Bitten

Promises

     It had been a week since the accident, since the day Charlie and Carl made a stupid decision.
     Since then, Charlie had taken the role of being the doctor. Her dad was mentoring her to the best of his knowledge.
Especially now that he only has one leg, he plans for Charlie to take over his role for when he is incapable or not there anymore.

     Charlie avoided Carl to the best of her abilities. She felt guilty for being the reason him and Rick got into an argument. She made sure that to always have an excuse for when Carl wanted to talk.
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     "Charlie, honey, let's talk for a bit." Lori beckoned as she called the girl in.
Herschel nodded for Charlie to go. Charlie wiped the dirt of her hands. Her dad was teaching her how to make herbal remedies.
     She jogged over to the very pregnant lady, "Yes ma'am?"
Lori put her hand on Charlie's back and guided her to a secluded area.
"Listen baby, I'm sure you've heard the rumors about this baby," Lori went on.
"When I have this baby and it comes down to the fact of me or the baby-"
Charlie cut her off, "That won't happen, you and the baby will both make it out alive,"
Lori shook her head, "If I don't make it out, name the baby Judith, Carl picked it out. And you make sure that if I turn, you shoot me."
Charlie stuttered, "L-Lori you can't say-"
Lori sighed, "When I gave birth to Carl the doctor told me I shouldn't have any more kids. My body won't be able to take it."
Lori held Charlie's hand, "Promise me?"
Charlie clutched her hand and nodded.
Lori let her go back to her dad, and bid her goodbye.
Maybe for the last time ever, seeing as though her due date was coming closer.

     "What did she need?" Herschel questioned as Charlie came back.
     Charlie gave him a reassuring look, "It's nothing daddy, don't worry."
Herschel nodded and tossed her a glove.

     Carl was in the watch tower, he volunteered to take watch whenever someone couldn't. He did it because it was the only way he could look at Charlie without her walking away.
It had been a few days since the accident and she was ignoring him, it pained him to think that she was mad at him.
     "Whatcha looking at?" Glenn said as he took the the binoculars from Carl. Carl jumped and tried to pry his hands away.
Glenn laughed as he noticed that it had been pointed to the young brunette.
     "Charlie?" Glenn asked as he lowered the binoculars.
     "It's not what it seems.." Carl persuaded.
     Glenn chuckled, this time very loudly, "Is that why she has been ignoring you?? Ha-"
     Carl snatched it away, "Yeah.. ever since the day we almost died she's been ignoring me. I don't know why, it's like she thinks I'm a plague and she doesn't want to be near me."
     Glenn patted his shoulder, "The Greene girls am I right?"  Carl nodded. Glenn climbed back down the ladder and ran to Charlie. Glenn was saying incoherent words to Charlie. Carl watched them from the tower and put his binoculars down, Charlie had spotted him.
He ducked inside quickly, Charlie was watching him, watch her.

"Walkers at the fence!!" Herschel shouted. He was still in the garden with Charlie. Charlie pushed him behind her and drew her gun out. She had became a good shooter. Herschel had drawn back inside, he couldn't be of use on the ground with his leg. If he was higher up and away from danger he could shoot.
Luckily, Daryl was outside at the time, he shot the ones who were trying to breach the fence.
Charlie clocked her gun and shot at the walkers who were hoarding together. The rest of the group inside the prison were still not out. Charlie took it upon herself to try to put up the fence; the weight of the walkers were knocking it down. She tried to shoot them but it was no use, the gunshots kept drawing more attention. Walkers casually walked in, Charlie kept reloading her gun, but she had no more bullets.
Daryl took her hand, "We have to run inside!"
Charlie shook her head, "No, you run inside and tell everyone. I'll try to hold the herd back!"
"Are you crazy?! Are you trying to die?!!" Daryl shouted in her face.
She shoved him backwards, "Go!"
"I'll be back; I promise"
Daryl ran inside quickly and gave her one last look before shutting the gate. She took her knife out and stabbed the ones coming close. She prayed Daryl would be back with the rest of the group any second now.
She was caught off-guard by a walker, she dropped her knife in fear. The walkers were caving her in a corner, she checked her pockets for any weapon but she only had the gun and the knife she dropped. She hit the closest walker with the butt of the gun. It stumbled backwards but it wasn't enough to kill it. She drew back further toward the wall as more walkers caved her in. She instinctively closed her eyes and in fear and put her hands over her head.
"Charlie!" Carl yelled as he searched for her in the courtyard, there were dead walkers and more walkers coming in. He had his gun drawn and so did the rest of them behind him. Glenn and Maggie began shooting at the walkers whose attention they had caught. Rick was running through the walkers pushing them away from Charlie.
He grabbed her hand and she yelled out in shock, "Ah!"
"Easy, it's just me." Rick consoled.
He passed her a gun and Charlie rebounded quickly, "Thanks"
Charlie shot the walkers who were coming towards her. She aimed for their heads to make sure they were dead. She picked up her knife she had dropped earlier.

"What were you thinking?!" Maggie yelled.
Charlie shook her head, "I thought that I could handle them.."
"You could've died! ... If you would've died, I would never forgive myself.." Daryl spoke up.
"Let the kid be, she could've died, yes, but she didn't" Carol defended.
"We are a group; a team, we can't think that we can do it on our own. Not now, especially not ever."
Charlie held her head down as the rest of the group discussed on how to make the fences more sturdy.
She left quietly and walked to her room.
Carl was on her bed, "Why did you do that?"
"Carl, I'm so tired right now. Can we talk later?"
Carl stood up, "Why did you do that?"
     "You know why I did that, I told everyone why?" she answered.
     "Why did you make me have to worry?" Carl growled.
     "That wasn't my intention, I didn't do it on purpose."
     He took a step closer to her, "Do you know how worried I was?! I was so scared that you were dead!"
     "Well you shouldn't be, I'm not dead am I? And why do you care anyways? You barely made an effort to talk to me this whole week!!" She shouted as tears welled up.
     "Because I love you!! I'm so worried about you all the time that I have forgotten about everything. I'm so in-love with you that as long as we're under the same sky my worries die down for a little."
     Charlie stuttered, "Carl-"
     He cut her off, "I don't know what would've happened to me if you would've died."