Chapter Twenty Five:
Rosanna woke up to the delicious feeling of Daryl's body cuddled close to hers. She sighed lightly, snuggling closer to him, reveling in the feeling of his strong arm pulling her closer to him as he slept. Opening her eyes, she reached out a hand, tentatively running her fingertips along the strong muscles of his bicep. His nose ran up the skin along her neck and shoulder, making her shiver. "Daryl," Rosanna whispered. She felt his lips curve into a smile.
"Rosie," he answered huskily. "My Rosie." Rosanna heard footsteps, then someone cleared their throat outside the makeshift sheet door.
"Are you two awake?" Maggie's voice called, sounding amused.
"We are now," Daryl growled, propping himself up on one arm.
"Y'all need to come down here, we need to discuss Rick," said Maggie. She paused for a second. "And Rosanna, remember when you teased me about me and Glenn being loud?" Rosanna felt her cheeks flush and she hid her face in Daryl's chest.
"Yeah . . ." she mumbled into his skin. Maggie giggled.
"Glad to know we're not the only loud ones!" she said as her footsteps died away. Rosanna groaned.
"Was I really that loud?" she asked Daryl. He grinned at her.
"Don't care if you were," he said, trailing fingers down her collarbone. She shook her head and playfully pushed him away.
"Come on, let's go see what's the matter with Rick," Rosanna said as she stood up. Daryl stared up at her.
"He's grievin'," he said slowly. "Makes me feel kinda guilty, to be so happy after all that went down." Rosanna held out a hand to him after she pulled on her clothes.
"Me too," she admitted. He pressed her hand to his cheek before kissing her palm and getting up himself. When they were both decently dressed, they walked hand in hand down to the common room. Axel and Oscar nowhere to be found, but Hershel sat at a table with Maggie and Glenn, while Carl and Beth sat in a corner, feeding Lil Asskicker. All of them eyed Rosanna and Daryl's entwined hands. Hershel smiled knowingly, but Glenn actually chuckled. Maggie elbowed him as Daryl released Rosanna's hand, giving the group a surly glare.
"There's oatmeal for breakfast," Glenn told them. Rosanna went over to the makeshift kitchen, got two bowls, and served some of the oatmeal for herself and Daryl.
"So what's goin' on with Rick?" Daryl asked through a mouthful of oatmeal.
"He won't come out of the tombs," Hershel said sadly. "Glenn went to talk to him, but Rick . . . well, it seems like he's lost his mind." Rosanna gaped at him.
"Lost his mind?" she asked, exchanging a horrified glance with Daryl.
"Couldn't he just be grievin', Daddy?" Beth asked, putting a hand on Carl's shoulder as he stared morosely at his sister. Hershel nodded slowly.
"He's grieving, Bethy, but it's more than that," Hershel answered, looking at Daryl and Rosanna.
"What d' you think we should do?" Daryl asked. "Just leave 'im be, see if he comes out of it?"
"I think it's more than grieving," Rosanna said, standing up to put her bowl in the bucket that served as a sink. "He's feeling guilty. We all saw how he treated Lori the last few weeks of her life. Now that she's gone, there's no way he can make that up to her."
"He didn't know what he had until he lost it," Maggie agreed. "It makes sense." She looked at her father. "Is there anything we can do for him? Any pills we have that can help?" Hershel shrugged.
"I'm a vet, honey, not a psychiatrist. And I don't think pills will help Rick."
"He hasn't even looked at the baby," Carl said quietly. Everyone stared at him. His expression changed to one of anger. "He hasn't looked at her. Not once! Doesn't he care about her? Or me?" Beth put the arm that wasn't holding the baby around his shoulders.
"Of course he cares, Carl," Glenn assured him. "He's just . . . going through a rough time."
Carl stood up. "And I haven't gone through a rough time? I had to shoot my own mom!" He rushed to the door, where Axel and Oscar were just coming through. They watched Carl go with trepidation.
"Everything okay?" Axel asked hesitantly.
"We were discussing Rick," Hershel explained.
"He still hasn't come out of the tombs?" Oscar asked, looking at each person in turn. They all shook their heads. "Should someone go after him, maybe talk him out of whatever he's thinking?"
"I tried," Glenn said sheepishly. "He threatened me, so I just left him alone." He stood up and moved towards the door. "I'm going to go after Carl, he shouldn't be by himself right now."
"We came in for breakfast," Oscar said, "if that's okay?"
"It's okay," Rosanna assured him. "Daryl and I will take watch."
"We'll need to clear out the rest of those walkers from the courtyard sometime today," Daryl said as he put his empty bowl in the bucket.
"I can help with that," Oscar offered, and Daryl nodded.
"I think we should let Carl help us," Rosanna mused. "Give him something worthwhile to do to take his mind off his dad."
"If y'all are going to clear the courtyard, I'll go back on watch as soon as I finish breakfast," Axel said.
"That would be wonderful, thank you," Rosanna answered.
"Glenn and I are going to go on a run for more baby supplies," Maggie said. "We'll leave in a couple of hours, I want to get caught up on chores around here first."
"I can help with the dishes," Beth said sweetly. Maggie shook her head.
"You've got your hands full with Lil Asskicker," she told her sister.
"I'm going to go get Carl, tell him to be ready to help us," Rosanna told Daryl. He nodded.
"I got somethin' to do first, then I'll meet you by the gate." She looked at him questioningly, but he looked away and strode out of the common room. Rosanna shrugged and went to find Carl, walking part of the way with Axel, who was on his way back to the guard tower.
"I sure like bein' part of the group, Rosanna," Axel told her as he held his gun tightly. "I hope that don't change when Rick gets over his grievin'." Rosanna turned to smile at him, but she saw Daryl making his way across the field towards the graveyard. She blinked hard and focused back on Axel.
"We'll all tell Rick you guys have been indispensable," she assured him. "We all appreciate your help." Axel grinned.
"It's like we said at the beginning, we want to help," he answered, then mock saluted her as he headed for the tower. Rosanna walked a few yards away and pressed her face against the fence, watching as Daryl approached Carol's grave. He stood there a few moments before placing something on the grave and then turned abruptly, walking back up to the courtyard. Rosanna hurried away, not wanting him to see her spying on him. She caught up to Glenn and Carl, told Carl what she needed him for, and the three of them made their way back to the cell block.
Glenn and Maggie left on their run, while Rosanna, Daryl, Oscar, and Carl made their way to the courtyard. They grouped together in formation and began killing the walkers methodically. When that chore was done, Rosanna proposed clearing the part of the tombs where they had found T-Dog's body. Daryl and Oscar agreed, and they proceeded down to the corridors under the prison. There were few walkers left, and Daryl and Rosanna let Oscar and Carl take them down, knowing they needed the practice.
"Good going, guys," Rosanna said as they turned a corner. A door kept opening and closing, blocked by dead walkers.
"We'll get them on the way back," Daryl said, leading the others down the corridor.
"Come on, Carl," Rosanna said, wrapping her arm around Carl's skinny shoulders. He sighed and gently nudged her off, his face hardening as he strode forward. Daryl looked at him for a moment.
"You know, my mom liked her wine, and she liked to smoke in bed," he said casually, directing his words to the wounded little boy. "She smoked Virginia Slims," Daryl continued as he opened a door, checking for walkers. "I was playing out with the kids in the neighborhood, Merle was gone, so I could do that. They had bikes, I didn't. We heard sirens, so they all jumped on their bikes to go after them. I followed, but I was running, so I didn't get there until everyone else was already there. I turned the corner, and all my friends were starin' at me. Then I saw that it was my house that was on fire. There were fire trucks everywhere, people from the neighborhood. My mom fell asleep with a lit cigarette, burned herself up and the house with it."
Carl looked up at him, the faintest glimmer of emotion in his eyes. Rosanna stared at Daryl, her heart breaking for him, how he must have felt that day long ago. Daryl looked Carl in the eyes. "My mom was gone. Erased. Nothin' left of her. People said it was better that way. I just didn't feel like it was real." He turned away and continued down the corridor. Carl took his sleeve and held it tightly.
"I shot my mom," he said solemnly. "She was out, hadn't turned yet. So I ended it. It was real." He stared at Daryl for a few more seconds, then looked down. "I'm sorry about your mom." Daryl studied him.
"I'm sorry about yours," he said finally. He put his hand on Carl's shoulder. "Come on." Rosanna and Oscar exchanged glances and followed them. They encountered several walkers, which they took out easily, and continued on.
"Doesn't seem like there are many down here," Rosanna commented as she watched Oscar dispatch another walker.
"We'll continue 'til we come out of the other cell block," Daryl said. "Be careful of the ones on the ground," he told Oscar as one reached out for the tall man. "That's how Hershel got bit." Oscar nodded and stabbed the legless walker in the head. They walked on for a few more minutes, then Oscar let out what could only be called a squeak of happiness. They all turned to look at him.
"That's what I'm talkin' about!" Oscar said happily as he strode into a cell. They went back to see what he was doing. Oscar knelt by a pair of plaid slippers, his face beaming with excitement.
"What the hell do you need slippers for?" Daryl asked. Rosanna and Carl giggled when Oscar looked incredulously up at him.
"You know! The end of the day! Relaxin'!" Oscar explained as he picked up the slippers. Rosanna smelled rot and flipped around to behead the walker that was coming up behind them just as Daryl let loose a bolt and Oscar and Carl shot it.
"Good reflexes," Rosanna said, moving to look at the walker, who had two bullets and a crossbow in his forehead. She kicked the head, but Daryl grabbed her arm.
"Look," he said, pointing at the neck. There was a knife embedded in the skin. Rosanna looked at Daryl, who was staring strangely at the knife. He bent to pull it out. "That's Carol's knife," he said slowly. He cleaned the knife off and put it in his belt, an unfathomable expression on his face. They followed as he stood up and made his way slowly down the corridor, looking into each cell, every doorway. When they finally made it to the cell block, Daryl opened the door for them and looked at Rosanna. "I'm goin' back in, alone," he told her. Oscar and Carl walked off, leaving the two to talk alone.
"Why?" she asked. He shrugged.
"Just feel like I need to."
"Daryl . . ." she began, but he put his hand on her cheek and pulled he close for a kiss, Her swords dropped to the ground and she pulled him closer to her.
"I'll be back, baby," he said after breaking the kiss.
"Daryl, are we . . . are we together?" she asked hesitantly.
"What d' you mean?"
Rosanna took a deep breath and tried again. "Are we . . . you know . . . together?"
He smirked. "You mean, am I your boyfriend?" She nodded. He gripped her chin in his hand and smiled at her. "I guess I am." She crossed her arms.
"You guess, or you are?" He put his crossbow down and pulled her into his arms.
"I told you, you're my woman," he answered into her hair. "Mine." She hugged him, then pulled away.
"Be careful down there," she whispered. Daryl nodded.
"Don't worry, baby. I'll always come back to you." He smiled at her once more, shouldered his crossbow, and walked back into the darkness. Rosanna sighed and went back to their cell block, where the others, including Rick, were congregated. She stared at the sight of Rick holding his baby, and he smiled at her as she came up to him and gave him a tight hug.
"Rick?" she asked, staring up at him. He nodded at her.
"I'm fine," he answered her unasked question. "Come on, let's take her into the sun."
Beth and Hershel, along with Carl and Rosanna, followed Rick out of the cell block into the light. The baby squinted and made a face. Rosanna giggled. "She's not used to the sun," she told Rick. He grinned at her, then looked at Carl.
"She looks like you, when you were a baby," he told his son, who smiled. Rick studied the baby's face for a moment, then looked over at the gate and froze. Rosanna followed his gaze. There were walkers around the fence as usual, but one looked different. A black woman with dreadlocks, a sword strapped to her back, holding a grocery basket in one hand. She had the other hand on the fence. Rick glanced at Rosanna and tilted his head towards the woman. Rosanna pulled out one of her revolvers and nodded as Rick gave the baby to Carl.
"She's no walker," Rosanna said as she followed Rick down through the fields to the gate, sniffing the air. She could smell fresh blood, but it wasn't rotted. The woman was injured.
"She's a threat," Rick replied.
"We don't know that," Rosanna whispered as they approached the woman. She stared back at them and Rosanna looked down at the grocery basket. "Rick, she's got formula!" He narrowed his eyes at the newcomer as the woman stared back at him, her expression pained. They stared at each other for several long moments, then Rosanna heard footsteps and smelled Carl's scent coming up behind them.
"She's hurt," Carl said, just as one of the walkers at the fence sniffed towards the woman. She jerked back and drew her sword, handling it efficiently, but Rosanna could tell she was close to passing out. Carl ran to the gate and looked over at his father. "Should we help her?"
"Rick . . ." Rosanna began, but Rick just stared at the woman impassively. Rosanna bit her lip and ran to the gate. "Open it, Carl," she ordered as Rick came up behind her, saying nothing. Rosanna leapt out from behind the gate just as the woman fell to the ground in a faint. Rosanna killed the walkers surrounding her and went to the woman, nudging her with her foot. When she didn't respond, Rosanna thought she might be dead, but her eyelids were fluttering like she was trying to wake up.
"Get her sword, check her for weapons and bites," Rick said, as he came to assist her. Carl ran for the grocery basket and picked it up.
"Dad, it's formula!" Carl cried as he rummaged through the contents.
"How could she know we needed it?" Rosanna asked as she expertly frisked the woman, taking a couple of knives from her belt and her ankle. She noted the wound in the woman's thigh, as did Rick. She took one side of the woman, while Rick took the other, and together the two of them lifted her up and began dragging her towards the cell block as Carl relocked the gate. Hershel and Beth met them as they passed the central courtyard gate.
"Is she bit?" the vet asked.
"No. She's been shot in the thigh," Rick answered. They took the woman into the cell block and Rick began giving orders. "Carl, a blanket. Beth, get water and a towel." He pointed to the small, empty cell in the common room. "We'll put her here." He and Rosanna laid the woman gently on the blanket Carl spread out. Rick took a bottle of water from Beth and poured it over the woman's chest, trying to get her to wake up. Her eyelids fluttered and she jerked awake, staring at Rick with fear in her eyes. "It's okay, it's okay," Rick told her, but the woman tried to reach for her sword. Rosanna kicked it away and held the woman down as Rick sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose.
"Who are you?" he asked finally. She struggled a bit, but Rosanna held her tightly. "Look, we're not going to hurt you, not unless you do something stupid first." She stared at Rick, then Rosanna.
"He's right," Rosanna told her gently. "We won't hurt you. Just be calm, okay?" The woman stopped struggling and tried to ease herself up to a sitting position, but cringed in pain. Rosanna let the woman up onto her elbows.
"What's your name?" Rick asked her, but the woman stayed silent. He glanced at Rosanna and she shrugged.
"Whos this?" Daryl asked as he strode into the room. Rosanna was so relieved to see him she jumped up and flew into his arms, leaving Rick to deal with the woman. Daryl held her close for a few moments, then let her go with a smile. "Y'all need to get in here," he said, grinning.
"Is everything okay?" Rick asked, giving Daryl a worried glance. Daryl nodded.
"You'll need to come see this," was all he'd say. Beth and Hershel went into the cell block, along with Carl, who still held the grocery basket filled with formula. Rick stared down at the woman, picking her sword up off the floor.
"We'll keep this safe and sound," he told her. "The doors are all locked, you'll be safe here." The woman glanced around the room, looking both angry and afraid. "We can also treat your wound," Rick continued. The woman looked around once more and took a deep breath.
"I didn't ask for your help," she almost whispered.
"Doesn't matter," Rick shrugged. "I can't let you leave." He turned and strode past Daryl and Rosanna into the cell block. With one last look at the woman, Rosanna turned to follow.