Flash Fiction #21
Title: Flash Fiction #21
Fandom: The Walking Dead
Word Count: 543
Characters: Carl Grimes, Lori Grimes, Rick Grimes
Warnings: None
Disclaimer: I don’t own any of the Grimes family, I just like to take them out and play with them from time to time. This is unbeta’d and unedited - all mistakes are my own. If you see anything that needs correction, please let me know. Concrit is always welcome!
***
Carl watched as the others greeted their friends and loved ones when they came back from Atlanta. He hated to feel like this but he was really jealous. He’d been hoping that his grandparents might find their way out of the city and make it to the camp at the quarry. He turned away from the returning group, unable to keep himself from crying just a little, though it made him feel like a big baby.
Lori caught Carl’s arm as he tried to walk by her and knelt down in front of him, her hands on his shoulders. “Carl, what is it baby?” She looked at the returning group, trying to see what might’ve upset Carl. Shane caught her eye, giving her a questioning look. She just shook her head and shrugged, bewildered. Carl followed her gaze for a moment before turning back to her. “It’s nothing, Mom. I just… I really hoped that somehow Grandma and Grandpa would find the others and come back to camp with them.” He couldn’t stop the tears from flowing then. “I just miss them so much! I’m scared that they’re dead, like Daddy.”
“Oh baby,” Lori said, wrapping her arms around him. “Honey, I’m sure that Grandma and Grandpa made it out of Atlanta just fine. Remember what the radio said that time, that a lot of people were being evacuated by the military? I bet they made it safe and sound to some big military complex somewhere.” Lori knew that her words were more than likely false; she held out very little hope that her parents were alive. Chances were good that her brother and sister were dead too. She refused to show that worry to Carl though; only Shane ever saw that, late at night when everyone else was asleep. She glanced over at him and sent him a little smile, trying to let him know that Carl would be ok.
Though they weren’t really paying attention, both Carl and Lori heard Morales call out, “Hey, Helicopter Boy! Come on over and meet the rest of the crew.” As a man climbed out of the box truck, Morales told Shane, “He’s a cop, like you.”
Carl didn’t know what made him decide to look over at just that moment, but he could hardly believe what his eyes showed him. There was his dad, alive! Dressed in his Sheriff’s Deputy uniform, just like always. For a moment, Carl thought that he was seeing things, his mind playing tricks on him because he missed his Dad so much. Then he heard his mom gasp in surprise and he knew that she saw it too - it was really his Dad.
Carl ran to his Dad, tears streaming down his face. Rick scooped Carl up, cradling him tight in his arms as he hit his knees. Carl was crying too hard to speak but he felt his Mom grab them both in a hug just a few seconds later. He could hear everyone murmuring in surprise; he knew that people were shocked to see his dad alive after being told for so long that he was dead. Carl was too happy to really care how that had happened.
He had his dad back; that’s all that mattered.