Tattoos and Tears
Chapter 28: Making the Best of Things
The cabin was tiny, but at least it was shelter for the night. The fire raged on as it got closer to the lake. Rick and Daryl pace the porch, telling us to be ready to run if the fire jumped.
I wasn't in any condition to run, I could barely walk. Having Dylan had taken a toll on me, Hershel told me I ripped in a few places and lost some blood. The dizzy spells I'd have every time I'd stand was evidence I need to rest.
We make it till morning before Rick has us pack up again; the fire had managed to gain the attention of a few dozen walkers. We load up in our vehicles again, Daryl freezing his ass off on his bike.
With a slushy snow on the ground and a thick layer of smoke blanketing the air, we make our way from the lake and out to the open highway again. Rick looks over at Lori, her hand resting on her baby bump.
"We'll find something before night comes, I know it." Lori looks over her shoulder at me, Dylan sleeping in my arms. I tuck Beryl under my arm and gaze out the window.
All I wanted was some place to raise my babies where I didn't have to worry about them being taken from me. This new world, this new life wasn't what I had in mind when I married Daryl and we had Beryl. I would gladly take a shack in the woods with my little family to be rid of this nightmare all around us.
Morning passes by as we turn onto a small county road. Daryl waves for Rick to follow him, the road leading to a gated fence. Rick stops the SUV, Glenn pulling the hatchback up beside him. "What is it?"
Glenn pokes his head out the window, looking up at Rick. I open the back door of the SUV, telling Beryl to stay put. She juts out her lip, lying back on the seat. "I'll watch her B.J." Carol places her hand on Beryl's head, giving me a small smile.
T-Dog, Hershel, Glenn, Daryl and Rick all gather up in a circle as I stand by the passenger door next to Lori. "Can you tell what they're saying?"
"No, but I know this place." I take a step towards the gate, my knees feeling as if they're going to give out on me.
"Bobbi Jo … get back in the truck." Daryl snaps at me, but I ignore him.
Walking over to the gate, I can see a large wooden sign just on the other side, the symbol of two hands holding a heart resting under the wooden letters that spell out hope.
Daryl walks over to me, taking the baby. "Sit." He points to the bike and I do as I'm told.
Looking at the fence, I can't shake the feeling I know this place, seen it before.
I see a fallen log by the main gate and it hits me. Looking over at Rick, I give him a big smile and tell him to check for a hollow space inside the log.
He squats down, feeling along the bark till his fingers pries open a secret compartment. "How did you know these keys would be in there?"
"This is a summer camp for special needs children, I helped out here one summer and Dad used to bring our horses up here for the kids to ride." Daryl looks at me while he rubs his chin.
"Yeah, I remember ... Camp Hope. You tried to get me to help ya. This place is pretty big. I bet it's been looted by now." He walks over, pulling at the chain and lock around the gate.
"We'll never know till we go in." Rick tries a few keys, finally unlocking the chain.
We drive up to the parent's greeting area, the camp looking so calm and peaceful. Lori looks back at me, both of us hoping this isn't too good to be true.
Rick, Daryl and Glenn start to search the different buildings, Maggie and T-Dog standing watch over the rest of us.
Every time they go into a new building, I hold my breath until they come back out. I was tired and I needed to rest, but the most important thing to me at the moment was making sure my husband returned to me.
After a thorough search of the major buildings at the front of the camp, they come back to give us their report.
Daryl leans against the SUV, his crossbow clutched in his hands. "Looks like ain't nobody been here, not even walkers. Don't know what we got, but it's better than nothin."
We pass a meeting hall and mess hall on our way to the counselor station and rooms. The hotel like rooms were side by side, each one marked with a letter on the door.
Each of us take a room; the small quarters were better than the open room at lookout ever was.
Rick, Lori and Carl take the first room, leaving Maggie and Glenn to a room, Hershel and Beth, Daryl with me and our babies and Carol and T-Dog taking a room by themselves.
With six rooms taken it leaves a few rooms unoccupied, Rick wanting to use them for storage.
With what few belongings we have put away in our new rooms, we make our way to the meeting hall. The large round room had a stage in the middle with bench seats and couches scattered about. There were books and art supplies along the walls, along with wheelchairs and crutches.
Maggie and Beth decide to go over to the mess hall to see what food is left, Glenn going around back to check for propane tanks or generators.
Carol and T-Dog go off together; T had noticed a hot house when we pulled up.
Hershel sits down beside me on one of the couches, taking my pulse. "You need to rest. Let me watch the babies for you while you take a nap."
He takes Dylan from me as Beryl crawls up beside him. I don't refuse; sleep had been pulling at my eyelids all day.
Sleep consumes me as soon as I lay down on the couch, my body giving in to the soft cushions under me.
I'm woken with a soft kiss on my lips, Daryl's deep blue eyes looking back at me. "The baby needs feedin, darlin."
I rub the sleep from my eyes, the sun starting to cast shadows across the hardwood floor. Reaching out for Dylan, I take him and pull my breast free from my shirt to feed my now crying child.
Daryl quickly covers me up, Rick and Glenn standing in the room unnoticed by me.
"As soon as yer done, meet us in the mess hall ... Maggie, Carol and Beth have dinner ready." Rick smiles softly back at me, Glenn's eyes still cast downward.
Daryl sits down beside me, Beryl in his lap. "This place is gonna be good, I can feel it. There's a medical building with all sorts of medicine. Most of the food is canned or dried so we got that. The freezer was down so all the meat was ruined ... we have to clean that out later. Glenn found some bio-diesel for the generators in a shed and there's enough propane to last through winter."
I look up into his eyes, a glimmer of hope sparkling in them. I feel my tears burn my eyes as they spring forth. "Daryl ... I want this to be a good place, but I don't think we'll ever be happy or safe again."
He wraps a big strong arm around me as he kisses the side of my head. "Where you and the kids are is a good place to me."
The mess hall smelled amazing and was surprisingly warm. I look over to the main wall to see a fireplace with a crackling fire inside.
"A fire ... in a summer camp?" My eyebrows lift as I look at Daryl.
"Maggie said they use to have campfires inside for the kids that couldn't go out." Daryl points to the long sticks in the corner and I realize it was a s'mores pit.
The atmosphere of everyone gathered at one long table, eating and chatting reminds me of holidays back on the farm. Hershel and Rick go over plans to start planting crops in the spring as T-Dog and Daryl go over ways to fortify the fence around the camp.
Beryl eats till her stomach is full and she quickly falls asleep, resting her head in her father's lap.
I offer to help clean up, but Hershel orders me to my room for more rest. Daryl carries Beryl as I hold Dylan, opening the door marked B.
Daryl had pushed two twin beds together, making a bed for Dylan and Beryl next to ours out of a mattress and storage crate. The makeshift crib would have to do until they could get one, maybe a playpen of some sort.
I kiss my husband softly, our kisses gentle at first, but quickly turning heated. I pull back to catch my breath, Daryl's fingers twisted into my hair.
"God, yer beautiful." He whispers to me in the darkness. I feel my smile creep slowly across my face as I kiss him again, my tongue twisting playfully in his mouth.
"When Hershel says I'm better, I will have my way with you." His grin widens across his face as he pulls me down into another kiss.
Before things get too carried away, Daryl rolls away from me, only to pull me to his chest. "We can be happy here B.J., I want to believe that."
"I do too." I kiss the tattoo over his heart as I close my eyes and feel a real sense of peace for the first time in months.
