Daryl tapped his boots with his knife continuously until someone came into the lunchroom. Daryl peeked in between his hair and saw the young boy come in. What was his name? Daryl had forgotten. The boy sat on a chair furthest from Daryl, and he started tapping his fingers on the table. Daryl put the knife into his belt and perked up. "Where's yer dad?" Daryl asked while he stood up and walked to the cupboards. The boy shrugged and stopped tapping his fingers.
"Sleeping still." The boy looked into the cupboard with longing eyes. Daryl pulled out a can and tossed it to him along with a fork.
"If yer hungry eat, your not a prisoner here." The boy smiled and pulled the tab of the can open.
"Thank you... What's your name again?" The boy asked. Daryl felt relieved because now he didn't have to feel like an asshole for asking his.
"Daryl. Yours?" The boy smiled and nodded as he dug his fork into the can.
"Keenan." Daryl watched the boy gobble down the food, he just ate last night, but he guessed months of hunger wouldn't be subsided in one night.
"How old are you kid?" Daryl asked as he poured water into a cup. The boy shrugged.
"I should be about 16... I was 15 when this thing started." Daryl sat down beside the boy with his cup of water. "How about you?"
"Could be 43, or 44. I don't really now either... Guess it don't matter anymore." Daryl said as he looked down at the table. The boy looked up at Daryl, his blue eyes shone bright and a tad blurry.
"I guess birthdays and dates and time... Christmas, death. None of it matters anymore." He said in a depressed tone. Daryl patted the kids back.
"Deaths the only thing that matters... And tryin' not to get it."
Lori walked down the hall and lightly knocked on Rick and Andrea's door. Rick opened the door with his shirt, slightly buttoned up, you could tell he just put it on. He was surprised to see Lori at the door, and then his expression hardened. Lori put her hand on her stomach, which notably softened his look.
"Rick I need prenatal vitamins... I'm feeling weak, and I know I am not getting everything I need." She said honestly, but annoyingly. Rick nodded in agreement.
"Okay, Andrea and I will go today." He said in a mellow tone. Lori shook her head no.
"Andrea is a good shooter, we need her here." She said gritting through her teeth. "I want you to bring Carol... She's the only one besides me that knows what I need, Andrea has never had a baby." She said slyly. Andrea stood up and opened the door, her eyes gleamed into Rick's.
"She is right." Andrea said with a smirk. Rick felt trapped in between the two women. He noticed them staring at each other. Rick pushed himself carefully passed Lori.
"I will go get.. Carol..." He said, but the pair paid no attention to him.
The car drove along the highway, Carol had complained about traffic many times prior to the take over and now she craved it. Craved some normality. She turned and looked at Rick when she read the sign.
"There, a small town...Blairsville?.. Lets check it out." Rick turned the car around and headed off the exit to the city, city being a nice word for it. "Why didn't you go with Andrea?" Carol asked out of curiosity.
"Lori and Andrea both agreed that you know what your looking for, and Andrea doesn't..." Rick said, trying to convince himself. Carol gave him a light smile.
"Its not like there will be options galore." Carol said laughing, forcing Rick to laugh too.
"Their up to something... I'm happier here with you anyways... Less catty." Rick's voice trailed.
"Trouble in paradise?" Carol asked. Rick shook his head.
"No, Andrea and I are great. Lori just makes it difficult." He explained. "And I get it, everything she ever knew, its gone." The mention of Lori made Carol's stomach curl at the moment. Rick noticed the change in mood as her smile faded. "You and Lori not on good terms? Hopefully not on the account of me?" Rick asked, in more of a lecture tone. He wouldn't want to take Lori's friends away.
"No." Carol simply answered. She didn't want to explain what had happened. Rick pulled into the small town pharmacy, surprised to see no walkers in sight.
"If it is about me, stop it and and stop it now..." Rick wasn't finished his sentence before Carol cut him off.
"She kissed Daryl." She answered coldly. Carol picked up her gun and knife and opened the car door. "Wait here." Carol shut the car door and headed to the pharmacy and kept her duffel bag in hand. The doors were unlocked, and no walkers stood in the front. The place was so small, she could see every corner, expect where the heavy drugs were kept, with one look.
The floors where a pale blue and the walls were white. The vitamins were right by the pharmacists pick up station and she walked to it. She started pulling all the Prenatal vitamins off the shelves and into her bag, when a moving structure caught the corner of her eye. Carol turned her body against the wall out of view of what was inside the back. Carol heard a buzz coming from a speaker.
"Is.. Is someone there?" She heard a young boys voice on the intercom. He sounded sick, and was coughing while he spoke. Carol turned to the glass and saw the young boy, no older then 8, holding the button, his face was sunken in and he looked ill. The boy shakily walked out of view, a door opened beside the vitamin wall. "He... Hey." The boy started to tear up. Carol walked into the back room and caught the boy as he fell. "I was bitten." The boy said as he started crying. Carol shut the door and held the boy in her arms.
"What's your name hun?" Carol asked with weary eyes.
"Sam. Yours?" The boy started coughing and his skin had already started turning grey.
"Carol." Carol pushed the boys long hair out of his face. "Where's your mommy?" The boy started to cry, forcing tears out of Carol too.
"Back at camp... I got bitten and ran away." The boy started shaking. Carol pulled off her sweater and wrapped it around the boys cold body.
"Where is camp?" The boy pointed at the wall, beyond that lied the forest.
"Twenty minutes that way." The boy curled up around Carol. "I don't want to die Carol." He said through his coughs. Carol held the boy closer to her. "Don't let me turn." he begged. Carol shook her head as tears fell down.
"Don't worry about that." Before she could finish her sentence the boy died in her arms. Carol closed his eyes. She stood up and grabbed everything she could off the shelves and put them into her bag. She pulled out her gun and shot the boy through the temple
Carol lifted him and ran outside, RIck heard the shot and was out of the car with his gun drawn. He looked hopelessly confused as Carol carried out the boy. A few walkers had gathered. Carol threw the boy in the back seat."Get in the car." Carol ordered. Rick sat in the drivers, and they drove off before they had to kill any.
"Who is that?" Carol caught her breath and looked back at the boy.
"Just drive this way." Carol said pointing in the opposite direction of where they needed to go. The woods were just beside the highway and Carol looked into them as they drove. She had given up hope until she saw an orange tent, just between the trees. "Stop." She ordered. Rick stopped the car, and had figured out what she was doing as soon he did. Carol stepped out of the car and Rick did too. "Can you carry him?" Rick nodded and picked the boy up, they way he held Carl after he got shot.
They walked towards the camp, feeling the weight deepen with each step. The people at the camp noticed them right away, as they stood in front of their camp fire. A woman stood up as soon as she saw the boy and ran towards Rick. "Sam?!" She screamed. She pulled the boy out of Rick's arms. The look of horror was one she recognized, a look she held nearly a month ago. "I found him... Brought him back..." Carol mumbled but the woman wasn't listening. Rick grabbed Carols arm and started pulling her.
"lets go." The other people stood in awe. Rick and Carol walked back to the car. When they got there a man had caught up with them. He was out of breath as he caught them just in time.
"Thank you... Thank you so much." He said with sincerity. "You always have friends here." They man regained himself and held his hand out to Rick.
"My name is Mike, that was my nephew, I doubt anybody else would have broughten him back." Carol shrugged as Rick shook the mans hand and introduced himself. "Rick, but you outta thank her, she found him and brought him here." RIck said honestly. The man hugged Carol.
"Thank you, Thank you... He didn't have to die alone, and you brought him back, that.." Carol hugged him back.
"That is what any decent human would have done." She said with a weary tone. The man shook his head.
"Not easy to find these days." The man expressed his gratitude. "You have friends here, always." He repeated.
Carol couldn't get the little boy out of her head as she lie next to Daryl. Rick had explained everything that happened to him.
"I don't know why I did it... I can't explain why it meant so much." She said as silent tears fell. Daryl rolled Carol over so she was facing him and wrapped his arms around her.
"Cause he reminded ya of Sophia." Carol nodded her head as she wrapped her arms around him too. "And there ain't nothing wrong with it." He reassured.