Leah Grimes

Chapter 70

I watched as Siddiq stood up handing Dad a bottle of pills. "These will help with the fever.. at least they did for my Mom and Dad. Please take them." Dad slowly took the bag and handed one to Carl. "You're a doctor?" Siddiq nodded, "I was a resident." Dad turned to Carl, "did you know he was a doctor, is that why you brought him back?" Carl sighed, "he wasn't going to make it alone, he needed us. That's why." Dad nodded, "he was the one at the gas station."

I sat up as another explosion was set off and this one sent dust and stones down from the top of the sewer. I felt Dad lay over top of Carl trying to keep it away from him. "Leah, you haven't said anything since dads been here." I looked over at Carl, "what would you say if it was me?" He smiled, "a walker would be the last thing to take you out Leah." I sighed, "you don't know that, because no one knows anything in this world. I don't want to keep going without you Carl." He carefully lifted his hand to squeeze mine, "it will all be over soon. It's not supposed to be like this, I know it can be better." I shook my head, "how is it supposed to get better when you're not by my side anymore."

Carl smiled, "you'll find a way. I know you will." The explosions were getting lighter and eventually they stopped all together. "We're gonna go look." Daryl whispered handing Judith to Dad.

When they came back I heard Dad and Michonne whispering. Daryl was taking Judith with him, as they were about to leave Carl whispered, "let me say goodbye." I sat up putting my hands behind his back holding him up with me. "You be good, for Michonne, for Dad, only listen to Leah sometimes, she tends to make stupid decisions." I smiled wiping away a stray tear. "You gotta honour Dad, listen when he tells you stuff, you don't have to always. Sometimes kids have to show their parents the way. If you ever need help, someone to talk to, go to Leah, she did anything for me, and I know she'll do the same for you." Carl pulled his hat off of his head, "I know Leah would lose this, so I'm giving it to you Judith. It was Dads before it was mine. Just having it always kept Dad with me, made me feel as strong as him. It helped me. Maybe it will help you too. Before Mom died, she told me that Leah and I we were gonna beat this world. I didn't, but you will and Leah will make sure of that. I know you will." Judith began to cry and Dad picked her up handing her to Daryl.

Once they had all left the tunnel Carl turned to me, "I have something for you." I watched as he pulled out another ring. "This was moms ring. I wanted to wait. I was thinking it would have been good to give to Benjamin and then one day he maybe could've given it to you. But I'm going to, I want you to wear this and remember me and even Mom, remember Dad gave this ring to her and remember how strong you are. And the same thing goes for you, listen to Dad once and a while." I forced a smile onto my face, "thank you." He nodded, "go into my pocket. There's something else." I reached into his shirt pocket pulling out the photos we took today, I didn't know what to say I just looked down at them.

"Leah I don't want you to be sad after this but I know you're not going to listen to me. Dad you need to be strong for Leah, and Michonne you need to be strong for all of them, even Judith." Michonne nodded, "I will." Carl looked up at me, "you're my best friend Leah, don't remember this part. Remember everything else." I grabbed his hand, "you're my best friend too."

Dad looked at Michonne, "we need to get him out of here." I stood up off the cot allowing them to pick Carl up. I followed them across the remains of Alexandria into the church. Once he was back down I sat down beside him putting my head down into my hands. "Back at the prison when we got attacked there was a kid, a little older than me. He had a gun, he was starting to put it down and I shot him. He was giving up and I just shot him. I think about him. what I did to him, and how easy it was to just kill him." Dad shook his head, "Carl no.. what happened what you've lost, all the things you had to do.. you were just a boy." Carl nodded, "you saw it.. how easy it got. That's why you changed, you brought the governors people in. We were enemies but you put away your gun. You did it so I could change, so I could be who I am today. How you stopped fighting, it was right. It still is. It can be like that again, you can still be like that again. I don't know if you see it, or if she can even see it but it's tearing Leah apart, every fight she goes too, she comes home different." Dad sighed, "I can't be who I was, it's different now." Carl scoffed, "you can't kill all of them Dad, there's got to be something after."

"I know you can't see it yet, how it could be. But I have, you have a beard, it's grey. Michonnes happy, Judith is older, she's listening to the songs I used to before. Alexandria is bigger there's new houses and crops, and people working. Everybody is living. I don't want to tell you what Leah is doing, because that depends on who you choose to be because she'll follow you no matter what and you know that."

Dad sighed, "everything I've done has been for you, it's been for Leah and Judith. That's never going to change." Carl nodded, "I want this for you Dad, and I want that life for Leah more than anything."