HEART FOR BRAINS • the walking dead

031: outbreak

Rio groaned from the top bunk as the sun poked through the barred window. It got into his eye, waking him up before he would've liked. He lay in bed for a moment before Rick's timer went off. The man pushed back the curtain to the boys' cell at 06:00 exactly. Rick apologized for waking up the wrong kid, biting back a small smile like he did every time he accidentally woke Rio up. But it wasn't his fault today so he let him know that.

"Carl." He whispered from the doorframe. "Carl, Come on."

The boy just let out a noise from his bunk before rolling over. Rick left once Carl was up and out of bed, satisfied that he wouldn't go back to sleep.

"Are you ever gonna get used to waking up this early?" Rio teased.

"Not if my dad keeps insisting that I start work at six am." Carl complained, throwing his blanket back onto his bunk. "Turn around."

Rio complied and turned on his side, covering his face with a pillow in some attempt to get back to sleep. It didn't work and he just let out another loud complaint, this time in Spanish.

"I'm gonna pretend I don't know what that means." Carl retorted.

"You don't." The other boy scoffed.

"I do." Carl defended whilst he tied up his laces. "You told me a while ago and I happen to have a very good memory."

"Yeah, right."

He jumped down from his bunk when Carl was dressed, picking out his own clothes for the day.

"What're you doing?"

"I'm already up now so I might as well help." Rio shrugged, stealing a shirt from Carl's pile. The other boy went to protest but when Rio pointed out that he was wearing his shirt they called it even.

"Wait, you're gonna help with farming?" The boy then backtracked, a confused expression across his face.

"I don't know, I'll probably go see Maggie and Glenn first."

"Okay." Carl replied, pulling on his boots. "You want me to wait for you?"

"No I'm fine, I'll see you in a minute." He smiled.

"See you." The boy replied before leaving the room.

***

Rio climbed up the ladder of the watchtower, banging on the underneath of the trap door.

"One minute!" Glenn shouted back.

The boy waited for them to open it up, hearing the rustling of clothes and blankets. The man opened up the door and Rio climbed up.

"And what are you doing up here?" Maggie asked.

"Thought I'd come and see my least favorite people." He replied, looking out the window. He caught sight of Rick and Carl in the farms, waving off Michonne as she headed out on her horse.

"In that case, I have some good news." Glenn scoffed, tapping the boy's shoulder and getting him to turn around. "I'm gonna go get some food. What do you both want?"

Rio looked between Maggie and Glenn and just shrugged.

"Surprise us." Maggie smiled. The man stared back at her blankly.

"Alright." He replied as he pulled the trapdoor open. "If you don't  like it do not blame me."

"He's going to pick the worst options, ain't he?" Rio asked once he'd left and the sound of him climbing down had dispersed.

"Absolutely." Maggie replied, a tight-lipped smile on her face.

"What're you doing today then?" Rio asked, looking through a pile of stuff on the floor. He picked up a Polaroid of Maggie, asleep and wrapped in a blanket.