Leah Grimes

Chapter 37

Light was creeping up as we had killed the last few walkers and I looked over at my father. He tried to talk to me but I just started walking towards the infirmary. "Where is he?" I whispered. Denise sighed. "I did my best, I don't know if he's going to wake up Leah." I pushed past her running into his room. I looked at him with a bandage around his eye taking small breaths.

"Please don't die," I whispered wiping tears away from my eye. "You're supposed to always be there for me, you're my big brother. You can't die because I need you and I love you more than anything in this awful world. You're the only person I can tell everything to." I stared down at his unresponsive body, "I'm sorry, you didn't have to push me out of the way, that wasn't your responsibility. You weren't supposed to die because of me Carl." I grabbed his hand praying he would open his eye and smile, tell me everything would be alright, but he didn't. I pushed my head down onto the cot he was on still holding his hand. "I'm not leaving you."

I knew someone was standing behind me, I lifted my head slightly. "It's just me." Dad whispered. He sat in the chair on the other side of the cot. "You would've died if I didn't come out after you. If no one else came out. Were you alright with that? You wanted me to lose Carl and you in the same day?" I asked letting more tears out. He stared at me, "We're not losing Carl." I looked down, "I would've rather died then lived without you, I was the one who came after you first remember that? I know you have a community to protect, but they don't need you as much as we do. You froze when Jessie died, not long but for a moment. What if Carl hadn't gotten his arm out? Then he'd be gone for sure." Dad stood up, "enough." I scoffed, "No enough of you. EVERY GOD DAMN DAY ITS THE SAME CYCLE. Someone dies, and then you go off because lord knows you can conquer the world empty handed. You went off on a death mission tonight. You thought Carl was dead, so you thought you had nothing left living for? I'm your daughter too, so is Judith do you understand that? And I know your going to use your anger as an excuse, but there isn't one." He sat back down sighing and I looked down at Carl angrily wiping more tears. "I'm not leaving either Dad. I'm staying until his last breath if that's what it comes down to." He just looked at me, "I knew what I was doing out there." I shook my head, "no you didn't, there's no point in lying to me." He eyed the door and I saw Michonne standing there holding Judith. "I'm sorry Leah." He eventually whispered. I just looked down at Carl placing my head in his shoulder.

Another hour passed by and I sighed standing up and leaving the room. I walked out onto the porch seeing everybody collapsed on the stairs and the benches. Instead of looking at or acknowledging anyone I kept my head up. "Leah." Daryl waved me over to his porch. I had just gotten there when I felt more tears pool out of my eyes. "He can't die." Daryl walked down his steps putting his arms around me, he didn't say anything just held me. "Do you know your own brother, he's not dying he wouldn't leave you. You're his little sister, Carl ain't going no where." I nodded wiping my tears away again, "he took that bullet for me." Daryl shrugged, "that's what a brothers for, you got stabbed, he got shot, take turns." This made me smile a little, "go back in there, your dad needs you too."

I hesitantly walked back into Carl's room seeing Dad bent over holding onto his hand. Slowly I made my way to Dad feeling my eyes water up again. I put my hands on his shoulder and he looked up at me, helping me into his arms as I now focused my attention back onto Carl. Dad pulled me onto his lap rocking us back and forth. I leaned my head onto his chest as I tried to steady my breaths. "I love you," he whispered. I closed my eyes falling asleep to the sound of my own breaths.