Carl Grimes Imagines

The Flu

"Y/n, see if you can get Carl up that ladder. It's probably warmer up on that landing with all the hay." Rick instructs me once he is done barricading the door with some planks.
"There's probably a bed up there to if someone lived here before."
I put my hand on his back as Carl slowly makes his way up the ladder. I follow behind him. When we are up there I see an old mattress with a quilt on it. I lay a blanket over it before Carl sits on it, shivering.

"You should get warm soon." I whisper, placing his hat by his side.

"I hope." Carl coughs into his arm before laying down. I cover him with the quilt along with the blanket that was draped over his shoulders.

"You'll lay with me?"

"Of course."

Carl moves onto his back and scoots over on the mattress. I lay my head beside his on the pillow and he wraps an arm around my shoulders. I kiss his temple before he closes his eyes and drifts to a sickly sleep.

***

A few moments later, I couldn't get to sleep. My worries kept me from slumber along with the voices from the barn's floor. The voices weren't exactly lullabies. I escape Carl's grasp around me and climb down the ladder. The group has made a clearing of the hay in the middle and placed rocks in a small circle. They used some of the dry hay and wood they found to make a small fire. The group was sat around it, making light conversation or eating and drinking something.

"I'm going to check on his fever." Rick stands up and climbs up the ladder.

A frown draws onto my face and I hug my knees close to my chest. Maggie scoots closer to me and holds a bag of trail mix out. I shake my head.

"Is something the matter? You know you can talk to me. Anytime y/n."

"Maggie, he- Carl, he didn't-you didn't see him get bit or scratched right? He wasn't right?"

"No y/n. Carl's sick. We would have known otherwise." Maggie rubs my back a little and I lay my head on her shoulder. I stare into the wild flames as she whispers,
"He will be fine. Nothing has killed him yet. A fever definitely won't do it."

"Carl's been through so much.  He wouldn't let a fever kill him."  Michonne says.

Maggie doesn't know that. Michonne doesn't know that.  Nobody does.
Rick comes down the ladder and I turn my head quickly.

"He still feels warm. More then before. He woke up for a second. He seems almost delusional. He woke up and all he was talking about was outside how we wanted to see the snow fall." Rick places his hands on his hips and runs a hand down his beard.

I pinch the bridge of my nose and sigh.
"He wasn't bit, right?"

Rick's gaze turns fully towards me. He shakes his head, looking at me with narrowed eyes and parted lips.
My fears get the best of me.

"You should get some sleep." Carol hands me a blanket and points to a small sleeping bag that was left in the corner of the barn. I thank her quietly. She gives me a kiss on the forehead before I turn to walk over there. But I stop, turn around, and say,
"You'll keep an eye on him, right? Please, keep an eye on him."

"Of course." Carol smiles at me and tucks a piece of my hair behind my ear. I nod before tucking myself into the warmth of the sleeping bag and falling asleep.

***

When I awoke it was dark outside and the fire in the middle of the barn was being revived by Daryl who has a squirrel hanging by his belt. I guess that's dinner. I stand up from my makeshift bed and walk over to the fire. I stretch and Daryl looks at me before tending the fire again.