Dead Man Walking | Rick Grimes

|55|

I sat inside the vehicle with Carl sprawled across my lap. I was too wired to sleep, too overcome by disbelief. My hand stroked Carl's head while the other one fidgeted with the bottom of my lip. Despite being reunited with Rick, Michonne, and Daryl, I couldn't bring myself to pay much attention to them. All my worry and focus were on Carl. Something traumatic happened to him last night—Sure, nothing happened, but the idea that something could've was enough to scar him for life. I was in the same predicament just a few nights ago, but the difference is that I have been through this once before... I know how to cope and deal with it. Carl doesn't. Understandably, he didn't want to be left alone and wanted me there. We talked a bit before he passed out, and he knew what would've happened to him if I hadn't come when I did. I shared my own experience with this group, reassured him that they would never hurt him again, and reminded him that I loved him very much.

I pursed my lips and leaned down, placing the slightest kiss on Carl's head before slowly exiting the vehicle. My reunion with everyone else was cut short, and I was too preoccupied with ensuring Carl was okay. I lightly shut the door and turned to face Rick, Daryl, and Michonne. They were sitting on the side of the vehicle, all quiet. All eyes turned to me, and Daryl was the first to get up. He tipped a water bottle onto a bandana and handed it to me, his blue eyes studying me. I shook my head and crossed my arms, my eyes scanning over the corpses of the dead men.

"You can't see yourself," Daryl muttered, "Bad enough, Carl had to look at you all bloodied up like that. Better for you to be clean when he wakes up." I grabbed the bandana from him and started wiping away the blood as I walked around the men. When I ran away, at least eight of them were left. I took out two, but how did they dwindle to only five? Rick stood up and rested his hand on my shoulder, his blue eyes saddened by whatever was troubling him.

"I didn't know what they were," Daryl spoke, startling me. I turned around and gripped Rick's hand, reassuringly squeezing him. It hasn't fully hit me that I found my family. I'm in shock.

"How'd you wind up with them?" I asked, my gaze turning towards my beat-up best friend. He looked horrible, but I've seen him so much worse. His left eye was black, with bruises alongside his prominent jaw. I wonder how his body feels—he must have some bruised ribs.

"I was with Beth," Daryl said, his eyes clouding, "We got out together. I was with her for a while." I took a step forward with Rick, our hands still intertwined. His touch was the only thing keeping me from freaking out right now.

"Is she dead?" I asked. Michonne stood up and joined my side, her hand gripping my free one. Could she sense the amount of uncertainty I was feeling? I was feeling a mixture of everything. It's like a hurricane of emotions brewing inside of me.

"She's just gone," Daryl muttered with his eyes on the ground, "After that, that's when they found me. I mean, I knew they were bad, but they had a code."

"Yeah," I bit back, "They claim. When someone claims something, the others can't touch it." Daryl looked up at me with surprise in his eyes.

"How'd you know?" I stayed quiet, unsure of how to respond without letting everything I've been bottling up overcome me, "They said they were looking for some guy and some chick. Last night, they said they spotted the guy. I was hanging back. I was gonna leave. But I stayed, and that's when I saw it was you three."

"You must have been the girl they were looking for," Michonne said, catching everyone's attention, "What happened, June?" I looked at her and sucked in a deep breath, smoothing over my emotions and building up that wall again.

"I went to the creek after the prison," I looked up at Rick with emotionless eyes, "There were walkers everywhere, so I couldn't stay for long. I ran until I couldn't and found a car to sleep in—that's when they found me," I looked at Joe's corpse and scowled at him, "One of them claimed me." Rick's grip tightened, and his breathing came out erratic. Daryl slowly rose to his feet, his lips in a deep-set frown as he approached me. "The one who claimed me took me in the woods, beat me a bit, and tried to rape me. I killed him before he could do anything." I looked at the vehicle and sniffled, wondering if Carl was awake, "Another one came out, asking if he could have a turn, and I killed him too—left him to turn. I know men like them. I knew they would start chasing me. So, I kept to the woods and started walking to Terminus."