III
Kara's muscles are so sore when she wakes up, it's as though they'd been replaced with burning bricks. She's back in the white infirmary room, but the guy who was in the other bed earlier is gone. That woman, Ayla told her that their head of security will be coming to see her in a minute. Kara can't deny that she's a little nervous. She'd never been in a place so...sectioned off from reality. Kara has never seen anywhere so organised since before the dead came back. Now that she's going to meet a person of power here, she doesn't know how it's going to go down. What if they chuck me out without my gun and dagger? or if they kill me...
"Hello miss," a tall man with curly greased hair and a uniform top greets Kara in a southern accent, although a weak one. He pulls a chair over and sits on it backwards, resting his arms on the back of the chair.
"Uhm...hello," she mumbles. It's not that Kara is a shy person, she just had a sore throat and speaking is difficult.
"What's your name?"
She hesitates. Names are personal, if he knows it he has something to call her by, which implies he thinks she will be around here for a while. "Kara."
"Well Kara, I'm Rick Grimes. I keep charge of scouting trips and law inside this lil' sanctuary," he informed her with a slightly serious tone. "Now you're here because one of our men saw you heading for two of our own with your knife out. You were a latent threat and he sorta jumped the gun on you, literally. Now I hope you're not scarped up too bad, but I will be askin' you a few thangs." Kara grips the sheets on the bed and nods. "Now I know you were after your bag of things they'd taken, and that is perfectly understandable. But you'd clipped one of ours beforehand, two days ago, and at that time you'd put down a girl. She was also ours," her heart thumps wildly in her chest and she grips tighter. He's going to kill me...I know it. "I'd like to thank you for that second one, if she'd turned and got Dave bit, that woulda been tragic. We never let our own turn."
Kara closes her eyes, they'd been drying out. Maybe she'll be okay. "I'm sorry...for shooting that other guy," says Kara quietly.
Rick sucks the inside of his mouth, making a wet popping sound as he gives her a side grin. "He's alright, no need to be sorry about that. Now the questions. You best answer truthfully because you gotta believe that over time we'll find the truth... How many walkers have you killed?"
Kara frowns and looks up at him. "Walkers?"
"Yeah, those corpses you see walkin' around and eatin' people alive, how many you killled?"
"Oh...uhm," it's an odd question, Kara didn't think people kept track of the amount of undead they killed...at this point it's almost like he's asking her how many spiders she'd killed over the past three years. "I don't know."
"'lright...question number two. How many people have you killed?"
This one is definitely what he really cares about, that was obvious to her. Kara has killed 13 people for numerous reasons, mostly because they threatened her life. "I've killed 5," she lies.
"And why?"
"Because it was me or them," replies Kara firmly, pursing her lips.
"I see. Well I'm going to leave you now to rest. Carol will be 'round with your dinner in about ten minutes. You'll love her cooking," he assured her, getting up and leaving before she has the chance to say anything else.
"I'm surprised he didn't ask about that scar," Callin is back, grinning happily. "Though I guess Rick isn't one for being interested in things like that. It's all sooo serious with him," he plonks down on the end of Kara's bed and taps the right side of his forehead. "Where'd you get it? Doesn't look that old."
She runs her fingers over the red scar on her forehead, from her hairline to just above her eyebrow. Kara had gotten it from the very dagger she uses as her main weapon, the man who gave it to her is dead now. "None of your business," Kara glares at his blue eyes irritably.
"'Course," he smirks and she rolls her eyes. "Hey, after you have dinner wanna meet some of the other kids here?" he offers.
"Kids?! I'm not a kid you asshole," she snaps, glaring with more anger now.
"That's not what I meant, I'm the one who stitched you up, I think I can tell when a woman is a woman, you get me?" he winks and Kara slams a pillow against his stupid face again. Dammit, I can feel the heat spreading through my face. What a jerk.
Carol, the woman who brings Kara some food, is a sweet woman. She has short grey hair and wears a v-neck jumper. She looks like she was made for this place. So ordinary. The only thing odd about her is that she looks young and old at the same time. Her face is creased with a lot of wrinkles but her smile is still young. She doesn't stay long, but her food is the best Kara has had for months, Pasta-bake. After eating, Kara falls asleep quite quickly and it lasts for hours longer than usual.
