41. broken fences

MILO

     FOOTSTEPS APPROACHED JUST AS HE PULLED the crowbar out of another walker its head. He had lost count of how many corpses he'd killed at the fence. They were piling up and it wouldn't take long before the fence would start to give.

Putting down the crowbar he turned to see Maggie walking his way, a determined frown drawn on her features.

'You talked to him?' Milo questioned as he watched her pushing her own crowbar through some walker skulls.

She nodded. 'He says it's hard in there, but they'll be fine.'

He frowned, raising his own tool to put some more walkers down. 'You believe that?'

She didn't answer, which was enough for him. Hershel hadn't left cell block A ever since he went in, constantly taking care of the sick people in there. Milo couldn't say he wasn't worried but he also knew worrying was useless. He had to keep things going so that when the others would return, everything would be ready. He stared at Maggie who was aggressively putting down walkers.

'I know it's hard,' he sighed, frowning at her. 'But we'll make it through this. We always do.'

'It's not your family who is sick,' she snapped at him as blood splattered on her arm.

'No, my family is out in dangerous territory getting medicine for my friends who can die any given moment,' Milo said, shrugging.

Maggie lowered her crowbar, regret flashing through her eyes. 'I'm sorry,' she mumbled, 'I'm just on edge.'

Milo nodded at her. 'I get it.'

The sudden sound of an engine broke through the snarls and moans of the walkers. He and Maggie shared a quick glare before running towards the gate. Milo reached out for the rope, pulling it down so the rusty red doors would open. The bright green car Rick and Carol had left in a few hours ago drove inside but a frown appeared on his face upon only seeing Rick seated inside. Quickly he closed the gates while Maggie closed the fence. Then they both ran up to Rick.

'Carl? Judith? Are they okay?' Rick questioned before Milo could open his mouth.

'Yeah,' Maggie answered. 'Where's Carol?'

Rick didn't reply and instead asked for the others. 'Glenn? Hershel? Sasha?'

'They're all fine, it's bad but they're holding it together. The others aren't back yet,' Milo said quickly. 'Rick, where's Carol?'

Rick had already turned to walk away but came walking back up to them at the very last moment. 'It was her,' he said. 'She killed Karen and David.'

Silence fell between the three of them as Milo tried to figure out what to do with that piece of information. He didn't know Carol all that well but he hadn't expected her to do something like this. Killing someone, taking their life, it was something you never came back from. He knew it, he felt it still, like a dark mark on your soul that could never be erased.

'She was trying to stop it from spreading. Tyreese is gonna be back here soon, so I didn't think she should be here,' Rick explained. 'And I couldn't have her here. She has a car, supplies, she'll figure it out. I'll tell your dad. Don't tell anyone else yet.'

He just nodded, unable to form any words.

'Okay,' Maggie whispered, but she seemed far away with her thoughts.

'Would either of you have brought her back?' Rick questioned, making Milo take a deep breath, not sure if he could answer such a question.

'She said she did it?' Maggie asked.

'Yeah,' Rick nodded.

'Then you were right to send her away,' she said, 'I don't know if I could've.'

'You could have, Maggie,' Rick told her. 'You've done harder things. Don't doubt yourself. We don't get to anymore.' Then he turned around and walked up to the car to park it.

'Rick, the cluster's getting bigger than the one that took the fence down,' Milo called after him. 'We need to do something.'

'We will,' he responded before starting the engine and driving up to the courtyard.

Milo threw a glare at Maggie. 'He's right you know, you could do it.'

Maggie offered him a smile before walking back to the fence to put some more corpses down. Milo took a deep breath before following her, not having anything better to do than to kill walkers.

His arms were growing tired, his hands were burning and his feet were hurting. Still he kept on going. Rick had joined him and Maggie and now they were placing wooden poles against the fence in hopes of keeping it standing. More walkers had piled up outside the fence and he was getting a headache from their never ending snarls.

'I just talked to your dad,' Rick said, looking at Maggie while they walked back to the car to take another wooden pole. 'He looks good, all things considered.'

'If Carl was sick would you be up there with him?' Maggie asked, taking a pole out of the trunk and handing it to Milo, who carried it back to the fence.

'If I thought I could help,' Rick replied, pushing the pole into the ground.

'You don't think I can help?' Maggie questioned.

Before Rick could respond however a walker grabbed his ankle and pulled him down. Milo didn't hesitate to take the hatchet that had been lying on the floor and chopped the arm off. Blood spread out around the limp and he dropped the hatchet, looking away.

'Damn,' Rick said, making a chuckle escape Milo his lips but faded quickly as the muffled echo of a gunshot came from cell block A. The three of them turned to look at it, doubting what to do.

'Go,' Rick said, looking at Maggie.

'The fence is more important, we need to keep it standing,' she replied.

'Go,' Milo repeated, 'we got this.'

Taking a deep breath she nodded quickly before putting down her crowbar and running off to see what was going on. Once she was out of earshot, Milo turned to look at Rick. 'Do we got this?'

Rick gave a slight shake of his head. 'Keep going,' he said, starting to walk away.

'What are you gonna do?' Milo questioned.

'Gettin' some back up,' he replied before starting down in a jog towards the courtyard.

'Think they're okay?' Carl asked, hitting the nail with his hammer while Milo and Rick held the pole in place.

'If things went badly we would've heard more shots,' Rick said. 'Maggie would have gotten us. We have to do this.'

Milo threw one last glare at the pole, making sure it was secure before walking towards the pile and lifting up another one, placing it against the fence.

'Let's do it,' Carl said, walking towards Milo and placing another nail in place.

'Hell yeah,' Milo told the kid, throwing him a small smirk. Looking back at the wood he put it against the fence, right where two steel bars crossed each other.

Carl was about to bring down the hammer when a loud snap made the three of them look at their right. Milo's eyes widened upon seeing one of the poles had broken in half. Rick rushed over to it, placing his hands against the fence to try and keep it in place, but there were simply too much walkers.

Another snap was heard, another pole breaking, the fence gave in, going to the ground as walkers stumbled inside.

'Run!' Rick screamed.

The three of them hurried towards the courtyard, Milo's heart beating in his throat. Quickly closing the gate behind them, they turned around, watching as the walkers threw themselves at the last fence that seperated the prison from them.

'What do we do?' Carl questioned.

'Maybe we could put the bus against the fence,' Milo offered.

'Will it hold?' The kid asked.

Rick threw a glare at the former inmate and Milo knew there weren't many options. 'Come on,' the former cop suddenly said, turning around and running away, followed by Milo and Carl.

They ran towards the boxes with weapons that stood next to the fence. Rick handed the two of them magazines, ordering them to put it in their pockets. Milo listened, stuffing his pants pockets with the rounds. Then he reached in the box and took out a Colt M4A1. He had practised with these before, knowing that sooner of later they would have to use them.

The fence creaked awfully loud behind them and Milo knew the walkers could break through at any given moment now. As fast as he could he put the magazine in place and inspected the weapon, seeing Rick and Carl do the same while Rick explained to his son how the weapon worked.

When they were done they walked up to the fence, standing in a row, a few feet away from each other. 'You shoot or you run,' Rick said, 'don't let 'em get close.'

'Okay,' Carl replied, taking a shaky breath but a determined frown on his features.

'Don't worry,' Milo told him, 'you're a way better shot than my sister.'

A nervous laugh escaped the kid's mouth at those words and he raised the weapon. Milo took a stand next to him, putting the gun against his shoulder, making sure he could aim and then took a deep breath.

The fence rattled, the walkers groaned loudly, biting their teeth into the air as if they were able to smell that warm human flesh was close.

'Come on assholes,' Milo mumbled through gritted teeth, his finger lingering near the trigger, ready to squeeze and put all the corpses down.

With one almight push the fence gave in, the walkers stumbling onto the courtyard. Milo waited for them to come walking straight at him before pulling the trigger. The walkers fell down, one by one, as brain matter and blood splattered on the concrete. Soon he lost count how many he had put down. The gunshots of his own weapon and those of Rick and Carl bounched through his head as the walkers kept on coming.

'Back up!' Rick yelled as he pulled out the empty magazine, replacing it for a full one.

Milo and Carl did the same as they took a few steps backwards to keep a distance between them and the corpses. Once the weapons were reloaded they took a stance again, squeezing the trigger and putting one walker after the other down. They fell down like flies, piling up, the silence slowly returning as finally the last one went down.

Letting out a deep sigh he lowered his gun, his arms aching from holding it so tightly. He blinked as slowly his hearing came back. Breathing heavily he stared at the many corpses before him and for a strange second he felt like laughing. They had managed to protect their home but then Rick put his hand on Milo's shoulder, taking him out of his trance as he turned to look at the man. 'We've gotta make sure they're all dead,' the former cop spoke, making Milo nod.

They walked back to the boxes and placed their guns inside, taking out crowbars and knives instead. Then the three of them turned back to the many bodies behind them and started inspecting them and killing them if they weren't dead already.

His arms were covered in blood by the time they were done and all he wanted to do was lie down in bed and sleep for a couple of days. But he didn't get the chance to think a second longer about that beautiful dream because the sound of an engine approaching echoed through the night sky.

'Dad,' Carl breathed, staring at the field where lights shone through the darkness, 'we're gonna be okay.'

Rick nodded, before taking the keys in his hands and running up to the gate with Carl and Milo right behind him. As soon as the car had driven unto the courtyard, Tyreese jumped out.

'Sasha? How's Sasha?' He asked.

'I don't know. I'm sorry,' Rick told him.

'Well, get in there,' Daryl said while climbing outside the car, 'we got this.'

Tyreese didn't have to be told twice and sprinted towards block A.

Milo looked back at the car, watching as Quinn stepped outside, stretching her sore arms. As soon as she saw him a small smile broke through on her features and she walked forwards, pulling him into a hug. 'Glad to see you're okay,' she mumbled into his ear.

'Yeah, just tired,' he replied with a sigh, letting her go and studying her face. 'Glad to see you back in one piece.'

She nodded at him before letting him go and turning towards the car, opening the trunk to take out the bags filled with the meds they had taken.

'Let's cure some patients, shall we?' she said, smiling up at him.

'Do I have to? My bed's calling me,' Milo replied but he walked towards the car and threw one of the backpacks over his shoulder. The relief of everything coming to an end made him feel safe enough to joke around again.

Quinn chuckled lightly, clearly feeling the same kind of relief. 'Yes, I'm afraid you have to.' And together they walked up to cell block A.