C H A P T E R   2 5

❛ heaven can wait ❜

MILO

     STRANGE, HOW HIS WORST MEMORIES were so much more clearly branded into his mind than the happy ones. He could still, to this day, remember the feeling of dizzying weightlessness when the getaway car had lost its grip on the road. He still remembered how time had slowed, the world spinning in a blur of hazy colors and sounds. Then, at the end, the terrifying disorientation when the car landed upside down. Or maybe he just remembered it so clearly because it was the exact same feeling that came rushing back to him now...

The bomb had hit, the world caving in all around him and he'd been thrown off his feet. His back had been slammed against the wall and for a moment, everything had turned to black. He couldn't possibly tell how much time had passed when he finally opened his eyes again.

There was only one source of light, a single sunbeam falling through a small crack in the debris somewhere above him. It wasn't much, but enough for him to see what had saved his life. The blast had loosened the cell door and thrown it across the room. It was stuck between two large pieces of debris, forming a small hollow in which Milo was laying.

Lucky couldn't even begin to cover it.

With a grunt he raised his arm, feeling for any wounds on his head. When he could find none, he slowly sat up straight. A stabbing pain in his left arm made him pause. The little light source provided him with the sight of a large gash going from his shoulder to his elbow.

"Fuck," he muttered.

It didn't appear deep enough to do any permanent damage but even with the limited medical training he had, he knew it would have to be cleaned and stitched. Soon. Because if it got infected, permanent damage was still a very real and a very dangerous option.

But there were more important things to worry about right now. That day of the car crash, his worry had been for his boyfriend. Now, it was for the son of the man his boyfriend put in a coma...Milo could only describe it as life throwing him the chance to make up for his mistakes.

"Carl?" he called out. Dust settled within his lungs and he coughed to get rid of it. "Kid?"

The silence that followed were the most terrifying seconds of his life. He had allowed Carl to come along. He knew it was dangerous. He should've said no, because now...

"Over here!"

A shaky breath escaped his lips. Milo closed his eyes and thanked whatever God might be willing to listen to him. Then, he carefully started crawling to the other side of the little cave. It was covered in shadows, which was why he'd missed the small shape huddled in the corner at first.

"Carl? You okay?" His voice sounded strangely muffled in the darkness.

He could hear shuffling noises as the teenager crawled towards him.

"I-I think so."

As soon as he was close enough, Milo pulled him into a tight embrace with his uninjured arm. Carl held onto him like a child wanting comfort after waking from a horrible nightmare.

"I got you," Milo mumbled.

For a moment they simply sat like that, holding on to each other in the darkness. It was easy to forget how young Carl still was. The world had forced him to grow up far too fast and it was only in moments like this when Milo was reminded that he truly was just a kid. Nobody should have to go through everything they had, but especially not someone like Carl...

He forced himself to let go of him, trying his hardest to smile reassuringly. "Well, we got ourselves into this situation. Time to get ourselves out of it."

The tiniest of smiles appeared on Carl's face, but the sight of it felt like a huge victory.

Milo clapped him on the shoulder before peering back into the darkness. There was someone else in here he had to find. The fact that he hadn't heard from him so far was worrying. "Uncle Javier?"

No one answered him.

He shared a worried glance with Carl, then tried again. "Javier?"

Still nothing.

"Wait," Carl said, making Milo turn to look at him. "Use this." He reached into the bag that was still slung around his shoulder and pulled out a flashlight, handing it to Milo.

"You came prepared, huh," Milo said, trying his hardest to seem lighthearted to keep them both from panicking. He turned the flashlight on and by some miracle it still worked. A bright beam cut through the darkness, showing the true extent of their dire situation.

Most of the roof had caved in. The cell had been completely blown apart. Though the wall leading to the original exit seemed to be mostly intact, which was part of what saved their lives. It was from that wall that the tiny bit of sunlight was coming from. Milo scanned the debris of what remained of the cell, searching for any sign of life.

His breath caught in his throat.

Javier had been thrown into the opposite direction by the blast. It had cost him his life. A thick, steel bar was buried in his chest. His legs were completely crushed by a large piece of rock from the roof. He was dead.

"I'm sorry," Carl muttered.

All he could do was nod, unable to find words. He hadn't seen the man in years. They were essentially strangers to each other now and yet they were related by blood. A tie unable to ever be completely severed. A fact proven by him coming here to get his uncle out in the first place. He just wasn't sure how he was supposed to feel right now...

"Yeah," Milo finally managed to say, "me too."

The only solace he could find was the hope that if there was some sort of afterlife, Javier was there now, reunited with his wife and kids. Milo shook his head, wondering why he was considering such things all of a sudden. He'd sworn off religion a long time ago, but somehow it seemed like religion wasn't completely done with him yet.

He took a deep breath, pushed those thoughts aside, and turned back to Carl. "We have to find a way out of here and fast. We might be able to breathe now but if we wait too long, oxygen will run out." He frowned. "Though we'll probably die of dehydration before that."

"I get it." Carl nodded at him and Milo could feel his own resolve growing. He would get Carl out of this, no matter the cost.

He pointed the flashlight at the small crack in the debris. "I say we start there. We gotta figure out how to make that hole bigger without the entire thing coming down." His eyes flickered towards Carl's bag. "You got any more useful things in there?"

Carl rummaged through the bag, then shook his head. "Just some rope." Then he frowned, catching sight of Milo's wounded arm. He'd accidentally pointed the flashlight at it. "You're injured."

"I know, but I can't do anything about it without water or clean bandages. So, for now, we focus on getting out of here. First things first." He pulled his shirt up to cover his nose and mouth. "You do the same, gotta avoid all that dust getting in your lungs."

Carl did as he was told. "How do you know all this stuff?"

"Been on the streets a long time. You pick up a few things."

He looked at the small square of light once again. Their only hope of salvation. It was very likely the others considered them dead. They wouldn't stick around with the Saviours out there to dig through the rubble to check. The Saviours wouldn't bother either. And so help from the outside was highly unlikely. They were going to have to figure this one out themselves.

Perhaps that was a good thing. The practical problem in front of him kept his mind from worrying about the others, from feeling the confusing grief of losing his uncle, from feeling the pain in his arm...He had a problem to solve and could work on all the other emotions swirling around inside of him later.

"Alright," he said. "Once we start moving, we're at risk. This is the safest place to be if this thing collapses any further. So, we try to figure out what to do from here. Then we move." He smiled. "Think of it like a puzzle."

Carl sighed, though a small smile tugged at his lips. "I never liked puzzles."

"Same kid," he chuckled.

Still, it was their only way out of here. So, both of them focused their gaze on the rubble surrounding their exit. Carl who pointed at a large rock beneath the opening. "I don't think we can make it any bigger at the bottom. The wall at the right will come down."

It was a good observation. A thick piece of debris to the right was resting on the rock below their window. "Okay, so the bottom and the right side are off limits. How about the top?" Milo aimed the flashlight at the rubble above the opening. "It looks like we can move that without the risk of bringing the walls down." He frowned. "The only problem is there could be tons of debris piled up above us. We'll never be able to move that."

And even if they managed to move it, they were at risk of causing the entire room to collapse. Or, the debris could fall directly in front of the opening. Both options would kill them.

"Brick by brick." Carl's face showed grim determination and for a moment he looked so much like his father that Milo stopped and stared. That exact look was what had made him follow Rick all this time. It wasn't exactly optimism, or even hope, just the stubborn willpower to live.

Milo smiled. "Brick by brick it is."

Taking a deep breath, he pushed himself up to his knees. He couldn't stand up straight but there was enough space for him to squat. He glanced at Carl, his smile gone, exchanged for a serious frown. "I'll go first. You do not follow until I say so, okay?"

He could barely forgive himself for getting Carl into this. If he got him killed now, he would live with that guilt forever.

For a moment, it seemed like Carl was about to protest, but whatever he'd wanted to say, he managed to hold it in. Then the teenager nodded.

Milo handed him the flashlight. "You light the way for me."

With slow and deliberate steps, he made his way out of their small cave. He tried to move slowly to kick up as little dust as possible or cause any rumblings. He knew what he was doing went against all rules when being buried beneath rubble. But there was no one coming to save them. This was the only way.

A large rock was in the middle of his path. Carefully, he tried to climb over it, but the ceiling was lower than he expected. A hiss escaped his lips when his left shoulder scraped against the rough surface. A blinding pain shot through his arm. Pebbles and dust rained down on him. He squeezed his eyes shut and coughed.

"You okay?" Carl asked.

"All good," he managed to get out in between coughs. "Bet you're real glad you're not as tall as me right now."

Carl chuckled, but his voice held a nervous tremor.

Milo blinked to get rid of the dust in his eyes. Once he could see without his eyes watering, he moved on. Though he slowed his pace even further and made sure to keep his left side turned away whenever he moved too close to a wall. He couldn't afford to injure himself any further.

By the time he finally reached the other side of the room, he was sweating and slightly out of breath. He forced himself to take a few deep breaths, trying to get his heart rate down. Both to save oxygen and to start on the task at hand with a clear head.

"Alright," he said, turning to inspect the wall.

There were two options when it came to keeping Carl safe and making the window bigger. He could either get Carl over here now, with the risk of burying them both if he moved the wrong piece of debris. Or he could leave him there, with the risk of separating them. Still, the makeshift cave was the safest place in the rubble.

He decided to start moving some debris first. If he could get the hole big enough for Carl to move through, he would get him over here and outside. Whatever would happen, Milo would get him out first.

"Keep the flashlight on the wall, here," he instructed, pointing above the window.

Carl obliged.

A small piece of debris above the window sat a little more loose than the rest. It was as good a place to start as any.

"Brick by brick," he muttered to himself.

He wiped his sweaty palms on his jeans. Then, as slowly and cautiously as possible, he reached for the debris. He started pulling at it almost painstakingly slowly, but didn't dare move any faster. Stone scraped against stone, his shirt covered in a layer of grime. He almost didn't dare breathe as he pulled. So far so good.

Suddenly the stone came free, almost making him stumble. He managed to steady himself and waited if anything would collapse. But nothing happened.

He sighed with relief, then placed the rock down beside him. The window was now big enough for a small child to fit through. It would need to be bigger for Carl to fit.

Milo threw a look over his shoulder at the teenager. "You good?"

"Yeah, I'm good."

"Me too." He wiped the sweat from his forehead, then gestured to the remaining rubble above the window. "Can you tell me which part I can move next?"

From his position a little further away, Carl had a much better look at the wall as a whole. He frowned as he studied the many lines and cracks. "Try the one directly above the bit you just moved."

Milo followed his instructions and moved on to the next piece of debris. He steadied his feet and then slowly started pulling. His injured arm felt as though it was on fire, but he buried the pain by focusing on his task. This rock was much bigger than the one before. It took him a lot of effort to keep his body as still as possible while gathering his strength.

A low rumbling made him pause, his heart racing as he looked around. The sound of rocks falling made him wince but nothing around them seemed to be moving. He kept looking around though, even after the noise stopped.

"Must've been above us," he said, trying to reassure a pale looking Carl.

The kid could fight walkers, even humans, with a straight face, but nature...That was a whole different story. Something like this could not be fought, only endured.

He took a deep breath, then continued pulling. This time no sounds were heard and he managed to pull the debris free without any problems. The hole was fairly large now but he couldn't be sure Carl would fit through it. Besides, he wanted to be sure it was safe for him to go outside.

Slowly, Milo stood a little straighter, trying to look out of the hole without bumping his shoulders against the sides. Fresh air greeted him and filled his lungs with hope. He blinked against the morning sun, then inspected their surroundings. The makeshift exit was about halfway a big pile of rubble that, only a few hours ago, had been a house. If they moved carefully, they might be able to make it down the street safely.

He squatted down into the darkness again and gestured to Carl. "Okay, get over here. Try to follow the path I took, yeah?"

Carl nodded. He put the flashlight in his mouth to have both hands free. With a concentrated frown on his face he crawled out of the cave. He moved slowly, just like Milo had done, carefully scanning the ground before taking the next step.

With bated breath, Milo watched. His hands were itching to help but there was nothing he could do, except make things worse. It took him a lot of willpower to stay seated and simply watch. When reaching the spot Milo had bumped against the ceiling, Carl managed to get through without much effort. The kid grinned, as if to say that being smaller indeed had the advantage at the moment. Milo simply smiled in return, afraid that if he were to speak, he'd distract him.

When at last, Carl reached him, Milo was quick to place a hand on his shoulder. Both to steady him and to convince himself he really was beside him.

"Okay, you're gonna climb outta here, but move slowly. This thing can still come down."

Carl frowned. "What about you?"

"I'll be right behind you."

"I'm not a little kid anymore, Milo," Carl said, looking more serious than he'd ever seen him. "You won't fit through there. We have to make the hole bigger first."

Milo rubbed his forehead, then nodded. He should've known Carl wouldn't be fooled. "Every rock we move risks bringing this thing down. You can get out safely now. There's no telling what will happen if I make it any bigger first."

Carl didn't move, just kept staring at him with that steady gaze. "I'm not leaving you."

Milo gently squeezed his shoulder. "Are you sure?"

"We don't leave people behind. Not us."

For a moment, Milo studied him. He knew he wouldn't be able to convince Carl to change his mind, but he also knew that if something were to go wrong...Well, he probably wouldn't have to live very long with his guilt.

"Alright," he sighed. "Let's do it."

Carl nodded, then pointed to their right. "I think we should move that one."

Milo eyed the debris. "We won't be able to pull it. Look." He gestured to where the debris was blocked by what looked like an old water pipe. "This part of the roof is supported by that pipe. We'll bury ourselves."

"So we push."

Milo didn't answer immediately. It seemed like their only option. The point was, when he'd moved that last bit, it had caused rumblings outside. There was no telling what setting this piece loose would cause. But one quick look at their surroundings told him that this was the only piece they could move. Everything else would for certain make the place come crashing down. A sigh left his lips. Then he nodded.

"Okay, put your hands here," he pointed at the bottom of the debris. "Make sure your feet are steady so you don't slip and accidentally knock something over."

Carl nodded, placing his hands as instructed.

Following his own instructions, Milo got in position. "1, 2, 3...push!"

He immediately knew something was wrong. The sound of rocks scraping against each other was far too loud. Grime rained down upon them in a thick cloud. He could feel the walls around him trembling as the pile of debris above them slowly came falling down.

"Stop!"

"No, we have to go!" Carl shouted.

Milo gritted his teeth. He was right. They'd set something in motion and stopping it would only mean delay. This was it. They either got out, or they died right here.

"Faster," Milo ordered.

Carl grunted as he continued pushing.

Through the hole, Milo could see rocks tumbling down. They weren't gonna make it. He shook his head, forcing those thoughts from his mind. Instead, he threw all his weight against the rock, abandoning all caution. A primal instinct took over, forcing him to fight, to move towards the light and get the hell outta there.

A loud crack echoed through the small space. Debris fell down behind them. The roof was caving in.

"You gotta go!" he shouted above the terrible noise.

"Not without you!" Carl screamed in return.

A frustrated shout escaped his lips as he threw his weight against the wall once again. His left arm was aching, his eyes watering from the dust and his lungs burned. Yet, he continued pushing. Slowly, painfully so, the hole got bigger.

The walls shook. They were out of time.

"We're good, let's go!" Milo shouted.

This time, Carl listened. He climbed up towards the hole and disappeared outside.

Milo followed, trying to only use his right arm when pushing himself up. But the hole was still very small and he couldn't prevent his wounded arm from scraping against the sides. The pain was blinding, almost making him come to a halt. But he'd lived through enough dangerous situations to know that he had to keep moving. It was more instinct than conscious choice at that point. Still, he kept moving.

With a grunt he pulled himself free, sunlight enveloping him. As fast as he could, he got to his feet. The ground was shaking beneath him as debris continued to fall around him.

"Come on!" Carl took a hold of his arm and pulled him down the pile of rubble.

The two of them moved as fast as they could, getting as far away as possible. His feet hit the pavement, the ground no longer shaking. Breathing hard, Milo stopped and turned around, just in time to see the pile of debris collapsing in on itself, creating a small crater.

Fatigue hit him sudden and hard, forcing him to sit down. He all but collapsed on the ground taking Carl, who was still holding his arm, down with him. He eyed the pile of rubble and a wave of relief washed over him. Then, he started laughing.

Carl chuckled softly beside him.

"I can't believe that worked," Milo grinned, wiping the dust from his forehead and pulling his shirt back down.

Carl didn't reply and instead studied him with a wisdom no kid his age should possess. "You didn't know you would fit through that, did you?"

His grin faded almost as fast as it had come. "No," he admitted. "I didn't."

In fact, he thought he wouldn't fit at all.

Carl frowned and Milo was pretty sure that if the kid had been any less tired, he would've been angry. "Why do you think I deserve to live any more than you do?"

Milo shook his head. "It's not about deserving. It's about doing what we can to save the people we love. You said it yourself, we don't leave people behind."

Carl didn't look convinced.

He sighed. "If this war has taught me anything, it's that the only way we can live knowing what we've done...is because the reason why we do them." He looked Carl in the eye, placing a steady hand on his shoulder. "I'd rather have died knowing I did everything I could to save you, then have you needlessly dying beside me."

"Okay," Carl said, nodding slowly. "Then let me save you now. We gotta find something to clean that wound."

Milo chuckled tiredly. "Yeah, let's do that."

A U T H O R 'S  N O T E

THEY'RE ALIVE!!

You didn't seriously think I would kill these two precious babies did you? Honestly, killing off Carl is the biggest mistake the writers made in my opinion. So, obviously, I had to correct it. Which is why this chapter was also filled with some hints about the role I'm planning for Carl in the future of this story ;)

And, as some very observant reader pointed out, I once promised I wouldn't harm Milo. Well, I still stand by that. Maybe a little bit of pain here and there but, he's here to stay! Sadly, I can't say the same for uncle Javier. I considered keeping him alive but honestly saw no other purpose for him to be here anymore.

I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. Please leave some comments and votes if you did. I'd love to hear from you guys and chat with you. As always, thank you all so much for your support!

xx Nelly