Safe haven | Rick Grimes

023. HOW AM I SUPPOSED TO TAKE CARE OF THEM

Chapter twenty three

"How am I supposed to take care of them."

When it came time for everyone to go to bed, Beth walked in cradling the baby girl. Scarlett quickly folded the letter away and took the infant from her arms. Beth gave a tired nod and slipped back out into the corridor.

Not long after, the soft sound of footsteps echoed outside. Scarlett looked up from the baby's face and saw Carl standing in the dark doorway. Without a word, she motioned her head to the empty spot next to her on the mattress. Carl walked in, climbed onto the bunk, and lay down on the inside against the wall. He wrapped his arms tightly around her. At first, he stared blankly into the dark, refusing to close his eyes, but exhaustion finally won and he drifted off.

Scarlett didn't sleep at all. She didn't close her eyes for even a second, especially because Carl kept waking up with a startle.

"Shh. You're okay," she would whisper into the quiet cell. She gently ran her fingers through his hair to calm him down, and he would press himself closer to her side.

He was terrified to let her go. Every single time he closed his eyes, he saw his mother dying all over again. With his dad completely shut down and absent, the thought of opening his eyes to find Scarlett gone too terrified him. He couldn't bear the thought of being left entirely alone.

Morning came soon enough. Scarlett walked into the common area with Carl and the baby. The others were already sitting together, eating. They looked up as the three entered.

"We saved some for you two," Glenn said.

Scarlett and Carl went over to join them, but Scarlett didn't eat. Instead, she focused on making sure Carl and the baby were fed first.

"What about Rick?" she asked the table.

"He was fine when I saw him," Glenn answered.

"He's fine?" Maggie questioned, skeptically.

"I mean, he wasn't hurt or anything," Glenn clarified.

"We need to get him out of there," Maggie urged.

Carl looked up from his food. "My dad'll be back."

"He's been in there through the night, Carl," Hershel said gently. "We just want to make sure everything's alright."

Daryl grunted from the corner. "Yeah, ain't nothing right. Rick, though... he'll come through."

"We can help him do that," Hershel said.

Daryl looked over at him. "Yeah? You think so?"

"Well, maybe not us," Hershel replied, turning his gaze directly toward Scarlett. "But she can."

Scarlett kept her eyes fixed down on the baby girl, refusing to acknowledge the hint. Beside her, Carl watched her closely.

"Everybody okay?"

The heavy voice made everyone jump. Except for Scarlett, the entire group turned to see Rick walking into the room. He looked exhausted, covered in grime.

"Yeah, we are," Maggie spoke up. "What about you?"

"I cleared out the boiler block," Rick muttered.

"How many were down there?" Daryl asked.

"I don't know. A dozen, two dozen," Rick sighed. His eyes drifted over to Carl, and then moved to Scarlett. She wouldn't even look up at him. Rick cleared his throat. "I have to get back. Just wanted to check on Carl." He stepped over, patting Carl on the back, and turned to leave.