Don't look back

Three

Mary sat in silence with Glenn as the others stood in the roof, discussing a way out.
"What about under the streets? The sewers?" Rick suggested, making Mary wrinkle her nose at the thought.
"Glenn, check the street. See any manhole covers?" The man in charge asked, and Glenn ran to look at his command.
"No," Glenn sighed, "the must all be out on the street where the geeks are."
"Maybe not," the black lady said, rehearsing well known informations, "old building like this, built in the twenties, big structures, often has drainage tunnels into the sewers in case of flood. Down in the sub-basements."
"How do you know that?" Glenn challenged.
"It's my job." She shrugged, "was. I worked in the city zoning office."
Mary looked at Rick and he nodded slowly. "Okay," he sighed, "let's got to the sub-basements."
"T-Dog, stay watch." Andrea muttered, and they all went to the stairs.
"Seriously man?" He sighed in annoyance, making Mary look back at him, making eye contact for a second, before grabbing Ricks hand and following him down the long steps.

"This is it?" The man in charge asked, "You sure?"
"I really scoped this place out the other times I was here. It's the only thing in the building that goes down." Glenn sighed. Mary bent over, leaning on the barrier, to look down, and, despite the railing, Rick grabbed the back of her dungarees so she couldn't fall.
"I've never gone down it." Glenn admitted, "who would want to, right?" Fear hit his face when everyone looked at him, but when he saw Mary's petrified face, he pulled a stupid face, pretending he wasn't scared.
"We'll be right behind you." Andrea smiled softly.
"No you won't." Glenn said quickly, "not you."
"Why not me? Think I can't?" Andrea snapped. Glenn looked even more scared.
"Speak your mind." Rick prompted firmly.
"Look," Glenn sighed, "until now, I was always by myself, in and out, grab a few things, no problems. First time I bring a group, everything goes to hell. No offence, Rick, Mary. If you all want me to go down this gross hole, fine. But only if we do it my way. It's tight down there. If I run into something and I have to get out quick, I don't want you all jammed up behind me, getting me killed. I don't want four people and a little kid slowing me down. I'll take one person. Not you, either, Rick. You've got Merle's gun, you can shoot, you should be in the store. Plus, you're the only one who stops her from crying. And if she cries, more geeks come. And she's not coming into the sewers with us. Andrea, you have a gun, go with him. Morales, come with me. Jacqui stays here, something happens, we'll hear you yell or Mary cry."
Mary glared at him, but as he began to climb down, she poked his bicep gently, and they made a gentle eye contact. He knew that was, for her, an equivalent of a smile, so he gave her one in return. Morales followed him, and Rick grabbed Mary's hand, and lead her and Andrea to the shop, silence surrounding them.
"Mary, you... Go find a backpack, yeah? But stay in sight. You can find yourself some toys, and see if you can see and good or drink. In sight, okay, then you're safe."
Mary nodded warily, then walked away, looking over her shoulder constantly.
"She's a cute kid." Andrea nodded slowly, and Rick grinned.
"Yeah," Rick smiled gently, "she is."
"How old?"
"Four."
"God. She's gonna have a hard childhood. My little sister, she's at the camp. Older, but still such a kid in some ways."
"At your camp, is there many kids?"
"A few. A little boy and girl, then Morales' two kids."
"Is it safe?"
"I'd say so, yeah. We never get Walkers up near us."
"Who's the leader? Morales?"
"Nah. Not really. We don't particularly have one, to be honest. If we did, I'd be this man, Shane."
Rick nodded slowly, and blinked through teary eyes. "That was my best friends name."
"I'm sorry."
Then suddenly, one of the doors to the store shattered, and there was only one door protecting them from the Walkers. Hearing the noise, Glenn, Morales, and Jacqui ran in, obviously back from the sewers due to the men's damp shoes and trousers.
"What did you find down there?" Rick asked.
"Not a way out." Morales sighed.
"We need to find a way," Andrea panicked, "and soon."
They ran back up to the roof, Mary clutching the pink backpack she had taken, and she sat drawing scribbles in a new notepad, with an also new pack of wax crayons.
"Listen," Rick sighed, walking over to Mary, "I've got to do a plan. And it's scary. So you're going to stay here, with T-Dog. The others will come back up, but me and Glenn won't. We're gonna wear special coats, so the Walkers can't smell us, so we might look scary. But we're coming back, okay? I promise. But no matter what, while I'm gone, you listen to Morales, okay?"
"Don't go. Please." Mary cried softly.
"I have to. But it's okay. I promise. You'll be safe. Just stay with Morales. I'll see you later."
"Please, Rick." Mary sobbed, but Rick just sighed.
"I'm sorry, honey. I'll see you soon." He whispered. Then he put a gently hand on the top of her head, and walked away.
"Your daddy will be fine. He knows what he's doing." T-Dog assured Mary gently. Mary just stared at him, unwilling to talk, then carried on crying.
Not long later, Andrea, Morales, and Jacqui ran back up the stairs.
"Hey T-Dog, try that CB!" Morales yelled.
"That's what I have been doing!" T-Dog replied frustrated.
"What yall doing? He won't talk to me! Tell me what's happening, yall! Talk to me!" Merle shouted angrily.
"Get to base camp!" Andrea hissed, but T-Dog just rolled his eyes.
"That's what I've been doing!" He repeated.
"There! I see them!" Morales shouted, looking through binoculars.
"Is that asshole out on the street with the handcuff keys?"
"Gave 'em me before he left." T-Dog replied, showing him the key, "and don't call him an asshole. Not near his little girl."
"Yer daddy's not an asshole. Just a jerk." Merle sighed irritably, looking at Mary. She looked at him, then got up and walked next to Morales. He held her hand gently, as she tried to peer over the edge of the wall.
"I'm through! Man, I'm through. It's T-Dog man. We're trapped in a department store. We're surrounded. There's no way out!"
"Receptions bad on our end. Can you repeat?" A man's voice enquired, coming through the CB.
"We're trapped in a department store. We're surrounded! We're trapped!" T-Dog shouted.
"Receptions bad, T! You say you're trapped in a store?"
"Yeah, we're trapped in a department store!" T-Dog repeated, but he didn't get an answer, and he sighed in irritated failure.
Then the rain began.
"Oh man." Morales sighed in panic. "Maybe it's just a cloud burst. It'll pass real quick!"
"He still is coming back?" Mary panicked suddenly.
"Yeah, honey, of course. Come on, me and you will go inside. Come on. Your daddy will be fine. Let's get in the dry." Jacqui soothed, but Mary just trembled.
"Inside, Mary. Come on." Jacqui said firmly, seeing the anxiety on Morales' face. Mary had no choice but to follow.
"I think they're leaving us!" Andrea hissed. Jacqui looked at Mary, hoping she hadn't heard, but she had.
"He wouldn't leave his own kid though. Right?" T-Dog panicked.
"No!" Mary screamed.
"He'll be back, okay? He'll be back." Jacqui soothed, but Mary ran back over to the edge, to the others.
"He's left us! He's left his own kid! The hell?!"
"Roll up door at the front of the store. Be there. Be ready." A voice through the wallow talkie ordered. Glenn.
"I told you he wouldn't leave us!"
"Come on! Let's go, let's go!" Morales yelled, grabbing bags. Everyone ran, except for T-Dog, Morales, and Mary.
"We gotta go!" Morales yelled, then he scooped up Mary and ran too, leaving T-Dog with Merle.
"T-Dog!" Mary howled.
"He's coming! He's coming, it's fine." Morales assured as they got to the roll up door. As soon as they heard a van back up, they rolled up the door and scambled on, Rick helping them. T-Dog jumped in at the last second. Morales crawled over to the drivers seat, and as soon as they were all in, Rick pulled down the back door of the van, and sat next to Mary, who was shaking and sobbing.
"Where's Merle?" Andrea shouted.
"I... I dropped the key! I dropped the damn key!" T-Dog sighed shakily.
Everyone went quiet, then fear flooded Mary's body. "Glenny?" She whispered shakily.
"He's having the best day of his life. Driving a sports car down a speed limit free road." Rick laughed softly. "Hey. Mary. You're okay. You're okay."
"I lost your hat."
"That's fine. It's just a hat. Doesn't matter."
Mary nodded slowly, then sank into Rick. In less than a minute, the tiny child was asleep.
"Where's her mom?" Andrea asked gently.
"Dead. Her dad too. Everyone she knows is." Ruck sighed softly.
"Wait, she ain't yours?" T-Dog asked in confusion.
"Nah. No, I only have the one son."
"How long you know each other? You seem close."
"We met yesterday." Rick laughed, "I just found her. Sat outside her moms friends house. They were dead, shot themselves. She just trusted me. I'm gonna look after her now."
"That's nice. Beond kind." Jacqui smiled gently.
"I'm going to care for her. As if she was my own. And when all this is over, I'll legally adopt her." Rick smiled gently.
"If it's ever over." Andrea muttered.
"It will be." Jacqui nodded slowly.
"Are you going to stay in our camp? Now you know the refugee camp is gone?" T-Dog asked.
"No. I need to find my wife and son. We're going to go to Fort Benning, the military base. I considered the CDC. It'll be armed, I guess, but they wouldn't go there."
"At least spend the night," Morales offered, "eat some dinner, get some sleep, have some breakfast, clean clothes, and take a car. It'll be the best option, and the safest. Especially for the little one."
"Alright. We'll stay one night," Rick nodded slowly, "but just one."

"We're here!" T-Dog commented.
"Come meet everybody, Rick." Morales smiled as the car stopped, and Rick gently shook Mary awake.
"Mary, listen, we're gonna meet everyone, okay? Refuel, get some food in ya. Spend the night. Then we'll go again, yeah? Fort Benning, I hear that's a military base. We're going to go there next." Rick explained gently. Mary looked up at him and wiped her eyes blearily, then nodded. Slowly, he got out, and felt numb yet happy seeing everyone's reunions, glad that Mary was too groggy to see it, plus while she was sat on his hip, her head pressed into his shoulder, her thumb in her mouth.
"Pretty." She whispered, looking at some trees.
"Hey helicopter boy, come say hello!" Morales shouted cheerfully, and Rick stepped forwards, holding Mary tightly. "It's him and his little girl. Guys a cop, like you, Shane."
Disbelief covered Shane and Ricks face, then Rick whispered shakily, "oh my God!"
Then he broke into a run, towards a woman and a little boy screaming, "Dad! Dad!"
Rick bent down to his knees, and hugged the child tightly, Mary stood by his side. "Oh!" Rick sobbed, kissing his sons head, then getting up and hugging his wife , "Oh! I found you!