Now we're officially on my own chapters, I'm so excited for these next few.
Disclaimer I don't own The Walking Dead, just my ocs and plotlines.
Callie's POV
Two months have passed since the farm fell, since her and Rick took charge of the group, and the losses of Patricia, Shane, and Jimmy. There have been arguments between Lori and Rick, which in turn made a reveal of her and Shane's affair. Carl has not talked to his mother since. Carol has been Lori's support due to her being 3 months along now, which is the estimated time from Tabby.
Josie is now full term, and any day now she could give birth, which is why they were trying to find a place to settle so Josie could have a relaxing pregnancy. However, this winter has been a challenge for all of them. It has tested them in ways that was dangerous, the conditions were worsening, and the supplies constantly running out, was making it harder.
Carol is learning off both Tabby and Hershel about medical care and she's learning quickly. She's only starting to learn how to shoot, the same with Beth. Beth wanted to learn and Hershel allowed her to do so, the only condition was that she was not to go on runs until after winter which she agreed with.
It was challenging, they've been living in cars or finding houses to live in for a day before moving on, they're trying to avoid the herds which have been growing day by day.
The group has somewhat forgiven her and Rick for keeping it a secret that they were all infected, mainly Carol and Josie are putting their noses up at them, but they are slowly warming. Personally she didn't care what their opinions were of them. She knew they made the right call that day and even afterwards by not telling them.
Maya and Carl have been learning quickly about guns, the same with Daisy, Summer, Beth and Connor. Lori had something to say about the kids learning how to shoot and use knives but she had to shut that down, after what happened at the farm, they needed to learn and be confident. They can't be kids anymore, they needed to learn how to survive. Say if what happened to Sophia happened again? At least they had a better chance with learning how to defend themselves.
The only one who hasn't spoken or learned how to use a gun was Amy. Jeremy has been trying to help her and he is the only one she'll speak to, she thinks that herself and Rick were the cause of Andrea's death. She had no idea she was missing until Jeremy filled her in at the campfire two months ago. She thought she had died so didn't question it, but how could they go back to a walker infested farm? They would die. It would be an unnecessary risk. Plus, she knew Andrea wouldn't have stayed if she survived, she would've left. She had the experience and capability to survive out there. Wherever she is right now, she hoped she would be okay.
Glenn and Maggie aren't the only ones doing runs anymore. Harriett, Damien, and Jeremy have also volunteered, which was good, they had them alternate every run, but that only changes when there's a big town or run they had to do where everyone had to get involved in some way. Richie wasn't happy about not being included but he helps T-Dog on watch as a compromise, which again, alternates with everyone except the young kids or Josie and Lori due to their pregnancies. They had watches where two people would be on, and alternate throughout the night. She wanted to make sure the group had plenty of rest while maintaining their safety.
So, during the night, it would be Richie and T-Dog, Tabby and Rick, Maggie and herself. But it could switch with Beth now and again if Maggie had a run the next day. Then it would switch to Damien and Harriett, Daryl and herself, Jeremy and Glenn. She made sure that she did watches often, to keep the group rested. She did sleep while they were driving to the next place. But she would rather herself be tired than anyone else. It was the least she could do as a leader.
Due to the kids learning quickly, she's hoping soon to start putting one of them on watch with someone experienced and alternate that way, so they will have experience. She has to speak to Rick about that and they'll decide when to start it.
She was looking over a map with Rick when Jeremy walks up to them.
"Anything?" He asks the two leaders.
She drags her finger along to a town, and the other side of it was a secluded air bnb. She recognised it as the one her and Jeremy went in for a night. Way back when she was 18 years old.
"Remember that nice air bnb we went to when I first left the orphanage?" She asks him and he looks confused for a moment before nodding.
"Yeah, why?" He frowns, and Rick was looking between them.
She smirks at him. "It was nice..." she trails off and he looks at her with a weird look.
"Yeah it had its own generator-" he stops himself and looks at her with a smile forming. "You're a genius."
Rick nods his head. "That's a good idea, it'll have its own electricity, hot water."
Callie nods, this might be the last time they have to move for a while. All they've done so far the past two months was move a lot. Now they're running low on supplies and need to make runs soon.
"Yeah, a few of us will clear the air bnb while two take watch over the group." Callie explains to them and Jeremy nods.
Jeremy has been a big help to Rick and herself, due to him not blaming them for the secret that is, which they both appreciated it. He didn't even blame Rick for killing Shane, saying he deserved it but he was sorry that Rick had to do it.
Rick hums. "Yeah, me, you, Jeremy, Damien and T-Dog will clear the air bnb, while Maggie and Glenn sweep around the property. Harriett and Richie will watch over the group."
Callie agrees with the plan. Losing Shane and Andrea did put them in a position of not having enough trained people out for supply runs or clearing out houses. But it means the others have stepped up. Some more so than others but the group has become even closer than before. Somehow, losing the farm and all the events before, made them better, which was quite dark looking back on that they had to lose a few people along the way to get to where they are now.
The sky was a deep grey, and they knew it was going to snow soon, maybe even a storm, which means they have to get supplies and fast. Which having people to train does hinder themselves a bit for time, but recently, everyone has stepped up.
Callie looks at Jeremy, who was looking back at the group who were taking a quick toilet break in the bushes, looking at Amy who Tabby was talking to.
"How is she?" Callie asks him and he gives her a look.
"She blames you both for Andrea. But she's coming around." He pauses. "Slowly." He adds as an afterthought and she nods.
"She needs to or it'll kill her." Callie says honestly and he nods his head.
Jeremy had a beard growing, they were all looking a worse for wear, due to the winter and the lack of showers, but hopefully with this BnB, it means that they can freshen up. His hair had grown too where another month and he had to put it up in a hair tie to keep it out of his face. Her hair had grown to, and she couldn't remember the last time she washed it. Her hair was greasy and honestly they all smelled like shit but it is what it is.
"It's almost Christmas." Jeremy mutters and she looks at him then, surprised. "Beth has been keeping track of the days." He informs her and she smiles. She wasn't surprised.
Callie had to think for a second. "Maybe get the kids something? They could use the holiday cheer."
Jeremy nods, a small smile on his face.
She knew that they all needed the holiday cheer. Between constantly on the move and constantly getting supplies, they were exhausted, and now one pregnancy due, and another one on the way, they were on edge.
The clearing of the airbnb was straight forward, there were only a couple of walkers inside, most must have hightailed it out of there when the first signs of the virus were around, or when the outbreak happened.
Now the group members were carrying in their gear while Damien, T-Dog, and Harriett back the cars closer to the house.
Her and Rick were standing at the door, the group walking past. She notices Lori stop and go to speak to her husband but stops and goes inside instead. She notices Rick was tense around her, something else happened other than him finding out about the affair, did he find out the baby wasn't his? He must have. It would make sense since she was three months along.
Once everyone was inside, that was the moment her and Rick went in, the group was looking around the place in wonder.
"It's clear. Pick a room, we'll be staying here for as long as possible." Rick explains to everyone, and Callie could see ghosts of smiles flicker on everyone's faces.
She understood why everyone was grateful, it's been two months since the farm. They've had nowhere to stay for more than a day or two, so they're all hoping to stay here for longer than that, well, Callie would hope so. She wanted Josie to have a smooth birth and also have the after care she needs and to rest.
Some time had passed, and everyone had dispersed into their rooms, having much needed rest. Well, Glenn and Maggie were having some alone time, which unfortunately everyone knew what that meant. At least now they couldn't hear them, there was a day where they had heard them have sex, and much to Maggie's dismay, it was her father that told her to keep it down next time, and now they have learnt to keep silent during sex. She was sitting on the chair, quickly writing a list of what they need on the next couple of runs, she has put them all into sections, starting from extreme essentials, to hopefully required items.
She hears a knock on the door and Tabby pops in.
"Hey, got a minute?" She asks her and she gestures to the seat opposite her. She smiles and walks in, carrying a map.
"Everything okay?" Callie asks the girl, she realised she hasn't talked to her much. Well, not many people talk to her or Rick anymore, the only times they do were to ask for the plan or about supplies. Their trust was growing back slowly though.
"Oh yeah, just thought that there's a hospital in town, maybe we could get an epidural for Josie, since she's due any day now." Tabby explains and Callie nods her head.
That was a good suggestion, it prevents pain for Josie as much as possible during childbirth, but also gives them the chance of finding medical supplies that are hopefully still there. This run was only going to be herself and Rick, the others need some much needed rest.
Everyone has basically forgave them for the secret now, they're not where they were during the farm, but now the group listens to them. They're not afraid of the pair, which Callie was grateful for, they just do what they're told, because at the end of the day, they were the leaders.
Jeremy's POV
After Rick and Callie left, he was put in charge of the group, with the occasional support of Hershel. However, him and Tabby were checking over Josie to make sure everything was good with her and the baby. She was due any day now, which made the group anxious. There are a lot of complications with pregnancy and childbirth, even before the apocalypse, now, it was dangerous for the mother and baby. They had limited supplies and knowledge. So if something were to happen, they had to be prepared.
So, between Hershel, Carol, and Tabby doing the daily check ins with Josie, it did put them in a vulnerable position of using all three of their doctors. However, it was because two were learning, Carol more than Tabby. Tabby had more experience with humans, but Hershel had experience with birthing, by helping his farm animals, as well as supporting his wife giving birth to Maggie and Noa.
He walked outside the house, and immediately felt a gun on his temple and he froze.
"Inside now." The man hisses uncomfortably close in his ear and he tenses.
Callie's POV
Her footsteps echoed down the hallway of the hospital, somehow, even in the end of the world, it still smelt clean. Her machete was out, they had a plan to clear out the hospital using knives only, they needed to keep every round they had as a last resort.
Rick was next to her, his silence deafening. He hasn't spoken much to anyone as of late, only her. After finding out that Rick killed Shane, the group was scared of him. She didn't blame him for killing his best friend, he had no choice, he was going to be killed if he didn't do what he did. Shane would've lied about everything.
But the one thing was, she didn't know how it went down, and she knew that he wasn't ready to talk about it. Even after everything, Shane was his best friend, his brother, they grew up together and joined the force together. He was mourning him, which she knew, the others didn't understand, they thought that he was nonchalant about it, but she could see the pain in his eyes, how he doesn't sleep because of the nightmares of what happened that night.
Carl had forgiven his father about Shane, which was important to Rick. Rick was afraid that he would never talk to him again, and could see the toll it took on him. Carl was upset, but after finding out about the affair, Carl was angry at his mother, and found a connection with his father. A fatherly connection they were robbed of, during the time Rick was in a coma, and after the farm.
"What do we need?" Rick's raspy voice cuts through the silence and a walker comes out of the room next to him, but he doesn't even blink and kills it with a sickening crunch, the knife embedding into the skull.
"Epidural, antibiotics, basically anything we can use. Better stock up on everything." She tells him and he hums in acknowledgment.
It was important for them to grab anything, in the apocalypse, even a small cut can get infected and if left untreated, well, it means death.
They were going room to room, looting anything useful they could find. She opens the door to a room and sees two bodies, one on the bed, hooked up to some expired IV, a man, with a bullet in his head, and she notices the bandages on his arms. And the other body was a nurse, he was shot dead as well. He must've refused to leave his patient behind, and was killed.
She wanders in, and goes to the cart with the gauze, some still there. It was a wander how they were still here, but she guessed that no survivor would risk going into a hospital, knowing that they were the first places to fall. They will be overrun with walkers.
"Anything?"
She looks up at Rick, who was watching her in concern. She nods. "They didn't stand a chance."
Rick hums. "It was the same in the hospital I woke up in. There were dead bodies everywhere."
She looks in his eyes, and sees the man who she first met at the quarry, the man who cared enough to go back for Merle.
"That must have been a shock to you." She mutters, she couldn't imagine it. "I can't imagine waking up to this world, I would've been a mess."
"I doubt that." Rick looks at her honestly and she smiles at him. "You're stronger than you think you are. You're a leader."
"Thank you."
She grabs some thread that was in the cart.
"I thought I was in a dream. Or an alternate reality. I was scared. I am scared." He admits and she looks back at him, and sees him crying. "I killed him." His lip shakes as it hits him and she just let him carry on. She doesn't want to stop him from getting it out. "I killed Shane. When we left you, he kept on- he kept on walking me further away and I let him. I-" he pauses and takes a breath. "I wanted it over." His head falls.
She stayed quiet for a moment, so she knew that he was done, before speaking. "It's okay to miss him." He looks up again, staring at her in disbelief. "He was your best friend and you grew up with him. But that wasn't him anymore. This world changed him."
Jeremy's POV
"Please let us go." Carol cries and a man slaps her, making Daryl almost get up but Jeremy holds out a hand.
"Shut up, bitch." The man hisses at her and Jeremy clenches his jaw.
The men had them separated, guns held towards them in case they tried anything. The women and children were huddled on one side of the room, while all the men were on the other.
"Now... who's in charge." He grins like the joker.
Anndddd that's the end of the chapter, the next one is going to be a long brutal one. But I thought that this would be the best place to stop. I wanted the siblings to have a convo about the waking up in the hospital, thought that would be an interesting talk to have.