Three against the world

10

We were the first ones there. "Glenn get the supplies we left for Sophia, we're gonna need 'em" he nodded and jogged off grabbing a bag from one of the cars. "Now might not be the time, but how do you feel about being a godmother?" Maggie stopped crying a while ago. "I'd love that," we smiled. Herschel, Beth, and T pulled up next and Hershel jumped right into tending to my wound right away "it didn't hit anything major, it will have to stay in. I don't have tools to take it out" he didn't have anything, no one did "here" Glenn dropped my pack in front of me after I got patched "the one day I don't wear it" everyone lightly chuckled. "I don't know what's worse you and your bag or you and your cargo pants" Glenn shook his head "pockets Glenn, lots and lots of pockets"

Rick and Carl were next, only Carol, Daryl, and Merle were missing "mom!" Carl curled up in my lap and I wrapped my arms around him ignoring the pain in my shoulder. Hugging a safe car was more important. "Merle?" everyone shook their heads "we'll leave at noon," Hershel told Rick "I'm not leaving without Daryl," I told the group "y/n, we can't stay, if he's alive he'll find us" Rick tired to reason, he tried to put on a brave face but he was just as scared as I was thinking that we'd never see him again "I don't want to leave him either, but I have to protect you and the kids" I nodded and waited. "Mom" carl was still sitting in my lap with his back to my chest "Yeah hon?"

"dad's gonna be ok right?" he really took to calling Daryl dad fast huh "he'll be fine, the only thing that can kill a Dixon, is a Dixon" Rick handed out some food while we waited for a few granola bars and half a bottle of water i put mine away in a pocket of my army jacket, "we should refill our water back at that water truck before we leave" T and Herschel started collecting the bottles. I pulled out the pocket bible with the bullet hole in it and looked at it. I didn't pray, not really, more like wishing that Daryl would be alone, and that I would get to see Ford and Espinosa again. Hershel softly smiled when I looked up.

I stuffed the bible back into my pocket when the sound of a chopper got everyone's attention, Daryl and Carol pulled up, me and Rick pulled him into a hug "though we lost you'' I pulled away and let them have a hug, they haven't exactly been bonding with each other like that have with me I don't think they know how. "It's noon" Hershel's voice was still so gentle like it always was. After some convincing we left Daryl and Carol on the bike, and the rest of us piled into the rest of the cars.

It's been a few months and we were still on the road, the walkers kept cornering us. We were too weak to fight them so we always ran, Carl's growing up way too fast, and Daryl and Rick seem to have taken over leadership of the group, not that I'm complaining I was in no shape to lead the group, this baby was draining more and more energy every day.

The cars finally ran out of fuel and we found a small broken-down stone structure for the night, Caryl was curled up into me fast asleep. it was cold, too cold to sleep "she needs somewhere safe to have the baby" Hershel and Rick spoke in hushed voices "we're tryin" Daryl sounded mad, I don't blame him, there's a lot of pressure on their shoulders. But Daryl looked more like not being able to provide a safe place for me hurt his pride like he was disappointed in himself.

"Do something" Carol started but Rick cut her off "I am! I killed my best friend for you people, what more do you want" so that's what happened to Shane "what else aren't you telling us" Rick started to talk but I can't let him take all the heat "we're all infected" all heads turn to me but my eyes stay on Ricks "if you die you turn, you don't have to be a bit, scratched you just turn"

"How long have you known?" Maggie was shaking. "I couldn't tell if it was from the cold or the bomb I just dropped." We found out during the study, a good friend of mine, Thomas, died from a gunshot. He came back and bit the nurse on site. The government turned them into lab rats'' my voice got lower as I said the last part "oh don't act like you feel guilty" carol was still mad at me "I do, I watched the man I grew up with, the man I saw as a brother and eventually gave birth to his child, turn into a monster and I couldn't do anything to stop it. Then I had to prod and poke him as if he didn't even matter" i took a shaky breath and looked into the fire