Just Keep Walking

Sixty two

"No! What the fuck! Mary! What the HELL is wrong with you!?" Carl screamed as Mary drew her knife across her right eye, screaming as soon as she did so.
"I wanted to be like you!" Mary wailed, screaming in pain.
"Dad! DAD! MICHONNE!" Carl screamed, putting pressure on her cut, which thankfully wasn't too deep.
"What's she done?" Rick asked in panic, running in.
"Who is it?" Michonne shouted, charging in behind him.
"Mary. She wanted our eyes to match."
"It hurts!" Mary screamed, blood covering her vision.
"You stupid girl!" Rick shouted, and Michonne elbowed him harshly as she scooped Mary into her arms.
"I don't think telling her off is necessary right now!" Michonne hissed, rushing her to the bathroom. While Mary screamed in pain, Michonne wiped away the blood to reveal a deep cut running from the middle of her eyebrow, to the corner of her eye (narrowly missing her eyeball), to her cheekbone.
"It's not too bad. Not bad enough for stitches. And at least it's on the side of your face, not on the other side by your nose. You silly girl!"
"I didn't realise she'd do it until she did." Carl defended, as Mary withered in pain.
"You are in so much trouble! Why the hell would you do this!?" Rick hissed, bending down so they were making eye contact.
"I didn't want Carl to be alone! He didn't feel pretty, but he is! Now we match. Can I wear a bandage like Carl now?"
Rick looked at Michonne in disbelief, and on queue, Judith toddled into the bathroom, chewing on a sock, having taken off her shorts, now wearing nothing apart from her diaper. "Why the fuck are my kids so weird!" He mumbled to himself, picking Judith up and pulling the sock from her mouth, discovering a chewed up crayon too.
"I'm not weird!" Mary hissed, as did Carl.
"You bloody are. I'm sorry, can you sort this so I don't shout at her, because I have no idea what is going on in her head right now to make her think this is normal." Rick said shakily to Michonne, and she nodded, pressing a damp cloth to Mary's face until the blood clotted.
"Mary, you've gotta understand that it is not normal to do things like this. It's not healthy." Michonne said slowly.
"Why?"
"Because... Mary, hurting yourself is dangerous. Some people do it when they're sick, and that's why daddy got so worried." Michonne explained awkwardly.
"I'm not sick, I just wanted to be like Carl." Mary explained firmly, and Michonne nodded slowly, kissing the top of her head.
"Okay. Good. I'm gonna put these on your cut." Michonne nodded gently, putting Steri-Strips along the gash, then she wound a bandage around her eye, exactly the same as Carl. "You are such a silly girl."
"I know. I just thought it would make Carl feel less sad. That he wasn't alone."
"I know, but there's better ways to show it."
"I know that now."
"Okay, roll this up, you don't need it to cover your actual eye." Michonne sighed, positioning the bandage so Mary had full vision.
"I want it to cover my eye!" Mary whined, and Michonne simply rolled her eyes, laughing at the strong little girl.

"Do you have to go?" Mary whined at Rick the next morning as he stabbed a hole into his holster, Judith playing with some cups on the floor.
"Yeah, I do. I gotta try and find us some  more food."
"Can't I come?" Mary whined, pouting childishly.
"No," Rick answered gently, pulling on his watch, "you're staying here, where it's safe. I want you to stay and make sure Mishy and Carl and Judith are okay."
"Do you have any toothpaste left?" Michonne asked suddenly, walking into Rick's room, wearing her wet hair in a towel, and a dressing gown.
"No. Because someone's been borrowing it every day for two weeks," Rick smiled teasingly, "but Marys still got some of her strawberry kiddy crap left, use that."
"Carl!" Michonne shouted suddenly, hearing him throwing a baseball against the walls.
"What? Denise says it's PT!" Carl argued, a smile in his voice. Rick and Michonne held back a laugh, a mischievous glint in Rick's eyes.
"I can't hear you, come on out!"
"What?" Carl asked, walking over so he was stood in the doorway, beside Michonne.
"Denise says this is PT!" Rick mimicked, Mary joining in, a beat slower, then they all laughed.
"You heard me." Carl half asked, a smile on his lips.
"Yeah."
"It's time to change your bandage. And I need to borrow some toothpaste." Michonne added.
"Okay, but I'm out of toothpaste," Carl shrugged, tossing Rick the baseball, "be safe."
"I'll see you later." Rick chucked, and Carl returned to his and Mary's bedroom. "Come on sweetheart." He cooed to Judith, picking her up lovingly, bouncing her up and down. Mary crawled up his arms, and he held each of them on one hip.
"She's going to Carol's too?" Michonne asked, motioning to Mary.
"For now," Rick shrugged, "but we'll get there and she'll beg to go to Maggie's."
"So just like every other day." Michonne chucked, and Mary nuzzled her head into Rick's neck.
"Hey, whatever she needs." Rick nodded, kissing the top of Mary's head, creating a gentle silence.
"You be good out there." Michonne said firmly to Rick, and he gave her a half smile.
"Yeah, we'll see. And thank you." He nodded, leaving.
"Bye bye!" Mary chirped, and Michonne held back a laugh.
"See you later. Spearmint and baking soda! That's my favourite!" She shouted after Rick.
"As soon as I get it you will." Rick replied with a smile, tossing her the baseball, and walking down the stairs, somehow juggling the two girls. When they got to Carol's house, Judith happily went into her arms, but Mary clung onto Rick.
"I love your outfit." Carol smiled, looking at Mary's soft pink dress, and cropped leggings.
Mary looked at her, then turned to Rick. "I'm going to Maggie's house instead. Where's Uncle Daryl?"
"He's just outside, about to go."
"I'm gonna go find him."
"Hey, tell him I'll meet him at the car. Ask him to take you to Maggie's house." Rick ordered.
"Yeah. Okay," Mary sighed, kissing Rick's cheek, "bye bye."
"Bye. Straight to Daryl. Love you."
"Love you too." Mary smiled before jumping down, her bunny in her fist, and running outside to Daryl.
"Hi." She grinned, holding her arms up for Daryl to pick her up.
"Hey. Where's yer daddy?" Daryl asked, picking her up and holding her on his hip.
"Inside. He said for you to take me to Maggie's house, then meet him at the car."
"Okay. What the hell are you doin'? Why're yer wearin' a bandage on yer eye."
"I cut it."
"Silly girl." Daryl sighed, setting off to Maggie and Glenn's house.
"I'm not silly!"
"Yeah, you are."
"Whatcha gettin' on the run?"
"I've gotta list. Yer daddy says you need some more toys and books. Some notepads, now yer not goin' to school. Yer can't stop learnin' to write 'nd stuff."
"I can."
"You can't. Hey! Denise!" Daryl shouted, and the woman walked over to the pair.
"Yes?"
"This thing at the bottom, right here, you're talking about the drink, right?"
"I am, but..."
"It's not medical." Daryl pointed out, making Mary look at the paper full of Denise's scrawl in curiosity, unable to make out the words.
"No, I drew a line between the important stuff and that. I just figure if you saw it..."
"Alright."
"Anything remotely medical is a priority. And food, maybe even food before medicine and gas, or batteries, or books for the kids, or clothes, is just.... If you see it, if it just happens to you know be right there..." Denise rambled.
"You like it, right?" Daryl shrugged nonchalantly, a trace of a smile on his face.
"No, I don't drink pop."
"Pop?" Mary giggled in a high pitched voice.
"The hell's pop?" Daryl scoffed.
"Oh, I'm originally from Ohio." Denise explained.
"Why you want it?"
"Tara was talking about it in her sleep, I think. Either she likes it or she doesn't, but if she likes it, it'd be a really nice surprise. I'm not good with that kind of stuff, and she and Heath are going on that two week run. I just thought it'd be a nice going away present. Just, uh, don't go out of your way. And if it gives your any troubles..."
"I won't."
"That's a nice idea." Mary smiled approvingly, and Denise smiled softly at her.
"Okay, good, 'cause it's not important. I should be said so, instead of just drawing a line."
"Got it!" Daryl called, turning around and walking away.
"She talks a lot." Mary mumbled, and Daryl laughed.
"Yeah, but she's nice. She saved Carl."
"Yeah. I know."
"Okay, go knock on the door." Daryl ordered, putting Mary down as they approached Maggie and Glenn's porch. Mary rapped on the door, and Glenn opened it, Mary hugging his legs tightly.
"Hey," Glenn chuckled, lifting her into his arms, "you miss me?"
"Yeah." Mary mumbled, nuzzling into his shirt. Glenn reached his head down and kissed her cheek, then froze.
"Mary, what happened to your eye?" He asked sharply, looking at Daryl for an explanation.
"I cut it." Mary shrugged.
"How? What was you doing? Was you fighting again?" Glenn asked sternly, an unusual approach for him to use on Mary. In the past few weeks, Mary had began to be slightly more violent, more irritable, with less empathy than before, and occasionally she would play fight with Carl, and pick real fights with the older children, particularly little boy who was new to the group, called Alex. Him and Mary were a dangerous combination; they'd taunt and tease each other, sometimes leading to fists flying at each other.
"No, I promised you I wouldn't."
"How'd you hurt yourself then?"
"I cut it with my knife. I wanted to look like Carl, but it was a stupid thing to do. Mishy said the cut wasn't too deep."
"Did daddy sort this out?" Glenn asked tiredly, confused by the situation.
"Yeah, don't worry. I got in trouble, but he didn't yell too much. He knows I don't like that. He did swear at me." Mary explained nonchalantly.
"Okay, good. Not the swearing bit. Alright."
"I'm gonna go. Got a run with her dad." Daryl said suddenly, and then left, stroking the back of Mary's head gently before he left.
"Okay, let's go in. Have you been cheeky and not gone to Carol's again?"
"Yep. I love you and Maggie more." Mary answered truthfully, making Glenn laugh.
"Thanks, I guess?"
"Is that Mary?" Maggie called from upstairs, and the child shouted up a yes. "I'll be down in a second."
"How big's the baby now?"
"Nine weeks now, right!?" Glenn shouted up the stairs.
"Yeah! Probably. I think!" Maggie shouted.
"Right now he's a grape." Glenn replied knowingly.
"It might be a girl! Stop calling it he." Maggie snapped, walking down the stairs as she brushed her hair.
"Stop calling him it, he's not an alien," Glenn retorted, "and I'm ninety nine percent sure HE is a boy."
"I want it to be a boy. Then I'm still your favourite girl." Mary mumbled, looking up at Glenn.
"You'll always be my favourite big girl, no matter how many daughters I have." Glenn answered with a loving smile making Mary beam proudly, kissing Glenn's cheek, then nuzzling into his shirt. "But its a boy."
"Glenn! Mary, tell him that he is so silly."
"Sorry, Glenny is my third favourite person ever. First it's daddy, then Carl, then Mishy and Glenny, then you, Maggie. Sorry."
"That's okay." Maggie chuckled, pushing Mary's hair away from her face. "Hey! What happened to your face?"
"She cut it. It's fine." Glenn answered, and Maggie nodded.
"Have you eaten? Did daddy make you some real breakfast?"
"We had gummy sweets." Mary grinned, and Maggie sighed.
"I'll make you some cereal. Your father is a grown man with three children, why doesn't he know that five year olds have to have a real breakfast."
"Hey, he's got a lot on." Glenn said softly, as Maggie walked into the kitchen.
"Why's Maggie so grumpy?" Mary asked in confusion.
"Grape is annoying her. It makes her grumpy." Glenn answered, and Mary giggled at the name.
"Carl says that Grape sucks Maggie's blood to eat."
"Well, that's not exactly how it works." Glenn laughed.
"How does it work?"
"Well, you know your belly button?"
"No."
"Your belly button." Glenn laughed, lifting up Mary's cotton dress to show her her tiny belly button.
"Oh," Mary laughed, "that. What about it? Is that how the baby comes out? You screw it off, and pull the baby out?"
"No," Glenn chuckled, "and your daddy can explain that one. Your belly button is where there was a tube when you was in mommy's tummy. It took the nutrients out of mommy's blood, and gave them to you, so you could grow. Nutrients are what's in food."
"That's gross."
"Yeah, it is a bit."
"Maggie's gonna get really fat. Are you gonna be sad?"
"What? No. Why would you think that?"
"Mommy and daddy fell out when mommy got fat and had Judith. I don't want you to."
"I won't, don't worry. I promise." Glenn smiled softly, but he couldn't help but feel a little sick, knowing she had such a strange viewing of the world. Things that had happened to her, horrible things, that she thought were just a normal part of life, and the things that normal people would think were normal, she believed were strange and stupid.
It was painful for him to watch.