» Time Is Dancing « | » Carl Grimes «

» MORNING STAR PT.1 «

Healing Hands Make The World Go Round

The squeak of Hilltop's gates was oddly comforting as we rolled right through, my sleepy eyes struggling open at the sound of clamouring voices around our wagon.

"Mom, wake up. We're here!" Heather nudged me before jumping from the truck bed, my aching limbs becoming suddenly heavy as I tried to lift them.

"You look like you could use a hand." A familiar voice brought a grin to my lips, my eyes squinting against the sun as I searched for the source.

Alden waited at the end of the wagon, his arms held out towards me in an encouraging manner. I slid forward as best as I could, my hands finally clasping his as I shuffled from the truck.

He wound my arm over his shoulders, half carrying me from the vehicle as my daughter bounced around our feet. "Man, it's good to see you." I sighed, my legs weakly stumbling by his side. I must've stood up too fast, because my pounding headache had returned along with my fatigue.

The ride to Hilltop was strangely relaxing, small talk and entertaining jokes shared between my friends and family as we travelled. Mary told us about her sister and nephew, while Heather rambled on and on about pretty much everything- her book, her hat, her brand new unicorn-printed raincoat.

"Hey, I gotta talk to you." I hated switching from the friendly greetings to such a serious tone, but Alden deserved to know about Mary. He and Earl were responsible for her nephew, which just so happened to be Adam.

Alden nodded with heavy sigh, his gaze casting over his shoulder. "About this new lady, huh?" He guessed, the irritation clear in his words. "Aaron already told us, I'm not letting her near him."

I chewed my lip uneasily. "I get that, I do. But she's not one of them anymore. She saved my life, my kids life. Please, just think about it."

"I'll handle it." He dismissed after a long pause, his arm tightening around my waist as we reached the infirmary.

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I stretched my arms high above my head as I left the infirmary, energy buzzing through my bones like a swarm of bees. Alex, or rather the prescribed painkillers, were apparently miracle workers. I could still feel the dull ache in my face and my arm, and my hand...and also my legs and my chest- but other than that I was fine.

A few stitches in my cheek, a couple more in my arm and the setting of my broken fingers (two, to be precise) and I was already discharged. Whether that was because I was truly okay or because Alex knew he couldn't hold me there for long, I wasn't sure.

As I descended the flimsy steps I spotted Kelly by the Barrington house, her hands winding repeatedly around her ankle as she fixed a bandage to it.

"Need some help?" I offered as I wandered over, nodding in greeting at Luke and Yumiko. Kelly didn't reply, just frustratedly abandoned her work in a pile of gauze and tape.

I wasted no time in gathering it all up, my fingers working almost on muscle memory as I met her gloomy eyes. "You know, I've got an older sister. Her name's Maggie. She went out there a little while ago, and I haven't seen her since." I told her sadly, my teeth catching the inside of my cheek to force down whatever anger and sorrow was building up.

"I'm just trying to say that I know how it feels to have someone who's lost. You don't know where they are, you don't know if they're safe. But I also know that if she died I would feel it, and I've felt nothing yet. Neither have you, right?" I gave her a gentle tap as she avoided my stare, her eyes brimming with sparkling tears.