If anyone told him that he was going to be dragged (literally) back to Woodbury he'd probably scowl and kick them for good measure but here he was in a strange part of Woodbury that he was unfamiliar with. The room was quite large and bare the only furniture was broken mattress springs and a cot which Carl was bound to one of the legs.
It had been a rough trip back, Carl and Beth put up a fight the best they could even though the odds were stacked against them. With Beth's injuries she couldn't do much except dig her heels into the ground her only small victory was a punch to a young enforcer giving him a small bruise but not enough to blacken. Their wrists were bound and eyes blindfolded as they were forced into the jeep.
The last place Carl heard Beth was in the garage, he heard her curse and attempt to resist but the sound of skin contacting skin made Carl flinch and he heard nothing. He tried to call out to Beth but a hand was clamped over his mouth. Shaking free the youth bit down on the hand and struggled out of the grip but before the youth could bolt something slammed against his head dazing him.
In the room Carl was forced to sit on the ground as zip ties bound his wrists together. The youth kicked out numerous times but they were easily secured and a cloth was tied around his mouth to prevent Carl from gaining any attention. After making sure that there were no means of escape they left the room.
He lost track of time easily as he worried about the group, Beth and himself. His legs fall asleep sending an uncomfortable tingling sensation making him want to squirm to get comfortable but every time he tried to get up his skin would connect with the sharp metal on the post underside. He looked over to the door knowing that there was a bored enforcer on the other side waiting until he was relieved by the Governor himself. Carl closed his eyes and easily pictured his father's expression when he finds out what has happened from whoever poor enforcer the Governor sends to the prison. Carl hoped that the Governor would let Beth go, she was injured after all. When the youth had heard her head crack against the tree he had thought the worst, but to his relief she had gotten up. Carl pressed his head against the bedside thinking about Hershel and his expression there was also Maggie who was already terrorized by the Governor. The youth was sure that Glenn would have a hard time controlling her when she finds out.
A sudden sharp voice snapped Carl out of his thoughts shooting him back into reality. He straightened the best he could ignoring the hunger pains in his stomach, whoever he was going to face, he wanted to be strong – to show that he wasn't afraid. The muffled voices continued back and forth before it fell silent, the lock opened with a click and the door was opened revealing the leader. Carl straightened feeing the metal dig into his back, he watched the leader come around and kneel down. The Governor placed a finger to his lips sending Carl a message the youth nodded and the Governor undid the knot. Carl took in a small breath feeling his lungs fill with precious oxygen but kept eye contact with the Governor. The leader reached out to the youth and touched the swelled wound on the side of his head making Carl stiffen.
"Oh what did they do…," the Governor murmured. He grabbed the youth's chin and turned his head examining for more wounds. Carl pulled his head out of the grip eyeing the Governor wondering why he was making a show about something minor. The youth pulled away as the leader tried to touch his wound again, the Governor saw a ghost of a dark glare spread over his face.
"I want a calm conversation," the leader explained, "if that can't happen than there will be consequences understand?"
Carl nodded.
"Good boy, do you want to start or shall I?"
"Where is Beth?" Carl wasn't going to waste time.
"She is in the medic bay," the Governor answered, "Beth has many wounds that need to be attended too."
"She needs to go back to the prison."
"I'll decide that," the Governor rose, his shadow engulfed the youth. "I was quite surprised when Martinez brought the girl back, but he assured me that it was unplanned is that true?"
Carl bit his tongue to stop him from shouting curses at the Governor. He wanted to really know how Beth was doing and what the Governor was planning on doing.
"Yes," Carl then quickly demanded, "Martinez said that I made his job easier, what does that mean?"
The Governor knelt and raised an eyebrow, "thought you'd be able to figure that out by now Carl."
"I want to hear it from you."
The leader was slightly taken aback by the youth's ferocity, the darkness in his tone. The Governor sat on the ground he leaned in matching Carl's intense stare.
"Your father isn't going to give me want you were going to be my bargaining chip to ensure that he hands over Michonne."
Carl was about to protest when his mind replayed what the Governor had told him. And a good thing it did.
"What do you mean were?"
The meaning sunk in and Carl strained against the ties as his eyes flew wide open. A horrified expression flashed across his face but was quickly replaced with anger.
"I won't let you," Carl growled.
The Governor gave a mirthless chuckle. "And you're going to stop me?"
"Beth isn't a part of this."
"She's a part of your group, obviously Maggie will miss her and if Rick isn't going to step up I'm sure that someone else will."
Carl was about to ask how he knew when the Governor tsked.
"You're really going to ask me that? I thought you were smarter than that Carl," the Governor then admitted, "I came up with the idea after seeing you at the meeting spot, it is a risky move keeping you as your father is spontaneous he snuck in to save those hick brothers god knows what he's going to do to save you. The girl I have a feeling that he'll have to get through a few obstacles in order to save her if he wants to use the direct approach. Martinez is going to bring you back to the prison, to show your father that I'm…reasonable."
Carl opened his mouth trying to find words to protest with but his mind kept drawing blanks. He couldn't let them have Beth but what could he do? The Governor could be lying that Beth was in the medic, he could move her to whatever location he likes and have Milton look after her if he wants to keep things quiet.
"You'll head out tomorrow so that your father can see how foolish his choices are."
The Governor grabbed Carl's chin as he redid the knot, Carl twisted his head trying to break free but he felt his head shake involuntarily as pressure was applied.
"Stay quiet and perhaps I'll get someone to bring you up something to eat."
The Governor rose and headed out the door. Carl wanted to scream at him, to try and trip him on his way out but his legs were numb and the news of his plan had drained him leaving him with nothing but a sense of despair.
XXXXXX
Benji thought that he had seen Rick at his worst; he was wrong. After leading Rick and Daryl through the prison close to thirty times with both shouting down the darkened hallways attracting attentions of the undead but not of a thirteen year old. Daryl didn't even have a chance to kill one of the fifteen they saw as Rick would lunge forward and tackle it to the ground as he stabbed it in the head. The leader would rise with blood staining his front and demand which direction was next.
They had spent five hours going round in circles before collapsing back in the cell block. Rick however didn't want to give up and asked Benji to see the maps of the prison, he went over them numerously listening to a tired Benji give a dry explanation of where they had been.
"We have been everywhere," Benji emphasized. "I don't think the prison is going to magically sprout another room."
Rick pinched the bridge of his nose in frustration he balled the map before chucking it into the warm embers in the fire pit. Benji looked over to see his map burst into flames with a small whoosh then flutter around in the air before settling around the pit. An impregnable silence fell over the block as everyone looked from Rick to Benji, but the navigator played the cool card knowing that Rick's life wasn't the easiest – or if it would ever be again. He backed up calmly and headed back to his cell he picked up his writing utensils and started to recreate the map. A couple seconds after Benji got back to work everyone else followed suit and went back to their daily chores. Rick took in a shallow breath and looked over at Daryl.
"Did I serious throw a map into a fire?"
"At least yer didn't toss the kid," Daryl countered.
Rick was about to respond when Maggie came in, it was clear that she was a bit flustered and agitated. Glenn walked over to go speak to her but she pushed him out of the way and looked around the prison.
"Has anyone seen Beth? She was supposed to be back half an hour ago."
XXXXXX
Through the night Carl got hardly ten minutes of sleep he was so worried, food was brought to him and the gag undone but the youth wasn't hungry and refused to eat. The enforcer had enough so redid the knot and took the food away. Once the door was shut Carl leaned against the bed closing his eyes wishing for sleep to take over so he could sleep through the anxiety and depression but none came causing Carl's anxiety to go sky high. He tried to get as comfortable as possible but it was hard with his arms bound to the bed leg, his legs splayed out in front of him and his head lolled against the metal cot beam.
The next morning Carl expected the enforcer to come with food so he was quite surprised to see the Governor himself enter the room. The youth shifted but because of lack of food he was weak and nearly toppled over if it hadn't been for the Governor close by to catch him just in time.
"Easy," the leader whispered. "Let's see how you're doing."
Carl moaned into the cloth trying to get out of the Governor's reach but he felt pressure applied to his jaw too much and he knew that it would break so the youth remained still.
"You'll have quite the story to tell your dad when you get back," the Governor said. "But that's not why I'm here. I'm getting news of you not eating and that I can't have. I don't want any more trouble with your father then there already is."
He undid the knot and Carl couldn't help but stretch his jaw. The Governor quickly grabbed the back of Carl's head securing the youth.
"Tell me where Beth is," Carl demanded quickly. He gritted his teeth as he felt a handful of his hair being pulled from the stems. "I'll eat but just tell me where she is!"
The pull on his scalp slackened making the youth breathe a bit easier, he looked at the Governor hoping that the leader would take the offer.
"She's still in the medic bay," the Governor finally explained, he tore off a piece of bread and held it out. Carl sighed inwardly knowing that was all he was going to know unless he ate. So Carl accepted and the Governor waited until he swallowed before continuing. "Dr. Steven's still has her under surveillance just to see how she reacts to the medication." Carl ate a bit more. "Then she will be told what is going on and ultimately the rest is up to Rick."
More food was offered but Carl drew back the best he could, he tried to think of a way to change the Governor's mind – to keep him instead and bring Beth back to the prison. An intense pressure was applied to the back of Carl's neck making the youth grit his teeth in pain.
"You're not forgetting your promise are you?"
Carl straightened the best he could looking the leader in the eye. "I already have what I need."
A sheet of black wrapped around Carl's vision along with a searing cut of pain that pulsed in his head. He struggled to cup his hands to his head but after a few futile seconds realized the reason. The darkness dispersed and Carl came face to face with an angered Governor. The leader was so close that Carl saw his own reflection in the man's soulless eye.
"Maybe a few bruises will get your dad to think faster, so that he doesn't have a corpse tossed over the fence."
Carl tried to struggle but the Governor took out his knife and pressed it against the youth's cheek just underneath the scar under his eye. A pinprick of pain grew as the blade was pressed deeper into his skin then the Governor sliced to the side causing Carl to let out a yelp. The leader shook him by the shoulders to shut him up, making Carl's back connect with the metal bar making the youth accidentally bite his tongue. He started to cough as blood splattered into the back of his throat causing the Governor to stand and step back looking down at the youth in disgust. The Governor took the cloth out of his pocket and cruelly did it up. Without a word turned back to the door and walked out.
A couple hours later the door was opened and Martinez and Shumpert entered. One held Carl down by the shoulders while the other sliced through the ties before taping up his wrists and roping his ankles leaving just enough room for him to only walk. Carl struggle the best he could but a blindfold was tied around his head making the youth stumble every so often thus making it easier for Martinez and Shumpert to control where he was going. They walked down the hallway and opened the door. A vehicle was already waiting and Carl felt something slip over his head before being tossed into the back on the ground, he felt the spacer sink into his stomach making him gasp into the cloth. The doors were slammed shut and Carl could feel the toe of someone's shoe against his head.
"Don't try anything," a voice said.
Carl felt the jeep vibrate as the engine roared to life and drove down the road out of Woodbury.
XXXXXX
Glenn was posted on the guard tower, he was meant to keep an eye out for any signs of a dark jeep but he had been out there for hours and hadn't seen anything. Before he was put on guard duty he watched Maggie pace back and forth like a caged animal going on about the possibilities that her younger sibling couldn't run off too. She had demanded Benji (who was starting to get irritated) to take her through the prison, Glenn followed close by ensuring that his fiancée wouldn't do anything too drastic.
He was about to go get someone to relieve him when he saw it. The jeep driving through the forest down the path and into the clearing right up to the prison. Glenn raised the sniper rifle and looked through the scope to see a driver and two shadowed figures in the back. He picked up the radio and called down to Rick.
"You have to come out here now!"
Glenn threw the radio aside and raised the gun waiting for the others to take their positions.
Carl felt the vehicle come to a halt and he raised his head the best he could even though he knew that he wouldn't be able to see anyone. Something then shoved his head back down onto the ground making Carl groan and shake his head dispersing the darkness that threatened to envelope him.
"Stay down," Martinez ordered then opened the passenger door and got out.
Carl tried to shift but he felt a hand push his head back down and the door slam shut on either side. The youth shook his head trying to get the bag off but he didn't have enough room and ended up hitting his head on the seat.
"The Governor can be reasonable," Martinez said shattering the impregnable silence. "We did come across a girl named Beth and have confirmed that she is with your group. Two days a trade for Michonne for her or else we keep her."
There was a silence that seemed to last eternity. Finally the door opened and the bag was taken off Carl's head and the cloth removed as he was dragged out by the ankles from the vehicle into the open. He heard a collection of gasps causing his heart to sink as it burdened with guilt. He was forced forward and he heard the gate roll open and someone grab him and pull him through onto the other side. Even though he was pulled towards the prison Carl couldn't help but turn his head in hopes to hear what Martinez was telling his father but he couldn't catch any words.
XXXXXX
Inside the prison Carl's bonds were sliced and the youth blinked at the harsh light that streamed through the bars of the cell door. He groaned placing a hand to his head feeling the still open wound on his face and the small bump where the bruise was on the side of his head.
"Carl can you hear me?" Hershel asked.
The youth nodded.
"I'm going to clean up the wound on your cheek okay?"
Carl nodded again feeling the result of last night's restless sleep catch up to him, he leaned against the cot wanting to close his eyes but he felt something gently would his wound sending thousand shocks through his skin. Carl hissed in pain as the rubbing alcohol seeped into the cut making it feel like a thousand fire ants were grabbing onto the flesh refusing to let go. The process was continued three more times before a small piece of gauze was taped down. He heard the door open and a series of footsteps march to his room. Hershel scooted out of the way as Rick entered the cell kneeling down to his son's level and giving him a tight hug. Carl felt his cheeks go red as he saw the others watching. Rick let go of his son gently pressing his thumb against the gauze that hid the wound.
"I'm fine," Carl murmured however his words went unheard.
