Another week trickles past, filtered through tedious tasks and routines. Nothing much has changed. Finishing the expansion has taken up most people's time.

Rosita skipped out on patrol today, so I'm stuck with Minnie. About an hour out from Alexandria, I come to a concluding decision that I keep to myself...

Minnie loves to talk.

I let her chat away at me. I'm not listening particularly closely as she barks on about how good she's gotten at cleaning her shotgun.

"How come you still wear your bandage?" Minnie asks me, nudging my shoulder when she sees my mind wandering away.

I give her a look. A look that implies I don't want to talk about my ugly deformity right now.

"It's only that... Denise told me you didn't have to wear it anymore," Minnie goes on. I can tell that the look clearly didn't come across. I decide to cave to her chatty nature.

"Why were you and Denise talking about my ear?" I ask.

"I was curious," the short woman shrugs, "so I asked."

"So much for doctor-patient confidentiality," I grumble.

Minnie doesn't seem to notice, continuing, "I like the hat, though! Suits you. I can't really pull them off... I wish I could!"

I tug down on the stetson hiding my bandage. "It's not mine."

"It's your boyfriend's, right?"

"Yeah."

Minnie shakes her head, looking sad as she strides beside me. "I'm really sorry about what happened, you know?"

"Not you're fault," I tell her, adjusting my rifle as it becomes uncomfortable hanging over my shoulder. "You were there for Judith that night." I give her a worn smile. "Also, you don't need to keep saying sorry about it," I chuckle. "Because you do every time it comes up."

"I know," she shrugs at me with this breeze of an undaunted attitude. "Carl's going to be okay."

"I hope so," I nod.

"No," she tells me again, looking quite serious in her typical, harmless way. "He will be." She gives a warm smile.

"Wish I had your positivity," I smirk.

We come by a rundown diner on our route, the windows dusted to the point of being opaque. The front door is off its hinges, lying on the floor with its glass broken. Two walkers stumble out. The fallen door's glass crackles under their feet. Both are tall, sunken faced men, wearing dark and torn suits. Like business walkers.

We deal with the walker pair pretty smoothly. Minnie tries to reignite conversation when we're clear.

"You've gotten faster with your hammer since that new holster, huh?" She points.

"I guess," I sigh, putting Ty's hammer back into the said holster. Rosita had made it for my birthday. A small metal ring that she'd attached to my belt. She apologised for stealing it and causing me confusion in the days leading up to my birthday when I had to go around belt-less.

I'd expected the quiet dinner to be the end of my birthday, but the next day I was proven wrong. Everyone ambushed me throughout the day in waves. Tara got me a set of playing cards. Maggie and Glenn had scrounged me up a whole new wardrobe of flannels and jeans to replace the three outfits I'd been swapping between beforehand. Even Rick and Michonne got me a new stack of books that I'm sure I'll never get the time to read.

"There could be more inside," I say to Minnie, staring at the diner doors.

"You want to clear it?"

I shrug. "We are on patrol."

Once we clear a couple of stragglers lurking inside the abandoned diner, we take a well-needed break. Sitting on the pavement outside, sharing a canteen of water as Minnie tells me all about her new guard shifts in the most detail possible. And just as my mind starts to wander again-

"Poncho!? Come in, Poncho. This is Taterbug to Poncho!"

The radio on Minnie's belt suddenly lights up. I recognise Eugene's familiar tone crackling its way through the walkie's receiver. Minnie unclips it from her hip, holding down the talk button. "Eugene? This is Minnie and Rhys... who's Poncho?"

"Miss Minnie," Eugene barks back, "I am well aware that you are yet to receive a coded appellation for radio recon, but with all due regard, please hand the receiver to your patrol partner!"

Minnie does as he asks, giving me the device. An offended huff escapes her lips as she passes it.

"Eugene?" I speak into the talkie. "I really don't think Poncho is fitting anymore..."

"Forget the mixing of formalities and technicalities! Rhys, he's awake. Carl's awake!"

By the time we get back to Alexandria, I'm drenched with sweat and panting like a dog. The hour journey was cut in half by my frantic sprinting and desperate shortcuts under the beating sun. The gate takes forever to open as I start to bang on it. Grinding and squeaking. A lagging Minnie catches up to me just before it opens. She's barely breathing when she stops beside me. The gap between the gate and the wall finally becomes wide enough for me to squeeze through. I push past whoever is on duty and take off towards the infirmary, ignoring Minnie's offer to take my rifle back to the armoury for me. I reach the building and I suddenly feel nervous, hovering over the infirmary's doorstep as I stare inside. Tara spots me from her seat at the kitchen island, giving me a look that sends me to Carl's room.

I go inside.

Rick's sat beside the bed, Michonne's standing behind him. My eyes fall to Carl. He's sitting up and looking so irregular with his eye open. I stay standing there by the door for however long it takes Carl to notice me. Rick and Michonne look back at me, too. The room manages to remain so noiseless as Rick squeezes his son's hand, stands up, and leaves past me. Patting my shoulder without a word spoken. Michonne leaves as well, kissing Carl on his forehead before she does.

Then it's just the two of us.

We're both still staring at each other. Two lions caught in the wild. Neither sure who's territory ends where. Worried the other might attack at the tiniest movement.

I finally edge forward. Sitting down in my chair. Carl has to turn his head to see me. It makes me feel bad for choosing the same side as his missing eye.

"Hi."

Carl's the first to crack the icy silence between us. His voice almost makes me wince. I thought it was something I could only hear in dreams now.

I give him a small smile in return. I feel so stupid. Trying so hard as I stare desperately at him. Trying to form the words I need to ask him. I'm not sure if Carl knows what I need to ask him. If he's already been asked a similar question a thousand times since he's woken up.

I swallow, forcing my fears aside and speaking to him.

"Do you remember me?" I squeak.

Carl takes a second, and it feels like an eternity. Finally, he nods. "Rhys..." he says quietly.

I nod back, feeling my eyes brimming with tears. Blinking them away, I ask my next question. "Do you remember all of it?"

"You're my boyfriend," he tells me.

"I'm sorry," I tell him quickly and quietly.

"Why?"

"For sneaking out..."

Carl looks confused, which makes me feel worse.

"I don't..." he starts. "I'm sorry... what do you mean sneaking out?"

"Before the horde," I tell him. "When I snuck out to find everyone..."

"I don't think I remember that," he says, his face still flushed with confusion.

"Oh." I sink into the chair with this empty feeling in my stomach after hearing that. Preparing myself over months for Carl to either forgive me or hate me. But now he's just confused. And I'm still stuck in-between.

"Dad said you came here every day?" Carl asks me.

I nod.

"That must-" Carl pauses like he's forgotten the words. "-crap, sorry."

"It's okay," I shake my head at him, "take your time."

Carl does, squinting his eye as he focuses. "That must have been hard."

I nod. "Sometimes."

A/N-

Sorry for another wait on this one! Had a super busy week!

I realised the Monday upload that I missed this week was actually the one year anniversary for this fic going up on this site! Happy birthday, I guess? Thanks to all you peeps that have been reading for this long!

Next Time- Carl catches up on what he's missed. Enid becomes Enid the wise. A mischievous group of lost boys sneak out beyond the walls. (totally didn't forget that I was doing next times...)

:)