Heartless ➳ TWD² [COMPLETED]

Chapter II ➳ Recovery

I knew that, as soon as we arrive at Hilltop, that the news of Carl's death was going to hit home for a lot of people. That is why I couldn't bare to watch as Enid was brought down to her knees in sorrow, and Maggie is quick to comfort her.

I wish that I could've helped in comforting both Maggie and Enid, but I couldn't, though. Hell, I could barley help myself through this tough time.

However, as we stumbled inside, I looked up and saw Paul standing there with his mouth ajar in shock. Tears filled my eyes and, so, I ran straight into his arms, where he held me as tightly as he could. I cried on his chest and squeezed him, hoping that he won't let me go. I knew that he wouldn't, though. He has always been there for me, no matter what.

"I am so sorry, Tess," he whispered through my hair, which he was trying to comb through with his fingers. "I know that he meant the world to you."

Everything after this was in slow motion. Everything that surrounded me was slow and steady. Paul tried to convince me to go lie down somewhere, but I couldn't. I just wanted to cry about it.

When he tried to pull away from me, I shook my head and threw him back into me. Again, he placed his arms around me and his head down into the crease of my shoulder. He rubbed my back and rocked us around.

"Please don't leave me," I whined on his shoulder and squeezed down harder on his clothes. "Please, Paul, don't..."

"I'm not," he whispered in my ear. "I got you, Tess."

"Tess," I heard my name being called and I looked behind Paul's shoulder. There stood Morgan, appearing to be looking better now than he did the other day.

Paul let me go as I traveled from his arms to Morgan's, as he caught me before I could fall. "I'm so sorry," he whispered in my ear. "He was such a good kid."

I gulped, nodded in his shoulder, and agreed: "Yes, he was. I can't picture life without him..."

"Now, Tess," came Morgan's warning tone as he separated us, so that we were face-to-face. He kept his hands on my shoulders and our eyes connecting. "Don't go back down that same road that you were once on. Just the other day, you told me that you didn't want to die anymore. Don't let this be a setback to your recovery."

"Recovery?" I squeaked out in question, almost laughing it out. I shook my head and turned my back on Morgan, wiping the tears off of my face. I shook my head and turned to face him again. "Morgan, I'm not okay."

"I know that," he stated and nodded his head once, with his hands on his hips. "But, you will be. Hell, I'll... I'll make sure of it."

"How, Morgan?" I asked and, when he looked away, I did, too, and sighed heavily. I ran my hands over my face to clear myself up. "That kid was the future. Without him... What do we have to look forward to?"

"We have to look forward to many more lives happening all around us," Morgan replied, but I kept my eyes off at him for the moment. "Carl was leading us to where we are now. He was leading us towards a better future... Even after he's gone."

I heard Morgan out, but I was still too broken to agree and move on. It was too soon and all I wanted was to wake up tomorrow and Carl reappear, like nothing ever happened. Yet, I knew that he wasn't going come through those doors any time soon and I needed to face the facts.