Bonds {TWD}

Chapter 12 {CARL}

I make my way as fast as I can down the road I remember that leads to Alexandria. I stumble down the road and then see, to my relief, the car that Ari's father and sister previously occupied.
I turn and run at full speed to the wall, I don't loose any time scaling the wall but circle around to the gate and hammer my fist on the metal.
The second door slides open and I'm quickly ushered into the arms of my dad.
"Coral, where- why?" He stammers but shuts up when I pull away.
"Dad Ari- she's been- taken, they let me go but- she- she's still there." I puff.
"We've got bigger problems-" he starts off but I snap at him before he finishes.
"Bigger problems? BIGGER PROBLEMS? What happened to we never leave a person behind? Or don't tell me- you've changed." I snap.
My dad looks at me with blue eyes and a face full of a concoction of shock, pride and annoyance.
"Fine." He says after a moment.
I narrow my eyes at him to cloak my suprise.
"Michonne will take you out, show her to where the place is. But don't by any circumstances go in there." He warns.
My face slackens, "Alright." I say and nod slowly.
A hand lands on my shoulder and I spin around, there's Michonne, her katana peeking over her shoulder.
She nods and we head to the car, I slide in the back as she gets in the front.
"Get onto the main road, I'll direct you from there." I tell her as I lean forward to look over her shoulder.
She pulls out and my heart skips a beat. What if I'm too late?

{ARIZONA}
My breath comes in shallow gasps as I limp with what little energy I have, down this long and dark road home.
If a walker comes, I'm dead meat, if a hoard comes, I'm toast and if a human comes, I rather not think of that.
I drag my limp right foot behind me, I cradle my throbbing arm next to me and trudge on.
Blood trickles down my eyebrow bone, into my eye and I blink it away along with some tears. My whole body is on fire, and I can only hope that I can make it home before I pass out of exhaustion.
Suddenly two glowing yellow eyes pierce the darkness ahead. I drop down and roll into the ditch as quickly as I can.
The key strung around my neck smacking me in the face the way down. Dewy grass then soaks through my clothes and chills me to the bone, and to my horror, the car stops.
I hear a door click open and a young voice call out.
"Ari?" It calls and I try to call back, but all that comes out is a gurgle.
"Arizona?" It calls sadly.
"Mere!" I mumble.
"Ari please." It cracks with emotion.
I manage a shrill squeak that I hold for three seconds. Feet pound the pavement towards me and then I see him.
"Ari." His smile goes from ear to ear as he jumps down in the ditch next to me.
"How- what- you escaped." Carl gawks at my blood covered body.
I try to answer but no words come out, so instead I try to laugh, all that comes out is a cough.
His face hardens in worry.
"Let's get you back." He says and does his best to scoop me up, after a few minutes of awkward shuffling and grunting he has me up off the ground.
My head is resting against his chest and my arms are flopping around in my lap. He carries me effortlessly over to the car and slides me in, he slides in next to me as my eyes droop.
"Hey." He places a hand on my shoulder and I look up at him. "Comfy?" He asks with an air of amusement to his voice.
I slowly nod my head. He lifts my head up and puts it in his lap.
"Better?" He asks as if I'm a kitten he just found on the side of the road instead of a broken and bloodied human.
I nod my head again, in turn, nodding off to sleep.

{CARL}
She fell asleep so peacefully, even covered in blood she looks like an angel. I'm really glad she's not dead, I'm pretty sure everyone is.
"She okay back there?" Michonne asks as she looks back at me in the rear view mirror.
"Yeah." I smile and brush a piece of her soft light brown hair out of her face and behind her ear gingerly.
I look up to see Michonne smirk then flick her eyes back to the road as we near the gates of Alexandria. People push the doors open hurriedly and they rush us in. My door is flung open and I get out, not even letting them touch her.
I slide her out and carry her. Some guys give me weird looks as I carry her to our makeshift hospital. I take careful steps down the stairs and walk through the open door.
Inside are a bunch of people, a bloody Glenn, a bloody Nick, Maggie, Abraham, Rosita, Eugene who is staring at a awake Tara and they all turn to me, except Eugene.
"Carl?" Rosita asks me warily.
"I'll explain later." I tell her.
She nods and leads me down a cream hallway to a white door.
"Just lie her down." She tells me and turns around.
I push open the door and walk into the room, it's simple with a bed infront of me, a cabinet in either side of it and bookcases next to those.
I walk across the grey carpet and lay her slowly and gently in the patchwork blanket. Her head bounces against the white pillow and a woman marches in with a bag.
As the woman rummages through her bag Ari stirs.
"Carl?" She croaks dryly.
"Yeah I'm here." I smile sadly.
Her face scrunches up in pain, making my eyes soften in sympathy and sadness.
"I hurt." She whines scratchily.
"It's okay, you'll be better, you're gonna get help." I explain sadly and run a finger along the chain around her neck.
"Don't leave." She pleads.
"As long as you promise to never leave me." I smile and hold her hand.
"I promise." She smiles sleepily.