A/N: Thanks to all of you that have favorited/followed and reviewed. Sorry for how long it's been since the last update!
Disclaimer: I do not own The Walking Dead.
"I couldn't find any medicine," I told Dale as I took a seat beside him.
"Figures," Dale muttered. "In this sea of cars, you can find just about anything you'd need. How is it there's no first aid?"
I shrugged. Dale seemed to be talking to himself, but I answered anyway. "I suppose while people were panicking and in such a hurry to leave, they didn't think to pack any."
"That's what's wrong with some people. They don't think." Dale shook his head. "What if something like this had happened to them? What would they do without medicine?"
Dale was frustrated. I couldn't blame him. I was frustrated too.
Between him, Adam and me, we had looked through nearly a hundred cars, going as far as we could without going out of sight of the RV in search of medicine for T-Dog. T-Dog's wound had become infected, and he was in bad shape. During most of the day he had been delirious.
Dale had informed me that this morning, when I had heard T-Dog's raised voice, he had been talking about leaving, without the rest of the group. Unless we could find something better than penicillin, T-Dog would get worse, and after what we've gone through this week, I didn't want to think about the worst case scenario.
"Maybe I could get one of these cars running and find a store," Adam offered.
"Absolutely not," I said immediately. "It's too dangerous."
"I'm capable of taking care of myself."
I held up a hand. "Please, don't make an argument out of this. I've had enough of those for a while." I dropped my hand back into my lap. "The reason I say it's too dangerous is because you need to build your strength up. Without having any food or water for a while, in this heat, you'd be asking for a sun stroke. Also, we can't afford to have anyone leave right now."
"Besides," Dale added. "You'll probably get stuck somewhere on the highway, just like up here."
"It wouldn't hurt anything to try," Adam persisted.
I admired that Adam wanted to find help for T-Dog, but still... "We may need you here if something happens." I stretched my legs and my knees popped. "And plus, if they find Sophia, as soon as they get back, we're gonna be packing up to go. You'd be left behind."
"I'll just have to find you again."
"It's getting dark. You don't want to be left out there at night. Let's wait on Rick and everyone to get back before we make any hasty decisions." I kept my tone light but stern."T-Dog will be okay til then." I looked at Adam steadily.
Adam chewed his lip. He turned his gaze to T-Dog, leaning against the RV, a water bottle in his hands, a blanket around his shoulders; to Dale, who half-shrugged.
"Don't look at me, kid. I agree with her," Dale said.
Adam's eyes flicked back to me. He nodded and stayed silent.
"Now the question is: when will they get back?" I said, to no one in particular, looking up at the pink sky.
"You won't have to wait too long," Dale said as he stood, looking toward the treeline.
I looked up, and sure enough, they were back. Glenn was hurrying up the hill, while the others came along behind him more slowly.
I noticed the urgency and panic in Glenn's face. "Something's wrong," I said, a feeling of dread settling in my stomach.
As he would in any emergency, Dale picked up his rifle.
My first thought was that they had found Sophia and she was hurt. Then I saw that not everyone was there. Rick, Shane, Lori, and Carl were gone. Unless Sophia was with Rick, she was still missing. A look at Carol's downcast eyes confirmed it was the latter.
I took a deep breath and went to stand near the guard rail to meet them.
"Carl's been shot!" Glenn called to us when he got within earshot. My stomach dropped and my throat tightened.
"'Shot?!" Dale repeated, walking over to him as he climbed over the guard rail. "What do you mean, he was shot?"
"I don't know, Dale," Glenn answered, out of breath. "I wasn't there. All I know is that this chick rode up out of nowhere like Zorro on a horse and took Lori." He took in a deep breath. "Can you get me some water?" he asked me.
I nodded and went to the shady interior of the RV and got a bottle, taking it out to him.
"Thanks," he said.
"You let her?" Dale asked Daryl when he approached.
Daryl grumbled something to Dale that I couldn't hear.
"Rick sent her," Daryl went on gruffly. "She knew Lori's and Carl's names." He went to the Winnebago, setting down his crossbow and getting some water, then sitting on the ground.
Andrea and Carol came over, both of them looking exhausted.
"I heard screams earlier. Was that you?" Dale asked Andrea.
She walked passed him, not saying a word.
"She got attacked by a walker," Glenn explained. "It was a close call."
"Andrea, are you all right?" Dale called to her in concern.
Andrea paused at the door of the RV and turned. Silently, she gave Dale a look and shook her head, and went inside.
I went over to Dale and put a hand on his shoulder.
"She's probably still in shock," I said comfortingly. Shock and anger were two completely different things, but I didn't know what else to say.
Dale put his arm around my shoulders in a one-armed hug. "Don't worry about me." He patted my back and whispered, "Start working on that apology," and gave me a gentle shove to where Daryl was still sitting, his knees pulled up, leaning his head against the Winnebago, his eyes closed. I knew that, despite this, he was still listening to everything going on.
"I will," I said, in a low voice. "Later, when everything's calmed down."
X*X*X*X*
After Glenn had rested for a while, we stood around the RV as he told us everything that had happened while they were looking for Sophia.
While they were in the woods, they had found a tent, but the only thing that had been inside was a dead man. They had heard church bells ringing in the distance. With the possibility of it being Sophia, they followed the sound until they found the church. It's only occupants were three walkers. There was no steeple, and they found out that the sound of bells had been coming from a speaker, set on a timer. At the church is where they decided to split up, with the plan that they could cover more ground. Daryl was to lead them back toward the highway, while Rick and Shane would search the surrounding woods some more. Carl had went with Rick and Shane. On their way back, Lori had said she had heard a gunshot, which must have been when the accident had happened. Not too much time later was when Andrea got attacked by a walker.
"That's when the Zorro chick came in," Glenn said.
She had saved Andrea from the walker by hitting it with a baseball bat, briefly explained that Carl had been shot and Rick had sent her, told them where to find her dad's farm, and left with Lori.
"We should get T-Dog to that farm," Adam said.
"Who invited you to this discussion?" Daryl said hatefully.
At least he didn't disagree, I thought.
"Adam's right," Dale said. "If they're taking care of Carl, they must have a doctor."
"So what's the plan?" Adam asked Dale, ignoring Daryl's piercing glare.
"We pack up and go to the farm."
"I won't do it," Carol said, shaking her head. "We can't just leave."
"Carol, the group is split. We're scattered and weak."
"What if Sophia comes back and we aren't here?" Carol looked at each of us. She must have seen doubt in someone's eyes, because she added, "It could happen."
"If Sophia were to come back and we were gone, that would be awful," Andrea said.
I nodded in agreement. "She would be in even more danger up here, where she'd be in the open, than she is out there, with the trees and bushes for cover."
Daryl was nodding, wheels turning. "We gotta plan for this. Lets say tomorrow's soon enough to pull up the stakes. We'll rig up a big sign an' leave her some supplies." Carol smiled at him appreciatively. "I'll hold here tonight and stay with the RV."
"If the RV's staying then I am, too." Dale said.
Carol smiled at them. "Thank you. Thank you both."
"I'm in," Andrea said.
"Me too," I said.
"Well, if you guys are all staying then -" Glenn started, but Dale cut him off.
"No, you're going. Take Carol's Cherokee."
Glenn huffed. "Why is it always me?"
"You have to find this farm."
"You are the best at finding things," I said, with a smile of encouragement..
"Exactly," Dale said. "You need to find the farm, reconnect with our people, and find out what's going on. But most important, you have to get T-Dog there. That is not an option."
T-Dog was at the back of the RV, sitting on the bumper, still wrapped in a blanket.
"That cut has gone from bad to worse," Dale went on. "He has a very serious blood infection. You have to see if they have any antibiotics. If not, T-Dog will die, no joke."
Daryl suddenly turned and went to his motorcycle. He picked up a rag and shot a look of annoyance in Dale's direction, then opened the saddlebag. He pulled out a Ziploc bag and came back.
"Keep your oily rags off my brother's motorcycle," he said, throwing it at Dale, then set the bag on the roof of a car.
"What's that?" I asked, looking at the assortment of orange pill bottles.
"Merle's stash," Daryl said.
He dug around, reading the labels, putting aside certain ones, including crystal meth. Where did Merle get stuff like this? And how did he manage to keep it hidden from everyone, especially Shane?
Daryl threw a bottle of painkillers to Glenn. Digging around some more, he pulled out another bottle.
"Doxycycline," he read, and gave the bottle to Dale.
Dale caught it and looked at Daryl questioningly.
"Merle got the clap on occasion," Daryl said, going to put the bag away.
Dale grinned, looking at the bottle, then glanced to T-Dog. Unscrewing the cap, he went over to him.
"I never thought I'd say this," Andrea said, "but thank goodness Merle was such a dog."
I chuckled. "Yeah. If he weren't, we wouldn't have one of the best antibiotics on the market." I smiled and added, "Thank goodness for Merle's clap!"
Daryl had put the bag back and was walking toward me and Andrea. "Y'all best watch how y'all talk about my brother," he said, but I caught his small amused smile as he sat down.
"By the way Daryl," Dale threw over his shoulder. "Serena needs to talk to you."
Daryl raised his eyebrows, his eyes flicking toward me for a second. "Talk to me about what?"
Dale didn't answer. As soon as Daryl looked at me, Dale grinned fleetingly. I held back a growl of frustration.
"Talk to me about what?" Daryl repeated.
I sighed. Instead of answering, I said, "You feel like helping me hunt down something to eat?"
Daryl shrugged and picked up his crossbow, stood, and motioned for me to lead the way.
"Stay near Dale, and don't leave sight of the RV," I told Adam.
"Okay," he answered. "Watch your step out there."
I nodded and went to Glenn. "You need me to help you get anything together before you go?"
Glenn shook his head. "No, but thanks anyway. I'm not taking anything." He looked around at everyone. "It feels so weird, being split up like this."
"I know." I wrapped my arms around him in a hug. "We'll all be together again tomorrow though." I pulled back. "Be careful, Scout."
Glenn smiled. "I will."
"Are we goin' to find food or what?" Daryl said, not unkindly, tapping his foot against a car tire impatiently.
"I'm coming," I said. "Just give me a minute."
"Try tellin' that to the sun."
I sighed when I realised how dark it was getting. I got my bow and arrows and strapped a sword to my waist. I waved to Glenn and went to Daryl's side. "How good is your night vision?"
"Good enough. We'll bring a flashlight, just in case."
Andrea tossed me a flashlight and I put it in my pocket. "We won't be gone no more than an hour," I told Dale, then, with another gesture from Daryl, I led the way down the hill.