Okay- Mostly about Rick's parenting with Carl and how he and jamiesneak around to see eachother. Either way... read the ending! And review!
"Dad..." Carl. stared at his father, bloodshot eyes pleading for mercy.
"No. You were irresponsible enough to go ahead and get drunk, now you have to deal with it." Rick said firmly.
"Can I at least have some tylenol first?" Carl asked, looking pitifully at him.
"No. Now go on- she needs a change." Rick handed Judith over to her brother. Taking care of Judith for the day would be the perfect punishment. Changing nasty diapers and dealing with a screaming baby while hung over would definitely be enough to make sure his son was sober for at least a year.
Judith woke up, realizing she'd filled her diaper and starting to wail. Carl nearly dropped her as the screaming resonated in his pounding head...
He winced, and Rick smiled. His parents had made him clean the litter boxes of the cats, wash the dishes, which were covered in left over ketchup, spaghetti sauce, and scrape the fat from the frying pan. Normally, that would be manageable, but when you had the hypersensitivity of a hangover thrown in... it was hell.
Rick couldn't help but smile at the current expression on his boy's face. "Have fun."
Carl staggered to his feet, setting Judith on a spare bunk and getting the diaper off... The smell hit him then, he staggered over to the tolite of the cell and puked his guts out...
She wouldn't stop CRYING! He'd changed her diaper, fed her, burped her, EVERYTHING, but she'd been crying for two hours straight. It was... what, one in the afternoon, now? God, he felt like shit...
"Need a little help, Grimes?"
He looked so relieved it was comical when he saw Jamie in the doorway.
"Thank god." he passed a screaming Judith over to her. "If we ever get married, we are NEVER having kids."
Jamie gave him a small smile and handed Judith her rattlesnake rattle, and the baby instantly calmed. Carl looked at her, amazed. "That... that was IT?"
"Pretty much. She loves that thing." Jamie said simply, setting her down to play with it. "How you been?"
Carl was currently flopped on his bunk, eyes closed. "Like shit. Dad made me take care of Judy all morning- changing diapers, which made me puke, and then she wouldn't stop crying. Why? What'd Daryl do to you?"
"Gave me some tylenol and took me hunting. Told me to always make sure I'm in a walker-free zone before I get shitfaced, since when you're drunk your aim is really off."
Carl moaned. "Lucky. Wish I had a redneck for a father."
Jamie shrugged. "Yeah. But then he made me skin the squirrels when we got back- striping out the hides and rippin out the guts, nearly puked all over..."
Carl shuddered at the thought, and Jamie laughed. "Wasn't that bad. How're you feeling?"
"Remind me to NEVER drink again." Carl said simply.
"Want a back rub or somethin'?" Jamie asked, and Car promptly rolled over, face stuffed into the pillow.
Jamie sat beside him, starting to rub circles on his back, warm hands easing the aches out of the muscles that's been caused by alcohol...
Carl moaned with pleasure. God, her hands were amazing. She worked her fingers around the aching flesh, now, it was a wonderful massage...
"You... are the best... girlfriend... ever..." Carl said simply. She shrugged. "It's how you soften hides once you tan 'em. Had to do it a lot."
Carl hummed with pleasure, and she shrugged, letting her hands try and ease his aching back. "You think they suspect anything yet?" she asked, looking down at Carl.
Carl was almost asleep, and he looked over at her from where he was laying, confused. "Who?"
"Our parents, dumbass." she said, laughing slightly at how out of it he looked.
"Oh- I dunno. Probably thought we were doin' some... experiment... with the JD. You know, some teeny thing."
"Teeny? You always make up words when you're hung over?"
Carl shrugged. "Dunno. Never been hungover before. Mind moving your hands a little to the left... yeah, right there... mmmm..." he hummed his pleasure as her small, gifted hands started to work on a particularly achy knot of muscles in his back.
There was a beat of silence as Jamie simply worked on massaging his back and Carl was just relaxed, now, before she spoke.
"You know- there's gonna be hell to pay when Daryl finds out."
"'bout what?" Carl mumbled.
"About... us." Jamie said, not really sure what to call it.
"Why? It isn't like were trying to... you know..."
"Shack up together." Jamie agreed, before sighing. "Yeah, I know. But that don't matter. Just knowing we're together... Daryl will have a... 'talk' with you, involving a shotgun across the table between you and a bunch of threats and promises about what he'll do if you hurt me."
Carl shrugged. "I'd go through a thousand Daryls, if I had to." he said with a small smile on his face, and Jamie felt something within her flutter. "'Sides, it's my Dad we need to worry about. After what happened to my mom, he'll be freaking out when he learns..."
"Let's not worry about it." Carl said calmly, smiling, I like having a secret with you. You're something special- no one can spoil you. I like it secret- makes it more special."
She nodded. Just then, there were footsteps on the stairs. Carl swore. "Shit, it's my Dad..."
"Act cool." Jamie ordered. There was no way she could leave, Rick would see her exiting the cell, but she scrambled under the bunk.
She saw Rick's feet enter, his normal boots. Carl had turned over on his bunk, Judith was still happily playing with her rattle.
"Everything okay here?" Rick asked, looking around and realizing it was.
"I... yeah." Carl said. He really shouldn't have turned over so fast after that awesome massage, the muscles were screaming at him...
"How are you feeling?" Rick asked.
Carl shrugged. "Shitty about covers it, I think."
Rick couldn't help but chuckle. "Yeah. And I think you've been punished enough with Judy." Rick strode over, picking the baby up. She burst out giggling, and Rick turned to Carl. "I'll take over. She hasn't been outside much today." he brushed the hair from his son's face. "And you could use a nap. Rest up- and before you try and drink, next time, think."
Carl nodded. "Yeah... definitely will. Thanks, Dad."
"No problem."
Jamie watched Rick's boots leave, listened tot he going down the stairs, before scrambling out from under the bed. "That was a little close." she admitted.
Carl nodded. "Why don't you go. I'll meet you by the guard tower tonight, okay?"
Jamie nodded, a playful smile on her lips. She leaned over and gave him a quick peck on the cheek, before turning to go, leaving Carl with his eyes closed, but a smile on his face.
Daryl sat in the guard tower, alone, after the hunt. Jamie had been reassured, which was good, considering what she'd been through. And she hadn't found out yet.
He sighed. He'd been wearing the leather gloves she'd given him to hide it, now. It wasn't a bite. Wasn't a sure death sentence. But it was bad. He grit his teeth and pulled off the glove, looking at the stagnant rags wrapped around his hand. Covered in blood and puss, they'd dried, crustily, to the wound.
He slowly unwrapped it, teeth grit in pain, before looking at it. It was bad. A few days ago, he'd cut himself while skinning a deer. It'd been deep, nasty, down to bone in his hand. He panted, sweat pouring off hum as he looked at it. It was pussy, it smelled bad, and it'd been growing steadily worse, swollen and red streaked.
He already knew he had a fever, it was getting bad. He'd tried cleaning it himself, he didn't want to take medical supplies from the group by having Hershel fix it, but it was clear it'd gotten to that point.
He pulled on the glove, not wanting people to see it and be grossed out, before heading downstairs. He had to find Hershel.
He was greeted by the chorus of greetings that normally followed him- people loved the hunter of the group. He smiled weakly, trying to ignore the acid taste in the back of his throat. His head was pounding. When had it gotten so bad?
He was almost across the yard, now, almost... He took another step, there was a jolt of excruciating pain from his hand, and his eyes rolled back in his head as he passed out cold.
I'm so evil! Review!