HEART FOR BRAINS • the walking dead

005: but im not dead

Rio woke up late the next morning. He tossed aside the blanket Glenn had lent to him and left the tent. He didn't know where he was headed, he doubted that anyone would let him off of the farm after what happened yesterday. Rio pondered in the thought. Would anyone notice if he left? He thought for a second before deciding to just head towards the farmhouse. No use running away now. Rio need to find his brother and to do that Rio needed to see Daryl.

He changed his mind, stopping in his tracks. He shook his head to himself he didn't want to see him. Rio wasn't sure what he wanted anymore.

He began to head back, which is when he caught sight of Lori, feeding chickens with a young boy stood a few feet away. She was sat upon a stool whilst the boy stood up trying to get away as she threw chicken seed at him.

It was Carl. He was awake.

Rio smiled to himself but then stopped, realising he was staring. Lori noticed him, he honestly wasn't sure how, but soon she called him over.

He walked towards them, attempting to hide his small limp. The boy stared at him, he wore a blue shirt tucked into a pair of tan pants. He looked clean. All of his clothes fit.

"This is Carl." She introduced, a warm smile across her face as she held onto his hand. "My son."

Carl smiled at him and Rio did his best to smile back.

"Carl this is Rio." She said, doing all the talking for them. He stuck a hand out to Carl, who took it in his and shook it.

"You're more than welcome to stay and help us here." Lori offered. Rio looked down at the floor, maybe Lori would notice.

"Thanks." Rio replied quietly, letting out a small smile. He didn't know how to feel about what happened yesterday, it was making him nervous. He felt like everyone was watching him, itching to ask questions.

Carl offered him his bucket of chicken seed, still not saying anything.

"How- uh, how are you feeling?" Rio asked, throwing his handful of seed onto the ground. The chickens pecked up all the food and Rio found himself reaching for more.

"I'm okay." Carl replied. "How's your leg?"

"My leg?" Rio questioned. The boy had just recovered from an almost fatal shot wound and he was asking about Rio's leg? "My leg is good. Thanks."

"Good."

Lori smiled contently at the two boys before patting Carl's shoulder and leaving. She pulled him close and gave him a kiss on the head. Rio felt like he was intruding.

"I saw you." Carl said finally, once Lori was gone. "When you were looking through the door. I saw you."

"Sorry." Rio blurted, turning a bright red. It must've been just after the surgery, when Rick was speaking with him, something about not telling Lori.

"And I saw you again when you ran into the room." He seemed to want to list more.

"Do you keep tabs on everyone who visited you?" Rio replied, glancing over at the other boy.

"I didn't really have anything better to do." Carl laughed, then he stopped. It was only when he locked eyes with Rio that he started laughing again. Rio laughed too despite it not really being that funny. It was kind of sad, actually.

"So when'd you get here? Or do you live here?" Carl asked, he'd put his chicken seed down and began walking around the farm, Rio didn't know if they were supposed to but what harm could it do? Not anymore than yesterday.

"Just after you got shot." Rio responded, "Like, literally right after. You were bleeding out and stuff." He cut himself short, that was probably a weird thing to say.