Dead Man Walking | Rick Grimes

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The wagon jolted slightly, making Michonne and I bump into one another. Gabriel and Aaron sat in the front, steering the horses, while Michonne and I took up the back, silence ringing among us. The state of our gardens is abysmal, leaving us with no food for the foreseeable future. Everything has been burned to a crisp. The Hilltop, Oceanside, and the Kingdom are our only saving graces until we can start growing again.

The dark blanket of stress overwhelmed me as I thought about our current situation. I brushed my hand over my stomach, closing my eyes at the feeling of the baby swimming inside. Michonne rested her head against my shoulder, a shaky sigh escaping her lips. We buried Jacob yesterday, and she hasn't been the same since.

I don't expect her to be okay, not so soon after. Despite the rocky start with Jacob, he had proven to be someone I could trust. He was a soldier in his past life, a father, and a husband, and even though those things were taken away from him, he still kept his head on strong and managed to find happiness in this bleak world. He was horrifically taken from us but will never truly be gone. He lives on in our memories, in the children that Michonne has yet to welcome into the world. A swift foot to the kidney made me wince, and realized the same could be said about me.

Rick is gone, same as Jacob, and the sooner I come to terms with it, the easier healing will be. So why am I still hellbent on finding him? All signs indicate him being gone, but I can't accept it. Michonne wiped her eyes and sniffled, donning her usual stoic face. She's trying to be brave, trying to make it seem as if she's okay. I caressed her head and held her, rocking her back and forth slightly. She's been my shoulder to cry on countless times; now it's my turn to be there for her.

She sniffled and buried her head in my neck, the moisture from her tears landing on my skin. I pressed my eyes closed and tried to bring her impossibly closer to me, letting a few tears slip through my closed lids. The pain she must be feeling is something I can relate to. We've both lost important men, and we know it'll be tricky, especially since we both have children to raise alone. Michonne sat up and wiped at her eyes, letting that emotionless stare reclaim her features. I frowned at her and reached out, grabbing her hand and reassuringly squeezing it. She's trying so hard.

"We're here," Gabriel murmured, his voice soft. I glanced up and sighed, watching as the giant walls of the Hilltop drew closer and closer. Do I like the idea of asking our sister communities to help us? No, but we need the help. I can't allow everyone at Alexandria to starve until our gardens are functional again. The gates squeaked open, and our horses continued to pull us through, the mud squishing underneath their weight and the wagon.

"Hey!" I turned my head and tried to smile at Jesus as he ran up to us. Immediately upon analyzing my expression, he let his smile drop, and his figure went rigid. The wagon stopped, and Aaron raced around, helping me down from the wagon.

"I wish we were here for better reasons," I started, latching onto Aaron for stability, "But something's happened. Can you get Maggie, Tara, and Enid for us? We need to talk." Jesus nodded understandingly and pursed his lips.

"Sure," He answered, "Wait in the office, and I'll bring them."

"Thanks," Aaron murmured, leading us towards the gigantic mansion. Gabriel helped Michonne, looking awkward as they moved together. Michonne lightly brushed him off and raced forward, her eyes bloodshot. I begged her to stay home and process all this, but she demanded to come with us. Who am I to deny her? I went far off the deep end after Rick, and she was there for me. The most I can do is stick around for her and help her.

We pushed through the mansion doors and took our places in the office. Aaron lingered by the desk, eyeing all the trinkets that remained from when Gregory ran this place. Gabriel helped Michonne sit in one of the many chairs and paced, muttering lowly. Maggie entered the room with Tara and Enid trailing behind her and sat down at her desk, her hands folded. Jesus came in last and shut the doors behind him, leaning against the wall, his eyebrows arched in curiosity.