My Damaged Protector

Chapter Eighteen ~ Hounded

The morning was kept simple, almost exactly like yesterday. I was handed a mug with warm oatmeal as Daryl and I walked into the main part of the block, the both of us sitting at a table and eating quietly while watching the baby girl in my arms. Carl eventually ventured out of his cell and nearly sat on top of me with how close he was to me and the baby, eating his food silently while gently holding her little hand.

The rest of the group slowly joined the three of us, each taking their places around the room eating. The gate that led to the tombs opened with a loud squeal, making me jump a bit, and all eyes snap to the entrance. Rick wondered through the opening, his eyes locking on Carl and barely fluttering over the baby and me.

Everybody ok?" Rick wandered through the cell block.

"Yeah, we are." My hold on the little girl got a bit tighter and I felt Carl lean into my side.

"What about you?" Hershel asked.

"I cleared out the boiler block." Rick had completely ignored the question.

"How many were there?" Daryl sat up straighter.

"I don't know." Rick shrugged his shoulders as if it was no big deal. "A dozen, two dozen." He trailed off and his eyes glazed over. "I have to get back, just wanted to check on Carl." Not the baby?

"Rick, we can handle taking out the bodies, you don't have to." Glenn said, standing up from his spot beside Maggie at one of the other tables.

"No, I do." Rick glared. "Does everyone have a gun and a knife?" Rick looked to Daryl.

"Yup. We're running low on ammo though." Daryl replied.

"Maggie and I were planning on making a run this afternoon." Glenn told Rick, who turned around to face him. "Some place we can hit for both bullets and formula."

"We cleared out the generator room. Axe's there trying to fix it, in case of an emergency." Daryl nodded over to me, but Rick's eyes didn't move from his face. "We'll sweep the lower levels as well."

"Good, good." Rick said and walked out quickly.

"Rick!" I called after him, but he ignored me and slammed the gate shut. Carl moved a bit closer to my side and looked up at me in worry. "Don't you worry about him." I wrapped my free arm around the boy. "He'll be ok."

People slowly began moving after that, Hershel hobbling his way outside, Daryl taking our mugs to the wash bins, while Maggie and Glenn went off to prepare for their run. Daryl then went to grab his bow and knife, gently pulling Carl with him, talking about teaching him about clearing the lower levels since he needed to learn.

I made it my task to start organizing the baby things and figure out something to hold her as she slept until we could get a crib. She was still fast asleep as I headed upstairs, wondering through some of the unclaimed cells, trying to find something clean. One of the last few that I looked in held a white sorting box that was once used for mail. Using my feet, I gently kicked the box out of the cell and down to mine, placing our newest addition on my bed and taking one of the fluffy baby blankets from the corner to stuff at the bottom.

After I was happy with how the blanket was laying, I gently held the little girl and rested her down in the box. She wiggled around for a moment before finally stilling and continuing to sleep, leaving me to rearrange her things on the top bunk.

We had plenty of diapers, for now, as well as multiple cans of formula, toys, clothes and even a few extra blankets. I knew Maggie and Glenn would bring any supplies they found back to add to our stash considering we would need diapers for a long while.