Little Grimes

twenty six

Screams erupt from inside a cell block. I couldn't tell which one it was coming from.

"Maeve! Go to Judith and Beth!" Rick yells to me, "Carl and Maggie, help Michonne!"

I take off into the direction of where Beth and Judith will be. I ignore the screaming and focus on getting to the young girl and baby.

When I finally reach the cell block that holds Beth and Judith, Beth making her way towards me.

"Are you okay?" I ask, checking them both over for any marks.

"Yes. What happened?" Beth asks, handing Judith to me.

"I'm not sure. Rick wanted me to come check on you guys first," I answer.

"We'll be okay. Are Maggie and my dad okay?"

"Maggie is with Carl and Michonne. I didn't see your dad."

"Go find them, please. Judith and I will be okay," Beth reassures me.

I look down at Daryl who is sleeping peacefully in our bed. We lost many of our people from two getting sick and dying. One person dying literally resulted in the death of so many. Two little girls lost their father, Tyrese lost Karen, and more. It only seems to be getting worse. Someone burned Karen and David. I think it was to stop the disease from spreading but it was too late. The disease has already spread throughout the prison. We have separated the sick from the healthy.

Glenn is sick and Hershel is in there, caring for the patients.

I don't know what to do. Once Daryl wakes up, he's going with a group to find medicine to save our people. I don't want him to go without me but Rick insists on me staying here with him.

Daryl's eyes flutter open, "you're staring."

"I don't want you to go," I mumble.

He sighs and pulls me down onto him, "I'll be fine."

"I could go with you."

"Rick needs you here."

"That's bullshit and you know it," I mumble against his neck.

He groans, "Don't be stubborn."

"Make me," I challenge.

"People are dying. I don't have time to challenge you," he teases.

"Really?" I ask, calling his bluff.

"Nah. I can make time for a quickie."

I stand in front of Rick as he paces bald and forth.

"Can you tell me what's going on?" I ask him, crossing my arms over my chest.

"It was Carol," he states, not stopping his pacing.

"What was Carol?" I ask confused.

"She burned Karen and David."

My mouth drops open in shock, "what?"

"She thought it would stop the disease," Rick continues.

"What are you going to do?" I ask him.

"What do you think?"

"I think she can't be trusted anymore. There's no telling what else she would do. She killed our own," I rant, "Ty was so heartbroken."

"I know."

"What if she kills someone else? The disease has spread a lot. She could try to kill all of those that are sick," I continue.

"I'm gonna take her out on a supply run and tell her she can't come back with me."

I nod, "i'll come with you."

"Maeve-"

"Maggie is here. It'll be okay."

That's how I ended up in the back of a car while Rick drives and Carol is in the passenger seat.

Rick drives into a housing development. It doesn't look as overrun as most places do. I would have loved to live in a place like this. I could have eventually had this with Shane.

We could have started a family together and lived in a basic house like other people did. Like Rick and Lori did.

Back when Shane was still alive and he was the Shane I knew for years. The one who would tease me as a kid, protect me as a teen, and love me as an adult.

I wipe that tear that slipped from the corner of my eye. It's silly to cry over a memory. The past is such a haunting thing.

Rick pulls up in front of a house and parks the car. He looks between Carol and I, "we get medicine and anything we can eat."

"Okay," I agree.

"Stay close. We don't know how this place will be," he says more to me.

"I got it, Rick."

I follow Rick and Carol into a house. We carefully check every corner of the downstairs before scavenging for anything useful.

A bang comes from the upstairs, stopping us all in our tracks. I glance at Rick and he directs us towards the steps.

A groan sounds like it's getting closer until a walker is at the top of the steps. I'm quick to pull my gun out and shoot the walker straight through the head. The dead corpse falls down the steps right at our feet.

A door creaks open and out comes two people. Rick's gun is immediacy drawn.

"We have fruit!" The woman claims and tosses a peach down to us. We stare at it as it drops in front of our feet.

I glance at Rick and he's already looking at me.