A/N: Super short, mini chapter tonight. I was going to switch to a different event happening elsewhere but couldn't think of anything tonight.
Tomorrow is my birthday so I wouldn't hold my breath for an update. But if you're good, I might manage one. :)
8.
Carl rocked Judith in his arms, calming her wailing down as much as he could.
When she started to calm down, he looked outside the car. The windscreen had splintered and cracked, but beside the bullet hole, remained in one piece. He glances across to Carol, to see how she was, and that was when he noticed the blood.
"Daryl!" he called without thinking, and glanced into the back of the car to see the hunter still out cold. He looked like he'd barely been moved in the wreck that had the rest of them in chaos.
He couldn't do anything with Judith in his arms and as she'd stopped crying, Carl let his seat go back as far as it would and carefully lay Judith down on to Daryl's chest, so she was snuggled between Daryl and the back of the seat. He was wary that Daryl was injured but a car crash hadn't stirred him and he had to check on Carol.
Judith snuggled into Daryl, blissfully comfortable with the contact she had.
Carl turned his attention to Carol. He could see some blood and her head hung limply, but he couldn't tell from where he was just how bad it was. He moved forward in his seat and looked for Carol's wound.
Carl felt bile rise up when he saw the gaping hole in Carol's neck. Blood and spurted out wildly, killing her quickly, he realised. Her side of the car was splattered with her own blood up over the window, running down on the outside from the force at which it had come out. Her hands were covered in it and he wondered when she'd realised and how he hadn't noticed.
"Carol," Carl whispered quietly.
He glanced back, tried to see where the bus was because he knew the others must have seen what happened and would come to help. But he quickly realised it had stopped too and there was no movement coming from there. But as his head was twisted round behind him, movement caught his eye as the walkers started to gather, attracted by the noise. Carefully as he could, Carl climbed into the back of the car. He pulled at the blanket that was on Daryl, covered him as best he could from sight of anyone outside. Judith was sleeping now and he partially covered her too.
Then Carl sunk down into the foot well just beside Daryl. Daryl's had was turned towards Carl slightly and he could feel the man's hot breath every time he exhaled. There was something reassuring about it.
Carl listened in terror as the walkers were drawn to the smell of Carol's blood and they started to reach into the car. Started to tear at her, consume her. He could hear it then as they pulled her apart and he had to fight with himself not to think about it.