___
Remember all the things we wanted
Now all our memories, they're haunted
We were always meant to say goodbye
___
A moment later, Carl exits the boiler room. His gun is still in his hand. His face is stone.
He walks back towards the outside. Elaina follows silently, holding his baby sister.
Rick, Daryl, Glenn, Hershel, Beth, and Maggie all stand around in the courtyard. They are talking about going back inside to find Carol, Lori, Elaina, and Carl.
All conversation stops when they hear the baby cry.
Rick looks up at Elaina. She has dried tear streaks down her face.
His face contorts as he looks for Lori. He tries to walk past her to enter the building but she holds her hand out. "Rick, don't." She whispers.
He looks at Carl and starts to cry.
He repeats "No." over and over again before collapsing into a sobbing ball on the floor.
Maggie and Glenn rush over to Elaina. Maggie takes the baby from her arms. She feels arms wrap around her but doesn't look to see who they're from.
She just shuts her eyes and wishes all of this would go away.
___
A few silent minutes pass. Rick is still on the floor. Carl stands beside him.
The others stand around, unsure of what to do.
Daryl walks up to Rick who is now sitting on his knees in the same spot. "Rick. Rick. You with me?" He waves his hand in front of the man to no avail.
Hershel looks at Maggie. "Let me see the baby."
She walks over to him.
Beth looks at the others. "Do we have anything to feed her?"
Daryl shakes his head.
"The good news is, she's healthy. But she needs formula or she won't survive." Hershel says.
"No way. Not her. We ain't losing anyone else. I'm going on a run." Daryl says tossing his crossbow over his shoulder.
Glenn nods. "I'll back you up."
Daryl glances at Elaina. "You with me?"
She looks up. Her eyes are puffy. She nods slowly.
She looks at Beth and Maggie. "Take care of them until I get back, please..." She says, regarding the two kids and Rick.
Maggie nods. "Of course."
Beth does too. "We'll keep an eye on them."
Glenn and Elaina follow Daryl to one of the cars.
"There's a Piggly Wiggly on 85." Glenn says.
Elaina shakes her head. "Baby sections been cleared." They look at her with confusion.
"Lori asked me to keep an eye out. Haven't had much luck."
Daryl sighs. "Is there any place that hasn't been completely looted?"
Glenn pauses to think. "Me and Maggie saw signs for a shopping center just north of here."
Elaina looks down at her red-stained hands. "Yeah, but there's too much debris on the road. We can't get a car through that."
YOU ARE READING
Sheriff's Lover ||| Rick Grimes
Fanfiction"Are you trying to get me drunk, officer?" "What if I am?" Thirty-two-year-old office worker, Elaina Heart was all alone on the streets of Atlanta when a man in a sheriff's uniform trots down the road on a horse. She decides to join him on his miss...
