When we got back to the prison, the sun had already set and it was almost pitch black dark, the moon the only illumination. Driving up to the gate, I saw Axel and Oscar standing, ready to open it up.
"Hey!" Dixon called out. Axel ran down the fence with a shovel making as much noise as he could to draw the walkers away. I heard a gun shot and looked around. I hand't notice Glenn in the guard tower covering us. He had taken out a walker behind us. Oscar pulled the gate open and Dixon maneuvered his bike into the courtyard.
I didn't even wait for him to stop. I jumped off the bike and stumbled a little from the sudden stop of motion and ran into the cell block. The first thing I heard was the little baby girl crying. My heart twisted in my chest and I hurried to mix the formula. Dixon came it right after me and took the baby from Carl. He gently jolted her in an effort to comfort her. I shook the baby bottle and handed it over to the redneck. He expertly gave the bottle to the baby and she stopped crying.
"You like that?" He said in classic baby voice. "You like that Little Ass Kicker?" He looked around at us and we all chuckled a little. "Yeah? Little Ass Kicker?" I sat down on one of the picnic tables and pulled Carl down onto my lap, sitting my head on his shoulder.
"We are not calling her that." I said, smiling. "Maybe that can be her nickname, but that's not going to be her name."
"I was thinking it could be Sophia." Carl said. "Then there's Amy, Andrea, Patricia, Jackie, and Carol." He paused and looked at the baby in Dixon's arm. Then he said, almost like an after thought, "Lori."
"Not Jackie." I protested. "I'm sorry, but every time I hear that name I think of Jack and the Beanstalk and I hated that story when I was little."
Carl laughed a little. "Why?"
"The giants. They scared me. I didn't let my mom plant beans in the window planters because of it. I didn't want a huge-o beanstalk to grow up into the sky and let loose a wave of giants onto the Earth."
Carl laughed again. "That's so stupid."
"Shut up, I was four. I was also scared of the dark and clown fish."
"Clown fish?" Glenn asked.
"That movie scarred me!" I defended myself. "Anyway, I think I like Amy the best. Or maybe Sophie instead of Sophia?" Carl nodded and the sheriff's hat hit me in the head. We all watched Dixon feed the baby until she finished eating, then I took the baby and burped her over my shoulder, the same way I had burped Jackson and Cody when they were born. Then Beth took her and made a sort of crib out of a plastic basket and put blankets on the bottom.
Everyone else went to sleep except me. I wandered the halls with a flashlight, killing any and all walkers I ran into. It was easier in the dark to learn the differences between walkers and people. Before the prison, I would lie awake and listen for the unmistakable sounds of walkers. It didn't take too long for me to be able to discern just how many walkers were around just by the sound of their walking, well, shambling.
Two around the corner. Three down the hall. All five ended up dead. I knew it wasn't a good idea to wander around in the dark by myself, but I couldn't sleep. I hadn't tried, but I knew I wasn't going to manage it, and I was going to waste time lying on my bunk, staring up at the ceiling.
Before day break the next day, I headed back to the cell block. My total walker body count was only about seven, but that was seven less walkers Dixon, Oscar, and Carl were going to have to take out later that day. Rick had found the room where Lori had died and hadn't actually left it. He came up for air once, to check on everyone, see ask if the fence was okay. Once he got the report, he headed back down.
"Rick." Hershel started, but Rick kept walking. "I'll go talk with him." Beth and I helped Hershel up and made sure he was steady before we let him walk away. Beth had made a sort of breakfast and afterward, Dixon, Carl, and Oscar headed out deep into the tunnel. Axel was down in the generator room trying to fix it in case of emergency. Maggie and Glenn opted to go on a run for more formula.
"We don't have a lot, and we're going to need more. A lot more." Glenn explained.
"Get some toys, too." I suggested. "She's going to need them." Glenn nodded and he and Maggie took off. That just left me, Beth, and Little Ass Kicker. I couldn't lie, it was a kind of adorable nickname. Beth held her on one side of the table while I sat on the other, playing Solitaire.
"You didn't sleep last night?" Beth commented.
"You spying on me now?" I asked, smiling a little.
"No, I just didn't see you go up there last night."
"I didn't go to sleep, you're right. I wandered the halls."
Beth looked at me. "That's not safe. There's a wall down. You could have been killed."
"I'm fine, though. I can tell how many walkers are around. It's one of my many talents, like winning Egyptian Rat and burping the Star Spangled Banner."
Beth chuckled and put the baby in her make-shift crib. "Let's play, then." The baby napped as Beth and I played a few rounds of Egyptian Rat. Carl, Oscar, and Dixon returned not too long later and Carl asked if he could hold the baby.
"Of course!" Beth said. "She's your sister." Carl smiled and picked up the baby.
"I think she's hungry." Carl observed. Beth put down her cards and made a bottle. Carl sat down and fed the baby just as Hershel came back.
"How's..." Dixon started, but Hershel shook his head. He sat down, and didn't offer up any more information about Rick.
"Where's Glenn and Maggie?" Hershel asked.
"They went on a run for more formula." I supplied. "And maybe some toys." Hershel nodded and watched Carl feed the baby. Beth and I finished our current round of Egyptian Rat and I, of course, won. For the thirty-something time.
Beth sighed and I laughed. "I'm going to go wander again." I told her.
"You should sleep." Beth protested.
"Nah, I'll be fine." I replied. Beth shook her head, but let me go.
"You didn't sleep?" Hershel asked me.
"No, but I'll be fine."
"You haven't slept in almost two days." Hershel warned.
"And I'll sleep when I'm dead." I replied a little sharply. "I can't do it most nights, and I'll only believe Carol's dead if I see her body or she's a walker." I turned and walked out of the cell block. I wasn't the nicest person when I was tired, I was just scared that if I went to sleep, I'd see Lori again. I'd see what Maggie had to do and what Carl hand to do and I'd remember how helpless I felt, sitting by and unable to do anything. I was afraid I'd see what was left of T-Dog, even though I didn't actually see it because Glenn had already buried him. I was afraid I'd see Carol like Sophia, a dead eyed walker starving for human flesh.
I was afraid I'd see walkers attacking me, trying to eat my face off.
After a couple of minutes, I noticed someone following me. I looked over my shoulder and saw Dixon.
"What do you want, Dixon?" I asked, keeping my eyes forward.
"Hershel asked that I follow you." He replied. "Make sure you don't pass out or nothin'." I sighed but didn't say anything. I guess Hershel was right, I could pass out at some point if I don't get some sleep here soon.
We wandered around the prison for about an hour, and Dixon pointed out the part where they had stopped.
"What's in there?" I asked. The door to another room was opening a couple of inches and then closing, almost like wind was blowing through it.
"Probably a walker." Dixon said, he continued walking down the hallway. "This is where I found the walker with Carol's knife in his throat." I glanced up, then proceeded to move the walker away from the front of the door.
"What're you doin'?" Dixon exclaimed. I pulled out my knife.
"I told you, I won't believe Carol's dead until I see it. I have to check everywhere." I opened the door, and there was Carol, sitting on the floor on the edge of unconsciousness.
She looked up at me, and smiled.
Author's Note: I'm sorry for not posting yesterday, I had to meet with my adviser to register for next semester. I love reviews and I love reading them, so keep telling me what you think!