Safe haven | Rick Grimes

071. GOING TO GET RICK

Chapter seventy one

"Going to get Rick."

They were preparing for war, which meant many of them spent days at the Hilltop organizing their forces and planning what was to come. Everyone involved was out taking care of the logistics and securing key outposts to make sure the plan would actually work.

Back in the kitchen, Scarlett stood by the counter, holding Judith securely in her arms. The dark bruises on her neck had fully faded, and her hand was finally free of its heavy bandages. She was quietly eating a cookie, breaking off a tiny piece to share with the toddler, when the front door suddenly slammed open.

Scarlett jumped at the noise, turning around as Carl stormed into the room, visibly upset.

"What happened?" Scarlett asked him, setting her cookie down.

"I met this man out on the road. He seemed like he just wanted help," Carl shared, his tone sharp with frustration. "Dad shot at him."

"What?" Scarlett asked, her brow furrowing.

Before Carl could expand on the story, the front door clicked again, and Rick walked into the house, carrying the heavy tension of the road with him. "I shot over his head," Rick shared, stepping into the kitchen. "I just wanted him gone. He could've been a scout. He could've been one of them."

Scarlett looked from Rick's hardened expression back to Carl's angry face. She sighed softly, trying to bridge the gap between them. "He's not wrong, Carl. Right now, we can't afford to trust anyone other than the people we already know. It's too dangerous."

Carl let out a frustrated huff, completely dismissing the explanation. He turned on his heel and stormed out of the kitchen, his boots thudding loudly against the stairs as he headed up to his room.

Scarlett watched the staircase for a moment before letting out a quiet sigh. Down in her arms, Judith babbled happily, her tiny hand reaching across the counter for another piece of the cookie. Scarlett couldn't help but chuckle at her daughter's timing. She handed her the treat, kissed the top of her head, and carried her upstairs to her crib for a nap.

After gently laying Judith down and closing the nursery door, Scarlett turned around in the quiet hallway. She froze when she saw Carl standing by his bedroom door, his arms crossed over his chest and his face tight with lingering anger.

"He didn't have to do that, Mom," Carl shared, his voice a harsh, frustrated whisper so he wouldn't wake the baby. "That guy was starving. He was talking about how his mom used to say 'may you find mercy,' and Dad didn't even care. He just started counting to three and opened fire. He's changing. He's letting the Saviors turn him into something else."

Scarlett closed the distance between them, looking at her son with a soft, patient expression. "Your dad isn't changing into them, Carl. He's just carrying the weight of keeping every single person in this community alive. Tomorrow morning, we go to war. He can't afford to take a risk on a stranger right now, because if that stranger is a Savior scout, Alexandria burns before we even take our first shot."

Carl let out a frustrated huff, looking down at his boots. "I know he's trying to protect us. But if we stop helping people, if we kill everyone who isn't us... then what's left after we win? What are we even fighting for?"

The raw maturity and depth of his words made Scarlett's chest tighten. She reached out, gently running her hand through his hair and cupping the back of his neck. "We're fighting for a world where you can help people again. That's what your dad is securing for you. Don't go to sleep angry with him, okay? None of us know how tomorrow is going to go."