Summary: Hmmmmm I wonder how many people abandoned this story thinking it would never be updated. Well for those unbelievers I say shame! Shame on you. No I'm just kidding. I know I haven't updated at all in a while but writer's block gets to us all some time or another and mine was really bad so I took a rather long vacation from writing. I apologize. Now let's get back to where we left off shall we? In this chapter we've got a little death, some violence, and some action. All of the necessary ingredients for zombie fun right? Also Dez and Rick fend for their lives, promises are made, and Al is seeing shit? o.O Sounds like fun doesn't it?
Disclaimer: I do not own rights to the walking dead blah god damn blah fucking blah.
Credits: The credit for this chapter goes to those who have stuck with me through my (horribly timed) rough patch. Basically those of you who will wet themselves when you see this update. I'm not into that kind of thing but there's a piece of me that really hopes there's a lot of you that need to change your panties (or boxers) after seeing that I updated.
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Daryl POV:
"Daryl I don't think that's helpin' any." Rick was starin' at me. Actually all of 'em were even the Jap that looked like a punk wannabe with his rifle restin' on his shoulders while he kicked at the dirt when we made eye contact. I stopped kickin' at the wooden beam I'd been fixatin' on takin' my anger out on and the younger guy with the hurt ankle sittin' next to it stopped cringin' like a bitch. "Thank you." Rick turned back to the Jap and set his hands on his hips. "So what were ya'll doin' out there?" He asked and for a second it sounded like he was goin' to scold them like he would his kid.
The Jap looked up at him through his bangs and pulled out a crushed pack of cigarettes. He took one out and tossed it to the girl, took one for himself, lit it, and tossed the lighter to her as well and she pocketed them both after lightin' it. It was fuckin' weird how they looked like they'd been on the same wavelength. "Needed supplies." He said while Rick looked back and forth at both of them obviously tryin' to figure 'em out.
"We've got a place out past the outskirts on the opposite side of town with mouths that need to be fed." The girl with the bow spoke up and Rick was silent for a beat. "How many?" He asked. "There's eighteen of us." She answered exhalin' a large cloud of smoke. "Probably going to be nineteen soon. Maybe more." I frowned tryin' to figure out what she meant.
"I gotta ask." She shifted her weight and adjusted the bow draped 'round her shoulders. "What were you two doing there?" Rick looked back at me and then down at the ground before answerin'. "We've got a group too. We were at the CDC in Atlanta..We escaped just before the place blew and are lookin' for some place safe. We thought this place might be.." He trailed off an' shook his head.
"How many do you have?" She asked. "Eleven includin' us." He answered an' Destiny was silent in thought for a moment or two before she asked her next question. "Is the girl one of yours?"
I wasn't that interested in the girl that kept bein' mentioned earlier but now I was gettin' curious. "What girl do you keep talkin' 'bout?" I asked. She turned her attention my way and fiddled with the cigarette between her fingers. "I don't know. I haven't met her. All Caleb told me was that she was at the school and she was injured. Three of our men were supposed to take her back to the warehouse." At the end of the statement she sucked her bottom lip into her mouth an' nibbled on it which left me with an uncomfortable sensation of familiarity. How many times had a certain quiet girl done the same thing when deep in thought or nervous? There was a churnin' in my gut now that I was thinkin' bout Mute. There was a chance she was dead but..What if she wasn't? Stop worryin' 'bout it. She's dead. I couldn' start gettin' my hopes up every time a strange girl was mentioned it would drive me fuckin' nuts.
"How far from here is this place you're talkin' about?" I could see the wheels turnin' in Rick's head when he spoke an' he looked torn. Destiny pointed to the guy with the ankle injury and sighed. "With him to carry? It's gonna take a day or more I'd guess." Great. More time to waste. Rick's expression mimicked my thoughts an' he didn't look too thrilled when he met her gaze burnin' with somethin' I couldn't readily identify. "And I'm not sure it would be a good idea to go looking for a vehicle any time soon. If we ever get the fuck out of this hole that is.." She glared up at the gap above.
"We don't have to find a vehicle. We came on his motorcycle." Rick pointed at me an' I wasn' sure how I felt about him revealin' so much to these people even if they did save our asses. "Its parked outside the city. Daryl and I can go get help. We can bring our group and then head to your warehouse."
The girl's expression read distrust an' she shook her head. "Sorry, sheriff you'll have to forgive me. One can never be too careful these days. Whichever one of you wants to go will be taking Ruki with you. The other can stay." There was defiance in her tone an' I had to wonder what was with her attitude all of a sudden. She helped us out of certain death an' now she flipped a switch an' was treatin' us like the enemy. I'd probably do the same. We were strangers an' there were enough survivors willin' to kill fellow survivors for little to know reason. Kinda like Merle. He could be your best friend one second and your worst enemy the next. Rick, it seemed, was lookin' to bunk with these people for a while an' I could use a good nights sleep so the only answer to this was to deal with it. For now.
Rick was quick to accept the offer. "That's fine. Daryl?" He turned his gaze my way an' I look from him to the girl and back again. The Jap didn't look like someone I wanted on the back of my bike with me, somethin' 'bout the way his trigger finger kept twitchin' but I sure as hell wasn' gonna let Rick drive either. " 'Kay." And the look the Americanized chink gave me could'a been a glare but I assumed his eyes were just that slanted for his sake.
Destiny looked content with my answer an' for the life of me I couldn't decide if I appreciated the balls she had for actin' like she had any sort of authority over me or if I wanted to leave a bolt 'tween her eyes and be done with it. "The plan is all fine and dandy but I don't see how we're gettin' to my bike if we're stuck in here." I wasn' one to point out the elephant in the hole but I didn't see any point in ignorin' one so big either and god damn Rick if he didn' glance up at the gapin' hole above us like he was just noticin' it for the first time.
"Well.." Rick grabbed up a chair that had been left in one piece an' set it upright. "this won't help much but if he stands on your shoulders he can pull himself up an' then you after him." Rick must've lost his fuckin' mind I realized as I looked Ruki over. He didn't look like he could handle my weight any more than I could handle a damn Ford but the guy didn't look concerned. In fact he looked downright confident. "You sure that's such a good idea?" I asked, eyein' him up and down again.
For the first time since we'd run into these three the Jap addressed me directly and he did it with a smirk that made me uncomfortable. "Don't worry, cowboy." And he flexed his biceps and wagged his eyebrows. "I can handle ya." and the girl chuckled beside him which didn't make me feel any better. Was he gay or somethin? He brushed past Rick, rifle still supported on his shoulders, and stepped up on the chair. "No worries though. I don't need those broad, manly shoulders of yours." I almost shit myself when he winked at me. I wanted to kick the chair out from beneath his feet but another part of me was curious as to what he meant. Ain't no way he's makin' it up that without help. The part of me that was curious won out and I couldn't wait to see him fail. Go ahead. Try to show off, kid. I tried to hide my smirk but it must've been clear as day on my face because he chuckled and shook his head in a 'challenge accepted' sort of way.
"Be careful." Rick and the kid with the jacked up ankle were watching but Destiny had her attentions set elsewhere off to the side where there was a family photo of three strangers cracked and dusty on the ground. Yet when he tossed her his rifle she caught it without so much as a look up. Fuckin' freaky. I would eventually ask how the hell they did that shit.
I returned my attention to the Jap and, I shit you not, this little bastard crouched down like he was ready to take a shit and then launched himself up like a damn bottle rocket and grabbed onto the edge of the hole, his knuckles white with the force he gripped the rottin' wood with. It creaked with his weight when he pulled himself up and hopped over the edge like it was fuckin' nothin'. Like a damn monkey.. I wouldn't say I was impressed but it gained him some points in my book.
When he poked his blonde, spiky head back over he was grinnin' from ear to ear an' Destiny launched his gun right up after him. It didn't surprise me this time that he caught it and then extended an arm down. "Your turn, crossbow." He said and I shook my head. "Can't believe this.." I grumbled and hoisted myself up onto the chair. Lookin' up at him the jump looked higher than I thought. "You sure?" I asked, still not completely convinced and he shrugged. "Don't be a pussy." I gaped up at the chink with the brass balls and that was it. I jumped, grabbed his hands, and even though I was ready to be dropped and mentally preparin' myself for the pain of a busted tailbone his grip was better than I'd expected. With some teamwork I was up and over the edge in less than minute.
"You best thank your lucky stars you didn't drop me." I huffed while gettin' to my feet. Ruki shrugged and brushed himself off. "I thought about it." He said. "What?" He shook his head. "Nothing." And he leaned over the side again. "Stay." He pointed to the girl who arched an eyebrow at him and rolled her eyes. "Yeah..Because I have so many other options but this one is the best." Her sarcasm rang clear as a bell and the chink cackled like it was the most hilarious thing he'd ever heard in his life.
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Shane Pov:
"SOPHIA!"
"Carol! Keep it down!" I hissed. There wouldn't be any point of continuing the search if she brought all the walkers in the area right to us. After Rick and Daryl drove off into the sunset together we'd had a nasty run-in with a small group of walkers that sent everyone into panic mode. People split up, it was chaos, and the next thing I knew Carol was going crazy over her daughter who she said ran off in the thick of things. Into the woods of all places. Didn't that girl have any sense of self preservation?
"Don't you tell me to be quiet! That's my little girl, Shane!" She hissed in my face and I flinched as a bit of saliva landed on my cheek. Her eyes were wild and her face was bright red with fury and fear. "I know and we all want to find her but we need to go about this smart. If you wanna give her a chance you can't be bringing the walkers right to us. Then we're gonna be up shits creek without a paddle and Sophia won't stand a chance." I glanced over Carol's shoulder to Lori who had an iron grip on Carl who looked like he was ready to go bolting into the forest half cocked to find his friend. I'd seen that same look in him earlier when he'd been told Mute wasn't with us. I wasn't sad to see her go but her disappearance had left two of our group in a state of distress.
Daryl, I couldn't even be sure of what he was thinking anymore. He probably had been banging the silent freak the whole time or something because now that she was gone there was something different about him. Usually he was the first to stick his two cents in when it came to matters of keeping the group safe. Ever since we'd left the CDC, though, he'd clammed up and was shooting glares and leers in every direction. Carl, hopefully wouldn't take his lead and do the same. I'd have to remember to pull him aside later and talk some sense into him since Rick and Lori didn't seem to want to take that responsibility onto themselves. I almost shivered in delight at the thought of playing daddy to him again in his father's absence.
Even though Lori had made it a point to ignore me and everything between us I knew there was still something there. How could there not be after all we'd been through together? I could see it in her eyes when she shot a paranoid glance my way. There was a part of her that wanted me to be in charge so we could be together again. If only Rick hadn't come back then there wouldn't be any problem. I'd lead the group to safety and lay at Lori's side at night and watch over her and Carl until I was content enough to sleep like it was in the beginning.
"We can split up and look for her." Glenn was shifting his weight from one foot to the other anxiously. As if he couldn't contain the fear and the adrenaline pumping through his veins. I wasn't so keen on the idea. Usually when we split up someone ended up dead or bitten but to calm Carol down and restore the group's faith in me I agreed. "Alright." I scratched at the back of my neck and started giving orders before anyone could interject their opinions. "Glenn and T-dog you head that way." I pointed into the woods to the left. "Andrea you come with me. Carol stay here with Dale in case she comes back." And for once there was no arguments even though I could see the pessimism brewing in Lori's eyes. Carl didn't look very happy while the rest of us gathered our weapons and made sure we had ammo and such.
"What about me?" He asked as I checked my clip. "You're gonna stay here with your mom and keep her safe." I said but he wasn't pleased with it. "I wanna help look for Sophia." There was confidence in his voice and he had plenty of reason to help but there was no way I was gonna let him step foot in those woods. I'd have to be out of my god damn mind to put him in danger like that. "Well I'm sorry but that's just not gonna happen. Your dad would have my balls if he found out I let you go in them woods." Of course even if it wasn't for Rick there would be no way in hell he'd let Carl go with them.
"He's right. One child lost is enough." Lori had left it to me thus far but finally refused the boy herself. She patted his head and it looked like he accepted the fact that he couldn't do anything to help Sophia. At least for now. It wasn't very likely that the kid would keep that attitude if his little friend wasn't found within the day which he couldn't guarantee.
Before Carl could change his mind I moved around him and gave Lori a lingering look before jogging off with Andrea who looked all too eager to get her hands dirty. Each day that passed since Amy's death had left the woman more and more angry and it was almost as if she was dying to take all of her pent up rage out on some walkers. Of course I hoped it wouldn't come to that. I wanted to just find the kid without any trouble and keep looking for safety when Rick and Daryl got back..Or maybe just Daryl. Some part of me hoped for a horrific death for the man I'd once called my best friend. Lately the term had become less and less true but it kept me in Rick's good graces until I could figure out how I was going to win my life with Lori back.
"You think we have any chance of finding her?" Andrea asked as we stepped off the road. There was no way I could tell her what I was really thinking, that Sophia was bound to be dead when they found her, so I put on my best good guy face and nodded. "She couldn't have gone far." Was my only answer and it seemed to put her worries at ease and dropped us both into silence just the way I liked it. It helped me keep my mind on the task ahead instead of worrying over what response would be best accepted.
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Dezzy POV:
Ruki and Daryl had left not long ago after throwing down a ladder they grabbed from the shed in the back yard. It was a good thing too because I would have lost my mind if I'd had to stay in that hole for much longer. There were way too many possibilities of shit going wrong in that scenario for me to feel comfortable. If a group of walkers stumbled upon us we'd be in a dilly of a pickle.
Getting Cody up the ladder was pain. He bitched and moaned the whole way up and collapsed as soon as he was out. Rick and I helped him onto a couch in the living room and I thought it would be a good idea to check the house for anything useful while he rested. What else would I do while I waited for the others to come for us? Venture out into the street? Maybe if I had a death wish.
While checking the cabinets in the kitchen I heard footsteps behind me and glanced over my shoulder to see Rick. He seemed anxious so I tossed him one of the duffel bags and put him to work. While we went about collecting food, spices, and a few bottles of water he struck up a conversation. "You and the asian guy...Ruki?" He tested name out and I nodded. "You two work well together. You do this kind of stuff often? Scavenging I mean." He tossed some forks and knives into the bag and started checking the cabinets beneath the sink. "Yeah. Not just us though. We come in groups of six usually and try not to split up but we don't normally have to execute search and rescue operations." I admitted. It made me severely miss Kirk. If he were here right now things might have turned out for the better. He knew this town better than I ever could.
"So..Does that mean there isn't anyone else here?" Rick held up a couple bottles of cleaning solution and I nodded to him. Everything was useful these days especially anything containing bleach. Other than fire it was the best way to disinfect an area which was essential when a walkers blood getting into any open wound meant death. Caleb always insisted we grab some because our people sometimes needed medical attention and he went out of his way to ensure everything went smoothly. Every tiny little detail was already thought of ahead of time.
"They're all dead...Or undead." We cleared the kitchen and I had Rick hold the bag open while I dumped supplies in from the downstairs bathroom. The medicine cabinet had a few things and I made sure to empty out the cabinet beneath the sink and grab all of the toothpaste, tampons, pads, and shampoos and body washes. "For such a small place there sure are a lot of walkers." Rick leaned against the doorframe while I flitted about. "There weren't this many a month ago. They just started wandering in from all over the place." I mumbled.
From there we checked bedrooms, bathrooms, linen closets, and the shed in the back yard and managed to fill four bags. By the time we were dropping the last one on the living room floor the sun was starting to set and Cody was napping right where we left him.
"Shit..I thought they'd be back by now." I grumbled and peeked outside a window. There were Six or seven walkers shuffling around but I wasn't stupid enough to let my guard down and assume we were safe. There was no telling how many more were out there. At the end of the driveway and down the street bodies were scattered that weren't there before we arrived. Ruki and the redneck must've dispatched those on their way out. Hopefully they didn't run into any trouble.
"This group of yours...What kind of people are they?" Rick asked. It could've been mistaken as an innocent question but the translation, to me, was 'how many psychos do you have?' I backed away from the window and made myself comfortable on the floor. "Good people. The kind that pulled together for survival." I glanced at Rick as he took a seat across from me. "They're not the type to cause trouble if that what you're asking." But then I had to rethink that. "Okay..Most of them aren't." There was no telling how Jackson would react to more people but he would do as Caleb said hopefully without much convincing. "And yours?"I asked as he mulled my reply over.
"We've got a couple of hotheads but nothing worth worrying about." Rick had a smile on his face and was staring at the window. "My wife,Lori, is gonna be so relieved that we've got someplace to go. I kind of messed things up with the CDC. I thought we'd be safe there but..."He shook his head and seemed to be lost in thought for a moment. "I made a bad decision and we lost a few people.." He trailed off and suddenly a shadow passed by the window and Rick lunged at me. "Get down!" He whispered. I nodded when he put a finger to his lips as a sign to be quiet and we both rolled to use the couch as cover.
From the porch I could hear footsteps. Fast paced and dragging accompanied by groans. Rick and I looked at each other and he signaled for me to stay low and get to the door. I nodded and, keeping low to the floor and as silent as possible, I darted out around the couch and flattened myself against the wall right next to the door. To gauge just how bad the situation was I peeked through the peephole and bit back a curse before slipping the bolt lock in place as quietly as I could and ducking again and making my way back to Rick as more shadows moved on the walls.
"How many?" Rick asked and I shook my head. "Too many for us to handle on our own. Maybe thirty or more." I didn't know how they'd multiplied so much since I'd checked earlier but I did know that our odds of making it out alive were getting slimmer and slimmer as the minutes ticked by. "Help me with Cody." I motioned to the still sleeping man and on the count of three Rick and I dragged him onto the floor. My hand immediately went to his mouth to muffle his grunt of surprise. As soon as he realized it was only us he was wide awake. Just in time for a thud from the door. "Aw crap. I guess nap time is over." Cody whimpered as soon as I removed my hand.
I had to think fast. I didn't know what kind of experience Rick had with this kind of shit but I didn't have time to ask him. I had to think of a way to get us out of this with all of our lives. While I was trying to come up with a plan there was more banging on the door. "Shit.." I looked around and pulled my axe from the harness and handed it to Rick. "No guns if you can help it. I don't want to bring any more down on us with the noise." I informed him and grabbed the crowbar Cody Had hooked into his belt while he unsheathed his machete. The banging was getting louder and more vicious so there was no way the walkers didn't know we were inside.
"Get to far side of that hole. When they come after us we've got a good chance that most of them will fall in. The rest we can take out. " It wasn't the best plan but it was what I could cook up at the last minute and we all made a break for it as the door rattled. It wouldn't be long before the house would be flooded with the undead. Taking positions at the gaping hole in the floor we waited, weapons at the ready. "You really think this will work?" Cody asked, his face mixed with fear and apprehension and even with the panic racking my body I shrugged and tried to sound sure of myself. "Well..If it doesn't at least I won't have to ever look at your ugly mug again." And as soon as he gave a nervous chuckle the door gave in, fell off the hinges, and was trampled as walkers bursted through.
Teeth clicking, mouths gaping, and hands grabbing at air the undead swarmed inside and headed straight for us in a frenzy like a group of sharks in chummed waters. The hole was a great advantage and a lot of the walkers that headed straight for us fell in just as I'd hoped. Unfortunately there were also a lot that went around which left Rick, Cody, and I with our hands full. To my left Cody was swinging the machete wildly, a crazed look in his eye. I was grateful that at least he was aiming for the heads and Rick was holding his own better than I could have hoped. I skirted the narrowest path around the hole and grunted as I jammed the crowbar through the eye of a walker that got a little too close to Cody while he was dealing with another. Rick shouted "Behind you!" And I quickly turned and bashed the skull of one skinsucker just as it grabbed my shoulder.
As more undead dropped into the hole more wandered in from the street and Cody shouted. "Is there any end to these fucking things?!" And chopped the head clean off of a woman ready to take a bite out of his face. I kicked a walker into the hole, twirled and took out three more on my way over to help him out with his load. Rick did the same and we managed to drop the rest. Just in case I started shoving bodies into the pit to give us room and while we were returning to our positions Cody stumbled, his bad ankle catching on a dismembered arm. "Shit!" He yelled and lost his balance. Just before falling into the pit he grabbed onto the side. "Help!"
"Cody!" I grabbed his hand and Rick came over to help out but just as we started to pull he screamed. I looked down to see a walker chewing away at his foot. "God damn it!" I already knew what had to be done. "I gave his hand a squeeze. "I'm sorry Cody." And released him. Rick didn't seem to understand and held on but I shook my head. "let him go." I told him but Rick shook his head. "We can't leave him!" He shouted over Cody's screams of pain. "Let him go!" Movement caught my eye and through the door came more of the undead. Rick saw it as well and I made a split second decision. I scooped up Cody's machete, sliced his head clean off, and shoved Rick away from the hole as I forced myself not to cry. Sure, Cody hadn't been my favorite person in the world but losing anyone these days was hard. At least he wouldn't turn.
Rick gaped at me for a moment and I could see the question in his eyes but he recovered quickly and stood, axe raised as we were descended upon by the dead. More of them fell into the pit that was quickly filling up and with just the two of us it was looking like an impossible task to get out alive. Maybe I'd made the wrong choice. Maybe we should have run out the back door instead of fighting.
Rick and I were struggling, every breath labored, each swing taking more out of us, and soon we were backed up against each other fighting for our lives kicking, swinging, and stabbing. I was getting tired. My arms starting to feel heavy until I had to drop the crowbar and use both hands on the machete to maintain my strength. It seemed like no matter how many fell more came.
"I'm sorry!" I shouted to Rick over the frenzied cries of the hoard. "Don't be! You did what you thought was right!" I could have cried in that moment. If I were him I don't think I could have said the same thing. It gave me a renewed sense of purpose. I was not going to die. Not here. Not now. Not like this.
"Fuck it!" As soon as I had the chance I dropped the machete and drew my guns and started squeezing off rounds. Rick didn't take long to do the same and the walkers started dropping like flies. It took me a minute to realize we weren't the only ones shooting and the body count was piling up faster than it should have. I risked a peek at the door and relief flooded through me. "The cavalry has arrived!" Ruki waltzed through the door, handguns drawn with Daryl at his side and a few people I didn't recognize in tow.
"Come on!" An asian guy scooped up two of the duffel bags on the floor while the rest made a path for us and Rick grabbed the other two on our way out. I made sure not to leave Cody's machete behind and followed after them onto the lawn. "What took you guys so long?" I asked. Ruki hopped into the bed of an old truck and picked up his rifle. "We had to stop for gas. These guys were stranded on the highway." The asian guy ran around the side of the truck and hopped into the driver's seat while the others piled into another car. Ruki started firing as we sped off until we were clear of the walkers.
"Where's Cody?" He asked and I dug the cigarettes out of my pocket with the lighter, lit up and tossed him both. "He didn't make it." I shook my head. I didn't have the heart to dredge out all of the details but lucky for me Ruki didn't ask for any. He just nodded and squeezed my shoulder. "I'm glad you're okay." He said.
I relaxed and watched the town fly by for a while before I noticed we weren't headed towards the warehouse. "Where are we going?" I asked. Ruki scooted closer so I could hear him over the wind as we sped along. "Back to their group. One of their children has gone missing. I told them we would help look for her since we're getting so good at search and rescue." He grinned at me and I couldn't help but laugh. That was just like him. Ruki acted aloof a lot of the time but when it came to helping people he was always the first to volunteer. "Caleb is going to rip me a new asshole for this." I could already see it. I'd be sitting in his office while he shouted about me being reckless, stupid, and irresponsible. Someone was lost because of me what else could I expect? I probably wouldn't be allowed to lead a team ever again and that's exactly what I deserved along with an ass beating.
The truck started to slow as we made it to the highway and after a few minutes we stopped completely beside an RV and the asian guy driving jumped out and came around to us. "Glenn." He stuck his hand out for me to shake which I did after wiping some of the blood off my hand. "Dez." He smiled and tilted his head. "Interesting name. I like it." He said and patted the truck. "Now come on so I can introduce you." Ruki and I hopped out of the bed and followed suit as Glenn made his way over to an older man and woman standing beside the RV. The woman had her eyes glued to the trees and seemed distressed and the man had an arm around his shoulder and was speaking to her gently. "Everything will be fine..They'll find her."
"Dale. Carol. This is Dez she's Ruki's..." Glenn stopped and looked between Ruki and I in question. "Friend." I clapped Ruki on the shoulder and answered. "Right.." Glenn looked up at Ruki and winked which made me wonder what the fuck Ruki said to these people in my absence. "Carol is the missing girl's mother." Ruki informed me and I immediately understood the expression on her face and why she wasn't exactly paying any attention to me or anyone else for that matter.
"Oh my.." Dale looked me up and down and extended his hand. "What happened to you?" He asked which had me looking down at my blood soaked clothing. "Oh..That." I cleared my throat ready to tell them the gist of what went down when Rick sauntered up, thumbs hooked into his belt loops. "We got into a messy situation." He said and asked Dale if he could talk to him alone. The two wandered around to the other side of the RV which left the rest of us with Carol.
"Call me T-dog." The man was built like a tank and even his fingers had muscles which made me a little hesitant to shake it but I grasped his hand firmly and was going to introduce myself but he shook his head. "Dez. I know. This guy told us about you." He pointed to Ruki. "Thanks for agreeing to help out." He said and I nodded. "No problem." Even though I'd never actually agreed to any such thing it was just thrown onto my plate but I didn't mind that much. It's not like I had a little sister to think about getting back to..Oh wait. Yes I did. Hope was probably freaking out right now.
"Shane back yet?" Glenn asked Carol. She shook her head, her eyes searching the trees still. "He and Andrea are still out there." Her eyes were red and puffy as if she'd been crying for hours. I approached her feeling a little hesitant. "Umm..Your little girl. What's her name?" I asked and Carol seemed as if she hadn't even known I was there until just that moment. Her eyes took me in and I scratched the back of my neck knowing how terrible I looked. "Sophia." Her lips trembled and I nodded. "That's a pretty name. Do you have a picture of her?" I asked. Carol nodded and retreated into the RV so I followed her.
Inside it was actually kind of cozy. At the table there was a woman and a young boy seated and when I walked in the woman's eyes went wide as she looked me over. Carol was off in the back rummaging around and I didn't really know what to do so I waved. "Hi. I'm Dez." Introducing myself was really all I could think to do. The boy turned and looked at me, his eyes lowering to my hand which I suddenly realized was still holding Cody's machete covered in walker blood. "Oh..!" I hid it behind my leg but the kid stood up and circled me to get a better look at it. "Cool. Can I hold it?" He asked.
"Carl!" The woman stood and took him by the arm and pulled him away from the blade. "I'm sorry. He's really been taking a shine to sharp objects recently despite my best efforts." She was smiling but it was more of an awkward smile which I totally understood. "I'm Lori." She shook my hand just as Carol came back and handed me a picture of a cute little girl with a huge smile. I stared at it for a minute and handed it back to her. "I'll do my best to find her, Carol. I promise." I didn't know this woman and she didn't know me but she was putting her trust in me. All of these people were putting their trust in me, Ruki, and the rest of our group to be kind to them. In this world these days that was a rare thing to find so I was somewhat surprised they were being so friendly and less suspicious. Ruki must have turned on the charm or something or maybe these people were really desperate for safety.
…...
Mute POV:
'Oh...God..What now?' Was this a dream? No. There was no way. Was I still alive? Yup. Pain. Still alive. I could hear voices and not the annoying one that kept yakking away when I was crawling through that city..er..Town..Whatever that was. I could remember the school. I found a radio and called for help. It was..Answered? By who? Were they dangerous?
"She's waking up."
I opened my eyes a little to a small lamp being lowered towards my face and groaned. 'No..Make the light go away..' I turned my face away and attempted to roll over but a steady hand on my shoulder forced me to stay still. 'No. Don't touch me..' I tried to move but I was too weak. Everything felt like it was taking forever. Even one breath felt like it took an hour. "You have to stay still or you won't heal properly. You've got stitches so you must be careful." The voice faded but it was still talking I just couldn't make out the words. I turned my head back towards the light. "Can you hear me?"
A face came into view though it was blurry and relief flooded through me. I managed to lift my hand and reached for the face that I thought I might never see again. 'You're here? But how..?' I sighed as my fingers brushed against stubble and I couldn't help but smile.
"You're going to be okay." The voice assured and I nodded. Of course I would be okay. 'You would never let anything happen to me..You promised...' The face blurred some more and then I had to close my eyes. I was so tired. All I wanted to do was sleep. 'And now I can because you're here to watch over me..'
"Daryl.."
…...
Dez POV:
"Daryl. Sophia doesn't know Dez so she won't go to her if she does find her so go with her. I'll go with Ruki." Rick was dividing us into search parties and supplying us all with flash lights. I didn't know where to even begin looking for the girl but I'd try my damndest although the whole 'after dark search party' wasn't something I was entirely comfortable with. There were way too many opportunities for shit to go wrong in the dark plus I was growing weary from the excitement of the day but a promise was a promise. I'd look for the girl and in the process I'd figure out a little more about the group we'd be bringing home.
We all split up and Daryl and I set off in search of the girl with the blonde hair and sweet smile. I made sure to keep my light on the ground in hopes of finding footsteps. I wasn't exactly tracker extraordinaire but I could at least try to be. There was no telling what I could do if I put my mind to it.
"So you all seem to be a friendly bunch." I walked at Daryl's side watching our right side while he scanned the left. Teamwork was such a lovely thing. Unless the team members were assholes. Then it kind of ruined the whole thing.
"When we wanna be.." Daryl's answer was short and his tone hinted that he didn't particularly feel like talking. Unfortunately I was never one to let that affect me much. If I had a mind to pump someone for information then it would damn well happen.
"I'm just curious. I mean..Not too many people are willing to trust so easy these days so I gotta wonder why -" My sentence was cut short when off in the distance there was a rustling. I immediately turned in the direction of the sound and shone my light there.
"You see anythin'?" Daryl was right there with his crossbow raised. I stared for a moment but nothing happened so I took a few cautious steps towards the noise and listened hard for anything else but the night was eerily quiet and, to be honest, it was creeping me the fuck out. Not that I could show it. I had to shove all feelings of anxiety into the pit of my stomach and investigate.
While Daryl covered me from where he stood I made my way closer until I stood in the approximate place I could have sworn I heard the sound but looking around there was nothing. Then it came again only this time it was a little further ahead of me. I went on, machete tight in my grip and my eyes darting in every direction hoping to catch sight of whatever was fucking with me. With any luck it would be Sophia and this could have a happy ending and we could all get to the fucking warehouse. No such luck.
Up ahead of me I still couldn't see anything but that didn't necessarily mean that there wasn't anything there. I searched around and when I couldn't find anything I turned back to Daryl who was still standing where I'd left him and shrugged. "I guess it was nothin-"
BAM
Stars exploded before my eyes and I dropped like a sack of potatoes.
...
Ah, I think I'm rusty but I guess that's up to you guys to decide. Anywhosawhatsis..In the next chapter Carol has a complete fucking mental breakdown, Shane throws a hissy, Dez might try some more half-assed questioning. By the way what hell is up with that girl? Why is she so important in this story? Does she have a potential romance with someone from the main cast? Gaaaaahhh! So many questions! Not enough answers! I think I need way more of Al in the next chapter...Meh..We'll see. Much Love!
-MeRci.