The Wolf You Feed
Chapter 37
"I'm going to need to speak to them at some point," Deanna said, leaning closer to Denise and speaking just above a whipser in an attempt not to disturb the small group that was gathered inside the clinic. The older woman leaned past the door frame, trying to get a better look at what was going on inside without being overly obvious about it. Carl and Enid had brought three strangers into town the day before. And since one of them was in need of immediate medical assistance, the interview process that was standard for new arrivals had been overlooked.
The blonde woman was lying on a cot. She didn't look any better than she had when Carl brought her into town lying face down over Comet's saddle. If anything, she looked worse. Her face was pale and covered with a thin layer of persperation that her companions had long since given up on trying to wipe off her face. The pretty darer haired woman that Deanna now knew was her sister was holding the woman's limp hand in one of her own, wiping her tears away with the back of her other hand. The man was maintaining a little more control over his emotions. His shaggy blonde hair was pulled back from his face with a hair tie that Denise had offered him, revealing the dark bruise colored shadows under his eyes. He leaned back in his chair, his hand resting on the crying woman's back. Offering her what little comfort he could given the situation.
"Isn't there anything more we can do?," Deanna asked. Denise shook her head. She already sat up for hours into the night, reading her medical books until her eyes burned when she finally closed them. There was no substitute for insulin. And they didn't have any. Abraham and Heath had cleared all the pharmacies within driving range before last winter. And even if they hadn't, even a full pharmacy wouldn't do the woman any good. Some medications stayed good for years after the expiration date. But insulin wasn't one of them. Extreme cold or warm temperatures caused it to go bad. Even unopened vials went bad after only a month outside a refrigerator. Denise was impressed that the dying woman's family had been able to keep her alive as long as they had.
"She's past the point of hyperglycemia," Denise explained, lowering her voice despite the fact that the people inside the clinic already knew everything she was telling Deanna, "She's gone into diabetic ketoacidosis." Denise took note of the confused look on Deanna's face. It made her smile a little despite the serious nature of their conversation. Deanna was so intelligent and well read. It was unusual to see the woman struggle to understand something. "She's going to die," Denise added, "There's nothing we can do now except make her comfortable."
"Keep an eye on them," Deanna said. The two people inside the clinic seemed harmless enough. And when Rick brought his own new arrival back from the run he had gone on, he had been sure to check the couple for weapons. But it still made Deanna uneasy to leave Denise alone with two strangers. "I can send Spencer over to sit with you," Deana offered, her statment coming out sounding more like a question. Her eldest son still wasn't much of a fighter, despite the training that his new girlfriend's brother was constantly insisting on giving him. But fighter or not he was still twice the size of the man sitting inside the clinic and more than capable of defending Denise if it came to that.
"Tara's here, she's napping upstairs," Denise said, "and Rosita should be here for her shift any minute. I think we're fine here."
Deanna nodded. But as she turned and headed down the steps she decided she might send Spencer over just in case. Deanna still believed in the basic goodness of people. But she was no longer the overly trusting woman she had been when she had taken Rick's group in. All the stories she had heard from him and his people had given her a different understanding of what life was really like outside her high walls.
If that wasn't enough to give her pause, the mystery of who had been spying on Enid and Carl was still unsovled. Rick and Daryl were convinced that it had been someone from town, but Deanna thought that two strangers being found hanging around the outskirts of her town immediately after the incident was just a little too much of a coincidence. Until they knew for sure if they could trust them, these people needed to be watched.
TWD
Rowan listened quietly to everything that Jesus told them. But she didn't look at him. Instead her keen eyes scanned the room to take in the reactions of the people around her that were hearing the information for the first time. Deanna's living room was filled with people that were curious about what the man had to say. The church was the designated spot for town meetings. But most of the actual business of running of Alexandria was done across Deanna's stained coffee table or leaning on the counter tops in Rick's kitchen.
Daryl was firmly wedged in his favorite spot, sitting in the big bay window between the bookcases. Rowan sat between his thighs, leaning back against his chest as she blew at the steam that was rising from the mug of hot tea in her hands. She told Reg and Deanna she was making the tea for herself, but she could tell that Jesus had already guessed the truth. She had actually brewed it to soothe his bruised throat and make it easier for him to speak. After a few careful sips of the steaming beverage the man had glanced over and smiled at her.
"No sewing you need to do?," Michonne whispered as she walked by. She had been sitting on the couch opposite Jesus, taking up her rightful position on the sofa with Rick, Deanna, and Reg. But after only a few moments the woman was forced to vacate the seat her leadership allowed her and tend to her son, who had woken up to find that a horrible injustice was being done to him. He had fallen asleep on his mother's breast and woken up alone in a playpen. The plush bunny that Michonne had placed inside the pen to placate him had only served to anger the child further. So she was forced to listen to Jesus's proposition pacing the room as she tried unsuccessfully to lull her son back to sleep without breastfeeding him.
"Maybe later," Rowan teased. Rick had never quite forgotten the time that Rowan had started knitting during one of his speeches. Anytime he got ready to say something he felt was important, he would always cast a pointed glance at Rowan first to make sure the woman was paying attention to him. It had become a sort of running joke between her and Michonne.
"Just sit down and feed him," Rowan added, nodding towards Michonne's son, "no one cares." Rowan scooted back and swung her legs down, making room on the window sill for Michonne to join them. She had grown up in a community where it was completely normal to see women breastfeeding their babies. Rowan understood now that not everyone felt as comfortable with it as she did. But this was important. She didn't think Michonne should feel obligated to leave the room and miss what was being said just because her son was hungry.
Rowan's father had been leaning against the bookcase behind Daryl. The man crossed the small space and took up a watchful position in front of Michonne, partially blocking her body from prying eyes but leaving her enough room to see what was going on. Most people in town were used to him by now, facial scars and all. But Grey Wolf still had an intimidating presence. Rowan smiled, knowing that no one would even dare to look funny at Michonne as long as her father was standing next to the woman.
Deanna and Rick each asked Jesus a few more questions. Rick was a little more skeptical while Deanna seemed more excited about what he had to say. But it was obvious that neither of them had an objection to the idea of trading with another group. It had been a little rocky between the two leaders at first, with Deanna not wanting to let go of her position and Rick feeling like he was right and she ought to be listening to him. But eventually they had worked out the differences in their leadership styles. It put everyone in town at ease to view them as a united front. Deanna had gotten more and more comfortable letting Rick handle anything that qualified as a security concern, while Rick was now able to back down and let Deanna handle the day to day running of the town even if she wasn't running things the way he felt they ought to be run.
Once it was decided that a small group was going to be accompanying Jesus back to his home, the only thing left to decide was who was going to be included in the group. Rick and Deanna were going. Michonne and Rich were staying as the defacto leaders. Rowan could tell her father wanted to go, but at Michonne's request he agreed to stay and help her keep watch over Alexandria.
"Maybe my crazy face wouldn't make the best impression," the man quipped, pulling Rowan against his chest to hug her goodbye. She giggled, suddenly understanding that Michonne's request for the man to help her had been a bit of a rouse. Deanna, and maybe even Rick too, didn't want her father going because they were afraid he would scare the people they were trying to set up trading with. Rowan squeezed him back, suddenly wishing that she was staying home with her father instead of going along. She couldn't put her finger on the exact reason why but she had a sinking feeling down in the pit of her stomach. Rowan didn't think Jesus was tricking them. And she didn't think the trading was a bad idea. On the contrary she felt like it was a wonderful idea. The community she had been a part of before the turn had traded regularly with other communities. It had always been a positive experience for her. But she still couldn't shake the odd feeling of foreboding she had. Or the chicken flesh that was bubbling over the freckled skin of her arms despite the warmth of the morning sun.
"I love your crazy face," Rowan whispered to her father, speaking to him in Sioux since she knew he preferred it.
"Be safe," her father told her, planting a kiss on the top of her head. As they parted, his hand grazed over her belly throught the loose fabric of her dress. To her surprise, Rowan's father also had a hug for Daryl. She was happy to see that unlike Daryl's normal stiff and awkward man to man hugs that he actually wrapped his arms around her father and hugged the man back for once, relieved that there was no ill will between them over the physical altercation they had early that morning.
Just as the small group was about to climb inside the RV, a loud shout for them to wait sounded from down the street. Eugene was rushing towards them. The man was actually running for once, which accounted for how red his face was. He had Olivia by the hand, hauling the already embarrassed looking woman along behind him.
"Something wrong?," Deanna asked, her voice filled with concern. Eugene opened his mouth and started babbling. Rowan wasn't sure what point he was trying to make, something about bullets and trading and the percentages of a positive outcome to the trading negotiations. Rowan could tell from the look on Deanna's face that she was equally as confused. Olivia finally elbowed Eugene in the ribs, intending to quiet him down so she could speak. When she did she directed her question to Jesus.
"There's an Ob-Gyn in your community?," she asked in an attempt to confirm what Eugene had told her. Jesus nodded at her, a smile spreading across his face. Olivia turned to Deanna. "Would it be alright if we went along then?"
It took a few moments for the information to penetrate the minds of everyone around. There was only one reason why anyone would want to see that type of doctor. Olivia must be pregnant. Rowan had noticed some subtle differences in the woman's general aura lately, but she had written it off as just part of the general constant stress and pressure of life they were all under. She was the first to rush forward and wrap her arms around Olivia's neck.
The two women hugged each other tightly. Olivia's two younger sisters had gotten married within a year of each other. Then they got pregnant around the same time. It gave them a special bond. One that Olivia had never shared with anyone before. She was full of joy not only to be in love and be pregnant, two things she never thought possible, but also to share the experience with Rowan.
"Of course you can come," Deanna told the couple. Deanna did her best to remain calm and composed but Rowan saw the woman wipe at the corners of her eyes when she thought no one was looking. Everyone who knew Deanna well, knew how she felt about pregnancies and babies. They represented hope for the future. They would be the first generation that would be born into the community that she helped to build. Once Rowan backed away, the other women crowded in to hug and fawn over Olivia. The men teased Eugene and Abraham smacked him on his back and roughed up the long part of his hair. The small celebration might have gone on for some time but Rick cleared his throat loudly and reminded them that they had a long drive ahead of them. One he didn't want to make in the dark.