Take Us Back

@mutatiio

I know in my heart that Carl would be a little snitch.

This is a get well soon gift for my dear @wexarethewalkingxdead 💕 get better soon 💕

He almost couldn’t believe what he was hearing. Until now he had been convinced that she was set in her people’s ways, an ideology that had unknowingly been forced into his head from his Pack. Since then, he had seen a flicker of urgency within her, a need to leave this false society behind. Though, he did not entirely deserve her passion, not after leaving her like this for so many moons. Even if the wild deemed his separation necessary, with Lucille behind him it did not feel as if following nature’s ways was correct. His path was with her now, intertwined with the wild.

But why did it seem so artificial? He had convinced himself of some other truth. The brute turned from her, lips twitching in a temporary scowl. “It was unwise to choose me. You know how different it is…” he trailed off, daring to face her. “You do not need to stay here. These walls confine you. I can see it.”

There he went again with attempting to convince her to leave. A part of him still thought that she wouldn’t be so willing to leave the community behind for him, not when he had left her with something so sacred, he had not been aware of it until he had returned in the summer.

At the thought of it his expression shifted, less frustrated and more timid. “The boy,” he began. “Did you ever name him?”

Right now, Lucille wasn't sure if it was the hormone imbalance, the disorienting turmoil of emotions of having Beta back and wanting to kiss him and slap him at the same time, or the fact the baby was- well, a baby, and being a single mother and a doctor meant that a full night of sleep was a concept instead of a reality to her. But whatever the reason was, it didn't matter. She wanted out. Lucille wanted out and she couldn't get out of here, because how could she? She hadn't when it was just her and she couldn't possibly leave with a baby and put his life in danger because she'd finally begun cracking under the pressure and someone —Beta, who left her— was giving her another option.

Lucille sighed, tired. "Don't fuckin' remind me how unwise I can be." she pinched the bridge of her nose as she said that. There were dark circles under her eyes- she just didn't look the way she'd like to look when reuniting with someone who'd dumped her, and that was smoking hot. "Even if you're right, what life can I give a baby out there? At least here I don't have to worry about him getting mauled. But there are other threats here, threats we wouldn't have to deal with out there. So this is a fuckin' mess."

She dragged her hand down her face, letting it fall to her side and meeting Beta's gaze again when he asked for the child's name.

After her time in Woodbury, Alice had learned that a lot could be learned about a community —or in this case, about a group— just from looking at their elderly and young. The girl that sought her help, Beth, was nervous but didn’t strike her as afraid to speak- she definitely wasn’t afraid to speak when she told her father that he absolutely had to “see the doctor”, and the man, Hershel, he was well fed and like his daughter, unafraid to take up space. That was more than Alice could say about people in Woodbury.

She let Hershel remove his own prosthetics before she carefully checked the stump. Whoever had cut it off was a butcher, but Alice figured that in such desperate times one couldn’t be picky about who removed a limb to prevent someone from dying. Her gaze went to Shane when the man explained who’d taken care of it, and that that person didn’t have much medical experience either.

“He’s alive and it isn’t infected, I’d say she did more than an okay job,” Alice hummed. She reached for the prosthetic. “But I seriously recommend adding some padding inside this, so that you don’t risk the bone piercing through the skin cause of the weight. Muscle tissue will eventually start forming, but it’ll take a while. For now, keep the stitches clean, keep an eye on it for any decoloration or oddly colored tissue, and sleep with it elevated.”

“What part of Georgia are you from?” Hershel asked.

Alice smiled. “Born and raised in Atlanta, I was living and studying in Athens when… all of this happened.” she looked at all three of them. “How did you all end up together?”

Shane listened to them get more acquainted with one another, learning what he could from eavesdropping on the very conversation. He could learn a lot from someone by listening and observing. He was certain that she knew exactly what he was doing, but he didn’t care. The safety and well-being of everyone here was more important that not bothering someone or hurting their feelings.

He had just finished sharpening the last of the knives when he heard some of the others coming in from outside. Glenn was the first one that he seen when he stepped inside. He winced at how puffed his face was still. He pointed at Alice’s makeshift infirmary. “Might wanna have her check you out. Might have a broken orbital socket.” There wasn’t much that she could do about it if it was broken, but she might have some suggestions on how to care for it until the swelling went down at least.

Glenn frowned and instantly winced as the frown tugged at every swollen and bruised muscle on his face. “Probably wouldn’t hurt,” he admitted, but he didn’t want to get ahead of any of the others that might take priority.

"Jesus Christ," she muttered as she stood from where she'd been tending to Hershel. Alice gave a step forward then stopped, turning to the Greene's. "Remember what I said about the cushioning, and try not to wear it all the time because the straps holding it in place could cut off circulation. If you have any questions, this cell block isn't big enough not to find me. I'm here to help."

Then she reached Glenn, and she was pulling him towards her new cell. Alice was no stranger to swollen and bruised faces, she'd had to patch up people who'd had to face Merle in the Governor's fights more times than she cared to count. But they'd really done a number on Glenn.

Her attention turned to Shane, and she moved her braid from one shoulder to the other so it wouldn't be in the way. "That'd be helpful, thanks," Alice said with a nod.

Then, she spared Glenn a quick glance and moved towards Shane, reaching for his forearm to guide him a little further away from the cell, just enough so that she could whisper without risking Glenn hearing.