Fight To Live

Chapter 5

Before we get into this chapter I just want to apologize for the delay. I had a lot going on and I got sick and it was the holidays so I was just way too busy to get this written and properly edited to the point I was comfortable posting it. The next chapter will be out much sooner than it took for this one to be released.

][=][ Carl Grimes's POV ][=][

"Alright, we definitely don't have enough supplies and building materials to get the building into proper shape," Ethan said as we glanced around the disorganized shed that Therman had brought us to. "I mean, there's enough to get started, but we're going to need a lot more metal, bricks, and wood."

"Yes, unfortunately, this is all that was left. I had planned on ordering some more supplies at some point to finish up some projects that Arthur was working on, but then his heart caught up to him," Therman responded as he put his hands in his pockets and looked at the ground. "I didn't really have it in me to finish them without him around so it never happened."

"Therman, if you don't mind me asking, who was Arthur?" Ethan asked as he rummaged around in the chaotically disorganized piles of supplies with a pen and paper making notes of how much of everything there was. "You and some of the others have mentioned him."

"Arthur was my partner," the man answered as he glanced between the two of us. "We started this ranch together after we were discharged from the Marines."

Ethan looked at the man quizzically for a moment before responding, "So he was just a business partner then? Or... something more?"

"He was that and more," Therman responded as he crossed his arms. "He and I got very close when we served together, neither of us had ever had much success with relationships before, but when we met we both realized why pretty quickly. He had been divorced after his daughter, Cindy, was born and he and his wife were having a lot of issues. I had been in and out of relationships for most of my life never really knowing why they never worked out. We had to be secretive about our feelings for each other because of the time and the whole 'don't ask don't tell' part of the military. Once we left though, we bought this land together and built everything you've seen here."

"Wow... I'm sorry for your loss," I said sympathetically as Ethan rejoined us at the entrance of the shed. "He sounds like he was really special. Wish I'd gotten to meet him."

"He certainly was," Therman replied as he smiled at his fond memories of his partner. "And I'm sure he would have liked all of you if he'd gotten to meet you."

"So if Cindy is his daughter, how'd she end up here on the ranch with y'all if he and his wife had divorced?" Ethan asked as the three of us left the shed and walked back up to the house that Therman lived in.

"After we got started here she reached out to him wanting to reconnect, after they reconnected she decided to stay here with us, she brought her husband and adopted son here with her, that's Javier and Akio," the ranch owner responded. "It had just been the five of us until Arthur passed, and only the four of us until y'all showed up."

"Well, we're still thankful that you let us stay," I replied as I smiled at him. "It has been a great new start for us after everything that's happened."

We walked the rest of the way to the house in comfortable silence. Once we arrived Ethan said he was gonna find some people to help us go out on a supply run so we could gather more of what he needed to get the blacksmith in order. I nodded and sat in the living room waiting for him to get back with whoever he was going to get to help us. I was looking out the window when I heard someone approaching from behind me. I turned to see Enid coming into the room from the kitchen.