Sweet and Salty ~ Carl Grimes

Together Again - 064

A groan escaped her broken throat. Brooks could feel her head on something soft, and her left leg slightly elevated, resting on somebody's lap. Her eyes flickered open, and was met with a golden darkness. Like a fire, or a torch in the night. As she reached down and grabbed onto where her leg was injured. She was met with cloth, she tried to slip her fingers underneath, but a hand grabbed her wrist. "Best let it set." Carl's voice had said.

Brooks turned her head to the left, and saw him smiling gently at her. She looked around and saw... Everyone. She saw three people that she definitely didn't recognise, but that one ginger man she couldn't help but find had a familiar face. She realised that she had a man's jacket zipped up over her, and instantly recognised it as Carl's; that's when she remembered Twitchy cutting off her shirt. Carl could've just buttoned up the flannel she had on, but he felt that was too thin for the cold nights, so sacrificed his black jacket. Brooks tried sitting up, but hands grabbed her biceps from behind, gentle and caring. One warm, one freezing, like metal. "You should rest." Cam's voice said.

She whizzed around as fast as she could in her state, and smiled warmly at him, before she hugged him tightly. He didn't hesitate to hug her back, nestling into her tightly as a warm smile pulled on his lips. It'd been his lap her head was resting on. "I missed you so much." She whispered to him. Her voice was hoarse, scratchy and sore... She'd done a lot of screaming.

"Missed you too, kid." Cam responded, trying to keep his voice strong, but was failing.

Brooks pulled back, and looked to Carl, smiling as she reached for his hand again. He didn't hesitate to hold her hand too, as he squeezed it. She smiled at him, before looking to who's lap her left leg was on. Michonne. A heavy and happy breath left Brooks. "I didn't... I didn't think you'd make it." Brooks admitted, painfully pulling her leg back and releasing Carl's hand so she could move forward. Michonne did most the work though, going as close as she could as soon as she realised what Brooks wanted.

A hug.

The two squeezed each other, tears in their eyes as they both remembered what happened to Marliya, barely a week ago. Brooks looked down, and pulled away, wiping her eyes to keep at bay any potential tears. She looked around her, and saw everyone... Even little Judith, who was the only one asleep. Brooks smiled at her innocent, sleeping face. Sophia stood up from beside Carol and walked over, pulling her best friend into a hug. "I was praying for you." Sophia whispered, holding her tightly. Tyreese watched Sophia with a smile, he'd grown very close with her the week it was just the two of them and Judith.

Brooks smiled. "I never doubted you were alive." She admitted, and it was true. The whole week she never once assumed her people were dead, because the last she heard about the bus was that it drove away. She didn't hear about its fail, and the way everyone split up.

Sophia pulled back, and wiped her tears before she smiled. "My mom's back, she's who saved us all." She moved to the side so Brooks could see Carol and Merle sitting side by side.

Brooks noticed that Merle's left wrist was covered in blood... And, what kind of looked like teeth scrapes? But, he wasn't bit, because he wouldn't have looked as well as he did. "Hell happened to your wrist?" She couldn't help but ask, because of how painful it looked.

Merle licked his lips, but smiled a tight lip smile. "One of them damn cannibals took a cheese grater to me."

She raised her eyebrows a little, and nodded. Brooks couldn't remember her final moments before blacking out. "Yea, anyone else find that shit weird? I mean that motherfucker wanted me to eat my own leg? I think I'm still in the oven."

A couple quiet chuckles travelled through the group of survivors as Brooks tried to make light of the situation. Brooks stared at Maggie, who was beside Glenn. She wet her lips, knowing she had to tell her about Hershel... But, she couldn't. She couldn't bring herself to do it... So, she didn't. Instead, she looked around for Beth, but didn't see her. Tears stung her eyes as she licked the inside of her cheek. "Beth... She uh... She's not 'ere? She takin' a piss or somethin'?"