The Mini Badass

Chapter 26

After everyone seemly calmed down, Hershel took the baby from me to examine her. Rick stood  back, staring out at nothing as the old man examines his new daughter. 

"The good news is she looks healthy." The old man says, handing me back the girl. "But she needs formula and soon or she won't survive." Hershel says more looking at Daryl than the rest of us.

"Nope, no way, not her." Daryl rambles, throwing his cross bow over his shoulder. "We ain't losing nobody else. I'm going for a run."

"I'll back you up." Maggie tells him and Glenn nods from beside her. "I'll go too."

"Okay, think where we're going." Daryl tells the two before turning to Beth, motioning her away from us. The two whisper back and forward, glancing back at me and Carl periodically. 

"You two get the fence." Daryl orders the two prisoners who I didn't even notice were there. "Too many pile up, we're gonna have a problem." He adds, turning to Maggie and Glenn. "Vamoose."

The three start walking away when Rick snaps out of his trance, picking up a nearby axe and marching back into the prison. 

"Rick!" Hershel shouts at the retreating figure. Beth comes over to me and Carl, putting a arm around me and a hand on Carl's shoulder.

"Come on we're gonna lose light!" Daryl yells at Maggie and Glenn, ignoring Rick's tantrum. Maggie and Glenn quickly say their goodbyes before following after the man.

I watch Maggie get on the back of Daryl's bike before the two of them take off, leaving Glenn behind.

"Ains come on." Beth whispers, motioning me and Carl back inside the prison. "Where's- where's T-Dog and Carol?" I ask her rocking the baby back and forwards.

"They uh, they didn't make it Ains." Beth tells me, placing a hand on my shoulder as I take a deep breath. 

Three people down in one day.

<3

An hour or so of me sitting in Carl and my room alone, trying to sooth the baby passed when Glenn walks in, dirty and sweaty from digging graves for the people we lost today.

"How's she doing?" Glenn asks, nodding down to the baby as he leans against the wall. "She's fussy, tried to bite my finger off." I tell him, rocking the girl as she sucks on my pinky finger.

"Maggie and Daryl should be back soon." He tells me, sitting down on the bed beside me. "Have you seen Carl?" I ask making Glenn nod. "He's with Hershel and Beth."

"Are you okay?"

"I'm fine." I tell him, bringing my gaze down to the nearly sleeping baby. "People die." I whisper, trying to push back the tears filling my eyes. "Not you though." I mutter to the small girl in my arms.

"Or you." I say, turning to Glenn. "I'd miss ya too much." Glenn smiles, bringing his hand up to rest it on my cheek. He gently pulls my head forward, planting a kiss on my head.  "You aren't allowed to die either, Ains."

Baby starts crying again as I stopped rocking her making me groan. "Give her here, go get some water." Glenn tells me but I side eye him. 

"No." I shake my head, starting to cradle the babe. "She'd get a disease just being near you." I tell him, glancing down at his dirty shirt and hands. "You're disgusting."

Glenn chuckles at me, standing up. "I'll go get you water then." He says before leaving. 

"Girl time, right?" I whisper to the baby who lifts her hand up, hitting me in the chin. "Hey."

<3

I migrated out to the main room of our cell block with baby, joining Beth, Hershel and Carl. "She won't stop crying." I say, slowing swaying her.