Alright, so just as a psa: I always research everything before I put it in this story, so if I get something wrong, it means I tried to research it but I couldn't find anything about it. So if I get anything wrong, don't hate me. Also, here's a reminder to leave reviews if you like this story because the feedback really helps me decide what and what not to put in the story! :))) Okay, here's chapter 14!
I woke up the next morning to the feeling of two cat paws kneading my chest. I opened my eyes to see the sun shining brightly through the window. I yawned, reaching down to pet the cat. He purred as I laid there and looked out of the window. The road was still passing by, and I wondered if Trevor had even stopped throughout the night. As I was lying there, my bladder decided to make itself known, and I sat up and stretched. I picked up Noodles before setting him on the floor, quickly moving to the bathroom before I pissed my pants. I relieved myself and quickly washed my hands before moving out of the room and back towards the wheel of the Winnebago. Trevor glanced back at me and smiled.
"Good morning. How'd you sleep?" He asked, and I stood next to the passenger seat instead of sitting, as I wanted to eat breakfast. I retuned his smile and looked at the road ahead of us.
"Like a baby," I joked. "What about you?"
"I pulled over and slept for a couple of hours. I found a couple of cars that had some gas, so I filled up the tank and put the rest in the Jeep. If we run out, we could always just get it from there." He said. I nodded, reaching to the passenger seat for the map.
"Where are we?" I asked, opening and examining it.
"We're about fifteen minutes from Tiger, and after that we'll be in South Carolina twenty or so minutes." I looked at the map and realized that this might be the last time I'd be in Georgia.
"I've never been outside of Georgia." I noted, still eyeballing the map. I could see Trevor glance at me in my peripheral vision before turning his eyes back to the road.
"We can stop if you want and say goodbye for now?" He offered. I folded the map back up and nodded, placing it back into the passenger seat.
"That would be great, just stop when we get to the state line." I said as I walked back to the kitchen area. I picked up the backpack that had food in it before opening the cabinets and placing everything I could in there, while keeping a can of Ravioli out.
"Hey, Trevor," I called to the front. "Did you want breakfast?"
"Yeah, if you don't mind. I have a can of chilli in the cabinet. Bowls are in the cabinet next to it, and spoons are in the drawer by the sink." I got out two bowls and two spoons, also finding a can opener in the same drawer. I poured both cans into two two bowls, and I looked at the microwave with my eyebrows raised.
"Can I use the microwave?" I asked.
"Yeah, the appliances and the water are completely off grid. My wife was very concerned about our environmental impact. The frige microwave and oven all run off of solar power. It's just the shower that doesn't run while we're moving." I didn't know what to say to that, so I just nodded and put both bowls in the microwave because they both had equal cooking times. I put a mug in there too, so I could fit both bowls. "And if you don't mind," I looked back up to the front. "Noodles' food is in the cabinet next to the sink. You can just put it on a plate and on the floor." I nodded, quickly grabbing the can of cat food and doing as he said. Noodles came running the second he heard the can open. I washed my hands in the sink and took the bowls out of the microwave when it beeped.
I stuck both spoons in each bowl and went to sit in the passenger seat, passing the bowl to him and moving the map. He thanked me before beginning to eat. He used the same hand that held the bowl to steer with, and the other to bring the spoon to his mouth. All three of us ate in silence as we made our way down the road. A little while longer, and we were almost done with the food when we saw the sign I didn't know I'd been dreading.
Welcome to South Carolina. I'd never left the state in all my years, and now it honestly hurt to know that I would be leaving, and with that, I'd probably never see my father again. I never even said goodbye to him… Trevor pulled Otis over in silence, putting it in park and taking off his seat belt before standing up. He took my now empty bowl and his own and placed them in the sink. I stood up and followed him outside. I was met with the humid Georgia air I was so accustomed to, and I started slowly walking into the woods there. Trevor didn't follow, probably trying to let me have some privacy.
I walked a further in the woods than I really should of. I stood in the middle of the trees, getting memories of how my father would take me on camping trips and how he would teach me how to track, hunt, and fish. I would never be able to do that again with him. I closed my eyes and put a hand against one of the trees, suddenly fighting back tears. I didn't realize how much I missed my group until that moment. And they were all gone, just like that. The Governor had single handedly ruined my entire life. I didn't notice the snarling of a walker until it was dangerously close. I opened my eyes to see one about five feet away and getting closer. I automatically grabbed for the gun at my waist to realize I'd taken it off of my person last night and put it on the nightstand back in Otis.
"Shit," I whispered under my breath, quickly looking around to see if there was anything around I could use as a weapon. I backed away as I did this, ready to run in case it go too close. I couldn't find no stick bigger than a fragile twig, so I turned to run back to the RV. I didn't get far, as when I turned around to run, I twisted the ankle the Governor had broken. Pain ran up my leg and I was falling to the ground before I could realize, blindly putting my arms out in front of me to brace my fall. I landed hardest on my left wrist, hearing a sickening crunch as pain shot up my left arm. All the while, the walker got closer and I couldn't get up fast enough. So, this is it. I always thought it would end differently. I held my injured hand to my chest, closed my eyes, and waited to become this walker's next meal. I was surprised when I heard a loud gunshot and a body thudding to the ground. I opened my eyes and looked behind me to see Trevor jogging towards me, before he kneeled down besides me.
"The gunshot's going to draw more here. We need to go. Can you walk?" He asked, his hands hovering above his knees, ready to pick me up. I put my foot down and tried to put pressure on it to find that I could barely do it because it hurt so badly. I shook my head, sucking in a breath. I didn't trust myself not to yell in pain, and I'd be damned if I got us both killed.
"Is it okay if I pick you up?" He asked, not wanting to scare me. I nodded. He put one arm under my knees and one under my shoulder blades and I put my good arm around his neck. He jogged back to the RV as fast as he could, running up the stairs and letting the door swing shut. He placed me on the couch.
"What hurts?" He asked. I took a deep breath, trying to calm down.
"I fucked up my wrist and ankle." I said, motioning to each one with my good hand. He checked my ankle, concluding that it was just twisted and needed to be elevated with some ice. My wrist, however, was broken. He told me to wait a second as he went to the bathroom and emerged a few seconds later with a wrist brace in tow.
"You're lucky my wife broke her left wrist on a camping trip a couple of years ago. Now, she did get this replaced with a plaster cast when we got back, but I did watch the doctor do it, so I'm sure if we come across the right materials, I can fully fix it. I will have to pop it into place it before I put the brace on." I instantly thought back to when Hershel had re-broken my ankle and remembered the pain it brought. I sighed before asking him for a pen. He instantly got one and handed it to me before putting the brace on the seat next me to. I put the pen in between my teeth. I closed my eyes I nodded once. He quicklysqueezed my wrist and I heard a pop and felt the same pain I just had. I I put a dent in the pen and I took it out of my mouth with my right hand. Trevor was already sliding the brace on and pulling the straps tight, making sure it set the broken bone. He then left again, this time to go to the closet across from the bathroom. He grabbed a sizable towel before stopping at the refrigerator and opening the freezer compartment, pulling out two blue ice packs.
He put both of the ice packs on my now swollen ankle before wrapping them tightly with the towel. I thanked him for saving me and fixing me up before he asked where I wanted to be. I close the passenger seat and he helped my get there, and then went towards the back again. He came back with a few pillows, positioning one in the dash for my foot, one on the left armrest for my wrist, and he handed the last one to me to put behind my back. I propped myself it behind me, leaning back in the seat and closing my eyes. I could hear Trevor starts Otis, and I felt the RV start to move down the road. That was a hell of a goodbye, Georgia. I sighed, opening my eyes a few minutes later.
"I'm sorry you had to save my ass back there." I told him, feeling guilty about not being able to protect myself. I watched the trees pass out of the passenger window.
"Don't be. Shit happens." Trevor insisted.
"I just feel like an idiot for not checking if I had my gun before I went out there. I guess I've let my guard go down ever since I got comfortable in the prison." I said, shaking my head and thinking out loud.
"Cheyenne, honestly, I had no problem helping you. It's okay. You were caught up in the moment." He urged.
"So how did you know I needed said help?" I asked, curious because I had walked far enough into the woods to not have been seen if he had stood by the RV the entire time.
"You were in there for fifteen minutes, and I was just going to check on you." Fifteen minutes? It had only felt like a few. I shook my head again, trying to clear it. I leaned my head back, again closing my eyes. "Do you like classic rock?" He asked suddenly. I opened my eyes to see him holding up a CD that he'd pulled from the left side of his seat. I smiled before nodding, and he put the CD into the player, and soon the car was filled with Creedence Clearwater Revival's Fortunate Son. I stared at nothing while I remembered when my father would play the same kind of music.
Four days later, we were now entering the southern part of Virginia. The routine had been simple these past few days, Trevor would drive and I would sit in the passenger seat with the map, directing him. If either of us got hungry, I'd awkwardly hop to the kitchen and make something and bring it to the front so he wouldn't have to stop. He'd tell me he'd simply pull over for a minute or two and he'd do it because of my ankle, but I'd insist I could do it. When we did stop, it would be to siphon fuel from whatever car we found, or to take a quick nap. We were driving, as normal, when Trevor spoke up expectedly.
"What do you say we make a little pit stop in our nation's capital?" He asked, and I laughed.
"Why not?" I started, thinking it could be the only time I'd be able to before I died. "I've never seen the Lincoln Memorial." I looked at the map and told him the road he had to keep driving on to get to D.C. We didn't say much as we drove, letting the music fill the vehicle. I shifted my ankle that was propped up on the dash, feeling an ache. It didn't hurt much, but I still couldn't walk on it. My wrist wasn't the same, and I could feel every bump and crack we drove over through it. I tried not to focus on the pain but instead on petting the cat that now lived on my lap. When we were about thirty miles away, I realized I had to pee. I moved the cat out of my lap and used my right hand to hold onto the wall as I uneasily hopped to the bathroom. Come to think of it, with these babies inside of me, I did everything uneasily. I rolled my eyes, thinking that I'd picked the perfect time to hurt myself. After I relieved myself, I decided to sit in the little kitchen table booth instead of having to get all the way back up front. I was just about to ask Trevor a question when there was a loud pop and the RV swerved before Trevor hit the breaks. I grabbed onto the table as it skidded to a stop and I stood up, peeking out of the window.
"What was that?" I asked. He got out of his seat and put one hand on his pistol before telling me to stay where I was and walking out of the door. I watched as he came around to the driver's side, examining the tires. I slid the window open just a little. "What is it, Trevor?" He looked around, probably searching for walkers before waving me to join him. I hopped out of Otis and to where he was standing.
"Looks like the goddamn tire blew. It's happened before. These tires are old, but I do have a spare. It's just going to take a minute to change it. Want to take watch?" He asked and I nodded, pulling out my own gun. He got the spare and everything he needed to fix it. I leaned against the side while he got to work.
"So," He said, glancing up at me. "How are you feeling today?" I laughed a little before answering.
"You know, same old same old. I'm kinda getting this whole hop-everywhere thing. I hope this shit heals fast." I commented, looking down at the firearm and making sure the safety was on. "What about you? You tired of driving yet?" He laughed, taking the blown tire off and positioning the new one.
"It's okay. I would let you drive, but I'm not sure how well you'd fit behind the wheel." He joked. I kiddingly narrowed my eyes at him.
"Was that a fat joke, sir?" I tried to act offended, but knowing that he hadn't actually meant it like that, I didn't hold the act for long. We both laughed, and I thought about how close we'd gotten in only four days. He was almost like a father to me, as Rick was. The only difference was that it had taken me months to finally warm up to Rick. I guess you had to get along with someone quickly when it's just two people and a cat. Trevor was about to say something before he was interrupted by a voice coming from my right.
"Hello," I quickly spun and pointed the gun directly in between his eyes. The man was around my height and he had long brown hair that framed his face, along with a beard that made me think of someone I couldn't remember the name of. I could see Trevor come to stand beside me, his gun also trained on the stranger. The unknown man quickly raised his arms in surrender but kept his face calm.
"Who the fuck are you?" Trevor demanded, holding his gun steady. The stranger offered a friendly smile before speaking.
"My name's Paul Rovia. But my friends call me Jesus."