Just Keep Walking

Twelve

Everyone woke up with the sun: early. Everyone except Mary. She woke up a few times in the night, but not for an hour after they were walking, to the sound of Abraham's loud and harsh voice.
"Ready to get some concrete under your feet?" Abraham asked Rick.
"I think it's time." Rick nodded back.
"That is sweet music to my ears, officer. Take the next road we come to try to get back to going north 'till we find a vehicle. Good?"
"Good." Rick nodded.
"Where going?" Mary mumbled groggily, tugging Rick's ear softly.
"Hey, baby," Rick smiled, grabbing her hand, "how d'you feel?"
"Bad." Mary cried softly.
"Okay. Okay, baby. We'll find some medicine soon. I promise." Rick nodded, walking to the back of the group, to Maggie and Glenn. "Tighten it up."
"Hello." Mary mumbled into Rick's neck, talking to Maggie and Glenn.
"Hey." Maggie smiled, as did Glenn.
"Do you want me to take her for a bit?" Glenn offered.
"It's okay." Rick nodded.
"You sure? You look tired." Maggie added sympathetically.
"It's okay, daddy. I'll see Glenny for a bit."
"Okay." Rick sighed. The three adults stopped, and Rick got Mary down, then passed her to Glenn, tying her onto his back. Mary laid there, listening to Glenn telling her a story, but was asleep minutes later, Mary's tiny head nestled into the crook of his neck, Glenn carrying her bunny.
About an hour later, Mary woke up, tugging Glenn's hair gently. "Glenny? Is there water?" She asked weakly.
"Yeah, here." Glenn nodded gently, passing her a bottle of water from Maggie's bag. Mary took it, and drank a little, then passed it back.
"How are you feeling?" Maggie asked gently. Mary shook her head, and buried her head into Glenn's shoulder.
"Here. You want bunny?" Glenn asked, and she nodded, holding the teddy to her face, crying softly.
"Mary? Do you want some pecans?" Carl asked, walking over while holding Judith.
Mary nodded and ate one, but found it hard to chew and swallow, and didn't eat any more.
"Help!" A voice screamed suddenly. "Anybody! Help!"
Carl immediately ran to Rick, wanting to help, "Dad, come on!"
"Help!" The man shouted.
"Come on! Come on!" Carl insisted, and everyone began to run to the screaming man, Mary clinging onto Glenn tightly.
"Help! Help! Anybody help! Help! Help!" The man screeched, high up on a rock while Walkers prayed on him from below. The group began to kill the Walkers, then Rick looked at the others and nodded.
"We're clear. Keep watch. Come on down." Rick ordered. The man looked over the edge nervously, then jumped down, his whole body shaking. "You okay?" Rick asked with raised eyebrows, and the man looked at him, then vomited, everyone else looking at him in disgust and disappointment.
"Sorry. Yes. Thank you. I'm Gabriel."
"Do this have any weapons on you?" Rick asked quickly, straight to the point.
"Do I look like I would have any weapons?" Gabriel chucked, and Mary looked at him, confused.
"We don't give two short and curlies what it looks like." Abraham spat.
"I have no weapons of any kind. The word of God is the only protection I need."
"I don't believe in God." Mary mumbled, and Carl laughed softly.
"Sure didn't look like it." Daryl muttered to Gabriel.
"I called for help. Help came. Do you have any food? Whatever I I had left it just hit the ground."
"We've got some pecans." Carl smiled softly.
"Thank you." Gabriel nodded.
"That's a beautiful child." Gabriel commented, looking at Judith. "Do you have a camp?" He asked after the group fell silent.
"No. Do you?"
"I have a church."
"Hold your hands above your head." Rick ordered, his voice riddled in irritation and disbelief. Rick patted the man down, then looked up at him again. "How many Walkers have you killed?"
"Not any actually."
"Turn around. How many people have you killed?" Rick questioned, forcibly turning the man.
"None."
"Why?"
"Because the lord abhors violence."
"What have you done? We've all done something." Rick sighed, annoyed at how seemingly perfect Gabriel was.
"I'm a sinner. I sin almost every day. But those sins, I confess then to God, not strangers." Gabriel defended.
"You said you have a church." Michonne prompted. Gabriel nodded nervously.
"Take us there." Rick demanded, and he nodded again.
"Follow me." He whispered. Glenn ended up by Gabriel, and the man turned to him with a smile, looking at Mary. "She's a beautiful little girl. Is she yours?"
"She's mine." Rick spat in annoyance.
"All three?" Gabriel asked, his tone joking.
"Yes. All three." He snapped, glaring at Gabriel.
"Is she... Is she unwell?"
"Very. Do you have antibiotics?"
"No. But there may be some in town." Gabriel nodded sympathetically.
"Hey. Earlier, were you watching us?"
"I keep to myself. Nowadays people are just as dangerous as the dead, don't you think?"
"No. People are worse." Daryl muttered.
"Well I wasn't watching you. I haven't been beyond the stream near my church more than a few times since it all started. That was the furthest I've gone before today. Or maybe I'm lying. Maybe I'm lying about everything and there's no church ahead at all. Maybe I'm leading you into a trap so I can steal all your squirrels." Gabriel joked, turning around and looking at Rick, who was unimpressed.
"Members of my flock had often told me that my sense of humour leaves much to be desired."
"Yeah it does." Daryl snapped, and Gabriel turned around, getting to the church. He walked up to the door, Rick on his heels.
"Hold up. Can we take a look around first? We just want to hold onto our squirrels." Rick challenged, holding out his hand. Gabriel dropped a key into it, and Rick opened the door, going in.
"Hey. Take Moo." Glenn smiled at Sasha. She nodded, and held Mary, Bob looking at the child.
"I'll go." He nodded to Sasha.
"What?"
"Into town, when they all go. I know what meds she needs." Bob explained.
"I'll go too."
"Okay." Bob shrugged, then he looked over to Abraham, walking away. "Where are you going?"
"He said there's a bus." Abraham mumbled, leaving and coming back a few minutes later, just before Rick came out.
"I spent months here without stepping out the front door. If you found someone inside, well, it would have been surprising." Gabriel joked to Rick as he gave him the key back.
"Thanks for this." Carl smiled happily to Gabriel.
"We found a short bus out back," Abraham said suddenly, talking to Rick as the man picked up Mary from Sasha, "it don't run, but I bet we could fix that in less than a day or two. Father here says he doesn't want it. Looks like we found ourselves some transport. You understand what's at stake here, right?"
"Yes I do." Rick nodded into Mary's hair.
"Now that we can take a breath." Michonne began, but Abraham cut her off.
"We take a breath, we slow down. We slow down, shit inevitably goes down."
"We need supplies, no matter what we do next. Mary needs medicine."
"That's right. Water, drugs, food, ammunition." Rick nodded, going inside, Carl by his side, holding Judith.
"How'd you survive here for so long? Where did your supplies come from?" Rick asked Gabriel.
"Luck. Our annual canned food drive. Things fell apart right after we finished it. It was just me. The food lasted a long time and then I started scavenging. I've cleaned out every place nearby. Except for one."
"What kept you from it?"
"It's overrun."
"How many?" Rick asked, holding Mary even closer as she drifted off to sleep, dropping her bunny.
"A dozen or so maybe more." Gabriel explained, picking the toy up. Rick took it without thanks.
"We can handle a dozen." Rick nodded. "Is there meds in the town?"
"I don't know."
"I'll come," Bob nodded, "I know what antibiotics she needs."
"Thank you." Rick smiled.
"I'll go with you too. Tyreese should stay here, help keep Judith safe." Sasha said firmly.
"That'll be okay?"
"Sure. You ever need me to watch her, need anything for her, I'm right here." Tyreese smiled softly.
"I'm grateful for it. And everything else."
"I'll draw you a map." Gabriel offered.
"You don't need to. You're coming with us."
"I'm not gonna be of any help. You saw me. I'm no good around those things." Gabriel insisted.
"You're coming with us." Rick said firmly, creating silence around them.
"We're gonna go look for ammo." Glenn said suddenly, looking at Maggie, then Rick.
"I'll go too." Tara nodded.
"Okay," Rick agreed, "Daryl, Carol, can you get water?"
"Sure."
"And when you go looking for ammo... Can you... Can you just keep a look out for antibiotics?" Rick asked the trio.
"Of course." Glenn nodded.
"Pretty much anything that ends in "cillin"." Bob added.
"Got it." Maggie smiled softly.
Rick looked over, and saw Carl sat on a pew in the back of the church, and walked over to him.
"Can I have Mary?" Carl whispered, and Rick nodded, passing Mary over. "Hey." Carl smiled down at her, and she smiled back incredibly weakly, her eyes only half open.
Rick crouched down beside them, his hand on Mary's cheek. "I don't trust this guy."
"Why?" Carl asked quietly.
Rick looked at him in slight confusion. "Why do you trust him?"
"Everybody can't be bad."
Rick chuckled slightly, shaking his head. "Well... I don't trust this guy. And that's why I'm bringing him with me. But he could have friends. So I need you to stay alert and help Tyreese protect Judith, and I need you to look after Mary, okay? A close eye. 'Cos she's really not feeling good. Mary," Rick said softly, and the sick child looked at him in exhaustion, "you have to be good for Carl. Tyreese and Abraham and Rosita and Eugene are staying, so you listen to them too, and go to them if you need help. Now... I need you to hear what I'm about to say."
"Okay." Carl nodded, and Rick looked deep into Carl's eyes.
"You are not safe. No matter how many people are around, or how clear the area looks. No matter what anyone says, no matter what you think, you are not safe. It only takes one second. One second, and it's over. Never let your guard down, ever. Both of you. I want you to promise me."
"I promise." Carl whispered, and Mary nodded, her eyes closed.
"Okay." Rick nodded, getting up.
Carl got up after him. "Dad. You're right. I am strong. We both are. Mary is too, but... She's weak as well. But we're strong enough that we can still help people. And we can handle ourselves if things go wrong. And we're strong enough that we don't have to be afraid and we don't have to hide."
"We have to keep her safe. Mary and Judith. And, we'll, he's hiding something."
"I'll stay safe dad." Carl sighed softly.
"Yeah. I'll see you soon." Rick nodded, putting a hand on Carl's shoulder, then kissing the top of Mary's head.
"Love you." Mary mumbled.
"Love you too. Here. Let bunny give you a cuddle." Rick smiled gently, stroking her messy, slightly sweaty hair from her face, and giving her the teddy, her lifeline. "Are you hot?"
"Cold." Mary whispered, and Rick nodded, taking off his jacket and taking Mary off Carl. He wrapped Mary into it,  then kissed the side of her head.
"I'm going to find you some medicine, okay? Then you'll be all better." Rick promised, slightly emotional. Mary just nodded, too weak to talk. "Why don't you go talk to Rosita? She seems nice?"
Rick suggested, simply thinking of Rosita's medical knowledge. Mary shook her head, clinging onto Rick tightly.
When Rick left, Carl went outside with Mary, looking at the walls of the church.
"Kid. What are you doing?" Abraham asked loudly. Carl walked over, Mary half asleep on his hip, clinging onto his shirt.
"Looking to see if there's anything strange."
"How is she?" Rosita asked gently.
"Worse." Carl whispered, resting the side of his head on top of hers.
"Lay her in there to rest. The seats are comfortable." Rosita nodded. Carl nodded back at her, and laid Mary gently on the seats of the bus, her eyes closed, still wearing Rick's jacket. "We have some tablets for the pain. Will she take them?"
"Yeah." Carl said shakily, and Rosita went into the first aid kit, then tossed Carl two pills and a bottle of water. Carl shook her awake, and Mary took them, then fell back into a sleep riddled with nightmares, never free from her pain, her suffering.