SKIN AND BONES | THE WALKING DEAD

Chapter Five: The Next World

Nate was finally allowed to walk again. While Carl was learning how to regain his balance with only one eye, Nate had been confined to a wheelchair and then a pair of crutches for a few weeks. It was also Denise's call, for him to be able to heal properly without tearing his stitches. Rick and Michonne agreed that he needed to stick to the chair and so everyone took turns pushing him around the house and Alexandria as they rebuilt the walls. He was having a hard time with it, since he was immobile and he couldn't go on runs anymore. When Abraham, Sasha and Daryl told Rick about the people they met on the road, Nate had been sitting in the room next to him and when he was alone with Rick, he reluctantly told him that the name Negan also belonged to his father. Rick let out a sigh and placed a comforting hand on Nate's shoulder as he processed the worry the boy had.

"Are you prepared for the possibility that he might not be who you want him to be if you meet him again?" Rick had asked and Nate stared at him, long and hard before nodding.

"Yeah." He replied. "Yeah, I think I am." And the thing was, he had thought about it. Ever since those people used his name and were about to take their things and wanted to kill them. They went through hell because of Dwight and Sherry and they just turned their backs on them and Nate really hoped his father wasn't apart of this group but it was entirely possible he was. According to Morgan, the people who attacked Alexandria to let the walkers in were just scavengers but they were all dead, including the man they had taken prisoner.

It had taken awhile for everyone to get caught up on what had happened when the walls fell. Nate learned that Aiden was dead too and Spencer seemed to be taking it pretty hard. He lost his entire family. Nate felt sorry for him.

While Carl was still trying to learn how to see again, Nate was given the all clear to walk from Denise and he was dying to get out of Alexandria. He tried to beg Rick and Daryl to let him come with them but they still wanted him to take it easy but Nate was so tired of taking it easy.

"Come on, how is this any different from when you guys went out looking for my dad when we were staying at the prison?" Nate asked, Daryl and Rick shared a glance and Nate rolled his eyes as they both hesitated. "Yeah, I knew about that." He said before either could respond, trying his best to shrug it off.

"You know why, Nate." Rick said softly, letting his hands rest on his hips. The hairs on the back of Nate's neck stood up as he shifted his gaze to the ground. He remembered how afraid Dwight, Sherry, and Tina had been of the people led by his father.

"Yeah. So what? He's my dad, I can talk to him. It would be easier to get him here if I was with you." Nate insisted and Rick sighed. He could tell that they had already made a decision to do this by themselves.

"That's not what we're worried about." Daryl told him. Nate frowned but he understood.

"You're worried that the people following him are going to be a problem." Nate responded.

"Something like that." Rick answered. "Besides, we're just going out to see if we can find supplies this time. You want something? Daryl has a list going." He tilted his head towards the piece of paper on Daryl's hand. Nate had seen Denise walking away before he had found the two of them at the gates. He shook his head and rolled his eyes.

"Nah, I'm good." He gave a long sigh.

"We'll be back before you know it. Don't worry." Rick said, squeezing Nate's arm before getting into the driver's seat. Daryl ruffled his hair as he passed by and got in the car and Nate watched as Eugene bent down to Rick's window to speak to him for a minute and then walked up to the gate and opened it up and they drove out. He stood there until Eugene closed it and then walked off when the scientist turned around to stare at him. He really didn't want to talk to him and risk a migraine.