rag doll | TWD

[70] honor

father and son --- yusuf/ cat stevens

♮♮♮
[POV]

Carl had shown Rick and Michonne his bite. They looked in disbelief, utter shock as JJ had also been in earlier that day.

The sounds of muffled explosions continued on as Rick and Michonne attempted to process what was happening. 

"I- I don't...how..."

"Dad... it's all right. It's gotta be." Carl told his father. "JJ was gonna find you. I wasn't sure if you'd make it back before..." 

His eyes moved through the line of people. 

"Where is..."

Rick knew what his son was going to ask. Instead of causing more pain, he lied. "She's okay. She found me."

Daryl looked over to Rick. He didn't know what happened, but he knew that she wasn't okay. He knew that Rick had lied to protect Carl.

"Here," Carl weakly reached into his pocket pulling out the stack of notes he'd written. "Just in case, I wanted to make sure I was able to say goodbye."

"No. It's them. They- they don't. It wasn't..." Rick muttered, not making any sense while Michonne shook her head, sighing, "Carl."

"No. I got bit. I was bringing someone back. His name's Siddiq. We saw him at that gas station before...it wasn't the Saviors. It just happened." Carl told them, breathing heavily between each sentence, "I got bit."

Time continued to pass as more and more explosions went off above ground. Until they stopped. It was just like Dwight had told them. They did their damage and left. 

Michonne reported back to Rick, "The saviors are gone. We can get everyone to Hilltop. We can get Carl there."

"Carl? No."

Michonne looked confused, "Daryl can get one of the cars."

"Carl won't make it- he can't leave here. I have to stay with him."

"Rick."

"He can't. I have to stay."

Michonne nodded, "we'll both stay."

"Will you-" Rick sighed, "take Judith? She needs to be there. If she- If...happens."

"I'll take her." Daryl stepped in. "I'll get her there. I'll keep her safe. I got this."

"Let me say goodbye." Carl said, getting help from Michonne to sit up. He breathed sharply, "You be good, okay? For Michonne, for Dad. You gotta honor him. Listen when he tells you stuff. You don't have to always. JJ can show you how to break the rules. Sometimes, kids got to show their parents the way."

Carl picked up his dad's hat he'd worn since he was a boy. "This was Dad's before it was mine. Now it's yours. I don't know... just- just having it...it always kept Dad with me. It made me feel as strong as him. It helped me. Maybe it'll help you too."

He lowered his head, "before Mom died... she told me that I was gonna beat this world. I didn't. But you will. I know you will."

"These people. You saved them all." Daryl told Carl. "That's all you, man."

Rick stood up, handing Judith off to Daryl. She wailed loudly after being taken away from Carl. Daryl's face asked Rick what he was too afraid to say out loud, and Rick knew that he needed to tell him about JJ.

In response, all Rick gave was a weak shake of his head, but it told Daryl what he needed to know. 

♮♮♮