Thank you for all of the lovely comments.
Chapter fourteen.
The next week flew past in a blur. The camp was full of a strange uncomfortable atmosphere, everyone unsure and unsettled. The sun hadn't returned to its full blaze of heat, so the air stayed crisp and chilly. Jobs were being done at a great speed on camp, nobody really complaining at what they were asked to do. Each capable person stood guard in turn. One over the shed that housed the young boy Randell, and another sat perched on top of the RV as a look out.
Ellie's week had been filled with cooking, cleaning, guarding, sleeping. The cycle continued like a warehouse belt loop. She had spoken a little more to Maggie and Glenn this week, as her shift patterns fell into step with theirs. They made a lovely couple, in her opinion. Maggie was tough, made only stronger by the young Asian boy. She had also helped Lori out for much of this week with Carl and Beth. She kept Carl busy looking after and playing with Cooper while the two woman got thing done.
She had kept her distance from Shane, not that he was around the camp much, and Andrea. There was something off about her, the way she kept defending Shane's behavior. Ellie didn't like it. Unfortunately, Ellie though, she hadn't seen much of Dale this past week either. He had remained cooped up in his RV for many of the hours, or on watch instead. She decided that she'd have to make an effort to talk to him later.
She hadn't even had time to dwell on the fact that she hadn't seen much of Daryl this week too. He had taken to hunting squirrel and rabbits for the group in any spare time he received. Her cheeks heated up each time she thought about Daryl Dixon. Did she like him as something more? There was that flutter of anxiety again. After they had spent a morning last week embraced in each other's arms, after opening up about their past, they had spent little time in each other's company. The small amount of time they did see each other tended to be meal times, where Daryl would sit next to her, or on the short walk up to the tent, where they would remain mostly in silence. She was worried that he was starting to regret their time with together, after all he didn't seem like the most social man.
"We're heading out with Randell." Rick's voice shook her out of her thoughts, and she turned to watch as he addressed the group sat around the camp. "Myself and Shane that is."
"Where will ya'll take him?" T dog asked in a gruff voice.
"The main road. We plan to drive a good way out. Maybe eighteen miles or so, and find him somewhere to be dropped." Rick informed him, stood with his hands on his hips. She could see how well he suited being a cop before the world ended.
"And that's it?" Ellie asked doubtfully. "He'll go on his way and we can move on from this."
"I sure hope so." Rick nodded with a sigh. Shane scoffed but remained silent. "We won't be long. Andrea, you swap with Dale as look out in an hour or so."
No one said anything else as the men climbed into Shane's silver car. They had Randell in the back, hands tied and blindfolded. Ellie felt a shiver go across her as memories began to stir. She shook her head in an attempt to shake them away and looked down at the pan she was scrubbing. She continued quickly as she watched them drive away.
"You ok darling?" Carol asked, tapping her shoulder gently.
"Yeah." Ellie replied. "Just a little tired. Worried that this won't all work out the way we want."
"No one has come looking yet. Maybe Rick is right and there really isn't anyone looking to get him back." She suggested, with a small shrug.
Ellie looked up at the face of the woman next to her. She had tired eyes, which held so much emotion. She had surprised Ellie with the fact that she was up, moving, helping around camp. Ellie had only ever really seen one woman lose her child, and her mother took years to come back to anything near normal. Carol was strong, Ellie concluded. Stronger that anyone knew.
"I sure hope that's the case." She finally said, nodding slowly. "I'm almost finished up here, do you want help with anything?"
"No sweetie, I'm just going to find Patricia and offer may help with the animals. Why don't you just sit down for a little while? Rest. You've worked harder than most over this past week." Carol said sweetly.
Ellie nodded and watched as Carol walked over to the house and disappeared through the door.
…
Ellie had decided to take Carols advice, and took a seat into the shade, opening up one of the books she had borrowed from Maggie. After a short while, the noise of running feet made both her and Andrea look towards the house. Lori was jogging over to them, fast.
"Lori?" Ellie asked, standing up as the woman reached them. "Is everything ok?"
"Have either of you seen Maggie or Hershel?" she inquired frantically.
Andrea shook her head. "Haven't seen Hershel, but Maggie and Glenn walked by. Maybe twenty minutes ago?" she looked towards Ellie for confirmation. Ellie nodded in agreeance.
"Great, find her for me. I have to run back to the house!" she shouted, already turning and jogging away.
"Lori wait, what's happened?" Ellie called after her. Lori didn't reply.
"Go. I'll find Maggie." Andrea urged. Ellie nodded and began to run towards the house too, reaching the door and shooting inside.
"Lori?" she called out.
"In here."
Ellie ran through the hallway and skidded into Beth's current room. "What is it?"
Lori looked up and noticed that Maggie wasn't with her. "Maggie needs to come here now."
"Andrea is on it." Ellie panted, eyeing the skinny blonde sat in the bed. "Beth, is everything ok?"
There came no response. Lori tutted and stood up, grabbing Ellie by the arm and bringing her to the door way.
"She took a knife, hid it from me." She whispered, keeping her eyes on Beth.
Ellie's eyes widened. "You have it back now?"
"Yes. She was making small improvements, and now she's what? Suicidal?" Lori's voice grew slightly louder.
"I can hear you." Beth said quietly, not bothering to turn and look.
Ellie moved into the room and stood by her bed, crouching down slightly. "Beth, listen, it isn't as bad as it seems right now. You're alive and fighting. Isn't that what you should focus on?" Ellie knew it was crappy advice but she didn't know what else to say.
No response again.
"Beth please." She tried again, just as Maggie burst into the room.
"Beth!" she shouted, getting onto the end of the bed. Ellie moved out of the way and stood against the wall. "Are you crazy? What if dad finds out?"
"What's he going to do? Kill me for committing suicide?" Beth replied with a dead pan expression.
"Stop being such a brat." Maggie's voice sounded slightly calmer now. "He's die. So would I. This isn't just about you." Beth's eyes snapped up to Maggie at this comment. "We all lost mom."
"We'd lose each other and I couldn't stand that." Beth mumbled quietly.
"So you give up?" Maggie questioned loudly. Ellie felt awkward listening to such an intense family argument. She watched as Beth held Maggie's gaze for what felt like the longest time and then the shouting began.
"Let's give them some space." Ellie said quietly to Lori, ushering her out of the small room.
They reached the kitchen where Andrea was already stood and each leaned on and around the big counter top in the center, silent for a few minutes as the arguing from the bedroom filled their ears.
"Where's Hershel?" Andrea asked, breaking their silence. Ellie shrugged.
"Maggie didn't want him to find out yet." Lori said from her perch on the counter top. "It's a family affair. We'll let them work it out."
"That's working it out?" Andrea asked sarcastically. Ellie smiled slightly.
"You never fought with your family like that?" she asked. "God, me and my mother used to be like this for hours over the smallest of things."
"No." Andrea half snapped. "Amy mostly just admired me, followed me like a shadow and did whatever I said when she was little. I didn't see her often." She looked away into the window.
"Andrea lost her sister recently." Lori told Ellie.
"Oh, sorry. I remember you mentioned that a while back. I didn't think." Ellie felt a wave of guilt flood her. Andrea continued to stare out of the window.
"Anyway, when Beth stops fighting… that's when it will be time to worry." Lori pointed out, hopping down and helping herself to some cucumber from the table.
"This could have been handled better." Andrea sighed, turning back around. Ellie cocked her head in questioning, brows furrowed together.
"It could?" she asked. "How so?"
"You shouldn't have taken the knife away." Andrea said simply.
Lori and Ellie both looked at Andrea in pure confusion.
"Really?" Lori whispered angrily. Andrea held her ground.
"You were wrong." She shook her head as she spoke. "Like Dale taking my gun, that wasn't your decision."
"Andrea come on." Ellie tried to reason. Lori looked upset at Andrea's words.
"She has to choose to live on her own." Andrea insisted. "She has to find her own reasons."
"Want me to tie a noose for her too?" Lori remarked angrily. Ellie shifted uncomfortably. She had begun wrapping up the food on the table to busy her hands.
"If she is serious, she'll figure out a way." Andrea shot back.
"Does that mean that I can't stop her?" Lori accused with a fiery tone.
"We were just letting her know that we care." Ellie said in a hushed tone, stuffing plates into the fridge.
"That's got nothing to do with it. She only has so many choices in front of her." Andrea responded loudly, half glaring at the both of them.
"And she believes that the best one is suicide?" Ellie questioned skeptically.
"Yes." Andrea maintained. "She does."
"That can't be an option." Lori snapped at Andrea, throwing down her towel onto the counter.
"Of course it is." Andrea asserted. "She doesn't need to be yelled at or treated like a child."
"No, she just needs a loaded gun right?" Lori huffed. "You'll understand if we don't send you in there."
Andrea raised her eyebrows and glared at the pair of them. "I came through it."
"Yes, you're such a productive member of the group." Lori snapped, tipping some pots into the sink.
Ellie sensed the argument was beginning to heighten. "Let's just let Maggie handle it." She insisted quietly. Andrea brushed off her comment and leaned on the counter, staring hard at Lori.
"I contribute to the group. I help keep this place safe." She said with a frown.
"The men can handle this on their own. They don't need your help." Lori continued to clean as she spoke quietly. This time, Ellie frowned too. She helped with the guarding just as much as Andrea did. Even Maggie and Carol helped some of the time too.
"I'm sorry, what would you have me do? And Ellie at that matter. Carol? Maggie? We all help to guard." Andrea glared at Lori. Lori turned around sharply and threw her towel again.
"There is plenty of work to go around." She said.
"Lori, we all help do the house work." Ellie stood up straight and tried to reason with the woman.
"Are you serious?" Andrea interrupted, half shouting. "When everything starts to fall apart, you're in my face over damn laundry?"
"It's a burden on everyone else. Me, and Carol, Patricia… Maggie. Ellie does her share too, but you?" Lori fires, ignoring Ellie altogether.
"Perhaps you shouldn't talk for everyone Lori." Ellie snapped, getting slightly pissed off now. Lori shot her a look but continued to talk to Andrea.
"Cooking, cleaning and caring for Beth. You? You don't care about anyone but yourself. You sit up on top of that RV, working on your tan with a shot gun in your lap every chance you get."
"Lori, you're stepping out of line now." Ellie said loudly, staring at the brunette.
"You know, when I am up there, I am on watch against walkers. That's is what matters. Not fresh mint leaves and lemonade." Andrea argued back.
"We are providing stability. We are trying to create a life worth living." Lori insisted with a stern tone. Andrea didn't back down.
"Are you serious?" Andrea scoffed. "Why only me Lori? You don't say this to Ellie and the others."
Lori gave her an exasperated look. "Look, I went after Rick, I took down a walker-."
"Yeah and smashed Maggie's car up, ever apologized for that?" Andrea asked, drowning out the rest of Lori's sentence.
"Guys, come on, let's just-." Ellie began, but was cut off again by Lori.
"You're insane." She growled at Andrea.
"No you are! You're so self-centered, taking it all for granted." Andrea shot back.
"My husband is out there for the hundredth time!" Shouted Lori. "My son was shot! Don't you dare tell me that I take all of this for granted?"
"You don't get it do you? Your husband came back from the dead. Your son too. And now you've got a baby on the way. The rest of us have piled up our losses. Me, Carol, the Greens. But you just keep on keeping on. You play house, act like the queen bee? You lay down rules for everyone but yourself."
"Enough!" Ellie shouted. "Just stop. What are you both doing? My horse is bigger than your horse? Grow up, the pair of you. We have bigger problems that dishes not being done and arguing about this crap."
"You too!" Andrea shot at Ellie. "You have a bouncing bundle of joy. What a devastating thing to happen to you."
Ellie took a step back at her words. She knew nothing. "Shut the hell up. You know nothing about me or my life."
"You're right, I don't. I don't know the lot of you." Andrea screamed at them.
"Please, let's just stop this arguing." Ellie pleaded, turning to look between Lori and Andrea.
"You know what? You both go ahead." Andrea said angrily, but slightly quieter. "You go in there and tell that little girl that everything will be ok. Just like it is for you. She'll get a husband, a son, a bit on the side." She glared at Lori and then turned to Ellie. "A boyfriend… a baby."
Ellie frowned. What on earth was she on about boyfriend? Ellie didn't have a boyfriend. Lori looked livid at the taunt about Shane.
"She just has to look on the bright side, right?" Andrea concluded sarcastically, rolling her eyes and storming away from the kitchen. Lori and Ellie stood there for a moment in silence.
"I can't believe her." Lori huffed, turning back to the washing up.
Ellie didn't reply, but just quietly exited the room.