rag doll | TWD

[76] the bridge

you might think --- the cars

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[POV]

It'd been 35 days since the work on the bridge began. Things had been going seemingly well. 

"Shit." JJ seethed after accidentally hitting the tip of her thumb with the hammer. She shook her hand and grasped her thumb instinctively, cursing the hammer. "Stupid hammer."

"You sure it's the hammer's fault?" Aaron asked as he and Daryl worked on the part of the bridge behind JJ. "That's the third time today you've cussed out a hammer." 

She turned on her heel, sassily, "do you wanna be the fourth cussing out today?"

"Hey," He held his hands in surrender, "just thought I'd point that out."

"Mhm." JJ rolled her eyes, holding the nail back up and trying again, "So, how's Gracie doing?"

"Well, the other day, I go in after her nap and pick her up, and the diaper just explodes all over me." 

"Sounds like good times." Daryl commented. 

"Oh, the best. You'll see."

Daryl looked up, scoffing loudly. 

"What? You'd be a great dad." Aaron told him. The awkward silence in the air led Aaron to say something else, "Hey, you never know. I wasn't expecting to be a dad in a day, but it happened."

"Yeah, but, um... I think my process might be a little different than yours." JJ told him, "Just sayin'."

Justin hammered in nails opposite of JJ as Henry walked up, offering him his turn with the water cooler. 

"Easy there, buddy. I'm still thirsty." He said, going back in for another swig.

Henry pulled the cooler away, telling him promptly, "No, there's not enough. You can't."

With a smile, Justin shoved Henry back, taking most of the water for himself. "Give it a rest, kid."

"Hey." JJ warned. The commotion caused Daryl and Aaron, along with most of the other workers looked up. 

But Henry wasn't going to just let Justin get away with it. He stood up with his bo staff in hand and hit Justin behind the knees, knocking him down in one swing. 

One of the other saviors egged him on, laughing, "Ahh, hey, man it's cool. I got my ass handed to me by a kid one time, too. Of course, I was 6 at the time."

Justin angrily stood up, going for Henry. But before anything could happen, Daryl stepped in, stopping him by grabbing the back of his arm. 

"Hey, kid's just doing his job. Get back to work."

"I don't need your people telling me what to do. You're not my babysitter anymore." Justin turned to march back toward Henry when Daryl swung him around again. As he did, Justin threw a punch, which Daryl avoided, and sent his own throw back at him. 

Daryl's punch sent Justin backwards into a pile of sawdust, which he used as an advantage, throwing a handful into his opponent's eyes. 

When Daryl was caught off guard, Justin tackled him, leading one or two other saviors into a fight. 

"Shit." JJ huffed, tossing her hammer to the side as she watched Justin get his punches in while he had the upper hand. 

She grabbed the back of his arm before he could get another swing in, "Cut it out." 

Justin stood up, threateningly. "The hell you gonna do? Tell your brother?"

While Justin was distracted laughing at JJ with Jed, the other savior who typically caused problems sneered alongside him, she let her anger take over and clock Justin in the jaw.