traded my life [TWD]

『80』

Maggie sighs and sets the pregnancy test down.

"You sure you don't want a morning-after pill? Just to be safe?"

She shakes her head. "No, I'm okay.."

"You don't look okay."

She sits down at the table and crosses her arms.

"Mags?" I ask. "What's wrong?"

"I didn't want to," she says. "But, now that it's negative.. I kinda wish I was."

"Are you ready for that?"

"Is anyone ever ready?" she asks with a chuckle.

"I sure wasn't," I agree.

"You know, I look around at everything we've accomplished over the past few months.." she says. "And I think, maybe, just maybe, things are okay now. That we can rebuild our lives after the war."

"He's still out there," I remind.

"I know. Believe me.. I feel like I'm always looking over my shoulder. But, Daryl said the trail went cold. He doesn't have people anymore. He's alone. We're stronger. The prison is secure."

"Before this group, I don't think I ever really knew what happy was. But, I know it now. And I've been happy for the last few months. But.. I don't think I've ever felt safe. I doubt I ever will," I confess.

"Nothing is ever guaranteed. I just know that being afraid of being alive isn't helping anything. 

"Think I was always afraid of being alive," I confess. "Until now."

"Me, too," Maggie agrees.

"So, you're not pregnant.. now, what?" I wonder.

"Now, i tell Glenn so he stops panicking. Then, I think I tell him about actually wanting a family."

"Are you afraid of getting more people?" I ask. "It's more people to lose."

"I've lost everyone else. When I think about them, I think about how happy they made me. Because all I have are my memories. I can't tote around photo albums or a phone. I just have my memories."

I smile gently and pull her into a side hug, squeezing her tightly.

"Sure, it will be more loss. But, the world has always been like that. The memories keep us going, though," she says, wrapping her hand around my arm and leaning her head on mine.

"I wish you would see just how strong you really are," I whisper. "I wish there were more people like you.. I wish you could see you how the rest of us see you."

--

I hold Woojin's fingers as he slowly takes a couple of steps. Then, he plops on the blanket I had thrown onto the floor.

"He's getting there," Hershel notes.

"You've got your robo-extension and Woojin's walking more," I say with a smile. "When's that race?"

"We need to slow Carl down. It's not fair Woojin and I have handicaps," he says.

"Nah, without the hat he's down by like 70%," I joke.

The doors open down the hall and Daryl walks in with bags.

"Hey, you," I greet. "I figured out a loophole. Might not need the rug, after all."

"Didn't get one," he says. "Didn't get much. Got some taken, though."

"Is everything all right?" Hershel asks.

Daryl scratches the back of his neck and sighs. "Zach. He didn't make it. We barely got outta there.. The roof was caving in. Literally. And walkers were raining."

I frown. Woojin pulls himself up to stand again, wobbling on shaky legs.

"I should talk to Bethy," Hershel says, sighing sadly.

"I got it," Daryl assures. "I.. I can tell her."

"You sure?" I ask, knowing Daryl wasn't the best when it came to comfort.

"Yeah.. He was my partner out there. The run was my idea. I should be the one to tell her."

--

The following morning, I watched Glenn leave the guard tower across from mine.

I shine my flashlight across the field, blinking Maggie and I's code. She responded with her own flashing light within seconds, saying 'good morning'. I send her another message, asking if everything went okay with Glenn. She responded with 'ok, could be better'. I left it off with a 'tell me later' and she agreed.

Woojin rolls around on the mattress and I scoff.

"Having fun?" I ask him, pulling a jacket on.

He crawls to the edge of the bed and used the metal wall to pull himself into a standing position. Then, he bounces on his toes with a wavering 'ah-ah-ah'.

"Well, maybe if Daryl Samchon didn't walk into your swing and break it, you'd be able to bounce," I inform. "He's the one that barged through the door when it was hanging."

"Where Sam?" he asks, broken Korean.

"Samchon," I repeat. "He's working. You see him?"

Woojin looks out the window, slowing his bounces. I walk over the the corner and point down at the fields where Rick and Carl are working.

"Sam!" he cheers.

With a smile, I open the window and place my fingers to my lips, whistling down to get Rick's attention. He looks up from where he was feeding the pigs, holding a hand to his head to see past the sun.

"There he is," I tell Woojin.

Woojin shrieks in delight. "Sam!"

Rick holds his hand up, waving at Woojin, causing Woojin to giggle.

"Sam-chon," I correct, yet again.

"Sam-Sam," Woojin declares.

I laugh again and rest my head on the window.

Then, my head jerks back up when a loud 'boom' echoes through the prison. Woojin plops on the bed and covers his head. I stand up and look around- more gunshots sounding.

𝒶𝓊𝓉𝒽𝑜𝓇 𝓇𝒶𝓂𝒷𝓁𝑒𝓈--

woojin is my comedic relief now he's such a king i love him

my maggie x hyejin heart <3