rag doll | TWD

[15] hounded

the boys are back in town --- thin lizzy

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[JJ]

"Everybody okay?" It was Rick. 

We all looked up from our bowls of... I don't even know what we were eating at this point. Mush? I couldn't stand it anymore. I pushed it out in front of me from my position on the floor. 

"Yeah, we are." I answered him. "Are you?"

"I cleared out the boiler block."

"How many were there?" Daryl questioned. 

Rick shrugged, "I don't know. A dozen, two dozen. I have to get back. Just wanted to check on Carl." He patted his son's shoulder. He was here, but he wasn't. His mind was elsewhere. 

"Rick, we can handle taking out the bodies." Glenn told him. "You don't have to."

"No, I do. Everyone have a gun and a knife?"

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

"Maggie, Glenn and I were planning on making a run this afternoon. Found a phonebook, found a place with some places we can hit to look for bullets and formula." I informed, standing up and brushing the back of my pants off from where I had sat on the ground. 

"We cleared out the generator room." Daryl added. "Axel's there trying to fix it. In case of emergency. We're gonna sweep the lower levels as well."

"Good. Good." My brother walked back out, ignoring the protests of Hershel. 

I looked to everyone, crossing my arms and huffing, following Rick to wherever he was off hiding. He stood over an old phone as if he was waiting for an important call. I slowly walked down the steps and pulled the stool out from the table, sitting and looking down at the phone with him. 

"Grandpa Joe used to have one just like it. In his music room. I remember playing dress up in a dress four sizes too big, putting on those white gloves that near about fell off my hands. And the glasses, oh my gosh." I laughed, "you remember them? They were like magnifying glasses. Don't even get me started on the hat, though."

My brother remained quiet. 

"She was sorry. For the things that happened. She told me that, but she was planning on telling you." I told him, "You carried us, Rick. I shouldn't be surprised. You've been doing that for me since we were little. But the group- you didn't let us give up. And you got us here."

"It's not enough." He pulled out of his trance at the phone, "It's not safe enough."

"You're never gonna find somewhere safe enough. I know you want to get away...from all of this, but we've run already. We're tired, Rick."

"I got a call." He confessed. 

"Say again?" I raised an eyebrow, losing the seriousness of the conversation. 

"Someone called. On this phone. A woman. She was young, she was part of a group. She said they had a safe place."

I slowly nodded and held the phone to my ear as if I understood and didn't think he was going batshit crazy.

"They said they were just dialing numbers and I picked up. She said they'd be calling back." I set the phone back down, taking a deep breath. "If it sounds right, I want to talk them into taking us in."

"Did she say where they were?"

"No, but it doesn't matter. If it's safe, we'll get there. Don't tell the rest of the group, not yet."