Chapter 1: Cloud of Doom Strikes Again
'Crap. Seriously? Well at least it can't get any worse, can it?' Amanda thought as she managed to pry herself out of the truck. Her prized vehicle, her '98 Ford Explorer, had suffered a blowout on the way home from her classes, and as a result of high speed on the highway, she had successfully managed to roll the truck. She stood looking at the wreckage, picking glass out of her hair, fumbling for her cell phone. She had only been in Georgia a month; she'd come to King County to attend grad school thirty-five minutes away in Atlanta at Georgia State University. She was four hours away from her hometown and family in Alabama, so it wasn't like she could call her brother to come to her rescue. She felt her head with her hand, noticing she had dried blood on her temples. She assumed it was the glass, but she wasn't sure. She wasn't as disoriented as she knew she should have been, but she still felt badly. She sat down on the side of the road, next to the wreck, and dialed 911.
"Hello, King County 911, what is your emergency?" Asked the voice on the other end of the line.
"Um, yes, I've been in a car accident near mile marker 111. I need some assistance." Amanda responded.
"Are you hurt?"Asked the 911 dispatcher.
"Not badly. Mostly I just need a police officer or something to come help me out." Amanda said.
"Alright. You said mile marker 111? I see you near Highway 24. I'll send a sheriff's deputy. Are you sure you don't need an ambulance?" Asked the dispatcher again.
"I'll let them decide when they get here." Amanda reassured her.
"Alright, there's a deputy on the way." Said the dispatcher.
"Thanks so much, bye." Amanda said, hanging up the phone.
The August heat made the five minute wait an eternity. The sun beat down on her neck, making her feel hot and sticky. She looked around for the deputy, and noticed the blue patrol car pull up. A male sheriff's deputy got out and walked towards her.
"Ma'am, are you alright?" He asked in a deep Southern voice.
"I think so...I honestly don't know. I had a blowout on my way back from class, and because I was going fifty-five, I rolled." Amanda explained.
"Explorers are top heavy." The deputy began, crouching down next to her. "You've got some cuts on your forehead, though."
"Yeah, I think it was the glass. I don't know. My neck hurts, but I think that's just whiplash." Amanda responded.
"You think you need to go to the ER?" The deputy asked.
"I don't think I need an ambulance, but I reckon I should go get checked out. Would you take me?" Amanda asked.
The deputy helped her to her feet, being careful not to pull her too hard. "I'd be happy to take you. Is there anyone you can call?" He asked.
"No sir. All my family lives four hours away in Alabama. I don't have anyone." She responded.
"Well, I'm off duty in thirty minutes anyway. I'll take you home after we make sure you're okay." The deputy said.
"Thanks, I appreciate it." Amanda said sincerely. She was thankful for a friendly face so far away from home.
"No problem. I never did get your name, ma'am."He said matter-of-factly.
"Oh, my name's Amanda. Amanda Armstrong." Amanda said, extending her hand. The deputy shook her hand carefully, smiling. "Well Amanda Armstrong, my name is deputy Rick Grimes."
The ride to the hospital was longer than Amanda had anticipated. Still, though she felt sore, she enjoyed Rick's company. He seemed very laid back, and she felt at ease. Amanda had never really been good at making conversation in the past, but Rick seemed comfortable with making small talk.
"So Amanda, I noticed an Alabama plate on your truck. Whatcha doin' in Georgia?" He asked quizzically. Amanda smiled at the query.
"Well, I'm going to Georgia State in Atlanta. It's cheaper to live out here than downtown. I'm here for graduate school. I wanted to move away for a bit, but I gotta admit, it's times like this that I wish I had my family closer." Amanda explained, mentally kicking herself for choosing to move away from her parents. If she had stayed, they could've helped her out. Her brother would've came and picked her up, and she could've still been living at home. Rick smiled, chuckling lightly.
"Yeah, I understand that. It's a good haul to Alabama from here. What part of Alabama you from?" He asked.
"Florence. It's about four hours from here, driving through Birmingham. Florence is twenty minutes away from Tennessee and thirty from Mississippi, so I'm quite a ways away."Amanda chuckled. Rick grinned widely at this, glancing at the rear view mirror.
"Looks like you ain't in Kansas anymore." Rick said.
"Yeah, but I like it here. I like King County. It's not huge like Atlanta. I'm not a fan of the big city." Amanda admitted.
"I don't like it either, 's why I'm here!" Rick laughed. Amanda had to admit, this guy was cute. She hadn't dated in nearly a year, not since her engagement had fallen through. She hadn't even found anyone remotely attractive, but this Rick guy was a lot different.
"Yeah, my parents helped me out quite a bit when I moved. It still doesn't help not knowing anyone." Amanda admitted.
"Are you here by yourself?" Rick asked.
"Yep. I'm a single lady going to grad school at Georgia State. It's just me and my dog, Scout." Amanda said.
Rick smiled again, "So, whatcha studying in grad school?" He asked.
"History. I love it, I was a history major in undergrad. But I reckon that was pretty obvious." Amanda replied.
"Well, I was criminal justice at the community college, so you're ahead of me." Rick joked.
Amanda smiled at the complement. "I want to get my doctorate. I really want to teach college." She explained.
Rick looked impressed. "You've got a lot of ambition." Rick said. Amanda blushed. "Well, what else do you do with a history degree?" She giggled.
"Good point." Rick nodded. Amanda thought he was the most handsome man she'd ever laid her eyes on. She liked this friendly face, and hoped she'd run into him in her new small hometown.
Rick swung into the police parking space at the Alpharetta Regional Hospital, running over to the passenger side to help her out. She felt stiffer than she did before, and winced slightly. He put her arm over his shoulder and helped her walk in, taking her up to the front desk.
"Hi, can I help you?" The nurse asked. Amanda actually recognized her. That was her next door neighbor, Carol Peletier. Carol and her daughter, Sophia had been the first ones to welcome her to Georgia. Amanda liked her and Sophia a lot, but her husband, Ed, was a completely different story.
"Yeah, this young lady here was in a wreck earlier. I need her to get checked out." Rick explained.
Carol nodded, recognizing Amanda as she looked her way. "Amanda? Goodness! What happened to you?" She asked.
"I had a blowout, rolled the car. Thought I was fine, but I'm really sore right now." Amanda admitted.
Carol got up from her desk and grabbed a wheelchair, motioning for Rick to sit her down. Rick stayed with her as they wheeled her back to a room, and sat in the chair across from the bed as they waited for the doctor to come examine her.
"So, you know her?" Rick asked. "Yeah, she's my neighbor. I watch her daughter Sophia on nights she has to work over. Tonight would've been one of those nights, but I guess Carol's gonna need a backup plan." Amanda laughed.
Rick laughed with her. "Yeah, I really reckon so. I'm gonna be honest, you're really lucky you're not in worse shape. There was a young guy a few weeks ago that died in a wreck that wasn't near as bad." Rick said.
"The speed limit was fifty five. I don't know why it rolled." Amanda said.
"'Cause Explorers are the most top-heavy vehicles on the road besides Jeeps. You were basically in a roll cage." Rick explained. Amanda suddenly felt very grateful she was just sore.
"So it's a total loss, huh?" Amanda asked.
"It's done for." Rick responded. Amanda frowned. "I've had that truck since I was eighteen. I loved that thing." Amanda whispered.
"Well, you're lucky you got out okay. I was really afraid when I pulled up that it'd be worse." Rick said.
Amanda felt grateful. The wreck could have been a lot worse. Rick could have been calling her parents to tell her that she was dead. Instead, he sat across from her, trying to keep her occupied.
As they continued their small talk, the attending ER doctor came in. "Miss Armstrong, is it? I'm Dr. Subramanian. It says you were in a car accident." Dr. Subramanian said, looking over her chart.
"Yeah, I rolled the car after a blowout. I felt fine at first, but my neck is really sore, and I know I've got some cuts and stuff like that."Amanda said.
The doctor nodded, putting on gloves and carefully checking her face. He furrowed his brow, concentrating heavily on her obvious cosmetic injuries. He moved his hands to her collar bone, looking her over. She winced as he placed his fingers on her chest, and he became looked up at her.
"You have some pretty nasty bruises from the seat belt, and I'm assuming the air bag too." Dr. Subramanian explained.
"The air bag didn't deploy. I hit the steering wheel."Amanda said. Both the doctor and Rick winced as she said this.
"I think it's a fractured collar bone, honestly. I'm gonna order some X-Ray's and a CT scan. I really think you've got a mild concussion, but I don't want to miss anything. I want a full body CT scan to make sure there's nothing I'm not missing. I'd say you need a couple of days to recover." The doctor told her.
Amanda nodded, "Well, I'm sorer than I thought." She admitted.
"I want to pick the glass out of your cuts, though. That has to be step one." Dr. Subramanian said. Amanda understood.
"I figured as much." Amanda laughed softly.
"Well, it's a good thing I'm off duty." Rick laughed. Amanda frowned, feeling bad.
"You can leave if you want." Amanda said. Rick waved his hand at her, dismissing the statement.
"No, no. I've got to make a phone call, but I'm gonna stay here till you can go home. You're by yourself, I can't just leave you." Rick said. He was such a nice guy, Amanda though. His wife must love him.
"Thanks, I appreciate it. You're really sweet." Amanda said. He smiled widely, making Amanda smile in turn. "It's really nothing." He said, before excusing himself to make his phone call.
Amanda had been back getting X-Rays and CT scans done for what seemed like forever. She didn't like sitting still so long, and began fidgeting tremendously. She had always had trouble sitting still, and it being put in a tube made her panic internally. Dr. Subramanian was taking no chances, and she was happy for that, but she still wanted the other doctors to hurry up so she could go home. She was finally being wheeled back to her room, and she noticed Rick wasn't alone.
"Dad, is that the girl?" The young boy asked, pointed to Amanda as she entered the room. Rick chuckled.
"Yep, that's Miss Amanda." Rick explained. Amanda's heart sunk. Not only was this guy married, he had a nine or ten year old son. She frowned, but the boy smiled and walked over to her bed, leaning
over the side.
"Hi, I'm Carl." The boy said enthusiastically. "Nice to meet you, Carl." Amanda said. "Dad said we were going to stay with you because you're by yourself. He said you were nice." Carl blurted. Amanda couldn't help but smile at the boy's friendliness. He was very well behaved, and Amanda was very impressed.
"Yep, I'm a ways from home. But you're dad was really nice to stay with me." Amanda told the boy. He grinned widely, revealing a bottom tooth missing. He looked around, making sure his dad wasn't paying attention. "Dad says you have a dog."He whispered. Amanda grinned widely, she liked this kid.
"I do, her name is Scout." Amanda said.
"Is she big or little?" Carl asked.
"Big. Bigger than you!" Amanda replied.
"What does she look like?" Cark asked.
"She's big and white. Very fluffy. She's almost as big as me." Amanda explained. The boys eyes grew wide.
"I want to meet her." Carl said.
Amanda grinned. "Well, maybe you can come by sometime and play. She likes kids."Amanda told him.
Carl turned around. "Dad, Miss Amanda says I can play with her dog. When we take her home, can I play with her dog? Please?" Carl begged. Rick looked at Amanda almost apologetically. Amanda smiled at him reassuringly.
"I wouldn't mind, Rick. Scout doesn't know anyone either. I'm sure it'll be dark when we're back though." Amanda said.
Rick seemed grateful for her kindness. "You're a sweet person, Amanda. But it's already 7:30. It'll be dark soon." Rick said. Amanda smiled. "I could say the same about you, too. Carl's welcome to come by and play with her. Sophia loves her, I know Carl would too."Amanda assured him. Just then, Dr. Subramanian walked in, discharge papers in hand.
"Well, Miss Armstrong, you've got a fractured collar bone, but it should heal soon. You do have whiplash, and some bruising. But, you should be fine soon. But, if anything happens out of the ordinary, call me. Even if it seems like nothing, call me." Dr. Subramanian emphasized. Amanda thanked him profusely, before allowing Rick to help her up and out the door. They walked out of the emergency room, noticing Carol still sitting at the nurses' station.
"I'm glad to see you're okay." Carol called to her.
"I am too, thanks! I'm sorry I couldn't watch Sophia tonight." Amanda apologized.
"Don't even worry about it! I'm glad you're okay." Carol said.
"Well, I'm free tomorrow night. If you're working, just send Sophia by. We still have to write that report of hers anyway." Amanda told her.
"Alright, then. I'll have her go to your house after school." Carol said.
"Alrighty, see you tomorrow!" Amanda said, waving to Carol before leaving the hospital.
The ride home was filled with conversation, mostly from Carl. He seemed entrhalled with Amanda, and asked her about everything from her dog to history to asking if she could help him write a paper on General Robert E. Lee. Rick joked with her as well, and apologized for Carl's energetic zeal toward her. Amanda liked the company, though. When they got to her house, as promised, Amanda let Scout inside so Carl could play with her. Instantly, the boy and the dog were buddies, and Amanda couldn't help but feel happy. Scout had always been great with everyone, and Carl was no exception.
"I haven't seen him that happy in a while." Rick said.
"I'm glad Scout could help." Amanda said.
"He really likes you. He hasn't even warmed up to anyone like he has you, honestly." Rick admitted.
Amanda looked at him. "I'm sure he's like this with his mom though."
"Wouldn't know, she left when he was five." Rick said flatly. So there's where Mrs. Grimes was.
"Oh, I'm sorry." Amanda whispered, feeling instantly guilty.
"Don't. She made her choice, couldn't tell you where she is now. I'm assumin' she's still in Macon with her new husband." Rick said. Amanda felt even worse now.
"You know, I like Carl. It's nice to have the company." Amanda said.
Rick grinned widely, looking at her. His eyes were so blue, Amanda's heart fluttered. "He really likes you. It's really hard to find people he gets along with. 'Especially since his mom left."Rick said. Amanda felt terrible. How could anyone leave Rick, or Carl? Carl was a great kid. Even if it didn't work out with his Dad, Carl was enough to at least stay in town.
"This is weird to ask, but would you mind keeping Carl some time?" Rick asked. Amanda didn't hesitate. "Not at all. Actually, how about tomorrow? Sophia will be here, he'll have someone to play with." Amanda suggested.
"That sounds perfect." Rick said. "Is 3:30 good?"
"3:30 is perfect." Amanda said.
"Good, 3:30 it is. Now you can say you know some people in Georgia." Rick joked. He motioned for Carl, explaining to him that he had to go.
"I look forward to it. See you guys tomorrow!" Amanda said happily.
"See ya tomorrow." Rick replied.
Amanda watched Rick and Carl drive away, and felt a strange tug on her heart. Though initially, the day was horrible, she had made two new friends, that was enough for her. She couldn't wait for tomorrow, where she would be able to see them again, and maybe even get to know Rick better.
