𝑺𝒕𝒂𝒓𝒕 𝒐𝒇 𝑻𝒊𝒎𝒆 | 𝘋𝘢𝘳𝘺𝘭 𝘋𝘪𝘹𝘰𝘯 ¹

𝑭𝒐𝒓𝒕𝒚 𝑻𝒉𝒓𝒆𝒆

Chapter Forty Three,
Heartbroken

ALLI WAS TIRED of sitting in the prison all day, doing nothing, knowing that the walkers were multiplying by the minute outside the fence, the infection spreading within. Almost everyone was infected, including her mom, Cody, and Tom. She couldn't talk to them anymore except from behind the glass that separated the healthy from the infected, and for once, the prison felt like one.

"There are too many," she said, her eyes scanning the massive cluster of walkers that she, Merle, and Maggie were supposed to clear.

"We tried drawing them away two days ago," Merle said with a grunt as he took a few down. "Damn things keep coming back."

"It's all on us now; everyone else is infected," Alli said.

"Yeah, your brother was all we got until he decided to join Hershel in that cell block," Merle said. "We could use him now."

"Well, he had to look after Tom, my mom, and Cody now that Dr. S is sick too," she said right before stabbing a walker in its rotting skull. "Hershel needs the help as much as we do."

"Yeah, that was a great sacrifice he did," Maggie said with an assuring smile. "Both of them, daddy and him."

The sound of an approaching vehicle drew their attention away from the task at hand, and before they knew it, Alli was running towards the gate to let Rick and Carol in, Maggie and Merle on her tail.

Maggie and Chloe exchanged glances as they watched Rick drive in alone, with Carol nowhere to be seen.

"Carl, Judith, are they okay?" he said as he exited the SUV.

"Yeah. Where's Carol?" Maggie asked.

"Glenn, Hershel, Sasha?" he asked, ignoring her.

"Yeah, it's bad, but they're fighting it," Alli said and before they could get any answer from him, he turned and walked away. "Daryl's not back yet."

"Rick. Rick, where's Carol?" Maggie called after him which made him stop and turn to face them.

"It was her," he said. "She killed Karen and David."

At his words, Chloe's eyes darted to Maggie who was standing there in shock.

"She was trying to stop it from spreading," he continued. "Tyreese is gonna be back here soon, so I didn't think she should be here. And I couldn't have her here. She has a car, supplies, she'll figure it out. I'll tell your dad. Don't tell anyone else yet, non of you do."

"Ya got it, Sherrif," Merle said as Rick eyed Alli and Maggie.

"Would you have brought her back?" he asked.

"She said she did it? " Alli dodged the question with another question.

"Yeah."

"Then you were right to send her away," Maggie admitted. "I don't know if I could have."

"You could have, Maggie. You've done harder things. Don't doubt yourself. We don't get to anymore," Rick said, his eyes moving between the two girls.

"See I've told y'all, sometimes ya don't have a choice," Merle said and Alli couldn't help but glare at him while Rick started walking away.

"Rick, the cluster's getting bigger than the one that took the fence down," Maggie called after him. "We need to do something."

"We will."

The trio spent the following hour clearing as many walkers as possible until Rick returned with a fresh plan.

"Your shoulder? I don't want you to get injured again," Rick said as Alli assisted him in carrying a log to the fence, while Maggie and Merle handled the chopping.