Maisie was pissed when Rick forbade her from going on any runs, but she understood where he was coming from. Rick was a leader who had to protect his group and family. Not to mention Maisie had been doped up on medication for a week.

Her stomach and hip gave her hell when she walked and turned, and she knew it was gonna be a rough few weeks until Denise removed her stitches.

Blearily, Maisie saw a teenaged boy enter the infirmary.

"Carl, can you help me?"

"I'm not Carl," the boy told her, chuckling nervously.

"Then who are you?"

"The name's Ron, Ron Anderson," he said, and held his hand out to her. "I can still help you though."

"Alright," Maisie shrugged, draping her arm across Ron's shoulders. "See ya later, Denise!" she called over her shoulder as they hobbled out together.

The sun blinded her tired eyes but she didn't say anything about it.

"What's your name?" Ron asked suddenly.

"M—"

"Maisie!"

Maisie turned at the sound of her name and saw Carl jogging towards them. She gave him a smile as he slowed to a stop.

"What're you doing?" Carl demanded, his eyes on Ron.

"Helping a beautiful girl out," Ron replied casually, shifting his hand on her waist. Carl glared at him. Maisie could sense a tension between the two.

"She's outta your league," Carl spat.

"And age range," Maisie butted in. Ron gave her a quick once over and shrugged. He didn't seem to care.

"I can take her from here," Carl told him, drawing himself to his full height. Ron immediately did the same, only to be outmeasured by an inch or two.

"Would you guys knock it off?" Maisie sighed, pulling herself from Ron's grasp. "Thanks for the help, I need to talk to Carl," she said, giving the kid a nod and watching him walk away.

Carl saw her sway slightly as she walked. "Are you alright?"

"Yeah, I just have a headache," Maisie muttered. She felt Carl's hand under her elbow, steadying her while being poised to grab her if something happened.

"So, what'd you wanna talk to me about?"

"Nothing, I just wanted to get away from that kid."

"He was totally checking you out," Carl laughed, accepting the friendly punch to his shoulder.

"Gross," Maisie laughed.

"How old are you anyway?"

"Twenty-six."

"Really?!"

"Yeah?"

"You look younger," Carl said quietly, his face flushing at his outburst.

〄

After three days, Rick had learned something very, very important.

Maisie whistled when she saw the RV returning from the Hilltop, signalling for Spencer to yank open the gate. The RV passed through and Spencer locked it up tight again, Maisie watching him double check the lock. She knew he didn't want a repeat of the wolf attack, after he'd accidentally left the gate unlocked.

"What's the news?" Maisie called, leaning casually against the railing, her rifle strung over her shoulder on its strap. Rick ignored her and strode away. He was mad about something.

"Glenn, get up here!" Maisie hissed as the man exited the RV. After looking everywhere for her voice, he finally pinpointed her location to the guard tower and climbed up the ladder.

"What's with Officer Friendly?" she asked, holding her hand to her

forehead to block the sun that shone in her eyes. "He looks royally pissed."

"He is."

"Why?"

Glenn explained what happened at the Hilltop: Jesus had informed them of a man named Negan and his followers; Saviors, they were called. They took half of what the Hilltop scavenged and grew, and how Negan had once killed a sixteen year old kid right off the bat

—(—

to show he meant business.

"Well shit," Maisie exhaled.

"Gregory asked about you," Glenn told her, a sympathetic look on his face.

"What'd he say?"

"Well, I shouldn't say he asked for you, specifically. He asked for the 'young blonde, oh, what was her name? Molly?'" Glenn quoted almost comically, smirking at her.

"Shut up," Maisie growled, trying to keep the laugh from her voice as she delivered a friendly but solid punch to his shoulder.

"C'mon," Glenn said, nudging her to the ladder.

Scowling at him, she made her descent and waited for him to join her before she started walking back to her house, briefly nodding at Aaron as he walked by to take her spot in the tower.

"Gregory gives me the creeps," Maisie muttered, turning the handle and pushing open her door. Immediately they could hear Jackson's nails clicking against the hardwood.

"I don't blame ya," Glenn responded, stooping down to pet the excited animal.

"So, Rick's just mad that Negan's taking stuff from the Hilltop?"

"No, he's mad that Gregory was stupid enough to try and cheat Negan. We're gonna refuel and take out an outpost Jesus said had many, many saviors inside."

"Tonight?" Maisie asked, filling a bowl with water and putting it on the floor.

"Yup."

"Sounds like fun. When are we leaving?"

"We?" Glenn demanded, making a face.

"Yes, we. I've been cooped up inside these walls for days!"

"Cause you're injured!" Glenn retorted.

"I'm injured, not disabled," Maisie spat. "Besides, you can't stop me from not going."

"Wanna bet?"

"Yes, actually."

"Alright, you asked for it," Glenn muttered.

Maisie shrieked as he bent down and wrapped his arms around her knees, draping her over his shoulder. Grabbing a chair from the kitchen table with his free hand, he carried Maisie and dragged the chair to the hall closet.

Releasing the chair, he pulled open the door, dumped her inside the empty closet and quickly jammed the chair under the knob.

"Glenn! Let me out! Right now!" Maisie snarled, her voice muffled through the door.

Glenn sighed as she began to pound on the doors with her fists.

"Let me out!"

"Sorry, Mais, it's for your own good," he told her, striding away.

"Wait! You're not leaving me, are you?" Maisie asked, panic rising in her chest. She got her answer when she heard the front door slam shut.

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