Better Days

Chapter 382

Author's Note: I'm not going to do a lot of the Denise thing because of the fact that we have Ronnie. I'll mention it, but the whole scene won't be written. Same with Maggie and Aaron. It'll be mentioned. Review please.

Jewel's POV:

Jewel glanced at the wall as she watched the two people write names on the wall. She turned and closed her eyes when she saw them writing Glenn's name on the wall. She refrained herself from rushing over to the wall and knocking the paintbrush out of the woman's hand. She turned so she couldn't see if they wrote Summer's name on the wall, she couldn't handle that. She glanced at Aaron who was following Maggie. She glanced at the wall before walking away. She took a breath as she walked into the church, and went in. she sat down on the last pew and bent her head. Jewel was never a church goer, never really believed in a higher being. She knew that Hershal had, and she had never resented him for it. It was times like this that she missed the older man. He always had a way to make you feel better, even in the worst of times. Seeing Glenn's name on the wall, she couldn't think that he was dead, they were giving up on him. If they gave up on Glenn not after seven hours, they would probably give up on Summer, and Daryl, Jes, Sasha, Abraham, and David. Summer. Jewel shook her head as she stood up, she wouldn't allow herself to think that way , she couldn't. They would be back, all of them. she turned to leave.

"Is there something I can help you with?" Father Gabriel questioned from behind her.

Jewel stopped but she didn't turn around. "I was just going to check on Rick and see if any of the others have made it back," she answered.

"I know that you and I haven't really had a good relationship, but you came in here for something. Perhaps, if you are willing, I could help you with the reason that you came in," Gabriel said as he walked closer to her.

"I don't know why I stopped," Jewel answered.

Gabrielle stopped in front of her. "I believe that we both know that is a lie," he told her.

"Do you care? Didn't you tell Deanna just a couple days ago that we were monsters?That we needed to be kicked out of here because we would bring trouble?" Jewel asked. "This is probably making you cheer inside," she said.

Gabriel lowered his head then looked at her. "I was wrong, I told Carl and Lexington that. I was supposed to tell all of you but there hasn't been time. It was about me, not about any of you and I am sorry about that," Gabriel responded. "Let me help you, there was a reason you came in here," he said.

Jewel sighed. "I don't know, I'm being honest about that," she said. "I saw them put Glenn's name on the wall, and I didn't want to wait to see if they put anyone else's name on the wall."

"You mean Summer," Gabrielle answered.

"Yes, of course, I don't want to see anyone's name on the wall,"Jewel told him. "It's to soon for any of them to have there names written on a wall, to just assume they aren't going to make it back," she said.

Gabrielle extended his arm and motioned to the pew. "They are underestimating them, as I have done," he said as he sat down with her. "You are afraid that if you see her name on a wall, that somehow it will make it real, that you will have to think about the death of a child. As a mother, it is common for you to have the worry about the possibility, especially now," he said. "I would be worried if your thoughts had not ventured into the possibility, even briefly, that Glenn, Summer and the others not returning. But we know something that they don't know," Gabrielle said.

Jewel looked at him. "What?"

"We know how tough they are," Gabrielle said. "We know they know how to survive," he said. "Why did you come here? The church, in particular. Please don't say that you don't know, you and I both know that there was a reason that brought you here, in a church, of all places in Alexandria. You didn't go talk to Rick, or anyone else, you came here to a church," he pointed out.

"Are you suggesting that I came here to talk to God?" Jewel asked.

"Maybe not talk to him, but seek some sort of quiet encouragement, some quiet reassurance," Gabrielle said.

Jewel stood. "I really need to check on things, then go home and check on Hope and Judy," she said as she went toward the door. She turned and looked at him. "Thanks," she said.

"Of course,"Gabrielle answered.

Carl and Joey's POV:

Carl went up to Ron. "Hey, you OK?" he asked.

"Why wouldn't I be?" Ron asked.

"Have you seen Lexi or Enid?" Carl questioned.

"Lexi left my house, I haven't seen her since. The last time I saw Enid she was up at your house," Ron told him.

"I think Enid went over the wall right before the herd came over. And knowing Lexi, I think she may have followed her out there. Now they are trapped out there," Carl said.

"What makes you think they aren't dead?" Ron questioned.

"Come on man. Look, I'll go find them, I just need your help. If you maybe climb up,"Carl started to say.

"i'm not helping you Carl," Ron told him.

"This isn't for me, it's for Lexi, and it's for Enid, your friend," Carl told him.

"Enid is my girlfriend, or I mean she was anyway right?" Ron commented.

"So, you just want to leave them out there?" Carl asked.

"I told her to stop going over the wall. I told he there' bad people out there and that it's stupid and dangerous. If Lexi followed her, then she was as crazy as Enid,"Ron said.

"It's not dangerous if you know what you're doing," Carl said as he started to alk away.

"Carl! Carl, you're not going out there," Ron said as he grabbed him.

Carl turned around and pushed him. "Back off," he said as Ron fell to the ground.

"All right, I'll tell your dad, tell your mom. Then they'll go out there, your mother will be leaving your baby sisters' alone to go look for you," Ron said as he stood up.

Carl pushed him. "Shut up."

Joey came over and pulled Carl off and stood between them. "What is going on?" he asked. He looked between the two teens who remained quiet. "Ron, go home," he told him.

Ron looked at Joey then at Carl. "You don't tell me what to do," he said to Joey.

Joey grabbed Ron by the collar. "You are the man of your house now. You have to stop thinking about yourself. Right now, your friend Mikey doesn't know if his father dead or alive, so you need to go be a friend. Your mother just had to kill a person who was trying to kill her and your brother, so you have a lot more important things to do then have a fist fight."

"He started it," Ron said.

"I don't care, I'm ending it. Go home," Joey told him. He watched him leave and looked at Carl. "I heard what you said. You think Lexi is outside the wall? That she followed Enid over there?"

"Enid left the house, and I haven't seen Lexi since she followed Ron," Carl told him.

Joey ran his hand through his hair. "Carl, I know you want to go out there," he said. "I want to go out there to find Summer, but we can't. We're needed in here," he told him. He put his hand on his shoulder. "I'm not going to treat you like a kid, because you aren't. Jewel and Rick are going to need you to help with Judy, Hope and Mika. They are going to need me to be here to help with the walkers'. If we go out there, we are endangering our lives, and they'll come after us. That'll put there lives in danger, this place in danger. It's hard, I know, but we have to do what's right. Can I count on you?"

Carl looked at him. "Yes," he said. "You know she'll be alright," he told her. "Just like Lexi and Enid," he told him.

"I know, that's why I am staying here," Joey said. "Go home and take care of Judy and Hope," he told him as he walked away.

Ronnie and Tara's POV:

Ronnie came into the infirmary with Noel. "Go ahead and take a seat on one of the beds. I'll be right with you," she said. "Tara what are you doing here? Is your head alright?"

"Yeah, it's fine," Tara said. "I came by to check on Denise, see if she was doing alright."

Ronnie looked over to Denise. "Are you doing alright?"

"I'd rather be reading War and Peace in my apartment, but yeah, I'm alright," Denise answered.

"I'd rather be on an Air Force base snuggling with my husband, but life had other ideas," Ronnie said as she got supplies out of the cabinet. "Did you figure out Scott's infection yet?If not, I'll take a look while you clean up Noel's wound. Mar did a pretty good job, we're just going to make sure it's not infected."

Tara looked at Denise then Ronnie. "She figured it out," Tara said.

"I knew that you would," Ronnie told her.

"You left so I could figure it out?" Denise asked.

"Yes, because I knew you would rely on me to much if I had stayed. I would never let Scott or anyone else, to die, but I had confidence in you. We'll take shifts, Scott will need to be watched. I think Noel will be able to go home, but we'll need to get some antibiotics in him," she said. She looked at Denise. "Do you want to take a break? Or do you want to help me with Noel?" she asked.

Denise looked at her then took the supplies out of her hand. "I'll help," she said as she walked out of the back room.

"She's going to be alright," Tara said.

"Yeah, she will be," Ronnie said. "She just needs to believe in herself."

"And until that time, we'll have confidence for her," Tara said.

Ronnie nodded. "I better get out there," she said as she walked out of the room.