Dixon's Daughter

Chapter 3: Explanation

Third Person's POV

When Rick woke up again, he was strapped to a bed with Sadie strapped to a chair beside him. Sadie had silently followed the man who introduced himself as Morgan Jones to the house, but refused to talk until Rick was awake. She did, however, not fight against him when he changed her bandage and then Rick's bandage.

When Rick opened his eyes and scanned the room he saw Sadie on a chair next to the bed, Duane (Morgan's son) was standing nearby with a baseball bat in case Rick or Sadie were to try anything, and Morgan standing next to the bed, putting the medical supplies on the shelf.

"Mr. Grimes, are you okay? How are you doin'?" Sadie questioned once she saw he was awake. "I'm fine. What's going on?" Rick replied.

"Got that bandage changed now. And hers too. They were both pretty rank. What were the wounds?" Morgan questioned Rick and Sadie rolled her eyes. She had already told him what the wounds were, but he insisted on asking Rick to make sure she wasn't lying.

"Gunshot." Rick answered. "And hers?" Morgan followed up. "Actually, I don't know." Rick told him, glancing over at Sadie. "Arrow through my stomach." She answered, looking at Rick.

"Gunshot and an arrow? What else? Anything?" Morgan questioned. "Oh, I'm sorry, is being shot and stabbed not good enough for you?" Sadie asked sarcastically, narrowing her eyes. She didn't know him and he did not make a good first impression on her.

"Look, little girl, I ask and you answer. That's common courtesy, right?" Morgan said, walking over to the edge of the bed and looking down at her. "Whatever. I'll answer your questions, but don't ever call me little girl again." Sadie replied, not wavering or backing down even a little.

"Did either of you get bit?" Morgan asked, emphatically. "Bit?" Rick repeated. "Bit, chewed, maybe scratched – anything like that?" Morgan demanded. "No, I got shot. Just shot, as far as I know." Rick answered.

"And you?" Morgan questioned, looking to face Sadie. "Just an arrow." She answered. Morgan reached over to touch her forehead, but she leaned away from him. "Hey, just let me..." Morgan said Sadie stopped leaning back, so he could feel her forehead.

Then Morgan felt Rick's forehead. "Feels cooler now. Fever would've killed you by now." Morgan spoke. "I don't think I have one." Rick responded. "Neither do I." Sadie added on. "Be hard to miss." Morgan replied.

Then Morgan pulled out a knife and showed it to the two. "Take a moment, eh? Look how sharp it is. Either of you try anything... I will kill you with it, and don't think I won't."

Rick stayed still and Morgan cut him free. Then Morgan crosses to the other side of the bed and cut Sadie's bounds. "Come on up when you're able. Come on." Morgan and Duane left the room.

Rick turned onto his side, looking towards Sadie. "Are you okay? What happened while I was out?" He questioned.

"I'm fine, Mr. Grimes. After you passed out, he picked you up and carried you here and I followed him. Then he bound you to the bed and me to this chair and changed our bandages. That's it." Sadie told him.

Rick placed a hand on her shoulder. "Okay. Good. And Sadie... it's just Rick. No need to call me Mr. Grimes." He told her and Sadie smiled at him, "Okay, Rick."

~~~

After a little bit, Rick and Sadie headed downstairs. Rick had a blanket wrapped around his shoulders and Sadie did the same, covering her hospital gown.

They saw Morgan and Duane getting supper ready. Rick walked into the living room, attached to the dining room, and Sadie followed him. The living room had a couch and a mattress on the floor that was being used as a bed.

"This place... it's Fred and Cindy Drake's." Rick spoke. "Never met 'em." Morgan spoke. "I've been here. This is their place." Rick said and walked over to the windows which were covered by blankets.

He went to push one back to see through, but Morgan stopped him. "Don't do that. They'll see the light. There's more of them out there than usual. I never should've fired that gun today." Rick and I walked over to Morgan at the table.

"Sound draws them. Now they're all over the street. Stupid – using a gun. But it all happened so fast, I didn't think." Morgan sat down at the table with Duane. "You shot that man today." Sadie said what both she and Rick were thinking.

"Man?" Morgan repeated. "It weren't no man." Duane spoke. "What the hell was that out of your mouth just now?" Morgan questioned his son. "It wasn't a man." Duane rephrased.

"You shot him in the street out front – a man." Rick said, taking a step towards the table. "Friend, you need glasses. That was a walker." Morgan said before motioning to the table. "You both should sit down before you fall down." He served food onto the plates Rick and Sadie sat down in front of.

"Daddy, blessing." Duane reminded his father before anyone had a bite of food. Morgan and Duane linked hands and Duane held his hand out for Sadie, while Morgan did the same for Rick. When the two didn't move, Duane motioned for them to grab their hands.

So Sadie linked hands with Duane and then Rick and Rick linked hands with Morgan. "Lord, we thank thee for this food, thy blessings. And we ask you to watch over us in these crazy days. Amen." Morgan prayed. "Amen." Duane repeated.

Then they started eating. After a couple moments, Sadie looked up at Morgan. "Thank you. For the food and for changing our bandages." She spoke. They might not have started out on a the right foot, but Sadie recognized what he did for them.

"You're welcome. Do either of you even know what's going on?" Morgan wondered. "We woke up today in the hospital, went to my home. That's all we know." Rick answered. "But you know about the dead people, right?" Morgan questioned.

"Yeah, we saw a lot of that out on the loading dock, piled up on trucks." Rick told him. "No, not the ones they put down, the ones they didn't – the walkers." Morgan clarified. "You keep saying that, but we don't know what walkers are." Sadie said.

"They're dead people walking. Like the one I shot today. Because he'd've ripped into you - both of you - tried to eat you, taken some flesh at least." Morgan explained and Rick and Sadie glanced at each other. He sounded mad, crazy even.

"Well, I guess if this is the first you're hearing it, I know how it must sound." Morgan spoke. "They're out there now, in the street?" Rick questioned, glancing behind him in the direction of the street.

"Yeah. They get more active after dark sometimes. Maybe it's the cool air or – hell, maybe it's just me firing that gun today. But we'll be fine as long as we stay quiet. Probably wander off by morning." Morgan put his utensils down before continuing to speak.

"One thing I do know – don't you get bit. I saw your bandages and that's what we were afraid of. Bites kill you. The fever burns you out. But then after a while... you come back." Morgan explained and Sadie couldn't believe what she was hearing. I mean, she did believe them, but she was just having trouble wrapping her head around it.

"Seen it happen." Duane added on and Sadie and Rick looked up at him. Duane just looked down sadly.