PART THREE
19
Cool air was blowing, bringing the warm scent of summer flowers and wet grass. The smell of the green leaves moving in the trees, and the unmistakable calid breeze that floated along with the cool one. Mixed like a perfect year weather, the sunlight was taking little spectrum of different colors in the morning drizzle. Almost a rainbow, but not a rainbow though. Everything was peaceful, or at least that's how I felt it. With the perfect sunny morning and the smell of the flowers I could not find a reason to believe the world wasn't normal. Even if it was only for that instant. Even when I closed my eyes and the breeze tickled in my skin, a wave of quietness crossed my chest.
The view on the other side had his beauty too. With the little garden colored with lilac lavender flowers and yellow daisies. I could saw a glimpse of small pink roses, the ones that were blossoming. Breathing in the sweet scent, I stood up with the baby in arms and walked to the bushes and flowers. Judith looked up to me, her big grey eyes shinning in the morning. It wasn't the first time I carried her out to the yard in the morning, it had become quite a usual walk to do before everyone woke up. She jumped a little at the sight of the colorful bush.
A glimpse of dark blonde hair and hazel eyes appeared behind one of the plants. Sophia was standing up with her tiny nose covered in freckles and her now long hair braided.
- You think these are okay? — Sophia showed me the basket full of the little flowers she just picked up.
- Yes — Judith reached out to with her tiny arm to the basket, we both smiled.
- Judith seems to approve, then they're perfect — She wiped out her brow while she picked a last daisy. — You know Mika and Lizzie likes to come out here?
- I know, I gave them a flowerpot so they can have it on their cell. — Sophia turned around grabbing a half empty bottle of water from the grass.
- I'll give this ones to mom, gotta help her with breakfast, the others are for the common areas. See you later? — The Peletier girl asked with one of her bright smiles.
I nodded at her idea and she grinned before walking inside the prison with the basket. Judith started to complain in little sobs, which was an easy way to know that she was hungry again. So I turned on my feet heading to the prison grounds. From the spot I was, I could hear it. It doesn't matter if we were having a normal life again, they were always there. The dead were pushing and roaring its inhumane growls against the outside fences. Maybe the world wasn't normal at all, but I tried to make the worst seem better.
People were starting to wake up, and the murmur of conversations could be heard in the hallways. It was a little weird the first month, when the newcomers started living here with us, though we weren't in the same cellblocks for some of us were difficult at first to get use to them. They weren't bad people, most of them were old people and others had their families and children. With the time passing, Glenn and Daryl began to go on runs to rescue survivors that were on their own in the roads.
I made it to the common area, Judith was now crying and making quite a scene kicking and sobbing. If someone wasn't awake by now, I'd be surprised. To my good luck, Beth was already awake and making another feeding bottle of formula. She smiled at me, her eyes flickered giving a pout to the baby. Judith's little face was red and covered in tiny tears rolling down her round cheeks. But when Beth appeared she stopped crying and instead the baby tilted her head with curious grey eyes looking at the blonde girl.
- I'll take care of her for the morning — Beth said taking the baby from my arms.
- How rare Zack's not here — I commented, watching how Beth's face reddened like a strawberry. — You've been together for a month and you still are shy about him.
- I'm not shy — She retorted while feeding Judith. — What about you? — I frowned at her question, she leaned close to speak in whispers — You've been sleeping in the same cell as Daryl, what about that?.
- Nope, he's been keeping his eyes on me so I wouldn't be able to do anything too risky. — I countered, looking at my cell door.
- For five months? — Beth teased, her mouth curved with a smirk.
- We're just roommates — I replied with a shrug. Beth narrowed her blue eyes and sighed.
- There are plenty of empty cells — The little blonde said tilting her head with an eyebrow quirked.
I didn't have a response for that, so I just shrugged again. Beth snorted, and Judith started to cry again suddenly. Whit the little baby Grimes crying I took that as a perfect excuse to escape and went back to my cell. In the way, I found Rick leaving his own cell; he had a knife on his belt and the mp3 on his hand with the earphones hanging on his neck. The sheriff stopped almost abruptly when he saw me. As always he reached out stroking my cheek playfully.
- Good morning, Mary — He greeted me before walking again to his way.
- Have a good day, officer! — Rick turned his head a little nodding at me.
- I will.
I approached my respective cell, entering quietly in case my roommate was asleep. It was still early in the morning, if I had a clock I would have said it was at least six in the morning. Though the sun was already shining, and I got to find myself waking up the last weeks with the first rays of sunshine, so being the first awake before anyone in the cellblock wasn't something weird for us. And for Daryl, the first day's he did not find me sleeping he started panicking thinking I was in fact escaping from him.
But or course I wasn't, I wouldn't.
He was sitting in the mattress, which now was completely beside the bunk. His crossbow rested near him on the floor. And most of his clothes and other things were still on his bag. Except for one or three sleeveless shirts here and there in the cell floor. Daryl took his vest from the back of the mattress, still not noticing my presence because of the gloom inside. I moved the curtains of the bars a little letting the light gave a better sight. He groaned with obvious annoyance, his usual grumpy mood of the mornings.
- Hey — My voice echoed in the space making Daryl aware of my presence in the door frame.
- Hey, fancy. — I walked to mattress and I sat beside him. I noticed since the past months that he stopped flinching at my closeness. — Ya snuck out.
- I do it everyday, and now you notice? — Daryl snorted and moved forward pushing me lightly with his shoulder as he stood up. He turned around immediately as he took off his shirt and put on a long-sleeve one, putting on his leather vest too. Despite the fact that we wasn't together like everyone thought, I got used with his company and with the fact that having him sleeping a few inches from me.
- We're going on a run today, ya know right?
- Everybody knows, Dixon. Remember I'm part of the council and I volunteered but you cut me off right away? — He chuckled shortly, kicking the shirt to a corner where he placed the clothes to wash.
- Yeah, is better if ya stay, perhaps we must be back before dusk — Daryl informed reaching out his hand to me — Come, I can hear your belly growling from 'ere.
- You're a dumbass, you know that? — I said in a mumble as I giggled while he grunted and lifted me up.
...
Outside in one of the yards, and thanks to Carol initiative we build a common kitchen. Since Daryl was the one hunting, and with Rick's hunt traps put in the woods surrounding the prison it was a matter of time before we had to make a place like this. It was better than the cafeteria inside, because this spot of the prison was really away from the fences so no one had to hear the deads sounds while having breakfast. Being honest, it was weird at first with our small population increasing, but the funny part was all the attention the archer was getting from the women. I mean, I don't blame them at all. But with Daryl introverted personality, I couldn't help but tease him every time I could.
- Seems like your fan club is growing — I whispered to him as we walked in the eatery and Daryl was greeted by every single female in there.
- Shut up — He replied awkwardly.
Carol was there, cooking the deer that Daryl had hunt a day before. She greeted us with one of her warm smiles and she handed us bowls with food. Beside her, Sophia kept cutting some potatoes.
- Smells good — Daryl took a piece of meat with a hand a shoved it inside his mouth before licking his fingers.
Though most of the people would find that disgusting, to me it was incredibly adorable. Carol grinned, taking off her kitchen apron and walking up to us.
- Just so you know, I liked you first. — She said to Daryl who's stepped backwards a little ashamed without stopping eating.
- Stop — He mumbled. I couldn't stop the giggle coming out of me. For the corner of my eye I saw Patrick, a kid of thirteen years old, he approached us his glasses on.
- Mister Dixon — The kid greeted Daryl in the most formally way — I just wanted to thank you for bringing that deer back yesterday. It was a real treat, sir. And I'd be honored to shake your hand. — Patrick held his hand out to the archer; Daryl was still eating meat covering his right hand. And again, he licked his fingers clean before shaking the kid's hand.
- Breakfast was great, I gotta go — I Informed as I put my empty bowl in one of the tables.
- You're giving history lessons today too? — Carol asked.
- Yeah, but first I'm going to the fences, the walkers keep massing so. — Before I could get a step out of the common kitchen, Daryl grabbed at my arm. I looked up at him finding his usual doubtful gaze — What?
- I'll be back tonight. — I felt a little worried but I knew he'll be fine. Slipping my hand over his grip on my arm, we stood like that for a couple of seconds before I took my hand away.
- Be safe out there. Don't do anything stupid — I heard how Daryl scoffed as I walked back to the prison once again.
...
I took a shower after being out in the fences. Spending most of the day killing walkers in an attempt to clear the prison's surroundings wasn't a pretty job to do. But it had to be done. Good it was a group work, Karen and Merle were out there. Well, Karen, she was one of the newcomers from Woodbury. After the Governor attacked the prison, apparently he went crazier and he fired at his own people and then he escaped. She was lucky that Rick and the others found her and when they came to the town it wasn't as good as they thought. Andrea ended up being one of the Governor's victims. And though I didn't like to think about it, I couldn't avoid the memory coming through my mind.
Getting upset wasn't an option.
Later in that day and after giving the literature and history lessons to the kids, I left the library and headed again to the cellblock. Effy was in the common area, carrying Judith and poorly trying to read a book to the little girl.
- Honestly Eff, again? — She glanced at me with her big blue eyes and gave me a smug smile.
- Is Peter Pan, mom used to read this to me.
- You were three years, not a six months baby. — I countered sitting on a chair.
- Well, she likes when I'm reading — Effy lifted Judith a little — Don't you sweetheart? — Judith smiled.
- Damn, you're impossible – I chuckled – Anyway, Have you seen Carl?
- Must be in his cell reading the new comics that Michonne brought for him — My eyes widened.
- She's back? — Effy nodded — Oh my God, did she...?
- No, she didn't find him, she went to the run — She replied — You know, I think they should stop, maybe he's dead.
- Maybe he's not.
I knew Effy didn't have the same opinion as me about Michonne still looking for the Governor. I wanted that they kept looking, but she thought it was useless just because they had lost the tracks a couple of months ago. Sighing i tried to change the conversation asking about the plantations Rick and Hershel had been taking care of.
A couple of hours passed, Maggie joined us in a moment of the afternoon and we stayed there having small talk and watching over little Judith. Yellow rays of sunshine were slipping inside the common area and almost before sunset Glenn and Daryl entered the cellblock. I stood up immediately walking to the archer with my chest full of joy as I approached him. But something slowed my steps; both of them got this same expression on their faces.
They were consternated.
- What happened? — Maggie asked quietly as she took Glenn's face on her hands — everyone's okay? — They exchanged a look.
- There was an accident. — Glenn mumbled.
My pulse started to run at those words. I looked at Daryl, his face tense and I noticed how his breath became thick. He glanced at the floor and then to me again. I knew who went to that run; Michonne, Sasha, Tyreese, Bob, Glenn, Daryl and Zack.
- Did someone...? — I couldn't finish the question suddenly it was difficult for me to verbalize a word. Daryl understood anyway, he nodded and I knew it.
- Zack.
Season 4 is here ;)