Chapter 7
Jerking awake I grab the hand touching my shoulder with my left hand and unsheathe my knife with my right and open my eyes to the sight of a terrified Glenn.
"Woah sorry it's just me." He stammers,
I sigh in relief and release his hand and put my knife away.
"It's okay. I'm sorry, you just startled me" I apologize
"No that's a good reaction." It's silent for a moment before he begins again.
"I just wanted to tell you we thought it'd be a good idea to take this SUV to the farm"
"Okay sounds good. When are we leaving?" I ask
"In about 5 to 10 minutes. Wanna head out before it gets too dark"
"Okay. Just let me move some of our stuff then you can give me a hand putting the seats up and we can go" I say before turning towards Penny and Jack.
"Alright guys you heard Glenn. Pack up your stuff" I tell them and they're quick to do so. Once Jack slides out of the SUV I help Penny out and pull our bags back enough to let the seats up.
"Okay we should be good" I say to Glenn and he nods before helping me sit the seats back up. I straighten our bags and close the trunk before turning to Jack and Penny.
"C'mon Penn you get the middle." I say picking her up into the SUV and pushing her across the seat. Backing away I motion for Jackson to get in as I walk around to the other side and climb in.
Within a few minutes we're joined by T-Dog and Glenn. Glenn taking the driver's seat.
"All set back there?" Glenn asks
"Yup" I answer glancing over at Penny and Jackson.
"Alright let's get this show on the road. Remember green mailbox that says Greene on the side" Glenn says starting the car and we all wave as we pull away.
About 4 miles down the highway Glenn spots the mailbox off to the side of the road and after swerving around a few cars we turn up the drive. About a quarter of the mile down the driveway there's a huge fence that need to be opened.
"I'm going to get out and open the gate. Why don't you get in the driver's seat since I'll have to close the gate behind us" Glenn says turning to look at me and I nod opening my door at the same time he does. While he heads towards the gate I slide into the drivers seat. Once the gate is open Glenn hops into the backseat and I drive forward only a little passed the gate so Glenn can shut the gate.
He makes quick work of that and I drive slowly up the driveway. We go around a slight bend and suddenly there's a big farmhouse within half a mile. I pull to a slow stop as the rest of the sun disappears behind the trees. Putting the car in park I slide out of the car and quickly help Penny out and grasp her hand and pull Jackson close to me as we walk up the front porch steps. Glenn and T-Dog stop in front of the screen door where light is pouring out from.
"Did ya close the gate behind you?" A voice comes from the right of us and all our heads whip towards it. It's silent for a moment and Glenn looks to be in awe.
"Yea we did." I say
"I'm Maggie"
"Gen. That's Glenn and T-Dog. Uh Rick and Lori?" I ask
"C'mon I'll show you. I can get Patricia to sew that cut up for you" she says gesturing to T-Dog
We nod and follow her through the door. I pause inside the doorway and grasp Jackson's shoulder.
"Stay close" I whisper and he nods.
Maggie leads Glenn and T-Dog down a hallway but I hold Jackson and Penny back in the living room. Where Maggie rejoins us a moment later.
"Have y'all ate" She asks
"No" I answer shortly
"Well come on I'll fix y'all something to eat" she says motioning us through a dining room and into the kitchen where a smaller table sits.
"Y'all can have a seat" she says pointing the table. So, Penny and I sit on one side and Jack sits across from us. I shift Anneliese in the sling so she's sleeping a bit more comfortably against my chest.
"We have some vegetables and some bread" Maggie says bringing over 3 plates and setting them on the table.
"I uh don't need any. I'm fine." I say and she looks at me raising an eyebrow but puts one of the plates away before bringing over the food and serving Jack and Penny a plate full.
"What do you say" I prompt them
"Thank you Maggie" they both say around mouthfuls.
"You're very welcome. Let me get y'all some water" she says turning back to the cabinets
"Penny slow dow-" I begin to tell her but am cut off by the back door slamming open with a loud bang causing me to fly to my feet and Anneliese to begin wailing.
"Beth!" I hear Maggie say roughly and I look up to see a blonde-haired teenager and a teenage boy behind her both looking shocked. Anneliese lets out another particularly loud wail pulling my attention back to her. I very quickly undo the baby sling and pull her out of it.
"Shhh honey it's okay" I whisper bouncing her.
"I knew I heard a baby" an elderly man says walking into the kitchen.
"I'm Hershel" he says to me and I nod bouncing Anneliese some more then quickly decide that I needed her pacifier.
"Stay here and eat guys I'm going to get her pacifier" I tell Jackson and Penny walking out of the kitchen and through the house very quickly to get to the car. I briefly note both Glenn and T-Dog sitting on the couch with an elderly woman sewing T-Dogs arm. When I get to the car I rummage through the diaper bag to find her pacifier and once I do I slip it into her mouth as quick as possible and shoulder the diaper bag before walking back into the house. No more than 3 steps into the house does Rick come out of the hallway and surprise me by wrapping me in a hug.
"I'm glad you guys are here" he breathes hugging me tightly and after a slightly shocked pause I wrap my arm that's not holding Anneliese around his waist. When Anneliese starts to squirm he lets go on the side where she is and runs his hand over her head then bends and kisses her forehead.
"How's Carl?" I ask in an almost whisper
"He's not doing too good, the bullet broke. Shane and Otis went to get a ventilator" he whispers back running his hand over Anneliese's hair.
"I'm sorry. If there's anything you need let me know. I have 0 negative blood so I can give him blood if he needs it" I tell him
"Thank you" he whispers meeting my eyes before pulling away.
"Daddy said y'all can sleep in the guest room upstairs" Maggie says coming out of the dining room
"Okay thank you" I say to her
"I'll go get your other bags" Glenn says getting off the couch and I nod before walking into the kitchen.
"How was the food?" I ask Penny and jack
"It was good" Penny says and Jack nods in agreement.
"Are y'all ready for bed?" They both nod
"C'mon then" I say grabbing Penny's hand and leading the way back to the living room. When we enter Glenn passes one bag to me, Maggie and Jackson each. And we follow Maggie up the stairs.
"Here y'all are" she says pushing a door open to reveal a bed with a light green bed spread, a dresser against the wall between 2 windows and a chestnut rocking chair in the corner.
"Thank You Maggie" I say placing the bag on the bed
"You're welcome. If you want, you can use the stove in the kitchen to warm bottles for her" she offers
"Thank you I might just take you up on that" I say, and she nods before leaving and pulling the door closed behind her.
"Alright you two. Put on your last change of clothes and get in bed" I say digging through the diaper bag and pulling out a new diaper and onesie for Anneliese.
Jack and Penny are changed before I'm even finished getting Anneliese dressed.
"I'm gonna rock Anneliese in the rocking chair for a little bit. Y'all can have the bed for right now." I tell them pulling the comforter and the sheet back. No sooner than the sheet leaving my hand are Jackson and Penny in the bed and pulling it back up on themselves.
"Goodnight you two. I love you guys" I say kissing them both on the head.
"Love you too Gen" Jackson says
"Love you Genny" Penny choruses as I sit down in the rocking chair and gently begin to rock.
I peer out the window as I rock Anneliese. Within 10 minutes both Jack and Penny are sound asleep, and Anneliese is beginning to stir, getting hungry for her first nighttime bottle. Before she can begin to all out wail, I gather the diaper bag and mosses basket and head for the kitchen. I bypass Glenn, T-Dog, Maggie and Beth sitting in the living room and nod to them as I walk through.
I place the mosses basket on the table and gently lay Anneliese inside. Just as I'm getting a bottle out of the bag Maggie pops into the kitchen.
"Hey, I just wanted to get a pot out for you and tell you that you can use the sink water to make her bottle" she tells me opening a cabinet and getting a pot out and filling it halfway with water.
"Thanks" I say putting a scoop of formula in the bottle before going to the sink and putting water in it and capping it. I go towards the stove and see that Maggie turned the stove on.
"You're welcome. She's really cute you know." She says smiling down at Anneliese in the mosses basket.
"Thank you. I agree" I laugh placing the bottle in the pot.
"Daddy said that it'd be okay if the milk was on the cool side since it's summer" she tells me and I nod
"I know." I tell her
"Alright I'll leave you to it. Feel free to join us in the living room." She says walking out of the kitchen.
Shaking my head to myself I try to ignore the nagging feeling that I'm lying to everyone. Not once have I told them that I'm the older sister not the mom. But I guess in hindsight I'm not lying. They haven't asked and I just haven't said.
Shaking myself from my thoughts I remove her bottle from the pot and test it on my wrist before turning the stove off and emptying the pot just as Anneliese starts to fuss.
"Shush honey I got your bottle right here" I whisper cradling her in my arm and grabbing a burp cloth from the bag before walking into the living room. I pause as Anneliese starts letting out little mewling cries -not unlike a kitten- and decide to sit in the unoccupied armchair. I quickly settle in and slip the bottle into her mouth. We sit in uncomfortable silence through the first half of her bottle and through Anneliese getting burped.
She's barely started on her second half when we hear a car tear up the driveway. And everyone but me fly to their feet and rush out onto the porch. I barely catch a glimpse of Rick and Hershel as they follow the rest.