"Come on! That's so not fair!" Carl tumbled to the floor, boots kicking up dust as he landed flat on his back, crooked smile on his lips. "Ellie! Tell him he's cheating!"
"Cheating?!" Merle gasped, clutching his hand to his heart "how dare ya question my integrity." He faux sniffled and wiped a non existent tear from his cheek.
Ellie snorted and shoved Merle's stub off of Carl's chest
"You're such an ass Dixon." She reached a hand out for Carl and pulled him to his feet, before quickly flipping him around and wrapping her arm around the little boys throat, grinning when his gasps turned into uncontrollable giggles.
"Ellie!"
"Ya can't trust anyone bud. Always gotta keep your guard up." She nudged him gently and ruffled his far too long, chestnut locks.
"I'm gonna take you both down one day! You just wait!" Carl wiped the dirt off of his jeans and grabbed his fallen hat from the floor.
"Not a doubt in my mind, Merle's old as dust I give it a week before he has to catch his breath just walkin' up the stairs." Ellie stopped under the shade of an overgrown oak tree and slid down onto her butt.
" yer real funny ya know that? Hilarious." Merle tugged on her ponytail and dropped down beside her with a grunt. Carl was quick to follow suit, pressing against Ellie's side.
It was quiet for a moment and if she hadn't been just looking at him she would have sworn Merle had fallen asleep.
"Are we going to die?" Carl's quiet, slightly shaky voice broke through the silence.
"The hell you mean?" Merle grumbled, eyes only slightly opened as he squinted at the little boy "we're sittin' under a tree? unless rabid squirrels attack we ain't goin' nowhere."
Carl shook his head and huffed
"I'm talking about the governor. Dad won't tell me anything but I know he's scared, the governors going to come back and he's going to kill us all isn't he?" His baby blue eyes burned into Ellie's skin and she sighed, dropping a hand to his shoulder and squeezing.
"I don't know much about the governor kid, from what I hear he's a real bastard and he's got a whole lot of people followin' him like sheep. He's got weapons and man power but we got somethin' else." Ellie let her eyes fall to Merle and she couldn't help but mirror his smirk
"What do we have?' Carl questioned curiously.
Ellie tweaked the younger boys nose and grinned
"We've got the underdogs."
The door to the front of the prison swung open, Rick came strolling outside with Daryl by his side and Carol following close behind, Beth chatting beside her. The tiny groups eyes all fell to the three people huddled together under the old oak tree.
What a sight they must be. A one handed former drug addict, a 24 year old orphan covered in scars and the sheriffs son curled against her side, all enjoying a sunny summer day huddled together under a tree sunbathing.
Rick grinned at the sight of his son lazily laughing and resting his head on the young woman's shoulder, Carol was obviously avoiding the loud blonde beside her as she smirked at the scene and Daryl..
Well Daryl was torn between staring wide eyed at a goofy smiling Merle and the brown eyed beauty staring right back at him.
"Well ain't this a sight for sore eyes."
Carol started towards them.
"Can't miss a day like this, don't get many quiet ones outrunnin' the dead." Ellie sighed contentedly.
Rick, Carol and Daryl all took seats across from Ellie, Merle and Carl, Beth stayed standing with her arms crossed petulantly and a childish pout on her lips.
"I thought we were going to go on a run." She whined.
Rick looked up at her and waved a hand
"We are, But right now we're enjoying the sunshine with some friends. You're welcome to join."
Ellie bit down to hide the smirk on her lips, it was clear Beth was not Ricks favorite.
The young blonde rolled her eyes and turned to Daryl
"If we go ahead on your motorcycle we can clear a path." She looked up through her lashes, and smiled all too sweetly at The Hunter crouched on the floor. Ellie rolled her eyes and Merle draped a heavy arm over her shoulder.
"It's my bike actually, baby brother was just borrowin' it." There was no humor in his voice now "and ya ain't goin nowhere unless the boss over there says it's okay. Which he didn't."
Rick looked up in surprise, Merle had never once shown even an ounce of respect for his authority and here he was defending him.
"Ain't goin nowhere alone, if ya can't wait then head back inside. Don't need ya pouting' all damn day." Daryl's voice was always just a bit quieter than everyone else's and sometimes Ellie caught herself straining to hear.
Beth looked around the small group with wide, offended eyes before practically stamping her foot and marching back inside the prison.
"Beth is a baby." Carl spoke up as soon as the ponytail disappeared from view.
"She's a kid." Ellie offered
"I'm a kid!" Carl flung his arms out dramatically "Beth is 17 I'm only 10 and I don't throw fits!"
Ellie chuckled and tickled right below his ribs making him wiggle and squirm away giggling
"You're a rare breed bud."
Rick reached for his son and pulled him into his side, he was smiling a loopy kind of grin and staring at his son with a fondness Ellie had never seen.
"Sophia was looking for you inside, needs help with those practice books we found."
Carl sighed and groaned
"I don't want to do math. I don't need it."
Daryl reached for the brim of Carl's hat and tipped it forward
"Always need learnin' kid. Don't matter what."
Nodding quickly, Carl leaned over to hug Ellie before shooting up and darting towards the prison. Everyone here respected Daryl, even the children. It was amazing to see the natural magnetic pull of respect he seemed to always possess, he was usually right so there really was no need for doubt.
With the little boy off inside, Rick turned to the group
"Abraham is getting sicker and it looks like a few of the rest are starting to have symptoms. We're going to go on a run to find some medication.. I saw a pharmacy a few towns over, it was pretty surrounded but we can take the walkers.. we just have no clue what we're looking for." He sighed, rubbing his temples.
"What are the symptoms?" Ellie questioned.
Carol answered
"He has a high fever and his bones are achey, not to mention the headache and rash all over his back. Hershel was a veterinarian but he's not fluent in specialized issues like this."
Ellie scrunched her nose, wracking her brain for something buried deep in a specific part of her brain
"You said achey joints?"
Rick nodded
"Yeah, he can hardly stand up from his bunk without hurting."
"The tall one from the big family we picked up last months got the rash too. Can't have him spreadin' it to his little ones." Daryl added.
Merle sighed
"As if it ain't bad enough people are eatin' people now we gotta worry bout.."
"Togaviridae. It's an alpha virus." Ellie cut Merle off, her eyebrows bunched together.
"How do you..." Rick started, his eyes wide as saucers at the little woman speaking such big words.
"He must have been bit out there by an infected insect while they were on the road. You said Abraham was with you when you picked up the family? Maybe he shared his water?"
"Yeah, whole family drank from his canteen." Daryl was watching her with curious eyes.
"It's not airborne, it's passed through fluids. Anyone Sharin his saliva can get it, a little backwash and you're down for the count."
"And the cure?" Carol looked nothing but entirely impressed.
"It's treatable, when you go to raid the pharmacy look for any medication ending in "nolacton" it'll prevent the infection from spreading. Some side effects are long lasting, early onset arthritis, and swollen glands." Ellie listed, finally turning to the group and smiling shyly. They were all watching her with dumbstruck expressions. "I got locked in some college professors apartment at the beginning of all this, read through his curriculum about a hundred times before I left. He was a medical professor."
Merle grinned and trapped her body with his bicep
"That damn photographic memory."
Carol was turned to Rick discussing the Run when Merle stood to join them leaving Daryl and Ellie cross legged and staring at each other.
Ellie raised a brow and smiled
"Somethin' on my face Daryl?"
The smile that followed was the most genuine expression Ellie had ever seen cross Daryl Dixon's face, he shook his head and stood up, holding out a hand to help her up.
"Yer kind of amazin' Ellie Mitchell. You know that?"
Ellie took his hand and let her fingers stay tucked between his for just a moment longer than normal.
"Flattery will Get you everywhere Dixon."
