Hershel took a deep breath to steady himself, then asked, "What's the situation here? I mean, inside the prison."
Calista turned to Carver beside her, and Carver answered succinctly, "We're on the outskirts of Block C. Mainly this open area, the auxiliary buildings over there, and the connected row of cells.
"We've done some initial clearing and reinforcement. The water and power are cut off for now, but we have reserve water and some solar powered charging equipment."
He raised a hand and pointed toward the larger prison blocks deeper inside the facility. "But we haven't gone deep into Zones A and B yet, which are the main sections of the prison.
"Based on the information Oscar and the others provided, along with our initial reconnaissance, there are a lot of walkers inside. The layout is complicated, and clearing it will be very difficult."
Rick followed the direction Carver was pointing and could make out faint, shifting shadows behind the windows of those buildings.
His heart sank a little, but determination quickly took its place.
"I understand." Rick's voice regained its usual firmness. "Having a solid wall like this as a starting point already makes us far luckier than the wanderers outside. Clearing the interior and expanding our living space is something we have to do."
He looked at Calista sincerely. "Calista, you gave us this place. Leave the clearing work to us. We need to put effort into this new home too!"
It was a declaration, and a matter of dignity.
Rick did not want his group and the farm people to be nothing more than burdens who had been taken in.
Calista nodded in approval. "Good. Then you'll take the lead on the clearing.
"Carver will send a few people to help. They're former inmates who got trapped here after the apocalypse, so they know the place well. You can discuss the detailed clearing plan later."
She had asked Carver about it and learned that they had only kept Oscar and Axel, along with a burly man who was helping clean up and handle odd jobs in the back.
Of the five prisoners, two had wanted to take over the prison. Unfortunately for them, they had run into people who were not easy targets. They had barely exchanged a glance before Carver and his men took them out in passing.
It seemed everything was still the same as in the original storyline.
Only this time, the prisoners did not need to clear out the walkers, so the burly man had survived.
Just then, a slightly chaotic chorus of noise broke the solemn atmosphere.
It was the livestock they had brought from the farm.
Cows, sheep, pigs, chickens, and the few horses were carefully guided down from the trucks by Jimmy and Otis.
They seemed to sense the change in their surroundings, looking both uneasy and curious as they took in the unfamiliar grass.
"Quick! Herd them over there!" Hershel hurriedly directed them. "That patch of grass looks good. We can use it as a temporary pasture for now. Careful, don't spook them!"
Watching the livestock step onto the long missed green grass and lower their heads to graze, Maggie, Beth, and Patricia all smiled in relief.
"All right, everyone!" Calista raised her voice, drawing everyone's attention. "You've arrived at your new home.
"It's not perfect yet, and there are still some 'neighbors' inside that need dealing with. But for now, I suggest you find yourselves a room that can keep out the wind and rain, give you a safe night's sleep, and start settling in!"
As soon as she finished, an even louder cheer erupted from the crowd.
Choosing a room.
For people who had been wandering from place to place, this was an enormous temptation and luxury.
Under Ethan's guidance, everyone eagerly surged toward the row of cleared cells with their doors wide open.
The corridors of the cell block were dim and filled with a faint musty smell, but to people who had spent their days at a gas station in constant fear of walkers breaking in at any moment, this place was practically paradise.
"Maggie! Come look at this one!" Glenn excitedly pulled Maggie toward a cell near the entrance.
The cell was not large, only a few square meters, with two fixed metal bunk beds, a metal table, and a narrow sink.
But the window no longer had barbed wire over it, and sunlight could shine in.
"This one's nice. It's easy to get in and out from here," Maggie said as she looked around. It was simple, but it offered good privacy.
She glanced at Glenn, her cheeks slightly red. "I'm sharing a room with Beth."
Glenn's face fell instantly.
Maggie laughed. "But I'll come by once in a while to relax."
Glenn's eyes lit up. If he had a tail, it would definitely be wagging like crazy right now.
That meant they finally had a small space of their own.
Carol held Sophia's hand and carefully walked into the cell next door.
Sophia touched the metal bedrail curiously. "Mom, are we going to live here from now on?"
"Yes, sweetheart. This is our new home now," Carol said gently.
She had already started thinking about where she could find some clean fabric to make the cold bed a little softer.
Dale and Hershel chose a cell a little farther in.
Dale cheerfully set down his backpack. "Old man, looks like we'll be roommates for a while."
Hershel said nothing, but he did not object either.
There were not many cells here, and for safety reasons, it was better to have two people to a room whenever possible.
Andrea and Jacqui chose a cell in a higher position, with a small window that overlooked the open area outside and part of the perimeter wall.
Andrea liked having a view. It gave her a sense of security.
T-Dog and Jimmy exchanged a look. T-Dog said, "Looks like we'll be sharing one."
Jimmy quickly waved his hands. "No, I need one to myself. Beth comes over sometimes."
T-Dog: ...So I'm the only one alone, huh?
Ethan reminded him, "Big Guy and Shane are both alone. You could room with one of them."
T-Dog thought it over and decided to find Big Guy. He sounded like he would be easy to get along with.
Rick, Lori, and Carl naturally chose a room together.
Carl excitedly moved around the small cell, touching one thing and looking at another.
"Dad, is this my bed?" he asked, pointing to the lower bunk of one of the metal beds.
"Yes, son. This will be your territory from now on." Rick ruffled Carl's hair and looked at Lori.
Lori gave him a tired smile.
In that moment, all the hardship of running and all the pain of fighting seemed to ease, if only a little.
They finally had a place they could call "home" again, even if it had once been a prison.
Shane and Daryl were in no hurry to choose. They leaned against the corridor wall, watching everyone excitedly "divide up" their new living quarters.
"Hey, not picking one?" Shane nudged Daryl with his elbow.
Daryl swept his gaze over the excited faces and curled his lip. "Merle's probably already picked one. I'll share with him. What about you? Why aren't you choosing?"
Shane folded his arms. "I'm not in a rush. Let them choose first. I can sleep anywhere."
Out in the open area, Calista, Leah, Mike, and Carver stood together, listening to the noise coming from the cell block.
"Looks like they're pretty happy," Carver remarked, his tone giving nothing away.
"They need this," Calista said calmly. "A place where they can lower their guard for a while and feel safe."
She paused, then turned to Carver. "Arrange the night watch properly. We can't get careless just because they're here. Also, get ready. We're going to see that 'old friend' tomorrow. I hope you didn't rough him up too badly."
She meant Lorenzo.
Leah's gaze instantly turned cold, while Carver rubbed his chin and gave her a reliable look. "Don't worry, we know what we're doing."
...
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