𝐩𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐨𝐫𝐚'𝐬 𝐛𝐨𝐱. carl grimes

FIFTEEN: high tension

"Carl slow down!" I yell at the boy walking in front of me and Rick. Ever since we left the prison the boy hasn't said a word and left me to carry his injured father.

"Carl! Listen to Finn!" Rick mumbled through his swollen lips but Carl didn't stop. He kept marching on not caring about me or his dad.

"Stop!" I screamed this time. The boy froze and we slowly made our way up to him.

"We need to stay together. We have to find a place to stay with food and supplies" Rick said even though we could tell the boy wasn't listening. Rick put his hand on his son's shoulder and started to tell him we were going to alright but he was cut off by a nasty look from Carl. It was a look filled with such hatred and anger that it slightly scared me.

The look obviously scared Rick too and he moved his hand away from his son. Then Carl stormed off once more. "He'll be fine" I whispered to Rick as I let him lean on my shoulder for support.

We started to walk and Rick whispered back "I sure hope so"

While we walked along the lonely road I started to think about my family. I was worried that they didn't make it out of that terrible situation. There were so many ways that they could've died back there from walker bites to being shot by The Governor's army. Also, even if they did make it out alive I don't think that Claire could survive out their alone. She didn't know how to handle herself. I mean she still went to storytime with Carol, there was no way she knew anything about surviving.

Then, even if Claire did find a way to survive which I hope she does, I may never see them again. They could go join another community across the country and I would be stuck here with Rick and Carl. God, it hurts to think about all this stuff and what makes it worse is that I left my meds at the prison.

"Look" Rick says cutting me off from my thoughts. I follow his pointed hand and see a gas station a little bit up the road which Carl was already walking towards.

Me and Rick limp towards the gas station and meet up with Carl on the front porch. Rick opens the door and pulls out his gun. "Finn, come with me and Carl, stay and keep watch"

I start to approach the doorway but Carl sticks his hand out preventing me from walking forward. "You keep watch" he growls at his father, "You can barely stand, I'm not going to let you go in alone"

I push Carl's hand out of the way and walk in front of him. "He won't be alone, We will have me"

But both of them pay no attention to my comment and keep arguing. "Excuse me?" Rick says in a way that it reminds me of my father. I feel my heart skip a beat when I think of my father but I quickly shake it off and focus at the task at hand.

"We've done this before. I'm going to help you clear it" Carl growls. He raises his gun at the door and speaks without looking at either of us, "You should just let me do it myself."

I open my mouth to refuse Carl's statement but Rick gives in, "Let's go".

Rick opens the door and the three of us walk in with our guns drawn. Earlier, I traded my automatic rifle for a much smaller and easier pistol that I found outside the prison and I am glad for that now. An automatic rifle would be too big and honestly overkill in this situation.

"Kitchen's clear!" I yell to the return of the group but I get no response so I walk back into the main room. I look around to see Rick pulling chairs away from a walker in the other room. The chairs come flying and the walker approaches Rick. Rick plunges his axe into the skull but it gets stuck. I run up to help Rick but before I can get there Carl shoots it in the head.