Title: Mockingbird
Chapter rating: T
Pairing: ?
Spoilers: Yep, many.
Length: Multi-chapter
Summary: Sometimes the choices you make, seem right and well thought, but you end up in the gutter anyway. And sometimes you're just an idiot with a gun.

Warnings: bad language.

AN: Sorry for the delay, I have been super busy with my work, but I'm back now. Hope you like this chapter, even though I admit it is a bit short. See ya soon :)

Disclaimer: If you reg. I do not own.

Chapter 3. Night time blues

As the sun finally set Lisa gave up her watch and left the roof to get something to eat. She pulled the makeshift bandana of her hair and rubbed her now sore neck. She briefly wondered if one could get blisters from too much sun exposure. Probably, oh well. She'd have to give the redneck hunter some credit, he seemed to know his shit about outdoors better than she herself did. Even her three years in working with the Miami Dade ASD hadn't prepared her for this kind of weather. True, back then she had had air-conditioned office and as much sun lotion as she had managed to carry home from the shop. And outdoors in the marsh lands was a bit different from these dense woods. No alligators for one, not as much mosquitoes for second. No poachers either. Or if there was any, they were probably dead anyway. And in Florida it was always hot. Time of the day didn't matter, unlike in Georgia where the temperature seemed to change from scorching hot midday to freezing ones ass of by midnight.

It was time for her and Fred to move on.

Lisa sighed as darkness slowly swallowed the area like a velvet blanket, making harsh corners disappear and the hiding the broken town from curious eyes. The night air was cool to her burning skin. It felt nice. She so seldom nowadays felt nice. The brook she had bathed a week ago had been nice. The tea they had served at the last refugee camp she had visited had been nice. Oh well, she thought as she stood up and dusted her dirty jeans, girls got to enjoy the little things. Although she had to admit that she could have cut part of her pinky off for a hot, coconut scented bath by now.

Lisa left her bow and arrows at the door as she entered the gas station. She went straight to the candy section and smiled as she saw the snicker bars still intact. She devoured two and savored the third as made her way to the back of the building. She stopped at the door of the office when she saw Daryl going trough a bag of medicine bottles. Sadly, she also noted a small bag of blue crystal like substance. Hell, she knew meth when she saw it. Working closely with the animal precinct had made her see things she had rather left unseen. As she entered the small space, Fred opened one brown eye to look at her, but she just gave him the silent stay command. He huffed and turned his head towards the wall.

"What are you doing?" She asked, making a mental note not to mention the drugs. No real reason since she had made her mind about leaving already.

Daryl looked up. For a moment he had that haunted look in his eyes again, but it passed soon. "Looking fer oxycontin."

"Your brothers in that much pain huh?"

"Yeah. He keeps askin' fer it. What harm can it do?" He shrugged his shoulders.

"He's had quite a coctail of meds Daryl."

"Well, any harm in givin' it to him?"

"I have to check the pharmacopoeia. I gave him Amoxil and Demerol in the afternoon and I'm really not sure how meperidine works with oxycodone."

"Ya sure know a lot 'bout human meds fer a vet."

"My dad is... He was a doctor." She smiled sadly as she flipped through the pages of the travel sized pharmacopoeia she had 'borrowed' from the first pharmacy she had found looted. "He got me into the vet school. I tried for UMMS, but didn't get in. So I applied to VMRCVM and got in at first try." She stopped as she found the right page. "Ok here we go... Oh hell, don't give him the Oxycontin. It doesn't mix well with Demerol. But I'll get you the bottle so you can give him another dose."

"Yeah."

Lisa dug out her stash of meds. She pulled out half a dozen bottles before she found the right one. As she read the label to be sure an idea hit her. "Tell you what. I'll give you all of these if you give me the OxyContin." She held the bottle up for him and rattled the pills inside a bit. "It's almost full."

"What? Ya think Ah'm stupid, woman? Ah ain't giving ya shit." He grumbled.

"Oh well, it was worth the shot." Lisa shrugged and tossed the Demerol bottle to the now scowling redneck.

He caught it with practiced ease and even managed to look somewhat embarrassed for his outburst." It ain't that Ah ain't grateful fer what ya did... They just ain't mine to give."

"Yeah whatever, just give him one or two pills, max three times a day."

"Yeah. Thanks doc."

"You're welcome. Now, do you think any of the cars outside other than your pickup are in working order?"

"Ya leaving?"

"First thing in the morning. Your brother should be good enough to travel in few days. Just don't let him drive that Triumph of his for a while hmm?"

"Still gonna head to that Fort Benning place?"

"Yes."

"Ah was kinda hoping y'd chanced yer mind about that."

"And follow you two to Atlanta? No offense Daryl, but that would probably end with one of us strangling the other. And you're a lot stronger than me. Besides I don't deal well with obnoxious, loudmouthed bigots like your brother." Lisa smiled wide. "I know he's your family and all, but hell, he's one annoying asshole."

He had to smirk at that. "Yeah Ah guess, but if ya change yer mind.."

"675*, I know. I have to go pack now. I'll check the bandages one more time tonight. Hope to see you in the morning before I leave."

He shrugged his shoulders nonchalantly. If she had made up her mind, he wouldn't try to stop her. Free will seemed to be one of the few luxuries humans had left these days.

"You know, I think you've said more to me in the last five minutes than you have in the past four days."

"Ah have my moments."

The rest of the night was spent in comfortable silence. The last thing Lisa thought before she drifted of to sleep was that she didn't mind the younger Dixon's company at all. She might have even ventured as far as to say that she liked his silent presence.

...

TBC

...

*Suggested nationwide emergency and road information calling. Nationally recognized coded squelch for 675 emergency repeater operation is 141.3 Hz. (Wikipedia)