The Remains of Tomorrow #wattys2019

Chapter 11

Sighing I let the warm water take my weight as I felt clean for the first time in what felt like forever. Daryl had insisted on staying with me but he was called away, I'm not sure where. So now I was soaking in the tub with Rick just outside of the door waiting for me to call him when I was ready to get out.

Bandit was lying on the floor just watching me as if I was going to disappear again. Knowing I couldn't lay here forever I opened my mouth to yell for Rick, I'd given up on being body shy around these people. Daryl had explained that he had carried me through the town in nothing more than a blanket when Dwight had bought me home, so everyone had seen everything anyway. 

 As the door opened I saw Rick standing there with a towel in his arms before he placed it down on the radiator and reached into the bath to pull me out of the warm water. Sitting me on the toilet seat he quickly picked up the towel and wrapped it around me before carrying me to the bedroom where Liv had laid out some clothes for me. Smiling I reached for the soft jeans and flannel shirt as Rick placed me on the bed to sit. As he left the room I nod a thank you in his direction before drying myself up and slowly changing into the clean clothes. They feel heavenly against my skin.

Once I'm dressed and booted I gingerly pulled myself up from the bed just as my stomach cramps; oh thank god, I was worried that after what Simon had done to me I may have had a little surprise in there. As I walked back to the bathroom I was relieved to see my period had made an appearance. Grabbing a pad from the medicine cabinet I tidied myself up before leaving the room to make my way slowly downstairs where everyone was waiting.

"Kenzie, you should've called me I would've bought you down," Rick said as he came towards me to pick me up off my shaking legs.

"Thanks, Rick, but I was ok a minute ago." Smiling I saw Michonne and Carl in the kitchen while Judith was playing in the living room with some colored blocks Daryl had found on his last run. As Rick placed me on a dining room chair Carl brought me a plate of pasta and some vegetables from the garden, which he put in front of me with a glass of water. "Any chance there is some aspirin around?" Looking at Michonne I could see she already had a bottle in her hand and was bringing them over to me. Taking two I swallowed them with water before tucking into my dinner.

"So what happened at the sanctuary?" Carl asked me but shut up with a frown from his father,

"Nothing Carl; just some bad man thought he could bend me to his will. It's nothing I haven't dealt with before." I said as I took a bite of the carrots on my plate.

"Oh ok; Daryl said Negan was your father?" He asked again, completely ignoring the pointed cough from Michonne. Sitting back on my chair I smiled at him, he had grown so much since I had been away.

"Yes, but I haven't seen him for about two years. Last I saw him he was in a warehouse surrounded by walkers, Dwight went back to help him after he helped me escape from my father's men, but when I didn't hear from Dwight I assumed he had been killed by the walkers." Finishing my food I smiled up at Michonne, "Thank you that was lovely." Nodding her head at me she picked up Judith from the living room and indicated to Carl to pick up the blocks,

"Come on Judith lets get you home for bed." She said to the angelic child who immediately snuggled in her arms whispering Mama as she was carried out of the house, followed closely by Carl who gave me a quick wave goodbye. Turning back to Rick I noticed he was sat on the other chair with a coffee in his hand before he pushes the second one in my direction,

"I'm so glad you found that long-life milk; coffee tastes so much better with milk and sugar." He said taking a sip. Nodding I sighed as I took a sip of the sweet coffee before me; damn I missed a decent brew.