Malevolent. The Walking Dead

[ 024 ] i'll burn alone

024: i'll burn alone

Joey pushed open the door of the house, while the moon was high in the sky, and the crickets were chirping. Alexandria was dead silent at this time of night—especially after they had arrived home and broken the news of Noah and Aiden's deaths. Joey didn't see Deanna cry but she could feel her tears as she walked in silence. Joey didn't speak to Glenn, and especially not Nicholas. Joey didn't want to speak to Rick or Deanna about what happened. She needed a moment to gather her thoughts, and clear her head, which had only stopped bleeding about ten minutes before they arrived back at the gate. Deanna had instructed them to leave all their guns in the safe—Joey wasn't even allowed to have her knife. She was too tired and strung out to argue.

Bill was sitting on the sofa, legs kicked up. He looked to be reading a book—Joey didn't understand why he was reading. She wouldn't be surprised if she had forgotten how to read at this point. "Hey." he greeted, his newly trimmed beard conforming around his smile. Bill closed the book and his face dropped when seeing the blood on her head and dirt over her clothes. She had bruises visible as well, and he stood up instantly. "Joey, Jesus, your head," he reached forward to touch the injury and Joey winced. "Are you okay?"

Just as he asked that, Joey started to cry. Bill felt so incredibly confused and guilty that he pulled her in for a hug and let her cry against his chest. "What happened kiddo? Can you tell me what happened?"

Joey felt like she couldn't breathe. She didn't know why she was crying so much—she didn't know Noah very well. She hardly cried this much when people died, even when her own grandparents died. Joey wondered if she had changed drastically since that time—she never thought of her grandparents anymore. Joey also wondered if Bill ever thought of Ellie anymore. "Noah . . . he died . . ." she choked out, and grabbed onto the sleeves of Bill's shirt as she soaked his chest. He sighed heavily as if he was disappointed, but not surprised. "And Aiden."

"Jesus . . . I'm so sorry kiddo . . ." he stroked her head and tried to be delicate around her injury. Joey tried to regain her breath. "It's my fault. I should've held onto him . . . I could've saved him, but he slipped from my hands . . . they were too strong . . ."

"Who? Who slipped from your hands?"

"Noah,"

"Who was grabbing him?" Joey still kept her face buried in his chest and Bill pulled her face away, cradling it in his large hands and trying to wipe away the tears that were staining her cheeks that were muddled with the blood from her head. "The rotters. They were everywhere. Me and Glenn—we tried to save him . . . but—but Nicholas just ran away. Like a coward. He's the reason Noah's dead."

Bill narrowed his eyes, pulling her face into his chest again. He didn't understand what she was saying—he would get the full story from Rick or Glenn. Joey was too emotional and he thought, for a moment, about the last time he had seen her cry. Or if he had ever seen her cry. "Where's Finn?" she sniffled, after pulling away and wiping off the rest of the tears from her cheeks and neck. Bill nodded towards the stairs. "Sleeping already. We had a long day. Almost lost someone, too."

Someone was coming down the stairs, and they turned around to see Carl. He had been curious about what all the noise was. He stared wide-eyed at Joey and the blood on her face, and her puffy red eyes. "Joey . . . what happened?" He looked between the pair of them. He was in his pajamas. Bill rubbed Joey's upper arm. "They had a pretty hard run today. I've gotta bring her to the medic." he answered, and Carl walked over. "I'll come."

"You should get some sleep Carl."

"I haven't done anything all day, seriously."

Carl moved forward to grab Joey's arm delicately and help her toward the door. Bill followed behind and stared at Carl, even as he helped Joey down the stairs. Her head wasn't hurting as much as it did before, but it then hit Joey how tired she was. Carl kept his hand on her arm and Joey pulled away once they got some distance from the house. "I can walk on my own." Carl held up his hands in surrender. "Fine." Bill was still a little ways behind them, as though he was giving them their privacy but still making his presence known. Joey almost wanted to laugh at him if she wasn't so exhausted already.