♤
My mamas buried, she has a nice last place in a shallow grave. Her eyes closed to the new world.
But five weeks have passed since and I honestly don't think Rick is going to wake up.
In that time I gathered all the medicine I could with the keys off of my mama and placed it in my bag, the pack nearly full.
Stripped the local houses including my own after leading the little girl in pink to a gas station and Finns of their food, water, and medicine.
Cleaned the two rooms that I've been occupying.
Two so I can respect the comatose man. I've cleaned the blood out of the second one so I can sleep in there.
To be honest sleeping next to a bed of a man that isn't responsive is weird and moved out as soon as I could.
For the nights I sprayed the perfume my mama frequented after I snagged it on a trip I made back to the house.
The one thing I found interesting about the recent weeks is my adaption I made after only four years.
From almost no contact to a constant connection to people and back is suddenly is jarring. This 'Rick' isn't helping either because I tried to talk to him to get my communication hours in but... God. It's sad.
I sigh and kick the bucket at my feet, the sad trickle of water that is being pushed into the bucket was slow and agonizing to watch.
Since when I came back I've tried to fill as many buckets I can with water for the time I could before the power went out.
Little did I fucking know, even when the power went out we still had water but I guess whatever that was pushing that is almost out due to this weak piss stream.
I can only hope Rick is going to wake up soon so he can help me with all of this 'surviving' shit.
Not like he's helped me so far. I tricked those things into a room and chained them. I've sneaked around with guts hanging off me like Cinco de Mayo bead necklaces just to get his damned IV bags so he can stay hydrated while he stays in his fucking coma.
But I shouldn't get mad at him, it's not his fault he's in this hospital, its whoever shot him. This useless bastard named Rick. Mama would help him if she was here.
The man has a name, Luce. I smile at what she'd lecture me every time I come in as an intern. Every person has a name so before you say their disorder, you say their name.
Rick who is in a coma, isn't helping me.
"That vase- that's something special. 'Fess up. You steal it from your grandma Jeans house?" He laughs slightly.
I shoot around the doorway and stare, how could I not see this coming? Where were the signs of waking? Fuck it, too late.
I rush past his bed and click the lock, he's going to freak, but I have spent so much time on this bastard so I refuse to let him kill himself.
"I hope you left her that spoon collection" He laughs more but it quickly turns into coughs.
I sigh and place my 'I'm a nice person' face on and place a softly hand on his back, pushing back my muscles tension as my hair bristles on my arms as he grabs it in support.
I help him up into a sitting position and rub his back as he gasps in the uncharacteristic dirty air.
"Shane?" Rick asks me, I raise an eyebrow when he continues "Is he in the john?"
I clear my throat and say with a cracked voice "No, he's gone."
He stares at me and I glance down, I'm all dirty, I glance up and his blues are off of me, onto the dead flowers. I lean on the bed and say softly "I had the thought to change them, but that deputy gave them to you before it all happened."
He glances at me and takes a long look before croaking "Shane?"
I blink, shrugging before springing up, yanking the cup from his cart and splashing it into the bucket and pass it to him, the drops making the thin sheet hiding his dignity from me darker.
He gulps it down and wipes bed mouth before glancing at me, asking gruffly "Why are you all dirty? Where's my nurse?"
I sigh and explain slowly "Sir, it's all gone, everyone is dead. My mama was your nurse, I was shadowing her, but- she's gone. They shot her sir."
He stares at me momentarily before standing, falling to his stomach in an instant.
I huff and help him up saying sternly "Sir! You need relax, you just woke up. I need to change your bandages."
He looks at me and nods slowly, speaking as I move quickly, my hands shaking slightly "Whats happened?"
I sigh and shake my head as I speak "I feel it's better to show you but I don't know if you're strong enough yet-"
He audibly gulps and cuts me off "I am, trust me."
I glance up at him before taping his gunshot bandage on his chest and lean back saying firmly "Fine, but you need to listen to what I say and do it when I say it."
He nods and leans up, I hold my hand out and he grasps it, a loud grunt coming from him as he stands. Glancing at his IV.
I nod and shakily take it out. I let it fall as he speaks "I need to find my wife, my son."
I stare at him and inform him gently "I've been all around the town, I haven't seen anyone really."
He sighs and says firmly "I'm finding them."
I sigh and tell him firmly "Fine, I'm grabbing my bags and we are leaving. First your house?"
He nods and I turn, unlocking the door earning a sound form him and jog to the next room, scooping my bags up and meeting the limping man outside his room.
He gives me a look and says in an accusative tone "You locked me in."
I give him a look and click the flashlight on as I lead him down the hall "These things are attracted by everything a human is, our smell, our sounds. If you run out making a ruckus you'll get us both killed."
I glance at him as he makes a grunt, his hand on his stomach as he speaks "And you have to carry a gun? A machete?"
I nod and sigh "Yeah, they don't stop until they are dead, they won't stop till they kill you."
I turn sharply and face him as he skids to a stop in front of me "You have to understand, they will kill you."
He nods and I turn the chained room apparently beckoning him as he presses a hand to the door. I pull him back just as the doors slam against their restraints, the hands of those things reaching through the crack.
He turns to me and I say softly "They are dead."
He shakes his head as his voice rose "They are clearly alive."
I blink and glance at the ground, saying sternly "No, they really aren't, come with me."
I continue to the emergency exit, the stairway dark as I hold a hand out for the grown man.
I lead him down the stairs making sure he doesn't fall. He's very unsteady and in a hospital gown, not a good mix. If he goes down we will all be scarred, mentally and physically.
I open the door and watch as he covers his eyes before walking out after me into a place I lovingly call the jumpscare yard. His mouth fallen open in shock.
The very same courtyard full of dead ones where one of those things tried to kill me. My very first.
I guess it's not the one I willingly would let go of first. Apparently my virginity for killing someone was taken before the big V card.
As I lead him safely out of the yard and help him up a hill so he can look at the military camp, tents ripped apart by what seems to be demons. Bloody bodies littering the ground.
I glance at him and speak plainly "Rick, those things in that room did this. They aren't human like you or I."
He merely stares before I sigh and gently lead him to where I placed two bikes about a week ago just incase I needed to ditch his ass and save my own ass.
I pick up the bike and push it into his arms, I look to where the other bike I placed would have been but instead, I found a dead one on it.
It didn't have legs and it made me wonder what happened but they don't care about us why should we about them?
I pull my knife go to attack it but a clatter shakes me as I stop, staring at Rick as he stares with wide eyes, his hand out stretched.
I clench my teeth and point at the weak thing and say firmly "Get on that bike. And don't touch me."
His eyes widen as I turn back around but his voice croaks pathetically "Dont do that."
I glance at him before shoving my mamas knife in place before kicking the thing off my bike with a noise from Rick. I get on, rolling up to Rick as he gets and hiss sharply "These things bite you, they kill you, and you turn into them. Don't stop me next time."
He grunts and nods, saying softly "Ok, fine. Just, let's go to my house."
♤
As we ride past my road I make sure that he isn't pushing himself too far as he starts panting, his eyes shooting everywhere before landing on something.
I look where he was looking and find a nice house. I'm guessing it's his. I scramble off my bike as he suddenly hops off his and follow as he runs into the house.
"Lori." Rick pants as he opens the noisy door "LORI" he walks throughout the house painting and picking things up looking at them.
It was his job to figure things out like this but right now he's not in the best state of mind being that he just woke fucking up.
But despite what I specifically said he practically stage yells "CARL! CARL!"
I hiss sharply as he passes me, my hand gripping his arm "Shut. Up."
He pants and stares at me, gulping as he yanks away as he suddenly inhales deeply then shouts "LORI!CARL!"
I cringe at the sound as it echoes through the empty street. Well, it won't be so empty if he keeps shouting. His breathing fastens so I walk over to him and ease him to the ground and let him calm. Though, it doesn't work for he sobs. Loudly.
I cringe and weirdly pat him on the back as he sobs hard, seeing that I don't how to offer comfort for anyone except my mama and Princess.
In his mourning state, he weeps the names of Lori and Carl. I'm guessing this wife and son he was speaking of.
I lick my lips and say sternly "Shut up, I might know where your son and wife is, Atlanta, there was a camp there encouraging civilians to come."
He glances at me and dizzily asks "Really?"
I nod and help him up as he stumbles past me and onto the porch of his house, mumbling something about needing a second.
I pick up a picture frame with Rick and a brunette woman, son with brown hair and matching blue eyes to Rick.
His family.
I touch my bag as I peer out a window as Rick waves at something before he falls over.
I curse and run outside a boy standing over him. I fling my mama's bag at him and he falls with a grunt. I kick the shovel away from the boy and raise my mamas gun to him. He meets my eyes and starts yelling "Daddy! Daddy!"
I cock the gun and I hear a gunshot.
I back off the kid with the shovel under my feet and move my gun to the black man, I'm guessing the boy's father.
As he nears I glance at Rick who stares at the boy before whispering something, his eyes immediately rolling back.
Jesus fuck.
"He say something? I thought I heard him say something. That true?" the man asks me for the last part.
I roll my eyes and nod as his son replies with a shaky voice "He called me Carl"
The man loosens his body, only slightly and I suppose that it's because I'm here, and scolds his son "Son, you know they don't talk" Then he turns to me and says sternly, his gun still slightly raised "Mam' put the gun down."
I lick my lips and eyes him before putting away, his next question just as fast as his son appeared "Whats the bandage for?"
"Gunshot. Would you mind helping us?" I ask roughly as I grab the bag off the ground and help the kid up.
I glance at the dad and his eyes soften at his son before nodding saying "Follow me I guess."
♤