𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐃𝐨𝐜𝐭𝐨𝐫 | 𝘙𝘪𝘤𝘬 𝘎𝘳𝘪𝘮𝘦𝘴

Rivet of Rust

A/N: the tiktok audio stuck in my head for posting this is:

"The hoes gon LOOOOVE this!"

take that as you will ;)

(aka nsfw warning)

- Cass's POV -

Rick finally pulls the car up to the nursery, shifting it into park and looking at the place in interest through the dusty windshield. In the middle of the concrete parking lot is a squat, enclosed space with overgrown vegetation at every corner. It's like a fat weed, sprouting from a giant block of concrete, somehow thriving against all odds. 

"Okay, Herschel gave me a long list of the summer seeds and a few new tools that we will need," I announce, pulling out the folded yellow sheet from my pocket, Herschel's looped handwriting scrawled over the page.

"Alright. Let's go," Rick says roughly, shutting off the car and getting out, slamming the door behind him, causing a defeated sigh to escape my lips.

I can't, for the life of me, figure out what is up with him. For the past couple of weeks, he's been acting really... off.

Even during our thirty-minute drive over here. He just stared out the windshield silently as he drove, barely even acknowledging my presence. I would say something and he just simply nodded his head or responded shortly, not sparing a single glance at me.

It's so confusing. Being around him used to be effortless. Joking around and conversations came easily. Even if we were upset at each other, or didn't agree, we would just argue it out- which we did more than a few times. Now it's like trying to talk to a brick wall. It's completely unfamiliar territory and I absolutely hate it.

My door opens beside me, making me flinch, lost in my thoughts. "Come on," Rick says, his tone softer this time as he holds the door open for me, nudging his head to the side. I flash him a quick and apologetic smile and clamber out awkwardly. Then I twist and bend over to grab the two empty backpacks we need to fill up with supplies. As I turn back to him, his odd expression takes me aback for a moment but I push past it, handing him his backpack.

Taking the bag, he lets go of the door and walks away wordlessly, drawing his machete from his belt. I shut the door behind me, slinging my backpack over my shoulder and jogging to catch up with him, my knife at the ready.

The small nursery is encased with a tall and rusty chain-link fence, behind it, an unkempt wilderness of plants sprouting in every corner, a large cluster of vines completely covering a wooden structure in the back. The overgrown trees poke through the wire fence, rampant vines expanding in all directions. They are steadily growing up and around the fence, around other plant pots and tables, and extending further into the parking lot.

Once we reach the entrance, Rick glances at me for a moment before pushing open the gate carefully, clanking his machete loudly against the fence, the jarring noise calling out any walkers to make themselves known.

As if on cue, one to the right of Rick groans loudly, shuffling out from under one of the large trees, coming directly for us. It's short and gaunt, wearing an apron with the nursery's logo on it, half its jaw missing. Rick doesn't hesitate to step forward, slamming his machete into its forehead, slitting it in two. As the walker's body sags to the ground lifelessly, Rick rips his weapon back with a grunt, turning to look at me to check that I'm alright. I nod back at him once, my eyes widened slightly.

I blink back the shock at watching him kill so skillfully after months of only seeing farmer Rick. There was a clear anger he just unleashed onto that walker- an anger I haven't seen in a long time.

After waiting for more walkers, and seeing none, the two of us slowly and carefully walk in, maneuvering around the vastly overgrown vegetation surrounding us. The incredibly tall and thriving greenery provides decent shade above us, which is a pleasant break from the intense sun pounding down on us, not a cloud in the sky.