𝘿𝘼𝙍𝙆𝙎𝙄𝘿𝙀

❝ CHAPTER FOURTEEN—
" spend " ❝

▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ WHEN BLYTHE OPENED HER EYES, SHE WAS MET WITH A BLURRY FIGURE STARING DOWN AT HER. as she blinked away the blurriness the face came more clearly into view. 

"you look like shit," dilan let out, biting into an apple. 

blythe brought a hand up to rub her face, "what time is it?" she asked. 

dilan shrugged, "I dunno, three o'clock maybe." 

blythe took a deep breath, despite her lungs feeling like they were on fire. she sat up in the hospital bed and looked around. 

she was in an empty room with only dilan, chomping on an apple, wearing a pink robe and fuzzy slippers. 

blythe tossed her feet off the bed and removed the iv from her arms, "how long was I out for?" she muttered, standing up.

"whoa, take it easy, tiger," dilan reached a hand out, "doc says you lost lots of blood." 

she shrugged it off, "I'm fine, where is everyone?" she looked around the small room. 

"well, you kinda conk out from the loss of blood," he began, "then you were put in here because of your—situation." 

dilan went quiet for a second, "you know, the bruises, the blood, the—" 

"I get it, dilan!" she shouted, her throat aching in the process.

dilan lifted his hands while smiling, "geez, peace."

blythe calmed herself, "right, sorry."

she walked for the entrance, "um, you know if carl's still here by chance?"

dilan shook his head, "nah, his scary papa didn't let him stay."

blythe kept striding into the main area of the infirmary, dilan followed close behind, "um—so I'm no medical detective, but it looks like you got the shit beaten out of you—and the fact that you're walking right now is beyond me."

"dilan, I'm fine," she gripped a hand around her torso, "seriously."

"mhm, right," he tapped her shoulder, "if you don't mind, fine, I'd appreciate it if you drove me back to my mall."

bly looked back at him with a glare, "why? there's nothing there for you."

he shrugged, "well, there is electricity and a lifetime supply of clothing for free so, you know."

"whatever—I just need to find carl."

"oh pretty cowboy," he said quietly, "can I tag along? being in this shithole kinda creeps me out."

blythe shrugged, "I don't care."

dilan smiled, opening the entrance for her, "lead the way, blythe."

she looked back at him with a glare, "bradley."

"oh, come on!" he whined, "we're practically best friends."

she scoffed, "no, we aren't."

"mm, who's that hot guy storming over here?" he asked, abruptly.

blythe looked over in alarm but relaxed to see ron.

ron brought her into his arms, hugging her tightly, "you fucking scared me bly."

"I scared myself," she laughed into his shirt.

ron pulled away, looking at the bandage around her throat, "they got liam in a room with the monroe's sons."

she nodded, feeling at ease knowing he wasn't roaming freely around.

"enid has been extremely worried," he said, "kept checking on you every fifteen minutes."

blythe's heart swelled, "I'd like to talk to her soon, if you can tell her to meet me by carls."

ron nodded, turning away, "heal up, bly, you hear me?"

she smiled, "I hear you."

resuming walking, dilan cleared his throat, "does he have—like a girlfriend?"

blythe raised an eyebrow, "he has a thing going with enid, I don't think they're too serious though."

dilan hummed before following her again.

"wait I forgot—where are we going?" dilan asked her, looking around at all the houses.

"to find carl!" she stated, "listen a little better next time."

dilan rolled his eyes, "so are you two together? because in that car—"

"no! God no, we're not—he's not," she paused, "I mean I'm not—"

"okay, okay, chill out," dilan said, "it just seems like you two are in the 'l' world."

"the 'l' world?" she retorted.

dilan nodded, "you know, the love world."

blythe rolled her eyes, "I've only known him for less than two weeks."

dilan shrugged, "I've only known you for less than two days, and look at us, bonding already."

"no, we're not," she said, "I stabbed you with a knife and whacked you with a shovel."

he shrugged, his grin still wide, "everybody starts somewhere, right?"

she hummed, not paying attention at this point, "right."

veering around the block while ignoring every word that came out of dilan's mouth, blythe spotted the grimes home.

more importantly, she spotted carl grimes sitting on the lawn, with judith.

she was relieved.

blythe called out to him, "hey cowboy!"

carl looked up, seeing blythe in the road, waving over at him. a smile raised to his lips as he shot up from the grass, sprinting over to the girl.

as the two ran into each other's arms, carl hugged her tightly. his hat fell off from the force at which they crashed into one another.

"I'm so sorry, blythe, I'm so sorry—" he said over and over. 

"carl stop, it's okay," she said, pulling at the ends of his hair.

he pulled away and analyzed her injuries, every single trauma done by liam. he wanted to make sure she was alright.

blythe looked into his eyes as he checked her wrapped up hands. his face wasn't bloody anymore, but he still had prominent bruises tinting his skin. he had band–aids littered on his face, covering most of the punctured wounds.

"you're okay?" he asked, a hand went to check the bandage on her throat.

"I'm okay carl," she said, "a little lightheaded, but okay."

carl nodded, "let's get you inside, I'm not even sure you should be standing."

"that's what I said!" dilan said, tossing his arms out.

carl looked over at him, finally addressing his existence, "dilan was it? be careful, but get Judith for me."

dilan excitedly trotted over to the child and picked her up in his arms.

placing one of blythe's arms over his shoulders, carl made sure she wouldn't fall over from exhaustion, she'd been through a lot yesterday.

walking into the house, dilan instantly went for the refrigerator, in search of food, all the while holding judith.

carl got bly to sit down by the table, while he retrieved a glass of water for her. she took it with a thank you, easily downing the glass in a matter of seconds.

rick heard the commotion and came around the wall to see the girl, "blythe, you're awake, that's good."

she looked up with a weak smile, "that son of a bitch got me good," she laughed.

rick nodded, "got both of you good," he looked over at his son, "and carl, I can appreciate you standing up for her, but next time, don't get your ass kicked."

carl scoffed, "still feels like I got glass in my back."

bly frowned, "I'm so sorry he did that."

carl shrugged, "It's not your fault bly."

rick crossed his arms upon hearing the door knock, "Are we expecting anyone?"

bly shrugged her shoulders, "enid maybe?"

dilan closed the fridge, "ooh, I got it!"

rick looked at the kid with a confused face, "when the hell did he get here?"

carl brushed it off, "just ignore him, it's pretty easy."

dilan yanked the door open but shrieked, "oh, my soul, you scared me."

pete stood at the door holding two beers.

dilan instantly walked away from the door, heading towards blythe, pete was scary to him. 

"rick, didn't expect to see so many kids here," he stated.

rick looked around, blythe was slumped in the chair while carl stared at her worryingly. dilan had judith in his arms, bouncing her up and down, getting her to giggle.

"what do you need, pete."

 "hey, rick, just having a beer," pete answered, walking into the house, "thought I'd bring you one for helping my wife today.'

blythe looked up at the two men, having no idea what the hell was going on.

"I'm good, but thanks," rick responded, shaking his hand. 

pete sighed, "come on, don't tell me you're still on duty."

rick shoved his hands in his pockets "always am, you know?"

"not at deanna's party. I saw you. you had some, right?" pete leaned against the wall, raising his beer to his mouth. 

"I wish I could have helped out more today," rick frowned, "I asked around, but nobody saw or heard anything."

"well, it was just an owl," pete shrugged it off, "grand scheme of things, I think we'll live."

The two men were silent for a second. blythe and carl shared a look, wondering why they were acting so tense around each other.

suddenly dilan began sipping on water, making an obnoxious sound. blythe looked back at him with flattened eyebrows and a are you serious face.

"heard you lost your wife," pete said, after the long pause. 

bly looked over at carl, who's expression fell. 

"you know, I'm sure it looks like we haven't lost much, but we have," pete spoke, "we've lost things. Other things we're just fighting like hell to hold on to." he stared at the ground as he spoke, "everything you people have been through, I don't know if you see that," he finished.

rick stared at him with a look of demise. blythe recognized that same look in carl the day before.

"we do," rick got out. 

pete took another drink, "let's be friends, man. we kind of have to be, right?" 

rick ticked his head to the side, "yeah, we do."

pete pushed off from the wall, getting close to rick, "so we will."

walking away, pete slapped a hand on his back, "I'll see you, rick."

as pete walked out the door, rick closed it behind him with a scoff. 

blythe copied the same scoff, "what a dickhead."

rick found her gaze, "glad we agree."

dilan kicked his feet up on the table, "am I sensing villain backstory?"

blythe shrugged, "pete's just like any other asshole that sees his family as a punching bag."

that caught ricks attention, "what?"

bly looked up at rick, "yeah, pete's been abusing his family," she frowned, "broke ron's arm a few years back."

"why isn't anyone doing anything about this shit?" rick outbursts. 

bly looked at her hands, "I did, I tried telling deanna two years back, pete denied it of course. ron came over that night covered in bruised."

"ron yelled at me saying it wasn't any of my business," she tapped her fingers on the table, "so i dropped it."

rick sat down at the table, resting his face in his hands, "I can't believe any of this."

"family feud at its best," she said, sarcastically. 

carl frowned, "you think he's still hitting them?" he asked.

bly scoffed, "you really think he could stop? wife beaters don't just stop hitting because they 'changed ' no way." 

dilan hummed, "beat his ass bro."

rick abruptly stood from the chair and beelined it for his room. carl stood up, "dad-"

"I just need a moment, carl," he did dismissing his calls as he slammed his door.

blythe looked over at a worrying carl, "sorry about that."

carl grabbed judith from dilan before sitting back down, frowning in the process, "not your fault bly."

she rested her head against the table, "I think I might have got a concussion when he tossed me into the wall."

carl brought his hand to her head and gently pet her hair, "do you need anything? more water?"

she lifted her head, "maybe if I lay down for a minute."

carl nodded, "come on, take my room." the two stood, walking upstairs.

blythe paused in her steps, turning back to dilan, "you coming or what?"

a smile raised from the corner of his mouth as he took off after them.

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after creating a foundation for blythe and carl, I'm gonna start following the timeline.

whats been your most favorite blythe and carl scene so far?

<3