King ☞ r. grimes

25

Council

It had been weeks since Katie sat on the courtyard floor and cried.

Since then, more and more people had joined the prison group.

Rick and Daryl kept going out and bringing in more people.

They had a functioning society at the prison.

They had plenty of food, plenty of supplies, plenty of hands to help out with tasks.

Katie and Rick's relationship had slowly recovered.

They were talking normally again.

Both were still upset about their conversation that had happened in the weeks prior. But they had mostly recovered.

Neither of them had told the other that they loved each other yet. But, on some level they knew.

One night, Daryl brought newcomers into the prison.

He brought them into cell block C just as the group was preparing for bed.

It didn't seem like there were going to be enough beds.

Katie sacrificed her own bed and went back into the Grimes' cell.

She had moved out after the conversation with Rick. She wanted to give him his space.

She was just gonna sleep on their floor.

Rick opened one eye and saw her lying on the floor.

"Get up here," Rick said groggily.

Katie hesitated and then climbed into Rick's tiny little bunk bed.

Herschel and Beth remained asleep through this whole thing.

They had moved into the cell to make space for a family that had moved in the day prior.

Right before she fell asleep next to Rick, she could have sworn that she heard Herschel chuckle.

The warmth of Rick's body heat soothed Katie to sleep.

She hadn't slept this well in a long time.

When she woke up the next morning, she was still next to Rick.

He was asleep with his arm draped over her casually.

First she smiled. Then she panicked.

All of those feelings that she was trying to suppress rushed to the surface like a roaring wave crashing on the sand.

She had do something.

Anything.

Before she could even begin to think, Judith woke up and cried softly.