Fight For Life ⤜ Carl Grimes

⤜ten

It had been just about eight months since the farm, and the group was still on the move, looking for a safe haven. Rose's hair had grown longer by the month. From what was down just a little past her shoulders had grown so that it was now almost touching her elbows. Carl's had as well, he had also grown taller, a few inches taller than Rose. Along with all of these changes, the one significant one was Lori. Lori was due for the baby any day now, and the group struggled trying to find a safe place for her.

The group was on the road, slowing down there cars so they could make a plan. Everyone got out of their cars, grouping up in the middle of the road. Maggie lied out a map on the hood of the green Hyundai. "We got no place left to go," T-Dog sighed.

Maggie pointed to two separate spots on the map, "when this herd meets up with this one, we'll be cut off. We'll never make it south."

"What would you say? That was about 150 head?" Daryl asked, leaning up against the side of the car to look at the map.

"That was last week, it could be twice that by now," Glenn responded.

As the adults were talking, Rose walked to where Carl was standing farther up the road keeping watch. "Hey," Rose greeted.

Carl looked back to look at her, "hey." His face was blank, making it hard for Rose to tell how he was feeling.

"How are you?" Rose asked, looking down at her worn out cowgirl boots, and fidgeting with the hem of her black tank top.

"Fine I guess. Why do you care? You never bothered to talk to me since the farm," Carl sneered.

This was true. Rose had strayed away from everyone besides Maggie, Beth and Hershel. She wasn't sure why, but something made it difficult to talk to Carl. "I know, which is why I'm talking to you now."

"Yeah? Then why couldn't you talk to me eight months ago," he responded, looking ahead at the road.

"I don't know, Carl. If you want, I'll just stop talking to you."

Carl sighed, tilting the hat that sat on top of his head and turning back to look at Rose. "Just be honest with me, Rose. I want to be as close as we used to be again but you need to tell me why."

Rose rubbed the sweat off of her forehead with the back of her arm, "I don't know. I just- I don't know, Carl. I wanted to, but I couldn't. And no matter how many times you ask me why, my answers not gonna change. And that's the truth, I'm not exactly sure why I couldn't talk to you. And I'm sorry."

Carl looked at her, studying her for a minute. "You are forgiven," Carl responded with a smirk.

Rose smiled at him, "thank you, sheriff."

"Oh, so that's my new nickname?"

"It's always been your nickname, even though I just came up with up 2 seconds ago," Rose joked.

Rose and the others were now standing in front of the prison that Rick and Daryl found on their hunting trip. Rick cut the fence with some pliers, making it wide enough so that everyone could go through it. Once they were all through the first set of fences, were no walkers were, Glenn and Daryl proceeded to tie it shut with barb wire.

They began running until they got all the way around. "It's perfect," Rick muttered. "If we can shut that gate, prevent more from filling the yard, we can pick off these walkers. Take the field by tonight."

"So how do we shut the gate?" Hershel asked.

"I'll do it," Glenn volunteered, "you guys cover me."

Maggie shook her head, "no. It's a suicide run."

"I'm the fastest," Glenn argued.

Rick looked back at them, "no. You, Maggie and Beth draw as many as you can over there. Pop 'em through the fence. Daryl, go back to the other tower. Carol, you've become a pretty good shot, take your time, we don't have a lot of ammo to waste. Hershel, you, Carl, and Rose take this tower. I'll run for the gate."