Chapter Forty-seven: Calm Before Disaster
Walking down the steps of Maggie's house, I saw Daryl in front of ours, tweaking his bike. Sighing, I walked over to him, sitting on the steps behind him. He looked over his shoulder at me, sighing before he stopped and sat back, his leg against mine. Wrapping my arm around his, I took his hand, holding it tightly as I leaned my head against his shoulder, wrapping my other arm around his.
"How you holdin' up?" He finally asked.
"I don't know." I sighed. "I'm tired."
"You didn't come home last night."
"I stayed with Maggie. Glenn slept on the couch."
He looked at me sadly, "I'm sorry about Reg. I know you were fond of the guy."
I nodded, "Yeah. I was."
Before we could say anything else, Rick came out, walking down the stairs.
"So, is he okay with it?" Daryl asked him.
"It was pretty much his idea. He gets it." Rick stated.
Thinking about how Morgan had popped back into our lives, it was a good thing and yet after the last time we saw him, his unstableness couldn't be ignored. Though he seemed different this time. Something had happened to him and he didn't seem as crazy as he had before. He was quieter. It could be taken as a very good thing, or a very bad thing. Time would tell. But – as with all things – I would support Rick. If he trusted him than I would, too. Unless I was proven otherwise. Then a conversation would need to be had.
"It's got a bed and a bath, but it's still a cage, you know?" Daryl told him.
"You didn't seem him before." I said gently. "And after what happened, Rick is right, we can't take any chances."
"I don't want to hear that from you." Daryl frowned at me. Meeting his eyes, I nodded at him. "Yeah." He pressed a kiss against my forehead.
Looking up at Rick, his face was still steri-stripped, but he was healing well. He sat down on my other side and I quickly wrapped my arm around his knee. He put his hand against my arm, rubbing his thumb back and forth.
"He told me what happened out there with the trucks." He told Daryl.
"He tell you about those guys he met? The W's."
"Like that walker we saw, yeah. We need more watch points. And I'm gonna tell Deanna we don't need to go looking for people anymore."
"Rick." I frowned at him, knowing what expression Daryl was making. "We can't just stop."
He gave me a look before looking at Daryl. "You feel different about it?"
"Yeah, I do." He told him.
"Well, people out there, they got to take care of themselves, just like us." He replied and stood.
"We take care of each other." I told him.
"We do." He nodded. "Right now. With the people we have." He leaned down and kissed me sweetly before turning and started to walk away. "I'm gonna get him out. Shouldn't leave him in there any longer than we have to."
Sighing, I watched him go. Daryl nudged me, "You agree?"
"No." I replied and looked at him. "And yes." He nodded. "I'm gonna go check on Tara."
"What do you think of that Denise chick?" He asked me.
I shrugged, "She's technically a doctor."
He scoffed, shaking his head as he started to work on his bike again. "You have more hands on experience than she does."
I nodded, crossing my arms, "Probably. But I don't want to make waves and she's already decided that she's the community doctor now. She did go to medical school."
"Yeah, but she ain't you."
I grinned, feeling my cheeks flush as I bowed my head, "I kind of love you, you know."
He smiled, "I know. Love ya, too."
"Good." I smiled and walked away.
Walking slowly, I knew that Tara was in good hands but I still wanted to be there for her. My job hadn't changed. The person I answered to may have but Deanna hadn't said anything about…well…anything. And even if I was to answer to Denise, it wasn't going to stop me from taking care of my people or doing the right thing. At the end of the day I was my own person.
Letting myself in, I smiled as Rosita turned to me, my smile faltering as I saw her expression. I was about to ask her what was wrong when Tara leaned forward and wiggled her fingers at me. Shaking my head, I stepped toward them, seeing Denise sitting in the corner, gently rocking as she read the book in her lap. Shaking my head again for a different reason, I looked at my family, seeing both of them giving me the same look.
"What?" I asked them. They just scoffed and shook their heads at me. "I didn't say anything."
"You weren't saying anything pretty loud." Rosita commented.
"We know you." Tara smiled.
Smiling back, I nodded, "Yeah, you might know a thing or two."
Sitting and talking, it was nice, momentarily forgetting all the anger and sadness that had settled over our home. It was hard not to think about what we lost. But we had gained that much and more. We had a home and a community. We had a life. We would make this work. Deanna was listening now. She would listen to Rick and she would do what she had to do to ensure that our home survived. But losing Reg had changed her. She wasn't the same. She wasn't even all there anymore.
I understood what she was feeling. I'd been there. I could remember every second of those first few days. A little less of the first few weeks. But grief like that is something that you never forget. Looking around the room, I couldn't help but wonder if they knew what it felt like. We'd all lost someone we loved. Despite that, I believed that losing a partner, a love that ran so deep it wrapped around your heart in a way that other love doesn't. Did they know? I needed to see her. I needed to try and provide her comfort that I was never given.
"Alright." I said getting up and moving toward the door. "I'm gonna go check on Deanna."
"I wouldn't." Rosita stated. "She's a mess."
"Then it's up to us to at least let her know that she's not going through this alone." I stated before opening the door, running into a hard chest, making me leap back with a gasp. "Abe!" I said and hit him.
"What?" He smirked at me.
"Every time." I replied and shoved him again.
He just laughed and shoved me back, making me nearly pitch to the ground. Moving to Deanna's I couldn't help but look at Eugene who was watching the gate, Sasha on top of the watch point. She didn't see me but Eugene followed me with his eyes and he raised his hand to wave, only I averted my eyes, looking at the ground until he was out of sight.
Knocking on Deanna's door, I waited a few minutes before knocking again. When nothing happened, I checked the handle, finding it unlocked. Letting myself in, I called out to her but the house remained quiet. About to move further into the large house, I jumped and stepped back as Spencer came into sight.
"Caroline." He said with surprise.
"Hey." I smiled. "Where's your mom?"
"Resting." He replied.
Sighing, I nodded, crossing my arms, "When she's up will you please tell her something for me?"
"Sure." He replied flatly.
"Will you tell her that she's not alone. And that I'm here if she needs anything." He nodded a little too nonchalantly for my liking. "I know what she's going through." He just nodded again. "Will you tell her?"
"Yeah." He replied.
"Thank you." I said, nodding at him for a long moment before I let myself out of the house.
About to move back to the infirmary, I heard voices and looked to see two people moving toward me. A large black man and a relatively attractive woman. She seemed extremely petite next to the man, though as he came closer I couldn't help but feel like I was shrinking.
"Hello." He said as he stopped. The woman nodded. "It would appear we have some newcomers."
I nodded, "Yes."
"Do you have a name that goes with that limited vocabulary?" The man smirked.
"You first." I said with narrowed eyes despite my smirk.
"Scott." He smiled holding out his hand.
Taking it, I felt a little less tense by these new people, "Caroline."
"Annie." The woman smiled, shaking my hand next. "Where are you from?"
"Out there." I replied.
"We've been gone a couple weeks." Annie said. "When did you get here?"
"Within that, I guess." I replied. "I can't say I've been keeping track. So much has happened since then that…it's hard to explain."
"Where's Deanna?" Scott asked. "Usually she's one of the first to greet us."
My smile disappeared and I looked at the Monroe house. "We had a meeting last night." I started, feeling my throat clench and tears start to brim.
"What happened?" Scott frowned.
Wrapping my arms around myself, I took a deep breath, "Pete killed Reg and in turn Rick killed Pete."
"Rick?" He frowned.
"The leader of my group." I replied.
"How many of you are there?" Annie asked.
"There were 13 of us but we're down to 12." I replied.
They both sighed and looked at each other. Then another man and woman joined us. Scott motioned to them in turn, "This is Heath and Hollie."
"Has she told you what's been going on?" Hollie frowned.
They nodded, Scott replying, "We're getting caught up."
"Linny." Maggie said from behind me.
"Hey." I smiled.
"Where's Rick?" She asked.
"I'm honestly not sure." I replied. "Where's Daryl?"
"Hi." She smiled at the four in front of us. "I'm Maggie. And I don't know where he is."
Nodding, I ran my fingers through my hair, "I'm gonna go get Deanna. She's gonna want to talk to her people."
Before I made it very far, there was honking at the gate. Running to it, I threw open the inner blind, seeing Rick and Morgan there, a third person in the backseat. Opening the main one, they drove in, Ron getting out of the back.
"Ron." I frowned at him.
"Yeah, yeah, Rick already told me off." He stated and swiftly walked away.
Looking at Rick, I offered him a smile, "Hey, baby."
He nodded and put his hand against my face, "You okay?"
"Some of their runners have returned." I replied and nodded toward the small group.
He looked and nodded, then he was meeting my eyes again, "We need to gather everyone at the main house."
"Why?" I frowned.
"I have worse news." He replied and started to walk away from me.
"What happened out there?" I asked Morgan as I started to follow him. He didn't say anything. "Rick."
"I'm going to talk with Deanna. Fill her in. Get everyone and I'll see you soon."
"Rick." I said making him stop.
He turned and stepped back up to me, "Linny, please."
"Are we in this together or not?" I asked him.
He sighed, shifting his feet, "We're in trouble, Linny. Please get everyone." He started to walk away but I called out to him again, making him turn and step back up to me, "We need to talk."
"I'll do what you want me to, Rick." I frowned at him. "Something happened. I get that. But you were gone, you didn't say a word, and now you're back and you haven't even kissed me yet." I cracked a smile.
He did as well, shaking his head at me, "We don't really have time for that."
"Baby, you need to remember that this world sucks. Any moment could be our last and I'd love to go out after having kissed you."
He smiled and wrapped his arm around me, kissing me slowly, "Now will you please do as I ask?"
Smiling, I kissed him once more, "I love you."
He pulled me tight against him, "I love you."
"Now get your ass moving."
Running my hand across his chest, I moved from one house to the next, knocking on the door and telling them to go to Deanna's. Reaching our first house, I let myself inside to see Abe lounging on the couch. Smiling, I moved behind him, leaning over it and pressed a kiss against his cheek. He smiled, cracking an eye open, groaning at me.
"Hey, good lookin'."
"Hey, handsome." I smiled. "What you got cookin'?"
He laughed lightly and pulled me over the back of the couch, wrapping his strong arms around me, cementing me against his chest. Sighing contentedly, I relaxed against him, feeling his warm breath against the top of my head. The rise and fall of his chest and the loud beating of his heart made me want to stay there forever. He started to gently play with my hair, the rumble of his chuckle moving through me.
"Rick is a lucky man." He said softly.
Lifting my head, I smiled at him, "So is Rosita."
"Maybe we should just ditch 'em and run off together." He teased.
Laughing, I shook my head, moving up his chest so I could look at him better. "Yes, please, take me I'm yours."
He surprised me by rolling us off the couch, landing on top of me as we slammed to the ground. Laughing loudly, he crashed his lips to mine in a wet kiss that only made me laugh harder. Then his hands were attacking my sides, making me shriek and squirm underneath him. Then he was looking down at me with more fondness than he ever had before.
"You're a good woman." He told me.
"I know." I replied and laughed.
"I'm serious." He frowned.
Putting my hand against his face, I furrowed my brows, "What's going on?"
"Nothing." He replied. "I just want you to know. Don't ever change."
Smiling, I kissed his cheek again, "Never. Don't you ever change either."
"Never."
Hugging him tightly, I sighed, not wanting to go find out whatever tragedy was going to hit us next. But that was the reality of it all. Something was always going to happen. It felt like we could never truly be happy.
"Alright, Mr. Man. We need to head to the big house." I finally told him.
"Why?" He frowned.
"Something is happening."
He sighed and dropped his face into my shoulder. "Of course."
"Yup."
"Stick with me." He said and he hoisted me back onto my feet.
I furrowed my brows at him, "You worried?"
He nodded, "Always."
Nodding back at him, "I'll stand with Rick."
He smirked down at me, "You're a very loyal woman."
Smiling, I leaned up and kissed his cheek, "The loyalist." He chuckled at me. "Well, I try to be. I succeed most of the time."
He draped his arm across my shoulders, "Come on."
"I gotta go home quick and gather everyone who's there." I told him.
He nodded, "Hurry up."
"I'll try. Carl might fight me on how I'm going to make him stay home." I replied. "Again."
Going next door, the whole thing played out just the way I thought it would. I sent everyone to the Monroe house, keeping Carl and Judith back. Then I went into the elaborate reasons on why he needed to stay home and take care of his sister. Not only that but I had no idea what we were going to talk about and I wanted to protect him for as long as possible. He'd gotten as mad as I thought he would, both of us yelling as I attempted to soothe a crying Judith on my hip. But when it was all said and done, Carl was home with Judith and I was swiftly walking back to the house, hoping that they hadn't started without me.
"It's 'bout time." Daryl growled.
"Has he started?" I asked.
"Without you?" He countered.
Smiling, I gently tugged on his shirt, "Sometimes I like to know that he waits for me."
He shook his head, flanking me as I moved into the main room. Walking in front of Glenn and Maggie on the couch, I ran my hand across Maggie's hair as I did. She momentarily gripped my wrist, smiling as I did the same, crossing my arms as I turned toward everyone as I stepped to Rick's side. He looked at me and I smiled and nodded. He nodded back and looked at Heath.
Then we endured listening to a plan that was fucking crazy. Even if we managed to pull it off, we'd be relying on people we hardly knew. They would have to follow us and listen to whatever they were told. We would be risking everything to make this happen. He was insane. All the things that could possibly go wrong were moving through my head. All the people that could die…
"Rick." I frowned at him.
"I knew about it." Heath stated and then all eyes were on him. "My team, we saw it early on, back when we were on one of those first scouts, finding out what was around here. There was a camp at the bottom. The people, they must have blocked the exits with one of those trucks back when everything started to go bad. They didn't make it. They were all roamers. Maybe a dozen of them."
"No one's been back since?" Maggie asked.
Heath shook his head, "DC, every town worth scavenging are all in the other direction. And I never really felt like having a picnic next to the camp that ate itself."
"So, all the while the walkers have been drawn by the sound and they're making more sound and they're drawing more in." Michonne stated.
"And here we are." Rick added. "Now what I'm proposing, I know it sounds risky, but walkers are already slipping through the exits. One of the trucks keeping the walkers in could go off the edge any day now. Maybe after one more hard rain. That exit sends them east. All of them. Right at us. This isn't about if it gives, it's when. It's gonna happen. That's why we've got to do this soon."
We were barely starting to get over one trauma and another was already presenting itself. Only this was ten times worse. If even one of those trucks moved and released the hoard of walkers inside, they would wreak havoc. If even part of them made it here…
"This is – I don't even have another word for it. This is terrifying. All of it. But it doesn't sound like there's any other way."
"Maybe there is." Carter stated. "I mean, couldn't we just build up the weak spots? I could draw up plans. I worked on the wall with Reg. Construction crew – we can try and make it safe."
He was a man who was more forgettable than anything. He was average height and build. Buzzed hair and blue eyes. He was nothing special and yet liked to talk more than he should. He had opinions that he liked to share and did nothing but upset people. He needed to learn to shut up. Something that he had yet to do.
"It's not good enough." I said softly.
"Even if we could, the sound of those walkers is drawing more and more every day. Building up the exits won't change that." Rick added.
"We're gonna do what Rick says, the plan he's laid out." Deanna stated softly. She was still broken. But her support was a necessity.
"I told you all, we're gonna have Daryl leading them away." Rick stated.
"Me, too. I'll take a car, ride next to him." Sasha told him. "Can't just be him. I'll keep 'em coming, Daryl keeps 'em from getting sloppy."
"I'll go with her." Abraham stated. "It's a long way to white-knuckle it solo."
Rick nodded, "We'll have two teams. One on each side of the forest helping manage this thing." Everyone was still looking uneasy. "We're gonna have a few people on watch from now on. Rosita, Spencer, and Holly. So, they're out. So, who's in?"
"I am." I told him.
Michonne spoke next, "Me."
"You should keep an eye on her. Keep going with the plans you talked about." Glenn said softly to Maggie, knowing he was talking about Deanna.
"I know, but this is important." Maggie replied.
"She's important. People are scared. They need to see her come back."
"That's not the only reason."
"Yeah, it isn't."
"Okay."
Frowning, something had just happened and it wasn't small. They were serious. He needed her to stay and it wasn't for the usual reasons. She could handle herself. She was an asset to our group and we were going to leave her behind to watch over the leader of a scared and broken community.
"I'm in." Glenn said next.
"I'd like to help as well." Gabriel told him.
I shot him a glare but Rick replied quickly, "No. Who else? We need more."
"There's got to be another play." Carter offered again. "We can't just control that many."
"I said it before, walkers herd up." Rick retorted. "They'll follow a path if something's drawing them. That's how we can get 'em all at once."
"So, what?" Carter countered. "We're supposed to just take your word for it? We're all supposed to just fall in line before you, after –"
"Carter." I said warningly.
"After what?" Rick shot at him.
"After you wave a gun around, screaming, pointing it at people. After you shoot a man in the face. After you –"
"Watch it!" I yelled.
Only then Deanna yelled over me, "Enough!"
"I'll do it." Heath nodded.
Francine next, "Me, too."
They were starting to rally. Making me feel better about it and yet still felt like we were getting in way over our heads.
"Whatever you need, I'm in." Tobin stated.
Deanna looked at her people, "Now who else?"
Slowly moving my eyes around the room, I caught Glenn shaking his head, following his line of sight to where Nicholas was. He of all people needed to stay as far away from this as possible. He'd already proven that he couldn't be trusted. He'd shot Glenn for Christ's sake. He had no business in offering us anything.
"I'll go." He announced. Then he looked at Glenn. "We have to do this. I need to help."
Rick looked at me and I shook my head, "I think it's a bad idea."
He nodded, looking at Nicholas, "You sure you can handle it?"
Nicholas nodded, "You need people."
Rick looked at me again but I only sighed at him. "We'll make this work." He told the room. "We'll keep this place safe. Keep our families safe. We will."
"The plan." Carter said with a firm tone. "Go through it again."
"Man, he just said it." Daryl said from the window seat.
"Every part again. The exact plan." Carter replied.
Sighing, we ran through the plan twice more before Carter was satisfied. Everyone seemed more on edge now than they did at the beginning. Reiterating everything made it that much more real. Something that people were going to be struggling with. I understood the need for it but, at the same time, even I was freaking out about what we had to do and what could happen if we did it. We could lose people we cared about. We'd already lost so much. Why was it that everything we did mean that someone had to die? Then there was a voice inside me that told me someone always had to die. That was the truth of the world we lived in. A perpetual nightmare with danger lurking around every corner.
"Hey." Maggie said breaking me from my thoughts as we all started to disperse.
"Hey." I replied. She was going to say something but I swiftly cut her off. "Is something going on?" I asked her with concern.
She smiled, putting her hand on my arm. It was a tell that something was but I had a feeling she wasn't about to tell me. "Everything's fine." Nodding, she knew that I knew that she was holding back. "We'll talk after this is all over."
"I'll worry the entire time if you don't just say it." I replied with furrowed brows.
She just smiled wider, "Has anyone ever told you that you worry too much?"
I nodded, "Many times."
She laughed, hugging me tightly before her and Glenn left. He looked anxious even now. Something was wrong. Feeling a chest press against the back of my shoulder, I knew who it was, leaning into him slightly.
"Something is going on."
"She'll tell ya when she's ready." Daryl stated.
Sighing, I nodded, "I know. Doesn't keep me from worrying though."
"You worry too much." He replied and momentarily pressed his face into my neck.
"I know that, too." I smiled, bringing my hand to the back of his head.
His arm moved around my waist, "You worried about the rest of it?"
I nodded, "Very."
He pressed a kiss against my cheek, "You know nothing will happen to you."
Shaking my head, I looked at him, "Because nothing has happened to me before."
"That's why nothing will happen to you now."
Smiling, I hugged him, pressing a kiss against his cheek, "I love you."
"Love you." He said before letting me go.
Another arm replaced his and a face was pressed against mine, "Can we talk?"
I met Rick's eyes, nodding, "Of course."
Going for a walk, we could feel the tension filling the community. No one was on the streets and blinds had been drawn on most of the windows. There were raised voices here and there and everyone who looked at us either smiled or glared.
"I think we just became the most popular people here." I stated sarcastically.
"We need to do this." He replied as if he were trying to convince me.
"I know." I nodded.
He sighed, brushing his arm against mine, "What do you think?"
"I think it's the craziest thing you've ever asked of us. If anything goes wrong it could mean the end for all of us." I replied honestly.
"But if we don't do anything and they get out, they could wipe us out." He stated.
"You don't have to justify it to me, Rick. I get it. I'm with you. I'm just…worried."
He nodded, "I know, Linny. But I need your support."
Smiling, I stopped and took his head in my hands, "You have it, baby. I will be next to you the entire time."
He nodded, "Okay."
"Okay." I said and kissed him deeply.
He sighed, "We should start to plan it out on a map. Words aren't enough."
Nodding, I kissed him again, "Then it would seem that we have a lot of work to do. Let's get moving."