Chapter Three: Facing the Unknown

Maggie took a quick shower washing the blood from her before changing into some clean clothes. The reality of the situation hit her as she caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror. The sight was unsettling. She hadn't realized just how much blood the girl had lost until she saw her reflection. It was truly surprising that they were able to get the girl back to Alexandria in time before she died from blood loss. She grabbed her soiled clothes and tossed them in some hot water with a generous amount of detergent to let them soak for a few hours. Feeling more at ease Maggie made her way to the living room, pushing some of Judith's toys to the side as she set the girl's bag on the coffee table as she sat down on the couch.

Under normal circumstances, she would never consider invading the girl's privacy. However, this situation was different. She hoped on finding a radio or anything that could tell them if the girl had a community out there somewhere or a group of people that would be looking for her. Maggie could only imagine what she would be feeling if one of her kids went missing. She would be in a panic and she wouldn't be able to rest until she found them. If someone was out there in a panic looking for this girl, then it was her responsibility to bring them here so that they could see that their child was still with them.

She unzipped the bag, taking note of the cute Hello Kitty keychain the girl had clipped to the strap of her bag. It was a small thing that hinted at the girl's personality. The first thing she pulled out was a well-worn copy of "The Lord of the Rings, the Fellowship of the Ring." Maggie couldn't help but to smirk a little as she thumbed through the pages. She hadn't read this book in years. She set it aside before pulling out a ball of tattered clothes that the girl had shoved into her bag. Maggie worked on untangling the clothes in case there was something inside, but all she got was more clothes that desperately needed a wash.

Next were dented cans of food along with a can opener that had seen better days and a half-bag of gummy bears. "Got a bit of a sweet tooth." Maggie commented to herself. It was amusing to her since she had her own hidden stash of peanut butter cups tucked away in her nightstand that she liked to snack on when she got stressed or overwhelmed. Maggie would love a gummy bear right now, but she wasn't about to eat the girl's sweets. Setting the gummies aside she pulled out a journal.

"Please be a diary." Maggie prayed. She wasn't about to read the girl's thoughts, feelings, and dreams, but she was hoping for a community name or something that could tell her who the girl was. With a deep breath, she opened the journal and was met with a list of rules. "Rules for survival." Maggie read out loud. Maggie raised her eyebrow a little as she continued to read.

"Rule one: When in doubt, know your way out.

Rule two: Double-knot your shoes.

Rule three: Always carry a Swiss army knife.

Rule four: Travel light

Rule five: Check the back seat.

Rule six: seatbelts."

Maggie paused in her reading, unable to hold back the small chuckle that escaped. She found herself slightly amused by the girl's insights. She had some good rules—rules that she should be following. She flipped through the pages to find even more rules the girl had written down. So it wasn't a diary, but a rule book. Maggie closed the book and set it to the side before pulling out a stuffed rabbit that had seen better days. It was old and battered, and part of its arm was falling off. Maggie made sure to be gentle. It was obvious that the stuffed rabbit meant something to the girl.

Maggie reached into the bag once again and pulled out a gun with no bullets, which would explain why the girl had it sitting at the bottom of her bag. The girl must have been hoping to find bullets somewhere. Realizing that the main section of the bag was now empty, Maggie moved onto the pockets pulling out a pocket knife. "Rule number three." Maggie muttered to herself, tossing the knife in her hand a little before setting it down on the table. Next she pulled out a beautiful locket with the initials A and E carved into it. Maggie kept the locket closed, not wanting to evade the girl's privacy anymore than she already had.

Maggie proceeded to empty the contents of the bag, finding a small lighter, a flashlight, and a map with a compass, along with a couple of other things, but nothing that told her who or where the girl came from. The only information she got was the first letter of the girl's name, and even then there was a chance that the locket wasn't even hers.

Maggie let out a loud sigh that seemed to carry all the weight from the day. She sank deeply onto the back of the couch, bringing her hands up to her face, and began to rub at her eyes as she tried to relieve some of her stress. Just as she started to feel herself relax a little, she stopped abruptly when she heard someone call her name. She lowered her hands and turned her head to the side to see Carl standing near the doorway, a mix of concern and curiosity written on his face.

"Carl," Maggie greeted as she sat up, placing her elbows on her knees, as she leaned forward slightly. "What are you doing home? I thought you were spending the day with Enid?" Maggie inquired.

Carl didn't say anything at first as he made his way over to the couch and sat down next to Maggie, "That was the plan, but I saw you and Daryl come in…who is she?"

Maggie gestured to the table in front of her, her frustration clear as she let out a heavy sigh. "I have no idea. I was hoping to find something that would tell me, but no such luck. Daryl and I found her unconscious after she amputated her own arm after being bitten." Maggie explained. She didn't know how many more times she could explain it. It was awful to imagine her doing it to herself the more times she told what the girl did. "We don't know anything about her…we don't even know if she's gonna make it." She rubbed at her forehead a little as she continued, "We don't know how long the time in between the bite and the amputation was. She may have the virus. Siddiq is checking for a fever every half an hour. Hopefully she made it in time."

Carl was stunned for a moment as he tried to process everything that Maggie had just told him. He saw Daryl carrying the girl into the infirmary a few hours ago, but had no idea it was that serious. He couldn't even fathom the strength it would take to cut off your own arm. The girl looked no older than him, and to have to do that? Carl didn't know what to think.

"I could…" Carl hesitated for a moment as he tried to think of the right words. "I could sit with her…if…when she wakes up. It might help to have someone her own age there. Someone she can relate to, you know," Carl explained as he gestured to his eyepatch, "Enid and I could take turns sitting with her, making sure she's not alone." Carl suggested, refusing to believe that there was a chance the girl might not make it. She made it this far, and that was saying something.

Maggie smiled as she wrapped her arm around Carl and pulled him in closer. Carl was a sweet boy who always went out of his way to help others. He always put others before himself. Sometimes Maggie wished Carl would be a normal teenage boy for once and spend the night in his room instead of helping her with Judith and Hershel. Carl deserved to be a normal kid once in a while instead of being a father figure to Judith.

"Thanks for the offer, but I think it would be better to hold off for now. She's going to be overwhelmed as it is once she wakes up. She's in a place she doesn't know, with people she doesn't know, not to mention the pain she's going to be in. Let's wait until she settles in a little before we start introducing her to people," Maggie suggested thoughtfully, "If you want to help out you can pick Judth and Hershel up from Rosita's and cook them some Kraft dinner." Magge said, shooting Carl a slight smile.

Carl returned the smile. "Alright. I'll look after Judith and Hershel tonight. You don't have to worry about us."

"I know I don't, but you get that for free." Maggie teased in hopes of getting a small chuckle out of Carl or perhaps an eyeroll.

Maggie continued her conversation with Carl for a few more minutes while she put everything back into the bag just as she found it before making her way back to the infirmary. "Hey.." Maggie greeted Daryl, who was sitting at the girls bedside. "I brought her bag in case she wanted anything from it. I didn't find a radio or anything that could help us figure out where she comes from." Maggie explained, her voice filled with disappointment as she took the seat next to Daryl.

Daryl was silent for a moment before speaking. "Maybe she doesn't have a community...or anyone...she could be on her own." Daryl explained as he stared at the girl, watching her chest rise and fall with each breath she took.

"Well, she's not on her own anymore," Maggie replied, already prepared to offer a place to stay in Alexandria for the girl.