Well this happened sooner than I expected...
Hello all! I hope you like this chapter, although it's not super action packed... just a little bit of arguing.
As always, I don't own anything to do with The Walking Dead, unfortunately.
Enjoy!
"Rick!" Blake called as she opened the front door. He and Michonne were not immediately visible, but they came around the side of a house three lots down a moment later.
"What's wrong?" He asked, jogging to meet Blake on the porch, his breath visible in the cold air.
"Carl's wound is infected." Blake ran a hand through her hair, a nervous habit. "He's got a fever and the area is swollen."
"What can we do?" Michonne asked, looking between Blake and Rick.
"He's going to need anti-biotics." Rick sighed nervously. He knew infections progressed quickly, especially in a world as filthy as the one they were living in. "Nearest pharmacy is burned out, we won't get anything there."
"That one was tiny." Blake had seen the remains of the town, there was nothing left. "There's a bigger one not too far from here, about a forty five minute drive maybe?"
"Does the car have enough gas?" Michonne glanced at the vehicle parked down the street, a doubtful look crossing her face.
"No," Blake shook her head, "we were running on fumes when we pulled up."
"So we go on foot." Rick decided, seemingly ready.
"You're not coming." Blake said, incredulous. "If anything happens out there and you don't come back…" Blake trailed off. That sentence didn't exactly need a conclusion.
"You're not going alone." Rick shot back, concern sneaking into his voice.
"Michonne can't go." Blake pointed out. "It'll take twice as long."
"Then I'm coming." Rick put his foot down.
"No." Blake was adamant. Carl needed Rick. "I can do it myself. You know how long I was out there."
"You can't go alone." Rick was beginning to get frustrated. He didn't want to send the teenager out on her own.
"Yes, I can." Blake was also beginning to get angry. "And I'm going to."
"It's too danger-"
"Rick." Blake interrupted. "The way I see it, Carl needs two things right now. Medicine, and his father. Seeing as we only have one of those things here… well, one is better than none."
"But-"
"But nothing." Blake could see she was finally getting through to Rick. "What if a herd of walkers came through here? Michonne wouldn't be able to handle it alone."
"But what if you run into a herd out there?" Michonne questioned. Blake had almost forgotten she was there.
"Then I'll do what I've always done before: climb a tree and wait until something else distracts them."
There was a moment of hesitant silence that included Rick and Michonne glancing at each other a lot. They seemed to have a conversation with their facial expressions before Rick let out a long puff of air and said, "How long will you be?" At that statement, Blake knew Rick was accepting that she had to go, and she had to go alone.
"If I leave in the next few minutes, I'll be back before sunset tomorrow."
"Then we'd better get you ready." Michonne gave her a small smile. She knew Blake could handle herself, but in the short time they'd been together, everyone had gotten attached to the teenager. She seemed to be fearless, always throwing herself in harm's way for others and coming out of everything unscathed. It was admirable and terrifying at the same time.
TWDTWDTWDTWDTWD
Rick insisted on packing a bag for Blake, so she went upstairs to get some warmer clothes on and tell Carl what was happening. Once Blake had found a Pair of tights that fit under her jeans, she grabbed an extra pair of socks and slipped them over her feet before replacing her leather boots. The shirt she had on was warm, but she exchanged it for a thermal long sleeve from her mother's wardrobe before sliding her hoodie back on. The shirt was too big, but that didn't bother Blake too much. She ran to the bathroom to brush her hair-she knew that she wouldn't get to do that again until the next day at least-then put it in a tight French braid, hoping it wouldn't fall out and be a distraction while she was out there.
Before Blake left the bathroom, she looked in the mirror for the first time since they'd been in the house. She had avoided it until now, and she figured out why very quickly. The girl staring back at her was not Blake.
Blake had dirty blonde hair that lived in a ponytail, this girl had a messy French braid, bleached platinum by the sun and so greasy it looked wet. Blake's eyes were full of confidence and happiness, the eyes of this girl were hardened and held memories of horrors nobody should ever have to experience. Blake didn't have a scar on her hairline from getting caught on a tree branch and trying to treat a concussion by herself. Blake's cheekbones weren't that prominent from not eating for days. She didn't have purple bags under her eyes from not sleeping. This wasn't Blake. This was someone else. Someone who had to kill her mother and sister. Someone who had to listen to her father die. Someone who had killed more people that she could count, been drenched in blood so many times that it felt weird when she wasn't, got so used to the smell of walkers that she thought it was normal, she was someone who didn't feel hunger anymore because of the constant lack of food, someone who was always thirsty and someone who had learned how dangerous people could be. But she was lucky. And she smiled when she looked in the mirror because she was strong enough to survive the hell on earth that she lived in every day. And she was going to live.
With that thought, she exited the bathroom, leaving the stranger in the mirror behind and becoming Blake again.
"Hey loser." Blake smirked as she entered the room.
"Hey cheater." Carl teased back.
"So I'm going out for a while." Blake perched on the edge of the bed.
"Oh yeah?" Carl furrowed his brow, concerned.
"Yeah. You need antibiotics." Blake explained.
"Is Michonne going with you?"
"No. I'm going myself."
"The pharmacy burned down. Where are you going?"
"Next town over has the big pharmacy, remember?"
"You're going that far?"
"Yes. I have to. You know I can take care of myself, Carl."
"I know."
"Blake?" Rick's voice sounded form the stairs along with his footsteps.
"In here." She called back.
"Hey." Rick appeared in the doorway carrying a backpack. He walked into the room, placing a hand on his son's forehead. "You okay?"
"Yeah." He smiled back.
"I'm going to go…" Blake felt as if she was intruding, so she got up off the bed but felt Carl grab her hand.
"Wait." She turned back to Carl, neither of them letting go of each other's hands. "Come back."
"Come on, Grimes." Blake smiled, using the nickname he had gotten on the softball team. "You're not getting rid of me that easy."
I don't really have much to say for this one, so I'll just say Please Review! Thank you to the two people who have left comments, I appreciate it!
