Chapter 37 | A new beginning
Episode 9x1(A new beginning)
"It's fine, only a head injury doesn't mean I can't have fabulous nails."-Ava Reid
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-March 5th 2014 1285 days since the start
-A lot has happened this past year and a half. Maggie had her baby in fall 2012 she had a healthy baby boy who she named Hershel JR after her late father. And on December 12, 2012 I had Maya. I had her a few weeks before she was due but she ended up okay. She's the sweetest baby I think I have ever met. She might only be a year old but I can already see the kindness in her. I love her and I will never let anything bad happen to her. She has light brown hair and blue eyes. Me and Carl both had blue eyes so it wasn't all that surprising. What surprises me about her is how much of Carl you can see in her. I still miss him and I don't think I'll ever stop. But I have to be strong for Maya. When she gets older I'll tell her all about him.
-Right now I'm sitting in a wagon next to Maggie on a mission to Washington D.C to get supplies for all the communities. We are going to a museum for old wagons, crop plows and anything else we need that was used way back in the day to help bring our future forward.
-"We're good for now sweep protocol when we get in." Michonne says at the door to the museum.
-We go into the museum and it's run down.
-"Y'all got your list circle back when you're done, be safe." Rick says.
-I'm looking around with Rick, Anne(The last surviving scavenger cause Simon killed all her people when they turned on the saviors.), Siddiq, and Father Gabriel when Siddiq gets grabbed and pulled down. We all hear him scream and he crawls away from the biter after killing it faster than the speed of light.
-"You okay?" Rick asks him.
-"Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Thanks he says while brushing stuff off of him. There were spiders. I don't like spiders."
-We got to a room where Anne said there would be seeds.
-Rick goes through the filing cabinets in it.
-"You were right Anne." He says when he gets to a full filing cabinet.
-"How'd you know we'd find seeds here." Gabriel says.
-"Brought my class back when I was teaching. Found out they calculated heirloom lines for the gardens and they kept these on hand so they could rotate the crops." Anne says.
-"They made a doomsday vault without knowing it." Gabriel says.
-"We're grateful. The sanctuary will be too. Let's take the lot back and see if others need help." Rick says.
-We try taking the wagon down from downstairs. This isn't going to be an easy task. The glass floor below the stairs is starting to crack so it's also dangerous especially with all the biters below it. Everyone who is bringing the wagon from downstairs is tied to a post so if the glass breaks we can bring them up.
-"All right, easy. Last step. Easy!" Rick says when the wagon does not come down easy
-"All right hold, hold. So far so good." Rick says.
-Rick walks in front of the wagon to help pulling it carefully. "Let's go." He says.
-We start pulling the wagon.
-"Easy, Easy slow." Rick says
-"Whoa, Whoa, Whoa." everyone says.
-"Watch your fingers." Carol says.
-"Last step hold, Hold." We all hold in place so the wagon doesn't go through the glass.
-Me, Ken, Marco, and Siddiq pull the wagon wheels with the rope so it turns. The glass starts to break more under it and I can see we are going to have a problem.
-The wagon made it off the glass now all we have to do is pull the other plows and keep the others safe that are walking on the glass.
-King Ezekiel, and Carol are on the glass getting the final plow when the glass starts to break.
-"You gotta go!" Rick calls out.
-"Save the plow." King Ezekiel says and throws it and falls through the glass.
-"Ezekiel hold on." Carol says.
-We all grab the rope to bring him up.
-We manage to bring him up after struggling. Carol gives him a hug and kisses him once he's brought up.
-After that eventful 10 minutes we get ready to go back to the communities.
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-We are traveling on Route B when Rosita comes up on her four wheeler.
-She brings us to a broken bridge.
-"Two other herds merged into Silvia. One of them came here and the backend took down the bridge. Took the walkie repeater with it." Rosita says.
-"What about Route A is that clear yet?" Daryl asks her.
-"It's still too close to the herd." Rosita says.
-"We can get to Alexandria from this side. Stay there until it passes." Michonne says.
-"No Route A taken days to clear I have to get home to Herschel." Maggie says.
-"I have to get back to Maya." I add.
-"We could take Route D. It's early enough in the day." Carol says.
-"Keep an eye on the trade road in case anyone else tries to go through. Gabriel y'all can get back to Alexandria from here. The rest of us. We can go to the sanctuary or hilltop and head off from there. Take care, get home safe." Rick says.
-We head off to Route D when the wagon gets stuck in the mud.
-"Rick the horses can't pull the wagon through the mud." Michonne says.
-"Maggie I think they need a break." Ken says talking about the horses.
-Rick and some of the others pull the wagon out of the mud while they are doing it a group of biters come out of the woods. A biter gets too close to a horse that it moves the wagon spooked knocking the plow out breaking it.
-"We gotta go. Leave the wagon." Rick says.
-We go to leave.
-"No I got to free her." Ken says and runs back to the horse.
-"Ken. Wait!" Rick says.
-Ken goes to free the horse but is bitten by a biter on the arm and kicked by the horse.
-Me and Siddiq run over to amputate his arm.
-"They're gonna fix it you'll be alright." Marco says trying to comfort him.
-"Look at me there, gonna fix it." Marco says again.
-"We'll keep the walkers away." Rick says and goes to kill the biters coming our way.
-"Ava. Get the quick cloth and the tourniquet." Siddiq says to me.
-I grab it out of the bag quickly.
-"Here." I say.
-"Tell my dad to let Marco take my place alright." Ken says to Maggie.
-"Hey you're gonna talk to your dad yourself just stay awake." Siddiq tells him.
-We lift up his shirt and see a deep purple bruise from where the horse kicked him.
-"Okay." Ken says breath seemingly less.
-"Ken, Ken, just stay awake." Maggie says.
-His eyes shut.
-"Ken look at me." Maggie says.
-"Tell my mom and dad that I'm comi-" He tries saying before he takes his last breath.
-"Ken?" Maggie says.
-"Ken?" Maggie says voice a little more shaky this time.
-Ken is dead. Ken has been really nice to me since I got to the hilltop. He takes care of the animals. He got me over the fear of being with a horse to learn to trust the animal. He was kind hearted. He died saving a horse. Honestly it's the type of death you expect he would have.
-Maggie takes out her knife and carefully stabs him in the back of the head so he won't turn.
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-We take Ken's body back to the hilltop and Maggie goes to give his parents Earl, and Tammy the news that he died.
-I go to get Maya from Joanna who watches her from time to time.
-"Thank you for watching her." I say to Joanna.
-"No problem, she's a very easy baby." Joanna says.
-"Ava." I hear Addy say and run up to me and give me a hug.
-"Hey Ad's better not be giving Ms Joanna a hard time."
-"I don't." She says.
-"Hey look what I found." I say and pull out nail polish out of my bag. "It hasn't gone hard either so it should work."
-"Oh my gosh." She says. "Can you come back later and I can paint your nails?"
-"Of course." I say.
-I pick up Maya from the pack n play.
-"Hey little princess." I say.
-"Mama." She babbles.
-"Just wait till she's old enough to talk back. You're gonna be missing that when she gets older." Joanna says.
-"Yeah probably. Oh there's going to be a funeral tonight for Ken. I didn't know if you wanted to go."
-"Yeah I heard. I'm watching the kids for everyone so he can be buried in peace. I can watch Maya while you go to the funeral if you would like." Joanna says.
-"That would be wonderful. Don't want her to start crying in the middle of the service." I say.
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-"Tis the last rose of summer. Left blooming alone. All her lovely companions. Are faded and gone. No flower of her kindred. No rosebud is nigh. To reflect back her blushes. Or give sigh for sigh. And so soon I may follow. When friendship decay. And from love's shining circle. The gems drop away. When true hearts lie withered. And fond ones are flown. Oh who would inhabit. This bleak world alone." Alden sings.
-"I'm gonna miss you Ken. Heaven's a better place for having you. Cheers." Alden says and puts up his drink.
-"Ken was a quiet, good hearted young man. He wasn't a fighter. He tended to our animals. He shoed the horses. It's regular guys like Ken that keep a place going. He will be remembered as a son, a friend, a shining example of hilltops strength and fundamental decency. Even in the face of this terrible tragedy. Cheers Ken. Rest in peace." Gregory says
-I'm surprised that Gregory possesses such kind words.
-We go and bury Ken.
-"I'm sorry that he died. I know he was your friend." I say to Alden.
-"He was everyone's friend. Not a moment went by when he didn't make you feel welcome." Alden says.
-"I got to go get Maya. Have a good night. Well the best you can." I say to Alden.
-"Good night Ava." Alden says.
-I head to Joanna trailer when I hear a baby crying. I run to see what's going on and see Hershel's crib knocked over and Maggie fighting a hooded man.
-"Oh my god Maggie." I say and run over to help her.
-I try to get the person away from her but they knock me away and I hit my head and everything goes black.
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-March 6th 1286 days since the start.
-I wake up dazed in the infirmary. But there's only one question on my mind is Maggie okay.
-Alden is sitting next to my bed and notices that I'm awake.
-"Where's Maggie, is she okay?" I say worriedly and go to sit up to look for her.
-"She's fine but you need to stay here. You hit your head really hard." Siddiq says.
-"No. I'm fine." I say and start to get up.
-The room is spinning and when I go to walk I fall but am caught by Alden.
-"You need to stay here. I promise you Maggie is fine." Alden says.
-"What happened?" I say.
-"It was Gregory. He had Earl try to kill Maggie." Alden says.
-"Why would Earl do it though." I say
-"He was drunk. I'll go tell Joanna that you're awake to bring Maya in." Alden says.
-"Thank you." I say.
-Siddiq checks if I have a concussion and the answer is I definitely do.
-Joanna walks in with Maya and Addy a few minutes later.
-"How are you feeling?" Joanna asks.
-"As long as I don't move I'm fine." I say.
-She carefully puts Maya on the bed with me.
-"Did anyone tell you that tonight Maggies-" Joanna covers Addys ears and tells me the rest. "Hanging Gregory."
-"Serves him right. He's had a million chances. I would have hoped after the election he would've realized better." I say.
-"I brought the nail polish. Can I paint your nails?" Addy says.
-"Addy I told you to not bother Ava about that." Joanna says.
-"It's fine, only a head injury doesn't mean I can't have fabulous nails." I say.
-Addy paints my nails.
-"Hey, your nails now match the blue flannel you always wear." Addy says.
-"Yeah they do." I say.
-Maya has fallen asleep on me and Joanna is leaving.
-"Would you like me to take her?" She says about the sleeping baby.
-"She's fine I don't want to wake her." I say and play with her hair.
-They leave and I'm not alone for long when Rick and Michonne walk in.
-"Oh we'll come back later." Rick says, noticing his sleeping granddaughter.
-"No you're fine. What's the matter." I says.
-"We just heard you were up and wanted to make sure you were okay." Michonne says.
-"Hey how's Judith doing." I say.
-I haven't seen Judith in a few months and they haven't brought her to the hilltop in awhile.
-"She's doing great. She actually was asking for you and Maggie the other day." Rick says.
-"You should come see her. You should convince Maggie to go too." Michonne says.
-I have no intentions of going to Alexandria and neither does Maggie but I won't say that to them.
-"We'll see." I say to them.
-"When is Gregory getting hanged?" I say changing the subject.
-"Nightfall." Rick says.
-"Good. I want to be there." I say.
-Rick and Michonne leave after a little bit and Siddiq and Alden come back into the infirmary to check on me.
-"I want to see Gregory get hanged." I say to Siddiq.
-"You have to stay here Ava you can't walk." Siddiq says.
-"I don't have to walk, we have a wheelchair for a reason." I say.
-"That's fine. Alden, can you push it for her?" Siddiq says.
-"Yeah no problem." Alden says.
-Joanna comes and gets Maya a bit later and once the sun goes down Alden and Siddiq help me in a wheelchair and push me to where they're gonna hang Gregory.
-"I don't want to do this. But people need to understand that at hilltop the punishment fits the crime." Maggie says.
-"Do you have any final words?" Maggie says to Gregory
-"What you're doing isn't right. Somebody stop this please. Killing me in the dead of night because your ashamed." Gregory says.
-"You're wrong I'm not ashamed." Maggie says and gives Daryl the signal to release the horse Gregory's on.
-"Stop this! Please! Now for the love of god stop it!" Gregory tries pleading.
-"Maggie stop." Michonne calls out. I look to see what she's talking about and see Addy and Rodney out of bed.
-The horse under Gregory is let go and he is hanged.
-"Get the children back in bed. I made this decision but this is not the beginning of something. I don't want to go through it again." Maggie says.
-We all just see Gregory's body swinging back and forth.
-"Cut him down." Maggie says to Daryl.
-He complies and Gregory's body makes a loud thump when he's cut down.
Word count 2386
~New chapter yay! I know Maya wasn't on the list of possible names last chapter but I was listening to Because I liked a boy by Sabrina Carpenter and I was thinking about roles she played and I remembered the name Maya from her character in Girl meets world. As always I hope you have a wonderful day/night :).