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The Bargaining Chip	By : ihatethesnow Category: S through Z > The Walking Dead Views: 3919 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own The Walking Dead or any characters. I will not be making any money from this story.

Chapter List
- 6
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- 8
She was sitting by Rick's side, two straight weeks in a row. She held his hand, and was begging for him to wake up. She was telling how things were at home, and how much Carl and Judy miss their dad. Carl came to visit him once, but was too upset to see his dad hooked up to different machines. They're both staying with Jenny and Morgan. She told him how much she loves him. She would fall asleep with her head on his mattress. She asked for a TV, and had his favorite movie, "The Godfather," playing all the time. When she noticed that his skin was dry she rubbed lotion on him. She teased that he'll smell like a cherry blossom, but she'll keep doing it until he wakes up. One morning Shane ran into the room and said they had to leave. She said she's not leaving Rick. She's staying with him. They got into a yelling match and he pushed her away from her husband.
"Get your hands off me! I'm staying with my HUSBAND!"
"He's as good as dead. We gotta go. Now."
"He's NOT dead. He's gonna wake up. I am not leaving him, Shane."
"This is bullshit, Lori. You need to get out of here now." He grabbed her by the throat and backed her against the wall. "You listen to me you fucking cunt. I'm in charge. I tell you what to do. We are leaving, now."
"Get your hands off me." Lori kneed him in the balls, making him move backward. "Don't ever touch me again Shane. Rick is going to wake up soon. He is my husband. I'm not leaving!"
Shane punched her in the face, knocking her out. The next thing she knew she was riding in a car. She looked around; Carl and Judy were in the back seat, crying. Carl was holding onto his little sister, being the protective big brother. Connie was sitting with both of them. She had the beginnings of a black eye, and her face was streaked with tears.
There was a bag of clothes and some guns, but that was it.
Lori tried everything to put on a brave face for her children. She refused to believe Rick was dead. He couldn't be. they were only 38. They were supposed to grow old together, being old farts, sitting in their rocking chairs watching the sunset. Judith was the youngest of the group at the quarry. With everything that was going on, Lori didn't let her out of her sight. There was another girl, Sophia, who was around, but she was too old for a four year old to play with. Lori did everything she could to not cry, to show strength, and to be a mom to her children. She shared her tent with Connie and the kids, and would put her hand to her necklace and feel Rick's ring, and the tears came quickly. Judith would ask her why she was crying, and she would say it was allergies from the pretty flowers.
One afternoon she asked Sophia's mother, Carol, to watch the kids. Lori found solace and time to be by herself just sitting on a rock a few feet into the woods. She couldn't help but think back to the memories she tried to forget.
"Please, Daddy. I don't want to do this anymore. It really hurts. I don't like it. Daddy stop. No, please. Please don't take my pants off. Please...I'm sorry I was bad. Owwwww! OWWWWW! Daddy that hurts! No!
~~~~~~~~~~~
"Please, Shane. No."
"You listen to me. I saved your ass. I saved your kids. You owe me. This is gonna happen."
"No!" Lori yelled.
Shane ripped her shirt and bra, and was trying to get her jeans and panties off. She was fighting him. He slapped her across the face, grabbed her by the wrists and held them back, pinning her to the ground.
"I'm all you got. Your husband, dead. I'm all you got. You owe me."
She was trying to get out of his grasp, using the self-defense moves Rick wanted to make sure she knew. Shane laughed at her. "I know every move you're trying to make. I'm a cop, bitch. I can shove a gun up your cunt and have a bullet tear through your whole body." He was roughly grabbing her breasts.
She yelled for help. Carol walked into the woods, and saw what was going on. She cleared her throat, which distracted Shane, and let Lori push him off and get away from him. She ran back towards her tent, saw Judith and picked her up, then ran into her tent and zipped it up. Connie didn't see what happened, just that her sister was scared. She ran in after her and tried to hold her as she cried. Lori tried to be strong for Judy, but she crying for Rick. Shane said her husband was dead. He had to come out of the coma. He was too stubborn not to.
Hours later, she walked over to Glenn and Daryl, and begged to go on the next supply run. If she couldn't, please, please, check the hospital where Rick is. She wants to know. She needs her husband. Glenn squeezed her hand, and said they'll try.
A minivan arrived, and two women got out. One was dressed in a low cut tank top, and short shorts. She had long dyed red hair, and took a child out of the van. He was about four, with thick black hair. Another woman got out of the van, looked around the camp and when her gaze landed on Shane she wanted to kill him on the spot. He walked over to her and said "Hi Amy."
She spat in his face, and walked away. Dale saw what happened, and invited Connie, Lori and Judith in to get out of the sun. Lori explained everything. Lori was looking at Judith, who was the spitting image of Rick. Dale squeezed her hand. "It gets easier. My wife died a year ago. Before all this started. Every day gets a little better." Lori smiled and nodded. She couldn't say a word, or else she would burst into tears.
Amy introduced herself to the rest of the group; Carol, Connie, Dale, Daryl, Merle, Jim, Jacqui, Sophia, Ed and Glenn. She didn't waste any time telling them about Shane. The red haired woman, who called herself "Sindy" was aloof, and didn't want to socialize with the group. She had to be reminded to watch her son. She walked up to the thin woman with long black hair, and said "I'm going for a walk. Can you watch him?"
"Sure. What's his name?"
"Alex."
"Okay Sindy. Have a good walk." Lori said, as she put her arm around Alex and rolled her eyes when she looked at Dale.
She turned and walked into the woods. Shane was waiting. She got on her back, and Shane was on top and inside of her immediately.
When they were finished and got dressed, she pointed at the tattoo on his chest. "I've met you before. I know that tattoo."
"Maybe... I've fucked about a thousand chicks."
She looked at him, and didn't say anything. She was trying to think. Some of her clients were more memorable than others.
Shane and Sindy came back from their walk, to the disgusted looks of Dale, Lori Connie and Amy.
Lori asked Amy how she was doing. The younger woman said fine, that she had dated a few guys, but nothing serious. Lori said she thinks that she really dodged a bullet. She said she was so sorry for what happened, but she knew Shane since high school. She probably would have ended up on her own with a few kids. She asked if there was any contact with Andrea, and Amy said no. Andrea distanced herself from the entire family since the wedding. Amy asked how Shane was doing, since she knew he works with Rick. Lori started crying, and told her about the shooting and the coma. Amy held her, and said she was so sorry.
Rick's eyes slowly opened and he looked around the room. The first thing to hit his senses was the stench of rotting meat. He had to put his hand over his mouth so try to mask it. He saw that he was hooked up to different machines, but they were all quiet. He looked to his left side, where his wound was, and where he felt Lori holding his hand, begging for him to wake up. His heart broke when he heard her sobs. The entire room has an oddly quiet tone. His mind was spinning and it took a while for his eyes to focus. He tried to remember what happened. He remembered getting shot, and Shane trying to keep him awake. Then nothing.
His attention was turned to the dead flowers by his side. He reached out his hand to twist the petals, crumpling between his fingertips. Rick turned his head to see that the clocked had stopped. He was confused, and scared. He pulled back the cover and tried to stand, only to lose his balance. His legs were weak. "Help" He yelled, ignoring the burning pain in his throat. "Help!" When nobody came, he pulled himself to stand and stumbled into the bathroom. He turned on the water and drank as much as he could. His reflection scared him. He was pale, and his eyes were sunken in. He went back into the room and took the information chart, trying to find out what happened. He took the paperwork, and looked at the plastic strip around his wrist. "Grimes, Richard. DOB 07-04-1984.
He went to the door, and pushed aside one of the beds that was in the hallway. He gasped as he saw the bullet holes in the walls, and blood everywhere. His legs still weak, he made his way to the nurse's station and picked up the phone. There was no dial tone. He searched through the drawers and found a Bic lighter. He walked, barefoot, down the dark hallway and got to a set of double doors. He looked through the glass panel, panic, fear and dread all started to pump throughout his body as he stared at the corpse or a woman, or the remains of a woman. Her lower half was gone, and her entrails scattered around her. He closed his eyes, wishing this was all a dream. Please God, let this be a dream.
He made his way down another hall, looking at the walls that where covered in bullet holes and blood before stopping in front of another set of double doors. On them was written 'DON'T OPEN. DEAD INSIDE'. Chains and a solid block of wood where keeping the doors closed but as he came closer, the stench got stronger, he hears horrific groans, and something on the other side tried to open them. He saw decomposing fingers sticking through the gap in the door, trying to reach him. He tried to run back to his room, but heard soft crying coming from a closet door. He opened it to find two small children, and asked them where their parents were. The older child, a three year old girl named Mika, said "mama is a monster." One year old Luke was too young to say anything. He was just crying hysterically and reached up to Rick. Both children were filthy, Mika wet herself and Luke's diaper was overflowing.
Rick picked up the small boy, who wrapped his small arms around his neck and sobbed onto his shoulder. He was shaking, crying, and his legs wouldn't move fast enough. He tried to get to the elevators, slowly realizing that there is no electricity so he opened the door to the stairs. Now surrounded by complete darkness, he lit the lighter and descended the stairs. The light died two or three times before he made it to the exit. He opened the door and was overwhelmed by the bright light, the rows and rows of dead bodies wrapped up in sheets, and the smell.
He left the hospital, a child in each arm, and saw bodies all over the place. He told the children not to look. The silence and the stench was overwhelming. He didn't even hear birds chirping. He knew where to go…his home for more than thirty years. 742 Evergreen Terrace. When he finally got to the house he had a vivid memory of his father's boss, the police Captain at the time, pulling into the driveway to inform him, his brother and mother that his dad was gone. Shot and killed in the line of duty. He remembered that. This is where he lived as a child, and now lives with his wife and children.
He knocked several times, before he put the children on the front step and found the spare key that Lori had hidden under a rock in the garden. He got himself and the kids safely into the house, then was screaming for Lori, Judy and Carl. The three people in the world who care about him. His family. They were gone.
He cleaned Luke and Mika and got them into clean clothes. They had a small snack of what food was left, and quickly fell asleep on the sofa. That was when Rick crumbled to the floor, and sobbed. The knock at the door stopped him in his tracks. He grabbed his gun and looked out the window, seeing that it was Jenny, Morgan and Duane Jones. He let them in, and asked what was happening.
"Rick, do you even know what's goin' on?"
"I woke up today, in the hospital, came here and that's all I know." Rick lowered his head and went back to eating.
"But, you know about the dead people right?"
"Yeah, I saw a lot of that, out in the loading docks, piled on the trucks."
"Naw, not the ones they put down, the ones they didn't, the walkers. I guess this is the first your hearing it, I know how it must sound."
"They're out there now, in the street." Duane said.
"Yeah." They man nodded. "They get more active after dark sometimes, maybe it's the cool air or hell, and maybe it's just me firing that gun today. But we'll be fine, as long as we stay quiet. Probably wander off by morning. But listen, one thing I do know, don't you get bit."
Jenny asked "Where's Lori and the kids?"
Rick hung his head and started crying. "I don't know."
Rick walked around his empty home, and noticed that the photo albums…everything Lori cherished, were gone. "They're alive." He said to himself.
"What are we doing today?" Rick asked. "I need to find my family."
Jenny was getting breakfast ready for everyone, including the two newest Grimes, Luke and Mika.
"Do you have where they would go? I hope not the city. The Government wanted everyone to go there for safety, then they dropped napalm. Killed almost everyone." Morgan said, sadly. "They set up FEMA camps, emergency refugee shelters…all that did was put all the food in one place. There was panic on the radio before it cut out."
Rick could feel the color drain out of his face. Lori, Judy, Carl. His family. His eyes welled with tears and he tried to find the words.
"Sorry, this is the first time you're hearing this. Maybe they went someplace else. They go by themselves? You alright? Need a moment?"
"They're alive. At least they were when they left."
"How can you know? By the look of this place I found empty drawers in the bedroom."
"They packed some clothes."
"Not a lot."
"But enough to travel."
"You know anybody could've broken in here and stolen clothes, right? My photo albums, family pictures, all gone. Photo albums…"
Rick's voice trailed off as he headed upstairs. He stopped in front of a dresser drawer and when he opened it, he found a Colt Python. He held it in his hand and he remembered how he used this gun back when he was a cop. He remembered the feeling of holding it in his hand. Rick looked back in the drawer and saw a gun hostler and ammo for the Colt, a small smile spread itself on his face as he fitted the belt on and loaded the Colt before placing it in the hostler. He couldn't help but love the familiar feel it gave him. He went through some drawers and found more clothes, and put them on a pile on the unmade bed. Lori. She knew he'd be coming home, and all of his things were put in one place.
"Hey Rick, get down here!" Morgan called from the living room, Rick quickly made his way downstairs. "Why don't we head to the station?" Morgan then noticed the Colt. "Where'd you find that?"
"Upstairs." Rick told them to help themselves to clean clothes, and when they were getting changed he looked for a note, something, anything to help him remember, or to find out where his family could be. He didn't find anything. All the food was gone. All the bottled water, gone.
After crowding into Morgan's vehicle, Rick drove to the police station.
Duane said "Dad…..look!" as he pointed to a fully stocked vending machine. Rick smiled and knew where the utility room was. H returned with a crowbar. One hit with the bar shattered the Plexiglas, and they were able to get all the food, mostly melted chocolate, and some water. They loaded duffle bags and brought them to the front door. Rick then led them to the "cage," where they keep all the guns and ammo.
"Holy shit," Morgan gaped at the amount of guns and ammo there was. Rick nodded. They quickly grabbed duffle bags, and loaded filled them with everything the station had, then carried it out to the car. Rick grabbed a set of keys, think that the more vehicles they had, the better.
Rick pointed to a red gas can and said, "Duane, grab that canister, it should be full of gas." The boy nodded before taking the container and putting it in the back seat. Before they got in the car, a walker rattled the fence beside them. Morgan saw that the walker was wearing a cop's uniform and turned to Rick.
"Do you recognize him?" Rick looked at the once young man's face, it was familiar but no name popped up.
"Leon Bassett." Rick said sadly. "We need to go." He got into the first car and led the way back to his house.
Once all the supplies that they took from the station was inside, they made sure that all ways into the house were sealed and all the windows were covered. When all of those were checked, they finally relaxed. Rick sat on the floor, leaning back against a wall before closing his eyes and letting a sigh.
"I'll make us something to eat." Jenny spoke up when they got home. Duane walked up to Rick and sat down in front of him.
"This is the house I grew up in." Rick said suddenly. "I had a younger brother. My dad died when I was a kid…he was a cop, and my mom died of cancer after me and Lori got married. She wanted ginger ale, and we didn't have any in the house. I ran out to the store to get some, and by the time I got home she was gone. Lori was holding her hand. She was still holding her hand when I got home. It was ten minutes. My mom was dead, but my wife was still holding her hand."
"Sorry." Duane said quietly.
"S'okay." Rick whispered, fighting back tears.
The next morning the group of five sat at a table eating some cereal that they found. It was Duane that broke the silence. "So, have we got anything planned today?" Rick and Morgan shared a look before both shaking their heads.
"No, not today." Morgan answered his question. The rest of the meal was spent in silence, no one knew what to talk about.
Rick went to the basement of his house and pulled out his father's old HAM radio, scanning through the dials for something, any signs of life. Nothing. "I need to find my family." He said, before breaking into sobs.
He wants his family. He needs his family. He made himself think of the good times. The night Lori went into labor with Judy, and how he rushed her to the hospital, using his sirens. They were both scared, and he didn't leave her side. There were complications and she had to have a C-section. As they welcomed their baby girl into the world, Lori almost made her exit. She started hemorrhaging. Rick covered his face and cried. He closed his eyes and let the tears flow. It was as though thinking of the good times made it worse.
The vehicle ran out of gas, and he had to walk with the children and Morgan's family, dodging those things all around him. They had been on foot for what felt like forever when they saw a huge farm, and large farmhouse. When he approached it he could smell the odor of death from the outside. He looked in the window and saw two people dead inside, both gunshot wounds to the head. After seeing that he bent over and vomited up what little was in his stomach. Jenny, who was holding Luke, moved closer to the house before being stopped by Rick. He told her not to get any closer. When the breeze picked up and blew a trace of decay into Jenny's direction, she understood why.
While walking around the farm he found an old station wagon.
All six loaded into the car and Rick drove into the city. When they reached their destination the vehicle was swarmed. Rick told everyone to sit tight while he ran into a local building, holding his gun tightly and trying to find someone in this strange new world. He turned the corner and eye to eye with a man who puts his hands up and said "not dead not dead!"
The man introduced himself as Glenn. Rick asked Glenn about what happened and what's going on.
"The government tried to herd everyone into the city so we'd be easier to protect. All that did was put all the food in one place. Those things were around. Once one of those things bites you, your turn into one of them. It took only a week for everyone to be killed. Sorry you have to hear it like this. You said you have family?"
Rick fell to his knees, sobbing. "My wife. My son, my...baby girl."
Glenn put his hand on Rick's shoulder in an attempt to comfort the man he just met. He told Rick that he's seen people survive a bunch of shit. They went further into a department store and Rick recognized a familiar face. "Hi Andrea."
"Hey"
"How have you been?"
"Why do you want to know?"
"Just asking."
"Fine. How's Shane?"
"I don't know. I got shot a while ago and fell into a coma. I just woke up a few days ago."
"Oh, How's Lisa?"
"Lori. I'm on my way to find her."
"Hope you do. You're a good match."
"Thanks. She means more to me than anything." His voice cracked, and he walked away before crying again.
Andrea roughly grabbed the hand of a four year old boy with thick black hair. "C'mon Bobby."
T-Dogg had a few bags full of clothes, just in case anyone needed some. Rick went to the jewelry case and got a butterfly bracelet for Judith and a gold necklace for Lori. He knew they were alive. He could feel it. He looked around and saw an Atlanta Braves baseball cap for Carl.
They were all ready to go. Rick did a double take when he saw Andrea's son.
"Yes, he's Shane's."
"Oh. Handsome boy."
"He's a pain in the ass. Just like his father."
They covered each other as Rick got back to the station wagon, and everyone else got into T's SUV, and decided where to go. Higher ground would be best...to keep an eye on your surroundings.
T and Rick looked at a map, and saw a few places. There was a mountain, but it's a steep climb. Rick said there is a quarry around that he and Lori went there a few times in high school. There's a nice view, a place to swim, and it could be safe.
They decided to head there.
"So tell me more about this quarry." T said with a smile.
"We were teenagers. I borrowed my brother's car. It was a quiet place to spend time together."
"How long have you two been together?
Rick cleared his throat. He was looking out the window, tears running down his face. "Since we were 15. We're both 38 now. My family..."
"I know, bro. I know." T said, sympathetically.
"Car!" yelled Dale.
It was getting dark, and everyone was quiet. They were getting worried about shelter for the night, and now they have company. Daryl, Merle and Dale all pointed their guns.
"Oh my God..." Rick said as he parked the car. He threw the door open, and ran to Judith. The sound of "DADDY!" never sounded so good.
Lori was already crying before she ran to Rick, who was hugging both his girls. Carl came running over and gave his dad a hug. The whole family was together again. They were all holding each other tightly, and the tears were flowing.
"I missed you so much, I was so worried about you." Rick led his family; Lori. Judy and Carl back to the safety of the cars, and saw a familiar face.
"Shane."
"Good to see you, bro." Shane said, giving his lifelong friend a hug.
Lori was wiped the tears from her eyes and said. "Shane got us here. We'd be dead if he didn't help us."
"Shane, I guess I owe you more than I'll ever be able to repay."
"Rick, please. It was nothing. I had to make up for you getting shot like that."
"That wasn't your fault. I'm fine now. I have my family."
"Good. Here, let me show you around."
Carl ran ahead, back to the other kids. Rick didn't want to let go of Lori's hand. Daryl was walking right next to him.
"This is Dale, Carol, Sophia, Ed, Jacqui, Amy, Allen, Sindy, Alex, Daryl and Merle Dixon, that's and Donna, the mom of our group. And you've met Glenn, Connie, T and Andrea. Donna tries to keep us all in line. Her kids Bill and Ben are around her somewhere."
"Everyone, this is Rick, Lori's husband and Judy and Carl's dad." Shane said to the group.
Connie ran over and embraced her brother-in-law. "So glad to see you're okay."
Donna, a woman who made everyone know that she is Christian, said "Well isn't that a miracle. Lori, your prayers have been answered. Everyone, let's leave these two alone. They have some catching up to do." Although Donna was well meaning, Rick needed all of his family now, and didn't want to let go of Carl or Judy.
Jenny brought over Luke and Mika, and Rick already saw the question forming in Lori's mind. He said he found them on their own, alone, in the hospital. Both their parents were "monsters."
Lori nodded, and took one year old Luke from Jenny. The baby curled into Lori's arms and she held the baby the way only a mother could. Mika was trying to get Judy's attention, since the two girls were the youngest at the camp.
- 6
- 7
- 8
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The Bargaining Chip