Bitter & Sweet (A Carl Grimes Fanfiction)

9

The chains were barely long enough to lay down, and when you finally found a way to lay flat on your back, it wasn't comfortable, and the concrete didn't help. Glenn found this out fast, he would rather be laying on the hard wooden ground of the cart. At least he would be with Maggie, know she's safe continue giving her that safety. But these 4 concrete walls separated him and his love, him and this world, him and life from outside. He wanted out. He was just hoping Rick or Daryl would figure it out soon. He didn't know how much longer he could have these chains rub against his wrists as he tried to sleep, while he wondered if the others were taken too.

Carl alive and safe. In an ideal world, in the old world, a baby would have been a welcome addition. In the new world, in a world of Walkers, thieves, rapists, and murderers, a child had little chance of surviving a day, let alone a lifetime. When he'd found out about the pregnancy, instead of facing reality, Rick had stubbornly clung to the idea that sheer willpower and love could, and would, be enough to make it work. Lori had known; she'd understood, after Carl had been shot, that the world was no longer a place for children.
Rick had refused to listen; it wasn't until later that he began to second guess his initial insistence that he'd made the right call. Lori had died and that was on him, it always would be. Part of him, a deep and dark part of his mind, had found closure in knowing Judith could find peace with her mother. It was a thought that made him feel like a coward and a failure. His daughter, because it had never mattered who the biological father was, had survived the impossible already. Rick didn't know how, but he would find her and he would get Carl back, even if he had to go to Hell and back to do it. After that, he'd never let them go again and anyone who tried to stand in the way of that could already consider themselves dead.

It was growing dark as dusk settled over the compound. It had been a few hours since Carl had been brought back to his kennel. He had made a point of not meeting the girl's eyes, choosing to stay facing away from her in the fetal position. She'd made quite a racket to get his attention since he'd arrived, but he'd ignored the increasingly annoying clanging of her cage until she had eventually given up with a very audible sigh. She didn't have to say it out loud for Carl to understand that she was worried about him. In an odd way, the two of them had formed an unspoken bond. He wouldn't go so far as to call her a friend, he didn't know a thing about her, but she was a comrade. If, he mentally shook his head, when they got out of there, she would become part of their group; he had no doubt in his mind. Eventually he would let her know that he was fine, as fine as he could be considering, but he wasn't ready to face her just yet. Carl's pride had taken a serious blow and for a reason he couldn't fully explain, he felt like he'd let her down. He'd promised to save her and had failed miserably. Not that she knew about his promise, but that didn't matter to Carl.

As dusk gave way to night, Carl closed his eyes. His stomach growled and for the first time he realized how hungry he really was. He wondered how long until Gareth came back and if he would bring food, then decided he'd much rather starve to death than see his face ever again. Beside him he heard another heavy sigh. Carl shifted his weight, knocking against the side of his kennel to let the girl know he was still there with her. She knocked back, making Carl smile softly as he drifted off.