HEART FOR BRAINS • the walking dead

020: judith

"How old are you guys?" Beth asked, almost embarrassedly, she must've just realised the same thing Rio had.

"Thirteen." Carl answered

"Also thirteen. But I'm older."

"By like five months." The boy protested.

"It's still older!" Rio defended as Beth laughed at him. "What? I'm right."

Just then Judith started babbling, small cries escaping her. Rio shut his mouth, hoping it wasn't him that disturbed her.

"Ooh." Beth said, standing up. "I think she's hungry."

She walked out of the room just as Carol came back, scooping the baby out of Beth's arms. "It's alright, I've got her."

"Are you sure?" Beth asked.

"Yeah. It's no problem." She smiled, obviously already smitten by Judith, the baby starting to resemble Lori.

***

It was some time later that the three of them sat upon the stairs, Beth loading and unloading the magazine of Carls gun, pouring the bullets into her hand then back in. Hershel hopped over, an accomplished smile upon his face.

"Finally got Judith to sleep." He announced, standing besides the kids.

"How are we with formula?" Carl asked him.

"We have enough to last us another month."

"I'll take Carol for some more at the end of the week." The boy replied. Beth outstretched her hand, passing him the loaded magazine.

"Your dad and the others will be back by then." She said to him, encouragingly. He shrugged her comment off.

"They should be back by tomorrow, even." Rio added. Or at least he hoped.

"We don't know that." Carl responded sternly. He took a deep breath before continuing. "Right now, Judith is the only family I got."

Rios face dropped as the boy said that. Why would he say that? He didn't have time to dwell on it any longer as a woman's scream tore through the stunned silence, echoing in the distance.

"What was that?" Rio asked cautiously, he went to stand up from his seat but Beth grabbed his arm.

"A scream." Carl answered. "That came from inside." He stated, looking between them all.

"Was that Carol?" Beth questioned.

Hershel shook his head. "She's out keeping watch in the guard tower with Axel."

"What if they came back for something?"

"What if they're in trouble?" Rio added.

"Let's check the tower, see if they're in there."

"How could anyone else get in?" Beth asked nervously.

"The tombs are filled with walkers that wandered in from outside. Someone else could've done the same thing." Hershel answered her question with a dire look on his face.

Carl leant behind him, asking Rio to pass him his gun. He loaded it ready and stood up, the other boy following. "I'm going." Carl stated.