War on the Body [1]

[12] Speaking with the Devil

Today was the day, Rick was going to sit with the governor and take about everything. Hopefully coming to a conclusion that would save everyone's lives, but nobody was holding out for it.

A few days before Rick, Michonne and Carl went to Rick's hometown to scavenge some firearms. Michonne had told Paige about the man they had run into, a man that saved Rick's life in the very beginning and helped him find his family.

Paige wanted to go with Hershel, Daryl and Rick to meet with the governor but was held back by 3 requests from those very men.

The first being from Rick, to stay and protect his children. He told Paige how he trusted her with them more than anybody else at the moment.

The second from her father, to stay and take care of her sisters. Her being the oldest, she had responsibilities to take care of the two younger girls.

The third from Daryl, to stay and keep an eye on Michonne and Merle. Apparently, Merle had taken a liking to the doctor, shocking everyone including himself. He told Daryl how much he respected her, confusing Daryl completely.

So, Paige sat on the stairs with the baby in her arms and Merle beside her talking to the baby in an obnoxious voice nobody expected a man of his stature to speak in.

She watched as Michonne helped Carl set the new baby bed up just for Judith. Paige noticed how natural it looked to the dark-skinned woman.

" Theres that smile, smiling at ol' Merle" Paige could barely contain her laughter as Merle talked to the baby.

"Merle, don't scare her please" Paige asked the redneck, causing him to look at her with a smile on his face

"I ain't never been around no baby, she is precious"

Paihe smiled at the redneck, casting her glance to Carl as he later out a small yelp.

"Carl, what is wrong?" Paige asked worried that she would let Rick's child be harmed on her watch.

"I just got a splinter, mind getting it it's pretty far down there" Carl asked the doctor

Paige handed the baby over to Beth who had a bottle ready for the infant.

"Let me grab some tweezers, dont mess with it. You could shove it farther down" Paige advised the boy before running to her cell and grabbing a small bag of medical utensils.

She sat herself beside Carl and looked at the splinter, about an inch long in his pointer finger. It was below the skin, so she was going to have to dig around a little to grasp it.

"I might have some serious medical training u der my belt, but I sure am glad I dont need to use it"

Michonne smiled at the girl as she continued to put the crib together for Judith. Paige grabbed her tweezers and a small scalpel.

"Do you need to cut it open?" Carl asked

" Don't worry, I only need to break the skin a little bit. No blood and no stitches, you won't even need a bandage" Paige reassured the boy.

As she broke the skin with the scalpel, the splinter stayed to poke up. Paige quickly grabbed her tweezers and pulled the splinter out, careful not to break it on the way out.

"Thank you" Carl told the doctor as she finished pulling it from his finger.

"No problem, besides your dad would have a cow if I allowed you to get hurt"

Carl laughed as she said this, nodding his head in agreement.

As time passed, Glenn had gathered everyone into a section of the cell block.