Alone & Lost

6.) I Don't Mess Around

"It's ok babycakes," Navy spoke softly to the young girl, Charlotte, who she was wrapping a bandage around her stomach.

"Is Dusty be ok?" Charlotte asked.

"Yes, he's already awake. He's talking to a very nice man right now," Navy promised her. She finished the bandage, backing up to put her supplies away and wash her hands.

"I don't want you to leave me," Charlotte whimpered. Navy looked at the young girl with a small frown.

"I'll be right back-"

"No! Please, I'm scared here," Charlotte whined.

Navy knew she had to go check in on Henry and Rick, but didn't want to leave her by herself if she was this scared. "Here, I'm going to introduce you to somebody who is super fun," Navy grinned as she scooped the young child up in her arms, balancing her on her hip as she walked out the room and into another, where Saddiq had stitched up Lucas and the young boy was asleep on one of the hospital beds. "This is Saddiq," Navy smiled as she placed Charlotte down on the table. "This is Charlotte."

"Hey Charlotte," Saddiq smiled, sitting down in the chair so he was below eye level to her.

"She's all cleaned up but I have to go to the house to check in on everybody and give Henry his meds. She doesn't want to be alone," Navy told him.

"You're safe here, okay?" Saddiq told Charlotte. "There's your brother, right there. He's taking a nap. You can too. I'm not going to leave you, I promise," he grinned.

Navy went to the prison basement to find Rick and Daryl both talking to Dustin, who was behind cell bars.

"I just want a place safe for the kids," Dustin pleaded. "If you don't want me here that's fine. I'll leave. But just take the kids."

"We aren't trying to interrogate you or kill you-"

"Maybe we are," Daryl cut Rick off. Rick rolled his eyes. "Look dude, there are people out there that wanna kill us. There's a man out there that we've been lookin' for, he's been sendin' people one by one ta try 'n get information from us."

"I'm not him," Dustin pleaded. He looked at Navy, then back at Rick and Daryl. "I used to be with a group. But they turned into bad people over time and I couldn't keep the kids there any longer. They weren't abusive, it just... it was like a prison cell being there. We had nothing to do, the kids were forced to sit in a small room all day with nothing but paper and crayons-"

"Ain't nothin' much for them ta do," Daryl mumbled.

"So you left to find games? Working electricity, TVs?" Navy asked.

"Not exactly," Dustin looked at Navy. "I left to find a better community. To find a place for Lucas and Charlotte to grow up happy, not like Robin and Linda. Robin and Linda grew up staring at white walls and locked behind a steel door. When we were with that group, they told me that I can't let Charlie and Luke grow up like them. It's not a childhood. I came looking for other children they can play with. I can looking for a place that trusts its people enough to let them roam free inside the walls. I came for a place that actually has a chance of surviving."

Navy, Rick and Daryl all exchanged looks. They all nodded.

"What's this place called?" Rick asked.

Dustin sighed. "They call themselves The Vatos."

Rick and Daryl froze. Their heads turned towards one another.

"What?" Navy asked. Rick and Daryl pulled Navy to the side, away from the cell Dustin was in.

"Remember that group we told ya 'bout?" Daryl whispered. "The ones we ran into when try'na find my brother. The ones who took Glenn."