Spider Monkey

Chapter Eighty - One - Burn Butcher Burn

(Notes: This is sad :( )

Daryl, Carl and Hedley made it back and they brought their people with them. Maggie, Carol and Michonne with them as they watched from afar Rick leading the herd to the bridge. He was limping, blood pooling at his side.

"What is he doing?!" Maggie yelled.

"He's hurt!" Michonne cried, seeing the blood.

"That herd that went right through Hilltop." Daryl explained, "He's trying to bring down the bridge."

"No." Michonne took off in a sprint, Maggie, Carol and their people with them.

"We turn them around. Fight 'em back. Fire your guns. Try to divert them." Maggie ordered.

"It's not working!" Called Carol.

"Keep trying!"

"Dad!" Carl called out, frozen on the spot.

Walkers were getting close, Rick was getting weaker.

Daryl and Hedley took their crossbows and fired bolt after bolt, trying desperately to save their leader. Their brother, friend and mentor.

Rick looked out at them and shook his head, waving his arm out as if to say 'No. Stop. It's not gonna work'. But the Dixons kept shooting.

Rick looked at Carl and shook his head, a small smile on his lips.

That was when Carl knew what this was. 

It was a goodbye.

"No! No! Dad! Dad, no!" Carl screamed, tears escaping as he watched.

"Rick!" Michonne's own scream of desperation filled the air like a banshee scream.

"I found 'em." Was Rick's last words. But no one heard them. He lifted his gun, pointed it to the sticks of dynamite that was on the bridge. And he fired.

Fire exploded out and the bridge was gone, all remaining with flames, black charcoal and the bodies of walkers falling down and into the river below.

Carl let out a horrendous scream of agony. He fell down onto his knees as he did. Hedley dropped his bow, kneeling down with him and held Carl to his chest. His own tears falling as he held onto his boyfriend as he fell apart.

Daryl was beside them, crying silently, head down, shoulders deflated.

Rick was gone.

****

The world seemed to mourn Rick Grimes that night.

The air was thick, the sky grey, the birds stopped their song.

Carl cried himself to sleep, clutching his sheriff's hat. Hedley held him all throughout, tucked into their shared sleeping bag.

Either spoke. Nor moved from their spot.

They just lied there and cried.

During the night, Hedley woke up to find Carl gone. He got up and peaked out the tent and saw his boyfriend sitting on a log, looking out at the stars above.

Slowly, Hedley went over and sat beside him.

After a second of silence, Carl spoke. His voice was rough as his throat was all dried out from crying. "It doesn't feel right." He said, "It's like nothing is real anymore."

Hedley wrapped an arm around Carl, rubbing his back.

Carl then spoke again as he leaned into his boyfriend's gentle touch, "He's not dead."

Hedley sighed softly, "Carl-"

"He's not." He cut off, "I feel it. I feel that he's still alive."

"Carl... we saw-"

"He's not dead, Hedley." Carl pulled out of his grip and looked at Hedley's big green eyes, face serious, "We just have to find him."

Seeing the expression, Hedley nodded, "Okay. I believe you."

Carl let out a shuddering breath, his shoulders collapsing as all the fight within dissolved into exhaustion. "Will you help me find him?"

Hedley leaned to rest his forehead against Carl's. He whispered, "I will be by your side until my last breath."

And Carl whispered back, "And I'll be beside yours until mine."