Eighteen

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Mary woke up as the fire truck stopped, her eyes opening groggily.
"Daddy?" Mary whined, her eyes half closed.
"We're gonna see him soon." Maggie soothed.
"Have a drink." Carl smiled softly, passing her a bottle with a tiny bit of water inside. Mary drank the rest of the bottle, and looked up at Maggie.
"We're here?" She asked quietly.
"Yeah. You're gonna stay here, okay? You're gonna stay with Carl and Eugene and Judith."
"I wanna stay with you."
"I'm coming back, don't worry. You stay here where it's safe, and I'll come back with your daddy. Okay?"
"Okay." Mary sighed. Maggie hugged her, then slid her onto the other seat.
"Bye, kiddo." Glenn smiled softly, and Mary waved at him groggily.
"Be good for Carl. Okay? I'll be back soon." Michonne whispered to Mary, kissing the side of her head. Mary nodded, and laid down on her good side, Carl stroking her hair softly, just as Rick did.
"Mary?" Carl asked softly a while later, and Mary opened her eyes and nodded. "Are you scared?"
"I'm not scared of anything." Mary muttered groggily, and Carl laughed, then went quiet.
"I'm scared." Carl commented nonchalantly.
Mary looked up at him, then nodded slowly. "Maybe I'm a little nervous."
"Because you're sick? Or because dad's not here?"
"Both." Mary nodded.
"I won't let anything bad happen. I promise." Carl smiled softly. Mary nodded, and sat up. Carl put his arm around her, and kissed the side of her head. "Wanna wear the hat?" He asked, and Mary nodded with a smile. "Now you've been shot, you're in the club."
Mary giggled, pulling the hat into her head, her hair hidden inside.
"Is Eugene gonna be okay?" Mary asked quietly.
"Yeah." Carl nodded, looking at the man sat on the floor in silence. Suddenly the door was opened, and Rick was stood there, shaking slightly.
"Dad? What is it?" Carl asked, knowing something was wrong immediately.
"Daddy?"
"Beth... Beth got shot." Rick whispered.
"Like me. She's in the club!" Mary half smiled, parroting Carl, not realising the extent to the injury. Almost everyone she knew who had been shot had survived.
"No. No, Mary. Carl, I'm so sorry. She died." Rick cried softly. Mary stood up, then began to fall, her hip too painful. Carl got up, carrying both of his sisters, crying softly. Rick hugged Carl, furiously tight, then took Mary. "We've got two cars. We're going. Is there anything left in here?"
"Just Mary's pills." Carl whispered, going back and grabbing them, Eugene behind the boy. Rick walked over to the two large cars, Mary crying into his chest. Carl began to cry a little more when looked into the back of the car and saw Maggie sobbing over Beth's body, Daryl by them, looking emotionally drained, just staring into space.
"We drive. We drive, and we find a nice place, and we bury her." Glenn whispered shakily. Rick nodded, putting a hand on Glenn's shoulder, and they all got into the cars, and left. When they stopped, it was at a small field, and Rick and Daryl began to dig the grave in silence.
Everyone in the group was shaken and shocked, and Mary was simply curled up into Carl's chest. "Shall I go talk to Maggie?" Mary asked quietly.
"No. Just let her have some space."
"Okay." Mary whispered, closing her eyes. She fell back to sleep in a few short seconds.

"Mary. Wake up now." Rick said gently, his voice tired. Mary opened her eyes, looking at him, slightly confused. "Come on. It's nearly bed time. There's a little bit of fish for everyone, and you need to take your medicine."
"Okay." Mary whispered. Rick picked her up and sat by the fire with her, Carl feeding Judith tiny bits of mashed fish. The sun was beginning to set, and on any other day it would be a nice evening. Not today.
The one large fish barely gave everyone a small portion; each person had two mouthfuls, but it was healthy and fresh and all they had.
"She can have mine." Noah said gently, passing Rick his tiny plate.
"You've gotta eat." Rick replied with a shake of his head.
"I can't. I just... I can't eat right now." Noah whispered shakily. "I'd sooner her have it."
"Noah..."
"I can't eat it." He cut off.
Rick sighed, then smiled at Noah. "Thank you."
"No problem." Noah nodded, almost emotionless about it. He looked broken.
"Have half." Rick said to Carl.
"Mary needs it. Seriously, dad. Mary needs it." Carl insisted. Rick nodded, and broke up the fish. Mary ate some with her fingers, then left a little.
"Finish it. Come on, it's only a little." Rick prompted. Mary nodded, and ate the rest, then took her pill with a little water. Mary looked over and saw Maggie sat alone crying, and her own face screwed up.
"Daddy, shall I go talk to Maggie?" Mary asked weakly.
"No. Maggie wants to be alone." Rick explained softly. Mary nodded back sadly, and nestled her head back into Rick's chest.
"How much water we got left?" Abraham asked loudly.
"Three small bottles." Rick sighed.
"I'm gonna go look for some." The man nodded, getting up.
"Abraham, it's getting late. It'll be dark in an hour, at the longest." Rosita pointed out.
"I'll be quick." He shrugged, getting up and leaving. Rosita sighed, but followed him.
"Dad? Can me and some others go look at the other cars down the road? We'll be quick." Carl asked quietly.
"Alright. Yeah. Be quick though. Take Tara and..."
"I'll go." Daryl said quickly, cutting Rick off. The leader nodded back at him, and the trio left. Rick looked around at the remaining group members and saw Carol sat looking weak, holding a sleeping Judith to her chest, Glenn throwing tiny sticks into the fire, Eugene sleeping already, Maggie sat alone, Sasha and Tyreese talking among themselves, Noah sat against the car.
"Come on. Let's see Noah." Rick whispered to Mary, getting up and walking over to the boy. "How're you doin'?" Rick asked softly.
Noah shrugged, his face full of pain.
"You're family, Noah." Mary smiled weakly, and Noah gave her a little smile.
"You're gonna stick with us?"
"I... It was safe at home. Gated community. My mom and little brothers are still there. Beth... She's was gonna come with me."
"How far?" Rick questioned.
"Outside Richmond, Virginia." Noah explained, and Rick nodded back.
"We could do that." Rick pondered.
"Little brother? I could be his friend."
"Two. They're twins." Noah corrected with a smile.
"Cool." Mary smiled sleepily.
"How many people?"
"Like twenty." Noah guessed, and Rick nodded slowly.
"Hey," Rick said softly to Noah, "don't say anything. Not yet. Let me think about it overnight."
"Sure." Noah nodded.
"Is it bedtime?" Mary mumbled, tugging Rick's ear.
"Yeah. Do you wanna sleep in the car or outside?"
"With the stars." Mary whispered, and Rick smiled back at her, kissing the top of her head. He went outside, and lent against the car, Mary against his chest. After singing the Sunshine Song to Mary, Rick sat there with the sleeping child, an eye on Judith asleep next to him with Carol, waiting for his son to return.

In the morning everyone sat and drank a little water, as Abraham and Rosita found some, and ate the mints and dried mango that Carl, Daryl, and Tara found. Mary dutifully took her antibiotics and pain killers, staying by Glenn's side that morning.
Once they had eaten, they stood by the car, Rick holding Judith, giving her some water, while Mary clung onto Glenn, her arms hooked around her neck.
"Noah came from a community. And I... I think we should go," Rick explained, "he says it was secure. It has walls, homes, twenty people. Beth wanted to go with him. She wanted to get him there. It's a long trip, but if it works out, it's the last long trip we have to make."
"And what if it isn't around anymore?" Glenn asked with a sigh.
Rick shrugged nonchalantly. "Then we keep going."
"Then we find another place." Michonne corrected.
"Alright. Let's get in the cars." Rick nodded. Everyone piled into the cars, Mary sat clinging to Glenn, as Maggie and Carl holding Judith sat next to them, Abraham and Rick in the front, Rosita and Eugene in the very back.
"Hey. Monkey, are you okay?" Glenn asked to the little girl.
"Sleepy." Mary mumbled.
"Okay. Just go to sleep. It's okay." Glenn soothed.
"Maggie?" Mary whispered, turning her head to the woman beside her.
"Yeah?" Maggie breathed, turning her head slightly. Before Maggie could say anything else, Mary wiggled over to Maggie, and snuggled into her chest. Maggie held her tightly for the whole drive, not speaking, just holding the little girl, crying into her hair.

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