Take On The World

3. The Infirmary

I'm starting to second guess the mission. I know it's for Hershel, but I don't like the idea of going behind everybody's back... particularly Daryl's. He's gonna be mad, hopefully the medicine will be worth it. I keep my knives and slingshot with me at all times so all I'm doing is waiting for Carl to get his butt up here and tell me he's ready. Daryl replaced my supply of rocks with some arrow heads we found on the road and sharpened. He didn't want to use any of his bolts cause they were too difficult to replace.
    It isn't long before Carl comes up with his gun, luckily it has a silencer. I still roll my eyes, and had him a knife,
"It will be quieter." He nods his thanks, he seems nervous too.
"Ready?" He says straightening his shoulders.
"Lets do this." He smirks and I can't help but let a small smirk come to my face.
    We've been walking around looking in some rooms, and trying to find the infirmary. I found a few blankets that look almost new, and a book with empty pages like a diary, I bet Beth would appreciate it, I also found a pocket knife in a dead mans hand, he'd already been put out of his misery.
"Hey Mason!" Carl kind yells.
"Keep it down!" I whisper/yell at him.
"Look!" He says a little quieter.
"Nice!" I look down to see a walker dead on the ground.
"Look what he had!" I look in Carl's hand to see son poker cards.
"Too bad I don't know how to play, if mom caught me playing poker she'd have a cow."
"You think she's gonna be okay about this?" I say with a laugh. He smirks,
"She'll get over it," He shrugs.
"It's you that might wanna try not to think about our parents," He laughs.
"Daryl's not my parent," I say shortly.
"Trust me he pretty much is."
"Whatever." I say walking away. I don't hear him follow me. I hear a crash behind me,
"Carl?" I turn around to face him, but it's a walker. I pull my sling back, and let the arrowhead fly. That's when I feel a hand on my back. I yelp, and throw a jab and jump back and fall on my butt.
"What's wrong with you?!" Carl groans rubbing his rib cage where my elbow landed.
"Why'd you sneak up on me!?" I say defensively.
"I was gonna tell you I found the infirmary." I huff, but follow behind him silently.
"Nice shot," he says looking at my walker.
"Thanks," I rely grabbing my slimy arrowhead, and walking after him.
      "So did you find anything else use..."
"Duck!" I say cutting him off. As soon as I say it he drops,as he does I throw my knife instead. It goes into his caved in skull, and the walker drops to the floor next to Carl.
"Thanks,"
"No prob..." this time I scream, as I'm pushed to the floor on my back.
"Mason!" Carl yells and jumps up.
      I find myself using all my strength to keep the snapping drooling walker from biting my face.
"Carl! Help me! Please!" I sob. I hear the squelch of Carl's knife going into the walkers head. And everything goes silent. The world seemed to stop. It seems like hours until I'm in Carl's arms even though it's only been minutes.
"You scared me to death!" He yells and is hugging me while I try to catch my breath.
"Thanks." I say in between my shallow breaths.
"We need to keep our eyes open, Daryl would kill me if you got bit."
"He's probably gonna kill us anyway."
"Yeah, except I'd deserve it if you died." I smirk,
"Aww is big brother getting nervous?" I mock.
"Yes, you're a bratty little sister, hopefully the new baby isn't as much a pain as you," He teases.
"Just for that I'm not talking to you for the rest of the day."
"Really?!" He says excitedly. And we both laugh, and keep walking.
     We got a bunch of pills and bandages and pretty much everything we could carry out of the infirmary. I don't know if Hershel is even still alive, but I only hope that he is. I've gotten closer to him ever since... ever since Dale he is like the wise man that I can ask Important things. He even fought me how to deal with an infection, and how to set broken bones. Carol taught me some things too, but mostly bruises and cuts, so explained how to put a arm back in place, that was cool. It could've come in handy before the world ended too.
     On the way back me and Carl don't really say anything. I'm just hoping Daryl is still gone, he had to go help some prisoners that we found clear out a new cell block for them to live in, as it was clear they could not live with us. I only saw them when I peaked through the door, one of them looked really scary, the other one was huge and the other two look like they shouldn't even be in prison, cause one was so nice and one was so young. There was one other guy, but I was to busy trying not to get caught than to get a good look at him.
When we get back luckily Daryl is still gone. We go straight to where the adults are Carl is ahead of me with the medicine.
"Carl, maybe we should leave it somewhere they'll find it, and then they'll think it was there all along."
"What? Why?"
"They're gonna be mad... like really mad."
"Oh well they need to stop treating us like kids all the time."
"That's what we are apocalypse world or not we are kids."
"No not anymore..."
"Whatever, take the medicine to them, but act like you went alone. I don't think it's worth risking my hide over this. If Daryl doesn't want me involved in the adult stuff that's up to him, but this was more to prove to myself that I'm strong enough to survive."
"You almost got killed, I had to save you."
"Yeah, after I saved you."
" touché"
"Just leave me out of the conversation... promise?"
"Yeah, I promise."
"Thanks."

Date: 10/15/19