Just Keep Walking

Fifty two

"I'm going to find Carl." Mary announced, going down the stairs, hearing shouting, things falling from shelves.
"Mary! Stay on the stairs!" Rick barked as Carl and Ron ran out of the garage, breathless and panicked, Walkers behind them.
"Carl?!" Mary panicked, as her brother, Ron, Jessie, and Gabriel held the door shut. Mary rushed over to help, one hand holding the door, the other wrapped around Carl's arm. Rick brushed them aside, and pushed a couch over the door.
"We need more, and we need to be quiet." Rick ordered quietly.
"I'll see what I can find." Jessie nodded.
"Me too."
"Hey. What happened in there?" Rick asked Carl firmly, picking Mary up.
"We were looking for tools and knocked over a shelf." Carl explained.
"We heard yelling." Jessie pressed.
"Yeah. Ron saw them break through the gates. We had to move. That's what happened." Carl insisted impatiently.
"Carl, there's nightstands in my moms room. We can brace the couch with them." Ron suggested.
"Hey." Jessie sighed.
"What?" Ron hissed, rolling his eyes.
"Hey, it sounded like you were fighting."
"Yeah, but we were fighting them!" Ron insisted, before heading upstairs.
"Carl? It's okay?" Rick asked softly.
"It's okay." Carl nodded.
"Alright. Go help them, Moo."
"No." Carl said suddenly, making the two parents look at him in confusion. "No. She can stay here."
"Alright?" Rick sighed, letting Carl go, as Michonne came down the stairs.
"It's because Ron doesn't like me." Mary shrugged.
"Oh, that's not true." Jessie soothed.
"I don't care. I know he doesn't. I don't like him."
"Oh." Jessie chuckled, unsure of what to say.
"Did Mishy show you my picture?"
"Yeah." Rick nodded, planting a kiss on the side of her head.
"We have to get back to the house soon. Bertie's there. And we have to see if Natalie and Bob are okay."
"This is why I didn't want a dog." Rick sighed, rolling his eyes.
"Why?"
"Because now I have to worry about the stupid thing." Rick mumbled, not loud enough for Mary to hear.
"All my toys are at the house too." Mary whispered sadly.
"It's okay. You have Carl Bunny."
"But Glenny got me some of the toys. I want Glenny." Mary whined.
"Mary. Not now. Okay? Not now." Rick hissed, making Mary's face fall.
"Come here, Moo." Michonne said quickly, not wanting her to irritate Rick: it would just upset both Mary and Rick.
"Daddy's being mean."
"No, he's just stressed." Michonne corrected, watching Ron and Carl brace the door with other pieces of furniture.
"What that?" Mary panicked, looking around, as she heard a large metal clanging.
"They knocked the sculpture over." Jessie sighed, looking out of the window.
"All that noise, it's drawing more." Michonne pointed out, and, as if on cue, Judith began to cry.
"I'll get her." Rick said quickly, rushing up the stairs, as Mary buried her head into Michonne's shoulder.
"Ron, get Mary your iPad." Jessie ordered, and Ron sighed, rolling his eyes, but he still did as she said, tossing the little girl his iPad, open on a downloaded episode of The Simpsons. She'd watched a whole episode by the time Walkers began to break through the door.
"There's just too many of them!" Gabriel shouted as Rick rushed over to hold the door closed. Michonne grabbed Mary, making her drop the iPad, letting it shatter on the floor, just as some Walkers came through the door.
"Everybody get upstairs, now!" Michonne screamed, practically throwing Mary at Carl once he was up the stairs.
"Back up!" Rick shouted, as Michonne killed some walkers. "Come on! Come on! The couch. Let's block the stairs!" Rick ordered, grabbing the couch from the door and using it to block the staircase.
"Daddy?" Mary panicked, looking at her father with wide, scared eyes. "I dropped bunny!"
"For God's sake. We'll get the stupid think when they go. If..."
"If we survive and they go one day." Ron mumbled darkly.
"Ron! She's five!" Jessie hissed, making the boy quiet.
"I'll get it. Just not now." Rick soothed, then he turned to Michonne. "I got this one, you get the on behind it. We're gonna need at least two."
"What?" Jessie scoffed, as Rick killed two Walkers, reaching to pull one up the stairs.
"Just trust them." Carl said firmly, as Michonne dragged a dead Walker up the stairs, into a spare bedroom. Rick followed her, stopping to talk to Carl at the top of the stairs.
"You stay here. You see anyone squeezing through, you get me." He ordered. He went into the bedrooms everyone except from Carl and Mary following him.
"Mary, go with daddy. I'll be fine. I don't want you near them."
"I can be! I kill loads of Walkers all the time!"
"I know you can. But please? I need to make sure you're super safe."
"What about you?" Mary asked in a tiny voice.
"I promise I'll be super safe too." Carl smiled sadly, and Mary nodded, then went into the room with the others.
"We're gonna need bedsheets enough for everyone." Rick declared.
"Bedsheets for what?" Jessie asked frantically.
"We all go to the armoury."
"How?"
"We're gonna gut these things. Cover ourselves with the insides, it'll mask our smell, make them think we're like them. I've done it before. We stay calm we don't draw attention, we can walk right through them." Rick explained, Mary barely reacting: she'd done this before.
"They're in the house, they're making noise. More are coming." Michonne added, as she began to gut her Walker.
"Anyone who stays here is gonna die." Rick said firmly, beginning to gut his.
"What about Deanna?" Gabriel asked softly, and everyone went quiet, apart from Mary, who let out a little sigh.
"I hate to be the one to say it," she began, using a mature phrase she's heard Maggie say several times, "but she's gonna die anyway."
"Mary." Rick exhaled softly, as Jessie and Ron looked at her in shock.
"What? It's true. It's sad, but true."
"I know. But you don't have to say it."
"I'll go talk to her. Deanna." Michonne said gently.
"Yeah. I'll finish up with these." Rick nodded.
"Come on, Moo. You don't wanna see daddy doing this. Come on." Michonne soothed, getting Mary to follow her. Mary did, going into the spare room, a silent shadow.
"What's happening out there?" Deanna asked, her breaths in short pants. "They're getting in. The rest of us... were gonna have to go. If you want me to, I'll..."
"No. Not ready. Not yet. I will be. Soon. And when I am.... I'll do it myself. It's my life," Deanna whispered, holding her gun up, "start to finish. Dolor hic tibi priderit olim."
"What doesn it mean?"
"Someday this pain will be useful to you. Go. They need you." Deanna whispered, stroking Michonne's cheek. Michonne nodded and stood up, holding Deanna's hand.
"Thank you."
"For what?" Deanna asked softly.
"For our house! And for the food." Mary grinned, forgetting the seriousness of the situation.
"For believing." Michonne corrected.
"I still believe. I cocked it all up, but I figured it out. What do you want? Now you figure it out."
"I will." Michonne nodded softly.
"And you. Little Miss Mary. You're gonna be a good girl? A good girl for your daddy and Carl? Promise? And you're gonna grow up. I would say Carl's gonna be in charge of this place one day. But it's not him. It's you. This is your home. And one day, you'll be a leader. You're a leader, Mary. And I'm proud of you. You've come so far."
"Deanna? Can you tell mommy I said hi?"
"Yeah. I will." Deanna smiled weakly, stroking the side of Mary's face. "Okay. Okay, go give 'em hell."
"I will." Mary smiled, kissing Deanna's cheek, then leaving, Michonne following her.
"Who's having Mary?" Carl asked Rick as they began to cover themselves with Walker guts.
"Not you. Not this time." Rick declined quickly, noting that Mary was slightly heavier than before, that they'd be walking far. That if he had them both together, he risked the chance of them both being in danger. It was easier for Carl to have Judith, who would be silent and weightless, who could still let him move safely.
"I'll take her." Michonne nodded.
"You sure? 'Cos I can."
"It's okay. You lead the way, have the plan. I had Mary. Your job is to get us out safe. Mine is her." Michonne said softly, as she covered Carl in some more guts.
"Okay. We need to move. You then me, Jessie."
"I'll do it." Jessie said sharply, covering herself in the guts. Rick nodded slowly, and began to cover himself.
"Mom?" Sam asked in panic, stood in the doorway fearfully.
"You need to listen to me, okay? We aren't safe here anymore. Okay, we need to do this so that we can be safe out there. We need to look like the monsters."
"No, please, no." Sam panicked.
"Oh stop being a baby! I'm five and I'm not scared! This is fine! We'll be fine!" Mary shouted angrily.
"Hey. Hey. Let him be scared." Rick said softly.
"We have to, Sam. Honey, just, just pretend you're brave. Okay? Just make it all pretend. Okay, none of this is real, and you're somebody who isn't afraid. Okay?"
"Okay." Sam whispered slowly.
"Okay. Ron, Carl, help Sam. Good man, Sam. You've got this." Rick nodded reassuringly. The boy didn't respond. Carl went to help him, but Ron brushed him away.
"I got him." Ron hissed.
"Alright. Okay, man. Okay." Carl said slowly, his hands up in mock surrender. They finished getting ready, and Rick put Mary on Michonne's back.
"Listen. You have to do as me and Mishy day. No being stupid. No shouting. You just cuddle Mishy, and you stay quiet. Okay? Promise me, baby girl. Mishy won't let you get hurt. But you have to do as I say."
"I know. I'll be good. Buy can we get Carl Bunny first? Because I can't go without him."
"I know. I'll get it. It's okay. But are you going to promise?"
"I pinky promise." Mary nodded.
"Okay. Okay, my girl. I love you."
"I love you too." Mary whispered.
"We have to go." Michonne urged, looking over the landing.
"We're ready. Ron?" Jessie asked.
"Yeah."
"I'll get Judith." Rick nodded.
"Rick. I'm not gonna give up our there. I will not turn back, no matter what happens." Gabriel soothed to the leader.
"Yeah, I know." Rick nodded, walking away. Mary nuzzled her head into the back of Michonne's neck, and the woman held her hand softly. Rick came back with Judith, and put her into Carl's hold, scarfs holding her in place, a makeshift baby carrier.
"Okay. Okay. You're fine." Rick soothed Mary, then covered her with the bed sheet. Mary whimpered, and Michonne held her hand tightly.
"You're okay." She whispered, as they began to walk down the stairs, Rick first, then Carl, Jessie, Sam, Ron, Gabriel, and Michonne.
Once they were downstairs, they went to the door, going outside onto the porch. Mary let out a whimper, a reminder of her missing bunny, and Rick slid back into the house, picking up the grubby teddy. He came back out, then passed it to Mary, squeezing her arm as he did so.
"Okay. We go." Rick breathed, the small group entwining hands. And they left, Mary's head buried into Michonne's neck, clinging onto her bunny and one of Michonne's dreadlocks. And she stayed stony still, barely even breathing, simply wanting to go home.

"Alright, new plan," Rick announced quietly had they stopped, holding Mary's hand underneath the sheet, "Flares from a few guns aren't enough. Too many walkers, too spread out. We're not going to the armoury. We need our vehicles back at the quarry. All of us drive. We'll need to round 'em up. We leave,'we come back.l
"Okay. But the girls... To the quarry and back, I..." Jessie spoke up slowly.
"I'll take them. Keep them safe in my church until you all lead the Walkers away."
"No!" Mary shouted suddenly, as Rick shushed her.
"Okay. No, she's right. No offence, Gabriel, but you can't handle her. Especially if she has a meltdown. She'll behave for us." Rick said softly.
"Can you do this?" Michonne asked Gabriel, always protective over the girls.
"I'm supposed to. I have to. I will."
"Alright." Carl nodded, getting Judith and passing her to Gabriel, the boy shushing her soothingly.
"Take Sam." Jessie ordered suddenly.
"No!"
"Yes, Sam. It'll be safer."
"I'm not leaving you!" Sam whined.
"Sam."
"Mom, I'm not. I can keep going."
"Sam!"
"I can keep going. Please. Please. Let's just go!"
"Okay." Jessie sighed.
"I'm going to keep her safe." Gabriel insisted to Rick.
"Thank you." Rick nodded, and Gabriel left, shushing Judith quietly.
"Hey. He's going to make it. Okay? I know it." Jessie soothed. Rick nodded slowly, and lifted up Michonne and Mary's sheet, kissing her cheek.
"It's all gonna be over soon. Okay?" Rick breathed into her ear, his head resting on the side of her face. Mary nodded, stroking his cheek tearfully. "Okay." Rick nodded, covering them. "Sam." He ordered, holding out his hand out to the small boy. Sam took it quietly, and they left, Rick, then Sam, Jessie, Carl, Ron, and Michonne with Mary.
It was beginning to get dark when Sam froze in fear.
"Sam. Sam. Come on. Come on. Sweetheart. Sam?" Jessie urged, panic rising in her throat.
"You can do it. You can do it." Rick soothed, but Sam shook his head.
"Yes you can. Sam. Sam, come on."
"Come on, Sam." Rick hissed. Mary pushed her head through the head hole in the sheet, staring at the boy.
"Sam. Sam!"
"Mishy, he's gonna get us killed." Mary whispered in fear.
"Sam. Hey, you can do this. Sam, just look at mom." Ron urged.
"Honey, you can do it. Sam, you're gonna get... Sam, honey, I need you to come with me."
"Stop being an idiot!" Mary hissed angrily, as Sam cried.
"Sam!" Ron hissed.
"I need you to come with me." Jessie begged.
"I want to." The boy croaked weakly, looking lost, scared, broken.
"I need you to be strong." Jessie whispered softly. Then the Walkers pounced on Sam. Jessie began to scream, and Mary watched as Ron stumbled, almost falling to the floor in pain.
"Sam." Mary whispered, as Jessie screeched.
"Jessie. Jessie. Jessie!" Rick soothed, needing her to be quiet. He couldn't let anyone else die. He couldn't let his kids die.
"No!"
"Jessie. Jessie!"
"Jessie, come with us. Come on. We have to go." Carl soothed, but it was too late.
They got Jessie too.
"No. No. No!" Rick whispered, his face tear filled, as Jessie screamed, and Mary cried, and Ron shook, shocked, not knowing what to don
"Dad!" Carl shouted, Jessie's hand still gripping onto Carl's forearm. Mary began to sob, and Rick grabbed his axe, cutting Jessie's arm off, freeing Carl. In the process, Carl fell to the floor, his gun flying across the road.
"Daddy! Daddy, I'm scared!" Mary wailed.
"It's going to be okay." Rick soothed shakily.
"You," Ron hissed, before Rick could soothe Mary, holding a gun up to the child's father's head, "you."
Then Michonne's katana went though Ron's chest, but not before the gun went off into the wrong direction.
"Daddy! Carl!" Mary screamed, crying softly.
Then Carl turned to Rick, and whispered his name, blood gushing from his eye. From the lack of his eye. And then he fell to the floor.
"Carl? Carl! Carl! CARL!" Mary screamed, fearing her brother was dead. And she wailed the whole time Rick ran to the infirmary with Carl in his arms, Mary on Michonne's back. All she could think of was when Carl got shot at the farm, about how he nearly died. About how she nearly died when she got shot. About how getting shot never ended well.
About how she could lose her brother.