A/N: Watching new episodes makes me depressed without Andrea there. Anyways here is the next part!
To Guest: Yes! Everything you said is so true. They disrespected her character by killing her like that.
Rick approached Andrea's room wearily. He heard heavy breathing and shuffling going on inside. He stuck his arm out and tapped on the bars, while keeping his body hidden behind the wall.
"Who is it?" He heard her call out in a strained voice.
"Um," his voice cracked. He coughed, "it's uhh...it's Rick."
"I'm sorry, but who's Rick?," she replied.
His face flushed, his heart started beating rapidly, and his palms became sweaty. She didn't remember who he was? He pushed himself off the wall and barged into the room with wide, concerned eyes. Andrea's back was facing him. He saw that she was crying. Her shoulders were shaking and he heard her making muffled noises.
He took one step towards her and her head immediately turned towards him over her shoulder. But he saw a huge smile on her face and heard light laughter. His face contorted in confusion. "I don't...," he trailed off. He didn't understand what was happening. She was laughing?
"Rick, it's okay. I was just joking," she looked deeply into his eyes. "Can you help me out with something?"
He simply nodded his head.
She turned her body to face him and he wasn't prepared for what he saw. Her shirt wasn't buttoned. She only had on a dark purple bra. She was beautiful. Her body was the perfect mixture of curvy and muscular. Her hair was damp and she was holding gauze over her stomach. "I...you need me to button your shirt?," Rick asked.
"No, can you help me wrap this gauze around my stomach? I would ask Carol, but she's already done so much."
He scrambled to her side, "Of course, it's no problem."
Andrea handed him the roll of gauze and squeezed his warm hand; her own was freezing. She lifted the shirt above her ribs as he started to delicately wrap the gauze around her. Before he knew it, he was kneeling in front of her body, rolling the gauze.
He secured it, then trailed his hands lower, and proceeded to hold onto her hips. His eyes never left the spot that the gauze was covering. "What happened?"
She didn't know what to do. Rick's fingertips were lightly rubbing the sides of her hips. This situation was too intimate. She was frozen.
He realized she was uncomfortable when her eyes refused to meet his, darting everywhere around the room erratically. He stood up and grabbed both sides of her shirt. He buttoned once and then Andrea took over. He stepped back, giving her a little personal space.
"I don't exactly remember how it happened. I was in and out of consciousness the whole time he had me...," she trailed off.
Rick nodded, but couldn't meet her eyes. His own were looking at the floor tile, ashamed. He felt guilty for allowing her to go back to Woodbury. "I owe you an apology", he told her. "I shouldn't have let you go back there. I saw what he was like."
She scoffed, "yea well I didn't. I was so naive, blinded by the safety and comfort that he offered. Carol told me what he did to you guys."
"And I shouldn't have grabbed you the way that I did. I was just so hyped up and...I didn't know what was going to happen next. I thought he was with you when you came here that day. When you didn't say if you were alone or not I just acted. I mean we are the ones that abandoned you at the farm. I thought you were dead. T-dog saw you go down and a lot of us just assumed the worst. Daryl wanted to go back for you, but I wouldn't let him. So, for that I'm sorry. " He took a deep breath and looked up at her. She was studying his face with a concerned expression.
"Rick, what you did. Everything that you do, you do for the good of the group. You have nothing to be sorry for. You were just protecting everyone and I get that." Andrea finished speaking. She laid a comforting hand on his forearm.
He looked down at his arm. Suddenly, warmth was spreading throughout his body. He shouldn't be feeling this way, but he couldn't help himself. She was so understanding. He should be the one comforting her after being put through the ringer herself. He felt such a strong connection and attraction to her. Even though she was the polar opposite of Lori. "Alright," he whispered in response.
He wanted to continue the conversation, but she looked exhausted, more like dead on her feet. He gestured to the bed and they both sat down, hip to hip. "You should probably rest some more," he told her.
"Probably."
"Get it in while you can. Down time never seems to last around here." Rick turned towards her, "do you need anything?"
"No, thanks. Well actually maybe some water."
Rick rose from his position to help make her comfortable on the bed. He fluffed her pillows and helped her lay down on the bed. She hissed in pain at all of the movement of her stomach. He froze, "should I get Hershel? Are you alright?"
She smiled up at him, "I'm fine. Just sore is all. I think I can make it the last 3 inches to the pillow."
He laughed. How could she be so optimistic?
He stood up straight as Andrea made herself relax. "So I'll have that water ready for you when you wake up." He took a step towards the hall.
"Rick...wait."
He turned to face her again.
"This is stupid, but can you give me a gun? I can't sleep without protection. I feel paranoid that a walker is going to come in here while I'm sleeping. I know it's irrational, but I can't rest. I need a gun." She looked up at him uncertainly.
"That's not stupid at all. Here," he said as he handed her his own gun. "Hold onto this one, while I go get one for you."
She took the gun from his hands and at the same time, dragged her fingers over his. She enjoyed contact between them both. "Thanks, I feel better already."
"Good to hear. Be right back," he said as he sprinted out of the room.
He came back around ten minutes later to find Andrea passed out on the bed. Her head had fallen to the side and her breathing was slow and even. Both of her hands were tightly clutching Rick's revolver over her stomach. Rick slowly crept toward her. He decided to switch Andrea's new handgun out for his revolver. He grasped her hand, while trying to peel his gun away from her strong grip.
The next thing he knew, he was flat on his back.
"Jesus...are you okay?," she was visibly startled. "I'm sorry!"
Rick put a hand to his forehead. He didn't know what happened. He was laying on the floor with a pounding bruise and headache. "Did you hit me?"
She looked at him sheepishly, "with the gun, yeah."
He started to scramble to his feet.
"I, ugh, flashed back to being in that room...I thought you were...him." She looked down, "I don't know how many times he woke me up just to hit me. I felt crazy, always on alert."
He sat down on the side of the bed, next to her hip. "Sorry, I wasn't thinking. That was a stupid move." He reached out and grasped her hand. "I'm hear if you wanna talk about it."
She opened her mouth to respond, but was cut off. "What's up blondie?," Daryl barged into the room.
Their hands broke apart and they looked up at Daryl.
Andrea smiled, "hey, it's good to see you."
"Nah, it's good to see you. Especially awake," Daryl responded while wrapping his arms around her for a hug. "Sorry for interruptin' but Carl was wonderin' where you were."
"Yea...okay. Well that's fine she should be getting some rest now anyway," Rick said to Daryl. He then addressed Andrea, "how about a trade?" He held out the gun to her.
She looked pleased and took it. Then handed his revolver to him. "You've earned it back," she laughed while looking into his eyes.
"Right," he laughed back. "I'll just go ice down my forehead while you sleep."
"Don't let me sleep forever," she ordered as she laid back down.
"You got it. Rest up," Rick responded as he and Daryl walked out of Andrea's cell.
"Later blondie," Daryl added.
TBC, they finally interacted! :) Let me know what you thought by reviewing! Thanks.
