SUMMARY: Carol and Ezekiel have to survive, cut off from the Kingdom.
DISCLAIMER: I own nothing of The Walking Dead
RATING: T+
PAIRING: Carol/Ezekiel
ON THE RUN:
As the day wore on, the pace Carol and Ezekiel had set began to slow considerably. It became clear that they wouldn't make it back to the Kingdom before nightfall. It actually seemed as if they were heading back to the staging area, and if they were, then that was good news. It was on the boarder of Kingdom territory. Though, there was nothing they could do about their direction until the next more. Ezekiel had lost a lot of blood and all the walking wasn't helping his injuries. A cold hard fact of the new dark world order was that if people were on foot, there was no traveling at night. Carol was keeping her eye out for a defensible position where she and Ezekiel could stay for the night.
Ezekiel sensed Carol's train of thought. Shelter. Off in the distance, a snarling reached his ears. It was the sound of one of the wasted, and it wasn't too far away, but it didn't sound as if it were getting closer either. He started to change direction, to head in the general direction of the creature. It could just be caught, and he was merely walking right into a dangerous situation. Still, he walked on with Carol following him. They came upon a circle of trees that had been secured with wire. Inside was one of the wasted, pushing and struggling against it to get at them. Ezekiel sighed, unsheathed his machete, and went over to put the thing down. With a quick lunge, it was dead, and it would remain that way.
Carol joined him, handing him the ropes. "I'll take care of it," she said. Going over to wire barrier, she reached through and pushed the dead walker over, then she gripped its ankle's pulling it under, and out of their way. Carol made use of the emaciated corpse. She set it against one of the tree's, and hoped that the stench of it would mask theirs for the night. "Doesn't look too bad," Carol glanced at him.
Ezekiel nodded, and proceeded to tie up their moving camouflage. She took the second rope from him, leading the other one to the opposite side. Once it was secured, he unhooked the rucksack, and pushed it through the middle gap of the wire. Then, he slipped through the gap himself, and went over to offer Carol his hand. But all he got was the strap of the other pack. It made him chuckle. Still the independent woman, and it's what he admired most about her. Ezekiel took the bag, and set it with the other one.
Carol started to move through the gap next to the walker she had tied up, when a sharp tip of the wire caught her, gouging her forehead just below her hairline. She groaned in irritation, and in a small amount of pain. First the walker fell on her, and now she cut her head. Once she was standing inside the circle of the trees, she put her hand to her head.
Ezekiel turned, taking only one step closer to Carol. His right hand went to her forehead, nudging hers out of the way. The cut was small, but it wasn't deep. All he would have to do was clean it, and cover it to keep the dirt out. "Come on, let's get this tended to."
"What a day this has turned out to be," Carol snorted.
"It's certainly not dull," Ezekiel chuckled lightly. He doused a gauze pad with a little bit of peroxide, and then held it to her wound. She hissed and closed her eyes tightly. Then he cleaned the blood trail off of her forehead before he taped down a folded over pad to cover the cut. If they came upon more wasted, and they had to kill them, it would help to keep the infected blood off of her.
"Finished?" Carol asked, leaning her head back to look up at him. He smiled at her, then he did something that made her gasp.
Ezekiel placed a light kiss to her bandaged forehead. "There, all better." He sat down next to her as she stared at him. "What?"
"You kissed my forehead," Carol said. It had been unexpected, and nice at the same time. The touch of his lips had been gentle, as they had been when he kissed her palm the night before. He had the power to make her heart race.
"A kiss to make it better," Ezekiel replied. He sighed heavily, leaning his head back against one of the trees. Today he'd burned through all of the energy he regained during sleep. His eyes were so heavy that he could fall asleep sitting up and not know the difference.
Carol touched the bandage where his lips had touched it. A small smile curved her lips. It had been an innocent, sweet gesture that settled in her heart. At the end of the day, King or no, he was a kind and decent man. He cared about her when she hadn't cared about herself. Beside her, he was nearly fast asleep. She wasn't going to let him sleep like that. Carol got the blankets, folded one on her lap, and then nudged him. "Ezekiel, come lay down." He said nothing, doing as she told him.
Ezekiel stretched out, with the bottom of his boots touching the base of the tree one of the mutilated wasted was tied to. He rested his head in her lap, turning slightly on his side to get comfortable. Though, how much sleep he would get through the night, he wasn't sure. It's what his body needed if he had any hope of making it home. The last thing he felt was another blanket covering him.
Carol waited until Ezekiel was deep asleep before touched him again. Gently, almost absentmindedly she stroked his forehead. In her right hand she held her knife, while she watched for other walkers. She wasn't too sure how the two docile walkers she had tied up, plus the permanently dead one, would mask their smell. Not when the scent of fresh blood was in the air. So, she remained alert to any possible threat coming for them.
Hours later, primal fear pulled Ezekiel from sleep. He was disoriented, and nearly called out Carol's name when a hand clamped down on his mouth, muffling his voice. Looking up, he saw her, but she wasn't looking at him. Her eyes were focused on the area beyond their little camp. Then the sound of gasps, snarling, and the shuffling of feet reached his ears. Ezekiel nodded in understanding and slowly sat up, putting himself next to her.
The last time Carol had been hiding from a herd had been back at the beginning of all of this; after the CDC debacle. The group had stopped at a traffic snarl and had decided to find supplies. It had been the day she lost her daughter. Carol gripped the handle of her knife so hard that her fingers were cramping. They were trapped, and they couldn't make a run for it. They had no choice but to sit very still, praying the herd ignored them.
Ezekiel turned his head, placing his lips close to her ear, and asked, "What do we do?" He had never been in the middle of a herd before, not even in the beginning when he had only Shiva to rely on.
Carol placed her left hand on is cheek, turning his head so she could reply softly in his ear. "We wait and hope to whatever God is listening that they ignore us." She exhaled a shuddering breath, feeling her insides quivering. The situation she was in with him was truly dangerous, and she only had Ezekiel to rely on if things turned bad. "As quietly as you can, we're going to sit back to back. You watch the right and I'll take left."
Ezekiel made no reply, moving to do as Carol instructed. He carefully scooted to the center of the tree circle making sure he made as little sound as possible. His heart was racing at an impossible speed, he thought it might burst from his chest. Or at the very least, the pounding would be so loud that the wasted could hear it, and at any minute they would descend upon them.
Carol pressed her back to his, her eyes fixed on their left side. She put her knife back in the sheath, and gripped the hilt of the machete. Her instincts were on high alert, her flight response screaming at her to run. She wasn't going to listen to it, because that urge would certainly get her killed, and she couldn't leave Ezekiel to fend for himself. She wouldn't leave him. Carol reached back with her right hand, touching his side.
If Ezekiel could, he would have moved his left arm back, so his hand could rest against her side. As it was, he touched the back of his head to hers to acknowledge her touch. The weight of it burned right through him, giving him what he needed to guard her as she guarded him. Minutes passed as if hours and the herd didn't seem to thin out. Ezekiel was too busy watching the right that he didn't notice one of the wasted crawling towards them from the front. It had its hand under the wire, and gripped Ezekiel's ankle. It was snarling and snapping at it, tugging his leg towards its hungry teeth. He knew better than to growl. Any loud sound and legion of the dead would descend upon them and then they would have no hope of survival. He tried to pull his ankle out of the things hold, but the grip was too tight, and it kept snapping and snarling in hunger.
Carol felt him tense. She went to her knees, her right hand going across his chest. Then, acting in concert with each other, his right arm shot out sinking the blade home in the walker's head, while hers came down on the rotted arm, severing it. Her eyes shot up, scanning the circle. No other walkers had noticed. Whatever luck Ezekiel lived by seemed to be watching out for them tonight. Carol stayed where she was, hugging him from behind. On an impulse, she kissed his left temple over and over. Things could have gone so terribly wrong a few seconds ago. One loud yelp of surprise, another walker being drawn by the snarls. Anything. "I got you, I got you…" Carol breathed out, her voice never rising in volume. He brought his left hand up, his fingers gripping her arm as he leaned his temple against her jaw.
Ezekiel dared not reply, there were still too many wasted stumbling passed them. Slowly, his heart rate returned to normal. Not even his life before the Kingdom had been this fraught with danger. Escaping the notice of an entire herd would be an experience he wouldn't soon forget, nor would he seek to recreate it. Then, finally, after what seemed like an eternity, the herd was gone leaving only the two mutilated wasted where they were tethered to the trees. "Have you ever been trapped like this?" Ezekiel asked quietly.
"Trapped once, and in the middle of it another time," Carol answered, moving back from him. "The first time, we were caught on the inner state, scavenging. We had to hide under cars, and I have never been so terrified in my life." Normally she wouldn't tell that story to anyone who hadn't been there. Her group alone knew the tragedy that transpired that day, and Carol vowed never to talk about it again. But that was the funny thing about vows; the person comes along making it seem pointless to keep silent. "That day, I lost my daughter."
"Carol…" Ezekiel started to offer words of sympathy, but she touched her hand to his lips to stop him. This was all she was going to tell him, and he had to accept that. So, he did. He leaned back, and turned his attention to the hand still gripping his ankle. One by one, Ezekiel broke the fingers to remove the dead appendage. Casually, he tossed it through the middle of the gap. He had an irrational notion that if he took his eyes off of it, the arm would come alive and attack him. "What of the other time you were in the middle of a horde like this?"
Carol stood up and stretched. "I'm not sure I should tell you. It might make you lose faith in the remainder of humanity."
"Oh," Ezekiel chuckled lightly, the danger from a moment ago fading. He pushed himself up to stand before her, "Well, now you have to relate your tale to me." There were still good, decent souls left in the world. Provided they hadn't been eaten by the wasted already.
"We were still in Georgia, after losing the prison we called home," Carol said. "All of us were scattered, divided, leaderless, running from walkers, and we had no idea of anyone else was alive. Finally, the ones I met up with came across a sign for Terminus. Sanctuary for all. Community for all. It seemed like our best shot at finding everyone. I got there in time to see Rick, Michonne, Carl, and Daryl get captured. So, I had to come up with a plan." For the moment, while all was quiet around them, she went to one of the packs to get a bottle of water. Before she continued with her story, she took a sip, and then handed the bottle over to him.
"I assume there was no sanctuary," Ezekiel guessed from her silence. He brought the bottle of water up to his lips, grateful for the cool water that filled his mouth.
"Oh, no, there was…" Carol shook her head, replying to him. "What the signs didn't say was that those who arrive, they end up lunch."
Ezekiel nearly spit out his water. "You mean, as in...?"
"Cannibals, yes," Carol said, nodding once.
"It's not as if that affliction is uncommon…" Ezekiel started to say, but he couldn't wrap his mind around it.
"You just never think you'll encounter it," Carol replied knowingly. The woman she had met was demented. But she had to wonder if that was before the world fell, or had it been after.
Ezekiel chose to focus on something else; he wanted to hear more of the story. "How were you able to rescue your friends?"
Carol laughed lightly, "I don't know why I'm telling you any of this." She didn't say that to be cruel. She honestly had no idea why she felt she could open up to Ezekiel in the way she finally was. It was something about him, some feeling she couldn't name. He smiled at her and her heart reacted.
"It's something to do, you know, in between life and death situations," Ezekiel smiled. He wanted to hear about her travels because it distracted him from the gut wrenching worry he was trying to keep under control. She had been right the night before. Their people could think them dead. For all they knew, the others were dead, and turned. Shiva could be dead. Ezekiel didn't want to contemplate being in the world without his beloved tiger.
Carol felt, more than saw, he was overcome with sudden sadness. "Ezekiel…" she reached out and took his hand in hers. It occurred to her then. He was thinking about his people, Shiva; wondering if they were dead. She stepped in close to him, getting him to look her in the eyes. "They're not dead. You have to hold on to that." He needed to see that she could believe everyone was alive. If she could do it, then it was ok for him. "When we get back to the Kingdom, Shiva, and the others, will be there…"
Ezekiel angled his head, pressing his lips to Carol's, cutting off whatever else she had to say. He was probably overstepping, and any minute she would come to her senses, shoving him away. Until, he would savor the feel of her lips. By standards, the kiss was innocent, but not the emotions he felt coursing through him. And then he felt her react, but it wasn't what he had been prepared for.
Carol was stunned, at first. He was only kissing her, and she found herself responding to the gentle, innocent touch. She was the one to lean into it, to add just a little bit more pressure. There was no turning back from this, from him, and from everything he was making her feel. Carol brought her hand up to touch his cheek as she reluctantly broke the press of their lips. Still, she had to ask, "What was that for?"
"Because, you were trying to make me feel good," Ezekiel replied lightly. He had been wanting to kiss her since he'd shown up on her porch with Shiva and a pomegranate. It was the little smirk she had given him that did him in. Moving back, he went to sit down, resting his back against the trunk of one of the trees. The last thing he wanted to do was crowd her after kissing her. He didn't want to push her into anything. She surprised him though. Carol came to him, sitting down with him, her back against his side, and her head resting on his shoulder. They didn't need to speak. There wasn't anything for them to say at the moment. Instead, Ezekiel pulled one of the blankets over them as they settled in for the rest of the night.
JUST BEFORE DAWN:
Carol didn't know when it happened, but she was opening her eyes. The last thing she had meant to do was fall asleep, and leave Ezekiel alone on watch. "Why'd you let me sleep?" she asked in a whisper. It was still dark, and not safe to move, or speak too loudly. Carol pulled the blanket up further, hoping to keep the warmth contained just a little while longer. In a little while they would have to get up and head out. Hopefully they would find a road soon enough, where maybe they could get a car and drive back to the Kingdom.
"Because you needed it," Ezekiel answered, loosening his hold on her in case she wanted to stand up. "You've expended so much energy protecting me, I thought it only fair to return the favor." Since they committed to all out war against the Saviors, he knew Carol had taken little time to sleep. She was constantly preparing with their fighters. The only time she had taken a full night's rest had been the night before they assembled at the staging area, and she at the over pass with Tara.
Carol knew she needed rest, but out here, lying down could mean their death. She wasn't ready to even entertain the notion of losing Ezekiel. "But you're the one who was shot," Carol replied.
"And I am better today," Ezekiel said to her. When it was clear she was content to remain at his side, pulled her closer to him, and rested his cheek against the back of her head. "I know you haven't truly slept since coming to the Kingdom. This night, and the last, you slipped into slumber without so much as a fight."
Carol snuggled back into his embrace. It felt too good to abandon his touch right out. Besides, sun up was a couple hours away at most. "I needed to make sure our fighters were ready to follow Rick's plan. You couldn't wait for Morgan; who on his best day is looming somewhere between lucidity and lunacy." It was more than that, though. She wanted him to see that she was invested in his world coming through this war with minimal casualties. "And besides, I didn't really do much to contribute during my first furlough in the Kingdom. I was making up for it."
"You were healing from your ordeal with the Saviors when first we met," Ezekiel reminded. Instinctually, he touched the spot on her right arm where a gunshot had grazed her. When they first met, he couldn't believe how taken he'd been by her 'meek little lamb' act. She had been so convincing, until it was time for her to leave. Then she was as hard as steal, and uncaring as the cold winter rain.
"I didn't understand what it was you were truly offering back then," Carol said truthfully, maybe she still didn't. All she wanted then was to disappear, maybe to die. Fate intervened, putting her in the path of King Ezekiel. She couldn't stop staring at him or his tiger.
"About last night…" Ezekiel started to say and then let his words taper off.
"What about it?" Carol asked. She sat up, turned over, and resumed her place at his side with her arm draped over his abdomen.
"I kissed you, and you have said not one word about it." Ezekiel verbally prodded. He wanted to make sure that he hadn't over stepped last night.
"I kissed you back," Carol said, shrugging. "I wanted to kiss you back." She felt Ezekiel sag in relief. He probably thought she would react differently, and was prepared for it. She didn't want to push away any sort of meaningful connection she could find in a world fraught with so much death.
Ezekiel felt a smile curve his lips. Carol was full of surprises, and he would keep being amazed by her; he knew it. Now that he was satisfied with the steps they'd taken, he reminded her, "You never finished relating to me just how you saved your friends."
Carol covered her the mouth with the blanket and snickered. "I'll tell you when we're on the move. It'll keep your mind off your shoulder, and pass the time until we find a road, perhaps a car." She looked around the woods, seeing that the darkness was getting lighter. Soon they would be able to move, and for the better. She didn't like the idea of being out here for too much longer.
"Then perhaps we should prepare for our journey, and leave within the hour. It should be light enough by then," Ezekiel proposed.
"Are you sure? You can rest for a while longer if you…" Carol started to offer, but even in the low light of the early dawn, she could see he was ready to return home. And so was she. Reluctantly, she pushed off the blanket to get up. Once on her feet, she folded it up, stowing it in the pack. Together they made quick work of erasing any evidence that they had spent the night in the circle of trees, and carefully slipped through the middle gap of the wire barricade. With their walker companions in tow, they set off in the same direction as they had been traveling with the goal in mind of finding a car.
Mid-day was nearing when Ezekiel thought he caught sight of strange glint. "Carol," he touched her shoulder, and then pointed through the trees. "Perhaps it is a car we might commandeer."
"Maybe," Carol nodded, hopefully. At the thought of even getting pavement under their feet, it sped them up, and before they knew it, they were nearly out of the woods. That was when Carol came up short, stopping Ezekiel with her. "Let me go first, while you hold on to the leashes. If I find a car, I'll honk once to let you know it's safe."
"As you wish," Ezekiel nodded. He took her hand, lacing their fingers together, and squeezed gently. "Be careful," he knew he didn't need to say it, but still the words fell from his lips all the same.
Carol shook his hand and nodded. She was always watching, always ready. When he finally let go, she handed him the leashes, and then set off towards the road. Carefully she moved through the trees until she reached the edge of the embankment. Picking her way down the slope, she jogged up the other side, and then her boots touched the cracked, faded pavement. There were no walkers around, and no cars close by, but there was a small little shopping center they could search for one. Carol headed back. Being separated from him was no longer the smart thing to do, not now.
Ezekiel was so focused on the path ahead of him that he didn't think to watch the way they had come. He realized his mistake when the sound of a hammer being pulled back echoed around him. Turning slowly, he saw a younger man wearing jeans, a t-shirt, a flannel long sleeved shirt, and he had on big glasses. Ezekiel got the feeling the man was a little more than deranged; a Savior.
"Well, well, well…. If it isn't the King! Negan will be so happy to see you, your head at least."
"You're a Savior I presume," Ezekiel replied calmly. If this twisted individual had been following them, what had taken him so long to make himself known?
"You and the woman were hard to track at first," the Savior stated. "I lost your trail a couple of times, and then had to hide in a tree when that herd blew by, but capturing you now more than makes up for it." He stepped closer, his gun trained on the man in front of him. "Where's the grey-haired bitch?"
Ezekiel ground his teeth, forcing himself to appear as if he was defeated. "Gone."
"She left you? Wow! Guess she got tired of your fake royalty schtick, huh?" The Savior taunted.
Carol had come back to the tree line when she heard a stranger's voice. Her heart stopped when she heard the threat the man made to take Ezekiel's head to Negan. Creeping down, away from the sound, she ducked back into the woods, and cut a wide path around them so she could sneak up on them from behind. It didn't make sense that one Savior had found them. There had to be more, but she would start with the one talking to her King.
Carol saw Ezekiel, the walker's tied up, and the stranger. Rather than use her gun, she pulled her knife, and crept even closer until she as right up on them. Quickly, she grabbed the Savior by his hair, yanked his head back, and held her sharpened blade to his throat. "Call your men, and it's the last sound you make," she threatened. Then, out of anger, she tugged harder on his hair making him grunt on pain.
"Carol," Ezekiel called out. He was urging her to show some semblance of mercy if she was able.
"A prisoner would only slow us down," Carol said to him. She knew he didn't want to kill, not even this young man if he did not have to. That was ok, because she would do it. Then to the Savoir she asked, "How many of you are out here?"
"Too many for you to handle," he hissed.
"None, got it," Carol rolled her eyes at his false bravado. "No one to miss you. I bet no one knows your name."
"I'm Negan!" he shouted, and then growled when the woman yanked his head back sharply. "You bitch!"
"Like that's an insult to me," Carol scoffed. "Are we out of Savior territory?" she asked. When no answer was forthcoming, she applied a little pressure with her knife, drawing a thin line of crimson on his throat. "Hmm?"
"Yes… Keep to the road and you'll be back at that crock of shit call the Kingdom."
Death was too good for the piece of scum Carol held restrained. Knowing Ezekiel wouldn't like it, she knew she had to do it anyway. Quickly, and efficiently, she drew the blade cross his throat, splitting him open from ear to ear. Before she got blood on her, she pushed his body to the ground.
Ezekiel took a step to the side to avoid the arterial spay of blood from hitting him. He looked to her, the horror of what he had just witnessed evident in his eyes. The death of a living human was never something he would choose to do if there was another way. In this situation, there wasn't, and he knew that.
Carol cleaned off her knife, giving Ezekiel time to let what she had done settle. "We couldn't risk taking him with us," she said.
"I know, and if I was in your position, I would have made the same call." Ezekiel replied to her.
"If it was a choice between sparing his life and saving yours, I would choose yours every time," Carol stated going to him. She brought her hand up and touched his face to reassure him. Carol half expected him to push her touch away, but he didn't. His good hand rested on her waist, acknowledging that she was right.
"As I would save yours," Ezekiel replied.
