The Rest of your Life

Chapter 23

"Let me see the baby." Hershel asked as Carl held the child. He walked towards the older man as the baby cried in his arms.

"What are we gonna feed it?" Daryl questioned. "We got anything a baby can eat?"

"The good news is, she looks healthy." Hershel observed, checking the baby over. "But she needs formula. And soon or she won't survive."

"Nope. No way." Daryl stated. "Not her. We ain't losing nobody else. I'm going for a run."

"I'll back you up." Maggie told the other.

"I'll go too." Glenn offered.

"Okay, think where we're going. Beth." Daryl gestures for the girl to walk over to him as he spoke to her in a low voice. "Kids just lost their mom. Rick ain't doing so hot."

"I'll look out for them." Beth promised, looking to the children. Daryl began speaking again as Maggie yelled to Rick, the man gripping his axe and rushing into the prison. Hershel rubbed Carls back as the boy held his sister. Beth looked to Rory, who was just standing there, still.

"Hey, Rory?" Beth approached the girl, however she didn't respond. Glenn jogged back over, apparently not going on the run anymore and rested his hands on Rory's shoulders. "She's not responding." Beth panicked a little.

"She'll be okay." Glenn nodded, guiding the child back into their cell block.

•••

Rory didn't really understand why everyone seemed normal, like nothing had happened. Carl confused her the most. His mom. His biological mom was dead and he didn't seem that affected, not as affected as Rory. She just didn't understand. But it wasn't only Lori that they lost. Carol and T-Dog were gone too.

Rory was sat, slumped next to Hershel at the table when Maggie and Daryl got back, Carl holding their crying sister. Rory didn't want it, she just wanted her mother back.

Maggie called her sister over as she and Daryl entered the cell block, the two girls working to make food for the baby while Daryl approached Carl. The boy gave his sister to Daryl, who surprisingly calmed the baby down.

Glenn, Axel and Oscar entered the cell block too. Beth then handed Daryl a bottle for the baby, and the man began feeding her, the block becoming quiet once more.

Daryl chuckled at the baby as he rocked her, looking to the group, who smiled back. "She got a name yet?" Daryl asked, looking to Rory and then Carl.

"Not yet." Carl told. "But I was thinking maybe Sofia. Then there's Carol, too. And... Andrea. Amy. Jacqui. Patricia. Or... Lori. I don't know." Carl then turned away and looked to his friend. He was a little worried, she hadn't spoken a word since they shot their mother.

"Yeah... you like that? Huh?" Daryl cooed at the baby. "Little ass-kicker? Right?" The man looked to the group, a chorus of chuckles sounded. "That's a good name, right? Little ass-kicker? You like that, huh? You like that, sweetheart?"

•••

The day flew by and the next morning, everyone was sat around the room eating breakfast. Yet Rory and Carl both just stared at their food, no urgency to eat. They jumped as Rick walked through the gate. "Everybody okay?"

"Yeah, we are." Maggie confirmed softly.

"What about you?" Hershel asked as Rick walked towards Rory and Carl.

"Cleared out the boiler block." Rick stated as he squeezed both children's shoulders.

"How many were there?" Daryl vocalised from the other sound of the room.

"I don't know. A dozen, two dozen." Rick rasped. "I have to get back. Just wanted to check on Carl and Rory."

"Rick, we can handle taking out the bodies." Glenn urged, standing up as Rick made his way back from where he came from. "You don't have to."

"No, I do." The man then paced over to Daryl. "Everyone have a gun and a knife?"

"Yeah." Daryl answered. "We're running low on ammo though."

"Maggie and me were planning on making a run this afternoon. We wanted to take Rory with us, it might do her some good to get out." Glenn offered. "We found a phone book with some places we can hit, look for bullets and formula."

"We cleared out the generator room." Daryl told Rick. "Axels there trying to fix it in case of emergency. We're gonna sweep the lower levels as well."

"Good. Good." Rick repeated while quickly walking out of the block, ignoring Hershel calling his name.

•••

"Clear outside." Maggie announced. Rory climbed out of the car. She didn't understand how going on a run could make her feel any better, but she agreed to tag along anyway, what could happen?

"Alright, let's take a look." Glenn spoke as he cut open the locks on one of the units. Rory just sat down at the front of the car, not really wanting to help, she just wanted to go to bed. She looked up as Maggie and Glenn jumped at some bats that flew out of the unit.

Rory fiddled with her gun on the ground as Maggie told Glenn to pick up a toy duck. The girl looked forward and squinted her eyes, she could have swore she saw something move.

"We just hit the powdered formula jackpot." Glenn gasped.

"Oh, thank god." Maggie breathed out. Rory tilted her head as she saw a woman, staring at them from behind a car.

"I also got beans, batteries, cocktail wieners, many mustards." Glenn listed as Rory just stared at the woman, she started back. "It's a straight shot back to the prison from here. Probably make it back in time for dinner."

Rory almost jumped out of her skin as another voice yelled into the quiet street. Rory quietly cocked her gun and shifted on the ground, the strange woman disappeared from sight.

"And where is it y'all good people are calling home?"

"Merle?" Glenn stuttered. Rory's heart pounded. Merle? As in Merle Dixon?

"Wow!" The man laughed, Rory peeking her head around the car to see Merle place his gun on the ground.

"Hey! Back the hell up!" Maggie yelled. Rory didn't know what to do, get up or stay put?

"Okay, okay, honey. Jesus."

"You made it." Glenn stated.

"Can you tell me, is my brother alive?" Merle questioned. Wait, was that a knife on his hand?

The three began speaking more as they pointed guns at each other. Rory shifted on the ground as her hands shuck slightly, peeking from the car again. She shot up as Merle attacked, shooting at the car and grabbing Maggie.

He hadn't seen Rory yet, so she made her way to sneak behind him, but got grabbed from behind. She struggled as arms wrapped around her waist and over her mouth. She looked ahead as Glenn saw the girl. The woman from before dragged Rory to behind a car, Glenn watching for a second before yelling at Merle to let go of his girlfriend.

"Put that gun in the car, right now." Merle ordered. "Put it in the car, son." Glenn did as told and his eyes flickered to where he last saw Rory, but the girl was not to be seen.

Merle began yelling again as the arms on Rory let up a little. She watched as Merle made Maggie and Glenn get into the car and drove off, not a second later, she shot up and levelled her gun at the lady.

"Hey, kid, it was for your own good." The woman spoke, panting a little. Rory frowned before looking the woman over, she had a gunshot wound.

"Where is he taking them?" Rory asked, voice slightly scratchy, still aiming at the woman.

"A town, a town called Woodbury."

•••
I just got my first job and I am so tired.

Please don't forget to vote and comment! <3