The Walking Dead - Dixon Bloodfall (A Walking Dead ff)

Chapter Nine - Unwanted Guests

By the time Merle and Daryl got there to kill off the walkers trying to grab a slice of Rick flavored jerky, the gunfire had quieted down. They heard it in the distance and had prepared themselves for a blowout. A last few shots were fired from the farthest end of the prison and then the sound of a car driving off filled the air, kicking up gravel as it sped off. Rick seemed relieved enough to see Daryl and the two shared a silent but understanding nod, but his eyes narrowed when they were met with Merle’s grinning face. Seeing Merle meant seeing Quinn. He turned quickly to look for her, and she was standing not too far from Daryl. She nodded as well, and they too shared an unpleasant understanding.

She didn’t want to stay there after that, and the feeling rang out as mutual amongst the members of Rick’s group. Despite the attack on the prison, Hershel, Carol and Beth were kind enough to talk to her about her life and try to cheer her up after Rick’s rude introduction, but Glenn, Michonne and the aforementioned leader treated her like a disease, a foreign body in their perfect immune system. Carl lingered around her, curious to see someone close to his age but too much like his father to let that curiosity blossom. She was thrown into the day room with Merle but enough complaining from Daryl got her out and about with the rest of them, mingling as Merle had crudely labeled it, but the reception was awkward and so she lingered around her protector’s cell.

“I don’t know why he’s so mad at me.” She mumbled after Rick had walked by, anger clear in his bright blue eyes. He was so tan but he still got red in the cheeks, it was almost funny looking.

“Cause you’re with me, sugarplum.”

“So is Daryl.” She turned to him as if the words she had spoken were uncertain. Merle noticed this and gave her a look, an all too understanding look. She felt that anger again in the pit of her stomach, the same anger she felt when Daryl held a crossbow to the back of Merle, when he argued with Merle, when he went against him. He noticed this and gingerly reached his hand out of the bars and rested it on her shoulder. She let out a tension filled sigh and leaned against the bars, closing her eyes as she took in this moment.

“Hey, Quinn?” Her eyes opened to make contact with Beth’s small frame, her pale but smiling face eagerly waiting for her response. A bit unnerved, Quinn stared back until Beth’s smile faded.

"Oh, sorry, what did you say?” She figured she’d feign ignorance, being as spiteful and rude as Merle was would only land her back in that cell. Like a light switch had been turned on the gleeful look on Beth’s face returned and she resumed her approach to Quinn, only hesitating when she realized Merle was directly behind her. Merle took the silent cue and moved to the back of the room. Quinn regretted her friendly approach.

“You want to sit with me and Carol? We’re taking care of the baby an-”

“There’s a baby?” Quinn’s voice cut her off but Beth beamed even more.

“Mmmhm. Baby Judith. Rick’s baby.” Beth motioned towards the back of the cell block and her eyes trailed up the stairs to Carol, who must’ve been watching the whole time because at the moment their eyes met she smiled. She was a little unnerved with all this attention, but then again, children had become rare.

“I don’t think Rick wants -”

“Oh nonsense, Rick’s just mad because he thinks you’re best friends with Merle.”

Merle clicked his tongue and winked, unsettling Beth just a tad, which caused Maggie to grimace. She stormed off before her mouth could get the better of her mind, leaving Beth a little disheartened looking.

“He’s my brother.” Quinn blurted, only dampening the blonde’s spirit further. Beth looked at the floor while Quinn pondered the expression on Merle’s face. “Raised me for three years. After saving my life, of course.”

“Is he your real brother?”

Quinn hesitated, turning to Merle who stared back with an unreadable expression, though she prayed she had seen the ends of his lips curl up just slightly in a smile. She looked back at Beth. “Real as anything is anymore.”

Still she accompanied Beth up to Carol and the baby, much to the chagrin of Glenn. Carl watched still, ever so silent from the cell shadows. After a while of pointless conversations, compliments and swapped life stories, Carl eventually trotted up the stairs and drifted towards the corner. Beth tried wrangling him into their conversations several times but he nodded and looked away. After a long while, Carol was called downstairs by Rick, then Beth by Maggie, leaving Carl, and Quinn, and the baby by themselves.

“So you’re friends with Merle?” Carl asked smoothly. His eyes were cold like the steel bars that surrounded them. He was so young too, seeing a child with such lack of empathy was frightening.

“Could call it that.” She responded, shoving both palms in the pockets of her one size too big jeans. Judith cooed softly from her basket. “More of a brother sister relationship, or, father daughter. Like you and your dad Rick.”

“My dad isn’t anything like Merle.” Carl adjusted his hat.

“I bet.” Quinn retorted, more so to have the last word than to actually respond thoughtfully. They quieted down, but just below them conversations continued casually, some things about the weather, regrets, the desire for this to all just be over.

“Isn’t that funny?” She mumbled. She rested her elbows on the railing and looked down at the oblivious persons below.

“What is?” Carl sounded defensive.

“How everyone always wants it to be over. What if it was?” Quinn turned to Carl and gave him a quick once over, moistening her lips. “What if it just ended, all the Walkers just dropped dead. What would we all do then? We’ve all killed. We’ve all seen terrible things. Things will never just pick back up like normal. There is no normal, not anymore.”

Carl was silent, but that wasn’t anything spectacular. What was spectacular was the slight nod of his head and the eye contact that revealed a slither of emotion, a tiny ounce of humanity that clung to his otherwise void soul. He looked almost mournfully peaceful.

 “I didn’t think anybody else would understand.”

She sighed. The baby somehow grabbed her attention and she wandered over to it’s basket, the words “Lil’ Ass Kicker” written in fancy letters on the side in permanent marker. It was cute enough if you didn’t put any thought into it. This world was not one any child deserved to grow up in. Something so pure and innocent like a newborn baby, since Judith seemed fairly new from her size, should not grow up in a post-apocalyptic world. She felt a shiver climb up her spine as she ran her fingers along the edge of the baby’s makeshift crib. Out of the corner of her eye she saw Carl nod his head, confirmation that if she wanted to, she could lift the precious baby out. So she did, if not only because she was given permission. It was too bittersweet to indulge herself in the delights of babies, but still she had found herself doing that atrocious voice and calling her loving names like ‘sweetheart’ and ‘angel’. The baby enjoyed the attention and babbled innocently back, but Quinn put her back in her basket when her tiny eyes grew tired and closed.

“Where’s her mom?” She asked softly, allowing herself this moment of peace.

“Sick. Hershel has her in a downstairs cell. When she’s feeling better, I guess you can go meet her.” Carl answered, his voice just as quiet as hers.

“Sorry.” A lot of people were sick nowadays, if whatever this was could be called a disease. Her parents, her friends, her family. She knew what it felt like, and he was still so young. Her age when she lost them, or maybe just a bit younger.

 “We almost lost her.” He said a few moments afterwards. Quinn turned to him and their eyes met.

“Damn. Really sorry about that.” She cracked her neck and sat down on the first step, making sure to leave just enough room for Carl to get past her. Still he stood behind her in that corner, watching her.

 “My dad thinks you’re a bad person. I’ll talk to him though, alright?” As if she had asked for this favor, Carl announces it in an exhausted tone. Confused and slightly perturbed she turned to him and her expression was grateful.

“Thanks.”