» Time Is Dancing « | » Carl Grimes «

» THE BRIDGE PT.1 «

First And Final Words

There were lots of ways to get from community to community, several dirt paths and tracks to follow. But the bridge that crossed over the rushing river was the easiest and quickest route, so when it got destroyed there was no question about rebuilding it. Crews worked for hours during the day, cutting wooden planks and sawing joints to connect them. So naturally, with all the heavy lifting and use of sharp tools, injuries happened.

"-but sometimes cauterising can lead to shock, so you gotta wrap it up and let it heal on its own." I pointed to the diagrams in the textbook, Enid by my side with a focused frown on her lips. She nodded along with my words, jotting down notes where she needed to. One thing I loved about my job now was sharing it with Enid, who had become something of an apprentice in the past year.

"What if they start bleeding out?" Her tone was slightly panicked at the thought of amputating a limb.

I cast my mind back to the prison, when Hershel got bit and had to have his leg removed. "Apply pressure and hope for the best. If someone's been bit, bleeding out is gonna be the last of your problems. You gotta make sure the infected area is removed first, then everything else comes second."

She nodded quickly, her hands gripping the book and scanning the pages. I admired how hard she worked, how eager she was to learn. It reminded me of back at the farm when I was so desperate to help people that I almost jumped on the opportunity when Hershel offered.

I started unpacking the equipment, setting it out in places that I could easily access in case of an emergency. My fingers wrapped around a crate of packeted gauze, turning to drop it by the tent door when it fluttered open. My gaze met a familiar pair of boots and they widened, glancing up to see Siddiq with his own medical kit. It made sense that he was here, of course it did. He was a doctor, people got hurt. But I couldn't shake off my uneasiness.

We hadn't spoke since the night we-

"Can we talk?" He asked in a hushed tone, his eyes flitting over to Enid as she settled on a stretcher. Her head was down but I could tell she was listening. I gulped down my nerves, following him to the back of the tent. Workers milled around the camp, carrying equipment and supplies from one place to another, but they couldn't hear us.

Siddiq wrung his fingers together nervously, a stutter in his words as he rushed them out. "We haven't talked for a couple weeks, which is fine, but I just thought we should- you know? And I was wondering why you kissed me- I didn't mind, I just-"

"I don't know." I interrupted, my eyebrows furrowed. "It just felt right. I'm sorry."

There was a shadow of a smile on his lips and he shook his head dismissively. "You don't need to apologise."

I couldn't bring myself to meet his eyes, suddenly feeling embarrassed. I was absolutely certain I was blushing, the heat in my cheeks only increasing when I lightly pressed my lips on his.

"Maybe we should just see what happens." I nudged his hand with mine, prompting our fingers to link gently. He had a sweet smile on his face as he agreed, letting me go so he could find Rick.

I pressed my hands against my cheeks in an effort to make them less pink, composing myself before stepping back inside. From the knowing smirk on Enid's face I knew she had listened to the whole conversation, her eyebrows raised in amusement.

I managed to avoid her insistent nosiness when Alden wandered through the door, his arm cradled to his chest. There was a pool of blood in his palm from a deep wound, his eyes sheepish.

"You've been here, what, five minutes?" I laughed, directing him to Enid so she could stitch it up. He had a strange way of constantly injuring himself. Sometimes I wondered if he did it on purpose to give him more time with my friend.