Sweet and Salty ~ Carl Grimes

Gone - 093

Brooks couldn't hear anything other than her own scream. After the initial hit, the smash which knocked someone to the ground, Brooks didn't know what was happening. She couldn't see a thing, because Carl wouldn't let her look. His hands on her only got tighter as he cried, shaking, and holding onto Brooks for support. He just wanted to protect his girlfriend, in his grief, he didn't realise he was withholding the information of who was dead.

So, she screamed, and she shook. She didn't fight against Carl's hands though, because she didn't want to know. She wanted to live in her ignorant bliss. Was she an orphan? Was her uncle slaughtered for his actions? Glenn? Rosita? Michonne? It was someone to her right, and it wasn't Carl. Brooks wanted to know, but she didn't, she couldn't. She'd lost Cam, if she looked up and saw her family, her blood, her DNA on the ground... Well, that would be the breaking point of Brooks Dixon. Brooks knew that was too far for even her. She'd been through a lot in her short life, but that was just too much.

Therefore, when Brooks managed to tug her head away from Carl's weakening grip, and she saw Glenn with an eye popped out of his head, and blood running down from his head... She couldn't help but gasp in relief as she looked to her father. He was horrified, crying, but alive and unharmed. "Thank god." She didn't mean it. Glenn was going to die. He'd said something to Maggie, but Negan laughed and bashed his head in more.

Brooks didn't want Glenn to die... But, it's important to note a few things. Glenn turned out to be one of the people who hated her the most, sure they reconciled but she never got an apology, they never became close. As soon as they got to Alexandria, Glenn moved on with his life as if he never really knew Brooks. He saw her all the time when the group got together, but they were never... Close. Merle, on the other hand, was Brooks' father, with Cam gone then he'd be one of the only people she'd have left. Merle and her had been as thick as thieves for a long time, they'd known each other since the day Brooks was born. They had a lot of problems, but they'd overcome them, and he'd made up for them. Brooks loved Merle more than herself.

That didn't mean she wanted Glenn dead. She didn't mean to feel relief... But, she did.

It all happened so fast after that. Glenn was dead, his head... Everywhere. Maggie was screaming, gasping, grabbing onto her stomach. Negan was laughing, proud of himself. Daryl was trying so hard not to throw his stomach up, guilt eating him up as he looked at the man that he got killed. Negan took Rick away in the RV, but Brooks wasn't really... There for it.

Her head was gone. Her hand was gripping onto a limp one. Carl was holding her tightly, but he wasn't okay. He was crying and shaking; Glenn was the other one who'd become a big brother to him, but he'd lost them both in one night. Gone, like they'd never existed at all. Brooks was empty, her eyes hurt, there was nothing in her heart, her chest ached but she couldn't really... Feel any of it. She wasn't even guilty about the relief that she felt about her father being alive in exchange for Glenn, because... She had no emotions left in her body. She wasn't angry. She wasn't bereaved. She wasn't thinking about the blood on her red and black flannel - Sebastian's flannel. Brooks didn't even notice when the RV came back, and Negan was dragging Rick out like a goddamn dog. She didn't hear what Negan was saying to Rick, she didn't snap back into it...

Until Carl was at risk.

He kissed the top of her head and whispered something in her ear as he stood up and walked over to where Rick was laying, and Negan was stood over him. Brooks watched him leave, lips parted and barely breathing. She hadn't even noticed the sun come up - how long had it been daytime? Her mouth opened to try and form words, but nothing left her lips... Brooks had actually lost her voice because of all the screaming and the crying she'd done the night before. What had Carl whispered in her ear?