Thanks for the reviews, favorites, alerts…everything!
Now a friendly reminder. Like I said at the beginning of the story, I'm following the show's storyline but trying not to follow the show exactly how it pans out. So I'm gonna be changing some things up – including dialogue – but I'll still kinda try to capture the general gist of what happens the show, too. Cool? Cool.
Disclaimer: I own nothing.
Chapter 7
After walking for a couple of miles in the scorching, Georgia heat, Jenna began to sorely regret her decision to not bring a bottle of water along for the journey. She hadn't thought she'd need it in the beginning because she'd planned to stick to her word and not go very far from camp. But her plans had changed about a mile into her trek, however, when she'd climbed on top of an abandoned car to take a long look through her binoculars and thought she saw signs of the road starting to clear up down the way. So here Jenna was over an hour later, dripping with sweat and throat burning with thirst, trucking along the long highway so she could see for herself whether the road would be passable once the time came for the group to leave. She reached up and wiped away the sweat threatening to trickle into her eyes with the back of her hand, then glanced around, looking for an answer to her dilemma. Finally she decided to make at least one smart decision and began looking into the abandoned cars as she went past them, hoping to find some water that had been left behind. Unfortunately, Jenna quickly discovered that most of the vehicles she searched through had already been cleaned out. If there had been any water or useful supplies in the area before, there didn't seem to be anything left now.
As she came across a car that had all the doors flung wide open, Jenna frowned and slowed her pace. She wasn't really sure why this particular car had caught her attention seeing as just about every other car in the area was in a similar state of disarray, but she paused by it anyway, eyeing the possessions that had once belonged to someone but had been haphazardly strewn out in the street at some point in time. Jenna leaned down to peer in through one of the open doors, inspecting the inside. The car had been ransacked, there was no doubt about that. But by whom was what Jenna wanted to know.
Jenna straightened up again and took a wary look around, sliding her shotgun off of her shoulder so she could wield it defensively, just in case. The situation was starting to leave her feeling concerned, and for more than one reason. If she didn't come across any water sometime in the near future, she was going to be left with no choice but to turn around and head back to camp – the last thing she wanted was to have a heat stroke in the middle of nowhere, or get so dehydrated that she wouldn't be able to make the journey back. But what also concerned her was this - though there was no way of knowing when someone had last been through these parts, the state of the vehicles around her left Jenna wondering whether or not their group was as alone on this road as they had originally thought. For a moment she stood there and contemplated whether she should just play it safe and start back in the direction of camp, but in the end Jenna decided that she had enough stamina and enough courage in her to go a little further. So she continued on.
As Jenna had hoped would be the case - because she'd been a little worried that the combination of heat and lack of a good night's sleep had been making her hallucinate - the blockade of cars finally started thinning out after another quarter mile or so. Though she might not have gathered a whole lot of useful information during her little escapade, at least now she knew what kind of obstacle course lay ahead whenever it came time to mobilize again, which seemed better than knowing nothing at all; if nothing else, the information would prove to be of some use once she relayed it to Rick. At the thought of Rick, she had to smirk to herself as she imagined the look that would probably be on his face whenever he learned of her impromptu solo mission. Even though she was fairly positive she'd end up getting an earful from the 'head hancho' for wandering off on her own, she couldn't help but feel amused when an image of Rick waving his hands around in exasperation as he told her, yet again, how stubborn she was popped into her head.
Quite suddenly she was reminded of her brother Sam. Ever since they were kids he'd always been extremely overprotective of Jenna and would endlessly gripe at her whenever she did something reckless or stupid. Even when she'd become an adult and was perfectly capable of taking care of herself, Sam had still insisted on being her protector. She pursed her lips thoughtfully for a second as she continued along, realizing in that moment that Rick sort of reminded her of Sam in a way. Of course, her brother was a little bit more of a degenerate than Rick was – Lord knows Sam was no stranger to overnight jail stays and had gotten into all kinds of trouble before he'd enlisted in the military – but their personalities were fairly similar. They were both leaders, were always looking out for those around them, and Jenna imagined that if Sam had been put in the same situations that she'd seen Rick in, he probably would have handled things very similarly to the way the police officer had. Her willingness to trust Rick Grimes and follow his lead suddenly made a lot more sense in light of this little revelation.
The cawing of a bird overhead drew Jenna from her thoughts. She turned her eyes upward to look at it, shielding her eyes against the bright sun with her hand, then came to an abrupt halt when something else caught her attention. A steady stream of grayish-black smoke was drifting up through the treetops, it's dark color constrasting starkly against the white clouds as it slithered up into the afternoon sky.
"What the…" Jenna said aloud, brows furrowed in confusion.
She took a few steps backward to get a better look, even climbed onto the hood of a nearby car so she could make herself taller and get a better vantage point. Wherever the source of the smoke was, it was somewhere tucked away in the forest, about a mile or so in if she had to guess. Jenna's first thought was that someone had probably started a fire for cooking, which if that was the case then she couldn't help but think that the person responsible was a complete idiot for letting their fire get big enough to let off smoke like that; those flames and that smoke were probably attracting every mongrel in the forest right then. But then she started to wonder...what if the person that had started it was just a novice, someone who hadn't had a lot of experience with building fires and didn't realize how big it would get? Perhaps that someone was young, a teenager or even - heaven forbid - a child that was on the run.
What if, she had to ask herself, that someone was Sophia?
Jenna knew that the idea of the fire being related to Sophia was a little farfetched, but what if the girl was more resourceful than anyone had given her credit for? What if Sophia had found a place to hole up in and had started a fire to try and catch the group's attention, to signal to them where she was so they could find her easier? As unlikely as it might have been, Jenna knew it wasn't a possibility she should ignore. With a new sense of determination and purpose, she jumped down from the hood of the car and started weaving her way towards the guardrail on the side of the road. Though she'd been gone for a long time and knew that Dale and T-Dog would probably start to get worried soon - assuming they weren't already - if there was any chance that Sophia was nearby then Jenna simply had to go and take a look around. It was a simple as that.
But the instant Jenna reached the guardrail and hiked her leg up to climb over, fully intending to go into the woods and have a look around, Jenna suddenly remembered her fear of the forest and hesitated. She felt her palms start to sweat and her heart begin to race as she eyed the trees with caution. And as though someone had pulled a lever inside head, memories she'd warded off for a month started to resurface and race around in her mind…
OOO
"You can run but you can't hide, little lady!"
The gruff, male voice echoed off the trees around Jenna as she ran for her life, followed by a menacing cackle that sent chills down her spine. Tears were blurring her vision as she raced through the thick foliage, but even though she could barely see and had absolutely no idea where she was or where she was going, Jenna pushed herself harder and forced her feet to keep moving. She ran as fast as the forest would allow her, hardly even aware of the cuts that were opening up on her arms as tree branches and sharp bushes scraped against her skin. The only thought in her mind was to keep running. If she stopped for even a second, if the men chasing her managed to get a hold of her, she knew she would not live to see another day.
"We'll find you!", another man's voice shouted, making her heart hammer even harder against her chest. "And when we do, you gonna wish you was dead!"
Jenna braved a look back, trying to pick out the men through the darkness. As she did this she stumbled on a root and nearly fell flat on her face, but somehow managed to catch herself on a nearby tree before she could go tumbling to the ground. She only hesitated for a second, gasping for air as she cast a fearful look behind her, before she took off racing again…
OOO
Jenna shook her head and lowered her leg back to the ground, heart pounding against her ribs as she forced the terrifying memory away. So many horrible things had happened in the woods that night, things that continued to haunt Jenna to this day – could she really go in there now? Did she have it in her to face her fears and go trekking into this unknown forest after all of the awful things that had happened to her in settings just like this? If it was Sophia trying to flag someone down then there was no doubt in Jenna's mind that the young girl needed her help. But, on the other hand, if it wasn't Sophia, if it was someone much more dangerous…well, things could go from bad to worse very quickly.
While Jenna stood there and fretfully contemplated her decision, feeling torn about what she should do, another sound finally registered in her ears. It was an odd rumbling that sounded very much like the hum of a running car engine, and it was so unexpected that it was enough to draw Jenna's attention away from her current dilemma. She turned away from the forest and looked to her left with curious eyes, scanning the road for anything that might be responsible for the noise, until her gaze finally landed on a lone truck about twenty feet away. The truck seemed to have come from the direction that Jenna and the others were trying to go because it was facing the way of their camp, but that minute detail wasn't what made the hairs on the back of her neck stand on end. As she saw that the doors were wide open, that one of the windows was busted out, and that the engine was still running as though it had only just recently been abandoned, she straightened up in alarm, all sorts of warning bells going off in her head.
Jenna raised her gun a little higher and glanced around to check for signs of the vehicle's owner, but as far as she could tell, there was nobody else in the area. As her gaze turned back to the truck, all of her gut instincts started screaming at her to turn around and hightail it out of there before any trouble came along. But the scene was simply too odd not to investigate it – a busted up truck in the middle of nowhere with the engine still running, but no sign of human life? Jenna had to know what the hell that was all about.
A little voice inside her head started yelling at her for how big of an idiot she was being once she stated taking slow, cautious steps in the direction of the truck, but Jenna ignored it and warily made her way over, keeping her gun at the ready as she closed in on the truck. The steady 'bing, bing, bing' sound that signaled an open car-door became audible once she was a few steps away, but other than that there were no other sounds that hinted to the presence of anything - or anyone - dangerous. She sucked in a deep breath as she reached the truck, took a second to mentally prepare herself for whatever she might be about see, then took a quick step around the open door to see if anything was in the cab.
In her mounting anxiety, she'd been half expecting something to jump out at her and try to bite her face off. But to Jenna's relief, nothing of the sort happened. There was nothing in the truck - not a human or a chomper. What she did see in the cab of the vehicle, however, didn't do much to appease her unease with the scene she'd just stumbled upon. There weren't many items in the truck, just a few maps scattered around on the floorboards and some emptied out duffle bags in the backseat, but a good portion of the cab was covered in broken glass and a dark, red liquid that she immediately recognized to be blood. Jenna frowned and swiped at some of the sticky liquid with her fingertip – the blood wasn't warm, but it wasn't exactly cold either, letting her know that it couldn't have been all that long since whatever had happened here went down.
Wiping her finger clean on her pant leg, Jenna took a step back from the truck, eyeing it critically. Despite her suspicions, it was hard to say what might have happened to this truck. Honestly, anything could have happened here – for all she knew someone could have turned while they were in the truck and gotten put down by a travelling companion, which would certainly account for all of the blood, broken glass, and general state of chaos inside. But as she stepped around to the driver's side and inspected the vehicle further, Jenna quickly realized that might not have been the case after all. She frowned deeply as she saw that the driver's side door was riddled with bullet holes, all of them looking to be incoming rather than outgoing.
At the sight of the bullet holes, Jenna moved away from the truck and raised her gun up higher, looking towards the forest with accusing eyes again. The smoke in the woods, the abandoned truck that looked like it was very possibly the victim of an ambush – to anyone else it probably would have seemed like nothing more than just a strange coincidence. But there was something in her gut that was telling her this all meant something more than that. What if the two were connected? What if this meant something bad? What if this meant there was trouble nearby? Jenna didn't have definite answers to any of these questions, but she certainly wasn't about to stick around and find out the hard way. As badly as she wanted to look for Sophia, as badly as she wanted to know what had happened to this truck and its previous owner, she knew it would be smarter to wait until she had backup to go looking for the answers. So with that in mind, Jenna decided to leave the scene behind for now and turned back in the direction of camp, jogging away in her haste to get out of the area.
The second Dale saw Jenna approaching, he came stomping over to meet her with an agitated look on his face. "Jesus Jenna, where have you been?," he demanded to know in a very stern tone. as though he was a father catching his child trying to sneak into the house past their curfew. "What happened to not being gone long?," he added with a note of incredulity. "You've been gone for hours. You could've been dead for all we knew!"
Jenna spared him a glance as she finally stepped into the boundaries of their campsite, breathing hard from the excursion of her quick journey back. Before answering him, she crouched down by a pile of supplies they'd manage to salvage from the surroundings cars and grabbed a bottle of water. She unscrewed the lid and greedily gulped down the contents to soothe her burning throat, letting out a heavy sigh once she'd quenched her thirst. All the while Dale continued to stand over her with his hands on his hips, watching her with expectant eyes as he waited for her to provide him some answers. For a brief moment Jenna wondered if she should tell him about the unsettling scene she'd stumbled upon, but quickly decided against it. The last thing she wanted to do was cause a panic when she didn't know what had really happened, especially given the circumstances.
"I went to see how far the traffic jam stretches," Jenna finally answered Dale as she stood to her full height again – it wasn't a complete lie, but it wasn't really the whole truth either. "I ended up going a little further than planned. Sorry for worrying you."
Dale's irritation dissipated some, but he still let out a sigh and shook his head at her disapprovingly. "The next time you say you aren't going far, don't go far. Understand?," he said, raising his eyebrows pointedly.
She nodded in agreement and then glanced around, searching the camp for their other comrade. T-Dog was nowhere in sight. "Where's T,?" she asked, unable to help feeling concerned about their injured companion. Dale turned to point to the cars on the road parallel to the one their camp was on. Jenna followed his gaze, searching their surroundings until she spotted the top of T-Dog's bald held popping in and out of sight as he rifled through the abandoned vehicles. It was good to see him up and moving around, but Jenna still frowned at Dale questioningly. "How's he doing?"
Dale frowned and turned his eyes back to Jenna uncertainly. "That cut's not looking good at all," he told her truthfully. "I'm almost certain he's on his way to a blood infection."
Jenna heaved and pinched the bridge of her nose. "Shit. I was worried that was gonna happen," she said with a shake of her head, turning a frustrated look on Dale. "Things just keep getting better and better," she said with no shortage of sarcasm. "What else can go wrong?" Even as she said that, Jenna thought about the truck she'd found and heaved again, because there was so much more that could go wrong. If a gang of bandits were indeed camped out only a few miles away and occupying the same woods that the group was currently searching, there was plenty bad that could come of that.
"I'm starting to think that anything that can go wrong will go wrong," Dale responded with a hint of cynicism. He sighed and shook his head, then turned his eyes back to T-Dog for a moment, watching as he searched around. "Wanna help us look for medicine in these cars?," he asked her, nodding his head towards the vehicles. "That's about all we can do right now."
If that had been any other time, Jenna would have agreed to help. But after what she had just seen, she thought it a much better idea to post up on the roof of the RV and keep a close eye on the road, just in case. She did not want to risk the three of the being caught unawares just because nobody had thought to keep a look out for danger. "Actually I'm gonna take a breather. That walk wiped me out a little," Jenna said as an excuse. "Why don't I keep watch while you and T-Dog look around?"
"Alright," Dale said. He patted her on the shoulder, readjusted the gun hanging from his shoulder, then started off across the median to join T-Dog. "Holler if you need me," he called over his shoulder.
"Will do," Jenna called back, before heading for the back of the camper so she could climb up the ladder and hoist herself up onto the top of the RV.
For the next few hours, Jenna did not move from her spot on top of the RV and stood guard, keeping a very close eye on the long highway stretching off into the distance. Though she had decided not to tell Dale or T-Dog about what she had seen while she'd been away - because until she knew exactly what had happened, she wasn't going to do or say anything that would cause Dale and T-Dog any unnecessary stress during an already difficult time – with each minute that passed by, her paranoia over the scene she'd stumbled upon starting eating away at her more and more. Had the truck been attacked? If so, she could only assume that the vermin known as 'bandits' were the reason for it. The possibility had her mind reeling with even more questions. How many bandits were there? How heavily armed were they? And if there had been an attack, why hadn't she and the rest of the group been able to hear it? She was no forensic expert, but judging by the temperature of the blood and the truck and the fact that engine had still been running, whatever had happened there had probably taken place that very same day. With the group's being only a few miles away, they should have been able to hear the gunshots reverberating off the trees of the forest - shouldn't they?
Jenna sighed and ran a hand through her red hair, trying not to let herself get too carried away with her troubling thoughts. Even though she was inclined to always assume the worst of any situation she was unsure of, there was still a possibility that she wrong about everything. For all she knew, she was reading into things it too much and getting worried for nothing. The possibility was slim of course, but it was still there regardless.
There was one thing she did know for certain, though, and it was that the sooner the rest of the group returned, the better. She didn't like the idea of them being out in the woods with trouble nearby, and she was anxious to talk to Rick about what she'd found, thinking he'd want to know if there was something around that could pose a threat to the group. They'd need to come up with a plan, possibly even find a safer, less exposed place to camp rather than staying out in the open like they were. Their presence on the road might have gone undetected so far, but they were a large group and she knew it was only a matter of time before they attracted attention. But then Jenna remembered Sophia and sighed heavily. They couldn't just up and leave while she was still out there somewhere - if she did manage to find her way back to camp, they needed to be there, plain and simple.
"How ya doin' up there?"
At the sound of T-Dog's voice floating up to her from the street, Jenna went to the edge of the RV and glanced down. The injured man he had taken a seat on a crate down below and was taking advantage of the shade that the large RV provided, leisurely leaning back against the side of the camper with his legs stretched out in front of him. To her surprise, he was smoking a cigarette. She wondered if he'd had cigarettes on him the whole time or if he'd just found them while looking through the cars.
"Gettin' a pretty good tan," she joked in an attempt to lighten the heavy mood that had been lingering over their camp. "How 'bout you?"
T-Dog snorted and flicked some of the ashes off the end of his cigarette. "Livin' the dream," he told her sarcastically. Then he lifted his eyes to her and raised the pack of cigarettes, shaking the box. "Want one?," T-Dog offered.
She thought about, then shook her head. "Nah, I've never been a smoker," Jenna declined. "Thanks for the offer though."
"Suit yourself," T-Dog said in response before dropping the box into his lap and taking a long drag from his cigarette.
Jenna eyed him for a few moments, trying to determine if he was getting better or worse. It was hard to be sure from where she was standing, but he certainly didn't look like he was looking any better. "How are you feeling?," she asked.
"Not great," T-Dog answered truthfully. "Nothin' I can do about it, though. Didn't find anything other than these cigs an' some damn Ibuprofen in them cars. Ain't nothin' useful anywhere. Everything's gone." Jenna frowned at hearing that. There might have been supplies at one point, but if that was the case, it was all gone now. Probably swiped by bandits, a voice in the back of her mind piped up. Jenna couldn't help but glance around again, checking their surroundings for what had to be the hundredth time. She didn't see anything unexpected or out of the ordinary, but that didn't do much to put her at ease. "Man," T-Dog continued, "all these geeks walkin' around and I'm'a go out 'cause of a damn cut on my arm. Ain't that some shit?," he asked with a huff.
Jenna turned sympathetic eyes on T-Dog. "You'll be fine," she told him encouragingly, hoping her optimism might rub off on him. "We'll get you the help you need. I promise."
T-Dog glanced up at her, unconvinced. "Oh yeah? And where's that at?," he asked with raised eyebrows.
Jenna pursed her lips uncertainly. That was a damn good question. Right now they were stranded out in the middle of nowhere - where were they going to find help? "I'll let you know as soon as I figure it out," she said, shrugging a shoulder before turning her eyes back to the road ahead.
About forty-five minutes later, Dale ended his search for abandoned supplies and rejoined Jenna and T-Dog at the camper. By then the sun was just starting to begin its descent into the horizon, signaling the imminent approach of nighttime. Jenna pried her gaze off of the highway to look toward the forest instead, tapping her foot impatiently – where were the others? Why hadn't they returned yet? They couldn't have more than an hour or so before the sun went down, and they all knew the danger that came with being in the woods at night. And given the way things had been going, the last thing anyone needed was anymore trouble; flashlights in the dark woods would be like a damn beacon, a signal to every walker or bandit in the area that vulnerable survivors were nearby just waiting to be ambushed or eaten. Wherever the group was, they needed to haul ass and get back to camp as soon as possible.
Jenna sighed heavily and began to pace the length of RV, her eyes darting back and forth between the highway and the trees. She'd been hoping she could speak to Rick about the possible threat down the road and devise some sort of plan to keep the group safe formed before the sun went down. At the moment it wasn't looking like that was going to happen. Just the thought of them staying the night on the road made an uncomfortable feeling form in her stomach.
"Damn man. Open your eyes! Look where we are! Stuck in this mess here!"
Jenna's pacing came to a quick halt when T-Dog's shouts reached her ears – up until that moment, the conversation that he and Dale had been having down below had been too muffled for Jenna to hear, so she hadn't been paying them any attention. But now that T-Dog was shouting indignantly, undettered by Dale's attempts to shush him, she frowned and walked up to the edge of the RV to look down at them. "Guys, what's going on?," she asked uncertainly.
Dale eyed T-Dog for a minute, watching as the man rubbed his forehead and pulled a pained face, then looked up to Jenna with a clueless shrug. He opened his mouth to say something, but T-Dog beat him to the punch. "Let's just go," T-Dog urged. "Let's just…take the RV."
Jenna could tell that T-Dog's words surprised Dale as much as they surprised her. The older man immediately jumped to his feet and stood over T-Dog, regarding the man with furrowed brows and looking at him as though he'd lost his ever-loving mind. "You've gone off the deep end," Dale said incredulously.
"I mean it, man," T-Dog instantly argued back. "Why we on the side'a this road like live bait?" He breathed heavily for a second, glanced up at Jenna, then turned his attention back to Dale. "Let's go – you, me, and Jenna," he repeated with a nod. "The three of us…we can make it. We'll be good." Then he looked to the forest, as though checking to make sure the others weren't walking up. "Let's get outta here before they get back."
Jenna didn't know how to feel about what T-Dog was saying. Did he truly mean it? Or was the sun just getting to him? She and Dale shared another look before the older man slowly stepped closer to T-Dog, extending a hand in his direction. The injured man immediately backed off and looked at Dale with untrusting eyes, but Dale simply held up his other hand to show that he wasn't trying to do anything funny before finally placing a hand on T-Dog's head to check his temperature. The instant he touched T-Dog's forehead, his eyes went as wide as saucers. "Oh my God," he exclaimed, looking up to Jenna again with worry. "He's burnin' up!"
That was enough to have Jenna abandoning her post on the roof of the RV and heading back down to street level. By the time she had rejoined the two, Dale had already forced T-Dog to take some of the Ibuprofen that he'd found. "This isn't good," Dale said once she was by his side, the both of them eyeing T-Dog with worried eyes.
"Is there anything else we can do?," Jenna asked with a frown, running a hand through her hair out of worry and stress.
"Not unless you've got a stash of meds hidden away somewhere," Dale answered with a huff. Then he looked out toward the trees, his forehead creasing as he frowned deeply. "Where the hell are they?"
"Your guess is as good as mine," Jenna said, also looking to the forest. "I thought they'd be back by now…" When Dale suddenly snatched up his gun and looked to the forest with determination, like he was about to go walking in and find the group himself, Jenna placed a restraining hand on his shoulder. "Don't even think about it, old timer," she warned in a stern tone, eyebrows stitching together. "We're split up enough as it is without you wandering off by yourself. We'll just have to wait it out."
"And if they don't come back?," Dale shot at her. "What then? T-Dog needs help!"
"I know he does, Dale," Jenna argued back sharply. "But the others are coming back. And when they do, we'll figure everything out then, alright? So just...keep your damn hat on," she finished in a tone that said she didn't want to hear anymore on the subject. It took a second, but Dale finally nodded and resigned himself to the fact that he wasn't going anywhere anytime soon.
Satisfied that she'd made her point, Jenna gave him one last firm stare before glancing back at T-Dog. Even from where she was standing, she could see how violently the man was shivering. Though it was sweltering hot outside, his fever was clearly giving him the chills. With a sigh, she headed to the bed of her truck to snatch up one of her blankets. Once it was in hand, Jenna went back over to where T-Dog was sitting. He cracked an eye open as she approached but closed it again, letting out a heavy sigh. "Don't need it," he protested half-heartedly.
"Yes, you do," she countered sternly, forgoing any attempt at going about things politely and grabbing him by the shoulder to pull him away from the RV, forcing him to sit up. He scowled in response to her manhandling but didn't protest any further, just grumbled under his breath as she securely wrapped the blanket around his shoulders. "You sound like a woodpecker, your teeth are chattering so hard," Jenna huffed. "Keep this on. It'll help."
"Maybe he should – " Dale started to say as he came up behind them.
But in the next moment the sound of a screaming female suddenly filled the air, making Dale's words abruptly die on his lips. Jenna jumped at the sound and shared a sharp look with the older man, then they both had their guns in hand and at the ready in the blink of an eye, the two quickly turning their attention to the nearby trees, the direction in which they'd heard the scream. The screaming stopped a few seconds later, then everything went deathly quiet again.
"That sounded like Andrea!" Dale hissed at her worriedly.
Jenna frowned and started for the guardrail, gun still raised. "I'll check it out. Stay with T," she commanded over her shoulder when she heard him start to follow her. Dale did as he was told, though not without reluctance.
Jenna's heart was pounding and her mind already racing with the possibilities of what might have caused the scream they'd just heard. Was someone hurt? Had the group run into some walkers? Or, even worse, had they bumped into a gang of highway scum and were now in serious trouble? Jenna raised her shotgun a little higher as she reached the guardrail and peered down at the forest with untrusting eyes, never once letting her guard down as she kept an eye out for any signs of movement down below. After a few tense minutes ticked by and nothing happened, Jenna finally lowered her gun a little and glanced back at Dale, shrugging an unsure shoulder at him.
"Nothing?," he asked warily, readjusting the gun in his hands.
"Not that I can see," she confirmed, before turning her attention forward again. "I'll stay here and keep a look out, though, just in case."
For ten anxious minutes, nothing happened. There were no more screams, no signs of the group, not even any walker sightings. Everything was quiet and eerily calm again. Jenna did not leave her post, however, and paced back and forth along the guardrail, on edge now and nowhere near convinced that everything was copasetic - screams like that meant trouble, plain and simple. She sighed and readjusted her grip on her gun, taking a second to glance around as she turned yet again to slowly amble back the way she'd just come. As she did this, Jenna noticed that T-Dog had gotten up and wandered towards the back of the RV. She caught Dale's eye, who had been fiddling anxiously with his gun, and nodded her head in T-Dog's direction, silently telling the old man to go check on their injured companion. After Dale nodded and trailed after T-Dog's, Jenna shifted her attention to the trees again. Come on guys, she silently encouraged, praying they would return soon and end this torturous wait.
Finally, as if somebody had heard her thoughts, the sound of rustling down below reached Jenna's ears. Though every part of her hoped and prayed that it was just the group returning from their day in the woods, Jenna wasn't about to take any chances given the circumstances. She went on alert again at the sound and cocked her shotgun, raising it up defensively again and aiming it in the direction the noise was coming from.
"Who's there?," she called down in a no-nonsense tone. "Identify yourself!"
For a brief moment her words were met with silence. Then, someone called back. "It's us!"
Jenna let out an enormous sigh of relief and instantly lowered her gun when she recognized Glenn's voice. It took a few more seconds for the group to clear the trees and caome into view, but when they did, each of them looked dirty, sweaty, and more than a little on edge. "It's about damn time," Jenna said, relieved to see them but still unable to help the hint of irritability in her tone. "What the hell took so long?," she demanded to know, watching as, one by one, the group ascended up to the highway and began climbing over the guardrail.
"It's a long walk," Glenn huffed at her, the expression on his face clearly stating that he was in no mood to be lectured. Once he had stepped over the guardrail he stopped in front of her, a frown immediately turning his lips downward. "Jenna, there's been an accident," he said, which immediately made her heart freeze in her chest. "Carl got shot."
Of everything that Glenn could have possibly told her in that moment, that was the absolute last thing Jenna had expected to hear. "What?," she asked incredulously, unable to believe what she'd just heard. When she took another look around the group, she realized that there were indeed some people missing. Neither Rick, Lori, Shane or the apparently injured Carl had returned to the campsite as planned. "Shot by who?," she persisted, looking to Glenn again.
Dale suddenly appeared at her side, clearly having overheard the conversation taking place. "Shot?," he echoed with a frown, glancing back and forth between Jenna and Glenn for answers. "Who's been shot?"
"Carl," Jenna answered with a weary sigh. As Dale's eyes went wide with shock, Jenna turned back to Glenn and crossed her arms over her chest. "How in the hell did this happen?" Jenna asked, looking to anyone nearby who might have answers.
"Don't know, we weren't there," Glenn told her with a shrug, still trying to catch his breath from the long trek back. "We were making our way back when some chick came riding out of nowhere like Zorro on a horse and took Lori," he quickly explained. "She took her to some farm nearby or somethin'. I guess that's where they're treating Carl."
Dale immediately turned his attention to Daryl when the crossbow-wielding man, the last of the group to reach the highway, stepped over the guardrail. "You let Lori leave with a complete stranger?," he demanded to know, looking very upset with the fact that Daryl had allowed such a thing to happen.
"Climb down outta my ass, old man. Rick sent 'er," Daryl snapped as went stomping past. He was covered in filth, looked exhausted, and seemed as though he did not want to be griped at by anybody. "The chick knew Lori's name, and Carl's. There was nothin' to be done." He spared Jenna a brief look as he went by but didn't stop to say anything more, just headed toward the supplies so he could retrieve a bottle of water for himself.
Jenna ran a weary hand over her face as the others started talking amongst themselves, discussing their newest situation. Apparently she'd spoken far too soon when she'd asked Dale if anything else could go wrong - on top of everything that was already happening, now Carl was shot on top of everything else? The group's list of problems was only growing longer and longer by the hour; it was starting to feel as though they were cursed. So what were they supposed to do now? Where were they supposed to go from here? Jenna thought about it for a second before shifting her gaze over to Daryl. As painful as it was to admit it, if there was anyone she felt could take charge of the group in Rick's absence, it was him. Things were hectic enough as it was given everything that had happened so far, but there was still more that could go wrong. Someone had to know about the truck she'd found, someone needed to know that there might be something nearby that could pose a threat to what was left of the group. And since she couldn't talk to Rick about it, it seemed her only option was to go to Daryl about it.
He had been drinking his water and eyeing T-Dog with a scrutinizing expression, but when Jenna started in his direction his gaze quickly shifted to her. His expression didn't change much, but she thought she saw a flicker of curiosity in his gaze, as though he wasn't sure why she was approaching him. "This is turning into a shit-show," she said with a frown when she reached him.
"Tell me somethin' I don't know," Daryl retorted dryly, taking another gulp of water. They both watched for a brief moment as Andrea went storming into the RV and slammed the door behind her, then turned their attention back on each other. Neither commented on it the blonde's apparent outburst. Instead, Daryl just motioned toward T-Dog. "How's T?," he inquired.
Jenna pressed her lips together and shook her head. "Not good. It's looking like a blood infection." Daryl heaved in response. "If that farm Glenn mentioned has medical supplies, we need to get T-Dog there," she explained, stressing her point so that Daryl understood how dire T-Dog's circumstances were becoming. "If he doesn't get some antibiotics soon, I don't..." Jenna paused and pressed her lips together, shaking her head gravely. "I don't think he's gonna make it."
Daryl let out a heavy sigh and shook his head. "Shit keeps gettin' better an' better, huh?" But then, in the next moment, an idea seemed to strike him. A look suddenly crossed Daryl's face, as though he's just remembered something, before he held up a finger, signaling for Jenna to hang on for a moment as he headed for his motorcycle. Jenna watched in curiosity as he crouched down by the saddlebags and rifled around in them, eventually producing a large Ziploc bag full of pill bottles. She couldn't help but quirk a skeptical, doubting brow as he rejoined her – a look he ignored - but didn't say anything as she watched him fishing around in the bag until he located the pill bottle he wanted. "Give 'im a few'a those," Daryl instructed, handing over the pills. "It should hold 'im over 'til we can get 'im help."
Jenna's eyebrows rose in surprise as she took a moment to read the label. The medication wasn't prescribed to Daryl, like she'd expected. It was prescribed to someone named Merle. "Who's Merle?," she had to ask, her curiosity getting the better of her.
"My brother," Daryl answered shortly.
Jenna 'hmph'ed thoughtfully, storing away that little piece of information about Daryl, then continued reading the label on the bottle. "Oxycycline," she read aloud, recognizing the name of the medication. "Pretty strong stuff. What'd he take these for?"
Daryl shrugged a shoulder. "He got the clap now an' again," he answered bluntly, making Jenna pull a face. Daryl rolled his eyes at her response and turned to walk back to his motorcycle so he could put the rest of the pill bottles back in their designated spot. "You gonna give 'im those pills or are ya gonna ask me asinine questions all day?," he tossed at her over his shoulder, shooting her a pointed look.
Jenna heaved and gave Daryl a flat, unimpressed look. Before she could say anything snarky in return, however, Glenn suddenly appeared by her side. "What's that?," he asked nosily, craning his neck so he could read the label over Jenna's shoulder. "Oxycycline? What's this for?," he asked them, motioning to the medication.
"For T-Dog," Jenna said, plopping the pills into Glenn's hand. "That cut on his arm has been getting worse and worse all day. Dale and I are pretty sure he's got a blood infection."
Glenn's shoulders sagged at the new information. "Great," he said unenthusiastically , looking thoroughly disheartened. "Well, I hope these help then,' he said, shaking his head as he turned to make his way over to where T-Dog was sitting.
After Glenn left to give their injured companion the medicine, Jenna sighed and shifted her attention back to Daryl as he finishing stowing away the medicine and stood to his full height again. She shot a quick look in Dale and Carol's direction to make sure they weren't listening in on their conversation before taking a few steps closer to him. "Hey, I need to talk to you about something," Jenna told him quietly, deciding there was no time like the present to tell him about what she'd found. "It's kinda important."
Daryl frowned a little, looking somewhat hesitant – maybe even a little worried – to know what this 'important' matter was. "'Bout what exactly?," he asked cautiously.
But before she had the chance to tell him anything, Dale came walking over to join them. Jenna gave Daryl a look that said their conversation would have to wait, before they both focused on the grey-haired man. "Did you tell him about T-Dog?," Dale asked Jenna.
"Yeah," she confirmed with a nod. "Daryl had some meds on him, thank God. Now we just have to hope it'll be enough to start fighting the infection."
Dale heaved again, then shook his head. "That's good to hear, but I just don't know if it'll be good enough by this point," he said slowly, a skeptical expression appearing on his bearded face. "T-Dog needs professional medical attention. That infection is serious. And for all we know we got those meds to him too late."
Jenna was fairly certain she knew where this conversation was going. "So what're you suggesting, then?," she questioned.
Dale pursed his lips and shifted on his feet for a second, sending a meaningful glance toward Carol before finally speaking again. "I say we pack up and head for that farm. If they're takin' care of Carl, they can take care of T-Dog, too," Dale said in a low tone so he wouldn't be overheard.
Though that was what Jenna had been expecting him to say, she still had mixed emotions about heading for the farm. Judging by the look on his face, Daryl seemed a little unsure of the idea as well. This mystery farm – wherever it was – could have everything that they needed - shelter, food, medical supplies, and, not to mention, four people in their group. Plus it could mean that they'd be able to get off the highway and away from any potential danger in the area. But, at the same time, the fact still remained that Sophia was missing and the only location she knew to search for was the camp they had made right there on the road. If what Jenna had found earlier meant that there was trouble nearby, then the group definitely needed to find a safer place to stay. Yet, on the other hand, the mere thought of leaving Sophia out here alone and defenseless against a gang of barbaric highway bandits was enough to have the bile rising up in her throat. In every other aspect, leaving for the farm made the most sense - but could they really just leave Sophia behind like that?
"What about Sophia?," Jenna countered pointedly. "What if she comes back and we're gone? That would be unforgiveable."
"Gone?" Another voice suddenly interjected, bringing their conversation to a quick halt. "Why would we be gone?" Jenna, Dale, and Daryl immediately shifted their attention over to Carol – she had a deep frown on her face and her arms crossed over her chest, eyeing the three of them with obvious anger. "I don't know what you three are discussing, but we are not leaving," she informed them in a sharp, matter-of-fact tone.
Dale shot a look at Jenna and Daryl before walking over to Carol and placing a hand on her shoulder. "Carol, we're in a tough position. The group is split. We're scattered and weak," he stressed to her urgently. "And T-Dog is really sick. He needs help – "
"And what about my little girl?," Carol interrupted sharply, shrugging Dale's hand off her shoulder. "What about the help she needs?" The woman shook her head adamantly. "We can't all leave. Not when we still don't know where my baby is. We need people here - Sophia needs people here!"
Everyone went deathly silent as Carol looked to each of them with pleading eyes, searching for some form of support. Jenna sucked in a deep breath, looked out toward the trees, then brought a hand up to run it through her hair. She knew that going to the farm would be the ideal option, but as good as it sounded to pack up and retreat to this new possible safe haven, her desire to find Sophia and to find out what had happened down the road was too strong to be ignored. As Carol turned that helpless, pleading look on Jenna, she immediately felt her heart twist with guilt. Carol had done a lot to try and make her feel welcome and comfortable in the group - she wanted to help her, felt like she owed it to the woman to try to find Sophia.
Before she could give her decision a second thought or find a way to talk herself out of it, the words come tumbling out. "Look, Dale's right," Jenna spoke up to break the silence that had settled around the camp. "T-Dog needs a doctor, and it's too dangerous having the group split up like this." Dale seemed pleased that she had agreed with him and started to say something in response, but Jenna held a hand up to stop him. "But Carol's right, too," she added, which made Carol stand a little straighter. "We can't all leave while Sophia is still in the woods. Someone has to be here in case she comes back." Jenna then paused and sucked in a deep breath, hoping she would not come to regret what she was about to say. "So I'll do it."
"Do what exactly?," Daryl asked, eyebrows furrowing together.
"Stay here," she answered without hesitation. "You guys go to the farm, get reconnected with the others," Jenna instructed. "I'll stay here and keep a look out for Sophia."
That definitely earned her some surprised looks from Carol and Daryl. Dale, on the other hand, was not happy to hear her proposal. "Stay here? Alone?," he asked incredulously, any relief he had felt evaporating in the blink of an eye. "Jenna, that is not safe. Not safe at all!," he immediately argued, looking at her as though she'd lost her mind.
She couldn't deny that Dale was right - staying on the highway by herself certainly came with risks. But there was a small comfort in knowing that it was much easier to avoid catching the attention of bandits or walkers when it was just one person, as opposed to seven. And at the end of the day, if it meant the rest of the group would be safe, the risk was definitely worth it. "It'll only be for a couple days," Jenna argued back resolutely. "I'll just look around a little more then meet you guys back at the farm. It's no big deal."
"No big deal?," Dale echoed, looking completely flabbergasted now.
Glenn must have heard the escalation of their conversation, because he came hurrying over to join them. "What's going on?," he asked, looking between Jenna and Dale with a confused expression. "What's happening?"
Dale huffed and placed his hands on his hips. "Jenna wants to stay here and look for Sophia by herself while we go to the farm," he quickly updated Glenn, a stern frown turning the corners of his mouth downward. As Glenn's eyes went wide with surprise, Dale moved a hand from his hip to motion exasperatedly in Jenna's direction. "Tell her how dangerous that is, Glenn!"
"Dale, I was on my own for a month before you guys found me. Trust me, I can take care of myself," Jenna reminded him in a measured tone. Though even as she said those words, she wasn't entirely sure who she was trying to reassure more - Dale or herself. She could handle being out here alone for a couple of days. She was strong enough to brave the woods...right?
Dale still shook his head and clicked his tongue disapprovingly. "I don't like this. Not one bit," he started to protest again.
"I'll stay too." Daryl's words caught more than one person off guard. While Dale's argument die on his lips, Carol and Glenn looked to him in blatant surprise. There was no one, however, more stunned than Jenna. Was Daryl truly volunteering to stay behind with her? "Me an' Jenna'll stay behind, check out the area a bit more," Daryl continued with a resolute nod, using a tone that clearly stated he was not to be argued with. Jenna couldn't help but notice the fact that he wouldn't meet her eyes. "In the mean time ya'll get T-Dog'ta that farm an' reconvene with the others. We'll meet ya there few days from now."
"Well, if ya'll are stayin' - " Glenn started to say.
But Daryl just shook his head in refusal, which only further surprised Jenna. "Just the two of us," he told Glenn firmly. "The less people to look out for, the better," he then reasoned. "We'll move faster an' it'll be easier 'ta watch each other's backs if it's just us."
After Glenn reluctant nodded his agreement, Carol smiled gratefully and took a step toward Jenna. "Thank you," the woman said earnestly, looking to her first, then Daryl. "Thank you both. You don't even know what this means to me," she said, placing one hand over her heart and grabbing Jenna's hand with the other.
If Jenna had had any doubts about staying behind disappeared, the disappeared the instant she saw how relieved Carol was. As frightened as she was of the woods and as worried she was about everything going on, she knew she'd made the right decision by choosing to stay and look for Sophia. "You're welcome, Carol," she told the short-haired woman with a small smile, squeezing her hand in return. Jenna then shifted her gaze over to Dale and raised her eyebrows, silently asking him if there was anything more he wanted to say on the matter.
Dale sighed and then shook his head. "Alright," he agreed, though he didn't sound the least bit happy about it. "Alright," he repeated. "We'll mobilize and get T-Dog to that farm." Dale's expression then went serious as he pointed a stern finger at Jenna and Daryl. "But if there's trouble – any trouble at all – you two pack up and head our way, do I make myself clear?"
"Crystal," Jenna agreed with a nod, just to appease him.
And with that being said, the plans had been finalized. Jenna and Daryl would stay behind while the rest of the group headed for the farm. Carol once again told them how grateful she was and Glenn wished them luck before they headed off to start packing their things up. Dale lingered behind share a few inaudibly words with Daryl, then continued on to the camper, stopping for only a brief moment to place a hand on Jenna's shoulder and nod at her with a half-hearted smile. Jenna watched the older man go until he'd disappeared into the camper - where Andrea had been throughout the duration of their conversation - before turning her eyes over to Daryl. She had absolutely no idea why he had decided to stay behind - and with her of all people - but she did have to admit that she felt a bit better about the situation knowing he'd be with her. Even if they didn't get along very well, they were a good team when it came to fighting walkers. And at least now she would have someone around that not only knew his way through the woods, but would also watch her back if they happened to run into any human enemies along the way.
Daryl, who'd been watching the others move about camp, suddenly looked to Jenna, as though he could feel her gaze on him. Now that it was just the two of them standing together, he tilted his head and quirked an eyebrow, eyeing herwith what could only be described as skepticism. "Just me an' you, red," he said slowly.
"Looks like it," she confirmed, nodding.
Daryl was silent for a long moment before he finally said, "Hope ya know what you're doin'."
Jenna couldn't help but laugh a bit and shoot a sardonic smirk in his direction. "You and me both, Dixon," she admitted. "You and me both."
Thoughts?
P.S. There's some good stuff comin' up in the next few chapters!
