Red River Blue

Chapter 74

"You're sure we can spare all this?," Harley asked, carefully wrapping the tiny glass jars in thick wads of cloth and cotton before she packed them into her bag. Denise nodded, pulling a few bottles of disinfectant from the shelf. Harley took them, nestling the heavier bottles down under the tiny jars of antibiotics and painkillers.

"We've got another batch that should be ready to go in a few days," Denise confirmed. "...so unless every single person in town gets an infection at the same time, we'll be fine."

Harley nodded, adjusting the items around in her bag as she grabbed for anything else she thought might help their allies at the Hilltop. Maggie wasn't able to stay on the radio long. So all Harley knew was that a tree fell, a lot of people were hurt, and they were in bad need of medical supplies.

"I heard you might be getting married," Denise said, her smile widening as Harley's face darkened into her signature scowl. There was only one thing she hated more than her mother's constant gossiping. And that's when the gossip was about her. "If you ever want to talk about it," Denise offered, "...you know I'm here for you."

"Don't hold yer breath until that happens," Harley snarked, zipping the bag shut with more force than necessary.

Denise managed to hold her laughter back until Harley stomped out the door, slamming it behind her. She knew there was little hope that Harley would ever willingly take a seat on her well worn leather couch. But she couldn't stop herself from trying. The Dixons had, by far, the most complicated family dynamics of anyone in town. And Harley was the most interesting of the bunch, from a research standpoint at least. It was like all her life experiences combined in a way that made her perfectly suited for the world they lived in now. Denise just wanted to sit down with her and pick her brain.

"The hell is this?," Harley barked, setting her back down carefully before she headed further into the house. Her dad was kicked back in the big easy chair with a pair of dark sunglasses on his face. He was sipping on a beer while Lydia, Wren, and the kids ran around fussing over him like he was queen of the new world. He had a fluffy pillow, a blanket, the beer he was drinking, and a bowl of trail mix. Lydia was settling down next to him on a padded footrest, preparing to read aloud from a paperback novel.

"Lay off," Merle huffed. "My eyes hurt like a bitch."

"Yer ass is gonna hurt when I get done kickin' it," Harley warned. She was going to Hilltop. Which meant her dad was supposed to be helping Aiden keep an eye on things here in town. Instead he was flopped in a chair letting a pregnant girl and a bunch of kids wait on him.

"His eyes look really bad," Lydia said, nervously peeking up from her book.

"It's fine," Wren added. "I'm gonna make lunch for the kids and then I'll help Aiden with supply rations and guard rotation." Wren cast a concerned look in her father's direction. "And you-know-who said he would walk the walls and do a perimeter check. I think Tyreese went with him."

Harley rolled her eyes in annoyance. Her dad still needed an ass kicking. But she was relieved that Wren seemed to have things somewhat under control despite their father's sudden inability to function as a normal human. As Carl entered the house, she greeted him with a tick of her chin, smiling when he rushed across the small space and snatched Wren up into his arms to say his goodbyes. Harley lifted her daughter up into her arms, hugging her tight.

"Yer gonna take care of Poppa while I'm gone huh?," Harley asked.

"Yep," Monroe exclaimed. "And we're gonna feed the chickens and collect up all the eggs."

Harley sighed, feeling the same soft swell of emotion that her daughter always inspired inside her. It was a feeling she would be hard pressed to explain. Almost like she loved the girl so much it physically hurt.

"You be safe while I'm gone," Harley said, lowering the girl to her feet and crouching down so they were eye to eye. "Remember…" Harley started to speak. But Monroe and Judith both chimed in, reciting the warning they knew well by now.

"Eyes always watching. Ears always listening. Danger comes when you least expect it."

Harley praised the girls, giving them each another quick hug. When she released Judith, she eyed the girl curiously. Judith had her backpack straps tightened over her shoulders and the long machete Harley had been training her with strapped to her belt. Her quiver was full of arrows and she was holding the compound bow she favored tightly in her hands. Harley was willing to bet that she had a small gun strapped to her leg under her flared patchwork jeans.

"I wanna go with you to Hilltop," Judith said. "I can help."

"I already told her no," Carl announced, casting an irritated glance at his much younger sister. "We don't know what the hell those skinwalker people are up to. My dad'll have a damn cow."

"I know you can help," Harley agreed. "But right now I need your help here." She pointed down, gesturing that she meant for the girl to stay in Alexandria. Judith huffed, crossing her arms before she stomped off onto the kitchen. Harley tried her best not to smile. But it was hard given that she really enjoyed the girl's stubbornness and attitude.

After Carl got one more lingering kiss from his wife, he and Harley hurried through town together. They were heading for the back acre with plans to climb up and over the wall. About two miles further out there was a river just wide enough to fit a small boat that led almost directly to Hilltop. Given that the weather had only just turned more tepid, this would be their first trip down the waterway since last fall. So Harley was slightly concerned that the waterway might not be clear. But since the worst case scenario was that they would have to get out and walk, she decided to chance it. The river led through a densely wooded area, which meant there was little chance of being spotted by the skins or running into one of their large armies of pet walkers. She and Carl worked together, pulling a canoe from the rack and kicking at it to make sure there were no snakes or large spiders hiding inside the bow.

"Hey," Carl whispered, gripping her arm and pointing back towards the way they came. "I swear I heard something."

"Walker?," Harley asked. He shook his head. A walker wouldn't stop walking when they stopped making noise with the boat.

"Might be a skin…," Harley hissed. She lifted her head, signaling in the basic sign language they all learned over the winter that she was going to circle around and catch whoever was following them. Carl nodded as Harley shrugged off her pack and notched an arrow in her bow.
"I'm gonna check just a little further downstream before we put the boat in," she lied, talking loud enough that whoever was following them would be sure to hear it. "...make sure those beavers haven't blocked the passage again."

Harley darted off in the direction she said. But Carl knew she was going to circle around and double back. He made himself look busy with the boat. But really he was waiting with his finger on the trigger of his gun. It didn't take long before he heard a scuffle and the sound of a high pitched shriek. Rushing towards the noise with his weapon drawn, Carl rounded the bend in the path. He stopped short, laughing when he spotted Harley gripping his sister by the back of her shirt like a naughty cat.

"I told ya no," Harley barked.

"I wanna help," Judith argued, her arms flailing as she attempted to free herself from Harley's grasp. "I know I can help!" Harley released her vice like grip on the girl. Her body stiffened when Judith rushed her, wrapping her small arms around Harley's waist and holding on for dear life. "Please please please Mommy Harley! I just wanna come with you!"

Carl could see the indecision on Harley's face. It made him smile a little. He didn't get a glimpse of her often, but he'd encountered her enough times to know that Mommy Harley was a completely different person than Wren's sister Harley or his dad's girlfriend Harley. Mommy Harley let the girls stay up late and eat two helpings of pie. She braided their hair before she hugged and kissed them goodnight. And right now she was looking at Carl, hoping he might be willing to step in and play bad cop. Because she was already hugging Judith back, showing no signs of forcing the girl to return to Alexandria where she belonged.

"It would take over an hour to walk her home and get back out here," Carl offered. "We can't spare the time. We'll have to take her with us."

Judith turned, looking at her brother with a pure joy written across her face. She spun back, looking at Harley to make sure the young woman wasn't going to object.

"This ain't a damn game," Harley warned, her tone stern and serious. "Ya do what I say when I say it. Ya hear me?" Judith nodded emphatically, wrapping her arms back around Harley's slim waist and hugging her as tightly as she could.

"I promise," Judith gushed. Harley hugged the girl back as she locked eyes with Carl.

"Yer dad is gonna kill us."