Who We Are | TWD

.043

"Dad," Carl gasps, getting up off the couch and racing towards his father to give him a hug.

"Hey."

"You okay?" Carl asks expectantly.

"Yeah," Rick sighs, removing his hand from Carl's shoulder. I get off the couch, walking towards Rick to give him a quick hug. The thing is, even though he's a little beaten up, this is far from the worst shape I've seen him in. It doesn't even come close in comparison to the day the prison came down. I still marvel at the fact that he was able to survive that, especially considering the fact he made it seem like nothing. He's one of the toughest people I know.

"Look, I'm sorry," Rick says as he tries to walk away from Carl and I, but his son doesn't let him.

"I heard about the meeting," Carl comments.

What meeting? I think. Nobody told me about a meeting.

"A meeting?" I ask, but Rick is already talking over me.

"You're both staying home."

"That's what it is now, right? Home?" Rick stops his pursuit away from us.

"Yeah."

"They need us. They'll die without us."

"I might have to threaten one of them," Rick begins. Personally, I believe that is a pretty serious stance to take before the meeting has even begun, but I guess those are the kinds of precautions we have to take these days. "I could have to kill one of them."

"You won't," Carl contends.

"I might."

"You have to tell them."

"I told them last night."

"You have to tell them so they can hear you."

"Carl's right. If you go in with aggression, they'll want you out, even if they can't get you to leave right away. You won't stand a chance. I don't trust too many of them, but give them a chance to listen."

"I don't know if they can. Does that make you afraid?"

Carl shakes his head. "Just for them, you have to tell them."

Rick reaches up, pointing to the bruise on my cheek. "That was me," he says more than asks. "I'm sorry."

"It's fine. I'll be fine."

Rick nods curtly before walking away and heading upstairs, his boots clacking against the steps. I hear his bedroom door shut a moment later, so I'm guessing he's off to get some rest.

I turn to Carl, raising my eyebrows. "So, what's this meeting about?" I cross my arms over my chest, waiting for an answer.

"Carol just told me about it this morning. They're holding it to help figure out what to do with my dad." If that's the case, things aren't particularly looking the best. Even though Pete is an awful human being and deserved everything that Rick did to him, he has also been here longer. Not to mention he's the community's surgeon. If anything, he'll have more power over the situation than Rick will.

"Shit," I mumble. "That's why your dad is already making a plan." Carl nods.

"He'll figure it out. He's smart," he reassures me. Carl looks towards the kitchen. "Do you want something to eat-"

I shake my head, walking towards the window and resting my palms against the sill. My eyes move towards the steel walls in the distance, the rusted splotches of orange popping out from the metal texture.