Chapter 2 – field trip

Pov: Harlow

My eyes burn when I step outside and see sunlight for the first time in months, it's still early morning the air is crisp and there's a cold breeze blowing through my hair. The birds are chirping and oh how I have missed their song.

before prison I used to get up just as the sun began to rise so I could listen to the world wake up for the day and the birds were always the loudest at dawn blessing the animals around them with their song to ease them into the new day. I think I might prefer birds' company over anyone else's with the exception of Enola's, her company was always the best.

I'm so overcome with contentment at being realised from my cage that I don't immediately take in what's around me but when I come back to reality and look around at what's left of the prison the moment shatters. There's body's all over the field and they have all decade to the point where there unrecognisable, I don't know how to feel when I look at them. So far, the dead have never been still enough to get a good look at, so I've never really had to process the appearance of emancipated rotten corpses and the sight makes my head spin and my stomach churn. It's not like I had much of a connection with any of the prisoners here so at least I don't feel much grief over the people these corpses were before.

I'm snapped out of my musings by the growls and groans that mean the dead are nearby. I look over to the fence to see a pack of them trying to get through the fence that separates them from a promising meal.

I look over to the man that seems to be the group's leader who is watching me intently and ask "how did you kill all of the dead here, when the prison was over run, I saw one of them take 5 bullets to the chest and it just kept going completely unharmed" before the man can answer the kid that looks around my age interrupts saying "you got to get them in the head" in a tone that suggests that should have been obvious.

Before I can snap back the leader asks me "how did you survive in that cafeteria for so long, do you have food?" he sounded keen and I assume that he'll try take the little food I've got so I decide to try make a deal with him "yeah, I got food, ill happily share what's left of it with your people if you let me join your group. I've been alone for ages and it seems company is hard to come buy around here plus there's safety in numbers and I don't fancy facing this new world alone. I can look after myself and I can use a gun, I wouldn't need babysat it's really a good deal for you guys if u ask me. I'll even share the water I've got as well free of charge"

I try smile as I speak to hide how apprehensive I am of my own words; the truth Is I don't know these people and they could all turn out to be right wankers or just plain dangerous, but I have better chances of survival with people to watch my back than I do alone so I have to take the risk if not for survival, then for my sanity.

The man thinks for a moment considering me before he answers "that's not just up to me, however the group will discuss it tonight after things with Hershel are under control." He pauses before adding as somewhat of an afterthought "call me rick by the way rick grimes"

I smile at him understanding his hesitance I'm aware how things look he sees a criminal before he sees a child. I think he was a cop before all this because he seems to have a natural disposition to be a leader and the kid next to him is wearing a sheriff's hat, that I doubt he just nicked from a walker, cops tend to have a very black and white view on things from my experience. To a cop there's the good and the bad and very little Gray it's a mentality that will only hold them back in life because it makes them blind to all the shades in-between it's a pity really.

I stick out my hand because that's what I've seen others do in a similar situation and it seems appropriate right now, rick only hesitates a moment before he takes my hand and shakes. With that I decide to tell him "I'll be in that watch tower over there if you need me, it will be nice to be closer to the birds" as I turn to leave a gruff voice belonging to crossbow man shouts "what's your name" I smile and shout back "Its Harlow, Harlow rose" and with that I take my leave.

Carl pov

Hershel is in a bad way when we come back inside, he needs supply's that nobody seems to have the guts to go out and get. I want to be a helpful part of the group but everyone treats me like an incompetent kid. I might have been just a kid before the world fell apart but now, I feel anything but. I've not been a kid since the farm fell because kids don't see there only friend come out of a barn dead, and kids don't watch their dad kill their best friend and kids don't spend months on the road at constant risk of being eaten.

I might be young but there's no room to be a kid anymore you either have to grow up or become just like Sophia, even a moment of weakness can get you killed and won't be weak.

I decide I'm going to find the infirmary and get supplies for Hershel maybe then they will stop treating me as a scared kid. I figure the quickest way to find the infirmary is to ask the girl to take me there as she must know the prison layout, I still don't trust the girl or like her for that matter but I don't think shell hurt me as she has too much to gain from becoming a member of the group and I doubt she would jeopardise her chance.

when I think nobody is watching I slip out of cell block c and make my way to the south facing watchtower.

Harlow pov:

The cool breeze from earlier is all but a distant memory meaning there's no relief from the blazing midday sun. the bird song has slowed down and is reduced to lazy chirps every now and then.

I feel myself begin to doze off when the trapdoor opens and the boy from with the sheriff's hat climbs out. He gives me a calculating look and I suddenly feel scrutinized under his gaze.

After a phew seconds of awkward silence it becomes clear that I'll have to start the inevitable conversation were about to have so I sigh and ask "what do you want? And next time can you knock before you come in its rude not to."

He rolls his eyes at my request and I assume he won't in fact knock next time which pisses me off because my space is very important to me and it's not something I was able to get easily before all this.

He answers my question with one of his own "do you know how to get to the infirmary" to which I answer "yes why though" he looks at me as if that's the dumbest thing he's ever heard before saying "obviously for the guy that's legs just been chopped off" which to be fair that does seem obvious in retrospect.

I smile and reply "why is it you that's asking can't one of the adults in your group go?" he looks annoyed and snaps "well there all a bit preoccupied at the moment and I'm perfectly capable to go myself but it would be easier if u came so do you want to come with me to get the supplies or not" suddenly I understand his real motives for going to the infirmary, he's trying to make a the point that he can to his group. I consider telling him to piss of and that he's going to get himself killed but I decide against it. He is Afterall a member of the group that I'm trying to get to accept me and as annoying as he seems I would feel bad if he died and I could have done something to prevent it.

"Okay I'll take you there but only if you give me that knife" I say pointing to the knife tucked into his belt. He considers me for a moment sizing me up before seemingly deciding it was safe to hand me the knife, probably because he still had a gun.

We have been walking through the prison for five minutes in silence only having encountered one walker (as carl calls them) so far. It only just occurred to me I don't know the kids name so I break the silence "so you got a name" he jumps a bit at the sudden noise before he says "its carl, carl grimes" I smile triumphantly "I knew you were ricks kid, so tell me was your dad a cop or is my assumption wrong" he looks surprised at my statement before answering "yeah how did you know that" I respond with a vague "I'm observant"

We continue on in silence until we get to the infirmary where he says "you clear out this half and ill clear out that half" to which I agree I clear out the first row of cupboards and find, standard pain killers, bandages, smelling sticks, disinfectant, plasters, a half empty first aid kit as well as a new looking suture kit.

I'm about to shout carl over to show him my finds when I hear him yell, I whip my head around in time to see a walker fall out of the cupboard carl just opened and land on top of him, it's trying to bite carls face off and I don't know what to do, but almost like my body is on auto pilot I pull out my knife from its sheaf and run over to him I grab the corpse off of carl and remembering what he told me earlier about getting the walkers head so I stab my knife through the things eye socket into its brain.

Almost instantaneously the thing falls limp and I chuck it to the ground and help carl up. As the adrenaline wares off, I start to tremble my heart going a mile a minute. That was the first walker I've had to kill.

Carl pov:

The girl Harlow and I are clearing out the infirmary, so far, our little field trips been going fine. Although I can't decide if I'm creeped out or impressed about her incredibly accurate the girls' "observations" about my family were but either way it might be a useful skill for someone to have in the apocalypse.

She's weak though and will probably die the minute she leaves the fence. She has never had to survive and there's only two types people left in this world there's the survivors and there's the dead.

After I finish clearing out the shelves I move on to the cupboard, the second I open the door there's a wait falling onto me. My heart sinks as I the smell hits me, no sooner have I registered there's a walker on me the girl is pulling it off.

The growling stops as I stand up, and I see the girl has stabbed the walker through the eye she's as pail as a ghost and is violently trembling and before I can thank her, she's doubled over and gagging. I quickly rush over to her and hold her hair back as she's sick. I try rub soothing circles on her back to calm her down because that's what my mum would do when I was ill as a kid.

However, it seems to do the opposite of calming her as the minute she catches her breath she jumps back. I try to not be hurt bye this because its not about me. I just want her to calm down. I shouldn't care so much maybe its because she just saved my life but I really don't want her to be in distress.

"Are you okay? Don't worry its dead I don't think there's any more around" I try to sooth but I don't think she heard me. She's pacing the length of the infirmary flapping her hands if front of her, she's also humming but not a song, it's the same calm note that gets interrupted sporadically with a more panicked louder note.

Its like her humming is just emulating her level of calmness. The whole thing makes me remember a boy that used to be in my class, he wouldn't hum but he would go silent and flap his hands when things got to loud or busy. Then the word my teacher used to explain his behaviour pops into my head autism.

Maybe Harlow's the same way if she is then she should calm down eventually if she's left alone that's what my teacher did when that boy got like this.

Slowly I start searching the rest of the infirmary and 10 minutes later when I finish clearing the place out her hums are consistently calm. I pick up the bag filled with supplies and walk over to the girl "are you feeling better yet or do you want more time" I ask.

Her humming stops and she's silent for about a minute before she croaks a soft "yeah, I'm fine I just want to hear the birds" although slightly confused about what birds have to do with anything I nod and we make our way back to cell block c.

I'm even more confused that ever of what to think of the girl. I know I still don't trust her because I don't know her or what she's done. although she saved my life without hesitating, she shut down after and I don't know if that makes her weak or not. She could still be dangerous but maybe that doesn't automatically make her bad. Trying to figure her out is like trying to solve a puzzle when you don't have all the pieces.

I don't know yet but maybe just maybe she wouldn't be all that bad to have in our group or maybe I'm stupid for even considering that.

Pov Harlow

By the time we make it back to cell block c I have my emotions back under control. I'm mortified I went non verbal Infront of carl even though I know I shouldn't be. But if the group finds out what happened I've got no chance of them letting me stay. So, when carl reaches for the door handle off cell block c I grab his arm and only slightly franticly ask "please don't tell them about that shutdown I had, they can't find out" he just looks at me with thankfully no pity but maybe a bit of understanding and nods saying "I won't tell them" Before he opens the door and we walk in.

Carl walks into the cell where the man Hershel I think his name was, is bleeding but I decide to stand against a wall so that I can see them but nobody notices me. The Asian man I've seen before looks at carl and says "I thought you were organising the food" to which carl smiles and says "even better check it out" as he dumps the bag of supplies Infront of the group. A woman with short grey hair gasps and questions "where did you get this" and carl responds "from the infirmary. Wasn't much left but that's everything"

A very pregnant woman stares at him before asking "you went by yourself?" she has the same hair and eyes as carl so I assume she's carl's mum. Carl pauses before responding "no I went with that girl Harlow" most of them look confused before a blond girl asks "what girl"

Carl looks to his side clearly only just noticing I wasn't there before saying "the prisoner dad and the others found." The pregnant lady goes white before angrily exclaiming "you went to get supplies alone with a criminal. Carl you no better she's dangerous we have no idea what she might have done, good people don't go to prisons like these do you understand. You have to stay away from her from now on and let the adults handle her." When she's done speaking carl is to stunned to speak for a minute, I know I should be hurt by the lady's words but Instead I'm just entertained by the situation.

I decide that this moment is too good to waist so before carl can answer her, I step forward and make myself known by saying "well this just got awkward, I had no idea how much of a threat I was, would it make you feel better if I left"

I have to hide my smirk as they all turn there heads to see me. The pregnant lady face goes from horrified to confused to embarrassed as she takes me in. I can't help but wonder if anyone told her I was the same age as her precious son but I don't have ponder it for long before I get my answer when she stutters out "oh um. I didn't see you or I wouldn't have said... um... how old are you"

I smile before answering "I'm thirteen and for the record I've only ever hurt someone who more than deserved it. Oh, and I saved your son's life like half an hour ago, your welcome bye the way." And with that I turn to walk out.

Once I get outside I feel like I can finally breath and although quit I can still here a phew birds chirping in the distance. for the first time since the infirmary, I feel fully calm.