HEART FOR BRAINS • the walking dead

032: isolation

Rio stood outside the abandoned office block. He tugged on the rucksack on his back, the weight reminding him why they were there. Carl was beside him, Rick and Daryl a few feet behind. The boy turned to face them but he was met only with a stern look.

"I just don't see the point." He sighed.

"We've got to keep you safe. All the children—, all the elderly." Rick began, explaining what he'd already done before. He fiddled with the tight bandage around his hand. Blood speckled the bandage wrapped around his knuckles, seeping through all the layers. Rio looked up to his face to see that it sported a matching bloody layer. His eye was bruised too.

"I can help."

"If you get sick—."

"I'm gonna die?"

"Probably." Daryl replied bluntly. The boy shot a look at him, dumbfounded.

"Okay." Rio nodded along, thinking about it for a moment. There wasn't much to think about. "I'll see you in a week. Hopefully."

"Yeah."

Rio walked into the block with Carl and the first thing he noticed was a mess. Empty office rooms with sheets of paper askew across the corridors. The floor was covered in a carpet stained by drinks and additionally blood. It seemed to be messier than the actual cells. The boys made an effort not to bump into the cabinet that leant against the wall in the corridor, the drawers hanging out and slowly breaking.

"What happened to your dads face?" Rio asked once they were comfortably inside the building. It looked smaller on the outside, the building not doing justice to the ample corridors.

"You know Karen?" Carl said.

"Of course I know Karen." The other boy frowned.

"Well, she got sick and someone killed her. David too. Tyreese got mad and then he got into a fight with my dad."

"Who killed them?"

"That's the weird part. Nobody knows."

"So, there's just a killer walking around?"

"Yeah."

"That's scary." Rio replied, stopping at a room towards the middle of the hall.

"This one is fine." Carl said after taking a look inside.

"That's why I stopped here."

Rio was busy picking up all the paperwork from the floor when someone walked past. Their figure blocked the door for only a split second but the boy could tell who it was.

"What's Hershel doing?"

"I don't know."

"Where are you going?" Carl called from down the hall. Hershel stopped what he was doing, turning to face the two boys.

"I'm down here away from y'all because you kids are supposed to stay away from me."

"We've been walking the halls. My dad told me to look out for everyone."

"That includes you." Rio added.

"Well, you should keep your distance."

"You're walking towards the exit." Carl pointed out.

"Where are you going?" Rio asked again.

"I need to go out there."

"To the cell blocks?"

"To the woods."

"So you're sneaking out?"

"Don't need anyone worrying about me and I damn sure don't want someone telling me I can't go." The man responded sharply.