Pulling herself from the confines of Maggie's embrace, Patricia wiped at her face. She did not know how long she and the younger woman had sat huddled together in the loveseat in the Greenes' front room. By the darkness that now shrouded the sky, it had been quite a bit of time.
Patricia pushed away and looked around at the eerily silent house. "I should go get dinner together," she mumbled, letting herself slip into auto pilot; it was the only way she could function after the sudden shock.
She was simply unable to return Maggie's soft smile as the younger woman reached out to brush a strand of Patricia's hair out of her face and said, "Daddy had a sandwich. Beth grabbed an apple." Her eyes stung as Maggie tenderly cupped her cheek. "Can I make you something?"
The tears barely contained in Patricia's eyes spilled forth. "Oh, honey," Maggie sadly whispered, drawing the woman back into her embrace.
"What is the point of it?" Patricia sobbed. "Why are we all struggling to stay alive if there is nothing for us but to be eaten?"
And while Patricia didn't miss the tightening of the arms around her, she did miss the panic stricken look that suddenly crossed Maggie's face.
AN: For a brief moment this chapter was titled "Dinner Time," following the pattern after the chapter titled "Take-Out." And like "Take-out" it had a double meaning... only it seemed heartless to name a chapter about a woman mourning her husband's death by walkers "Dinner Time." So I chose Shock instead. But I may go back and change it to "Dinner Time"... I'm not well known for being tactful.
