put."

     Before I could fight his actions, he'd already acted up on them. He left the door open, just a little bit, and checked around the corner.

     "You can come out." Rick said. I had to adjust to his louder voice.

     We both rushed to Daryl's stall. Please, don't be dead. Don't be dead. Rick knocked on the door, and I covered my hand with my mouth again as if we were back in the same situation. That's when we heard the grunting. We watched the lock slowly turn.

     "I got shot." I could hear his quiet voice before Rick swung the door open roughly.

     There he was. With his back resting against the wall, blood leaked through his pants. Rick quickly got on his knees and I was quick to take off my cardigan.

     "Here." I bent down next to him. "We should tie this around your leg."

     "You're lucky it's your tibia." Rick mumbled.

     Daryl grunted loudly when he tied the sleeves of my cardigan around his leg. "Was standing on the toilet, could've been my stomach."

     "Can Hershel do something about it?" I asked the two of them. I'd heard about his surgical skills.

     Rick nodded. "I'm pretty sure."

     "That is if our car is still out there." Daryl mumbled.

     We were lucky. It was still out there, and we waited not even a second. Without seatbelts on, Rick rushed through a mess of Walkers that must've come for the sound of the gunshots.

A/N: Well, damn. That was quite the chapter. I loved writing this and I hope you guys enjoyed it. I didn't want Daryl to get shot, but oops. I hope you look forward to the next chapter.

Please vote and leave a comment if you want. I'd really appreciate it.