𝐂𝐑𝐎𝐒𝐒𝐇𝐀𝐈𝐑𝐒.
chapter thirty-nine; New Doctor
" I always wanted to be a doctor, when I was little. "

  ZEPPELIN AND CARL were overwhelmingly excited to have Michonne with them again. Carl showed it differently than Zeppelin did, and after one brief conversation with Rick, Michonne paid a visit to the girl holed up in the guest room.

  "Too good to eat breakfast with us now?"

  "No," Zeppelin said, looking up from the book she had read ten times over again, "Just. . . wanted quiet."

  Michonne nodded, gesturing to the bed in questioning. Zeppelin pulled her legs underneath her, making room for the woman to take a seat on the mattress in front of her.

  "Did you see her? At all?"

  The woman frowned, which was all Zeppelin really needed to know.

  "No," Michonne said anyway, "Your uncle got out. That much I did see."

  Zeppelin nodded, running the corner of a book page between her index finger and thumb.

  "Your mom is tough. I have no doubt she's out there lookin' for you right now."

  "I just really miss her."

  Michonne felt her heart grow heavy as the girl's lip wobbled, attempting to keep her emotions inside. It was a futile effort, for a twelve-year-old to try and bury their feelings when they were as intense as Zeppelins, and yet she tried.

  "I know," Michonne said quietly, reaching out a hand to cover Zeppelin's, "But you can't stay locked up in here forever. We're worried about you."

  Zeppelin nodded, stinging tears welling in her eyes as he squeezed Michonne's hand to make sure it was real, to make sure the woman was actually there.

  "Come on," Michonne said, "Think we're gonna run for some supplies while Rick gets some rest. Finish your cereal downstairs."

  And Zeppelin just nodded, letting Michonne gather the bowl and her hand, gently folding the girl back into the group.

  Rick greeted her with a small smile as they returned to the kitchen, Michonne brushing the girl's hair down as she took a seat at the kitchen table and continued on with her reading and her cereal.

  "Zep, you wanna come? I bet we can find a Twinkie or two out there."

  Zeppelin slowed her chewing, peering up at a smiling Michonne.

  "I'm okay," The girl said quietly, "I'll stay here and make sure Rick actually gets some rest."

  Rick let out a short laugh, Michonne ruffled the girl's hair before departing to find Carl.

  Rick sent them off before returning to the kitchen, where Zeppelin had begun stacking empty dishes.

  "Everything okay?" He asked, glancing at the girl out of the corner of his eye.

  "Yeah, just wish we had water to wash these," Zeppelin said with a short laugh, wiping her hands on her jeans.

  "Zep. . ." Rick said quietly, "You can talk to me, you know?"

  The girl took in a sharp breath, wrapping her arms around herself.

  "I just. . . I just don't think Carl and I are friends anymore. At least, not like we used to be."

  "You know that's not true."

  "No," Zeppelin frowned, "You weren't. . . you don't know what happened while you were out. He was angry. . . at you. At me. At everything. . . I just wanna give 'im space. Until he's ready, you know?"

  Rick frowned, wanting to know more. Wanting to know what Carl had said to make Zeppelin believe that. He knew firsthand that Zeppelin was the closest friend his son had ever made— both before and after the world fell apart.

  But he could tell she wasn't ready. Zeppelin was shifting under his stare, pulling at the loose flannel on her arms, looking for any way to politely escape the conversation.

  "Whatcha readin'?"

  "Journey to the Center of the Earth," Zeppelin said, "Dale gave it to me."

  "Well, how 'bout we read some together?"

  Zeppelin nodded, discarding the dishes and collecting her book. She looked at Rick again, noting the slow healing that had begun on his previously deep wounds.

  "It's your rib, you know?"

  "Huh?"

  "That's why your breathing was so hard," Zeppelin informed quietly, "Why moving the couch hurts. It's your rib. It's probably dislocated."

  Rick raised an eyebrow, the corner of his mouth tugging up.

  "So, there's a new doctor in town?"

  "I always wanted to be a doctor, when I was little," Zeppelin said quietly, "Cold or heat should help it-- we can't. . . really get anything cold, but if we boil some water we could get you a hot towel. It'll help a little bit."

  Rick stared for a moment, his mind churning too many thoughts as she stared up at him.

  He'd asked himself many times if the kids could just be kids after the world had turned. Wanted to ensure they grew up without only harshness. Rick had wondered a lot how Vex had seemed to keep Zeppelin at a balance; tough enough to fight, but young enough to want to draw and play games.

  It made sense to him now. Zeppelin hadn't experienced peace before the world ended, so she was still looking for it now. She could be tough, she could fight and shoot and argue-- but she didn't want to.

  "Alright," He said after a long moment, "Alright."

  Rick would be the first to admit it felt strange, letting a twelve-year-old who wasn't his own instruct him on what to do. Helping a kid start a small fire outside, being the one to assist as she boiled water and picked mint leaves to mix in. He listened, as she told him why mint could survive even when nothing else could, and why mint would help him heal. He insisted on carrying the pot, but let Zeppelin tell him to get comfortable in a bed upstairs, and even smiled as she waited for the water to cool slightly before dipping washcloths in it and layering them on his ribs.

  She took a seat on the ground beside the bed, cracking open her book, and reading it aloud from the very beginning.

  He thought it was so backward. A kid taking care of him the way he would take care of a kid.

  But Rick let her because he knew as much as it helped him, it helped her a little bit, too.

🗡

  Rick had fallen asleep by chapter five, but Zeppelin had continued reading. Until, of course, she heard the sound of a door open.

  The girl closed the book, keeping her finger on her page, glancing up outside of the bedroom.

  It took mere seconds for her to realize the people who entered were not Carl and Michonne.

  The loud voices were those of men-- a group of them, by the sounds of it, and after the initial shock that had her frozen in place, she quickly spun and shook Rick's arm.

  "Rick, wake up," She whispered as the voices grew louder, clearly arguing, "Rick--"

  The man's eyes shot open, pushing himself up as a scrap ensued downstairs.

  Rick moved quickly, gathering the water bottles and books, grabbing a wide-eyed Zeppelin Williams, and pulling both her and himself underneath the bed frame.

  He looked to the girl, whose face was wet with silent tears, holding a finger up to his mouth. She nodded in understanding, never letting go of his hand.

  Her grasp tightened as boots appeared in the hallway, a man wandering around before entering the bedroom. Zeppelin pressed herself impossibly flatter to the floor, wishing she could simply sink into the hardwood and disappear.

  Zeppelin winced as the man leaped onto the bed, the mattress sinking down and nearly hitting her spine.

  She looked to Rick, who gave a small nod, and there they sat, in silence, until the man's breathing slowed and turned to snores, and even after then, they waited.

  When Rick deemed it time, he let Zeppelin's hand go, holding it out to her palm first. She nodded, understanding the signal of 'wait', and clenched her fists as Rick scooted to one side of the bed. He quickly returned at the sound of new footsteps, another man entering.

  Zeppelin grabbed his hand again as the men began arguing and shortly thereafter fighting.

  Her heart jumped to her throat as one man was knocked down, his face mere inches from theirs.

  And then his eyes met Rick's.

  He tried, tried to tell his friend about the faces he saw, but the man did not listen, and choked the man to unconsciousness, before taking his place on the mattress.

  They sat in silence for a long time. Zeppelin was wondering if it had been days. 

  Rick finally slipped out, careful to avoid the foot that hung over the side of the bed, scanning the room before gesturing for Zeppelin to do the same.

  She followed suit, attempting to keep every movement silent, but Zeppelin swore the pounding in her chest was a drum everyone could hear.

  Rick held an arm out behind him, nodding for Zeppelin to follow. They moved quickly, exiting the room and ducking into the one Carl had been occupying as another man climbed the stairs slowly, bouncing a tennis ball against the walls as he did.

  The two entered the room, quickly ducking into the alcove the bed was in, pressing themselves against the walls on either side of the small doorway.

  Zeppelin swallowed harshly as the man entered the room, before standing in the doorway they hid behind. He threw the tennis ball against the wall, Zeppelin staring at Rick who held her gaze.

  And then against all odds, the man left without ever seeing them.

  Rick tried the windows, but they were all painted shut, refusing to pry open.

  He looked to Zeppelin as the men's voices grew louder again, noting a woman had been staying in the home.

  And Zeppelin's blood ran ice cold at their next words.

  "She had a little girl with her, too," One voice laughed, shuffling around before saying, "I call first when they get back."

  Her heart was racing now, all thoughts leaving her mind. No, no-- it couldn't be, it couldn't happen. Not now, not ever, not without her mom here, how could she ever fight anyone off without her mom there to protect her, save her?

  But Rick's hand grabbed her own, reminding her she was not alone-- she would never be.

  "Stay right here," He said so quietly she hardly heard it, "I'll come get you when I find a way out."

  She opened her mouth to protest, but the man pressed a heavy soccer trophy into the palm of her hand, crouching so he was at her eye level.

  "I will be right back, you do not move," Rick said, "I will not let anything happen to you, Zep."

  She nodded, attempting to steel her emotions, and pressed herself into the darkest corner of the room as Rick departed.

  Zeppelin wasn't sure how long it took, flinching at every word, every footstep, every breath even if it was her own. But eventually, Rick did return, scaring the girl briefly but he grabbed her hand and pulled her quickly.

  She tried not to look at the body on the bathroom floor, stepping over it as Rick helped her climb out of the window, passing her backpack and his jacket as she climbed onto the roof.

  Rick dropped to the ground first, holding his arms up for Zeppelin. The girl dropped nervously, her heart finally starting to calm as Rick slowed her fall, before looking her over once. They hid beside the porch, a man lounging on the front for only a moment.

  Zeppelin felt her panic surge as she spotted Michonne and Carl approaching, but by a strike of luck, shouting began inside, the man abandoning the porch, allowing Zeppelin and Rick to rush toward their companions.

  And then they were back on the road. Walking aimlessly along train tracks, no words shared between them for a long time.

  "Are you okay?" Carl said as he and Zeppelin fell behind Michonne and Rick.

  The girl did not respond, only chewing harsher on the inside of her cheek.

  "What's that?" She whispered.

  Carl and the girl quickened their pace, walking toward a sign on the side of a train car with Rick and Michonne.

  "Sanctuary for all. Community for all. Those who arrive, survive," It read, above a map showing a star where all the tracks met.

  "What do you think?"

  "Let's go. . . Let's go."

WORD COUNT : 2070