the great war (r.g)

thirty-two

cora felt as if she was being watched like a hulk. someone was by her bed every waking minute of the day. if it wasn't rick then it was izzy, if not her then carl, if not him then maggie. there was also a guard outside her door. cora thought it was a bit excessive but rick was scared. he felt that it was his fault cora had gotten taken and glenn was killed. right now, cora was reading a book and izzy was mindlessly drawing on a desk in the corner of the room.

"let's go on a walk," cora said to the room.

izzy's head shot up. "but mom-"

"no," cora stopped her daughter. "i've been confined to this room for far too long i need to be outside. plus i know i'm fine. i'm a nurse, remember?" cora stood up off the bed with very minimal aching. she was still sore at times which was expected seen as she was stabbed but nothing crazy. "come on." izzy got up with delight and followed her mother out of the room. the guards protested but there wasn't anything they could realistically do.

cora and izzy went to their normal route around alexandria. "this is the most beautiful place i've ever seen. i love it more and more everyday," izzy stated. "i'm so happy we found it."

"it really is," cora said. looking around the trees were a vibrant green and there were flowers everywhere. the sun was beating down on them but it wasn't sweltering, it was the perfect warmth in contrast to the stuffy room cora was bound to the past few days. "so, what are your plans for the rest of the day?"

"well i was going to meet u with carl but i'd rather be here and carol had him watch judith," izzy told her. "i'd rather be with you anyways."

"oh come on," cora said turning around. "i know how much you love hanging out with carl and i havent seen judith in ages."

cora and izzy made it back to the house where carl and judith were playing with toys. "cora!" carl exclaimed. "you're not supposed to be out of bed."

"calm down carl, i'm fine," cora told him. "i'm here to relieve you from your duties, actually." cora picked up judith and spun her around. judith laughed that big belly laugh that all babies have and it made cora smile big. "go on, leave." cora ushered them out of the room and went back to playing with judith.

judith had various kinds of blocks that were already in alexandria and that the group had collected on their journey. there were wooden sculptures that people had made her but judith's favorite toy was a doll that cora had found in an abandoned motel a few months ago.

time flew by in this room with judith. cora didn't know what time it was but judith was asleep, cuddled up in cora's arms while she rocked in the rocking chair that sat in the corner of the room. there was a soft melody coming from a record player that almost made cora herself fall asleep if it wasn't for the door being slammed open by rick. "shhh," cora said, pointing to the sleeping baby. cora got up and gently placed baby judith in her crib. rick walked up to the crib and kissed his daughters head before turning to cora, gently kissing her.

the two walked out of the room and rick turned to cora saying "you scared me."

"why?"

"you werent in your room when i got back and i thought something bad happened to you," rick told her, running a stressed hand through his hair. 

"hey," cora said, taking ricks hands in hers. "i'm fine and i will be fine. after everything that has happened to me, to us, i wont let anyone or anything get to me ever again. i promise."