Anything - Carl Grimes

xii. Prison

.

A few weeks have passed and the group has been moving from one house to another. From one gas station to another. From one shelter to another. Only a few safe places lasted them a few days until they had to be moving again. Nothing was the same as it was before. Life wasn't calm, peaceful, and quiet. It was all about getting stronger, finding something to eat- whether it was a squirrel or an old can of beans -and finding shelter to stay over the night.

Maybe it was just the winter that made everyone odd or maybe that they didn't have a home anymore. No one was happy or at least a little positive. Rick has been leading and bossing them around which annoyed Carmen so much but she was too scared of him to say something. Carmen and other women tried to help Lori with her pregnancy as much as they could because it wasn't easy for anyone especially not her.

T-Dog was basically co-parenting with Dottie. Helping her with stuff, keeping them safe when they slept, and keeping an eye on Carmen, who was so out of it. She didn't talk as much as she used to. At least not to the adults. Carl and Carmen had a conversation going on all the time, no matter if it was some stupid questions Carl asked or Carmen telling him facts about birds. Carl also didn't stop talking about how cool Carmen's scar was going to be. The cut that she got when falling down the hill wasn't deep but Hershel told her it would leave a scar when it healed.

One night, they were in the forest, gathered around the fire. Rick and T-Dog were on the watch, Carl and Matt were asleep and others tried to make some type of conversation because the silence was eating them alive. Daryl felt Carmen's eyes burning on him and it was annoying him so much but he hoped if he ignored her, maybe she'd leave him alone. "Could you teach me how to shoot?" Daryl finally looked next to him where Carmen sat, staring at the crossbow."

Daryl just scoffed and kept looking at the distance. "It's not that hard, is it?" Carmen asked.

"No, but you ain't big enough to use it," Daryl said making Carmen huff and go back to staring at the fire while the group was talking. Maggie was half-laying in Glenn's chest, Beth was cuddled in Hershel's side and Carl and Matt lay in their mothers' laps. She wished Josh was here because she'd be like Beth. Leaning her head against her dad's shoulder he rubbed her back to sleep.

And that's how it's been for the next eight or nine months. They kind of guessed how long it had been by Lori's belly which was now very big, meaning the baby should come soon. They waited for Rick's sign, who broke into the house with T-Dog, Daryl, Carl, Glenn, and Maggie to clear it out. Rick taught Carmen how to shoot and she became really good but he recommended she stay behind until she was one hundred percent ready. They did let her clear out houses a few times but she used an axe or a knife because it was easier and they didn't have another gun silencer. Dottie also helped more but also felt more safe when Matt was next to her.

Rick whistled as a sign that they could come in and they did. The house was dirty and falling apart. Maggie and Glenn moved two dead Walkers into the corner. They all took places on the floor to have some rest. Carl came out of the kitchen with two cans of dog food and started opening one of them. Carmen already felt sick and a puke formed in her stomach at the thought of eating it. This might be the only thing worse than Dad's cooking, Carmen thought.

Rick walked over to Carl, picked up the can, and read the label before throwing it against the wall. T-Dog made a small noise to get everyone's attention on the Walkers outside. They were all quick to get their things and run out of the house, to their cars.

...

"I miss the farm, man." T-Dog sighed as he drove the car Carmen and her family were in. Dottie was in the back with Matt, taking a rest. She's been sick for the past few days which didn't help with keeping the energy up. Carmen nodded and hummed in agreement before his stomach growled. "Here." T-Dog took something out of his pocket and handed it to Carmen. It was an untouched protein bar. "Kept it for emergencies."