Living With the Dead (A Walking Dead and Supernatural Story)

Chapter 9

   The next day we were all in the cafeteria eating breakfast. I had been watching Carl. Not in a weird way, I just wanted to make sure he was okay. Which he wasn't. He wasn't eating his food. A voice startled me.

   "Everybody okay?" Rick asked. We were all surprised to see him

   "Yeah, we are," Maggie said

   Hershel turned toward him, "What about you?"

   Rick didn't answer the question. Instead he told use he cleared out the boiler block.

   "How many were there?" Daryl asked.

   "I don't know. A dozen, two dozen. I have to get back. Just wanted to check on Carl."

   "Rick, we can handle taking out the bodies. You don't have to," Glenn said standing up.

   "No, I do," Rick replied before walking to Daryl, "Everyone have a gun and a knife?"

   "Yeah. We're running low on ammo, though," Daryl said.

   I glanced over at Dean and he seemed to be lost in thought. Sam and Cas didn't seem to notice it though. It might have been nothing, but I planned to ask him about it. Rick left the room again soon after and Maggie and Glenn went for a supply run. Castiel was going to volunteer to go with them but I told him it was best to let those two go alone. He was confused to why I thought that but I didn't explain any further.

   I followed Dean into Cas and his cell.

   He turned to look at me, "What are you doing?"

   "You said I wasn't allowed to leave your side again."

   "You never listen to me. What's really going on?"

   "At breakfast you seemed pretty lost in thought. Just wanted to make sure you were doing alright."

   He sighed and sat down on the bed, "I've seen it before. Rick. He's reminding me a lot of dad right now. He's so focused on Lori's death. Did you notice he didn't even acknowledge his baby."

   "Rick isn't dad. At least he came back to check on Carl. Didn't just leave him hanging by himself to take care of his younger sibling. Didn't force his kid into his own agenda. He's grieving Dean. We may be used to death, but these people aren't. This is new for them."

   "I'm just saying it's something we should keep a close eye on."

   "And then what? Tell Rick he's a terrible father? Call CPS? What are we supposed to do Dean?"

   "Calm down. We make him realize he needs to focus on his kids. That's all."

   "And how do you plan to do that?"

   "Are you two arguing?" Sam asks as he walks in with Cas behind him and Scarlett on his back.

   "Don't worry about it Sam," I say sighing, "I get what you mean Dean. Let's just give Rick time to heal and then you can talk to him. Tell him about dad or whatever you think will help."

   I walk back into the room all the cells are attached to.

   "Hey, Hadley. Come here," Daryl calls from the perch. I walk up and join him.

   "I'm gonna take Carl to clear some walkers. You should come. You seem to cheer him up. Might be what he needs right now."

   "Okay, sounds good." I grab my gun and knife and tell Sam and Dean what I'm doing.

   "Make sure she stays safe," Sam says, "She's had enough near death encounters as is."

   "Got it," Daryl responds.

   Daryl, Carl, Oscar, and I head through a wing of the prison. We come across a door that keeps moving slightly.  Daryl decides it's best to leave the walkers in there until we come back.

   "You know, my mom, she liked her wine. She liked to smoke in bed. Virginia Slims," Daryl tells us, "I was playing out with the kids in the neighborhood. I could do that with Merle gone," he turns to me, "Merle was my brother. Real asshole."

   He continues, "They had bikes. I didn't. We heard sirens getting louder. They jumped on their
Bikes, ran after it. You know, hoping to see something worth seeing. I ran after them, but I couldn't keep up. I ran around a corner and saw my friends looking at me. Hell, I saw everybody looking at me. Fire trucks everywhere. People from the neighborhood. It was my house they were there for. It was my mom in bed burnt down to nothing. That was the hard part. You know, she was just gone. Erased. Nothing left of her. People said it was better that way. I don't know. Just made it seem like it wasn't real, you know?"

   "I have no memories of my mom. Just what my dad told me which wasn't much. It's weird, knowing a person existed but never knowing them. I guess it is kind of like she wasn't real. Dad wanted to pretend she didn't exist. I guess he hated himself for losing another woman he loved. After Sam and Dean's mom died he was never the same. Never happy. He had it again and lost it again. Back to square one.

   "I shot my mom. She was out. Hadn't turned yet. I ended it. It was real," Carl says, "Sorry about your moms."

   "I'm sorry about yours," Daryl replies.

   "Me too," I add.

   We continued on through the halls. I felt my stomach cramp up and I had to lean against the wall for a moment.

   "You okay?" Daryl asked.

   "Just fine."

   "You sure, cause something happens to you and I got to deal with your brothers," he says.

   "I'm good. Let's keep going." We walk for a bit longer when suddenly Carl stops. We turn to look at him.

   "Hadley...your bleeding," he says.

   "Where?" I question looking at my arms.

   "Um... it's not your arms. Or any place you would normally bleed," he answers.

   Daryl looks at me and then looks slightly uncomfortable. I turn to Oscar in hopes he has an answer for me.

   "I think it's uh...your y'know. Time of the the month."

   I look down and groan. I knew it would happen soon based on what I learned in school and the symptoms I was having but I figured it would wait a little longer. Especially since this was my first one. Then I realized I was with possibly the worst three people for this to happen with.

   "Let's just hurry up and get back so I can talk to Beth," I say. No one seems to disagree. We continue on and find a small bathroom with slippers in it which Oscar is excited for. Unfortunately nothing I currently need is in there. A walker comes up to the doorway and we all attack it. Daryl goes to look at it and realizes Carol's knife is in it. We get back to the rest of the group and I hurry to find Beth. I rush over to her

   "What's the matter?" She asks.

   "I started my period. Do you guys have any pads or cloths or literally anything."

   "We have a few, not much but it should get you through this one. You might need new pants too," she says.

   "I have some." She nods her head and gets me what I need. I enter into Dean's cell where he and Sam are.

   "I need one of you to go to the car and get me my bag," I say. We left our bags in the car in case we needed to leave quickly.

   Sam begins to ask why and then notices, "Yeah, okay, I'll do it. Uh, do you need anything else?" He seems genuinely concerned. I shake my head no and he leaves.

   I turn to Dean and he grins at me, throwing his hands in the air "Congra-"

   I cut him off, "Don't." I glare at him until Sam returns.

   Later on Daryl returns with someone in his arms. It's Carol. She's actually alive.