Dead Days
Chapter Five
Crumbling Walls
Summary: She wasn't blood, wasn't a Dixon, but fuck if he didn't have strong opinions on the subject.
I was almost late posting this. Like an hour away from the deadline of the day, but my kid got sick, probably what I had earlier in the week, and now we're traveling eight hours away, and I got caught up talking rather than writing or anything like planned. XD Pretty typical.
Anyway, I hope you all enjoy this chapter!
Rick passed out, his eyes rolling into the back of his head, as blood leaked out from where she had hacked off his hand. Her stomach rolled dangerously, her hands shaking, as she stared down at what she had just done. Forcing back the bile that rose dangerously up her throat Remington pulled the flannel she had been wearing over a tank top off as she knelt next to Rick.
She needed to stop the bleeding.
Wrapping it around his newly acquired stump she pulled the hair tie from the ponytail she had haphazardly thrown up this morning and used it to keep it wrapped. She hoped it would also help staunch any blood flow. Glancing over she noticed they weren't that far from the car. A couple hundred yards, they hadn't made it terribly too deep into the maze of cars, and Remington began to wonder what her success would be for dragging Rick to the car.
It held a higher success rate than getting Merle into the vehicle. He was bulkier, heavier, and all-around bigger than Rick, and though she had always liked that about Merle, it was now a hindrance.
She worried her lip, not wanting to leave them outside without cover, but she also needed to get Maisie from her hiding spot. The child would only stay put for so long before her fear and worry would drive her into ignoring her mother's warning.
"Pixel," Remington commanded, "Protect." She slashed her hand in a certain way before motioning to the two men. The dog jumped into action, removing himself from her side, and began to nuzzle at Ricks' cheek, before moving to stand over Merle in a protective stance. Remington knew he would do this, moving back and forth from the two, and would lead any danger away if it came while she was gone.
Feeling uncertain about her decision, before shoving any doubts from her mind, this was going to be her course of action and she needed to feel confident about it. She had to be organized, needed to get everyone to safety, and find help for both Rick and Merle.
One step at a time.
She cleared her mind and focused on each task individually.
Maisie was first. Remington would grab her from the car, and have her sit up front, before doing her best to move the other two.
Rick wouldn't turn. She had taken off his hand, she knew it had worked on Hershel's leg, and after experimenting with Jenner, she understood better how it spread, and the speed at which it traveled.
Maisie was ushered from the vehicle and instructed to not look at the two men as Remington placed her into the car. She then turned around and caught the way Pixel had begun to whine and lick Merle's face as the man sluggishly tried moving away. His hands had come up to try to push the dog away, but he held very little power behind the shoves, the dog easily overpowered him. Remington was at his side in a second, her hand coming out to lightly push Pixel before she began to wipe at Merle's face.
"Merle," she cried, leaning over him. Her long hair tickled his face as she bent down and gazed worriedly at him. "Are you alright? How are you feeling?"
"Fuck," he grumbled, eyes blinking rapidly as the sun harshly clashed with his sensitive eyes. "Mah heads swimmin'." His words were incoherent, and Remington couldn't force the helplessness back as it crashed over her.
"Rick," she sobbed, before forcing her breathing to calm, and her mind to stop racing. "He's in bad shape. I need to get you two to the car, but I don't think I can carry you." She tried to help ease him into a sitting position, but he groaned, dry heaving, before slumping back down. "Come on, Merle."
"Tired," he slurred. "Jus' wanna lay he're a bit." His eyes closed and panic seized Remington violently as her hands came up under his head, and shoulders she began to tug him up.
"You gotta stay awake, okay, Merle, you gotta keep those eyes open." He muttered a bit, trying to slide from her grip, but she forced him to stay up until those blue eyes opened.
"Git off, and let me sleep, woman."
She huffed in irritation as she laid him back down, her eyes roaming over to where Rick was still passed out. Crawling over to him her fingers reached out to press against his neck, as she laid her head down on his chest. It rose and fell, and she could feel a beating under her fingertips, causing a wave of relief to rush over her. He was still alive. Lightly shaking him Remington tried to wake him up, but the man seemed to have passed out due to the shock. It was not a good sign and it worried her. Like so many other times in her life, Remington wished she had more of a medical background. What little she knew was no help at this moment and she felt like she was drowning.
Was she supposed to move Merle with his head the way it was?
If she didn't it was surely a death sentence.
Rick, too, needed to be moved to get help or he would bleed out right here. The wound needed to be cauterized. Remington wasn't sure how she would get it done. Instead, she decided it would be best to find the Greene farm as soon as possible. Standing up she walked around before kneeling behind Rick, her hands going under his armpits, before lifting up the top half of his body, and beginning to drag him over to the car.
Maisie was watching wide-eyed at everything going on around her, completely ignoring her mother's earlier words, as she stared in horrified fascination.
It was a slow process.
Remington would drag Rick a few feet, huffing, and puffing, as she strained her muscles, before stopping, and then going again. When they came to the car, she leaned him up against it before opening the door. Pulling him to the door, she crawled inside the back seat before leaning back out, to grab at Rick. As she pulled him inside Rick made a grunting noise, his eyes fluttering open, before sliding back closed.
Breathing heavily, Remington bit back a curse as she bumped her head against the ceiling of the car as she finally dragged Rick into the backseat. She carefully pulled his stump over his chest before opening the door behind her and stumbling out. Running back over to Merle she began to carefully try to shake him awake.
"Whut?" he asked.
"Stand up for me, won't yah?" she asked, trying to tug him into a sitting position.
"Nuh. Tired." His hand half-heartedly swiped at her.
"Come on, Sweet Cheeks," Remington joked, as she pulled him up. "Kick off your heels and help me drag you over to the car."
"Don' call me tat," he grumbled. "I call yah tat." His eyes fluttered closed again but Remington wrapped her arms around his waist and began to pull up. She stumbled, almost dropping him, before Merle seemed to catch himself, planting his feet unsteadily underneath himself. He was heavier than she had thought. Having someone helping her carry him last time had really been helpful. "Fuck mah head hurts."
"You hit it pretty hard it looks like," she said gently, as she slid around to his side, and wrapped his arm around her shoulders, before doing the same to his waist. "I need you to help me get to the car, all right? We're not that far."
It seemed a lot farther than when she had been dragging Rick. Except, now with Merle barely holding onto consciousness, rather than completely disregarding it, they made better time. Remington motioned for Maisie to open the passenger side door as she helped Merle slump into the seat. Maisie looked hesitant to get into the back with Rick and Remington didn't blame her. When she crossed over to get into the driver's seat, she motioned for the kid to go sit with Merle. She crawled across the middle console before hesitantly moving to snuggle into Merle's side.
The man looked to be having trouble keeping his eyes open but once Maisie had cuddled into him it seemed to help focus him.
"Mango," he muttered tiredly. "Yah 'ight?"
She reached up to gently smoosh his cheeks together as she cuddled in closer to him.
"Momma kept me safe."
"Yah momma good like tat." His head slumped back as the ringing in his ears came back.
"Merle, I need you to stay awake," Remington said. "Maisie keep talking to him. I've gotta find Hershel."
"Does your head hurt?" she asked softly, stretching her body to glance at the back of his head, which he seemed to shy away from. There was a bump that brought concern to her.
"Tink I got a concussion."
"What's a cunsssion?" Maisie asked in confusion. Remington turned the car around, speeding down the street while trying to keep from jostling the men too much. She rambled off an answer that Maisie would understand as she kept her eyes peeled for any sign for her to turn. "Oh. That's a bad owie." Using his shoulder Maisie moved to get a closer look at it while trying not to hurt him anymore. "Momma kisses my owies to make 'em better."
"Maisie don't touch it. You could hurt him."
"I know!" She lowered her voice when she noticed the way Merle had flinched at her voice growing louder. He never said anything, but Maisie was hyper-aware of how people were feeling. Gently hugging him Maisie kissed the side of his head, keeping away from the bump, but wanting to bring some kind of comfort to the man she was growing to love. "Kisses magically heal." She whispered this last part into his ear before snuggling back into his side.
"Tanks, little darlin'."
Remington tuned out the idle chit-chat Maisie had come up with as she took her mission seriously. She badgered him until Merle answered every question and Remington felt relieved to notice he was sounding more coherent, but just as tired.
She barreled down the road, occasionally darting her eye up to the rearview mirror to glance at Rick. Her fingers cramped around the steering wheel as she noticed how pale Rick had gotten since placing him in the car. Her eyes darted around before noticing a glint of metal on the side of the road, almost hidden by trees, and probably why she had missed it the first time they drove by. She slowed the car down, having to push the brakes a little harder due to how fast she had been going, and listened as both Merle and Rick groaned in pain. It eased her anxiety just the tiniest of amounts to hear Rick make a sound at all.
He was hanging on better than he looked.
"Where is it?" she muttered as she barreled down the new road, hoping that it would open to the farm, as all she could see were trees on either side of her. She pictured the farm in her head and knew that it was surrounded by farmland on every side, with a circle of trees around it. Remington knew that it was unlikely they would turn her away, not with a man needing medical help, and more importantly, they were unlikely to kill Rick if they found out he had been bit.
Hershel thought those things were sick. More than likely, he would wait for Rick to turn before dealing with him. Remi knew she had to have gotten to Rick in time. He wouldn't die unless an infection or blood loss got to him. Those two things were unfortunately high on the most possible list.
Remi still hadn't told the others about everyone being infected. She would make sure to do that once they were all reunited. She would be sure to mention it to the Greene's as well. Regardless of whether they allowed them to stay on their land.
After what seemed like an eternity Remington broke free from the tree line and could see the farm out in the middle of the property. If she had been able to take the time to properly take in her surroundings, she would have thought how picture-perfect it looked. Like an oasis in the middle of a desert. There was no sign of the apocalypse around them. As if it had never happened to begin with.
"Momma. Where are we?"
"We found Hershel," Remington said in relief. Before she had pulled the car up to the house there were people already out on the porch, staring at them with concern, and uncertainty. Maggie was the first Remington spotted. She was prettier than she remembered her to be. "Maisie, you stay in the car. Don't get out, and don't mention anything to them."
"Yes, Momma." She snuggled a little closer to Merle, who wrapped an arm around the little girl, as he gazed at those outside the car with a dazed distrust.
Remington slid from the car. Her hands were immediately up showing them that she had no ill intentions.
"Can you help me?" she called out. "My friends… they're hurt." She winced, glancing into the backseat, and only grew more worried at the way he had begun to look. "I think one might die if he doesn't get help. Please."
Hershel stepped forward. His face was set in a stern sort of calmness as he took in her haphazard appearance. She knew her white tank top was covered in blood, and she could feel how flecks had dried against the skin of her face. She hardly looked like someone you wanted to let into your home.
"Please. I promise we mean no harm. I just need to get them help." She motioned toward the ones in the car. Hershel walked down the steps of the porch and began to approach the car.
"Daddy," Maggie warned, moving to reach for him.
"I'll be fine," Hershel said. He surveyed the front seat of the car, noticing the man who looked half-conscious, and the little girl in his arms. "That little girl fine?"
"She's not hurt."
He came to a stop at the back seat and peered inside before opening the door.
"What happened to him?" He moved to duck his head inside as he gently began to survey the man's arm. Remington's flannel was now soaked in blood, and it had begun to stain the floorboard of the car and had smeared across Rick's shirt.
"Got bit," Remington said honestly, seeing no reason to hide this fact from the man. She still felt positive he wouldn't hold it against them. "I had to cut it off to stop the spread of the infection. I should have been quick enough to stop it from spreading any further than the initial bite." Hershel frowned heavily as he pulled himself from the vehicle.
"Patricia, I need you to ready the guest room and my tools. Otis, I need you to help me get this man inside." He turned back to Remington not waiting to see if they would do as asked. They would without question he knew.
"Daddy, are you sure about this?" Maggie asked, still looking uncertain and concerned over the situation.
"These people are in trouble, Maggie. I can't in goodwill send them away." He eyed Remington seeing the way the adrenaline that she had been running off was still going strong. Her eyes were dilated, and she looked moments away from a breakdown but was still somehow keeping a lid on it. "Can your other friend make it inside without our help?"
"I'll be able to get him there."
"I'll send Otis back out once we get this man settled. Do you happen to know his blood type?"
Remington shook her head. She knew it had been mentioned in the show when Carl had been shot, but it was such a tiny detail, and it had been so long ago, there was no way she could recall it now.
"I don't know," she said. "But my blood is universal, if he needs any, I can help." She walked around the car to help Otis as he began to pull Rick out of the car. The man's eyes fluttered open, and Remington was there, making sure he had seen her, as she smiled kindly at him. She tried to keep the worry off her face. "Hey, it's gonna be all right, I found someone to help." His eyes slid back closed, and Otis began to carry him into the house.
"What happened to him?" Hershel asked as he hesitated to follow Otis. Remington knew he was needed inside and to be quick, and precise.
"He fell and hit his head pretty hard. There's a knot on the back of his head, he fell unconscious and was slurring his words there for a bit. I suspect a concussion."
"Take him inside, sit him on the couch, I'll take a look at him as soon as I clear your other friend."
"Of course," Remington said, still feeling relieved and beyond surprised that Hershel was actually helping them. It would still be left to fate to see if he would allow the rest of their group onto the property, but at least now Remington knew where to find them. It just had involved far more drama than she had liked. "Thank you." She watched Hershel quickly walk back into the house.
A worry began to nag at the back of her mind.
Merle hadn't lost his hand, Rick had, but someone still had lost a hand. It didn't help that the way they had found Hershel was through someone getting hurt. It may not have come at the price of Carl getting shot, but a Grimes still ended up on that bed, possibly dying.
Fate truly was unpredictable, but it worried Remington that events were seemingly trying to correct themselves. Could she truly change anything? Yes, Jenner was alive, and so were Jacqui and Amy, three people who should have died by now, but yet, thanks to Remington they weren't. Was it possible that she could save people but that somehow events would still try to happen in some shape or form? She wasn't sure and knew that it would only drive her crazy if she kept thinking about it. There was absolutely nothing she could do but keep observing and seeing how things continued to go.
She had to believe that she could save Merle and Shane, keep them from dying, and falling down the path that wasn't right for them.
Removing all thoughts that didn't consist of getting Merle into the house, Remington opened the passenger side door and helped Maisie out first. Then she helped guide Merle out, who was better off than when he had been back on the highway but still stumbled far too often for Remi's worried mind. He leaned heavily into her side, trying to keep most of his weight off her, but failed in doing so once they reached the stairs.
Maggie was there in an instant, taking the other side of Merle, and helped guide him up into the house, before showing them to the couch.
"We're readying him another room to stay in," Maggie said. "It's small but it's got a bed and a place for the two of you to watch over him."
"It's fine," Remington said, hovering over Merle, as Maisie sat down next to him. She had reached out, taking his much bigger hand in her own, as she held onto it. Remington felt her heart melt at the action. "We'll take anything. You've already let us into your home and are helping us. That's more than I ever expected to get."
"How'd you know anyone lived here anyway?" Maggie asked, suspicion hidden in her tone of voice.
"I didn't," Remington said, trying to shrug off the question. She had most definitely known that someone lived here. "I was just hoping to find somewhere safe to deal with them myself."
"Oh. You have medical knowledge?"
"It's not extensive enough to have helped much with Rick." Remington motioned toward the man Hershel was working on at that moment. "I would have found a way to cauterize his wound and hoped to get him back to our group. We've got some antibiotics there and a doctor of sorts." Jenner would have been Remington's best bet at keeping Rick alive if she had managed to get him back to the cabin without dying. "Just so happens we ran into your family, and someone had the knowledge to help. Your dad, is he a doctor?"
"A veterinarian." Remington nodded, already knowing that, as she took a spot on the arm of the couch, next to Merle. The man seemed to be trying to pay attention to the conversation and Remington wondered how much he would remember later.
"Regardless of the species he usually works with he's got life-saving knowledge that most don't. I'm in your debt."
"You two together?" Maggie asked. "Do you want to go into the back with him?" Remington felt Maggie was trying to get a feel for her, firing question after question, to figure her out.
Merle scoffed, "He wishes his wife was like sweet cheeks, here." Remington ignored the comment as Maggie grew more curious.
"Oh, no. We're just friends." Remi wondered if that was an accurate description of them. They hadn't much to do with one another until recently and he was worried she was taking away his best friend. She had also just chopped off his hand. Remi really didn't think that qualified remotely in the friend category. "His family is going to be worried when we don't show up tonight."
"Well, none of you are going anywhere tonight," Maggie said. "Rick, was it, isn't going to be up to going anywhere for days, and that man shouldn't be up and about for a couple of days as well."
"I'll need to go warn the others." Remington frowned as she realized how true that was. There was no way she could send Maggie down the street to go get the group as Rick had done in the show. They were over an hour away and Remington was uncertain that if Maggie could find them, the others wouldn't be more suspicious than the show. After all, a few of them had been shot at, and the others witnessed Merle being cuffed to the roof. Their run-ins with outsiders hadn't ended well on any occasion.
Jenner had been the first not to start with violence, but if it hadn't been for Remington, they all wouldn't have found out about the building blowing up until it was too late. That was something Remington knew the others were having a hard time dealing with when they looked at Jenner. She could read it on their faces.
It was best that Remington made her way back before sunrise. She somehow doubted that Shane would truly wait until mid-morning to send anyone out looking for them.
"I'll need to talk to my dad, but I don't think he'll be worried about you bringing his family here." Remington bit her lip, deciding to go in for the kill and figure out how Maggie and the others would feel about the group staying on their land.
"We're actually in the middle of moving around," she said, tentatively. "We don't have a safe place to stay right now. Is there any way the group can come with us, and stay on the property, while Merle and Rick get better? We'll be out looking every day for somewhere else to settle down more permanently, but I really don't want to keep our group separated. It's not safe that way."
Maggie seemed uncertain as her eyes darted over toward Maisie, and back to where her father was dealing with Rick.
"I don't know. I'd have to talk to daddy." Remington could hear it in her voice that Maggie didn't want to send them away but was worried about what kind of people they were.
"I wouldn't ask, not normally, especially if the group were only adults, but we've got kids and I'd feel safer having them all in one spot. Having to bounce between the two destinations would take up resources we don't have, and time."
"I understand." Maggie almost seemed to lose her will to say no after hearing about there being more kids. Remington had seen the way she stared at Maisie. Almost as if it had been a while since she had seen a kid, and well, Remington was certain it had been. In a world like this, seeing children who were happy and healthy would be rare.
Remington hated it.
"In the end I'll respect anything your father decides," Remington said, tilting her head in a show of respect. "His family and I are already more than happy for the hospitality you've shown us already."
"For what it's worth," Maggie started. "You seem like nice people. Daddy might be okay with it if it's just until they get healed up and back on their feet."
"I couldn't ask for anything more."
Maggie stood up, glancing back toward the room before her eyes settled on Maisie.
"Are you hungry?" Remington could see how awkward she felt, but children were always easy to talk to, and anyone with a heart wouldn't purposefully ignore them. Maggie simply rested on the one thing that didn't make her feel uncomfortable. Maisie glanced over to her mom, asking for permission, as she looked uncertain of the circumstances as well.
"It's all right," Remi encouraged. "If you're hungry just let her know."
Maggie seemed to catch onto the uncertainty that curled around the girl and knelt down in front of her so as to not seem so scary.
"My name is Maggie," she said. "I could make you a sandwich, and we've got fresh lemonade. I think we may even have some cookies leftover from when Patricia made some a few days ago."
The thought of cookies drove any thoughts of wariness from Maisie's mind as she slipped from the couch, dropping Merle's hand, and stood in front of the young woman with a bounce in her step.
"Cookies!" Maisie exclaimed as she reached out for Maggies' hand. "Really?!" Her eyes drifted back to her mother, waiting, and hoping to be told it was okay. Remington nodded.
"Only if you eat that sandwich, and you've got to tell both Maggie, and Patricia thank you."
"Yes!" Maggie smiled lightly at the action as she turned to lead her into the kitchen before Maisie stopped, let her hand go, and ran back toward Merle. She climbed up onto his lap, using his shoulders to steady herself, before kissing his forehead. "I just want to make sure your owie is healing."
Remington felt her heart melt some more, and by the way Maggie was looking, she felt the same. Maisie would no doubt have her eating out of her hands by the end of the late lunch. Remington didn't doubt that if any of the others in the household spent any time with her, they too would be goners.
For a split-second Remington felt as if she should follow them into the kitchen, they were strangers, but just knowing who these people were, it eased her mind, and when Otis walked into the living room, Remington decided to help Merle first. Maggie was safe. She was kind. There was no way she would hurt Maisie, and as long as her daughter stayed inside, nothing else would hurt her either.
"I got that room ready for him," Otis said. "I'll help yah into it." Merle didn't complain when Otis pulled him to his feet, but Remington saw the way Merle tried to walk more by himself, as Remington followed silently behind them. She saw it as a good sign. Hopefully, his injury wasn't nearly as bad as she had suspected.
Once Merle was settled in Remington ended up spending the next few hours bouncing between him, Maisie, and eventually Rick. Hershel ended up needing her to give Rick blood, he had lost too much of it, and Remington was more than happy to offer it up. She still had guilt nagging at her over the ordeal.
Finally, as the sun began to set, Hershel deemed Rick in good enough condition to leave him be.
Hershel stood at the sink washing his hands as Remington waited, leaning against the countertop, behind him.
"It's as good as I can get it," Hershel said. "He'll need antibiotics. We don't have any here, and I'm worried about an infection settling in."
"We have some back with our group."
"Ah, I heard about your group. You won't be able to go get them until the morning. He really should have some tonight. There's a pharmacy in a small town not too far from here. Relatively safe. My daughter, Maggie, makes runs there every once in a while. Only when we need it."
"I can go grab them. Be back right after nightfall."
"Otis can go with you. He knows the way. He'll also know what to get just in case you don't."
"I'd appreciate the help. I know what to look for, but I'd hate to have to rely on directions and a map. It would be faster to go with someone who knows the way."
Hershel nodded as he dried his hands off. He turned to study her.
"When you get back, we'll talk about that group of yours coming here. Maggie told me what you asked."
"We'd never force you into doing anything you didn't want to. I'm only bringing up what's best for my people."
"I see. I want to help you, but I've got to do what's best for my family."
"I understand. If you say no, I'll spend what time I've got searching for a safe place nearby for the group to stay at until Rick and Merle are better."
Remington didn't want to do this, but she had been telling the truth. She would follow Hershel's rules. Especially if she was going to get them to trust her. She wanted them to join the group, not hate it.
"Rick's family can stay here with him. I understand, in his case, they wouldn't want to be far away. You and your daughter can of course stay with your partner."
Remington couldn't help the blush that flooded her cheeks at the misconception of Merle being in any way romantically involved with her.
"He's a friend," she muttered shyly.
"My apologies," Hershel said, raising an eyebrow. "The little one treats him familiarly enough, and the way you hover around him, well, I only assumed."
"It's fine." She felt as if she was burning alive. Instead of continuing that train of thought, Remington plowed forward to the more demanding tasks. "Is there anything else Rick would need? Or Merle?"
"The best I can do for Rick is keep watch on that stump and pump enough antibiotics into his system to keep an infection from killing him. There are already small signs of one forming now. After that, I need to keep an eye on whether the arm will need to have any more cut off of it, fortunately, I think you did a good enough job cutting it clean, that it shouldn't be needed. As long as we can keep the infection out of the wound." He set the towel down and leaned against the counter as he thought things over. "I suspect your friend has a concussion. A pretty decent one from what you've described has happened to him after. I don't feel as if he's in any danger if he falls asleep, but I'll need you to keep an eye on him throughout the night. Occasionally wake him up. Just to be on the safe side. As for anything else you could pick up, try to see if there's any pain medication. Rick could use them once he's awake."
"Of course." Remington carefully filed away what she needed inside her memory before turning toward the doorway that would lead her into the dining room. "I'm going to tell Merle and Maisie where I'm going. I'll meet Otis out front soon."
"I'll let him know," Hershel agreed.
As Remington walked away, she felt some concern over the trip into town. Hopefully, it ended up being nothing like the fated trip between Shane and Otis. She could only hope it was an in-and-out job.
┈┈┈┈․° °․┈┈┈┈
The sun dipped down over the horizon as they arrived in town. They had taken Otis's truck, him driving, while she sat in the passenger seat going through the bag she had grabbed before leaving. Inside was her gun that she had respectfully left inside the car knowing Hershel wouldn't like her having it out on his property.
"It's up here," Otis said. "I've got a couple of flashlights."
"We'll stick together," Remington reminded him. "Neither of us leaves the other sight. Just to be on the safe side." Otis nodded, looking relieved, giving Remington the idea that he wasn't comfortable out here among the dead. Neither was Remington, but she decided not to show him that, anything to make him feel more comfortable. She at least knew that he would have her back if something went wrong. He had helped Shane regardless of what the end outcome was.
Sliding from the truck Remington placed the gun into the waistband of her pants before taking the offered flashlight. They hadn't noticed a single walker during the drive and Remington took that as a good sign. The little bell dinged as they opened the door, causing Remi to flinch, as she glanced around before turning on the flashlight. She wished there was a way to keep the beams of light from being seen through the windows but knew there wasn't any way to keep that from happening. All she could do was quickly move through the pharmacy, grabbing what they needed, and getting out.
It wasn't just Walkers she was avoiding trying to attract.
Sticking close by Otis, only ever one row away from him, Remington swiveled back and forth, from the pill bottles, and her surroundings. She didn't dare focus on one spot for too long. She refused to be snuck up on due to her not concentrating.
"Found some pain meds," Remington announced as her eyes landed on the familiar label she had been given in the past. Snatching up all she could see, Otis called out saying he had found the antibiotics. Coming up behind him she watched as he grabbed a couple of bottles before making his way back toward the front of the store. Remington glanced back over, noticing there were some left and grabbed them to shove into her bag. She understood why Hershel and his family only took what they needed but they didn't understand that this wasn't changing. They were stuck in this situation for the rest of their lives.
No one was coming to help them.
She would do what she needed to for her newfound family. That meant stocking up on medicine like this.
Walking down the aisles she grabbed more of anything they might end up needing, such as gauze, and medical tape. She was certain that Rick had used up a lot of Hershel's supplies and she wanted to pay the man back in some way.
As she followed Otis back through the store Remington couldn't help but hesitate as she spotted the pregnancy tests. Glancing back toward Otis who had hesitated at the front door upon noticing she had stopped Remington huffed out a breath as she bent down to snatch up two tests. Lori wouldn't thank her if anything she would only grow annoyed, and upset that Remington would assume such a thing, but Remi didn't care. Lori needed the pregnancy test and Remington felt that she needed to find out soon.
Shane needed to be freed, and Remington felt that Lori finding out she was pregnant, was the push in the show that had Rick finding out about the cheating. She would help guide Shane in what to do if he needed it and would make sure that no matter what, Lori couldn't twist the situation and drive a wedge between Rick and Shane.
Otis didn't give any indication that he noticed what she had grabbed.
Remington didn't mind if he had. He could think what he wanted too.
Shoving the tests into her bag she followed after him, hopping into the truck, and feeling relieved that everything had gone over easily. The ride back to the Greene farm went as safely as it did go into town and Remington let out a relieved breath. At least one of the trips hadn't ended in some kind of danger. It proved to her as well that not every event ended the same
Otis was still alive. He may have gone with her, and not Shane, but he had been sent out on a medical supply trip and survived. Remington felt good about that.
Once they arrived back Remington sought out Hershel, handing him the extra supplies she had snatched up, explaining that it was to replace what he had used to help Rick.
"Thank you," Hershel said, kindly. "I appreciate this." He turned back to Rick, gently waking him, as he handed over the antibiotics and pain meds. Rick barely stayed awake long enough to take the pills, noticing Remington, and falling back to sleep. "He'll need to be checked on every few hours. I'll get up to do that if you don't mind taking care of the other one."
"Yes, sir," Remington agreed. "Every three hours or so, right?"
"Yes. That'll do just fine. We'll go over any changes that need to be made after you've arrived back from your group." He glanced up at her, his eyes narrowed a bit, as he slowly began to nod. "You'll bring those people here, you'll all follow my rules while you're on my property, but you must understand. This is temporary. I expect you to be out there every day looking for a place that you can set up for yourselves. Once these two men are back on their feet, I expect you'll all go on your way."
She felt her stomach tense, rolling a bit, as she realized that she was now on a time limit. Hershel gave Rick a week before he would be healthy enough to move around as long as he avoided an infection. She would have a week to wiggle her group's way into his heart and allow them to stay.
She had changed so much. Would that still be something that would happen? Especially since it was no longer Rick executing these actions.
It was her.
"Of course, Hershel."
Remington made her way to the room Merle was occupying for the next couple of days. A lamp had been left on, but both occupants of the room were sleeping. Maisie lay bunched up, a blanket tucked in around her, on the old Lazy-boy Otis had placed in the room for them to sit in. Silently she made her way over to the chair before leaning down and kissing her daughter's head softly. She carefully brushed away the stray hairs clinging to her face and wordlessly thanked whoever was listening for keeping her daughter safe.
"Yah made it back," rasped Merle, causing Remington to take a step back from Maisie before standing back up.
"Did I wake you?"
"M'light sleeper."
Walking over to the edge of the bed Remington sat next to him as she reached out with a Tylenol pill in her hand. She kept to the edge, not wanting to crowd him, but feeling an innate urge to make sure he was okay, and still be close.
"Hershel said you could take this for your headache." She placed the pill into the palm of his hand before reaching over to grab his water.
"We leavin' out in ta morning?"
"I am."
She watched as her words dawned on him before a scowl slowly began to form on his face.
"Yah ain't goin' alone."
"You need to stay here and rest. Hershel said you shouldn't be out doing anything for the next couple of days. You really got hurt, Merle."
"M'fine."
Remington took the glass of water from him and placed it back on the bedside table.
"You're not fine. It's okay to stop and take care of yourself. If you can't then let me."
Merle eyed her, she could see the urge to deny, to fight, and get his way rear its head up.
"It's not safe for yah to go off on yer own." Remington scoffed as she rolled her eyes before reaching out to grab his hand.
"Come on, Merle. We both know I can take care of myself." That scowl deepened as his gaze fell down to the hand that held his own. "It's not that long of a trip."
"Darlin' I don' know who yer tryin' ta fool, but it ain't meh." It was Remington's turn to frown at his words.
"What-?"
"Yah don' fool me. I see ta way those Walkers scare ta shit out of yah. Yah put up a brave front, but I know yah." Her fingers reflexively tightened against his hand before she forced her body to relax.
"So? Is that supposed to keep me from doing what I need to? I can't let fear rule over my judgment. Right now, what's important, is for you and Rick to heal, and get our group back together. To do that I need you to stay here, resting, and keeping an eye on Maisie. She's not coming with me. She's safer here on the farm. I'm the only one that can go off and grab the others. I'd really appreciate it if you'd back me up on that. Please."
She couldn't look him in the eye as she said this, hating the fact that she was admitting to a huge weakness, especially one that pointed toward something so crucial in this world. Remington heard him sigh before suddenly he was tugging at her hand, pulling her toward him, and she found herself reacting without thinking. Mindlessly she shifted closer to him, another tug, and she soon found herself leaning against the headboard of the bed, sitting right next to him. He shifted over, making room for her on the bed, and when she only gave him a lost glance, not sure what to do, Merle tugged her away from the edge. Hesitantly she moved until she was pressed against his side, their hands still connected, and suddenly an awkward feeling tugged at her gut.
This felt intimate, much like what she had done back at the CDC, and Remington began to realize how often these moments seem to happen.
"I've got yah back, no matter what, darlin'," Merle confided in a soft voice. "Don' mean I can' worry 'bout yah. I don' trust these people, but yah seem ta." He paused to eye her here. Remington was trying to pretend her ears weren't turning pink at the close contact but was listening intently to what he was saying. "Yah seem ta know they were here. I got tis feelin' that yah know exactly who these people are, even though it's obvious they don' know yah."
"Yes." She couldn't lie to Merle. She didn't want to.
"Hn." He stopped to take in her confirmation, trying to file that piece of information away so that it made sense, but there were far too many gaping holes in his knowledge. Remington was a puzzle with many of the pieces lost or hidden away, but he was determined to put her together. The headache that had been easing from the medication reared its ugly head causing him to wince and immediately shy away from the heavy thoughts littering his mind. He was almost certain that the doc had told him to avoid such things along with tasks that used too much effort.
Instead of dragging the conversation on, Merle wanted to, he held uncertainty about her going by herself, but he also understood that it had to happen. He trusted Remington with his life, and that meant trusting her with her own. He tried not to think about why it was so important to him that nothing happened to her. Some days those thoughts clouded his mind so much that the man he used to be would grow hazy, and he'd lose himself, as he anchored himself to something other than being just a Dixon.
Keeping his little brother safe was still important, a priority, but that had now reached out to bubble around Remington and her tiny family. She had dug her way under his skin and Merle found himself wanting things he had never before cared about.
She wasn't blood, wasn't a Dixon, but fuck if he didn't have strong opinions on the subject.
Remington, in all her kindness, noticed the way he flinched against the sudden onslaught of pain. She turned a bit, moving to kneel next to him, as she silently beckoned him to scoot up. Feeling tired, and confused, but not having the energy to do anything about it, Merle did as she asked. When she moved to settle in behind him, he barely held the energy to feel surprised, before a sensation settled over his muscles, and he melted into her touch.
She had begun to massage his shoulders, moving up his neck gently, before working down to the muscles in his upper back. She repeated the movement, feeling as he relaxed into her touch, and before long she felt, rather than heard, the sigh of contentment, and relief fall from his lips.
It was easing the headache that had begun to build behind his eyes.
"Fuck, sweetheart, that feels good."
"I was told that massages can help ease the pain. Is this, okay?"
"More 'n okay," he muttered happily. "Yah could do this ever' night." Remington continued until she felt the tension completely melt away and he began to sag forward. Patting his back lightly Remington moved out from behind him before she began to slide from the bed. Only a hand halted her movements. "Where yah goin'?"
"You're tired. You should sleep. I'm gonna go over and lay with Maisie."
"Don' need ta." He patted the spot she had been sitting in before the massage. "Bed's plenty big. Let ta kid have ta chair."
Anxiety began to tug at Remington, even while knowing it was stupid, she had done the same with Shane, and Daryl. The only difference is she had been on the cusp of sleep both times and it hadn't allowed for any of the anxiety she was experiencing now. There shouldn't have been any, to begin with. She trusted Merle. Knew he wouldn't hurt her, and that this had just been a learned habit. There was no need for anxiety to be leaking into her every pore.
"Are you sure?" she asked, not being able to look him in the eye. He always held an intense look, and Remington was certain that if she saw it now, she would flee.
"Come 'ere," he grumbled before flopping down and pulling the covers over himself. He held up a portion of it, a silent invitation, but made it clear he wouldn't push her to do anything she didn't want to.
This was Merle, she felt safe around him, and found comfort in him.
In the end, it was easy ignoring the way her anxiety-ridden mind tried to pick at her. If she had been more awake for the other two, she was certain there would have been a similar fight inside her mind. Remington hated it.
Reaching over she turned the lamp off, engulfing the room in darkness, as she scooted over to get under the covers. As she lay there, she found Merle did nothing more than pull the covers over her before settling back into his pillows. Slowly, she found herself easing into the situation, his familiar warmth seeping into her side before eventually she drifted closer to cuddle into his side. Remington Michaels had been a cuddler, but Remington Solace had learned to shy away from it. She didn't want to be that person anymore. There was no reason to be her with Merle.
Slowly, over time, her muscles untensed, and eventually she felt nothing but comfort. Carefully his arm came to wrap around her and hesitantly pull her closer. Remington, now feeling herself drifting off into slumber eagerly cuddled closer to lay her head on his chest before sleep took her away.
When she woke a few hours later, naturally coming to with the knowledge that Merle had to be checked, Remington felt something heavy had settled between the two of them. No longer was her head lying on his chest, but his arm was still wrapped around her, only stretched a bit further than she remembered. Remington's own arm was wrapped around something small and warm, and she felt soft snoring reach her ears, and gentle breathing brushed against her arm.
Blinking tired eyes open Remington's gaze settled on the small form of Maisie. Sometime in the night, she had crawled into the bed, settling herself between them, as she cuddled them both. She looked peaceful and happy, and Remington felt something inside of her heal at the picture that presented itself to her.
Maisie had never been allowed to cuddle with Remington when Maisie's father was in the bed. He had stated she took up too much space, would kick him in his sleep, and kept him awake. He hated the knowledge that if she was in the bedroom at all it meant keeping everything PG, and so, at night, Maisie had been banned from ever entering the room.
Remington had never woken to the sight of something as lovely as this. A wall that had been built around her heart formed a crack unbeknownst to her.
Only, no matter how happy this moment made Remington, she felt a sense of apprehension in waking Merle up. How would he feel about this? He had accepted Maisie's cuddles earlier in the day, but so had Maisie's father during the daylight hours. Remington realized she was allowing her anxiety to bubble up and take over. Merle was not the same man as her ex. Remington was certain she would never have to deal with the man ever again and was determined to leave him in the past.
Merle was not like him.
She repeated it silently to herself as she gently coaxed Merle awake. His eye fluttered open as he glanced over at her in confusion before the reasoning dawned on him.
"Fuck, tha'ts gonna be annoyin'. Can' yah let me sleep darlin'."
"Sorry, but Hershel wanted me to make sure you don't slip into a coma."
"Could use a tiny one of 'em." Remington did not find humor in this.
"Don't say that."
Merle seemed to notice something was different from when he fell asleep. He shifted, pulling his arm out from underneath the two of them as he gently shook it awake. His eyes landed on Maisie and Remington felt the gut reaction of holding her breath and waiting.
"Look's like we gained a bug in ta bed." His voice was deep with sleep, but the amusement leaked through as a raspy chuckle at his own joke fell out.
"Do you mind? I can place her back in the chair. Though she'd probably just wake back up and join again." Remington knew she was beginning to ramble but couldn't help it. She expected something completely different from what she was getting. "I could just move with her to the chair. She'd stay there then."
"Naw." He grunted as he shifted over some more to give Maisie the extra room. "Don' worry 'bout it. Daryl used ta do ta same thing ta me when he was little." He fluffed at his pillow as he settled back on his back, letting his eyes close, desperate to chase sleep, before Remington woke him back up.
Remington settled back onto her side, reaching out to cuddle into Maisie, as she felt a little shocked at how easily Merle accepted the situation. More cracks began to appear on that wall, and a small portion crumbled when Merle gripped at the hand that belonged to the arm Remington had wrapped around Maisie.
She fell asleep easily after that.