HEART FOR BRAINS • the walking dead

040: road to terminus // A

Rio sat in the front seat of the car, Michonne and Carl in the back. The boy looked into the rear view mirror, Carl had fallen asleep on the woman's lap as she ran a gentle hand through his hair. Michonne had tried speaking to Rio but he hadn't said much in return. She smiled at him from where he could see her and he smiled back faintly before turning away, pulling his hood up.

He pulled his knees against his chest and rested his head against the window. From the side of his eye he could see Daryl and Rick, backs pressed against the car door. He saw that they were talking, unable to make out their voices. Rio rolled down the window quietly, leaving it over half shut but open just enough to eavesdrop if he really focused.

"I didn't know what they were." Daryl sighed. That was the first thing he heard.

"How'd you wind up with them?"

"I was with Beth." He replied. "We got out together. I was with her for a while."

"Is she dead?" Rio felt sick for the millionth time that day. He hoped Beth wasn't dead but he also hoped she wasn't gone. He knew what happened when people were 'gone'.

There was a beat of silence. "She's just gone."

"After that, that's when they found me. I mean, I knew they were bad, but they had a code." Daryl tried to reason. "It was simple. Stupid, but it was something. It was enough."

"And you were alone."

"Said they were looking for some guy. Last night they said they spotted him. I was hanging back. I was gonna leave. But I stayed. That's when I saw it was you four. Right when you saw me. I didn't know what they could do."

"It's not on you, Daryl." Rick told him. "Hey. It's not on you. You, being back with us here, now that's everything. Especially for Rio. He was asking for you."

"He was?"

There was a short silence between them. The boy looked away for only a second and locked eyes again with Michonne in the mirror.

"You're my brother..." Rick said to him calmly, or almost calmly. It sounded too calm, there was something else coming. "And you're that boy's father whether you like it or not."

There it was.

"Hey what you did last night..." Daryl began, not acknowledging what Rick had said. Rio wasn't paying it any attention either.

"Don't tell me you wouldn't've done the same for him. You don't— you can't tell me that."

"I would've." Daryl replied sincerely. "I would've. Anybody would've done that."

"Maybe not that." Rick took back his words, suddenly growing conscious and wiping at the blood upon his face with the shirt in his hand.

"Something happened. That ain't you."

"Daryl, you saw what I did to Tyreese. It ain't all of it but—."

"Hey, come here." Michonne tapped Rio on the shoulder, startling him. "You don't need to be listening."

He only became aware of the tears that were running down his cheek as he turned to face her. He wiped them away before making his way to the back of the car, wary of his arm.

"What've you done to it?"

"I don't know." Rio frowned.

"Let me see."

"Okay." He held out his hand over Carl and Michonne grabbed it carefully.

"Is it hurting?" Carl asked, looking up from where he lay down. Rio guessed that he'd just woken him up.