— CHAPTER FORTY-FOUR.
what comes after.
"HI, DADDY," SAYS A little girl.
Rick Grimes turns around. Behind him, stands his little girl. His daughter. His first born.
Blood drips down his body.
"Hey, babygirl," Rick says, a weak smile on his ashen face. "What're you doin' here?"
"I'm here to help you." She responds. She's so little again. She's no more than six years old. "I'm here to help you find your family."
His brows furrow. "How did— how do you know I'm looking for my family?"
"Because we're looking for you, too, silly." She informs her father. "We're gonna come help you. Just tell me where you are."
"I don't— I don't know," Rick stutters.
"Wake up, Daddy." She tells him.
"What?" Rick asks.
"Wake up."
Rick's eyes flutter shut.
The thing about bridges is that they're meant to hold. Everything about them is meant to hold. They're meant to protect.
Bridges, they symbolize union and transition and communication. They bring together two pieces of the Earth that is separated by something, whether it be a ravine, or a river, or even the ocean. Bridges are here to help people cross from one place to another.
Rick sits on the bridge, too tired to keep moving.
Through his blurry vision he looks at the herd that approaches him.
Are they moving faster than usual?
"Dad!" A voice screams.
His brows furrow. When Rick turns to look behind him, he sees his family rushing towards him.
His daughter stops when she reaches him. She crashes in front of him.
"Dad," she looks at his wound. "Hey, we're here, now." She smiles weakly at her father.
"Des," he breathes out. "You gotta— you gotta take care of 'em."
"No, Dad," she shakes her head. "I won't have to because you're gettin' out of this. We've been through worse than this. We've beat worse."
"Judy, Ellie." Rick's eyes flutter. He fights to stay conscious. "Take care of them. And your mom and Theo. They're gonna need you."
"We need you, Dad." She tells him. "You wanna know why I love you so much? Because you've always been there. For my entire life, you've loved me. Everything you did was for me and Carl. Now it's for me, Judith, Theo, and Brielle. It's even still for Carl now. So, please, Dad, come home to us."
YOU ARE READING
damnation → the walking dead ⁴
Fanfiction❝ we are already suffering his damnation . ❞ this is it. this is the end. THE WALKING DEAD. season seven, season eight, season nine. book four of six. i do not own the walking dead, its characters, or plot. all rights go to robert kirkman and am...
