𝑩𝒂𝒕𝒕𝒍𝒆 𝑺𝒄𝒂𝒓𝒔 | ᵀᵂᴰ

23: Izzy.

We all sat around the room eating breakfast. Minus Carl. All he did was stare at his bowl. Beth was feeding babygirl. Rick came through the open acting as if nothing had happened yesterday.

"Everybody okay?" Rick asked.

"Yeah, we are." Maggie answered.

"What about you?" Hershel asked him. "I cleared out the boiler block." He replied.

"How many were there?" Daryl asked. "I don't know. A dozen, two dozen." Rick answered. "I have to get back. Just wanted to check on Carl."

"Rick, we can handle taking out the bodies." Glenn said, standing up. "Okay, you don't have to." "No, I do." Rick walked over to Daryl. "Everyone have a gun and a knife?" He asked. "Yeah. We're runnin' low on ammo, though." Daryl told him.

"Maggie, Bela, and I were planning on making a run this afternoon." Glenn said. "Found a phone book with some places we can hit, look for bullets and formula." He said.

"We cleared out the generator room." Daryl said. "Axel's there tryin' to fix it in case of emergency. We're gonna sweep the lower levels as well." "Good. Good." Rick said as he walked away back to wherever he was before. "Rick." Hershel called out as he closed the door.

➳

Maggie, Glenn, and I left for the ammo and babygirl's formula. We closed the doors gently as we got out. I handed Glenn the crate from the backseat. "Clear outside." Maggie said.

"Alright, let the adventure begin." I said, trying my flannel around my waist. "I feel like I'm forgetting something." I mumbled to myself. "Oh." I opened the door and grabbed the cutters from the backseat.

I turned around and saw Maggie and Glenn locking lips. Part of me was jealous, wishing I was Glenn, and the other part of me was just grossed out. "Stop lip locking and help me." Glenn pushed his lips out in slight embarrassment while Maggie let out a soft laugh.

I handed Glenn the cutters, and he broke the chain on the door. When he opened it, birds flew out, causing us to duck and get scared. "Damn." I muttered. Glenn walked inside, checking for walkers.

"Glenn, get that duck." Maggie said. "What?" He asked. "Get the duck." I said. "Are you serious?" Glenn asked, slightly laughing. "Yeah." Maggie said. "A kid growin' up in a prison could use some toys." "Some? I'd get babygirl a whole store." I said.

➳

"We just hit the powered formula jackpot." Glenn said. "Thank God." I said. "I also got beans, batteries, cocktail wieners, many mustards. It's a straight shot back to the prison from here. Probably make it in time for dinner."

"I like the quiet." Maggie said. "Back there, back home, you can always hear them outside the fence no matter where you are." I nodded in agreement when a familiar voice spoke loudly.

"And where is it y'all good people are callin' home?" It was Merle. He had his gun pointed right at us. We pulled out our guns in return. "Merle?" I asked. He laughed and dropped his gun, putting his hands up in surrender. Well, hand. He had a blade on the other.

"Wow!" He exclaimed, walking closer. "Hey, back the hell up!" Maggie yelled. "Okay, okay, honey. Jesus." "You made it." Glenn said. "Izzy, is my brother alive?" "Yes." I answered. I always hated that nickname.

He sighed in relief. "Hey, take me to him, and I'll call it even on everything that happened up there in Atlanta. No hard feelings. Huh?" We kept our guns pointed at him. There's no way I'm letting him near Beth or babygirl.

I looked at the blade where his hand used to be. "Oh, you like that? Yeah. Well, uh, I found myself a uh medical supply warehouse. Fixed it up myself. Pretty cool, huh?" He said laughing. He sounded even more like a mad man then before.

"We'll tell Daryl you're here, and he'll come out to meet you." I said. "Oh, hold on. Just hold up." He tried walking closer. "Whoa." Glenn said.

"Hold up here. Hold up. H–Hey, the fact that we found each other is a miracle. Come on, now. You can trust me." He said. "You trust us. You stay here." Glenn said.

Merle chuckled as the blood from the bridge of his nose continued to slowly drip down his face. "No!" He yelled, drawing another gun.

He shot out the back window. Maggie went around the side of the car as Glenn and I dropped down slightly. We got up and turned the corner. Merle had his blade around her with her gun pointed to her head.

"Hey, hey, hold up, buddy, hold up." Merle said. "Let go of her, Merle!" I yelled. "Put yer guns in the car right now. Put it in the car." I looked at Glenn as he listened and dropped it in through the back window.

"Go on, Izzy." Merle said. I slowly dropped mine next to Glenn's in the back. "There ya go. Now we're gonna go for a little drive." "We're not going back to our camp." Glenn said. "No, we're goin' somewhere else." I looked at him confused. "Get in the car, Glenn! You're drivin'!" Merle yelled through clenched teeth. "Move!" "Don't." He said. "Okay." Glenn walked to the driver's side.

"Get in the back, Izzy." "Merle." "Get. In." I slowly walked to the back as he yelled at Maggie to get up. He put her in the back with me, and I grabbed her hand, trying not to let my breathing go off track.