13
There is a moment in your life when you know you've done something that might be wrong and you need to stop and get yourself in the rails again. I tried; I really tried to make up my mind before the thought started eating me from inside. I've killed someone and I didn't care. It was like a killed some bug and not a human being, was that okay?
I was trying to figure out.
The sunlight slipped to my cell, making my eyelids snap open at the first light of dawn. I think I fell asleep while I waited for Maggie and Daryl to come back from the run. My clothes were the same like I changed it the last afternoon, and I even had my boots. With a lazy groan I sat on the mattress and glanced around the cell. The shotgun was still beside the bed, my bag with clothes in the floor near the bars and the leather bag with knives and ammunition remained still beside that. I stood up against my will; I wanted to hide behind the blanket until the world was normal again. But I knew that would not happen, so I stepped outside.
A baby's cry startled me, I turned following the noise walking to a cell and found Effy carrying and rocking the little infant back and forth in a attempt to calm her. Beth entered the cell quickly with a feeding bottle; I could realize for the dark bags under her eyes that they hadn't slept much.
- You two stayed up all night? — Effy glanced at me, she was already feeding the baby who stopped crying and looked up at my sister with big grey eyes.
- Mary! How long you've been there? — Beth asked grabbing some towels from the floor.
- You just passed beside me without noticing me — The blonde stared at me and chuckled to herself.
- Sorry, is just that the baby's been waking up every two hours — She explained containing a yawn.
I stepped near Effy and had a better sight of the baby girl; she was beautiful, all rosy cheeks and tiny hands. I couldn't help but smiled seeing all the effort they've been doing to take care of the newborn. I noticed the bags of diapers, baby clothes and a couple of pots with formula. A thought flashed in my mind.
- They came back with the supplies last night?
- Yeah — Beth replied to my question.
- Where's Sophia? — I asked.
- She's with Carl; we didn't want her to be waking up here with us every time the baby did — Said Effy, while placing the little girl in the mattress in the middle of two pillows.
- And Rick?
- Glenn went after him, but he's still dealing with... You know. — Mumbled Effy almost in a whisper. I nodded in understanding. She was talking about Lori, and just by thinking of her a knot grew in my throat.
- Well, I don't want to be rude, but you both look awful — I said jokingly trying to ease the dark mood.
- We already know that — Effy said back.
- So, I'll take care of this little angel the rest of the morning while you sleep and get some rest. — I leaned carefully taking the baby with me.
- Are you sure? — Beth looked at me with doubt. I grinned to her before pinching her nose playfully; the blonde gave me a small smile.
- Yes, you two go to sleep — I stopped before leaving — Oh, and does she have a name?
- Not yet, but Daryl called her last night little ass kicker — Beth told.
I looked at the little creature in my arms. She was sleepily and curling her little fingers under her minimal chin. Smiling again to them I turned and walked to my cell. Almost getting inside I found Sophia standing in the door, I noticed her red puffy eyes, she must had cried to sleep.
- Hey honey – I said softly – Did you sleep well?
- I slept, but I had a dream about mom — She gazed the floor with a long face. I sat down on the bed with the sleeping baby and Sophia remained beside the door still.
- I need your help with this little thing here; could you do me a favor? — She looked up with a little doubt in her hazel eyes but then nodded. — Go to Beth's cell, and bring me the feeding bottle, a pot of formula and the pack of diapers — She quickly nodded again and left.
Sophia spent a while with me watching over the baby before everyone started to wake up and she joined them in the common area, I felt a little relieved that I managed to make her smile a little. I knew she had just lost her mom, and honestly I had my own mourn for Carol. The woman had been nothing but kind and friendly to me and yes, sometimes she scolded me about how I put myself in danger to help the group, but on the other side she didn't mind if I wanted to teach Sophia how to shoot a gun or use a knife, Carol trusted me with her eyes closed and I trusted her the same.
I really was going to miss her.
From my cell I heard the murmur of a conversation while I kept my eyes on the little human being sleeping in the bed. I made a little nest for her between two pillows and she seemed to find it comfortable. It was kind of funny finding me in this situation, in the middle of a world disaster while everything around was falling apart but looking to a peaceful baby sleeping like everything was fine.
A shuffling from the cell open door made me look up. I catch my breath a little when I found Daryl standing in the frame, staring at me. I remembered the first time I saw him, just this same way.
- Havin' fun with lil' ass kicker? — He said with his gruff voice. I stood up quietly from the bed trying not to wake up the baby.
- You won't believe me if I told you, but we're already best friends — I grinned at him. He grunted half chuckled and walked inside, which took me aback.
Daryl handed me a bowl with beef and corns. My stomach growled inside me, my brain mentally slapping me because I haven't eaten a thing in almost a day. I grabbed the bowl without being able to ask him how he noticed. I thanked to him and I ate in silence, he remained still looking at everything in the room but me. I finished the food quickly because of my own hunger, putting the bowl on a chair nearby.
The silence fell around us.
- You okay, fancy? — Daryl questioned suddenly. Every time he called me by that nickname he gave me, I couldn't avoid the warm feeling creeping in my chest.
- I am, Dixon.
- What ya did yesterday... — He paused catching my brown gaze with his blue one — I know yer tough, damn girl ya kill walkers like frickin' Rambo, but what happened yesterday sooner or later you'd have to do it.
My mind processed his words in the blink of an eye. I didn't need to think my answer that much.
- He was aiming at you Daryl, a gun was inches from your face — He kept his eyes on me — It was me pulling that trigger, or it was you dying. I'm not sorry; I would gladly do it twice.
- 'Course ya don't have to, that prick got three of us killed. That brain blow was earned — I couldn't help but smiled at him, he averted his eyes and looked at the baby. I noticed in that moment the crossbow on the floor next to him.
- Hershel and Glenn told me the same — That made him stare at me — Not the part about blowing brains obvi, but that is perfectly understandable not to be sorry.
- Yeah, ya ain't doing nothin' wrong — He mumbled, I nodded smiling again. He was right.
- Are you going somewhere? — He grunted and nodded nibbling his lips.
- We're gonna check lower in the prison, see what we find — Grabbing his weapon he moved to leave, near the frame he unexpectedly paused. — Ya sure ya okay?
- I'm fine — I snorted — Don't be silly, I'm tough you know that.
Daryl snorted a little biting his thumb, he glanced at me a last time before turning around and leaving the cell.
After that, I took little baby with me and walked to the common area. Hershel was there and I could see Sophia sitting on the floor with a book on her hands. I sat with the baby and the old man quickly volunteered to carry her for a while. The rest of the morning was quiet, Maggie and Glenn went on a run to find more stuff for the baby and I tried to clear my mind a little. I was distracting myself with cleaning in the common area, or talking with Sophia about anything that could make her feel better. After a couple of hours Effy and Beth woke up and sit with us eating and having small talk.
It was noon when Rick all of a sudden entered the cell block. He was clean, had his clothes changed and seemed still in anger but tried to act in a normal manner. Well, he failed. He said something about seeing if everyone and everything was okay and just like he walked in he left, completely ignoring his newborn child and Carl. Hershel shook his head in obvious disagreement and stood up, he gave the sleeping baby to Beth and headed out the cellblock too, following Rick in his own pace. The old man came back after a while, and sat again. He didn't tell us if he talked with Rick or not. And later, Carl entered the area too. I was getting anxious; honestly I was really worried about Rick. He was a good leader, a good man and father. And seeing him going through a sorrow for losing his wife it was heartbreaking.
To our astonishment, Rick came back. He walked in and a little hesitant he took the baby from Beth; he carried her daughter and carefully hugged the little baby holding her against his chest and placed a kiss on her head. I felt relieved; we all felt the same for the expression in our faces. Rick was still carrying her child when he stepped outside with Carl. They all started heading to the prison yards but I remained in my chair, Sophia was still reading and I didn't want to leave her alone. I sighed tilting my head and posing my chin in my hands, at least the day was getting normal again.
Hurried footsteps were heard and when I turned my head I couldn't believe my eyes when Daryl stepped in the cell block. He was carrying Carol. I gasped, standing up so abruptly that the chair fell backwards on the floor. Sophia was already running to them.
- Mom! — She cried. Daryl took her to a cell and placed the woman on the bed.
Sophia remained by her side, Carol was dehydrated and weak and I quickly checked out if she got any wound. Gladly she was okay. Beth and Effy came back and they couldn't believe their eyes either. I couldn't explain how happy I was to see Carol alive and safe.
- Mary you're crying? — She asked me still weakly. Sophia grinned widely to her mom.
- Sorry, I've been a crybaby lately — I said knowing that my eyes were glassy — I'm glad you're alive.
She grabbed my hand and lightly squeezed it giving me a soft smile. In that moment Rick stepped inside the cell and he hugged Carol. When she noticed the baby on Beth's arms, Carol glanced at Rick with and understanding look, she stood up and held little ass kicker with tears in her eyes.
Stepping out the cell, Rick motioned to me without a word and I followed him, Hershel followed us too, Daryl walked besides me and when I got to the hall area I was catch by surprise at the sight of a strange woman sitting on the floor. With blood on her chest and arms, and by the way she behave she looked menacing and glared at everything with black eyes full of rage.
- Who is she? — I asked out of blue, the words just escaped my mouth. I mean, we just got Carol back and now a strange woman was here. What the hell?. Daryl grunted by my side and I looked up finding his blue orbs eyeing me with a warning glance. Rick crouched beside her and began to talk.
- We can tend to that wound for you, give you a little food and water, and then send you on your way. But you're gonna have to tell us how you found us and why you were carrying formula — Rick inquired.
- The supplies were dropped by a young Asian guy with a pretty girl — When the strange woman said that I gasped. I saw how Hershel tightened his grip on the crutches.
- What happened? — Asked Rick.
- Were they attacked? — I questioned.
- They were taken. — She replied.
- Taken? — The sheriff inquired again — Taken by whom? — She looked at the wall with disdain.
- By the same son of a bitch who shot me.
Her cautious behavior and our own tension almost did not let us found out what she meant. But she finally explained to us. Her name was Michonne and she told us about a place called Woodbury which had seventy two survivors and was being ruled by a man who's called himself the Governor. I didn't have a good feeling about that town or either about the people ruling it. But we needed to bring Maggie and Glenn back. Explaining it to the group wasn't the difficult part, when we told them everyone volunteered to go on the rescue run, even Beth and Effy. I knew that wasn't a good idea, one of my sisters was out there captured by some people who were dangerous and I wouldn't risk the other two.
Rick decided that Daryl, Oscar and he will go and Michonne was going to guide the way for them. Obviously I refuted that decision.
- You know I can help, why am I staying? — I asked following Rick on his tracks.
- Is better if you're here, it could get bad for us out there — He only replied checking on his guns.
- Are you serious? Is Maggie and Glenn, I want to go and I will — I said. He hesitated at first but then he nodded.
- Fine, go grab your things. And you're driving. — Rick ordered. I smiled internally at my little triumph and I did as he told me.
With everything ready and our weapons loaded we got in the Hyundai and I drove out of the prison. Michonne showed us the way for an amount of minutes and when we got near the woods she told me to stop the car. We were going to keep our trip in foot so I grabbed my shotgun and headed behind them.
- Mary you're staying here, hide and watch over the car — My mouth hanged open in shock hearing at Rick saying that.
- What?! – They began to walk getting into the woods – Rick?!
- I told you'll drive, and if anything happens go back to the prison. – He explained.
I got to glance at Daryl who turned his head to me and shrugged giving me a smirk before they disappear inside the green forest.
New chapter here ;)
Woodbury and the Governor are here too.
Next one this Monday!