Spider Monkey

Chapter Ninety - Nine - Bonds

Hedley, Lydia, Carl and Judith were in the gardens. Hedley was teaching them how to pull carrots out from the grounds.

"Grip it right at the base of the greens, twist and..." He pulled and a carrot sprouted from the ground. "Ta-da!"

Judith clapped, excited.

"Now you try."

And they did. Judith managed to pull out a small chubby carrot and she exclaimed when it reached the surface. "I did it! I did it!"

Lydia did the same, getting a long slender carrot. She flapped her hands happily when seeing that she had done it right.

Carl... pulled and with a snap, the carrot was in half. One half was up in the air while the other half was still buried underground.

Judith and Lydia erupt with laughter as Hedley just smiled at his boyfriend's embarrassed face.

"It's alright, Carl." Hedley said, "Maybe gardening just isn't your thing."

"Not fair!" Carl pouted.

Hedley kissed the pout and just as they went back in to keep pulling the carrots, the gate opened and in came Daryl, Connie and Magna. They were carrying an injured Kelly.

Hedley met Connie's eye and so he signed, 'Is she okay?'

Connie signed back 'She will be'.

Daryl went over to where Carol was - she was about to go out the gate so he rushed to catch up with her.

"Hedley?" Judith said, eyes still on what she was doing.

"Yes?"

"Are you and Carl married?"

Carl choked on his spit while Lydia smiled at Hedley's wide eyes.

"No, Jude. We're not married."

"Why not?"

Carl and Hedley glanced at each other, their cheeks darkening with red blushes.

"Well... we aren't married because..." Hedley started.

"Because we haven't got rings. See." Carl finished, showing off his bare left hand. "We need rings to be married. That's it. Now be quiet and pick the carrots, Petal."

Lydia giggled and Judith soon joined her. The blushes never left the boys' faces.

****

Carol and Daryl brought a Whisperer back and put him in the cell.

Lydia recognised him.

"You know him?" Carol asked Lydia.

She nodded, curling into herself with unease, "H-He's one that watches the Guardians. I-I mean, the Walkers."

"So he knows where your mother's horde is?"

"Probably."

Gabriel came forward, unhappy, "You've put us all at risk."

"We have to find that horde before it shows up at our gates." Carol argued.

"So you decide for all of us? Knowing what it could mean?"

"Doesn't matter anymore." Daryl spoke, "We still gotta find them."

Gabriel sighed, "I'm gonna be in there with you, and Siddiq is gonna treat his wounds first."

"He bleeds until he answers." Carol said.

"That's not your call." Gabriel said, "None of this is."

"It's not yours either." Said Hedley. "It's Carl and Michonne's."