Dead Man Walking

lxix.

This was the one thing Hunter wanted to avoid. The one thing they all wanted to avoid. But it happened. His nephew was dying. Carl was bit and there was nothing they could do about it. The tears fill his eyes as he looks at Carl. His little Carl, his little man. Hunter's ears filled with explosions. They were blowing up his home and his nephew was dying. How was he supposed to deal with this grief? There was nothing he could do to save him.

"I–I don't–"

"Dad."

"How..."

"Dad. It's all right. It's gotta be," Hunter swallowed the lump in his throat. This wasn't happening. This wasn't supposed to happen, "I wasn't sure if you guys would make it back before...but just in case, you know...I wanted to make sure I was able to say goodbye."

Carl handed notes over to Michonne, who dropped her head down. Hunter shakes his head as the tears escape his eyes, "It was them. They did this. All this they–it was them."

"Carl."

"I got bit," Hunter's breath hitched, "I was bringing someone back. His name's Siddiq. We saw him at that gas station, before...It wasn't the Saviors. It just happened. I got bit."

Hunter grabbed Carl's hand, it was so hot and his eyes were bloodshot. The sweat was dripping down his face. The sight of his nephew like this only made him cry more. The only words that left Hunter's mouth were 'no' like a mantra. Over and over again.

They lifted Carl up and laid him down on the cot as Hunter brushed Carl's hair out of his eyes. Carl's breaths came out harshly as he was trying to hold on to all the oxygen, "Is that better?" Michonne asks.

"Yeah...thanks."

"I, um, I got theses," Siddiq's voice filled their ears as he presented medication, "They're over-the-counter, and non-steroidal anti-inflammatories. They'll, um–They'll help a little with the fever. They did for my mom and dad. Please take them. Your son...he should have them."

Rick took the bag from Siddiq, "You're a doctor?"

"I was a resident...before. Yeah."

"Your name is Siddiq?" Rick asks as he stares into oblivion. His firstborn, his only son was dying right before his eyes.

"Yes."

Rick averts his eyes from the ground as he looks at Carl, "Did you know he was a doctor? Is that why you brought him back?"

"He wasn't going to make it alone. He needed us. That's why."

"He was the one at the gas station."

Another explosion surged through and rumbled the entire sewer. Rick and Hunter covered Carl as the rocks started crumbling down around them. Carl's cough filled his ears. 

"Water. Give him water," Michonne says as she hands Rick a bottle of water.

Rick brought it to Carl's mouth, "Slowly, slowly."

Hunter glances over his shoulder and spots Dwight. He wasn't thinking clearly. His mind was wandering, he was emotionally unstable. He picked himself off the ground and stormed over to Dwight. His fist connected with Dwight's face before he grabbed his jacket and slammed him against the wall.

"Make it stop!" Hunter pleads as his tears blurred his eyes, "Make them stop. You have to make them stop."

"I can't."

"Yes, you can," Hunter moved his hands to Dwight's throat, "You're one of them. You did this. You started this. Now make it stop. Please, make it stop."