Just Keep Walking

Seventeen

Mary slept through the start of the morning while everyone bordered over windows and put spikes out by the door.
"Daddy?" She whined when she woke up.
"Hey," Tyreese smiled softly, walking over, "your daddy's outside. Shall I get him?"
"I want daddy." Mary cried shakily.
"Okay. I'll go get him." Tyreese nodded. Rick came in as soon as Tyreese got him, and he was holding Mary tightly.
"Your fever is back up." Rick sighed,
his eyes closed in frustration.
"I'm sorry." Mary sobbed, clinging onto him.
"It's not your fault. Come on, let's get your medicine. It's time to have the tablets and change your bandage." Rick soothed, getting up and grabbing the pills and a fresh bandage. Mary took the tablets, then undressed Mary and took off her bandage. It looked even worse. The man sighed, then redressed the wound, and put her dungarees back on.
"Where are your shoes?" Rick asked her softly.
"I don't need shoes." Mary mumbled. "I don't like them. They're too big."
"Okay." Rick nodded, kissing the top of her head. "Here. Try to stand up for a little bit."
Mary's forehead wrinkled, then she let Rick stand her up, her holding onto him, crying in pain. "I'm okay." She sobbed in pain.
"I know. I know baby." Rick whispered, sitting her down. "Come on, look at your messy hair. Let me sort it."
He took out the messy braid from Mary's hair, that had been there since Terminus, and combed through the ridiculously long hair with his fingers, then he pulled it into a messy ponytail.
"Shall I leave it like that? Or plait the ends?"
"Plait." Mary mumbled, and Rick clumsily plaited the pony tail, the braid loose and messy.
"Okay. Listen, we're gonna go now, okay? I'm gonna go." Rick said to Mary, his voice filled with love, the rest of the group waiting in the doorway.
"Daddy?"
"Yeah?"
"Are you gonna come back?" She whispered.
"Yeah. Yeah, don't worry, I'm coming back. Now, go over to Mishy, yeah? She's gonna stay and keep you and Carl and Judith safe."
"Promise me. Promise you won't die." Mary cried into Rick's shoulder.
"I won't. I promise." Rick whispered.
"Hey. I promise I won't let him." Daryl promised, walking over.
"Come on now. Go to Mishy." Rick said softly, getting up and passing Mary to Michonne. "Okay. I'll see you soon." Rick whispered, kissing her head again.
"We'll be back soon." Rick said softly, hugging Carl, then kissing the top of Judith's head.
"I know." Carl nodded. Then Rick was gone.

"Hey. Moo, have you had any breakfast?" Carl asked her after the door hand been boarded shut. Mary shook her head, but shook it again when Carl brought her some canned fruit. "You have to eat, Mary."
"I feel really bad." Mary mumbled.
"Just try a little." Michonne soothed.
"I'm sick." Mary cried softly. Michonne sighed softly, and picked Mary up, holding her softly. Carl kicked a pew in annoyance, then went over to Gabriel.
"Pick one. You need to learn how to defend yourself. We can teach you." He ordered.
"Defend myself? They said they'd go." Gabriel said shakily.
"They were liars and murderers."
"Just like us."
"We protected ourselves; they wanted us dead! You're lucky your church has lasted this long. You can't stay in one place anymore. Not for too long. And once you're out there you're gonna find trouble you can't hide from. You need to know how to fight." Carl insisted, as Michonne held Mary close.
Slowly, Gabriel's hand fell on a machete, and Carl nodded. "Good choice. But you're not holding it right. You've got to be able to drive it down, 'cause sometimes their skulls aren't as soft and you need to be able..."
"I'm sorry. No. I need to lie down." Gabriel said quickly, getting up and leaving. Carl rolled his eyes slightly, and went back over to his sisters and Michonne.
"Mary, you're more badass than a full grown man. How'd's that feel?" Carl teased. Mary looked up at him and smiled weakly.
"Go to sleep, sweetie. It's okay." Michonne soothed. Mary nodded, and was asleep in a second.
Carl looked down at Mary, at her shallow breathing, her fever, her pain. He knew she was just tired. "She's such an amazing swimmer. Like, next level amazing. If it was like it was before, she could do it professionally. She's so confident. When we went to the lake, she just threw off her clothes and jumped in. She said she just wants to be like Ariel from The Little Mermaid."
"Don't." Michonne whispered shakily.
"What?"
"You're saying goodbye. I know you. Don't do it. She's gonna be fine."
"Michonne. Look at her." Carl hissed, and Michonne sighed.
"You can't give up. Okay? That's not you. And it's not her. Don't you start giving up now."
"It's kinda hard to not give up when your little sister is dying." Carl snapped, and Michonne went silent. She didn't know how to reply to that.