rag doll | TWD

[15] hounded

the boys are back in town --- thin lizzy

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[JJ]

"Everybody okay?" It was Rick.

We all glanced up from our bowls of... honestly, I had no idea what we were eating anymore. Mush? I couldn't take it any longer. From my spot on the floor, I shoved it away in front of me.

"Yeah, we are." I answered him. "Are you?"

"I cleared out the boiler block."

"How many were there?" Daryl questioned.

Rick shrugged, "I don't know. A dozen, two dozen. I have to get back. Just wanted to check on Carl." He patted his son's shoulder. He was here physically, but he wasn't mentally. His mind was elsewhere.

"Rick, we can handle taking out the bodies." Glenn told him. "You don't have to."

"No, I do. Everyone have a gun and a knife?"

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

"Maggie, Glenn and I were planning on making a run this afternoon. Found a phonebook, found a place with some places we can hit to look for bullets and formula." I informed, standing up and brushing the back of my pants off from where I had sat on the ground.

"We cleared out the generator room." Daryl added. "Axel's there trying to fix it. In case of emergency... We're gonna sweep the lower levels as well."

"Good. Good." My brother walked back out, ignoring the protests of Hershel.

I glanced at everyone, crossing my arms and huffing, before following Rick to wherever he was hiding. He stood over an old phone, seemingly waiting for an important call. Slowly, I walked down the steps, pulled the stool out from the table, and sat down, looking at the phone with him.

"Grandpa Joe used to have one just like it—remember?" I softly grinned. "It was in his music room... where I loved playing dress-up in a dress four sizes too big and wearing those white, ripped gloves that nearly slipped off my hands. And the glasses, oh my gosh," I laughed. "Do you remember them? They were like magnifying glasses. And don't even get me started on the hat."

My brother remained quiet. I saw the mix of rage and sorrow and confusion in his face.

"She was sorry for everything that happened. She wanted to tell you that," I said to him. "You carried us, Rick. I shouldn't be surprised—you've been doing that for me since we were little. But the group... you didn't let us give up. And you got us here."

"It's not enough." He pulled out of his trance at the phone, "It's not safe enough."

"You're never gonna find somewhere safe enough. I know you want to get away...from all of this, but we've run already. We're tired, Rick."

"I got a call." He confessed.

"Say again?" I raised an eyebrow, losing the seriousness of the conversation.

"Someone called. On this phone. A woman. She was young, she was part of a group. She said they had a safe place."

I slowly nodded and held the phone to my ear to make sure he wasn't crazy before assuming he'd gone batshit.

"They said they were just dialing numbers and I picked up. She said they'd be calling back." Rick explained, "If it sounds right, I want to talk them into taking us in."

"And someone actually responded?" I questioned, "And you're sure...I don't know-" I shrugged, "it wasn't the wind?"

He looked at me like I was crazy for not believing him.