Chapter 10

Warning: This chapter includes gun violence with children. Also a character death.

"Mika, it's ok, sweetheart," Carol murmured, pressing her hand against the bedroom door. The child's choked sobs could be heard all through the house. Daryl stood on the landing with baby Judith in his arms.

"Gotta give her some time."

"Daryl, I don't want to leave her alone."

"She ain't comin' out. You gotta trust she'll be ok."

...

Carol's lungs felt like they were on fire as she ran with Daryl in the direction Mika had pointed. Her fingers twitched against the hilt of the knife as she ran. Daryl was a few strides ahead of her, but she was keeping up just fine, despite the fact that her legs ached.

Thanks to the melting snow on the ground, Lizzie's footprints were easy to find, and Carol noticed that the tracks seemed to get closer together, indicating that Lizzie had slowed down. It couldn't be much longer.

Daryl slowed then, and Carol stumbled, skidding to a halt next to him. She followed his gaze to two different sets of tracks that seemed to overlap. One was definitely Lizzie's. The other set was larger, and judging by the spacing, much slower and limping.

"Walker," Carol whispered, feeling her throat tighten. "Daryl."

...

Carol sunk down onto the floor, and Daryl sighed, giving her a little nod and moving up the steps before joining her on the hallway floor next to the girls' bedroom.

"Sophia was my daughter," Carol said softly. "I loved her more than…more than anything in this world. And she wasn't prepared. She didn't know how to take care of herself. It's why I tried to teach you girls. I tried to teach you, so the same thing wouldn't happen to you."

...

"C'mon." They started off again, and Carol was ahead of him this time, driven by pure fear, her heart pumping wildly in her chest.

Up ahead, Carol could see something. It was a tall figure with arms outstretched, stumbling through the snow. And then there was Lizzie, running around in front of it like she was playing. Carol gripped Daryl's hand then, eyes flashing to his and then back to the scene ahead.

"Get ready," he warned. She nodded, and they rushed toward Lizzie.

"Get away!" Carol screamed. "Lizzie!" Lizzie looked up, eyes flashing wild as she ducked from the walker's clutches, just as it almost grabbed her. She laughed then, a child playing with a friend. Carol's stomach turned, and her fear spurred her on. She got there first, grabbing Lizzie and pulling her back. "Get away!" Carol shouted, as Lizzie let out a scream.

...

"She was just a little older than you, Mika. You remind me of her, sometimes." She sighed heavily, lowering her head a little, as the child's cries began to fade into choked gasps for air. "I'm sorry, sweetheart. I'm sorry for what happened. It shouldn't have been like that. It shouldn't have been." Mika was silent then, save for a few leftover whimpers.

Daryl reached for Carol's hand, wrapping his fingers around hers.

"She's just gonna need time. She's in shock."

...

"No! Stop!" Carol raised her knife in the air, as Daryl came up with his crossbow raised. "Stop!" The walker lunged for Carol, and she ducked out of the way. It stumbled to the ground, clawing at rocks and snow, trying to pull itself up. Carol felt something in her back then, and when she saw the look on Daryl's face, she knew what it was. "Stop it! Stop!" Carol turned slowly to find Lizzie with a gun in her hand.

"Lizzie…"

"Don't kill him! He's my friend."

"Lizzie!" Carol warned, but Lizzie shook her head, cocking the gun.

"No! You don't understand!"

"Put the gun down, Lizzie," Daryl warned, pushing is boot into the walker's back, keeping it pinned to the ground, making certain it couldn't grab his leg and get control of the situation.

"No!" she sobbed, shaking her head, taking a few steps back but moving. "I understand them. I hear them."

"Lizzie, you…you need to put the gun down, ok, sweetheart?" Carol murmured. "Please."

"If you kill him, I'll kill you."

...

"Mika? Can I come in?" She gently tapped on the door. "Please, sweetheart. I want to make sure you're alright."

She stood at the door now, forehead leaning against it.

"M'gonna take Judith down, give her a bottle," Daryl offered.

"Ok," Carol murmured.

"Call for me if ya need somethin'." He leaned in, and she turned her head to catch a soft kiss. She nodded at him, and he disappeared down the stairs with the baby.

"Mika, it's me," she called again. "Please." To her surprise, the latch on the door turned, and the door opened. She looked down at Mika's tear-stained cheeks. "Can I come in?" Mika moved out of the way, lowering her head and walking over to sit on the bed. Carol followed after her and sat down beside her.

"You can talk to me, Mika."

...

"Lizzie, they're not people!" Carol begged.

"Stop," Daryl murmured, putting his hand up. Carol didn't take her eyes off of Lizzie, but the sound of Daryl's voice was enough to tell her that he was terrified Lizzie was going to pull that trigger. And then Carol's eyes lowered to Lizzie's wrist. Blood dripped down it and onto the snow below, and Carol knew then.

"Lizzie," Carol said softly. "We'll let it go. But we want you to come home with us."

"You'll kill it. You're afraid of them. And you're afraid of me." Lizzie's hands shook as the tears flooded her eyes.

"No," Carol murmured. "I understand. I understand now."

"No you don't," Lizzie sniffled.

"I do. You're confused, and that's ok. We can talk about it."

"No," Lizzie choked out, shaking her head. "You're too late." She held her hand up, revealing the bite on her forearm. Carol felt like the wind had been knocked out of her, and she bit her lip to keep it from trembling. "Let him go." Lizzie looked to Daryl. "Let him go. He won't hurt you."

"You put yer gun down, I'll let him go. You hand it over, Lizzie. Now."

"Let him go!" Lizzie yelled. Daryl held steady, and the walker struggled under his weight.

...

Mika began to cry again, burying her face against Carol's chest, as Carol hugged her close. Carol rocked her back and forth gently, stroking her back, completely tossing aside her vow to not coddle her. This child had no one now, and she needed someone.

"It's ok."

"It's my fault," Mika sobbed. "It's my fault."

"Hey," Carol whispered. "Shh."

"At the hunting cabin when you got attacked," Mika murmured, "I knew the walker was there. Lizzie made me promise not to say anything. She…thought they were like animals. That it wasn't their fault they were like that." She shook her head, and Carol gently brushed Mika's tears away with her thumbs. "She made me promise not to tell anybody it was there. Made me promise not to kill it. She said she wouldn't forgive me. And I didn't tell, and you almost got bit!"

"Mika, it's ok. I'm not mad."

...

The walker gnashed its teeth, and Daryl struggled to keep it pinned. Lizzie shook her head, looking from him to the walker and then to Carol.

"You're supposed to understand," Lizzie murmured. "But you'll see. You'll see when I come back."

"Lizzie it's ok," Carol sobbed. "Let's go home. Let us take you home."

"Not until you see!" Lizzie demanded. Just then, the walker reached out, managing to grab hold of Carol's boot. Carol let out a cry, and Daryl, without even hesitating, put a bolt through its head. "No! No! You killed him!" Her hand shook, and Daryl prepared to jump in front of Carol, but before either of them could make a move, a shot rang out, and Lizzie went flying backward, lying still in the show as blood formed a halo around her head.

Carol cried out, gasping for breath as she turned to see Mika standing there with a gun in her trembling hands, smoke steaming off the barrel before she let it drop into the snow.

...

"I should have told," Mika whimpered. "Lizzie's always been messed up. I should've told."

"You can't blame yourself. Lizzie was sick, and that wasn't your fault. It's just the way things are, and she…she's in a better place now."

"She's dead," Mika sobbed. "She's dead, and I killed her."