The Dead Walking
Disclaimer; Owns nothing.
Season 1 of The Dead Walking
"Hello? Uhm, sir, are you alright?"
The voice it was feeble young, scared. From what Rick could see, which wasn't much, was a dirty light skinned child, eyes timid and unaware. He say a small brown hand waving slowly in front of his face. Rick groaned slight. His vision swarming with black spots. He turned his head slightly, taking in his surroundings.
From what he could tell the place was old, boarded, and abandoned. He could barley make out the blood splatter all over the walls and furniture.
"Wh-Where am I." He slurred. The girl tensed up, probably guessing he was dead. She poked at his t- shirt, with hesitant movements. The girl back up some, and just stared at Rick cautiously. The floors squeaked and cracked. This pace was falling apart. Rick gained his eyesight first, he stared at the girl warily. She was tall from what he could tell. Skittish also.
"Where am I-I, who are you?" He asked again, coughing slightly. He puled himself up on his elbows. He looked down an noticed he still wore the close he left Morgans with.
"I-I uhm, found you in th-the yard." She stuttered nervously.
The girl backed up a bit further from Rick, still cautious of Rick. Rick now fully conscious looked her over. Her clothes were tattered her shorts to big on her, same as her supposedly white shirt. She looked young in the face, 13 or 14 maybe.
Same as Carl.
He sat up a bit to quickly for the girl, who moved backwards again.
"What is your name kid? I'm Rick, Rick Grimes, uh county police officer." Rick muttered roughly. The girl who was half sitting, half standing teetered on her feet nervously.
"Z."
Rick chucked quietly. "Just Z then huh? So no last name no middle eh?" He half asked, half stated. 'Z', looked away, her face contorted sadly.
"Hey I didn't mean anything by it, just uh conversation."
Nothing.
"Well Z can you at least tell me how I got here?"
"I found you, you didn't really look like a walker so ya know. I just didn't want yo to die out there I guess." Z spoke quietly, still looking anywhere but Rick.
"Thank you uh Z, so you got any kin or guardian?"
"Yeah, no ones been here but me..."
Rick looked at the girl in shock, God, he had so many questions. What was a young girl like that being all alone. "For how long?" "Couple months, my mom and brother left about 2 months ago. They said they'll be back."
It was a long silence, Rick knew that her family was most likely not alive. But he could never speak that aloud. He slowly stood up, Z quickly did the same. "Any chance you got some clothes I can wear?"
"I don't know, want me to check?" She asked. She clasped her hands together, looking at Rick with concern. Rick nodded tightly, and watched Z walk away quickly, nervously.
Rick was so confused on how he managed to get here, he clearly remembered looking for gas, and then nothing. He'd ask the girl how he was here. She had said that she found him. But what child had the strength to drag a grown man through a house. Rick sighed, and sat in one of the raggedy couch. Burying his face in his hands, he rubbed his forehead roughly. What he needed to do was get to the city, find his family. The quicker the better.
"I don't know if these fit but they look like they do." Z said sheepishly. She handed him the clothes quickly, withdrawing her hand and clasping it with her other. Rick chuckled at the girls nervousness. Z sat a cross from Rick, putting her feet on the couch an hugging them to her chest.
"Do you like being here?" Rick asked softly. "I don't got anywhere else to go." She said sadly, Rick looked up and saw tears in Z's eyes. "No, no, no I didn't mean to upset you kid." Rick said quickly. Z looked up, "Well what did ya' mean then."
Rick coughed awkwardly, "I can't leave you here, in this, this, hell hole. There are walkers out there.' Z shifted uncomfortably, "I-I know but I don't have a choice."
Rick tried to speak again but was cut off by Z's quiet suggestion, "Maybe you should change your clothes." Rick knew that he had upset the girl in some way, he sighed and moved up the hallway. Guess he had to find the bathroom himself.
The walls of the hallway were also covered with blood, it stunk horrible. A picture with 3 people was the only clean one. What he assumed was the mother, was beautiful. Long black hair, and skin like Morgans. The father was handsome, he looked all muscle. His skin was the same as Ricks. In the middle of them was Z. She was actually a beautiful girl, just like her mother. Rick shook his head and walked into the bathroom, which was cleaner than the rest of the house.
He quickly changed, and sat on the toilet. Head in hands. Was he honesty thinking of taking a stranger with him. "But she's a kid, she won't survive on'er own." He muttered to himself. But Rick also had his own problems, he needed to get to the city. The girl was a liability. "But I can't leave her here." Rick walked out from the bathroom and back to Z.
She was in the same position he left her. She looked up at Rick and gave a small smile, "I'm glad they fit."
"I gotta get to the city." Rick said slowly, ignoring her statement. "Well go then." Z answered softly. She took her feet of the couch and tapped them on the floor. It was another long silence between them. "I can't leave you here I won't leave you here. You're just a kid." He murmured.
Z looked at him, surprised that this stranger would even suggest such a thing. "I-I, you, I mean. No I just don't." Z was at an utter lost for words. Rick just stared at the befuddled teen.
"Listen, I couldn't live with myself if I left a kid, to fiend for themselves. You'll die kid."
Z made no attempt to move just stared at the floor blankly. Rich sighed and made his way to the door, he wouldn't force the girl to go.
He stepped out the door, welcomed by a dull sky. He looked around for walkers. He clenched his fist together and walked towards a car. It looked manageable, probably get a couple miles on it. As Rick got in the car, he heard the house door open. Z stood with a picture in her hand, folded and torn. She walked towards the car, and stared at Rick.
"Get it in."
Z quickly followed his request, sitting in the front sit next to Rick. The picture held tightly in her hands.
As they drove Rick kept glancing at Z. She sat tense.
"It's Ziao. But I like Z." Ziao said softly. Rick looked at her and back at the rode again, strange name for a kid. "I like it, it suits you."
For the first time Ziao actually smiled. "Thanks Rick."
"Well be heading for downtown Atlanta."
"Why?"
"My family."