Chapter 4: Self-Control

"He got to her?" Rick asked Carl.

"Yeah, she had stopped by her cell to grab something." Carl told his dad. "Glenn had been walking by when he heard a struggle. He went in and found Carol with a knife to Richards throat."

"Is she okay?" Rick asked. Bile was rising in his throat. He hands had begun to shake.

"She's okay, but she isn't really talking to anyone. You need to talk to her dad." Carl told Rick.

Rick ran through the tombs. Was she okay? She was alive, but what had that bastard done to her? As Rick's imagination went crazy with possible scenarios, his anger began to rise. He kept seeing Carol being overtaken by Richard, Carol crying out in pain. By the time he got to Carol he was ready to fucking kill Richard.

Carol was in his cell. Herschel was inside with her. Maggie and Glenn were outside. Beth was holding Judith. They all looked up at him as stormed past, ripped the curtain aside, and walked into the cell without hesitation or permission.

What he saw created an anger so bad in him it ran his blood white-hot. Carol was on his bottom bunk, and she appeared to be listening to Herschel. Her neck was bruised badly, and the bruises were in the shape of fingers. Obviously, Richard had tried to choke her. Herschel was finishing up stitches on her upper arm. It looked like it had been sliced open with a knife. Her face had a bright red mark in the shape of a hand on her face. Rick was stunned. Rick was angry. Rick wanted to hurt Richard...badly.

Herschel looked up when Rick came in.

"Now Rick. She's fine." Herschel told him quickly, due to the look on Rick's face. "Got a few bumps and bruises, but nothing that can't heal. Right Carol?" The old man told him as he reached over and squeezed Carol's hand. Carol looked at Herschel, and gave him a small smile. "Did tell her to rest for a full day though." Herschel finished with fatherly tone.

Rick can I talk to you for a second.

Rick walked over to Carol, and knelt next to her. He held her hand, and told her, "I'll be right back. You're safe now okay?"

Carol looked up at him, and felt her squeeze his hand. Still, she didn't speak.

Rick followed Herschel outside the cell.

"Now Rick. I know how close you two are..." Herschel told him.

"Did he...?" Rick asked without verbalizing the words.

"Not that I know of. She isn't really talking." Herschel told him.

Just then Tyreese came up to them.

"Herschel, Bob has him stable, but he's asking for help." Ty told Herschel.

"Is it that fucker?" Rick asked. He started to walk towards the infirmary. Tyreese grabbed his arm.

"Calm down Rick, we'll deal with Richard when he wakes up. We'll have someone watch him 24/7." Tyreese told Rick.

"What do you mean "till he wakes up"? Rick asked. He pulled his arm out of Tyreese's hold.

"Carol stabbed him once in the side and once in the back. He went into shock and passed out." Tyreese told him.

So, Carol had hurt Richard. Good. He was so proud of her, and was amazed again at how far she had come from the quarry.

Tyreese and Rick spoke a little longer, figuring out how to handle gossip, who to take over Rick's watch, arrange care for Judith, and a few other things that Rick would be missing while he watched over Carol. No one questioned why Rick had automatically taken it upon himself to care for her.

After that was done, he headed back into their cell. She had laid down on his bunk with her good arm covering her eyes. Rick sat down next to her on the bed. He didn't say anything, just rested his hand on top of Carol's. She didn't respond.

After about ten minutes Carol spoke.

"I thought I was done with having men like that in my life?" Carol told Rick. "I just don't understand how I am such a crappy judge of men."

"You aren't a bad judge of men. It's just in this world, truly good men, maybe hard to find." Rick told her. He saw her eyes tear up.

"Sometimes...and sometimes not." Carol told him and squeezed his hand. Carol's look at Rick told him she saw him as one of those good men.

"What happened Carol?" Rick asked her quietly and he rubbed his thumb against the top of her hand.

"I was in my cell, grabbing some of my scented candles..." Carol told him looking at their joined hands.

"I heard the curtain close behind me. Richard was there...he didn't say anything." Carol said looking back up into Rick's eyes.

"He just rushed at me...I fought him...when I got out of his grip, he hit me in the face so hard, I fell to the ground and hit my head. It took me a minute to get focused." Carol continued.

"He was undoing my pants. I remembered I had stashed a knife under the bed that I hadn't taken to our cell yet. I reached for it, finally got it, and slammed it into his back." Carol added.

"He shoved me and I dropped the knife. Then he grabbed me by my neck and choked me. Harder than Ed ever did." Carol seemed perplexed at that. "I almost passed out...A noise made him relax his grip. He turned for a second. I went for the knife, got it, and then shoved it into his side. We wrestled for it, that's when my arm got sliced. I managed to somehow turn the knife on him, and held it to his throat. Then that was when Glenn walked in." Carol finished with a sigh.

Rick leaned forward and gently pulled Carol into his arms. He felt her begin to cry softly. He knew she was strong and obviously a fighter. Rick also knew that this incident caused a crash of old emotions and memories from her former life. It had opened an old wounds. That was ultimately why she was upset.

After a while she relaxed back into the bed.

"Well, are you hungry? Can I get you something?" Rick asked.

"Just some water." Carol told Rick.

"Okay, I'll be back in a few minutes. Try to rest. Herschel's orders." Rick told her with a small smile.

"K" Carol told her. She curled onto her side, and Rick pulled a blanket up to her shoulders. She seemed so fragile and small, but Rick knew that wasn't true. She was strong, determined and one hell of a fighter. Richard had learned that tonight.

Rick left the cell and headed to the kitchen. There he grabbed some water, and some stale crackers. On his way back to their cell, he was stopped by multiple people concerned about Carol. He gave them vague answers, but assured them she was okay.

When he finally got back to their cell. He found Carol sleeping on her side. Rick put the water and crackers down. He stood there for a second deciding what to do. He wanted to curl up next to her, wrap his arms around her and hold her close. He realized how close he came to losing her. This scared him and he needed to have her in his arms so he knew she was safe.

In the end, that 's what he did. as quietly and gently as possible, he got into bed with Carol.. then taking his arm, he pulled himself towards the curve of her back...spooning her.

Carol sighed, and snuggled closer into the warmth of his lap. Rick groaned. This was not the time for his body to betray him. Pulling his pelvis away from her warm ass, he didn't release her from his arms.

It was that way most of the night, she'd wiggle into him, and he'd have to shift around to avoid her feeling his erection. He reprimanded himself for having these thoughts after what she had been through.

Eventually, he fell into a fitful sleep. When he woke up a few hours later, Carol was no longer asleep next to him.

To be continued...