Calm as still water

This sorrowful life

Carl

It had been five days since they had gotten Arya to the prison, she was still in the cell Hershel used to tend to people. She was in and out, when she was awake she was eating. But, she was healing.

Carl stood outside the cell every night, sometimes he would accidentally fall asleep and would wake up to Hershel stepping on him.

The first night back Carl couldn't sleep. His head filled with images of all the people he's lost. The only feeling he felt was guilt. Guilt for the walker that killed Dale. Guilt for not finding Sophia in time. Guilt for running away instead of running to help Arya.

He had heard a scream from one of the cells upstairs, his feet were moving faster than his brain and before he knew it he was in her cell, looking down at her.

She was curled up in fetal position on top of her blanket, she had her weight on the arm that wasn't injured.

Carl noticed that she had been shot in her right arm, and she was left handed.. That was helpful at least.

He guessed that she always cried out in her sleep, but it still worried him. He had a nagging thought in the back of his head telling him to just stay in there until morning incase things got too bad for her and he had to wake her up..

"Carl."

The voice startled him and when he turned around he saw his father peeking in the door way.

He walked out of Arya's cell after taking one last glance at her.

"Merle said she talks in her sleep, when she stayed at Woodbury I guess she yelled and Merle stood outside her door for the rest of the night."

Carl nodded his head once and looked at his feet.

"Dad, what're we going to do when the prison gets attacked?"

He felt his father shift nervously. "We're not going down without a fight. This is our home and I think we stand a chance."

"Do you think that's what Shane would have done? Or would Shane bring us far away from here and to safety?" Carl looked at his father then, his curiosity got the better of him.

What was the real reason his father killed his best friend? Why did it have to happen?

Rick's demeanor changed and he shifted his eyes to anywhere but Carl.

"I don't know what Shane would have done, but this is what I'm doing for us." And with that, Rick walked off towards his cell and Carl sat outside Arya's cell until he eventually gave in to sleep.

****

The morning was cloudy and chilly, the fog rolled in like waves of smoke and surrounded the prisons courtyard, making it difficult to see even the walkers around the fence.

Carl was sitting at one of the tables in their cell block, picking at his breakfast which was a can of diced peaches and rock hard bread.

Arya sat in the corner of the room eating with Merle and Daryl.

She looked better than she had in days. She snorted at something Daryl said and Merle grunted with annoyance and decided to walk away.

Lori walked over with Judith in her hands and sat at the table with him. She prepared Judith to be fed and started eating some of Carl's peaches.

"How are you feeling today, baby?" Lori smiled at her son.

Carl had to admit, he wished he could be as strong as his mom sometimes. She always seemed so brave, even when she was scared she made sure she was brave.