Scarlett (Rick Grimes/OC)

Chapter 6

Chapter 6

“When do ya’ think Daryl and Michonne are just gonna admit that they got a thing fer each other?” Maggie says this quietly as she slides onto the bench beside me, plate in front of her. I shake my head and laugh quietly as I watch Daryl and Michonne talk down the table. Daryl’s lookin’ at Michonne like she’s just the best thing in the world, and Michonne is tryin’ not ta’ smile at him. 

“I don’t know, but one of ‘em needs ta’ do it already. I can’t take all this unaddressed love in the air.” I roll my eyes dramatically and Maggie has ta’ cover her hand with her mouth ta’ keep from laughin’.

This ain’t the first time I’ve noticed Daryl and Michonne starin’ at each other before. Daryl likes ta’ watch Michonne while she sharpens her sword, and Michonne has taken ta’ watchin’ Daryl work on his motorcycle and the other cars. I ain’t told her that I’ve noticed yet. I’m sure she’ll tell me when she’s ready, whenever that is. She also doesn’t know about my thing fer Rick, but I’ll tell her about it eventually. 

Throughout the rest of dinner, Michonne and Daryl continue ta’ talk and sneak looks at each other, and the rest of us pretend not ta’ notice. We all chatter away about this and that, and I find out that a few people are going out on a run tomorra’. Rick, Daryl, Michonne, Tyreese, and Sasha (Tyreese’s sister) are leavin’ early tomorra’ mornin’ and are gonna be gone until the next afternoon. They’re just goin’ out fer some basic things, so it’s not a big deal. I ask Michonne ta’ bring my some shirts if she can before I turn in, and she says that she will.

After dinner, I go off and spend some time with Vi, givin’ her a good brushin’ and talkin’ to her softly. I even manage ta’ sneak her a carrot before I pat her nose and leave the paddocks.

I decide ta’ take a shower and grab some things from my cell before headin’ ta’ the bathroom. There’re a few people in the bathroom already, but they’re in the stalls with the water runnin’, so I take my time undressin’ and look myself over in the mirror again, just like I did that first night all that time ago. 

My hipbones no longer stick out, and I can’t see my ribs as much as I could before. My face looks rounder, my eyes not as sunken in. My colorin’s better too, and my hair even looks thicker and healthier. Rick is right. I do look good. Healthy. 

{~~~} 

Breakfast is kinda lonely without Michonne and Daryl and the others. It’s much more quiet, and I ain’t a fan of Beth bein’ around so much. She’s normally not up so early like this, so I don’t ever see her at breakfast, but she’s gotta be with Judith today since Rick ain’t here. 

Beth just kinda gets on my nerves. She’s always got a boy flittin’ around her, and she whines a lot. I don’t even understand how she and Maggie are related ‘cause they’re polar opposites. 

“Hey, Scarlett?” I nearly groan at the sound a’ Beth addressin’ me directly, but I manage ta’ put on a sweet face.

“Yeah?” I spoon some oatmeal into my mouth and look at Beth, prayin’ that she don’t wanna talk long. I, quite frankly, don’t have the patience this mornin’. 

“I feel so terrible askin’ ya’ this, but could you maybe watch Judith for me today?” Beth spoons some more food into Judith’s mouth and then sighs airily. “Zack invited me ta’ work with him today and I don’t wanna take Judith up in the watchtower.” Beth smiles this certain smile while she talks about this Zack boy, which I assume is her latest little boyfriend. I nearly gag at the thought a’ what they could be doin’ up there in the watchtower alone, but I manage ta’ keep my sarcastic comments ta’ myself. It’s a good thing that I like Judith, ‘cause otherwise, I’d tell her ta’ find somebody else. It kinda irritates me that she’s pushin’ the baby off on me. I got my own job ta’ do, and sure, I ain’t always busy at it, but when I do have ta’ work, I have ta’ have my attention focused solely on what I’m doin’. 

“Yeah, sure,” I say in mock sweetness. Beth breaks into a grin immediately hands me Judith’s diaper bag across the table. She gets up and hands me Judith before I can even say anything, and the she rushes off, tellin’ me that Judith should be good as far as food goes fer a little while, addin’ that I should check her diaper in a few hours. Beth is gone not four seconds later. 

“Alright then,” I mutter, movin’ Judith in my lap so she’s more comfortable. She peers at me with her brown eyes, and I feel some of my annoyance with Beth ebb away. “Well it looks like it’s you and me today, Judith,” I say to her. Judith gurgles a little and then starts messin’ with one of her socks, attention now off me.

I hoist the baby onto my hip and the bag onto my shoulder, figurin’ that Caleb won’t mind if I bring Judith along ta’ the infirmary. I probably should have told Beth that I couldn’t take care of her, but like I said, I like Judith, and I rarely get any time with her. I always wanted ta’ have kids, but this whole apocalypse thing has put a damper on that one. This’ll be fun, I think, takin’ care a’ the baby, and it’ll give my somethin’ ta’ talk about with Rick when he gets back too. 

Caleb is a little surprised ta’ see me with the baby when I get down ta’ the infirmary, but once I explain what Beth’s doin’, he rolls his eyes and mutters somethin’ about teenagers. 

“So wait. She asked you, the one with a job that needs your undivided attention, to take care of a six-month-old? I mean, I don’t mind you having the baby with you, I jut can’t believe Beth didn’t think this one through.” Caleb cocks an eyebrow in disbelief and give him a look while I spread out a blanket fer Judith on the floor and take off her little boots and coat.

“Beth ain’t too bright, Caleb,” I say, sighin’. Caleb makes a motion with his head that basically says that he agrees and start straightenin’ up the cot in the corner a’ the room with a heavy sigh. 

I get Judith settled on the floor on her blanket, layin’ out some toys and a stack a’ red plastic cups fer her ta’ play with. She goes immediately for the cups start knockin’ some together happily, babblin’ quietly.

Nothin’ excitin’ happens ‘til Glenn comes and needs three stitches in his arm ‘cause he cut it takin’ down walkers on the fences. This ain’t an uncommon thing ta’ treat. People are always tearin’ themselves up by accident wih their knives and such.

After lunch, Beth is still nowhere ta’ be seen, so Judith keeps stayin’ with me. I end up sittin’ on her blanket with her, watchin’ her play with her toys and ticklin’ her a little ta’ make her laugh after she wakes up from her nap.

Judith’s a real cute little baby, all chubby cheeks and fat rolls. She likes babblin’, and anythin’ that has a unique texture interests her immensely. Judith’s gonna be real pretty when she’s older. She’s got this dark hair and those brown eyes… She don’t look like Rick though. Not at all. I would say she probably just looked like her mama if I didn’t know what I know.

A while back, Maggie told me about when Rick and his little group met Maggie and her family. Carl had just been shot by accident by a member of Hershel’s group and was recoverin’ when Lori- Rick’s wife- came up pregnant. She’d cheated on Rick with his best friend, Shane, but had had sex with Rick soon after as well. There was no real way ta’ determine whose the baby was, so only time will tell I guess. That’s why Rick’s marriage was in shambles when it shoulda’ been at its best. I think anybody could see why that would tear a marriage apart.

Still, Rick is her daddy either way. That Shane guy is dead, and from Maggie says, he wasn’t into the idea of havin’ a baby anyway. He went kinda crazy, she said. Rick raised Judith, and that’s the bottom line. 

“Your daddy loves you somethin’ awful,” I whisper ta’ Judith, smilin’ at her. The baby just stares at me fer a second and then goes back ta’ babblin’ away and strugglin’ ta’ take two plastic cups apart with her little pudgy hands.

The day winds down and after we finish dinner, I can see that Judith is gettin’ sleepy. Carl takes her from me then and thanks me fer takin’ care of her. I find myself lonely in my cell though, since Michonne ain’t here and all. I ain’t been lonely in a long time. Must mean I’m happy with the people I’m with.

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Author's Note-

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- Madison (evilqueen098)