*TW Death*

Birdie had been inside the safety of her home most of the day after the meeting, as well as the morning that everyone was going to guide away walkers. She had just been nervous. The feeling that something terrible was going to happen was overwhelming her. Eric had gone to her, saying that Bonnie's mother had requested the Birdie watch her.

Bonnie was the little girl whom Birdie had to watch when Carl's group arrived, a distraction of sorts. Her mother was going with the group to lead the walkers away. It was a surprise that she was going, but Birdie didn't question it when she had a job to do. School for the children was put on a brief hold based on everyone being too afraid to be away from their kids. That was fine by Birdie, a small break was nice, except when she just needed something to distract her.

So, out on a walk around Alexandria the girls went, hand in hand. Birdie smiled at the few people who were out around the community, chatting with a few, and answering all of Bonnies questions with ease. The girl began to grow tired after turning to another street, so Birdie gave her a piggyback ride.

This street was Birdie's as well as Carl's. Knowing this was his, Rick's, made her scared, but she knew Rick was not there. It made her feel safer, but she still felt that sense of doom.

The relaxed atmosphere quickly broke as a woman up the street was attacked, her wailing loudly as she fell to the ground.

Birdie let out a loud gasp, taking a few steps back. More screams filled the streets, and Bonnie began to cry loudly. She saw Ron duck behind a tree, and went to go after him, but was stopped in her tracks. Not only was Ron being chased by someone, but Birdie felt a literal weight being lifted off her back.

"Birdie!" Bonnie shrieked as she was ripped off the girls back. Birdie quickly turned to see Bonnie being dragged by her pigtails. Birdie had done them so nicely just this morning, the little blond loved when Birdie did her hair.

"Get away from her! Bonnie! No!" Birdie yelled at the woman who had taken the girl. She had a crazed look in her eyes, a 'W' carved into her forehead, and a wicked smirk on her face. She held a knife to the girl's throat.

"Please please don't! What do you want, you can have it! Don't hurt her." Birdie pleaded, begged.

"I want this." The woman said before slicing Bonnie's throat, killing the girl. The little girl's eyes were stuck open, wide with fear, weeping with tears still. Bonnie was a child, a small, innocent thing, and now she was gone. Her last thoughts, feelings, had been pure terror.

"No!" Birdie screamed, running at the woman. Birdie had never gotten into a physical fight with someone before; she never had to. Walkers were easy enough—dumb. A human was something completely different.

This would be life or death for Birdie, and she knew that even before she jumped at the woman. The woman was older and stronger than Birdie, but the teen was blinded by heartbreak and rage like no other. Birdie hadn't killed someone before, but she knew this might just be it.

Birdie punched the woman, gaining the upper hand as she straddled her. She dodged the woman's attacks with her knife as best as she could and continued to punch her in the face. Each punch landed with a sickening thud, but the woman was resilient, her own rage and desperation driving her.

Stupid Birdie, not having some sort of weapon on her, she thought. An idea popped into her head: steal the woman's knife. Soon, the two began to fight for the weapon, but Birdie kept trying to punch her all the same, which was her mistake. The woman drove the knife into her thigh faster than she could react, causing her to let out a loud scream. The pain was searing, and Birdie's vision blurred as she sobbed from the shock.

The woman managed to push Birdie off and get on top of her, the weight and pressure making it hard for Birdie to breathe. The serrated blade of the knife made it hard for the crazy woman to pull out, Birdie sobbing as the jagged blade caused more pain being moved around. However, before she could pull it out, a few gunshots rang out. The woman fell to the ground, dead.

Birdie lay there, panting heavily, her vision swimming as she tried to process what had just happened. She could feel the warm blood seeping from the wound in her thigh, the pain throbbing with each heartbeat. Her hands trembled as she tried to push herself up, but she was shaking too much.

"Birdie!" a voice called out, and she looked up to see Carl running to her, the weapon in his hand being her savior. She saw Ron standing a few feet away, Carl having shot his attacker as well. Enid was standing in the doorway or Carl's home, a hand covering her mouth at the sight. 

"Go inside." Carl said to Ron as he quickly made his way to Birdie, pulling her to stand and supporting some of her weight. The girl's face was wet with tears, blood from that woman. She looked haunting. 

"I'll keep you safe." Carl continued. Ron looked up at Enid, his ex girlfriend, being in Carls house.

"No." He said before running off somewhere.

"Ron-" Carl tried to stop him, but couldn't given he needed to help Birdie. Ron could still protect himself. Birdie couldn't, not anymore.

"Carl come on!" Enid yelled, and he obeyed, basically carrying all of Birdie into his house.

Enid locked the door behind them once they were inside. Her eyes darted around, scanning the surroundings for any immediate threats. She turned to Carl, her expression a mix of urgency and desperation.

"Take her upstairs, fix her leg, Carl. I'll keep watch. Please help her," Enid all but begged.

Carl nodded, shifting Birdie slightly in his arms to get a better grip. "I will, but call if you need help," he responded quickly before starting to walk towards the stairs with Birdie. Her body felt heavy, almost as if she were moving through jello, her head light from the blood she had lost.

"Carl, they, I couldn't stop her—she—Bonnie—" Birdie cried, her hands shaking as they gripped onto his arm. The pain and fear in her voice were palpable, cutting through the haze of her shock.

"I know, I know. Come on, we gotta get you upstairs, now," Carl reassured her, his voice steady but filled with concern. He carried her up the stairs with determined strides, each step leaving a trail of blood up the stairs.

Once they reached his room, Carl gently laid Birdie on the bed. He quickly grabbed the first aid kit from under his bed and set to work. "Stay still, Birdie," he said, his voice firm yet soothing. He took out his knife and cut her jean leg off, figuring having her take off her pants wouldn't be his best option.

Birdie winced as he began to clean the wound, the antiseptic stinging sharply. Carl's hands were steady, but she could see the worry in his eyes. He worked quickly, pressing a clean cloth against the wound to stem the bleeding before wrapping a bandage tightly around her thigh.

"You're going to be okay," Carl said, his voice a little softer now. "I promise, Birdie. Everything will be okay."

Birdie nodded weakly, tears streaming down her face. "I don't know what happened, Carl," she whispered, her voice trembling. "It happened so fast."

"I know," Carl replied, his expression softening. He gently brushed a strand of hair away from her face. "But it's going to be okay, my dad and everyone else should be on the way."

Downstairs, Enid kept watch, her eyes constantly scanning the windows and doors. It seemed as if it had become calm, the attacks done. She knew it was time to go, to leave before she had to watch her best friend get hurt again, maybe even die. She couldn't handle the thought of loosing her, so she knew she needed to be the one to leave. Birdie had Carl, she knew that for sure now. Enid trusted him to keep Birdie safe, take care of her. 

Carl continued to work on Birdie's leg, his focus unwavering. He secured the bandage and checked tomato sure it was tight enough to stop the bleeding until she could go to the infirmary. 

Birdie managed a small, grateful smile as her tears had dried up.. "Thank you, Carl. I owe you my life, I would have-"

Carl shook his head. "You don't have to thank me, Birdie. We're in this together. Always." He squeezed her hand gently, and she squeezed back.

Birdie felt a sense of relief wash over her despite the pain. Her heart still felt like it was in a million little pieces, and she wasn't sure if it could ever get fully put back together. 

"Let's get you downstairs now, and I'll go check on Enid," Carl said, his voice gentle but firm.

Birdie nodded, and with Carl's support, they slowly made their way down the stairs. Each step was a challenge for Birdie, her leg throbbing with pain, but Carl's steady presence kept her grounded. Once they reached the bottom, Carl helped Birdie sit at the dining room table, making sure she was comfortable before turning his attention to finding Enid.

"Enid?" he called out, but there was no response. The silence in the house was deafening, only heightening his anxiety. He called out again, louder this time, but still received no answer. His heart pounded in his chest as he walked over to the door, hoping to find some sign of her.

As he approached the door, he noticed a single piece of paper lying on the floor. He picked it up and walked back to the table where Birdie sat, her face pale and tear-streaked. Carl set the paper down in front of her, and they both stared at it for a moment, the weight of the situation pressing down on them.

Just Survive Somehow

Birdie felt her tears resurface as she looked at the paper, then at Carl. The unspoken fear and worry in their eyes created a heavy silence between them. It was broken only by the sudden, jarring sound of a timer going off in the kitchen. The noise startled them both, a harsh reminder of the outside world.

Carl quickly walked over to the kitchen, turning off the timer and taking out the burnt food that had been long forgotten in the chaos. The smell of charred food filled the air, adding an unpleasant layer to the already tense atmosphere. He set the dish down on the counter.

Returning to Birdie, Carl sat down next to her, his adrenaline-fueled eyes meeting her puffy, tear-filled ones. The room felt colder, Enid's sudden departure, the death of Bonnie, and the pain in her leg causing her to rest her arms on the table and lay her head on them. Carl rubbed her back gently, trying to soothe her as best as he could.