Stay By Me // Carl Grimes

Chapter 44

Sam

"We look not at what can be seen, but we look at what can not be seen. For what can be seen, is temporary. But what can not be seen, is eternal.

"For we know, if the earthy tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God. A house not made by hands, eternal, in the heavens."

Gabriel preached these words, as the last soil was turned onto Beth's grave.

* * * * *

"He says it's secure. Houses, people, walls... Beth wanted to get him there. It's a long trip, but if all works out, it will be our last." Rick said to us, trying to convince us all to go to a place outside of Richmond, Virginia.

"And what if it's not around anymore?" Glenn asked, not sounding convinced.

"Then we keep going." Rick answered. I looked over at Carl. He seemed worried. I could tell the look by now.

* * * * *

500 miles. That's how far we drove, and it wasn't even the hardest part of it. The hardest part was enduring 500 miles of pure silence. No voices, except for the frequent check ins Rick had with Carol, assuring we all were safe. Other then that, the sound of the car was the only sound for almost 7 hours.

Tyreese, Michonne, Noah, and Glenn had gone with Rick in the first car, while the rest of us piled in the other one.

Carl, Abraham, Eugene, Rosita, Maggie and I sat in the back space, while the other sat in the seats up front. Daryl drove, and Carol was on the passengers side.

I looked around at everyone in the back. Abraham and Rosita had fallen asleep, or at least looked like they did. Eugene sat awkwardly in the corner, occasionally staring at other for an uncomfortable amount of time. I would know.

Maggie sat to the right of me. For the entire 500 miles drive, it felt like she just stared blankly at her feet. Her cheeks were tear stained, and her eyes were extremely bloodshot. It made me wonder what was going through her head. It made me want to feel what she felt.

I looked over at Carl, whose eyes were focused on a sleeping Judith, to rested in her makeshift crib.

"Carol." Rick voice came from the walkie-talkie that Carol had up by her.

"I'm here." She replied. "I'm want you guys to hang back while we scout the area." He orded.

"Will do." She said, before the overwhelming silence filled the van once again.

I brought my knees up to my chest, trying to make myself as small as I could. I fiddled with my hands, trying to occupy my mind so I could ignore the tension that hung above all of us as he sat in the no longer moving car.

Carl moved slightly closer to me. I looked back over at him. His eyes locked on mine, and I soon darted my vision elsehwere.

Abraham suddenly stood up, and opened the back doors. "I need to take a piss." He said groggily, before jumping down, and walking off. Carl grabbed my hand.

"Will you come outside with me?" He asked. I slowly nodded, standing up and following him out of the car. My legs felt weak from sitting for so long.

We walked down the road we had just drove down, not too far from the car.

"Sam. I think you need to tell my dad... about the pills." He told me. I looked down at my feet. I should've seen this coming. "Why?"

"Because if you don't you'll run out and go through what you went through last time, and I don't want that, and I know you sure don't." He said, his voice a little bit stricter with each word. I didn't say anything, and continued to look at my feet.

"And you should tell him you've been hiding it. Since the very beginning." I looked up, shocked. Why would he want this?

"If I do that, he'll be-"

"If you do that, and tell him the full truth, it will go a whole lot smoother if you don't, and if he finds out when you have you next episode. You need to cone clean." I frowned. Telling Rick, let alone anyone, was never on my agenda on things to do.

"Would you tell him if I told you I wouldn't?" I asked. He looked up at me. "I would." I sighed.

"But only because I think it's best for you." He admitted. He pulled me into a hug.

"I just don't want to see you go through that again." I hugged him back. "I know."

"Hey, you two!" Abraham yelled down to us. "We've got trouble! Hurry up!" I ran fast fast as I could back down to the van, Carl running just as fast. We both hopped in and closed the doors behind us.

Turning back to the group... let's just say there was a lot more talking than before.

"What happened to him!?" Sasha yelled the Carol. "Calm down, Sasha!"

Rick chimed in on the walkie-talkie, "Carol, Tyreese has been bit. We need to cauterize and wrap the wound, keep Sasha, Carol, and Sam away. They don't need to see this."

"We're on our way." Carol replied. Sasha fell back in her seat, and tears began streaming from her eyes. "He's been bit!? Oh my God. This can't be happening." She sat with her head between her knees, and Tara tried her hardest to comfort her.

Daryl drove at what seemed like 90 miles per hour, before coming to an abrupt stop after the walkie turned back on.

"He's gone."

* * * * *

"We look not at what can be seen, but we look at what can not be seen. For what can be seen, is temporary. But what can not be seen, is eternal.

"For we know, if the earthy tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God. A house not made by hands, eternal, in the heavens."

Gabriel preached, as the remaining soil was turned onto Tyreese's grave.