"You won't mind if I use the supplies you brung do you?" The man named Hershel said walking over. I shook my head and he took the stuff and stitched her up while I sat at the table. He was obviously older. He had longer gray hair but a growing bald spot and a grey beard.
The boy stayed behind and kept watch. He must've been tough, but he didn't really look the part. I guess we had that in common.
"Thank you." Michonne said to him as he smiled to her. The two went back to their area and Michonne looked to me.
"I want you to stay here." Michonne said sitting up.
"What why?" I asked confused. "I can fend for myself."
"Yes but if I'm right they'll be having a gun war." She replied quietly. "They'll also probably be trying to bring as many of the stronger ones as possible. If you stay you can make sure this place is safe enough just in case we need to get Andrea and come back."
I nodded. "Fair enough, but you need to promise to be careful." I said looking to her. She nodded. It wasn't a promise, but it was a hope.
They came back over and said they were ready to go. "I want her to stay here." Michonne said looking to me. We had yet to reveal our names just in case they wanted to try and rat us out.
"Fine." Rick said more worried about his people than me. "She can have her stuff back later." I rolled my eyes lightly but dealt with it.
we all walked out to the gate and Michonne was limping but it wasn't as bad. I hugged her lightly and smiled. She already knew what I wanted so I didn't have to speak.
They loaded the car and I looked around. I saw the boy talking to Rick and noticed they were on edge. I turned to see a woman with a baby. There was a girl at the gate with Michonne who looked to be a little older than I was. They all got in the car and headed out.
I crossed my arms and watched with a sigh as they drove off in a green car. All that was left was Hershel, the boy who's name I'd forgotten, a man in a prison jumpsuit, the girl, and the woman holding the baby.
"Let's head inside." The old man said as we all walked inside. I sat at the table and they all sat around me. I looked up at them and squinted my eyebrows. "So are you gonna tell us who you are?"
"Why do you wanna know?" I asked back with the least amount of sass I could.
"Just trying to be nice." He smiled and I could tell it was genuine. "Beth why don't you get her some new clean clothes? She looks your size."
"Can I have a pen too please?" I asked looking to her. She nodded once.
"Okay Daddy." The blonde girl nodded as she walked out. The woman with the baby left too. It was just Hershel and the boy left.
"Are y'all all related?" I asked looking to him.
"Well Maggie, the girl you saw get taken, and Beth are my daughters. Carl and the baby are Ricks kids." He said looking to me. I was confused as to why he was telling me everything.
"The baby doesn't have a name?" I asked looking to him.
"She does now. We'll tell you hers if you tell us yours." The old man didn't seem to know about her name but I basically knew all of theirs so why not.
"It's Lyla Rose." I said looking to Carl.
"Her name is Judith." The boy responded.
"How old are you Lyla Rose?" Hershel asked me kindly.
"Thirteen I think maybe fourteen." I replied.
"Carl is thirteen too." Hershel responded as I looked to Carl and nodded. I could've bet he wore that hat all the time. He had blue eyes and freckles.
"Here you go." The girl Beth said as she gave me a set of clothes.
"Why are y'all being so nice to me?" I asked looking at the clothes as she set them on the table with the pen on top.
"Because it's what we do. We haven't lost all our humanity." Hershel answered with a small chuckle. I nodded to him and looked at the clothes.
"Thank you Beth." I looked to her as she smiled and back down at the clothes. They probably were disgusted by me right now with all the guts on me, but it didn't bother me too much.
"So how long have you been traveling with that other woman?" Hershel asked.
"A little while. We were with another friend to but she liked Woodbury. She couldn't tell there was something off." I replied.
"What about your family?" He asked looking to me.
"They died a while ago." I answered before grabbing the pen.
"I'm sorry to hear that. Do you mind if I ask what happened?" He asked me as if he didn't just ask me what happened.
"My dad got bit." I said as I grabbed the pen and pulled up my sleeve revealing the marks as a drew four more. "My mom died after but I'm not sure how."
36.
"Any siblings?" He asked looking to me. I shook my head. "And those marks?"
"Just marks." I replied as I covered them back up. They were asking to many questions.
"So where you by yourself before?" He asked.
"Yeah for a long time. Maybe a year. I'm not sure." I replied looking to him.
"Its May 16, 2012. Does that give you some insight?"
"Well I'm officially fourteen now I guess." I replied. It was a lot longer than I thought. "By myself about a year and a few months."
"When's your birthday?" The man asked looking to me.
"May 10th. I was born on Mother's Day." I replied with a nod. I realized I hadn't seen any mothers around either. I wondered but I didn't want to ask.
"Let's get you some food." He said looking at me. "Take it as a belated birthday present." The boy continued looking at me as Hershel got up.
"Do you have a question for me?" I asked him.
"No." He said simply.
"Then what?" I asked confused.
"Just making sure you don't try anything." He replied looking at me.
"I have no reason to." I sighed lightly.
"Carl can you come help me." Hershel said from a distance as the boy left. I looked at the cell block where the woman with the baby went. I wanted to look at her. I hadn't seen a baby in a while and I always loved holding them.
"What are you doin?" Beth asked looking at me through the bars.
"I wanted to see the baby, but I understand if you don't want me to." I replied looking down. "Is there a place where I can go change?"
"Go in the corner over there I'll make sure no one watches." She replied. I was cautious but she didn't seem like too much of a threat.
I went to the corner and changed wiping the guts off with the clean parts of the shirt I had on before. I was now wearing light blue skinny jeans and a grey tank top. It wasn't what I normally wore but it was clean so I wasn't upset.
I finished changing leaving my flannel on to cover my arms and walked out as there was some food sitting on the table. "Daddy probably made that for you. You should eat." Beth said as I walked to it.
"Thank you for being so nice." I nodded again. She was really friendly and for some reason it didn't make me worried. I didn't know if it was because Andrea knew them or because of something else.
"It's no problem really. I'd hate to be out there for as long as you were. You deserve some kindness." Her accent was just as thick as her sisters. I nodded lightly and started eating. It was oatmeal and for not having oatmeal in a while I was really happy about it.
Soon enough it became night time. I sat on the floor against the wall by myself in the spare room since Carl didn't want to trust me. I'd do the same but I wanted them to at least give me a bed. After sitting there for a while just fiddling with my fingers I heard screaming.
"Is there more of you?" I asked looking out the door to the rest of them.
"No. It must be people who found their way in." Hershel answered.
"I'll go check on it." Carl said as he got up.
"I can't let you do that." Hershel said picking up his crutch to block him.
"My dad would do it." Carl said as Hershel let him pass. What an easy way to convince someone. He opened the bars to the room I was in and ran to the other set to leave.
"Am I allowed in there?" I asked looking to the rest of them.
"I don't kn-" Hershel started.
"How about I lay my claim. You have all my weapons, my friend is out there all alone and I plan on staying here until she's back, and he could be bringing in bad people and I'd be trapped with them." I said looking to Hershel.
"How am I supposed to know you won't hurt us?" He asked.
"Because it's night time and I have no where else to go. Also if I tried anything another one of you would have me out before I caused too much damage." I replied with detail.
"Fine but you'll have to stay in a cell." He nodded.
"With a bed?" I asked looking to him. He smiled and nodded. "Can I have my blanket from my bag?" He nodded and Beth went to get my bag.
I opened it and grabbed the blanket. I realized the medicine was gone too. "You took all my medicine?" I asked looking to him.
"You had a lot of Oxycodone. That's a powerful painkiller." He said looking at me.
"Yeah I know." I replied simply. "Why did you take it?"
"Well what did you have it for?" He asked concerned looking at me.
"I know what your thinking." I zipped my bag and threw it in the cell. "I'm not a drug addict. My mom was a pharmacist. We had it just in case." I responded looking to him. I didn't have any symptoms of a drug addict so it surprised me.
"Well I wanted to be sure." He replied with a nod. "I'll give it back-" he started as Carl ran back in and closed the cell door between the eating area and the smaller cells.
"Where's the-" Carl started before seeing me and then looking back to the cell. He locked it up and then closed the door to the cell I was in without locking it.
"Seriously?" I asked offended looking to him.
"It's precautions." He told me as I looked at Hershel who was too busy looking at the other people Carl brought in.
"Hey kid. What are you doing?" A woman asked. I couldn't see her well from the cell I was in.
"Your safe in there. You have food and water." Carl explained to them.
"You can't just leave us in here. Let us out! Now!" The woman yelled she was being extra loud and defensive. You'd think people know not to be that way in front of strangers anymore.
"Sasha. Leave the man be. We don't want any trouble." A man explained as the woman scoffed and they walked away.
I sat on the bed as the others started to talk about the newer new arrivals. I tried to listen but all I could hear was a woman scream crying. I wrapped in my blanket and leaned against the wall. I hoped Michonne would be back soon.