Thanks for the review and your patience for this update. The next one won't take this much time because it is half of this chapter, which i got tired of editing and my eyes started to react to the lights. It should be up in few hours or days. cross fingers and pray for positive reactions .
I don't own the walking dead
Please, review
Chapter III: Palliative
They stare at each other for a long time, and Michonne abruptly avoids Rick's gaze. She steps closer to Morgan, and she takes a deep breath. Rick's eyes are too profound, and they are a violent sea of uncontained emotions. Every emotion, which Michonne can't understand, but his emotional turmoil continues to bind her. Michonne's fingers intertwine with Morgan's ones, and she calms her palpitating heart. With tear-stained eyes, Michonne stares at the letter printed in bold red, ambulance. The moment appears to be surrealist. Richard senior is lifted into the ambulance, and all eyes are on his unconscious body.
The house is silent, and the atmosphere is heavy. The entire family stands on the ranch's porch in pyjama, and they stare at the ambulance. Many breaths are drawn but poorly taken. Everyone appears unable to breathe correctly. They stand outside, and the night is warm to the point of suffocation. Although, cold sweats cover everyone's forehead, and they experience cold and chills. No one dares to speak, and for a moment, worry consumes every mind. The moment feels chaotic, and the blue and red of the ambulance siren illuminates the night and the saddened expression on everyone's face.
"I will go with him, and you can come with me, Richard." Morgan finally takes charge during the moment of chaos, and his voice brings everyone out of the stupor.
They start to move, and life retrieves its right even in a tragedy. Rick moves toward Morgan, but Carlton stops him with an angry look. For a second Rick has forgotten the state of their relationship, and he can't return the disdainful look. Rick expects his father to display sensibility, but it is a naivety, which he quickly regrets. Richard senior does not hold the same place in everyone's heart.
"He is my father," Carlton says while he shoves Rick away from the ambulance.
Rick raises his hands in surrender, and he walks away with a last glance ate filled with anger. Michonne does not miss the look, and she focuses on Rick, which refuses to display any other emotion toward his father. There is something strange about his anger, and it almost makes his fury with her look like repressed passion. The timing is imperfect for petty anger or argument, and Rick grasps such facts. He can't let himself slip down that path, and sadly, he wants to do it. Rick draws a deep breath, and he quiets the raging tempest of emotions, which shakes his being. Rick's forefinger grazes his wrist until he can feel the small leather thread around it. He lowers his arms, and he pulls on the leather until it slams back into his skin. The pain is enough of an incentive, and it quiets his impulses to lash out at his father.
"I will drive to the hospital," Rick answers, and he starts to walk away from the small crowd.
Satisfied, Carlton climbs in the ambulance, and he expectantly looks at his wife. The message lacks subtlety, and Morgan does not bother to show any sign of frustration with his best friend's son. Morgan will not allow vultures to surround Richard senior. If Carlton wants Morgan out of the ambulance, he will have to shove him out in a forceful manner. The older man sits, and he throws a look, which says it all toward the Grimes couple. Morgan' impatience and urgency of the moment fuel the tension in the air. The direness of the situation does not restore sensitivity to the minds, and Carlton wants to create a scene.
"I will join you there." Jessie does not rise to Morgan's challenging glance, but Carlton wants to be stubborn.
Jessie leans toward her husband, and she whispers words, which appease him. Carlton sighs and he climbs in the ambulance. Jessie presses a kiss on her husband's lips, and Carlton's grip tightens around her waist while he glances at his son walking away. The time is not propitious for insecurities, and Carlton should not allow the past to haunt him. The ambulance leaves and Jessie searches for Rick with her eyes. Once Jessie finds Rick, she stars to run toward him. Her fingers curl around his arm, and she stops him. Rick glances at her hand on his arm, and he slaps it away as he will do with dust on suede shoes. Although, Jessie stubbornly refuses to acknowledge his act of rejection. They deserve a chance to rekindle as Richard senior's days are numbered. She is close to her goal, and Rick is one of those.
"Can you offer me a ride, Rick?" Jessie asks with a soft tone, and she has a look full of hope.
Rick has not offered her a chance to get closer to him, and she can't fix what is wrong between them if he always walks away from her. Now, Jessie has a chance to corner. A car appears to be the perfect space. She needs to have a conversation with him, and she needs to tell him what she always intended to do for them. No answer dignifies her question, and Rick walks back to their previous spot. Jessie trails him, and Rick clenches his jaws. He stops in front of a Michonne, which is distraught. The young woman waits for Maggie, and she does not believe herself able to drive in her state. Rick grabs Michonne's hand, and he drags her toward his car. Confused, Michonne stares at him, and she attempts to protest. They pass Jessie, who angrily stares at the walking pair.
"Rick?" Jessie questioningly calls after him, and Rick's hand crushes Michonne's finger.
He wants to reach for his leather bracelet, but he does not feel the need to let go of Michonne's hand. Michonne's hand is warm and comforting. It is a strange affair how her presence equates discomfort and a safe familiarity. The situation has left him unable to cope with basic emotions, and Jessie may trigger him. He crushes Michonne's fingers, and she confusedly stares at Rick. There is something extremely odd with him.
"It is a two-seat car." Rick nonchalantly throws at Jessie, and he continues to drag a confused Michonne to his car.
As soon as he shoves Michonne in the passenger, Rick slams the door close. Michonne does not have a second to react. Rick slides in the driver seat, and he takes a deep breath, which does not change anything to his emotional situation. He tries again and fails. Silence fills the car while Michonne watches Rick slowly shed layers of his emotional control. Many failed attempts to take a deep breath turn into frustration. Frustration becomes fury, and pulling on his leather bracelet does not help to quiet his emotions. Michonne continues to glance at Rick, and his hand pulling his bracelet. She tentatively reaches for him, but his voice fills the car before her hand can cross half of the distance between their seats.
"Don't!" He quietly warns her, and the sound of his voice is strained.
Michonne makes herself small, and she almost wishes to disappear. She knows to obey his demand. She can feel the anger and anxiety rolling in wave out of him, and her eyes continue to stare at the bracelet on his wrist. Perfect Rick Grimes is not so perfect. Rick Grimes has an anger management issue, and it should not come as a surprise to Michonne. For the last day, she has been in the receiving end of his fury. Although, Michonne presently wants to point out his flaw. She wants to rub in his face that he is not as perfect as he thinks he is. Rick can't handle pressure, and he has to hide behind one of the most primitive human emotion. She wants to rub salt on his wound as he does with hers. The sounds of his hands slamming in the steering wheel multiple times bring Michonne out of her thoughts born from the baseness of her humanity.
Suddenly, the satisfaction to watch Rick fall from his high horse disappears. He has his head between his hands, and she hears him talk himself away from the edge. He repeats a mantra about control, and the skin around his wrist is red. Again, she attempts to reach for him, and he flinches away from her touch as if he can sense her. Michonne does not stop nor does she heed his warning. Her hands find his back, and she rubs it into a soothing motion until her fingers start to graze her nape. Rick sighs and he leans in the comfort of her fingers.
"Are you okay?" She whispers afraid to startle him, but Michonne's voice is enough to remind Rick, who his source of comfort is.
He answers her with a look, which verbally will equate to a fuck off viciously spat. Rick shrugs away, and he wants to run away from the finger still twisted in the hair of his nape. He lacks the strength to pry away her hand, and he may be a bit grateful, which is why he allows her hand to stay on his nape. However, Michonne received the message behind his look loud and clear. Consequently, she opens the car's door, and she will rather leave than allow Rick Grimes to have another opportunity to treat her with disdain and haughtiness.
"He will want you there." Rick quietly says, but he refuses to look at Michonne nor does he intend to be polite.
Unwilling to start a possible argument, Michonne closes the car's door, and she stares at the window while Rick drives away.
Michonne's tenth message goes unanswered, and her fingers twitch. The silence in the car drives her crazy. Philip's disinterest may finish what Rick Grimes started. She shoves her thumbs into her upper lids, and she rubs her eyes in hope that the need to cry will disappear. Michonne's mind tries to divert from the thought of Richard senior. Michonne only wants comfort. Staring at the passing scenery no longer distracts her, and she needs a form of acknowledgement. She sends the eleventh message, and it goes unanswered. Michonne's need for comfort twists into a need for acknowledgement. However, Rick Grimes dedicatedly ignores her. Her hands continue to itch, and she wants any form of comfort, which she can get.
"Do you have a cigarette?" She asks.
Michonne waits for Rick's answer, and it never comes. She needs his voice to fill the car, and she does not want to go insane due to building anxiety. She does not want the pain to swallow her. The silence reminds her that they are on the verge of a tragedy. Michonne does not want to think about the bold red letters. She wants comfort, and she wants a cigarette. Michonne needs a cigarette, and she looks at the very silent phone on her laps. Why does she submit herself to this emotional turmoil? Every emotion attempts to take over, and her hands sink into her bare legs. Michonne stares at the purple baby doll, which she wears. Unprepared, she completely feels unable to deal with the upcoming tragedy.
Michonne needs a cigarette. She does not want to feel the pain, and she needs to substitute it with anything. She needs a cigarette, and Michonne reiterates her question. Rick continues to ignore her, and Michonne feels her emotions twist and rearrange themselves. She can no longer stand it, and she can no longer stand him. The pain and the anxiety are heavy on her mind. The silence makes everything worse. Michonne smooths her hand along the silk of her baby doll, and she deeply inhales.
"Let me down." She calmly demands, and she expects Rick to jump on the opportunity to get rid of her.
Rick glances at her, and he does nothing else. He ignores her and feeds the confused mix of emotion, which threatens to swallow Michonne. She passes her hand in her dreadlock, and she stares at her phone. She can't stay in this car, and she can allow Rick to treat her as he does. Too many people treat her badly, and she knows it. Why does she allow it? The moment is inadequate and imperfect for such epiphany, but Michonne does not want to think about her grandpa battling cancer. She does not want to think about the cigarette, which she needs. She does not want to think about her poor excuses of a boyfriend, Philip Blake. Rick's silence does the trick, and her anger suppresses all those thoughts.
"I said let me down." She shouts, and it gains her the acknowledgement, which she wants.
Rick cocks an eyebrow, and Michonne suddenly reverses their usual dynamic. Michonne is lashing out at Rick while he stares at her in confusion. Rick draws a deep breath, and he wants to ignore Michonne. Despite his goodwill, he is unable to ignore Michonne. For as long as he has known her, he has never been able to ignore. With her, Things are not as easy as they are with Jessie and his father. He doesn't get to choose if he must react, and he simply must react. Michonne stares at Rick with an eagerness to consume him with her fury.
"In the middle of a deserted road." Rick deadpans, and his calm and controlled tone does not please Michonne.
"The fuck you care." She shouts at him, and she feels better inside.
It is not comfort, but it is close in the warmth it brings. Perhaps, Rick lashes out so often at her because of the comfort, which can be drawn when someone acknowledges your pain. She does not know how he feels after telling to her these horrible things, but she knows that telling him those things takes away her mind from everything beyond her control. Sparing with him quiets her heart, and she does not want to curl in a ball and cry. She won't feel great after the argument's end. When they reach the hospital, she won't feel great, but it is a palliative. Now, she does not need Philip to answer her message. Does Rick attack her because it is an emotional palliative?
"You're right, and I truly don't...Grandpa Morgan cares, and my grandfather cares." Rick replies, and Michonne is not satisfied.
Rick is not as vulnerable as she is to viciousness. He stares at her as if she is a child claiming to be able of a prowess beyond her age. His eyes almost twinkle in a mockery of her anger. Control is a thing, which he holds tight on. When he unleashes his fury on her, he is in control, but Michonne is all over the place. She simply wants to silence her fear and anguish.
"Oh true, they appointed you as my personal saviour. My knight in a shiny armour. Rick Grimes my hero turned bully." She continues to poke him, and she wants a true reaction.
Rick will acknowledge her, and he will be passionate about it. Michonne can't start to explain why grudges from ten years ago resurface, but she does not attempt to be the mature party. The situation has very little do with Rick himself, but he is a good catalyzer. Does she care about Philip not picking her call for help? No, she knows he is not right for her. She is stubborn and afraid to be alone. Her world is a ruin, and the destruction started years prior. Tonight is the apogee of a nightmare, and Richard senior is a vestige of a time when she had a semblance of happiness. Tears start to fill her eyes, and the anger no longer consumes the fear and the despair. The pain returns with a vengeance, and Michonne stares at her phone. She always ran after comfort, and she wipes the tears, which dare to disobey her command.
"Are you drunk?" Rick inquires with a taunting tone, and it nips at the pain, which Michonne feels.
"Do I need an excuse to be an asshole? You never seem to need one." She counters, and Michonne does not want to let go of this vile comfort, which she found in her moment of despair.
Rick sighs with exhaustion, and he will offer her this period of grace. He glances at her for a second, and he thinks better than to vocalize his concern for Michonne. The idea that he wants to comfort her is revolting to him, and so he chooses to be silent. Somehow, they are united in their fear for Richard senior's fate. He focuses on the road, but his silence is an offence, which pushes Michonne closer to the edges.
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...
...
"Now, you can't talk. Too good to talk to me." She pushes with a trembling voice, and Rick ignores her.
Her eyes continue to glisten with unshed tears, and the rebel ones make their ways down her cheeks. She is in ruin, and she should not find new ways to crumble. However, Michonne is falling apart in Rick Grimes' car, and she attempts to fight it. She attempts to distract her mind, and in some way, she seeks her comfort where she received it once upon a time. Michonne does not want to tell him all those mean things. If she dares to ask Rick to hold while she cries because she can't lose their grandpa, Rick will shred her to pieces.
"Well, I'm not step-mommy dearest." Michonne continues to speak with an uncharacteristic petulance, and she does not miss the twitch in Rick's jaw.
"I don't bat my pretty lashes to please you, and I don't have misery in my pretty blue eyes. Is it what you like so much?" She may have missed part of the interaction between Rick and Jessie, but Michonne recognized the tension between the pair of ex-lover.
She knows that her words have started to ignite his anger, and Michonne continues to push. Rick will recognize her anger, and he will deal with it. She will find this twisted comfort.
"Oh, I don't fuck your dad, and then run to you for a more vigorous fuck." Michonne finishes in the midst of silent tears, which starts to turn into sobs.
The car stops, and she almost feels victorious. Misery loves company, and loneliness dulls in presence of acknowledgement. Her words have made Rick miserable, and she can see the dark path, where she drove him too. They can both crumble tonight, and Rick is not allowed to be so in control of his emotions.
"Get down" Rick angrily spat the word at her, and Michonne gracefully leaves the passenger seat.
Rick watches Michonne walks away, and they are three to two miles away from the hospital. She can walk for all he cares, but he cares too much. Rick is angry, and it is an impulse. He does not think about the bracelet on his wrist as the way to squash his anger, and he leaves the driver seat. In three long strides, he catches up with Michonne. With a swift motion, which they have both become accustomed to, Rick grabs Michonne's arm. He yanks her toward him, and she almost collides with his chest. Michonne is about to give him another verbal slap, but Rick intends to throw the first punch and return every blow. He starts to walk back to the car, and Michonne has to follow to avoid the pull on her shoulder joint to cause any strain.
Rick shoves Michonne back into the passenger seat, and he blocks the opening with his body. He leans toward her to a point that his knee sits between her legs, and many parts of his body overlap her. Michonne's heartbeat becomes arrhythmic, and she attempts to shove Rick out of her way. Rick swats her hands away, and he continues to take more of her personal space.
"Ten years…" Rick draws a deep breath, and he again swats Michonne hands out of his way. He will get to her, and she won't be able to stop him.
"You still do the same thang, and you're still that brat begging for my attention." He continuous to crawl her personal space in an intimidating manner.
Michonne places her hands on his chest to move away from him, but Rick fills the entire car's door. Her fingers hold on the soft cotton of the t-shirt, which he paired with his flannel pyjama's pants.
"Rick, look at me. Rick, please give a damn about me. It is a miracle you never asked me to fuck you." Rick spits with an ambiguous tone, and he pushes few locks, which cover Michonne's visage away. Michonne swats Rick's hand away from her face, and she continues to push him.
"A way or another, you would have found a way to ruin my life. I didn't give you the attention, which you craved, and so you took it upon yourself to create that twisted lie. You saw me looking completely out of it. I know you saw, and I know you drag me to the couch. You loved me, but you must have believed that I was utter trash to sleep with my stepmother." Rick pulls away from Michonne as if he needs the distance to revisit that night safely, and he may have said more than he wanted.
He slams the passenger door, and he returns to the driver side. Michonne has barely moved from the defensive stance, which she took again him. For minutes, she attempts to process his words, and they don't make sense to her. Rick has already started to the car, and when the hospital appears in their field of vision, Michonne dares to speak.
"What are you talking about?" She confusedly asks.
"You should know better than I do. From what I heard, you had a lot to say to Carlton about Jessie and me. You had the audacity to run after me and pretend to care or were it to gloat. Too noble to sleep with someone underage yet willing, but my stepmother was right up my alley. Does it sound in character to you?" Rick says with scorching venom, and Michonne stares at him as if he is a raving lunatic.
She does not have the time to counter his claim as she intends to do. Rick is already pulling her out of the car, and flashes suddenly assault their eyes. Michonne does not have the time to process his words, and she does not have the time to pinpoint the core of his anger. Everything goes beyond the fact that she speaks, and Rick may have not handled his change of status in her eyes.
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...
"Rick?" She tries to talk to him, but her voice disappears under the loud clicks of cameras.
"Michonne…Michonne." The paparazzi shout her name, and she can't see ahead of her.
Michonne stumbles at every step. The cameras' flashes blind her, and the constant loud noises distract her. Her adrenaline increases, and she wants the night to end. Rick has somehow disappeared, and Michonne did not expect him to stay by her side. Paparazzi are a mess, which she has to deal with as e Philip says. Her boyfriend also disappears in those moments.
"Are you drunk, Michonne?" She hears the taunting voice, and she tries to correct her gait.
Michonne does not want another rumour on the front page, and she can already imagine the headlines. The night continues to be a nightmare, and Michonne continues to crave a cigarette. Michonne continues to need comfort. She can't see ahead of her because of the blinding camera's flashes
"Fuck off," Rick says to one of the paparazzi as he stands in front of Michonne and pushes the camera away from her.
Michonne does not expect his help, but she receives it. He grabs her hand, and Rick drags her body to his side. She hides her face into his flank, and his perfume fills her air. Perhaps, it is despair because she can hide from reality. Conceivably, it is the anger because once again, a difficult moment of her life is immortalized for public consumption, but the reason matters little. At that moment nested in the side of Rick's body while his arm shields them from the flashes, Michonne finds a transient comfort. She takes in his scent, and she crushes Rick's waist with an ironclad hug. Rick leads her until the hospital's emergency room, and then he pries her arm away from his waist.
"Thank you," Michonne says, and Rick walks away without acknowledging her words.
The family waits in a corridor, and the entire room is quiet. They scarcely exchange looks, and the tension from previous events has not melted. After their previous, Michonne and Rick have put the distance of three seas between them. Michonne leans on Morgan's shoulder, and Rick holds Maggie's hand. Hearts are heavy, and Michonne shed silent tears while Morgan tells her to hold on. Jessie and Carlton are in their corner, and they are maybe the most collected in the group. Their hushed conversation is the only thing, which disturbs the quietness of the room until Michonne's phone starts to ring. Michonne turns it to face the screen and reads the caller id. She wants to reject the call as he did hers, but she has to quiet her mind.
"Excuse me, I will be back." She whispers the words and places a kiss on her grandfather's cheek.
Michonne walks out of the emergency corridor, and she carefully tries to avoid the paparazzi, who might be around. Michonne's phone continues to ring, and it disturbs the relative quietness in the small hospital's corridor. A sigh at the caller Id and Michonne's blood boils. She no longer knows why she continues to expect more than what he offers. Michonne does not know why she settles for what Philip barely attempts to offer. Michonne takes a deep breath, and she accepts the call.
"Call them off." She says as a greeting, but Philip has crossed many lines, which she never expected him to cross.
"What…" Michonne interrupts him before he can lie his way out of consequences, and her assertiveness silences her boyfriend.
"I know you read my messages, and you sent those paparazzi to the hospital entrance. You could not send a reply back, but you could place several calls to have those paparazzi ready." Michonne's voice drops in octaves, but it is the only way to hide the growing tremors in it. "Call your paparazzi off." Michonne hisses before Philip can say anything to excuse his behaviour.
"Michonne, darling. How do you feel?" He does not bother with pretence nor does his voice display any sign of shame.
Another expectation, which she shouldn't have allowed herself to have. It is not the first time that Philip pulled this type of stunt. However, Michonne only wanted support, but he will always run behind publicity. Does he even respect her? She knows the answer to that question, and her sadness once again hides behind her growing anger.
"Philip, I don't have to go through this." Michonne sighs with exhaustion, and she pushes her loose locks away from her face.
The tension settles between her shoulder, and she feels like shouting her fury. She takes another deep breath and leans against a wall. There is a weighty silence in both side, and she should hang up. He is not worth the anger, and Philip is another failure in a decade of years plagued by many failures. Michonne won't find the comfort, which she needs with Philip Blake, and she knows it. Although, the admission is difficult, and so she stubbornly decides to disregard what she knows. Michonne fears loneliness, and tonight is the worse night to be alone. However, she is clinging on someone, who has never been there for her.
"This is a private and trying time for my family. You could respect that, and you should respect that. You could care about me." Michonne says with a pleading tone, but she knows that she should not have to plead with her boyfriend for consideration.
"I care about you. I care about your career..." The last word confirms what she has known for years, and the truth will never change.
The lack of effort into the lie infuriates Michonne, and she has to admit the truth. Michonne is a client to Philip, and if the night has thought Michonne something, it is to strive for acknowledgement. She draws a deep breath, and she regrets the soothing effect of nicotine. Her nerves won't survive this night. Her world will continue to crumble.
"And you need public's sympathy, not privacy." Philip continues to speak, and he does not take the cue from Michonne's sudden silence.
If he wants to treat her like a client, she should remind him what his place is. From all Rick Grimes puts her through, he may have awakened something long lost in Michonne. Michonne moves away from the wall where she was leaning, and she straightens her spine. She can no longer stand this, and she no longer wants to stand it. Why does she allow everyone to treat her like a doormat in hope to gain love in return?
"Fuck off, Philip…" She confidently says, and he attempts to stop her with some soothing words.
Although, she no longer wants to be complicit of his lies, and his poor choice of words will not quiet her heart. Michonne wants acknowledgement, she wants comfort, and she wants a cigarette. Philip Blake can't offer anything on that list.
"Go snort cocaine or any other shit you do on my dime, I don't care as long as I don't see your hired paparazzi. If I see another paparazzo, you're fired." Michonne hangs up before her agent can recover from her words, and she returns to Morgan's side.
Her phone rings again, and she chooses to ignore his calls.
Two hours have passed, and they have heard no news about Richard senior's health status. The lack of knowledge on Richard senior status increases the tension in the room, and the need for comfort exponentially grows. The Grimes subconsciously starts to form a cluster, but Carlton and Jessie continue to stand aside. Eventually, Rick and Michonne end in a position when she is close enough to lean on him. The fatigue and anxiety may be the reason why he allows her to rest his head on her shoulder, but the reason why Rick's fingers constantly graze her finger is unexplainable. The act on itself is subconscious, but he recognizes the comfort, which he gains from it. Therefore, he does not stop, and he hooks his little finger to Michonne's hand.
"Jessie, Carlton." The stern greeting startles everyone, and it breaks the haze around the mind.
Reality settles, and some subconscious actions become obvious. Rick pulls his hand away from Michonne's one, and he puts as much mental and physical distance between him and Michonne. Everyone stares at the man with the white coat and waits for him to pursue.
"Mr Jones, I did see you there, and you must be the rest of the Grimes family." The doctor continues to speak, and his platitudes are not welcomed in such time.
Although, it is comforting. If he has time for small talk then the situation may not be dire.
" I'm Richard senior's general physician, Doctor Pete Anderson." The man says as he extends his hand for anyone to shake.
"General physician?" Rick questions, but his tone shows his extreme surprise.
He glances in Morgan's direction, and Michonne, who stands by Morgan, shares Rick's confusion. Their facial expressions are borderline rude, and Pete allows his extend hand to fall when he notices that the chance from anyone to shake it are minimal.
"Pete is very good at his job." Jessie states and she moves away from the corner where she stood with her husband.
She exchanges a meaningful look with Pete, and Morgan rolls his eyes. Although, he decides to focus on the matter of importance.
"And you would know because you are a medical expert, Jessica," Rick says with a haughtiness, which Michonne has started to associate with his treatment of his stepmother.
Until a few hours ago, Michonne believed that Rick made use of his venom only with her, but Jessica Grimes could also be on the receiving end of his malicious tongue. If Michonne is being objective, she will say that Rick is harsher with his stepmother. Around Michonne, Rick is hesitant in his anger, and it is impulsive. With Jessie, his anger is calculated.
"Rick doesn't want to be insulting, but we should meet Grandpa Richard's oncologist. Grandpa has an oncologist, right?" Michonne intervenes before the conversation derails, and Rick glares at her.
Rick bites his tongue not to act on his impulse, and he allows Michonne to be the diplomatic voice.
"King County is a small place, and the oncologists are scarce commodities. This is a small town hospital, and Doctor Anderson is qualified." Carlton backs down his wife, and he directs another look fool of disdain to his son.
"And this..." Rick points at the hospital's old wall, and his forefinger ends on Pete, who wishes he could be away from this hospital corridor. "This dump and a general physician are good enough for grandpa's care. These fucking crumbling walls are good enough for you so-called father's care. What the fuck is going on?" Rick continues to speak, and he glances a second time at Pete Anderson.
Even in this moment of frustration, he has the impression to know the man, and the physician name is not foreign to his mind. Although, he has not been in King County for ten years. Ten years ago, the few passing acquaintances he had in king county were Jessie's friend. He does not explore the feeling of familiarity, and he is too busy antagonizing his father. The rest of the room stares at Rick, and his rudeness leaves everyone speechless for a second.
As a force of habit, Michonne recovers before anyone else, and she glares at Rick. However, she shares his opinion about the hospital. King County general hospital is a crumbling building with many doctors, who rely on old age medical knowledge.
"Rick." Michonne chastises," He does not mean it that way." Michonne offers as a form of apology, which she knows Rick will never issue, and she moves to Rick's left side.
"If Richard bothered with your family the last ten years, he will know what is going on. Jessica and I thought it would be convenient for dad. Pete is a longtime friend of her and me. If he wants to waltz in the room with demand, Richard would do good to remember that he isn't welcome nor is he wanted around here." Carlton replies to Michonne, but he has his eyes on his son, which has a matching expression of disdain.
"If this damp is not good enough for you, feel free to leave the place or better continue your exile." Carlton addresses the last word to his son, and Rick's nonchalance infuriates him.
"Carlton, I'm not …" Rick intends to rise to his father's challenge, and he starts to move toward Carlton.
Michonne grabs Rick's hand, and she keeps him in place. Her quick reaction surprises Rick, and it delays his reaction to her audacity to touch. Michonne pulls on the leather bracelet around Rick's wrist.
"This is a hospital, and grandpa Richard is not well. You will control yourself Richard Grimes junior, or God help me, I will teach you some manners." Michonne says while she shoves him back.
Morgan looks at his granddaughter, and he is glad that he did not bet with Richard senior. He had faith in the impossible, but when she wants to have a spine, Michonne has a steel one. Her tone suffices to keep Rick in check although his pride demands a retribution. Rick raises his hand in surrender, and he takes two steps back.
"For future references, don't touch me or God help me, Michonne Jones," Rick whispers for Michonne's ears.
He has a need to soothe his ego, and Rick does not want to admit that Michonne could yield the authoritative ability to calm him when he is in a state where he has no emotional control.
"Perhaps, we should all worry about Grandpa." Maggie decides to jump in the conversation after Michonne successfully puts a stop to Rick's exuberant anger.
"Pete, sorry. My stepson is out of line." Jessie adds in the same spirit to pacify the room, and she throws a small glance toward her ex-boyfriend, which her husband does not miss.
"I don't remember giving you the authority to apologize in my behalf, dear stepmother." Rick drawls with the remaining ounce of pettiness in him, and Michonne passes her hand in her dreadlocks.
Rick Grimes has the ability to drive her mad, and she would not know where to start. She glares at Rick with the intent to warn him, and he cocks an eyebrow in a challenge, which Michonne chooses to ignore.
"I was simply stating the truth, and I will be glad to leave this dump with grandpa. Is there a way to request a hospital transfer?" When Michonne does not rise to his challenge, Rick continues with a small smirk, and he turns toward Pete to hear the answer to his question.
"I will give you a minute for this type of discussion, and you can do so as a family." Pete rushes the answer, and his voice lacks confident.
Rick's statement brings a sourness to his mouth, and he looks at Jessie with a certain glimmer in his eyes. Although, the rest of the room assume that Rick rudeness caused Pete's paleness and his sudden abrasiveness. Pete can no longer stay in the room and cold sweat starts to run down his spine. His eyes filled with fear fall on Jessie again. His furtive glances are insistent, and Pete hopes she gets the message. Too eager to leave, Pete starts to walk away without delivering the news about Richard senior's health.
"Doctor Anderson…" Morgan calls for him, and Pete stumbles on his foot. "You have not told us anything about Richard."
"As for now, Richard senior is perfectly fine. The loss of consciousness was a false alarm and a reaction to his chemo. You may go into the room in a small group and for a brief period. We will keep him for a night observation and discharge him in the morning." Pete says while he gets a grip of his emotions, and he will do him no good to panic.
Pete starts to walk away, and he hears the step following. He prays that it is not Rick Grimes requesting a transfer for Richard Grimes.
"I need a minute with you, Pete," Jessie says loud for the prying ears around or precisely her husband and Morgan.
...
...
...
"You promised me, I wasn't taking any risk." Pete wants to shout, but he has to settle for whisper-shouts.
They are in his locked office, but the subject of their conversation is too delicate. If anyone hears them, Pete is not ready to face the consequences. He furiously glares at Jessie, and she does not share his fear. She wraps her arm around his waist, and she places a soothing kiss on his lips. Jessie's hands rub his back, and she starts to deepen the kiss.
"You need to calm down, Pete." Jessie quietly says as she breaks the kiss, and she goes to sit on his desk.
Pete looks at his twelve years girlfriend as if she lacks a functioning brain. How does she not grasp the gravity of the situation? He would not be in this risky predicament without her greed and stupid idea. He should have broken up with her when she started to date that arrogant rich prat, the same infamous Rick Grimes, but she convinced him to see the benefit. She would be getting him through medical school without the debt, and she did. He should have left when she married her side dish' father, but again she showed him the virtues of her association with Carlton. They would start putting money for a private practice, and she started to give him these ridiculously high amounts of money. However, He should have put a stop to this farce when she suggested something so illegal. Jessie always knew how to appeal to him, and this time, she promised him his place in the family, which he helped create.
"Do you know what that transfer can cause? I'm not only losing my license. If you pretty boy goes through with that transfer, I will go to jail for negligence and medical malpractice. You convinced me to give placebos to a cancer patient. Essentially, I'm watching him die. I should have never told you about Richard senior. I knew it was a mistake. Was it your plan? Are you trying to get rid of me? Is it for the pretty boy?" Pete's panic adds tremors to his voice, and Jessie looks at him with a patronizing smile.
"Rick can't do shit. He does not have the legal power over his grandfather, and I don't think Richard senior will side against Carlton. This is a perfect crime, and we just have to watch. You continue to give him whatever you give him, and I will soon be able to divorce Carlton with half of the Grimes' fortune as a farewell gift. I just need you to do your part. Have I ever failed in delivering what I promised, Pete? I gave you a full college ride. I gave you enough to live comfortably with this mediocre salary. I need you to do your part, and so I will do mine." Her tone hardens because Pete's cowardice exhausts her.
Jessie leaves Pete's desk, and she takes his face between her palms. She has done it multiple times, and she knows what she needs to say to manipulate him. Jessie's thumbs rub Pete's face, and she remembers to be careful. His machismo makes him dangerous, and she does not want to risk his anger. She looks into his eyes, and she waits for his weakness to resurface. Pete averts his eyes, and Jessie knows that it is her time to strike.
"I don't care about Rick Grimes, and he was a mean to an end. I love you, and I have proved it. What have you done for me? Nothing. I whore myself to an old man for you. I gave you a life. What did you give me, Pete? Empty promises for two years and bruises, which I have forgiven. For two years, it was empty promises and an empty stomach until I found a way around misery and poverty. Rick was a meal, Carlton was access to the feast, and Richard's senior will secure an eternal seat at the greatest table. I need you to do your part. Do what a man should do for his woman. No one can blame you for the death of a cancer patient." She finishes her tirade with a small encouraging smile, and she kisses Pete's anxiety away.
"Just make sure that there is no request for a transfer. If your pretty boy has his wish, it is over for us." Pete says while he grips on Jessie becomes bruising. "I mean us like you and me. If I fall, you will be right behind me. If you're thinking about double-crossing me, I will advise you to forget about it." Pete says as he recovers his bravado, and he kisses Jessie's hand.
"It won't happen. A few more months and we will be rich and together."