Just Keep Walking

Seventy seven

When they got home, Carl collapsed into Michonne's arms, and she held him while he sobbed, and then he held her while she sobbed. But it wasn't until that night when Michonne spoke up to Rick, not until they were in the safety of their own room.
"I should never have took her. It's my fault. I should have never let her come with me. It wasn't safe. I knew that. It wasn't safe. But I let her. I didn't check with you. It's my fault."
"No," Rick answered gently, "it's not. You know Mary. You honestly think she'd have stayed home? She's have come anyway. She'd have caused havoc trying to stay, and I'd have given in and let her come. They only difference would have been how she got there. It's not on you."
"We gotta get her back." Michonne sobbed, and Rick nodded.
"We will. We will. It's not on you. You're.... You're her mother, Michonne. It's not on you."
"She could have died."
"I'm getting her back. I... I can't sleep. I'm gonna go work up some plans."
"I'll help."
"No, no thank you. I gotta be alone. Thank you." Rick whispered. He walked to the deck, and found himself by Carl. Even though he'd showered, there was still a line on Carl's bare arm, the boy only in a short sleeved shirt despite the face that he was shivering in the late summer night's breeze.
"It's shouldn't have been her. She shouldn't ever have been put in that position." Carl cried softly.
"I know. This is just... This is just the way it is now. She's just a baby. But in reality, she's like an adult."
"I can't sleep. The rooms too quiet. And I just... I'm scared. I don't know what he wants with her. He could be doing anything to her. I can't even think about it."
"I know. I know. The house is too quiet." Rick whispered, Mary's bandana in his hand - he'd found on a Walker, alongside one of Michonne's dreadlocks, and some of Daryl's arrows.
"She has her bunny." Carl nodded, that fact comforting her slightly. "She has... She has Glenn's jacket."
"It's gonna be okay. It's gonna be okay." Rick soothed, holding the bandana to his face. It smelt like Mary, like suncream and orange juice and sweat and peanut butter and dirt and strawberry shampoo.
"We'll get her back. I know we will. You can do it. You can get her back. You can."
"Yeah. Yeah. I can. I'm gonna get her back. But we don't know where they've taken her. So we gotta wait. Wait until next week, when they come for supplies. Then we follow them and we get her back."
"Yeah." Carl whispered. Rick put his arm around his son, holding him to his chest and the sobbed. And they both sobbed until the sun rose.

Mary sobbed the whole way to Negan's camp, but when she got there, she saw it wasn't a camp. It was a massive building, tall and dark.  It reminded her of Terminus, and that thought gave her chills.
"Welcome to the Sanctuary, kid." Negan smiled, but Mary just glared at him. "Hey. Don't be like that."
"I fucking hate you. Dick."
"Alright, that's enough of that. Get out. Out." Negan ordered. Mary climbed out of the car, and followed him inside, seeing Daryl being dragged behind her, him fighting everyone pulling him.
"Mary! Mary! The hell you doin' with her! Get off her! Mary!" He screamed, fighting them even more. Then he was pounced upon, and they beat him until he was unconscious.
Mary began to scream, and tried to run to him, but was held back by Negan. "No. Move it."
Mary cried, but did as she was told, and walked into the building, swaying slightly - she hadn't eaten for twenty four hours at this point, hadn't eaten a real meal since breakfast the day before. They kept walking until they reached a corridor of a row of doors, and Mary looked at him shakily.
"Go on. This is your new room." Negan ordered, opening one of the doors.
"I... I don't wanna. I don't like being alone."
"Your Uncle Daryl can be next to you. You just can't see him. Or hear him. Go on. I'll even keep the lights on."
Mary looked up at him, then walked into the tiny, empty room. "There's no bed. Or a chair." Mary whimpered to Negan, but before she could say anything else, he shut the door, and Mary heard it click behind him.
Slowly she sank down, sitting on the cold floor, and she pulled Glenn's jacket around her. As she did so, she felt objects in the pocket. Mary opened all of the pockets, and tipped everything out.
She found a packet of polo mints first, and a few wrapped starburst. Then she found a few plastic hair clips and began to cry even harder; he kept them there for her. Next she saw a crayon, and sobbed some more. It was hers. She thought she was done, until she felt something in the breast pocket, and she unzipped it to find three Polaroid pictures. They were all old, from the prison. The first was of Maggie, of her grinning at the camera, sunlight gleaming down on her tanned, youthful face. It shocked Mary at how young Maggie looked - she hadn't noticed her age, but now she could see it. The second was Maggie, Beth, Hershel, and Glenn himself, stood in the prison yard with smiles on their faces.
The last was Mary and Glenn. Mary was taken back by how little she looked, but on the picture she was tiny, deeply tanned, and freckled, with masses of long hair. She was wearing her dungarees and cowboy boots, her bandana in her hair, and she could tell she was only young on the photo, only four still, and they'd probably only just arrived at the prison. She still looked like a toddler, a baby. Now she looked like a little girl. She was sat on Glenn's knee, and when she saw that, she sobbed even more. He looked so young on the picture, so carefree. It was back when they were little and didn't understand how terrible the would could be. She missed those days, and she didn't even remember them that well, so Mary held the Polaroid and sobbed until she couldn't cry anymore. Until she barely felt anything anymore.

Mary was sat on the floor crying when there was a soft knock on her cell door.
"Hey. Hey, kid? You okay? I got you some dinner, so I'm gonna come in. Don't freak out." A soft, accented voice asked through the door. It reminded Mary a little of Rick's voice. The door opened, and a young man came in with a tray of food. "Hey. I'm Alden. Al. You're Mary, right?"
Mary nodded, her movement slight and scared.
"I know you're scared. I would be too. You're in a really scary new place, you're hungry and tired, and you miss your... Mommy?"
"My daddy. And brother." Mary whispered.
"Brother? Brothers are the best. What's his name?"
"Carl Grimes." Mary lisped slightly.
"Now that is a very good name. Is he your only brother? Or do you have more?"
"I gotta little sister too. Judith. She's a tiny baby but she's a lot bigger now. And I have Mishy. She's like my mommy. Her and daddy are in love."
"Wow. That's one cool family." Alden nodded, now sat on the floor by her. "It's getting real late. Are you gonna eat this then go to sleep?"
"I don't want it. I'm too anxious."
"That's a really good word. You're one super clever kid. I really think you should eat a little. Look, it's stew. That's a good meal, It means Negan's gonna take good care of you."
"When can I see my daddy?" Mary whispered shakily.
"Soon. Go on, try some. It's good. Shall I try some?"
"Yeah. Make sure it's not poison."
"Poison? Kid, you ready too many fairytales." Alden chuckled, sipping some stew straight from the bowl. Mary saw his soft curls, and they reminded her of her father. That thought let her relax a little more. "There. It's good. You have the rest."
Mary nodded, and ate some, chewing on the chunks of carrot.
"Alden! What the hell you playing at! Dump the food and go! You don't talk to them!" A man shouted from the hallway, making Mary's whole body tense up.
"Coming! Okay, I've gotta go. I'm working here for now, so I'll bring you your breakfast in the monin'. You go to sleep, okay?"
"I don't have my doggy. Or my Carl or daddy. And I'm too sad. They killed Glenn." Mary sobbed suddenly.
"Okay okay, erm..."
"Alden!"
"Okay, I'll find you a new teddy. You just hang tight. Glenn's your dog teddy, Hey?"
"He's my best friend." Mary wailed.
"AL!"
"I gotta go. I'll see you soon." Alden soothed, leaving.
"Don't go." Mary wailed, but he was gone before she could grab him. And she was left alone in the dark, crying, kissing her family, missing everyone. Grieving.