damnation → the walking dead ⁴

[ 042 ] you burn with us.

DAMNATION.

chapter forty-two, you burn with us.
[ season nine, episode three ]

WAKING UP TO CARL'S empty bedroom never gets easier. Odessa wakes up some mornings and forgets he's gone. She'll walk across the hall to his bedroom to wake him up, but he's never there.

Odessa sits up in her bed, she rubs her eyes. The sun peeks in through the blinds. She looks over at the sleeping girl at her side. Brielle hasn't been feeling well, neither has Judith. Rick thinks they've both caught whatever bug is going around. It scares Odessa. It reminds her of the sickness that went around the prison just before it fell.

Odessa throws her legs over her bed and quickly changes into a pair of blue jeans and a black tank top. She throws one of Carl's flannels on over the tank stop. She puts on her boots. And lastly, she gathers all of her weapons.

She lets Brielle and Judith sleep as she makes breakfast for everyone in her house. Her family. Rick, Michonne, Theo, Judith, and Brielle. It's her way of apologizing to her father for their little argument yesterday.

She makes eggs and bacon.

She pours herself a glass of orange juice and fixes herself a small plate. She sits at the dining table, waiting for the rest of her family to join her, she waits for her father to come down the steps so she can look him in his eyes and say sorry. Something he's never done for her.

After ten minutes, she eats the small amount of food that's on her plate. Then she places her plate, fork, and cup in the sink. And goes about her day.

When Rick comes down the stairs twenty minutes later, he's sure his heart breaks in half. His eyes settle on the food wrapped in aluminum foil. He spots Odessa's dishes in the sink. He doesn't see his daughter anywhere in the house.

He eats without her.

Then he waits for Michonne to wake the younger girls. Brielle, Michonne, and Judith all eat their breakfast. Then they take them to the infirmary where Siddiq does a check up on them both. Rick and Michonne spend the day with the two girls. They play hide and seek, they play in their home, they have a picnic.

Then they're told that Justin turned up dead.

Immediately, Rick has his suspicions.

He first thought, Odessa.

Then he thinks of Daryl, Theo maybe. Hell, he even considers Cori.

When he reaches the camp, the Saviors and his people are separated into two different groups. "Everyone, back off. Right now!" He demands as he comes barreling between them on his horse.

He looks around, his eyes fall onto his daughter. She stands at the back of the group. Her eyes meet his. She shakes her head with the roll of her eyes. She turns on her heel, and she walks away.

"I'll talk to Rick," Alden speaks up. "I'll try to find away to make everybody feel safe."

"Start the redirect. Pair off to work the grid," Rick orders as people begin to walk away.

Odessa makes her way to her sent. Cori catches up to her. "Hey," she greets. "How're you?"

"I'm fine," Odessa replies. "You know who killed Justin?"