Bonds {TWD}

Chapter 14 {ARIZONA}

I sat there, well we sat there for what seemed like forever in silence. A comfortable silence, just absorbing what just happened.
Suddenly a desperate voice yells from outside; "OPEN THE GATES!!!" Rick's muted gruff voice demands.
I jump up and Carl jumps up as well. We both run towards the gates where a crowd is gathering.
• • •
As everyone disperses I see Ron sulk away. I poke Carl and motion to Ron who sulks away.
"He seems down." I sigh questioningly.
"Yeah." Carl agrees.
"Well go talk to him." I nudge him in the direction Ron left with my shoulder.
"Why?" Carl scoffs.
"'Cause he's your friend." I insist.
"Fine." Carl sighs and walks away.
I watch him until he's out of sight before following, I take multiple turns before reaching a yard in which I see Ron lunge at Carl, they start this very girly slap fight.
I soon notice that this might actually escalate into something in which someone might get hurt, so I decide to step in, and by step in I mean charge forward and bodycheck both boys in one fowl swoop.
Both boys fall away from each other as I fly through them and separate them. The two; Ron and Carl, look up to see what hit them and once they see a defeated me lying on the ground they snap out of their fury.
"Arizona?" Ron huffs moodily.
"Ronald." I mock him as I sit up.
"Oh god Ari." Carl gasps and rushes over to me as I stand.
"You okay?" He asks me.
"Perfectly fine." I answer with a shrug.
"Okay, good." He nods and I take a look at Ron who lies defeatedly on the ground.
"Let's go." Carl grabs my hand and we walk away down the street.
"What was that about?" I ask Carl and look up at him.
"I don't know." He shrugs. I then notice that he hasn't let go of my hand, and it fills me with butterflies, flaming butterflies.
• • •
I wipe my forehead with my paint covered hand and continue the bold, black line that traces the detailess face of a unnamed Alexandrian who walks their dog across the asphalt street of my painting.
I step back and review the mural in front of me. It's a street with people walking across it, faceless people. But they look happy, content, joyous and lively even without facial expressions.
I sigh and hear my name get called from behind me. I turn to see Carl walking towards me with Ron trailing suspiciously behind.
"Hey-" I begin but get cut off by the sound of wood snapping and I turn to the sound, the tower is tilting into the wall, and I jump into a sprint away from the falling tower.
I push my legs against the ground with all my force. My face must look insane as I give my all to not be crushed by the falling building.
"Ari!" Carl shouts and begins running straight for me, stupidly.
"Run!" I shout back at him before a piercing pain shoots through my leg and a weight pushes me down.
I shriek as I fall and land on my stomach and palms. I twist around by the hips and see a large board has fallen onto my calf. Quickly I scramble to lift it off and pull a bloody nail out of my leg in the process.
Hands pull me onto my feet and those same hands sling my arm over their shoulder and throw a strong forearm behind my back.
"C'mon!" The hands' owner, Carl urges me forward without need, I limp with all my might with him.
"CORAL! ARI!" Rick shouts and motions us to him and a gathered group, Michonne, Deanna, Ron and father Gabriel.
Carl practically carries me there as walkers gain on us. We all run across the asphalt as walkers close in on us from either side.
Suddenly a group of walkers jumps us from the side but Carl pulls me on without a second glance to the commotion.
"Get in! Quickly! I have Judith!" A voice calls from the right and I look to see a flustered Jessie urging us into her house.
Carl turns us on a point and lifts me up the stairs and into the door followed by the rest of the group.
"Here." Carl says and lies me down on a tawny couch that sits next to the door.
"Thanks." I grunt and sit down before kicking up my wounded leg.
I watch as Deanna takes a spot in the couch opposite me. A bloody cut is on her side. Michonne walks towards me and bends down to get a look at my leg but I pull it away. She looks to my face and I protest.
"Take a look at Deanna first." I tell her and she silently goes to the other couch.
I lie back and stare at the ceiling, taking long seconds to blink. That is until angry yelling interrupts the peace. I bolt up and hurry as fast as I can to the garage door where Jessie and Rick are yelling at the door.
"Ron open this door now!" Jessie demands.
"I'm going to blow this lock off!" Rick threatens.
"Don't waste the bullet." I scoff and push my way to the door handle, I pull a lock pick out of my pocket and shove the metal twigs in.
I move my fingers quickly and nimbly with precision until I feel a click, I twist the rods to the right and push the door open to see Carl suddenly pull away from next to a shattered glass door with walkers reaching through. Rick shoves me aside into the hallway and I land with a thump on my butt, the key under my shirt hitting my chest heavily. Jessie's face slackens in surprise and she turns to make sure I'm okay.
I just nod as Rick starts yelling at the boys to come inside before Jessie joins him with a softer more pleading tone, but it's just as urgent. I push myself up as best I can and brace myself on the wall before the two boys join us in the hallway. Carl instantly walks over to me.
"Are you okay, I saw my dad-" he begins worriedly.
"I'm fine, I just think my butt's a bit bruised." I admit.
"Did my dad push you?" He asks with a tinge of anger.
"Yes but I get why- he wanted to get to you as fast as he could." I tell him.
"Okay but-" he begins but gets interrupted by his dad.
"This door won't hold for long, EVERYONE UPSTAIRS!" He shouts.
"C'mon." Carl urges me and pulls me towards him by an arm around my waist. I throw my arm around his shoulders and he practically lifts me up the stairs.
"Deanna's bitten." Michonne informs us when we get to the top of the stairs but we push past with something else on our minds.
Michonne notices that and she asks Rick what's going on worriedly. He answers vaguely.
"We need to block the stairwell." He tells her and the adults begin to move the furniture while Carl pulls me into the bedroom where Judith lies in a crib across the room from the queen size bed.
His tight grip loosens on my waist and he slides out from under my arm. His second arm helps me down onto the bed.
"You know that I've just got a hole in my leg, I'm not paralyzed." I scrutinize him.
"I know just- just lie down." He tells me and walks out of the room.
I don't usually like to follow orders but I kick back anyways and lie my hands on my stomach before closing my eyes, but they snap open and my knee crooks so that my blood doesn't stain Jessie's sheets.
Thinking of that shocks me because just a little over a month ago I hadn't seen a bed in forever and I wouldn't even had thought of this. Carl then walks into my periforal vision holding a small white box with a red cross on it. I tilt my head so that I don't strain my eyes trying to look at him.
He sits next to me without a word and pops the lid of the box open with a click. I raise an eyebrow at his unusual behaviour.
"You okay?" I ask him while trying not to let too much concern leak out of my voice.
"Y-yeah, I'm just not very good with other's pain." He admits timidly.
"Oh." I say apologetically.
"Yeah but I try to not to tell anyone in case they think I'm weak." He says awkwardly and rubs the back of his neck embarrassedly while a blush crawls up his face.
"It's fine, we all have our weaknesses." I tell him softly.
"My dad would never say that." Carl chuckles sadly.
"Well I'm not your dad." I laugh.
"Thank god." He says well-humordly which causes uncontrollable laughter to erupt from my stomach, this causes him to start laughing too and soon we're just a laughing mess.
"Here hand me that." I say in reference to the first-aid kit.
He does and I take out things; A small bottle of rubbing alcohol, some gauze, a needle and some suturing thread. I unscrew the cap on the alcohol and dribble it into the ravine in my leg. I wince and Carl shudders.
"I'm fine, I'm fine." I assure but I'm not sure if it's for him or me before placing the open bottle on the oak side table.
I snatch a cotton swab out of the corner of the box and take a deep breath and begin to swab the inside of my leg. I stiffen and Carl's eyes widen in sympathy as I continue to clean it out.
I pull the blood swathed swab out of the gash and put it on her bed side table. I pick up the brown bottle of alcohol again and hover it over the bloody gash, in anticipation of the pain I clench my teeth on my navy sweatshirt sleeve and tip the bottle.
The liquid that seeps in sears pain through my whole body. I stop the shaky stream from pouring and put the cap on the bottle. I take the gauze and wrap it around my leg once, twice, thrice, four times, five times and grab the roll of medical tape from the box, rip off a piece and secure the gauze.
"Are you okay?" Carl asks me.
"Yeah." I gulp and re-pack everything into the box. "I think I will be." I tell him when I'm done.
"Good. Now get some rest." He tells me before getting up and leaving me alone.
I smile before lying back and turning my back to the door and closing my eyes.