valiant|| the walking dead

four.

The boy she adored with her entire being.

Carl pushed the bandages back onto his stomach and pulled his shirt back down. The three people stared at Carl.

"I-I don't... how..." Rick stuttered.

"Dad... it's alright. It's gotta be." Carl said to him. "I wasn't sure if you'd make it back before... but just in case, you know..." Carl pulled out letters from his pocket, "I wanted to make sure I was able to say goodbye." He handed the letters to Michonne.

"No, it's them. It's them. They- they don't. It wasn't..." Rick was in denial.

"Carl." Michonne cried. Aiden stayed silent, staring at Carl.

"No."

"I got bit." Carl's voice broke, Aiden closed her eyes and the tears started rolling. "I was bringing someone back. His name's Siddiq. We saw him at the gas station before... it wasn't the Saviors. It just happened. I got bit."

Aiden let out a small cry. Carl still held one letter in his hand. He moved his arm towards Aiden and she shakily took it. "Read it when I'm gone." He whispered to her.

"C-Carl..." she said to him with a horrible cry after stuttering out his name.

"Aiden, it just happened." He said to her. Carl started to cough and the three moved him to Siddiq's cot who willingly moved. Payton and Xavier moved over to them.

Xavier had handed Elliot to Rosita who watched the small, little family.

"Is that better?" Michonne asked him.

"Yeah... thanks." Carl replied.

"I, un, I got these." Siddiq said, "they're over-the-counter, no-steroidal, non-inflammatories. They'll, um, they'll help a little with the fever. They did for my mom and dad. Please take them." He held out the medicine. "Your son... he should have them."

"You're a doctor?" Rick asked him.

"I was a resident... before." Siddiq replied.

"Yeah. Your name is Siddiq?" Rick asked and looked to his son, "did you know he was a doctor? Is that why you brought him back?"

"He wasn't gonna make it alone. He needed us. That's why." Carl responded.

"He was the one at the gas station." Rick said quietly." A loud explosion occurred and rocks fell. Rick quickly covered Carl's body. The boy coughed.

"Water. Get him some water." Payton said in worry. They handed Payton the water and Rick helped Carl drink it. Michonne stood and wildly looked at Dwight.

"Make it stop," the woman said and slammed him into the tunnel wall, "make them stop."

"I can't," Dwight replied.

"You can. You're one of them. They'll listen to you." Michonne said. "Please." She whispered. "Please."

Aiden watched as Carl reaches for her hand. She allowed the boy to take her trembling hand.

"Hey, man." Payton said as he kneeled down beside Rick.

"Hey, Pay." Carl said.