The Girl Next Door • Carl Grimes

Chapter 42: Here's to Forgetting

Grace

About a day had gone by. Carl and I were still seperated from the rest of the group. We were taking care of things. We were making sure everyone was okay. We were the ones protecting everyone else.

When we had a few minutes to ourselves, we'd go back to the room and draw. It was a nice distraction, but a distraction is all that it was.

We were scoping out in the hallways when we heard Rick come in calling for us.

"Carl? Carl! Grace?" Rick called out.

"Dad, I'm here. You okay?" Carl said stepping out into the hall.

"I'm here too." I said, revealing myself behind Carl.

"I was gonna ask you guys that." Rick said in response to Carl's question.

"We're fine." He answered.

"No ones sick?" Rick asked, "you didn't have to do anything?"

"Haven't had to use my gun dad." Carl answered.

Rick shot a look at me, almost as if he thought I would use my gun before Carl.

I put my hands defensively in the air, "haven't had to use mine either." I answered truthfully.

"And Judith?" Rick continued questioning us.

"She's good. She's been with Beth and us." I answered this time.

"Good. We found a bunch of food out on the run." Rick said as he slid a backpack towards us.

Carl's gaze didn't leave his father, so I bent down and picked up the backpack. Rick was already starting to walk away.

"Can we come out soon? Me and Grace? We're no use to anyone else, being in here." Carl spoke up.

I was surprised by him saying this. I know that everything is kind of falling apart, but the last thing that should happen is for either of us to get sick. Carl knows how much I can't stand not being a part of the action, but this was the right move for now. And I wasn't hating the time I was getting to spend one on one with him.

"Not just yet guys." Rick said.

"Dad, Grace and I were around you when you were in the middle of it. I was around Patrick, and Grace was even more so. I mean, she was even in there when they started getting sick. But we didn't get sick. We'll be fine. We can help you." He said confidently.

Rick looked at me, clearly hoping for some backup but I just shrugged my shoulders in a I don't know what he's on about kind of way.

"I appreciate that Carl, but I need you two to stay here. To keep an eye on things. To keep an eye on Judith." Rick said, putting his foot down.

"Yeah Carl. This isn't so bad. They need us in there. Imagine how chaotic it would be without us." I tried to calm the situation.

"We will. But dad, you can't keep me from it, you know that right?" Carl said, stepping closer to Rick as Rick tried to back away.

"From what?" He asked his son.

"From what always happens." Carl said as a sad look appeared on his face.

I put my hand on my hip, searching through the bag of food Rick was leaving for us. There was a ton of fruit leather in there. Like fruit leather is a great meal, I thought as I rolled my eyes slightly.

Rick took a long pause as he walked closer to the exit. "Yeah maybe, but I think it's my job to try. For both of you. I promised Lori, and Lori- well she promised your parents Grace. I oughta try." He said as he sped out of the door.