Future Ghosts • TWD

138. Still Figuring Things Out.

When Rosie, Daryl, Connie, Lydia, Henry, and Ian all showed up at the gates of Alexandria, Rosie was confused. Laura- an ex-Savior- was keeping watch. That wasn't what was so confusing. What was so confusing was that Laura wouldn't open the gate. It was them! It was Rosie and Daryl! Why wouldn't they just open the gates? Didn't they trust Daryl and Rosie enough to know that it was ok to Lydia into Alexandria? 

It was beyond frustrating. Rosie shoved her hands into her pockets and waited as Aaron went to get Michonne. 

"Henry's hurt," Daryl shouted up to them once Michonne got there. Henry could barely walk. And the wound on his leg was disgusting to look at, in Rosie's opinion. "You were closest. I wouldn't've come. We had no other choice," Daryl explained. 

Michonne didn't seem convinced. She stared down at Lydia with a strong fury in her eyes. "What about her?" she asked.

"She's with us," Rosie said, looking at Michonne with eyes that she hoped said I mean it. Making eye contact with Michonne, Daryl gave a subtle nod of confirmation. Yes, she's with us. 

Still, Michonne didn't seem convinced. She turned to Aaron and they had a quiet conversation that Rosie couldn't make out. But, eventually, Michonne turned back around. "Open it!" she shouted. But it still didn't seem like she wanted this. It seemed like she was doing this because she really, really had to. Rosie could tell by the look on each person's face that they did not want Lydia there. 

They just weren't understanding enough. They should have been. Hershel understood when Rick came banging on his front door with a dying Sophia in his arms. Carl understood when Michonne was standing outside of the gates at the prison. Rick understood when he allowed all of Woodbury to join them at the prison. Everyone understood when Glenn brought Tara into the group, even though she had been on the side of the Governor. Aaron understood when he brought all of them back to Alexandria. Rick understood when he made the choice to let the Saviors join them. But Michonne didn't want to let Lydia stay there. 

The gates squeaked and squealed as one of the Alexandrians pulled it open. Rosie hadn't been to Alexandria since she was twelve. That was when Daryl woke her up in the middle of the night and dropped her off at Alexandria before going off with Michonne to find and save the kids, who had been taken. That was when Rosie talked to Negan and he told her that he killed Glenn and Abraham and that he tortured Daryl. 

Back then, Rosie would have run through those gates with an undying excitement bubbling in her stomach. But now, she had this awful, awful feeling of dread and anxiety churning around in her stomach. She wondered if Negan was back, or if he had gotten away. Michonne hadn't said anything about it. Rosie wondered if Negan did come back, if he told anyone that he saw her and talked to her out there. 

Rosie hadn't even told Daryl that. She should've. She really, really should've. And now she was really, really, really regretting that she hadn't told him, because now he might find out himself. 

No, Rosie scolded herself internally, that's selfish. Henry needs help, so we're going in. 

But still, Rosie needed that gentle push as the gates opened up. And Daryl provided just that. He lightly shoved her forward to get her feet moving. Then, she just followed along with the rest of the group. She tried to keep her eyes on Connie's shoes in front of her, so she wouldn't have to look at everything else. If she looked at everything else, she'd find herself thinking about the destruction. The night when Negan attacked Alexandria and Carl- God damnit, now Rosie was thinking about Carl.

"Your hand's gonna need stitches," Daryl said as Michonne led them to the infirmary. 

"No. No, it's not," Rosie said quickly, shaking her head. She did not want to get stitches again. Not in a million years. No way.