Broken

Outvoted

Before I go to the meeting hall I stop at the infirmary. Yumiko is asleep when I arrive, I place her necklace on the bedside table. I sit on the bed beside hers, I honestly don't know if I'll be able to send them back out there. Maybe I'm too soft from being inside these walls for so long.

I take a deep breath before I leave again. The walk to the hall is nice, it's almost harvest time and the leaves are only weeks from changing. I watch as people gather outside the meeting hall. I turn and look at what this place has become. We've built so many new things from the plans that Georgie gave us.  

I turn to where Julia and RJ are playing. RJ leaves the girl at the swings, he runs toward me. "Aunt Laine what's happening?" RJ asks as he stops in front of me.

I smile at him, "We're having a council vote today," I say, RJ nods like he knows what that means. The little boy scratches his neck as he stares at me, "Go play," I tell him. He nods and skips away, back to play with Julia. I walk into the church where people have started gathering. I stop where Mika and Alya are sitting. 

"Rosie canceled class so we could come to the meeting," Mika says, "It's a good lesson," I say with a smile, "Can I sit with you guys?" Judith asks. 

I didn't realize that she had snuck up beside me. "Come on," Alya says as she pats the seat next to her. I wave goodbye to the girls before I move away from them. 

Gabriel is chatting with Mary and some other people about his hopes for the outcome of the meeting. I move past them and sit in my respectful seat at the front table. Aaron sits to the left of me, I sigh as I watch more people file into the large room

"I wonder what Rick would say if he saw how closed off we are," I ask. The man chuckles, "He'd probably talk some sense into Michonne, Carl hasn't been able to do that lately." 

"I know he hasn't and she vetoed the fair," I say, "Jesus is concerned about it," Aaron says, "Jerry is too sweet to ask us to come again and you know that Carol won't write another letter," I say. 

"I know, Carl and I are going to see Jesus in a few days," Aaron says, "We should talk about this later," I say. Aaron nods, "We will," he says. 

I nod and look at the crowd, Mary is in one of the front rows, she smiles at me, her hair is almost all gray now. Michonne sits in her respective seat. The rest of the council sits. The only one missing is Carl.

He and DJ arrive with only four from the group, Yumiko is still too weak to be moving too much with her concussion.

Gabriel takes his hat off before he signals the start of the meeting. I watch as the crowd quiets down and the four people in front of us settle their fidgeting. Kelly gives me a nod as she shoves her hands into her pockets. 

"It's been a while since we've seen knew faces here inside the walls," Gabriel starts, "We are fair and decent minded. But it does not mean that we are soft. And that fact will not be changed today. So, let's begin," Gabriel says.

The man in charge of the council asks the first question, "Which one of you is the leader?" I glance at Connie and Kelly with concern for Connie's ability to understand the questions. The younger of the two signs with one hand so others won't notice, that Connie can read lips. It makes sense that she'd be able to, it's the only way she'd be able to survive. 

I nod to her before I fold my hands on the table. "What makes you think we have one?" Magna asks. Gabriel cocks an eyebrow, "Did you know each other before?"

Luke shakes his head, "No, uh we didn't. It started with Magna and Yumiko, then Kelly and Connie and then me. Then Bernie," the man points to a space beside him as if their friend is still there.