Chapter 10
(Next day; Episode 3)
Because of the flu and incident yesterday in cell block D, Rick and I decided to have Carl and Judith move into one of the administrative offices near cell block C with Beth and the other children and elderly. He and I discussed that it's best they stay isolated there until we get through the flu issue. It worries Rick and me because Carl and Judith won't be close to us as they were in cell block C; but we know it has to be done to protect them from this flu. Beth has already moved with Judith, but Carl will be moving in with them later today. Carl isn't pleased with it, but he has no other choice.
It's a regular midday at the prison. I've worked at the gates killing off some of the walkers with Maggie, Glen, Tyreese, and Sasha this morning for a good two hours. I then worked with Carol to cook some lunch. Rick told me to not bring up the issue of teaching the kids how to use weapons and kill to Carol; it was best that I seem oblivious to it. I also helped Glen, Maggie, and some of the others dig up some graves for the people we lost yesterday. It's saddening whenever we dig graves. We usually keep quiet and give our respects to those we're burying. Right now, I'm heading to take a break with Daryl. I walk toward the canopy tent to get some food. I turn to my left and see Daryl walking toward the canopy tent from the fence area, his crossbow over his shoulder.
"Nice of you to join me for a break," I say to him as we stop under the canopy tent.
"I haven't gotten much time to hang with ya after the supply run and the mess in cell block D yesterday," he replies as he sets his crossbow down on a table.
"So you admit you miss me," I ask in a teasing tone as I grab an apple from inside a crate.
"I ain't gonna lie," he says with a laugh and takes a bite out of his apple.
"What's been going on with the council in terms of the flu?" I ask before taking a bite out of my apple.
"Well, as ya know, we've isolated those who've been exposed," Daryl replies as he munches on the piece of apple in his mouth. "That means a good majority of us…Karen has been gettin' a bit worse in her condition since last night. She's been put in a cell with another resident for isolation."
"Damn…I hope they get better," I say with a sad gaze as I bite into my apple. "Tyreese must be worried about her…They've been dating for a while now."
"Yeah…crazy shit," Daryl says as he takes another huge bite into his apple. "How's your man?"
"My man?" I ask him in confusion.
"Yeah, Rick. Don't act dumb."
"He's…He's not my man…" I say as I gaze at the ground, trying to avoid Daryl's eyes.
"Don't gimme that bullshit," he says with a smirk. "I know somethins' goin' on between ya'll."
"Please tell me it's not that obvious…" I say closing my eyes.
"It's obvious to me, at least."
"Daryl…I don't want the others finding out…" I say to him in a low, pleading voice. "Especially not Carl…not yet. Not now while all this stress is going on with the flu."
Daryl glances at me after taking a bite out of his apple and nods.
"No worries. I gotcha…" he says with a reassuring smile. "Did ya'll make it official?"
"No…" I reply with a shy expression as I chew. "We just know how we feel about each other..."
"Better get on it, then!" Daryl exclaims. "Ya'll two annoy me when ya'll act like a couple and don't even say it to one another…Damn denial and shit."
I burst out in some laughter at Daryl's words.
"But what if Carl finds out?" he asks in a serious tone.
"That's why I don't want to make anything official, yet…" I respond. "I'm going to talk to Rick about it. I want him to know that I want Carl's permission for us to be together. Until then, Rick and I are just friends."
Daryl continues to chew on another piece of apple in his mouth.
"I trust you with this, Daryl," I say to him. "We don't want others to know that he and I have these strong feelings for each other…"
"Like I said," Daryl says as he finishes the apple and tosses the core into the bucket of compost to our left. "I gotcha."
"Thank you, Daryl," I say with an appreciative smile.
"Yeah. I gotta go check up on some stuff with Hershel and see what's happenin' with the residents who've been exposed," he says as he wipes his hands on his pants and grabs his crossbow. "I'll catch ya later."
"For sure," I reply as he taps me on my arm and walks away.
"And about ya'll two," Daryl calls out as he turns to me while walking. "I approve."
"Thanks again, Daryl," I say with a laugh.
He gives me a nod and turns forward to head to the cell blocks. I finish my apple, toss it in the compost bucket, and walk toward the farm. The sun's still a bit weak today, and it's pretty cloudy.
'I think it'd be a good idea to tell Hershel about me and Rick…' I think to myself as I continue to walk. 'Ah, I don't know…I'll talk to Rick about it...'
I reach the farm area and see Rick inside the garden. He's crouching down at some plants and digging through the soil, planting some pieces of the other plants, the farming trick Hershel taught us to grow more plants.
"How's everything going over here?" I call out to him as I open the fence door and walk into the garden.
"Pretty good, as always," he says turning to face me. "How's everythin' with you?"
"Walkers keep on gathering by the gates," I say as I crouch a few feet away from him on his right and put some gardening gloves on. "I helped Glen and Maggie dig up some graves and bury those we lost…Kinda sad to know that we've been digging since yesterday…And we've lost another one today due to the flu."
Rick and I keep quiet as we continue to dig through the soil. I stare at the bristles of a plant that I've broken off.
"Do you think it's a good idea if we tell Hershel?" I ask as I bury the piece of plant into the soil.
"Tell Hershel about what?"
"About us…"
Rick stops digging in the soil and turns his head to me. I don't look at him and continue to dig through the soil.
"What do you think?" he asks me as he goes back to digging.
"I think that it's a good idea…" I respond. "Hershel knows us both well, and I think he can be a good person to go to for advice…"
Rick stops digging in the soil and looks up at the sky then at me.
"So what is goin' on between us?" Rick asks with a smirk.
"You know what…" I tell him with a smile as I continue to dig through the soil.
"Naw, I don't think I do…" Rick says playfully as he picks up a small cluster of soil and tosses it at me, hitting my head.
"You just want me to say it straight out, don't you?" I say as I throw a cluster of soil at his face.
He turns away to avoid the cluster of soil and laughs. We stay quiet for a moment as we stare down at the ground.
"I've come to develop feelings for you, Rick…" I finally say. "I was in denial first because I didn't want to have feelings for you…I didn't want to love someone in this world where people we care about can disappear…And when I found out about Lori…Well, it was another bigger reason I didn't want to start anything. I wanted to respect the loss of your wife and respect your family. I'm in no place to barge into your family just like that."
"But you've developed those feelings," Rick says. "And I thank you for thinkin' about my family and my former marriage…I've told you about how it was strained even before this all happened…I can't go through all this alone…That's why I need you, Michelle…You help me get back on my feet…I've developed strong feelings for you…And I can't hold'em back…I don't want to."
I turn my head toward him and see that he's gazing at me with his affectionate, blue eyes.
"I guess that makes us lovers," I say to him with a smile. "But I don't like using the terms boyfriend and girlfriend…That seems too childish to me."
Rick chuckles at my words.
"Because not everyone knows about our relationship," he says. "How about we don't actually make it official? Let's just keep it as you and me knowing that we have strong feelings for one another, but there's no official relationship status."
"I'd actually prefer that," I say with a smile. "I want Carl's permission before we make anything official. I don't want us to start a relationship behind his back."
"Understood," Rick says sternly with a nod.
Rick continues to dig through the soil. I grab a small cluster of soil and toss it at Rick's head. It hits him and he turns to me.
"I'm glad we had this talk," I say to him with a small smile.
"Yeah…me too," he says as he smiles back.
He and I continue to smile at one another before we continue to dig through the soil. We turn our attention to Daryl who's running toward us.
"Rick, Michelle…" we hear Daryl say from behind the garden fence. "We got some serious shit on our hands."
Rick and I stare at him in confusion but stand up and toss our gloves into an empty bucket. We walk out of the garden and begin to follow Daryl quickly toward the cell blocks.
"What's going on?" I ask Daryl as I walk on his right side.
"Tyreese had gone to check on Karen," he answers. "He found her and David, the other sick resident, out in the inner courtyard…burned."
"Burned?" Rick asks in surprised. "Someone lit them on fire?"
"Looks like it," Daryl replies.
"Who else is at the scene?" I ask.
"Right now, Tyreese is there with Carol…I thought ya'll should come and help us figure this out."
We make our way inside cell block D and head down a corridor. Rick and I gaze at the floor where a trail of blood leads to the inner courtyard where Daryl says Tyreese found the bodies. We walk out and see Carol standing some feet away as Tyreese stands about a foot or two from the burned bodies, gazing at Karen's in complete despair. Rick and I slow our pace down to a halt, staring down at the bodies in shock. The area smells of burnt flesh. Rick and I gaze at each other with surprised expressions. Rick walks toward Tyreese who has his back facing us as he continues to gaze down at the bodies.
"You found'em like this?" Rick asks Tyreese in a low voice.
Tyreese stays quiet before he turns his head toward Rick.
"I came to see Karen…" Tyreese finally responds, gazing down at the bodies again. "And I saw all the blood on the floor…" he explains while pointing at the trail of blood. "And then I smelled it…Somebody dragged them out here! And set'em on fire!" he yells out in anger. "They killed'em and set'em on fire!"
We all stay quiet for a moment, still trying to process in what's happening. Suddenly, Tyreese quickly makes his way toward Rick in a hostile stance. Daryl and I quickly move behind Tyreese, ready to back Rick up.
"You a cop?" Tyreese asks Rick. "You find out who did this, and you bring'em to me, you understand?! You bring'em to me!"
"We'll find out about it…" Daryl says as he reaches out and places his hand on Tyreese's shoulder, but Tyreese pushes it away, keeping a hostile gaze at Rick.
"I need to say it again?" Tyreese asks Rick in a loud, angry tone.
"No, no…" Rick answers in a calm voice as he shakes his head. "I know what you're feelin'…I've been there. You saw me there…It's dangerous." he continues to say to Tyreese, trying to calm him down.
"Karen didn't deserve this!" Tyreese interrupts him in anger. "David didn't deserve it! Nobody does!"
Daryl and I glance at each other, aware that Tyreese is getting a bit hostile.
"Alright, man," Daryl says as he reaches his arm out again to Tyreese's shoulder.
"Man, I ain't goin' nowhere until I find out who did this!" Tyreese says as he quickly turns to Daryl and pushes him up against the metal bars of a gate.
Rick, Carol and I quickly move forward to help, but Daryl holds his hands out to us, signaling to let them be. Rick, Carol and I listen and back away a few feet. Tyreese continues to hold Daryl by the collar of his sleeveless leather jacket.
"We're on the same side, man…" Daryl says to Tyreese in a serious tone.
"Hey look…" Rick says in a calm voice. "I know what you're goin' through…We've all lost someone…" he continues as he walks a bit closer toward Tyreese and Daryl, holding his arm out to Tyreese's back. "We know what you're goin' through right now, but you…you gotta calm down…"
Tyreese suddenly turns around to Rick and pushes him back.
"You need to step the hell back!" Tyreese yells at Rick as he faces him in an angry stance.
Rick breathes heavily as he looks a bit frustrated.
"She wouldn't want you being like this…" Rick tells Tyreese.
Tyreese then punches Rick in the face, sending him to the ground.
"Tyreese! Hey! Calm down!" I say as I quickly walk behind him and place my hands on his shoulders.
Tyreese pushes me back a bit and walks toward Rick and punches him again, causing blood to spill out of his mouth.
"Stop!" Carol yells in panic.
"Stop! Tyreese!" I yell in a panic as I lunge at him.
Tyreese grabs me by my shirt and pushes me back with so much force that I fall back and hit the side of my forehead against the concrete wall behind me. Daryl jumps on Tyreese's back and holds his arms back to stop him. Carol quickly walks over to me and kneels down toward me, holding my head up. I feel a bit dizzy as I lay on the floor, trying to lift my head up. Rick turns to see me laying on the ground and sees Carol's hand covered in some blood from my bleeding forehead. Anger begins to seer up in Rick as he touches his bloody mouth with his hand. He then lunges forward and swings his fist hard into Tyreese's face. Daryl lets go of Tyreese and lets him fall to the ground. Tyreese is on his knees and hands on the ground, so Rick walks toward him and kicks him in his stomach, causing Tyreese to turn on his back in pain. Rick then stands over Tyreese and begins to angrily swing at his face repeatedly with his right hand.
"Rick…" Daryl calls out to him. "Rick!"
Daryl rushes over behind Rick and attempts to pull him off Tyreese.
"Let go of me!" Rick yells out in anger.
"No!" Daryl responds, holding Rick around his neck and trying to pull him away.
"Let go!" Rick yells out in anger again.
Daryl manages to get Rick off Tyreese but Rick pushes Daryl away. Carol continues to hold me up by my head as I continue to feel dizzy, blood dripping down the side of my face. Rick turns to me and is hit by a wave of worry. He then feels a sharp pain from his right hand and sees that it's covered in blood; he's hit Tyreese so hard that his hand is now hurt. Tyreese is now on the ground, sobbing in despair.
"Rick…" I call out in a low voice.
He turns his gaze back at me and quickly kneels down beside me.
"Are…Are you okay?" Rick asks me in worry as Carol helps me sit up.
"I'm…I'm fine…" I say with a zoned out expression and then turn to look at Rick's bloody face and hand. "Rick! Your…hand…" I say in panic but then faint.
"Michelle!" Rick calls out as he breathes heavily, trying to ignore the pain in his hand.
Carol begins to shake me a bit for a few seconds, and I then slowly open my eyes and look at them.
"Michelle…" Rick says in a low voice. "Are you okay?"
"I'm fine…" I say as I place my hand on my forehead and then glance at Rick's bloody hand. "Forget about me! Your hand! It's bleeding! We…we gotta get you to Hershel!" I say as I attempt to quickly stand on my feet but then wobble.
"Whoa, hey, don't move so quickly," Carol says to me as she helps me stand up against the concrete wall. "You're still a bit dazed after hitting your head hard."
"I said I'm fine…Rick needs help…his hand!" I say in almost mumbles as I lean against the wall.
"Hey, hey, hey…." Rick says to me in a low voice as he steps next to me and helps me stand with his left arm. "I'll be fine. You need to go lay down."
"Rick, I'm fine!" I say as I push his arm away and stand on my own. "I can take care of myself!...Now…now go see Hershel…" I say in a murmur as I turn away from him with a sad expression, clearly out of it.
Rick gazes at me in surprised and worry. I feel tears begin to form in my eyes, so I quickly run inside, down the corridor.
"Michelle!" Rick calls out and is about to run after me but is stopped by Daryl.
"I got her," Daryl says. "You go find Hershel and get that hand taken care of."
Daryl then runs down the corridor in the direction I headed. Rick is breathing heavily, looking at the ground in shock.
I continue to run out of the cell block and toward the fields. My balance is a bit messed up because of the hit to my head, but I continue to run toward the empty fields.
"Michelle!" I hear Daryl call out to me from behind.
I don't listen and continue to run, a tear rolling down my eye.
"Michelle!" Daryl says as he grabs a hold of me from behind and stops me.
I stop and feel tears roll down my face slowly as I keep my head down and I fall on my knees.
"Michelle, what's wrong?" Daryl asks as he holds me gently by the shoulders and kneels down with me.
"I was scared…" I answer in a whisper. "I was scared for Rick…the way he was on the ground with blood seeping out of his mouth…The way he beat Tyreese because of me…"
"Hey, that wasn't your fault," Daryl says as he continues to hold me by the shoulders.
"I was just afraid…I was afraid for Rick…I was afraid…" I say in a dazed low voice, slowly falling forward.
"Hey, hey! Come on, we gotta get ya to your cell to lay down," Daryl says as he holds me up on my feet. "You're just out of it 'cause of the hit to your head…Ya hit the wall hard…Ya gotta stay calm and go lay down, okay?"
I walk with him supporting me by wrapping his right arm around my waist and placing my left arm over his shoulder. We make our way toward cell block C and head inside. I don't say anything at all because I'm still feeling light-headed. Daryl and I head up the steel staircase and into my cell and he helps me sit on my bed. I feel my head hurt a bit as I lay myself down slowly.
"How's your head feelin'?" Daryl asks.
"Starting to hurt…" I respond with my face cringing. "Feeling dizzy…"
"Don't you pass out on me," he says as he leans toward me and places his hands on my face. "Come on, you gotta stay awake."
"Trying…" I reply in a low voice as I try to keep my eyes open.
Daryl grabs a small towel from my shelf on the wall and brings it over to put it over the bleeding wound on the side of my forehead.
"I'm bleeding a lot, right?" I ask, reaching my hand to the bloody left side of my face.
"Just a bit…" Daryl replies as he continues to hold the towel to the left side of my head.
"You damn liar…" I say in a low voice with a smile.
He then stares at me with a pensive expression.
"What?" I ask him, noticing his gaze.
"Rick was pissed at how Tyreese hurt ya…I haven't seen him lose control like that…he didn't wanna stop swingin' at Tyreese…it was…it was crazy."
"I was afraid he wouldn't stop," I say. "Had you not stopped him, he probably would've kept going…He might have even killed Tyreese."
Daryl continues to place the small towel on the side of my forehead, where blood is trickling down my face.
"This is one reason I'm hesitant about starting something with Rick…" I say as I breathe slowly, gazing up at the bottom of the top bunk. "I get scared that something might happen to him…I don't want to go through losing someone I care about…not again…"
Daryl stares at me with a compassionate gaze.
"But I can't help what I feel…for him…for Carl…and Judith…" I continue to say in a low voice.
I bite my lip, trying to hold back some tears.
"Well…maybe it's best ya just let those feelings show," Daryl says in a low voice. "Why hold'em back when ya know ya can't?"
I turn my gaze at Daryl and stare into his compassionate eyes.
"A time may come when you'll regret not havin' shown those feelings…" he continues. "I don't want ya'll goin' through that…Ya'll been through enough."
I look into Daryl's gaze as he continues to hold my head up a bit with the towel against my forehead.
"Michelle?" we hear someone call out from outside the cell.
We hear fast and heavy footsteps come up the staircase, and then Rick appears at the doorway, pushing the curtain aside.
"There you are," he says as he gazes at me in concern. "Hershel! She's in her cell!" he calls out.
Rick moves toward the bed quickly and sits on the edge next to me on my right. I see his right hand bandaged up, making me a bit worried.
"How is she?" he asks Daryl in concern as Hershel walks through the curtain and into the cell.
"Bleedin' on the side of her forehead," Daryl responds as he gets off of the chair next to my bed so that Hershel can sit and examine me. "She's been feelin' dizzy."
Hershel sits down on the chair, placing his bag of medical supplies next to him on the floor.
"Michelle…how are you feelin'?" Rick asks me as he places his left hand on my arm.
"Other than blood trickling down my forehead, I think I'm okay," I say with a half-smile.
Rick stares at me with concern.
"I need ya to turn on ya side, facin' me," Hershel instructs me as he takes out a small flashlight from his bag.
I listen and turn onto my right side. Hershel turns the flashlight on and points it at the left side of my head. He moves blood-soaked strands of my curls out of the way and finds the cut my blood is coming from.
"Hold the light here," Hershel instructs Rick to do.
Rick listens and holds the flashlight with his uninjured left hand and continues to point it at the cut on the top left side of my forehead. Hershel reaches for some big cotton swabs in the medical supply kit, along with a bottle of iodine.
"The cut isn't so deep," Hershel says as he begins to dip the large cotton swab into the bottle of iodine. "No stitches will be needed, thankfully…But it just has to be disinfected and bandaged. You're just rattled from the hit, which is why you're feelin' dizzy and out of it."
"Yeah…been there, done that…" I say.
Hershel then dabs the cotton swab on the cut, causing me to jerk a bit in pain. I hiss through my gritting teeth as I try to stay still.
"I think that hair of yours softened the hit," he jokes as he puts the cotton swab into a garbage bin and reaches for a small cloth.
"That Medusa hair of hers…" Daryl comments.
"Don't be hating on my hair," I reply, causing him to laugh.
"Will she be all right?" Rick asks Hershel.
"Yes…the cut isn't as bad," Hershel says as he places a piece of medical tape over the cloth that's covering my cut. "The only thing we should be worried about is a possible concussion."
Hershel then holds out two fingers a foot away from my face and slowly moves his hand side to side.
"How many fingers am I holding up?" he asks me.
"Uhh…they're blurred…possibly two," I respond in a tired toned. "Please, stop pointing the flashlight at me…" I say as I cover my face with my hand.
Rick turns the flashlight off and places it inside Hershel's medical supplies bag.
"She might have a concussion," Hershel says as he examines me. "She's goin' to have to stay in bed for a couple of hours…"
"No, no…I gotta go kill walkers at the fence…" I mumble as I attempt to get off the bed but am pushed back down my Hershel and Rick.
"Ya can't do anything of that sort in your condition," Hershel states.
"I'm hurt again…" I mumble, a bit upset. "God damn it!"
"Calm down," Hershel says as he puts his hand on my shoulder. "You're still rattled…ya need to remain calm and rest."
I stare up at the bottom of the top bunk with an annoyed expression and let out a heavy sigh. Rick stares at me in deep thought. I feel his gaze but ignore him, and he notices.
"Can Michelle and I be left alone?" Rick says, breaking the silence.
"She can't fall asleep," Hershel warns him. "If she does, it'll make things more difficult."
"I'll watch her…" Rick says with a nod.
Hershel glances at Rick and then at me, noticing the tension between us. He then gets up and heads for the doorway with Daryl, who has also noticed the tension.
"Ya look for me if ya need me, ya hear?" Hershel says as he turns back.
Rick turns toward him with his gaze at the floor and nods. Hershel and Daryl give us one more glance before they finally step through the curtain and walk away. Rick slowly turns his gaze to me and I continue to look up.
"How's your hand?" I ask him in a calm tone, not looking at him.
"It's fine…" he answers. "Just sprained it a bit…few cuts…nothin too bad…"
There's another moment of silence.
"I'm sorry…" Rick finally says as he looks at the floor. "I'm sorry you had to see me like that…I just…I just lost it when Tyreese pushed you back into the wall."
"Guess we were both worried for one another…" I say as I place my left hand over my face, my lips beginning to quiver as I feel tears form in my eyes again.
Rick notices that I'm about to cry and I let out a heavy gasp.
"Michelle…" he says as he moves closer to me and places his left hand on my right arm. "What's wrong?"
I shake my head and keep my hand over my face. Rick moves closer to me and reaches for my hand, trying to gently pull it away from my face.
"Michelle…please, tell me what's wrong," he pleads in a whisper.
I sigh and remove my hand off my face, turning my watery eyes toward his. He is a bit concerned at seeing my sad face.
"I was just afraid…" I reply trying to calm my trembling voice. "I was afraid you'd get seriously hurt….When I saw Tyreese hit you…and your blood splatter on the ground…I just feel it's my fault that you lost control…"
"No, don't you say that," he says as he gently squeezes my arm with his left hand. "Tyreese pushed me, and I wasn't goin' to hit him back…but when I saw how he pushed you, how you were bleeding from your head…I lost it. Anger came over me. It was my fault…I let anger get the best of me…I was just worried about you…I felt that I needed to protect you."
"But now look at your hand!" I say in concern as I gently hold his bandaged right hand. "How are you supposed to shoot your gun if your hand is sprained? I feel like I've caused you to lose what you can use to defend yourself."
Rick glances at the floor for a moment and then back at me.
"Are you tryin' to say I can't shoot with my left?" he asks with a half-smile.
I look at him while trying to hold back a smile. He notices and smiles even more.
"I may not be left handed, but I can still shoot," he boasts, holding his left hand. "I'm Rick…the crippled farmer/sheriff…" he jokes.
I can't help but laugh. He gazes at me with a warm smile. I then turn my smile into a small frown and stare at him. His smile also disappears.
"Another reason I don't want us to start something is because I'm afraid I'll end up losing you…" I say straight out.
He is surprised and stares at me.
"I don't want to lose someone I care about…not again…" I say in a low voice, gazing at him with sorrowful eyes.
He is saddened at my words and slowly leans down toward my face, placing his injured hand carefully over my left cheek.
"Listen to me…" he whispers as he gazes into my eyes. "I'm here…And I'm not goin' anywhere anytime soon."
I stare at him in thought and smile a bit.
"I'm gonna sit up…" I say as I slowly sit up, making Rick lean back away from me. "I'm not feeling so dizzy anymore…Head hurts, but that's okay; I can deal with it."
I give him a reassuring smile and he nods. He gazes at the bit of blood on the side of my face and grabs the small cloth next to me. He leans forward to me and begins to wipe the blood from my face.
"I don't like your face being all bloody," he says as he looks at the patched up cut on my face. "Nor do I like it covered in tears," he says as he drops the cloth on his lap and wipes the trail of tears with his left thumb.
I stare at him as he wipes the tears off my cheeks. His blue eyes then meet mine and we gaze at each other in silence. He's just a foot away from my face and slowly begins to lean in closer. He stops about midway, waiting for me to react. I then slowly lean into his face while closing my eyes and our lips meets. We start to slowly kiss one another, trying to get used to it. I place my hands on the sides of his face and deepen the kiss as he places his left hand on my right side. His facial hair tickles the outside of my mouth. After a good moment of us kissing, I pull away from his face and gaze into his blue eyes, cupping his face into my hands.
"We…we just did that, didn't we?" I say with a shy smile.
Rick cracks a smile and nods.
"Yeah…yeah we did," he replies gazing into my eyes.
"But we're still friends…" I say with a sheepish smile as I hold his bandaged hand.
"Some friends we are," he jokes.
I laugh and let go of his face, leaning back a bit.
"Now back to some serious business…" I say with a serious expression. "What's the situation with the sick residents?"
"I've talked to Hershel about it while he bandaged my hand," he responds glancing at the floor. "We just lost 12 of our own…two of'em in cold blood…We could be facin' an outbreak."
"Oh God…" I say with a sigh.
"I'm not sure what the Council is plannin' on doin' next…but they'll most likely go on a supply run, which you are not going on."
"I know…" I say in a defeated tone. "What should we do now?"
"Well…since you can't be left alone," Rick says as he stands up off the bed. "You're comin' with me to go get some more water with Carol. Are you feelin' all right to walk?"
"Yeah, I can," I respond getting off the bed, feeling a bit of pain in my head as I stand up. "Just might feel a bit dizzy or something here and there. But I can manage."
Rick nods and I follow him out of my cell. We make our way out of cell block C and into the fields of the prison where we see Carol is heading.
"How are you feeling, Michelle?" Carol asks me as Rick and I walk on her right.
"Bit of a headache. Might feel light-headed out of nowhere," I reply. "But I'll be fine."
"And how about you, Rick?" she asks glancing at Rick. "How's your hand?"
"Just a bit sprained," he responds as he looks at it. "Should be good in a few days."
"What did the Council decide on doing about the flu?" I ask her as we continue to make our way down the fields.
"We're going to try to control the symptoms of those who are sick," she responds. "We're keeping the sick isolated in cell block A. Daryl is taking a group out on a supply run in search of antibiotics at a veterinary college some 50 miles from here."
"That's a long trip," I respond. "Are they sure they can make it?"
"They're willing to go in order to do something about this flu."
We finally reach the water pump in the fields. Carol walks over to it and begins to turn the wheel, but we see that the pump is clogged up. She continues to turn the wheel by the pedals but it's no use.
"Let me give another go at it," Rick says as he reaches forward to try and turn the wheel with his left uninjured hand.
"The line's mudded up…" Carol says in disappointment. "The end's dragging the bottom again. We'll have to go out there and clear it. Set the bird, go out through the tunes," she says as she glances over at the gates. "And swing around through the forest route."
"We got enough for now," Rick says as he glances at the container of water on the ground. "That's tomorrow's problem."
"Rick…" Carol says sternly. "Five more people have come down with it since Sasha went in…There's not a lot of us left…What if you and Michelle get sick? What if I do?"
"What if we get in trouble out there, and don't come back," Rick says as he glances to the forest and then at the containers of water. "Now let's get this up to the people who need it…Let's get what we have to get done first."
Rick bends over and reaches for a bucket, flips it over, and empties the dirty bit of muddy water out of it.
"Is Carl pretty pissed about going into quarantine?" Carol asks us after picking up a bucket of water.
"Of course…" I answer as I glance at the ground.
"It's better to be safe," Rick adds.
The three of us gaze out into the field and see Tyreese digging up some graves.
"Always better to be safe…" Carol says. "You should talk to him…" she says regarding Tyreese.
"The three of us should pay our respects…" Rick says with a nod.
"I'm gonna take this up first," Carol says as she turns to walk away. "I'll meet you guys…"
She then walks away on the dirt pathway that leads to the cell blocks. Rick and I stare after her in thought.
"She's acting a bit odd…" I mutter to Rick.
"She is…" he agrees. "Come on…let's go talk to Tyreese," he says as he begins to walk.
I feel a bit hesitant but then follow after him. We make our way to where Tyreese is finishing burying the bodies of Karen and David. Rick sees that I'm a bit hesitant as I'm walking behind him.
"It's okay…" he whispers to me as he briefly touches my arm.
I give him a nod and walk close beside him on his right. We walk toward Tyreese who continues to shovel dirt on top of the graves. He finishes and places the shovel on the ground some feet away. Rick and I stop about ten feet behind Tyreese. Tyreese notices and turns toward us. There's a brief moment of silence as Rick and I stare at Tyreese and give him a nod, showing our respects to Karen and David.
"We're sorry about what happened…" Rick finally says. "What I did to you…Everything…"
Tyreese nods.
"I'm sorry, Michelle…for what I did…" Tyreese says in a guilty voice. "I didn't mean it…"
"It's okay…" I say while nodding.
"You got to find who did this," Tyreese tells Rick.
"Well, I didn't know David much…" Rick says as he takes a few steps forward, prompting me to follow. "Did you? Did anyone have a problem with him or Karen?"
"No…" Tyreese says as he walks toward Rick. "No way…I was with her all the time. Every day. She got along with everybody. Same with David."
"They were the only two who were sick…" Rick says in a low voice as he takes a step forward. "The person who did this might have been tryin' to stop this thing from spreading."
"They didn't…" Tyreese says with a stern stare.
Tyreese's mouth begins to quiver as he looks down at the ground in despair, shaking his head.
"Now Sasha has it…" he says.
Rick and I nod glancing at the ground.
"Whoever it was who did this…" Rick says in a low, angry tone. "They're not going anywhere…We'll find'em."
"Today? Right now? Because I'm not feeling the urgency," Tyreese says sternly. "All I see you doin' is pumpin' water…In fact, what I'm picking up is…murder is okay in this place now."
"No, it is not," Rick says firmly. "But we have to save lives first…We have to keep this place going."
"You worry about that…I'll worry about what's right," Tyreese says as he walks past Rick and I.
We stare after him in thought as he continues to walk far from us.
"Don't let what he said bring you down…" I say to Rick while grabbing his arm gently. "He's just emotionally distressed…Shit, I would be too after what happened to Karen and David."
Rick gazes at the ground and rubs his jaw and places his left hand on his hip.
"Come on…we gotta go get Carl to move into the administrative office with Beth and Judith," he says as he begins to walk in the direction of cell block C.
"Yeah…" I say as I follow after him.
I walk beside him on his left and place my hand on my forehead, closing my eyes.
"You okay?" Rick asks as he turns to me in concern.
"Yeah...just felt a bit dizzy there," I say as I continue to walk with him. "Carl isn't going to move out of his cell so happily…"
"He's gonna have to deal with it. It's best for him and Judith to be in quarantine. He'll be mad, but he'll get over it."
I nod as we continue to make our way to cell block C. We reach inside and head to Carl's cell and see him sitting on his bed.
"You ready, Carl?" Rick asks as he and I stand at the doorway. "I told you to pack earlier…"
"I really don't want to do this," Carl replies in an upset tone.
He grabs his large, brown bag and begins to angrily stuff his things in it. He grabs a picture frame of him, Rick, and his mom, Lori; I gaze at it and remember what's going on between me and Rick. My eyes look down at the floor as I scratch my neck.
"It's for your own good," Rick firmly tells him.
"I'm fine…" Carl responds as he stuffs some of his clothes into the bag. "I wanna be locked up with a bunch of kids…" he responds sarcastically.
"I need you in there," Rick continues. "Keepin' an eye on Judith – on everybody else. Makin' sure they're safe."
Carl doesn't respond and simply stares at his father sternly, sticking his gun into its holster. Rick turns away and sighs.
"If anybody gets sick, you let me know," Rick sternly tells Carl.
"What if they've already turned when I find them?" Carl asks as he flings the large backpack over his shoulder and walks toward the doorway.
"You don't fire…" Rick responds after sighing. "Unless you absolutely need to."
"But you know I might need to," Carl says as he stops in front of Rick, gazing at him with a serious expression. "Right?"
Rick stares at him for a moment with a firm gaze before nodding. Carl then puts his father's sheriff hat on and walks past us out of his cell. I place my hand on Carl's shoulder, making him stop in front of me.
"Be a good champ and take care of Judie…" I say to him with a small smile as I pat his hat.
He stares up at me for a moment before nodding, and then continues to walk out of the cell block. I watch after him and cross my arms.
"Don't worry," Rick says as he walks up behind me. "You know he'll get over it."
"Yeah…" I say still looking at the floor.
Rick stares at me for a moment.
"You and I are movin' down here to the bottom level," Rick says. "I'll move into Carl's cell and you move into the one next to mine…We need to be close to the entrance of this cell block in case Carl and Judith need us."
"Sounds fine…" I say with a sigh and turn away.
Rick notices something's wrong and walks toward me.
"Everythin' all right?" he asks me.
"I'm sorry," I reply as I place my hands on my hips. "I saw the picture of you, Lori, and Carl again as Carl tucked it in his bag…I just feel bad for what you and I did earlier in my cell…"
"You make it sound like we did somethin' more," Rick says as he gazes at me. "And we've already talked about this…When the time is right to tell Carl about us, I'm sure he'll be fine with it…"
He gives me a reassuring smile and I return it.
"Come on…let's go check what's happenin' outside," he says as he taps my arm and walks out of the cell block.
We walk out of cell block D to the outside. As we head toward the direction of the farm, we hear two people arguing from around the corner of one of the cell blocks.
"Is that Maggie and Hershel?" I ask Rick.
"Sounds like it," Rick answers as he begins to walk in the direction the voices are coming from. "Let's go check it out."
We head around the corner of a cell block and see Maggie facing Hershel who's standing in front of the entrance of cell block A.
"What's goin' on?" Rick asks as he and I approach Maggie and Hershel.
"Gilda berries berries…" Hershel responds as he points to a small crate. "My wife used to make tea with them…They're a natural flu remedy. Caleb's too sick to help, I can."
Rick and I glance at the ground.
"There's…so many times we haven't been able to do anything to change what was happening," Hershel continues. "What was happening to us. We wished we could…But we couldn't. This time, I can. I know I can…So I have to."
"Hershel, if you go in there, you're gonna get sick," I say in concern. "You…"
"You don't know that," Hershel argues. "What we do know is that these people's symptoms need to be controlled."
"Hershel, we can wait," Rick says sternly.
"Listen, damn it!" Hershel responds. "Ya step outside, ya risk your life. Ya take a drink of water, ya risk your life. And nowadays, ya breathe…and ya risk your life. Every moment now, you don't have a choice. The only thing you can choose is what you're risking it for."
Maggie, Rick, and I gaze at Hershel, listening to his words.
"Now, I can make these people feel better," Hershel continues. "And hang on a little bit longer. I can save lives….That's reason enough to risk mine…and you know that."
With that, Hershel raises the bandana tied around his neck up to cover his mouth and bends over to pick up the small crate of supplies for tea. Maggie, Rick, and I glance at each other as Hershel begins to head to the large door of cell block A. Maggie quickly walks over to Hershel and stands beside him, stopping him.
"Dad…" she says to him.
They gaze at one another for a moment. Maggie then turns around to the door and pulls it open. Hershel walks in and Maggie watches him go inside with a look of despair. Rick lowers his head and pinches the top of his nose with his bandaged hand. I gaze at Hershel in worry as he walks into the cell block. Maggie then closes the sliding cell block door. She walks toward us with her hand over her face, cringing a bit.
"Maggie…" I say as I walk up to her and place my hand on her shoulder. "I'm sorry Hershel has to do this…But he's made a decision…Like he says, we all have jobs to do…I believe in your father and stand by his side."
Maggie looks at me and nods. I give her a small reassuring smile and pull her into a hug. She hugs me back with some tears in her eyes.
"I'm going to check on Beth and Judith," Maggie says as she pulls away.
I nod and gaze at her, making sure she's okay. With that, Maggie gives me a small smile and walks away in the direction of cell block C. Rick and I stand a few feet from one another. I watch after Maggie as she turns around the corner and Rick faces toward me, his hands on his hips while gazing at the ground.
"Hershel's really doing this…" I say as I gaze ahead.
"I'm worried," Rick says. "But he does have a point."
"He does…" I agree as I look up at him. "I'd rather die trying to help than die without trying…Hershel speaks my language – he's a badass."
Rick lets out a small smile as he nods slightly. I place my right hand on my hip and sigh, staring straight ahead.
"So what are we going to do now?" I ask.
"Let's go check out the courtyard where Karen and David's bodies were burned," he answers while rubbing his chin with his bandaged hand. "I want to investigate the scene…see if we can find some clues about who could've burned the bodies."
"Exactly what I had in mind," I say as I begin to walk in the direction of the courtyard. "I don't want Tyreese lashing out at you again. I understand he's upset and all – anybody would be – but he shouldn't have taken his anger out on you. You had nothing to do with what happened."
Rick walks on my right as we approach the entrance of cell block D.
"I'm telling you right now; if he tries something again, I'm not holding back," I say sternly.
"I appreciate your concern," Rick says as we walk down the corridor where the trail of blood is.
"Ain't no one gonna mess with my friend," I joke as I give him a smirk.
He looks at me and returns the smirk. I walk out of the corridor before him, and he follows. I walk over to the bloodstained pavement and examine it. Rick walks to the other side of the bloodstained pavement, also examining it closely.
"It had to be someone who's very concerned about this flue spreading…" I begin to say as I crouch down in front of the bloodstained pavement. "They were desperate to control the flu and killed them in an effort to stop it…"
"Clearly, that effort was pointless," Rick adds as he crouches down near the bloodstains. "It spread regardless…So whoever it was, made a grave mistake and killed'em for nothin'…Karen and David could've been able to get through it."
I stare at the bloodstains and clench my jaw in deep thought. A moment of silence ensues as we think through the possibilities.
"You know who I think did it?" I finally say to Rick in a slow voice.
He turns his head to me, waiting for me to answer.
"Carol…" I continue, still looking at the bloodstains. "She's been acting a little odd lately…She didn't even pay her respects to Karen and David when we went…"
I look straight ahead and sigh. Rick picks up a piece of metal, looks at it, but then throws it aside, seeing it doesn't show anything.
"I know I don't want to say it, but…I think it was Carol," I continue.
Rick stands up on his feet and walks over to the door where the bodies were carried through. He stops at the doorway and continues to stare at the trail of bloodstains and then turns his attention to the door. He crouches down in front of it by the handle and examines it. I continue to stare at the bloodstains in deep thought.
"She's also been teaching the kids how to use weapons and kill…" I say not turning to Rick. "It just shows how far she'd go to protect the group…I don't know…it just doesn't seem right."
Rick continues to listen to me as he places his hand over the bloodstain on the edge of the door by the handle. He examines it closely and stays quiet.
"I don't want to believe that…" Rick finally says. "But I think it is a possibility…We need more evidence to support our claim."
I look up and close my eyes as I feel my head ache a bit.
"We have to find whoever did this…" I say with my eyes closed and place my right hand over my face. "Before they can do something like this again…I don't want a murderer in the prison while Carl and Judith are separated from us."
"That makes two of us," Rick says as he stands upright and walks over to me. "Now how about we go check on the farm? Come on," he says as he pokes me on the back.
I stand up and feel a bit of pain in my head, causing me to cringe.
"You good?" Rick asks as he places his hand on my arm.
"Yeah, I just got up too quickly," I say before sighing. "Let's go check out the farm."
I walk into the corridor with Rick close behind me. We head out of the cell block and out into the courtyard in between the cell blocks. Rick walks over to grab a bucket and we continue to walk.
"First, let's get some water for the plants," he says as we approach the closed sliding gate between the cell block courtyard and the fields.
He attempts to slide it open with his right elbow, not wanting to use his injured hand. He grunts a bit as he pushes the gate, so I quickly move forward and push it open myself. He nods for me to walk through first and I do, and he follows after me. We gaze at the gates where bicycle tires are making noise as a distraction to the walkers, and see some gathered at the gate, trying to gnaw on through it.
"We only have the tires move when we head out into the woods to distract the walkers…" I say in confusion. "Who put them up?"
We turn our gaze to the small bridge over the river just some ten feet away outside the prison gates. There, we see Carol trying to clean out the hose for the cistern for the water. Around her we see walkers take notice of her and begin to approach.
"Shit…" I mutter as I see a walker head toward Carol.
"Damn it," Rick mutters through his gritting teeth.
He and I begin to run toward the gate where Carol is by.
"Carol!" I call out to her.
"Carol! Run!" Rick yells out.
Rick and I move through an opening of the inside fence and quickly make our way to an opening of the outside fence.
"Stay here," Rick says firmly before he walks through the opening and into the outside of the fences.
I stand inside behind the gate and watch as Rick runs toward Carol. I see some walkers heading toward Rick some 15 feet from his left. Worry begins to overcome me and I fidget in distress.
"Run!" Rick yells out to Carol.
Carol finally lets go of the hose and gets up. She runs to a walker and kicks it in the chest, sending it falling back. She runs to a walker and drives her blade into its skull, and she falls forward with it. I watch in distress as she cannot pull the blade out of the walker's skull and more walkers begin to approach her. A walker is about to pounce on Carol, but Rick grabs his Colt Python with his left hand, aims, and shoots it in the shoulder, causing it to move back away from Carol. I clench up in worry, knowing that Rick is shooting badly with his left hand. I then see a few walkers approach Rick from behind.
"Screw this," I say as I quickly make my way through the opening of the fence and run toward Rick.
I pull my gun out from my holster, aim it at the walker closest to Rick, and shoot it in the head. It collapses a few feet behind him and he turns to see it collapse and then glances at me in surprise. Rick turns to the walker approaching Carol, aims again, waits for a second, and then shoots the walker, this time in the head. Carol gets up and begins to head toward a walker approaching Rick and stabs it in the skull with her other blade. I see three more walkers approaching them and quickly shoot them down, one by one.
"Let's go!" I yell at them as I spot some more walkers approaching us.
Rick and Carol run to the opening of the fence and I stand back to cover them. Carol walks through but Rick takes a hold of my arm with his injured hand and pulls me back with him.
"Go! I'll cover you!" I say firmly to him as I shoot a walker.
"You're goin' in first!" Rick says as he pulls me back.
I turn to him in frustration, knowing that he's not going in until I do. I quickly make my way through the opening in the fence with Rick watching out for walkers around us. As soon as I'm in, I turn to cover him, holding my gun up at any approaching walkers. Rick quickly makes his way through the opening of the fence and Carol quickly closes it behind him.
"Piece of cake," Carol says as she's out of breath.
"We decided to do that tomorrow," Rick firmly says to her with an angry gaze as he ties the opening closed.
"You don't know if we had a tomorrow…" Carol retaliates.
She begins to walk away to the opening of the inside fence. Rick turns his angry gaze from her to me. I give him a serious look and walk toward the opening of the second gate where Carol has gone through. He watches after me with a stern stare. He follows me through the opening and ties it closed after. Carol continues to walk toward the water pump out in the field. I watch after her as I place my gun back in its holster, calming my breathing a bit.
"I told you to stay behind the gate," Rick says a bit upset.
"I couldn't stand there and watch the walkers tear you apart," I reply sternly. "You know I wouldn't listen to you."
"What if you fainted out there because of your head injury?" he says standing in front of me.
"What if you couldn't shoot because of your injured hand?" I argue back.
Rick stares at me and clenches his jaw, knowing that I'm right.
"There's no point in arguing," I say in a calmer tone, reaching for his left hand that's still holding his Colt Python. "It's done. We're fine," I say gazing into his eyes.
He stares at me before nodding.
"You're right…I'm sorry," he says in a calm tone.
"It's all right. Can't blame you for worrying," I say as I turn my gaze to the field and see Carol pumping some water into some buckets. "What she did was risky."
"What she did was stupid and careless," he adds as he also gazes in Carol's direction. "I'm starting to agree with your presumption…Carol could be the one who burned those bodies."
Rick and I begin to walk through the field and up toward the courtyard of the cell block.
"Who else could it be?" I say as I walk beside Rick on his right. "Everyone else is either sick, isolated, or busy doing their daily tasks…"
Rick nods in comprehension. We reach the sliding gates between the fields and the courtyard of the cell blocks. We make our way through the small opening and head toward the entrance of cell block C. Rick suddenly halts and I stop about a foot in front of him in surprise.
"What?" I ask turning to him.
"We have to confront her," he replies. "We have to know if it was, in fact, her…I can't stand the thought of not knowing, with Carl and Judith isolated from us."
I stare at him and nod firmly. He and I head up some small stairs and stand by the storage garage where there's a leaf-covered gate hiding us a bit. I take a seat on one of the stairs as we wait for Carol.
"So what if it was her?" I ask breaking the silence. "What'll happen then?"
Rick stays quiet for a moment as he watches Carol approaching closer and doesn't answer. I stare at him and then look down. Carol walks by with buckets of water in her hands. Rick and I gaze at her as she continues to walk by without noticing us.
"That was a stupid thing you did…" Rick calls out to her.
Carol turns to us in surprise.
"Goin' out there like that…" Rick continues.
"Yes it was…" Carol replies.
Rick walks down the stairs toward her. I stay seated on one of the stairs and watch closely.
"You know, you do a lot for us…" Rick says as he approaches Carol. "For the kids…you sacrifice a lot," he continues as he stops a few feet in front of her.
Carol stares at him in confusion.
"Is there anything you wouldn't do for the people here?" Rick asks.
"No…" she answers after a brief moment of silence.
Rick looks away while nodding. Carol turns in the other direction and continues to walk away with the buckets of water in her hands.
"Carol…" Rick calls out to her as he lowers his head and stares at the ground.
She stops in her tracks and turns slightly back toward Rick. He stands there, sighing heavily, in a brief moment of silence.
"Did you kill…Karen and David?" he finally asks, turning his head toward her.
Carol stares at him for a moment and then glances at me. I lean forward, resting my elbows on my knees, and stare back at her with a serious gaze, and she turns her eyes back to Rick.
"Yes," she answers.
I sit up straight as I turn my eyes to the ground. Rick stares at her and shakes his head a bit in disapproval. She then turns back around and walks away as Rick and I stare at her with serious gazes.