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Breath of Fresh Air

"Thanks," Carl mumbled to Maggie as she opened the infirmary door for him.

"Of course," she replied.

The hot day in Alexandria made both the young sheriff and the mother-to-be shiver when they stepped inside the air-conditioned building. Carl stooped to unlace his shoes, holding onto the wall for support. Maggie swept through the room to grab a glass from a cupboard and filled it with water.

"Thirsty?" she asked.

"Sure," he said, standing.

She slowly stepped to him to not spill the contents of the glass. He gratefully took the cold water and quenched his thirst.

"Thanks, again."

She smiled and removed the hat from his head, placing it on an empty chair.

"Why don't you take off your coat and stay awhile?" she jested.

Car playfully rolled his eyes and walked over to the bed he'd just left.

"So...Enid," he started as he sat down.

"So Enid," Maggie repeated. "Do you have any clue where she might've gone?"

"A few."

Maggie turned this over in her mind for a few moments, thinking of what to say next.

"When do you want to head out?" she asked finally.

"Give me...five," the young man answered.

She nodded and got herself her own glass of water.

"Ready?" Carl asked after finishing his water and retying his shoes.

"Let's go look for Enid."
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Enid wiped the small beads of sweat from her brow with her forearm and continued climbing the tall, white oak just outside the walls. She was about twenty feet up now, and a fall would earn her at least a fractured bone or two. This feat was dangerous, but that's what she was going for. The thrill of rebellion, that common wildfire that burns deep in teenagers, kept her adrenaline pumping and her instincts on edge. That reserved, protected safe-zone didn't give her many opportunities to refresh her skills. Even when Negan was around, she still wasn't allowed to fight for part of the war; she was locked up in a closet for Pete's sake! It's a good thing she liked that sheriff's son; otherwise, she might've done more than just whack him in the head with a frying pan. What on earth was she going to do with him? He could be so stubborn sometimes! but so could she. At least she didn't go out looking for trouble...but wasn't that exactly what she was doing just then, climbing the height of a tall tree for the rush? Maybe it wasn't just for the rush; maybe it was to clear her head and think. She stopped climbing when she got about thirty feet in the air. She sat on a thick branch that probably wouldn't break and clung to the trunk. She heaved a sigh as she listened to the scurries of small squirrels and the chirps of only a handful of birds. Maybe all of her thoughts and worries could be carried away in this wind. Boy, this fall seemed chillier than the last! The thought of a cold afternoon, the crunching of almost frosted leaves, pumpkins, leaf piles, and flannel shirts made her think of her home before the world went to nothing. All she really wanted was to open the door to her home and be embraced by her parents again–to smell her mother's cheap perfume and laugh at her father's bad jokes. She wouldn't mind a warm cup of tea from her grandmother, either. Now, all of that was gone; she had no biological family left that she knew of. Her childhood was gone because the cruel world had forced her to mature. She didn't even consider the Alexandrians family. Sure, they'd taken her in, but had they asked about her day? Had they comforted her through her first breakup? What had they done to ensure her innocence? They'd done their best to help her survive, but that was it. However, she couldn't blame them. There wasn't any room for emotional attachments in this world. Anyone could die at any time; nothing was really ever permanent. Carl, Rick, Maggie, and the people from...the prison was it? were good to her. They all treated her like their own. Perhaps, it was because that's how they treated everyone else–like family. That was important and kept them together. Maybe, that's why she clung to them but didn't show it. She loved them all...well, most of them anyway, but deep down, she knew that they might die at any given moment. If she showed her true feelings for them, they reciprocated those feelings, and something bad happened to them, how could she possibly deal with the emotional stress? What if something happened to Carl, her best friend? He'd been there for her, and she for him. She couldn't wrap her mind around the thought of the possibility of living a life without him. Maybe if she would just let her emotions ease, she might develop feelings for him that she wouldn't dream of having now.

"Hey there!" Maggie called from down below. "What are you doing all the way up there?"

Enid stirred from her thoughts and looked down. Maggie and Carl stood about a yard apart, gazing up in wonder and a slight terror.

"Just clearing my thoughts," the climber called.

"Why don't you come on down? It's dangerous to be up that high," said Maggie.

"Sure thing."

Enid began her descent, closely watching her hand movements so as to not slip and fall to her death. Soon, she reached the last branch, six feet from the ground, but suddenly, she felt a pair of cold hands on her ankles.

"Want some help?" the young sheriff asked.

She glanced behind her and saw Carl's blue eyes peering up at her with kindness.

"Sure."

She maneuvered herself on the bottom branch to a sitting position as she balanced by holding onto a nearby limb. He gently rested his hands on her waist and waited for her signal. She nodded, let go of the tree limb, and let Carl's upper body strength strenuously bring her feet down to touch the ground. For the record, she did help him by grasping the last branch and supporting some of her weight; she wasn't that much of a princess.

"Thank you," she smiled after regaining her balance.

"No problem."

Maggie interrupted and said, "Alright. We should head back. It'll be dark in a few hours, and we should help the team pack."

"Let's go," Enid said.

As they started back to Alexandria, Enid and Car walked behind Maggie.

"What were you doing exactly?" Carl asked her.

"Just thinking...and trying to get a breather from your stubbornness," she teased.

"At least I'm not as stubborn as you are," he returned.

They both giggled and listened to that familiar sound of crunching leaves. They walked mostly in silence the rest of the way. Once on the way back, Enid looked over at Carl. He was absentmindedly, slightly smiling and swinging his arms. He could be so interesting to watch sometimes. This little glimpse of his happiness made her smile, and she loved that. Hopefully, she'd never have to miss out on one of these moments. Maybe this could really be her family. Perhaps that breath of fresh air did her some good.