Red River Blue

Chapter 12

"Get the gate," Rick hollered. He was already swinging his leg around the ladder so he could start climbing down. Something was wrong. And it was more than just seeing Beth and River riding like hell towards the front gates that made him think that. He had a feeling in his stomach before. When Harley didn't come back from her run with Eugene on time, the sick feeling started. She was gone overnight. Harley never stayed gone overnight. Especially without preparing her daughter for the possibility that she might. Wren kept Monroe occupied, assuring the girl that the job Eugene was doing on the radio tower probably just took longer than they thought it would and that Harley would be back first thing in the morning. There was a good chance that was true. Rick wanted to believe it. But the tingling feeling in his stomach said otherwise. The moment he saw River and Beth riding towards the gate at top speed, he knew he was right.

River swung down off her lathered horse, gulping down the water that Rick shoved at her. She tried to speak before she even caught her breath.

"It's Harley!" Rick's face went pale. River shook her head. "She's fine. Just dehydrated. Eugene's still missing." Rick didn't care that River was sweaty and smelled like a horse. He grabbed her and hugged her against his chest. River hugged him back. "Better round up the cavalry," she suggested.

Eugene was a member of their group. He was family. But finding him was about more than that. Alexandria didn't have the space to self sustain. They grew vegetables and raised livestock. But not enough to feed a group their size. To compensate, they manufactured bullets and antibiotics. They also grew and processed poppy plants, which was a little more controversial. Because the resulting drug was opium, or if it was refined further, pure heroin. Strong painkillers were needed for surgery or serious injuries. They traded them at a high cost, which supplied them with about fifty percent of the meat the town consumed as a whole. And while Eugene had a few assistants he was training, they would have a hard time making these things without his help. Without him, people in Alexandria would go hungry. They needed to get him back in one piece and in a hurry.

"I can take the horses," Aiden offered. His house was closer to the gate. So River wasn't surprised when he arrived first. She handed him the reins, noticing Beth was happy to do the same. They rode hard all the way from Hilltop and neither of them had the energy to deal with unsaddling a sweaty horse.

"Yer going?," River asked. Aiden nodded. They tried not to have too many council members gone at the same time. If he was leaving, that meant Rosita was probably going to stay. And she could fill in for Aiden. That was the main reason they didn't let married couples on the council together. If one was gone, their spouse could fill the seat if needed. The relationship between Harley and Rick presented an interesting dilemma. Because if they ever made their relationship official, one of them would have to step down from their council seat. But that was a worry for another day.

"It's going to take them at least a half hour to mount up," Beth said, still gripping her ribs with her hand. "Let's go catch a quick shower and pack a couple bags." River nodded. She followed Beth back to their house, parting ways with her once they arrived at the front steps. Beth headed inside to take the first shower. River crossed the street and pounded hard on the door to Daryl and Carol's house a few times before she pushed the door open and stepped inside.

"Hey!," River hollered, hoping to alert her brother-in-law to her presence. She was well aware of what the two of them did anytime they had an empty house. And the last thing she needed to see was Daryl's naked ass. "I'm here and I don't wanna see anyone naked!" River breathed a sigh of relief when Carol stepped out of the kitchen fully clothed. She explained that Daryl was back at the horse barn, messing around with some new horse they were trying to break in. And Aiden was already heading that way. So there was no reason for them to go chasing Daryl down.

"Harley turned up at Hilltop looking like shit," River explained. "...Eugene's missing."

"Mika and Sam?," Carol asked. River assured Carol that her kids were alright. Mika went out with Kelly alone. But Merle, Sam, and Glenn were right behind them. And she was pretty sure Jesus was rounding up a second group when she left. They would be alright. There was a large herd of the dead somewhere nearby. But they all knew how to deal with herds. With any luck, Eugene would be safe at Hilltop before Alexandria could even finish forming their search party. Carol sighed in relief.

"Somethin' else happened," River admitted, wishing she didn't have to be the bearer of this news.

"What?," Carol asked.

"Mika snuck a few drinks at this barn party we were havin'," River said. "...then she went outside and made out with Negan." Carol's eyes widened and she looked to River for some further explanation. "I guess she didn't recognize him or some shit. I dunno. But Merle thumped his ass so I don't think he'll be comin' back fer another helpin' anytime soon." Carol drug her hands through her hair, muttering under her breath.

"He's got to be at least fifty by now," Carol lamented, "...what in the world was Mika doing with a man that age, especially one that she didn't know?" If Daryl found out about this, the shit was really going to hit the fan. He would be out for blood and ready to dish out a second helping of whatever Negan already got from Merle. He might even kill him. They didn't need that sort of trouble.

"I'm pretty sure she was lookin' ta get dicked-down," River announced with a shrug. River understood. She liked sex just as much as the next person and probably more. At Mika's age, her sex drive was through the damn roof. She and Merle used to go at each other like cats in heat. That's how she ended up with two kids before she was even old enough to drink. Which brought her to her next point. "Ya better try ta give 'er the talk again unless yer lookin' ta be a grannie sometime soon," she told Carol.

"Dicked-down?," Carol repeated, shaking her head and trying not to laugh. Before River could even open her mouth again, Carol put her palm up. "I don't even want to know what that means," she said. "River, I swear I do not want to know!" Carol was still not over the trauma of the last time River explained some other disgusting sex term to her. And of course there was the time that River explained what yeast infections were to Daryl quite loudly and with great detail in front of what felt like half the damn town, including her opinion that he needed to wash his fucking dick more often before Carol got another one. No one wanted to hear a repeat of that. Especially Carol.

"Okay, okay," River said. "I'm gonna change and gear back up. Yer comin' right?" Carol nodded. Nothing could keep her home while both her kids were out there in danger. She was going. River smiled, leaning in for a hug but trying not to get her body too close since she was still covered in dried sweat. River headed back across the street, spotting Daryl as she went. He had two horses already saddled up. One for him and one for Carol. River ticked her chin at him.

"Hey! Carol said she wants to get dicked-down before ya leave," River announced loudly. Daryl scowled at her.

"The hell does that mean?," he asked.

"I dunno," River said, "...ya better go ask yer horny wife!" Daryl snorted and ignored her, heading for his house. River hurried into her own, hoping that Beth was done showering so she could get in. About a half hour later, River was swinging herself up into one of their wagons, deciding that she had enough horse riding for the day. River looked around, noticing that one member of their rescue party was missing.

"Where's Rick?," River asked. A couple people snickered but it was Carl that answered.

"He took off right after you got here. He went to go check on Harley."