Solitary: The Walking Dead

Chapter Sixty-six.

Try.

Iris leaves Rick in the house, she starts walking around when she hears shouting from behind her "Help! I need help!" Iris turns and runs to the van, "what happened!?" She asks, looking at the back of the van to see Tara lying unconscious bleeding from her head "we came across some trouble" Glenn says, "where's Noah?" Iris asks, leading Eugene to the medic, Glenn looks at his friend, Iris looks at him wondering why she isn't getting an answer, the look on his face telling her enough. Eugene lays Tara on the bed and Iris stands back watching as the doctor checks her out.

When she knows Tara will be okay she storms out of the house, making her way to Glenn and Rick sat on the porch, "I saw the grenades" Glenn says, Iris leans against the bannister, looking down at them, "I tried to stop him. He was gonna run. But we made him stay. Couldn't get Aiden out of there without help. All he had to do was hold the door. But he panicked. Noah, I had him. I had his hand... I tried... I watched him die." Glenn explains, Iris sighs looking down at her feet.

"I almost left him out there. Could have told a story. What, you think I should have?" Glenn asks Rick "They don't know what they're doing. Any of them." Rick says, "We'll show them." "I don't know if they can see it. How things really are. I don't know if they can yet. They haven't caught up." Rick explains "We have to be here. We have to." Glenn says, "Yeah, we do. But their rules, we don't answer to them." "We are them, Rick. We are now. Noah, he believed in this place. I'm telling you, we gotta make this work." Glenn explains.

Rick thinks for a minute before standing up and walking away, Iris places her hand on Glenns shoulder "im sorry" she says before walking away, she nervously picks at the skin around her nails as her mind begins to spiral, Noah is dead and Tara hasn't woken up, but the thought most loud in her mind is that Daryl hasnt made it back yet.

.......

Iris walks up to Rick, standing next to him, looking out at the water, "pete's hitting Jessie" he says, Iris sighs bing down on her lip in frustration, before Iris could says anything she hears footsteps coming up behind them "hey Rick, Iris" Pete says, Iris clenches her fists, keeping her eyes on the water, Rick slowly turns to the man, not speaking.

"You okay man?" Pete asks, Rick glares at the man for a moment before speaking "keep walking" "what? What are you–" Pete says confused, Iris turns and looks at the man, slowly moving her coat to the side and placing her hand on the handle of her knife. After a few minutes Pete walks away, Iris eyes him as he goes, "what're we gonna do?" Iris asks, looking at him "still figuring it out".

Iris and Rick walk back to the house, "you coming in?" he asks, "nah im just gonna stay here for a bit" Iris says, "okay, night" Rick says, kissing her on the head and then heading inside. Iris sits on the porch steps, pulling out a cigarette and her lighter and she begins to smoke it, looking up at the stars. The sound of Judith's cries echo through the night air, when the baby doesn't stop after a few minutes Iris throws her finished cigarette on the floor and she makes her way inside to the baby's room.

She quietly walks into the room, Judith cries at the woman, reaching her arms out to get picked up. Iris panics, watching the girl reach for her, the woman moves closer and carefully lifts Judith out of her crib, she holds the small body close to hers, looking down as she rests her head on Iris's chest, her cries finishing. "You're okay" Iris whispers quietly, gently bouncing on the spot, she's not quite sure who she is reassuring.

She strokes Judith's hair soothing her to sleep, tears slowly start falling from Iris's eyes, "It's okay" she whispers again. Rick stays hidden in the darkness, watching from the crack in the door, his heart hurts as he watches his friend cry, he listens to her quiet sobs as she clings to Judith. The floorboards under Rick's feet creek, before he can move Iris is already looking at him, "im sorry" he says quietly walking into the room.

Rick watches as she continues to cry, he walks closer to her and gently wraps his arm around the woman, Iris leans her head on Rick's chest, looking down and watching Judith as she peacefully sleeps. The two stand in silence, Rick keeps his eye on Iris as she quietly cries.

.......

"I'm gonna go and talk to Jessie. Can you come with?" Rick asks Iris, sitting on the porch sharpening her knives "sure" Iris says, standing up and following the man. "Jessie." Rick says to the blonde woman sitting in her garage and smoking a cigarette, "Hey. I don't want Ron and Sam to know about those." Jessie says "Well, your secret's safe." Rick says "Noah was a sweet kid... But Tara, she's-- she's in good hands with Pete." Jessie says, Iris stays back and observes.

"He's hitting you... He's hurting you... It has to stop." Rick says, "It will." "How?" Rick asks "There are things in his life that happened." "I don't care." Rick says, "Look, it was like this before and he got help. I helped him and things were good. I can fix it." Jessie explains, "No, you can't. But we can." Iris says.

"No, what-- what can you do? What are you gonna do? You gonna put him in jail? You're only gonna make things worse." Jessie argues, "If it's gotten worse, it means he's killed you. That's what's next." Iris says "And I'm not gonna let that happen." Rick adds "Why do you care? Why is this so important to you? Now? You've made it. You have a home for your kids. Rick, what are you doing?" Jessie questions, "we're trying to help." "I don't know that. I'm married. Okay? I can take care of myself. We have to take care of ourselves." Jessie argues, walking away into the house, Rick and Iris watch as the garage door closes in front of them.