Search (Walking Dead/Carl Grimes Fanfiction)

Nightmare

The infirmary was quiet. An hour earlier Rick had left to get cleaned up as had many of the other residents. There was plenty of work to do after the battle for Alexandria had concluded. The community was vulnerable as part of the wall had been flattened by the collapsed tower and thousands of bodies littered the streets and houses. There were missing residents, which indicated to the high possibility of fatalities and the bodies all had to be removed to prevent disease. Everyone was going to need to work together to restore Alexandria to its former glory.

The infirmary was quiet. Denise and Tara were enjoying each other's company after the harrowing events of the previous night. Tara had been convinced that she would never see her girlfriend again after the Wolf took her with him into the herd. She had been even more amazed when Denise had told her the story of her survival. The Wolf had somehow been a good person underneath all his madness and had sacrificed himself so that she could make it to safety. If it hadn't been for him, Denise would never have been able to save Carl's life when Rick thundered in with the dying boy in his arms.

The infirmary was quiet. In the backroom where Carl lay motionless in bed, Jason sat on a chair beside him. He had refused to leave Carl's side, despite his own poor state of health. He was still exhausted as he was unable to sleep, the only times he had been unconscious were the result of passing out. His body ached all over from his overworked muscles and the physical stress of fighting the undead for hours without stopping. He hadn't eaten or drank anything either, leaving him drowsy and feeble from lack of energy.

"There used to be a greying tower alone on the sea, you became the light on the dark side of me." Jason sang softly to the comatose Carl, squeezing his hand softly. "Love remained a drug that's the high and not the pill."

Jason stopped suddenly when he heard movement in the doorway. He looked up to find Denise standing there with a warm smile on her face.

"Kiss from a rose." She named the song as she stepped into the room.

"Got it in one." Jason rasped, his throat sore and raw.

"I've been a fan of Seal for years." Denise explained as she made her way over to the other side of the bed so she could check on Carl.

"I read once that it's good to talk and sing to coma victims." Jason explained hoarsely, justifying the singing.

Denise nodded as she checked Carl's pulse. "That's right. A lot of coma victims can hear what's happening around them."

"I hope he can hear me." Jason rasped as he gazed at Carl's expressionless face.

"I hope so too." Denise added with a reassuring smile.

Rick stood on the small stage at the front of Alexandria's church. He had called everyone to attend a meeting there after the horrific yet victorious night they had. Most of the members of the community were now sat on the pews in front of him, with a few notable exceptions of Denise, Jason, Carl and some of the older members of Alexandria. Everyone else, especially those who had fought the night before were assembled.

The atmosphere was thick and heavy, as if they tension in the air made it harder to breathe. They had won. They had defeated the herd that had invaded their home but in the process there had been losses. It was still unknown how many people had died but known victims included Deanna and the Anderson family. Rick grit his teeth behind his sealed lips and forced the grief away. Alexandria needed a leader. They needed Rick Grimes and he couldn't show weakness at a time like this. He remembered Deanna's words vividly in his mind, as they had only been spoken less than twelve hours before.

"Rick!" Deanna beckoned him back over, pulling out some pieces of paper. "I wrote something for Spencer, for Maggie."

Rick took the pieces of paper from her and pocketed them. "I'll make sure they get them."