I finally got this chapter done! Please review, guys, love, hugs, and a safe Easter!
Carol stood, arms crossed, staring absently out at the woods beyond the fence, with her lips set inna firm, serious line.
"What's the matter?" Daryl was beside her, suddenly, looking into her solemn eyes.
"Lizzy's sick." Carol said simply.
"You mean the one whose father just..."
"Yeah. I promised him I'd take care of the girls."
Daryl nodded, looking pensive. "How sick is she?"
"Not bad. I'm more worried about the walkers in there getting to her..."
"She's a smart girl. She'll lock herself in the cell if she has to." Daryl said, trying to reassure her.
Carol shook her head. "No. She won't. She's not Jamie- and she's not ready to be in there alone."
"Hershel will look out for her." Daryl said calmly.
Carol nodded, though she didn't look completely convinced. She looked up at Daryl, suddenly concerned.
"How's Jamie?"
"She's doing fine. Thank god that bullet wound healed up, or I wouldn't be leaving her here alone."
Carol nodded, the corners of her mouth turning down slightly. "Have you told her yet?" she was refering to him leaving, heading on that run to the university.
"No. I probably should..." they both looked up to see Jamie kneeling on the concrete, puming water into buckets. They needed a constant supply of it, now, to drink and wash in, with the hopes of preventing more infections...
Jamie finished filling the second bucket and standing, getting ready to carry them both inside. Carl strode over, then, two empty buckets in hand, and set them down with a clang, picking up one of the full ones and exchanging a smile with her, touching the brim of his hat in courtesy, before grabbing the other bucket and heading back towards the prison, leaving her with the easier job of pumping.
Daryl was actually slightly greatful to Carl, for once. He was clearly distracting Jamie, helping to keep her spirits up through all of this. Not to mention, with all the sick they were short handed enough that they were all working non-stop- meaning he was sure Grimes wouldn't have time to sneak off with her.
Still, he was going to have to tell Jamie he was heading to that university to get medicine from the university with the others.
He started towards the pump. She was on her knees again, working on filling a bucket, Her dirty brown hair, which had gotten long again, fell in front of her face.
He could tell she was preoccupied by the way she didn't notice his prescence, though. Normally him walking up to her on concrete was as obvious as ever, and she, huntress that she was, would look up when she heard his footfalls approach. This time, she didn't. She must've been thinking about the situation they'd found themselves in.
"Hey."
She started, jumping to her feet, but relaxed when she realized it was only him.
"Hey, Daddy." she smiled, brushing a lock of hair from her face with wet fingers. Her playful smile dulled a few watts when she saw the serious expression on his face.
"What is it?"
"I'm goin' on a supply run." he said simply.
"No. No way in hell you're going to the university I heard Hershel talk 'bout. Think about it, Dad! That highschool Shane had to go to, the one he was always bragging about- was overrun. This is a freakin college! There are gonna be walkers everywhere..."
"I know. But I'm still goin'. People need these meds." Daryl said firmly.
"Yeah, but I need you." Jamie muttered, staring at the concrete for a miment before looking up at him, green eyes filled with fear. "What if you don't come back?"
"I will come back, baby girl." he assured her, pulling her to his chest. "I promise."
"You'd better, dumbass." she muttered into his chest, and Daryl couldn't help but smile when she gave him a half-hearted grin, as well. That was his Jamie. She could take anything into stride, adapt as she went...
"I gotta go. They're loading up supplise. Do what you have to- stay safe."
She nodded, hugging him one last time before letting him go.
She still anxiously watched as the car they were in faded into the distance, though.
"Jamie- can you watch the kids for a minute?" Beth asked, a note of anxiousness in her voice.
"umm... yeah." she said, sensing the distress in her friend's tone. "Everything okay?"
"No! Glenn is sick, and he's going into cell block A, and Maggie's going with him!" and with that, Beth started to cry. Jamie moved to embrace her friend as she sobbed onto her shoulder. The kids had heard the crying and crept out of the office building, now, and Jamie was torn between what to do.
It was then Carl came by.
"Carl- get the kids inside, would you?" she asked.
Carl nodded, taking in the scene before hm before herding the kids back inside. Seeing beth- the adult who'd been raising their spirits all day- break down crying wasn't the best thing for them to be seeing right now.
From there, she let Beth sob her heart out, muttering words of comfort and condolences until Beth had cried herself dry.
"Hhh-how do you dddoo it, Jamie?" Beth stuttered finally, wiping her nose on her hand. Sge didn't care if she was a mess right now- almost all the family she had left was going into cell block A.
Jamie shrugged. "I dunno. Shit happens, I guess. Look at it this way- there's still hope, since they're still alive."
"Right." Beth was wiping her eyes hurriedly, then, before nodding to Jamie. "T-thanks."
"No problem. You're tough, Maggie's tough- you'll make it." Beth nodded, looking upset but reassured, as she trotted off towards the door between cell blocks, anxious to say goodbye.
"Jamie."
She turned around when she heard Carol's voice behind her.
"Yeah?"
"I'm leaving."
"What?" she looked up towards the woman she'd cime to think of as a mother, concern evident in her eyes.
"We're running low on supplise. I'm going with Rick. There's no point in surviving the epidemic just to starve."
Jamie nodded. She was less concerned about Carol being on her own than Daryl. Her father's selflessness could get him into trouble at times- if he could sacrafice himself to save someone else, he would. Carol was different. She did whatever was needed for her and her people to survive.
"You'll be careful, right?"
"Of course I will, Jamie." she pulled the girl into a quick hug, and Jamie smiled, smelling the familiar scent of grass and gunpowder off Carol.
Carol reached up a work worn hand, trailing it down her cheek affectionately.
"I need you to take care of the girls, alright?"
"Sure, mom..."
Carol stiffened slightly at being called mom, and Jamie blushed. It'd just slipped out...
But Carol pulled the girl into her embrace again, smiling. "You're the only one who can call me that." she said, smiling. She hadn't thought she'd ever be called that again, not after Sofia had died. But coming across Jamie so soon after Sofia's death, running into a little girl who needed someone so soon... It couldn't have been a coincidence. And having this girl call her mom felt right, somehow.
"I'll watch the girls." she said again, nodding to Carol.
Carol nodded. "Especially Mika. They aren't like you- they've never had to kill a walker before."
Jamie nodded.
Carol threw a glance over her shoulder, looking over to see Rick had everything ready, before nodding to her.
Just then, Mika ran over, eyes wide.
"You're leaving?" she asked, breathless, terrified.
"Only for a little while to get supplise. Stay with Jamie." Carol ordered.
"B-but you didn't even try and say goodbye!" Mika was teetering dangerously on the edge of tears, now.
"She didn't have to. She'll be back soon." Jamie said calmly, voice so normal it surprised her. Since when had she become so calm about all this? Then again, she had to keep Mika alright...
"I will be back soon, Mika. Why say goodbye when I'll be back in a few hours?"
Mika nodded, looking slightky reassured, before drawing a hand across her eyes.
Carol gave the girl one last reassuring smile before heading towards the car. A few tears slipped from Mika's eyes as the car drove away into the distance, and she clung to Jamie, who stiffened.
"Lily..." she was about to try and reassure the girl when she reqlized the name she'd spoken and froze.
"Jamie... I'm scared. And whose Lily?" Mika asked, breaking down crying, then.
"No one. Lily's nobody. Why are you scared?" she asked, surprisingly not bothered by the little girl who was clinging to her.
"Because Dad's dead and Lizzy's sick and Carols gone! Everyone left me!" Mika burst out crying again, burying her face in Jamie's shirt.
Jamie froze for a moment, unsure of what to do or what to say. Mika was clingy, really clingy, but it was only because she was scared. Everything in her life was changing so quickly, it must've felt like somebody had pulled the rug out from underneath her.
"Carol's fine. She'll be back real soon. And Lizzy's okay, too." Jamie said calmly, placing a hand on her dirty blonde hair and stroking it. "You wanna go see her? She wasn't that sick..."
Mika sniffed and nodded, and they started out towards the door between cell blocks. "I'm still afraid, Jamie."
" S'okay to be afraid, Mika. All being brave is is knowing what to do when you're afraid."
Mika nodded. Her eyes were almost dry, now, and she took Jamie's hand.
Jamie looked down at her, slightly surprised. She hadn't felt a small hand on hers since... before the apocalypse.
Mika smiled. "Do you think Lizzy will be well enough to get out?"
Jamie shrugged. "Maybe." she didn't want to give Mika false hope. "But I don't think Rick would let her out until he saw for himself."
"Oh." Mika looked disappointed.
"But that din't mean we can't talk to her." Jamie said calmly, and Mika brightened a little.
There was a large window that gave view into the room, along with a heavy oak door seperating them. There were some keys beside the locked door, as well, and Jamie nodded, smiling slightly, at Mika.
The younger girl rapped on the glass, looking up eagerly.
She smiled, excited, when Lizzy ran down the wire mesh like stairs, but her smile dulled when she realized what was following her older sister.
"Lizzy! Lizzy!" Mika screamed, pointing upstairs, where a walker stumbled down after her.
Lizzy grinned, chest heaving, eyes alight.
"It's okay, Mika. We're playing tag."
The walker was halfway down the stairs, now.
"Lizzy- run!" Mika screamed, absolute terror etched into her face.
"No! He's friendly! Watch, Mika, they just want us to be like them..." The walker had staggered to the base of the stairs, moaning. It'd died recently, and was less than ten feet away from Lizzy.
Jamie snatched up the keys, unlocking the door and raising her pistol. The walker turned to see her, enthralled by the new commotion, and she fired.