Hiraeth (The Walking Dead)

Chapter 21

The rest of the group had slowly traveled back to their cell block, carefully watching around each and every corner. Rick, on the other hand, stayed out. He was wandering the halls with blood covering every part of him. The other survivors decided to let him be, but they could occasionally hear him make a small cry out in emotional pain when they passed by one of his corners.

Cailey watched out for the others as much as she could once they were in the cell block. Beth and her father stuck together silently in one cell, and Cailey brought painkillers for Hershel's leg. The blonde teen was still holding onto the baby girl, wrapped in a towel and one of Carl's jackets. Cailey reached out silently with her arms, gently beginning to take the small child.

"You know how to hold her?" Beth's Southern accent was quiet and frail. Cailey nodded back, staring at the baby. Beth slowly began handing over the girl, rolling her into Cailey's arms. "Yeah, just support her head more. Just like that."

Truth be told, Cailey didn't know how to hold a baby, she had just seen many people do it. She had just hoped what she did was right. And apparently, it was. The brunette girl gave a curt nod. "You two can get some rest. I'mma be watchin' over until the others get back. I can take care of the baby."

The small blonde gave a little nod and a sad smile, and Hershel tried his best to give the teen a smile as he leaned against his bedframe. Cailey turned from the small family, stepping back out of the cell. She cradled the baby girl in her arms, walking back out to find the rest of the group.

"Hey, Cailey," Glenn sauntered up quietly to the girl. "Think we should go find Rick? I'm afraid he'll get hurt with all those walkers still out there."

Cailey was a little taken aback by the young man asking her. Glenn had spoken maybe two sentences total to her in the past few months, and yet once the leaders of the group were gone, he was asking the young teen about what to do. She hesitated for several seconds before replying. "I think we... I think we should be fine for now. He's still got the adrenaline pumping through his system. If he isn't back after sundown, we can find him. It'll give him a couple o' hours."

Glenn nodded. "You're probably right."

Cailey nodded carefully back, still nearly choking on her own surprise. She held onto the baby in her arms tighter as it began squirming around.

"You should get your arm checked out," Glenn nodded again. "And you could wash your shirt in the bathroom. We've got electricity and water, you know."

Cailey stared at her bleeding shoulder as the red liquid soaked through her yellow sweater. "Right," she mumbled.

"Here," Glenn slowly began taking the baby from Cailey's arms. He leaned back with the little girl in his hands, nodding again. "Go ahead."

The teen gave a curt nod, then turned on her heels. Her bow bobbed up and down on her back as she walked quickly, retreating to the far side of the cell block upstairs where a bathroom would be.

The bathroom was a community bathroom, considering the group was living in a prison. Rows of stainless-steel rows reflected light off of the mirrors and across the tile floors. Cailey stripped off her jacket and shirt in the middle of the empty bathroom, staring at her injured shoulder in the mirror. The bleeding had slowed, and her nerves were beginning to become numb to the pain.

The short teen dropped her yellow sweater in one of the sinks, turning on the faucet. Freezing cold water poured down onto the fabric, and Cailey realized how strange it was to feel running water again. Not from a river, or a stream, not standing still. Just falling in a perfect invisible tube before it pooled on top of the sweater.

The girl let the water run as she looked at her shoulder in the mirror again. There were towels from the showers in shelves behind her. Only a few, but Cailey pulled out one that had been crumpled in the back to begin cleaning off the blood on her shoulder. She pulled her hunting knife from her quiver on the counter, then began tearing up the towel. The fabric tore with loud ripping noises, and Cailey pulled tightly on her last strip. She pulled the incredibly thin white towel piece over her shoulder and yanked on it. The pressure hurt her muscles horribly, but blood didn't seep through the towel. She tied it tightly around her shoulder, then used her knife to slice off the extra parts of the towel in the knot.

The young hunter stared at the sink, shutting off the water to let her sweater sit inside the freezing liquid. She stared up at herself in the mirror again, but this time looked at her face.

Her face was still thin and frail, just as before, but she was more toned now. She always had muscles and thick bones from living out on her own, but now she wasn't as malnourished. Living with a group had done her some good, as much as she wasn't willing to admit it.

Her hair was still growing longer. It was falling over the headband around her forehead, and brushing in front of her eyes. The longer wisps near the sides stuck out awkwardly, like a ten year old boy hitting puberty.

Cailey stared at her hunting knife again. The silver blade reflected the light off from the ceiling light as she turned it in her hand. The teen reached her hand to the back of her hand, untying the knot of her bandanna and placing it on the counter.

It was time for a haircut.