No votes... So I'll just name her... This is probably just gonna end up turning into a Daryl story. That's gonna be my default eoe

It felt like I was floating. Like my body was weightless. The sounds of static filled my ears, lulling me softly into a deeper slumber.

We can't contain the breach...

That voice... Who was that? I almost recognized it, but the it eluded me. I stir, feeling the ache of my body.

... A threat...

The voice seemed to morph before me, and suddenly the memory vanished. My eyes fluttered open, meeting a dimly lit room, enveloped in an almost orange glow. It was warm and humid, but it felt cooler; it must be later in the afternoon. I could feel a pang of discomfort in my stomach, but I ignored it as I listened to the voices outside of the thin walls of cloth.

"She could be infected, Rick." The voice wasn't even trying to stay hushed. "How could you let that hillbilly bring her in?"

"Calm down, Shane," another man replied, sounding much more collect. "She ain't bit, the girls checked her over. Ain't no harm in letting her heal up here."

A scoff left the other man, his shadow moving sporadically through the cloth wall to strike an authoritive stance. "Ain't no harm, but a few resources being wasted on a stranger."

"Shane," the name came out as an exasperated sigh, "we're supposed to protect and serve. I can't just leave someone to die. We need to get through this together. All of us. Even these strangers that you say waste our resources."

An angry huff of air leaves the other man, though his fight seems to deflate. "Just remember that when your boy runs outta food." His shadow disappeared from my view as the man stalked away.

"Dammit, Shane," the other man sighed, his voice quiet and defeated. "What's gotten into you..?" There was a moment of silence, then the stranger turned and entered the tent.

I sprang up, on full alert. My stomach churned in protest, the sheets around me floating to the ground. My clothing was significantly lighter than I remembered, but that didn't matter to me at the moment. The hair on the back of my neck stood on end as I stared at the man. His blue eyes met mine in return, looking surprised.

"Hey, you shouldn't be up," the man stated, voice calm and reassuring. I was still on edge. "You should be resting. Your body's in no condition to be jumping around."

"I'll be fine," I shoot back, my voice breaking slightly. The scratching sensation in my throat made my eyes water, and I was soon coughing uncontrollably.

Rick held out his hands, concern engulfing his face. "You alright? Some water on that table behind ya, have a drink."

The mention of water got my attention. I held in my coughs, eyes blurred by tears. I wanted so badly to turn around and chug said water, but I was reluctant to turn my back to a stranger. I lowered an arm behind me, slowly backing up until I felt the table. My eyes don't leave the man as I shimmy around the surface, my hand feeling carefully for the cup. The stranger doesn't move, and I chance a quick glance down, just long enough to spot the tin can a little over half full of clear liquid. My eyes return to the stranger as my fingers wrap around the can, and I lift it to my lips in one fluid motion.

I pause, lips quivering as I deny myself the much needed hydration. The stranger smiles his calm smile, urging me to drink. I take a sniff at the drink; it smells a little bit like beans, but other than that, I detect nothing out of the ordinary. If I wasn't so desperate, I might have poured the liquid out. I might have thrown the can at the man and run away while he was distracted. But, I could feel the tightness of my skin, my lips cracking from dehydration. So, I tilted my head, bringing the can with it, and slowly drank the contents inside the can.

It was cool and soothing as the water slid down my throat. I already felt better from just that small bit if liquid, the water rejuvenating me. I pull the can away with a breathless sigh, setting it back down where I had grabbed it. It clanked against the wooden surface, and the room grew silent again.

"Hi." Rick cleared his throat, looking slightly awkward. He gave a gentle smile, and I felt oddly at ease. "I'm Rick Grimes." The silence lingered a moment, then, "What's your name, Miss?"

I blinked at him, my mind drawing a blank. I had knowledge of what a name was, but I could not, for the life of me, recall mine. "I..." My voice sounded so weak and pathetic, I hated it. I swallowed and tried again. "I can't remember..."

"Oh." Rick looked surprised at that, and I had to glance away. "Well... We need to call you something, especially if you're gonna stay here." He rested his hands on his hips, looking thoughtful.

My eyes met his once more, and my heart quickened. Why did he make me feel so nervous? And yet, when he smiled at me like that, I couldn't help but to feel at ease.

"I don't wanna keep calling you miss, anyhow. Is there something you'd like to be called?"

It's funny. I hadn't really considered the possibility of staying here. These were the first people I had even seen since... before I could remember. I felt very out of my element, but the longer I stared into those calming blue orbs, the more relaxed I felt.

I closed my eyes for a moment, taking a deep breath. What name could I choose? I did remember some names, though none of them were mine. So, I would make one of them mine. Opening my eyes, I locked on to Rick. He stood patiently, waiting for my response.

"Kayton." I'm not sure why that name came to mind, but it felt right.

"Kayton?" My newfound name on his lips sent a strange feeling down my spine. Doubled with a crooked smile, I didn't know how to respond. "Pleasure to meet you, Miss Kayton."

I nodded slowly in response, calm enough now to properly take in my surroundings. "Where am I?" I questioned.

"My camp," Rick answered, scratching his head absently. "Ain't much, but it's kept us safe so far."

I paused. "Who.. Is us? Just how many people are here?" I looked at the wall of the tent. I couldn't see passed the cloth, but I could only imagine the tents littered about to house other survivors.

That gave Rick pause, and he seemed almost reluctant to answer. "Quite a few," he gave vaguely. "We lost a lot of good men recently, though. Damn hoard came through a few days ago. We managed to fend them off, but we're still cleaning up the aftermath..." He sounded so sad as he explained the situation, eyes cast downward and filled with pain.

"I..." I wasn't sure what to say. I lowered my head slightly, unable to look at him. "I'm sorry..."

Rick shook his head mournfully, but said nothing more on the matter. "Why don't you get some more rest, Kayton? I'm sure you need it."

It was my turn to shake my head. "I'm okay," I answered. My stomach was still a little queasy, but otherwise I felt okay. He looked at me skeptically and I returned a reasuring smile. "Really. I feel fine now."

"You sure?" He seemed reluctant to believe me.

"Positive." I avert my eyes, suddenly feeling bashful. "You said... I could stay here?"

"If you'd like," Rick answered. When I met his eye, there was a slight twinkle in them. I wasn't sure what to make of that look he gave, and I turned my head away once more. "Why don't I show ya around, introduce you to everyone? You can decide later."

I nod in agreement, glancing down at my new attire. I was clad in some pajama-esque shorts and a tank top, my cheeks turning pink as I realize just how much skin I'm showing. It wasn't inappropriate, but it definitely was not my style. The unfamiliar articles of clothing were uncomfortable. "Can I get my belongings back first?"

Rick averts his eyes, the same thought seeming to cross his mind. "Your bag's over in the corner. Your clothes are drying now; some of the gals insisted they clean 'em. Ah, it was actually Carol and Beth that changed you. Ain't no one else in the room when they did. Nice ladies, those two. I'll have to introduce ya." The man wrung his hands nervously, his ears turning a touch red.

I couldn't help the soft laugh that escaped me, my nerves melting away at his flustered behavior. "Oh, well that's good to know. I guess I should go thank them for washing my clothes, and stuff..." I look down at my outfit once more, still uneasy about wearing it outside but reluctantly giving in to that fate.

"Here." Rick seemed to notice my discomfort, as he shed his plaid overshirt and held it out to me. Underneath, he wore a simple, white tank. His arm flexed as he held the shirt, showing off his impressive muscles. Muscles that must have taken ages to build and refine.

My fingers wrapped around the cloth, tearing my eyes away from the man's newly exposed skin. "Thank you, Rick." I hesitated a moment before pulling the shirt on. The long sleeves were rolled up slightly, though they still nearly reached my wrists, and there seemed to be a few buttons missing on the front. I secured the top button, just enough to keep it from sliding down my shoulders.

"Sorry if it, uh..." Rick's ears turned red and he scratched the back of his head. "I've been wearing that all day, working up a sweat. Might not smell too good. Sorry 'bout thar."

I absently sniff at the sleeve. It smelled musky, with hints of nature. It was actually a rather pleasant smell; not that I would say that aloud. "It smells fine." I offer him a reassuring smile.

He seemed relieved at my statement, his shoulders relaxing a bit. "That's good." With a slight nod, as though enticing me along, he headed out of the tent. With no other option, I took a deep breath and followed.

Rick held the fold of the tent's entrance up until I emerged. I spotted the sun, beginning to sink passed the horizon and casting an orange glow across the camp. Tents littered the clearing, and vehicles lined up as a sort of barrier on one half. The other side was mostly empty, consisting of a lone tent and a fire pit near the center of camp, random items encircling the hole as makeshift seats.

Rick took the lead, his stride confident and unwavering as he headed toward a small group of girls. As we drew closer, I grew more nervous. Eyes looked up from their tasks, landing on me. Voices faded to silence as unspoken questions formed.

"Afternoon, ladies." Rick greeted with a tired smile.

"Well, looks like she's feeling better," an older woman with graying hair spoke first, a tight smile on her face. "Glad to see you up and about."

I merely nod in response, my nerves seeming to tie my tongue in a knot. The smile seemed insincere, I noted. She was just as on edge as I was.

"That one's Carol," Rick introduced with a nod and a smile to the woman. "And there's Beth." The blonde girl smiled meekly when introduced, but said nothing. The other blonde beside her was more talkative.

"Name's Andrea," she introduced, though her tone was anything but friendly. Just who are you?"

I glanced toward Rick, who took a small step between us, defusing the hostility. "This is Kayton," he answered. "She's gonna be staying until she's healed up. After that, we'll see what happens."

I felt a chill at the way he said that; like there was a possibility that he would kick me out if I didn't meet his expectations. I swallowed. A wolfish grin pulled at Andrea's lips, her sharp eyes glancing in my direction momentarily before returning to Rick.

"Yeah, we'll see." Andrea didn't sound like she was for me staying.

"I-it's nice to meet you," I managed to stutter out with all the grace of a squawking goose, trying to ignore the bundle of nervousness building in the pit of my stomach, briefly glancing over the three. It was then my eyes landed on the tiny blonde human that hid behind Carol. I offered her a nervous smile, and she mirrored the gesture.

Rick continued to take me around meeting all the occupants that were around camp.

"It's a pleasure to meet you." Glenn seemed nice, practically grinning from ear to ear as he greeted me.

"Hm, Kayton, huh?" Shane's eyes studied me closely, but he didn't seem hostile. Just cautious. I could feel his eyes on me even after I had left his presents.

"If dad says you're good to stay, I'll trust his judgement." Carl smiled at me openly, his boyish cheeks creasing his bright blue eyes with the effort. He seemed like a nice boy, even going as far as to shake my hand during his introduction.

"Hm." Daryl was the last I was introduced to, having nothing to say passed a thoughtful hum.

"This is Daryl, the man who brought you to camp," Rick informed, a friendly smile directed toward the gruff man.

Daryl's head jerked slightly, a scowl pulling at his lips. "She don't need to know that," he stated, his voice coarse and deep. I also swore I saw red tint his ears, but perhaps that was just from heat.

"Why not?" Rick questioned, a laugh on his lips.

Daryl just scoffed, but did not answer. Instead, he adjusted his crossbow over his shoulder and turned to leave. As he walked away, Glenn approached, a bat rested casually against his shoulder.

"I'm gonna start the evening patrol now, Rick," the boy stated with an almost carefree smile. He turned the smile to me and waved jovially, though quickly turned away before I could return the gesture, looking suddenly bashful.

"That's a great idea," Rick exclaimed, as though answering an unspoken question in his own mind. "Kayton, you should go on a patrol, get a feel for the area." He glanced around quickly, eyes landing briefly on Daryl before they met Glenn's curious gaze. His eyes met mine last, smiling at his idea.

I swallowed a sudden lump that formed in my throat, awaiting the man's decision.

So, next decision! Who should our protagonist go on patrol with?

1. Glenn

2. Daryl

3. Rick

Place your votes! Or... It's just gonna be Daryl... ^^;