Sweet Caroline
Chapter 38 – "Long Hard Winter"
The past several months had taken a toll on them all. The winter was the harshest any of them could remember in years. Rick did his best to keep them safe, find food and keep them moving. Lori was getting bigger, the baby kicking and moving. It was on everyone's mind, how Rick and Lori had grown distant and even Carl was cold with his mother.
Being constantly on the move was trying and tiring, it took so much out of all of them. Raylan had become close with Rick, he and Daryl like Sergeants to his General. The entire group had to step up; even Carl had become a crack shot with gun. It was kill or be killed and the elements were just another thing to fight.
Caroline took caring for Katie as her personal mission; Lee Jr. had more or less given his child to his aunt. Raylan noticed that caring for Katie was starting to wear on Caroline; her nights spent watching her sleep and her days taking care of her. It was just another burden Caroline had to carry but she didn't mind.
A cold deep snow had set in one night, the group searching for shelter. Rick and Daryl find an empty storage facility, clearing it of the walkers that they found. It was a good place to hole up till the snow passed and it was bearable to travel again.
On the second night there Katie gets a raging fever, her little body burning alive. Hershel quickly examines her, making sure she wasn't bit or scratched. After he gives the babe some aspirin, he goes out to collect snow to help cool her off with.
When morning comes Katie's fever is so high she begins to convulse. Caroline screams for Hershel, Daryl pulling her away from the little girl. "Come on gurl…let Hershel do his thang."
Raylan comes over to Caroline, wrapping his arm around her shoulder. "I went to get Lee Jr, since the baby is so sick and I can't find him or Lee. Their things are gone; I think they left in the middle of the night."
Caroline can feel her knees go weak, Daryl bracing her weight. "You okay gurl?"
"That baby is sick, Lee Jr.'s baby and he takes off. That selfish bastard, I don't care if he is my nephew. If I ever see him again I'll kill him myself." Caroline's blue eyes fill with tears, her anger spreading through her body.
A few minutes later Hershel walks over to her, his face more downcast than usual. "I've done all I can. She's got pneumonia, her lungs are giving out. I'm sorry Caroline."
Caroline holds Katie while Daryl holds her; they lay like that till Katie stops breathing. When the morning comes Raylan and Daryl take Katie away from the group. Caroline had begged Raylan to make it quick. She couldn't bear to see her turn. After they are done they bury the babe returning to watch Caroline's grief taking her over.
The next few months find Caroline a colder, darker soul than she was before. Daryl lets her be; he felt her pain and understood her need for solitude. Carol and Maggie try time and time again to get Caroline to come back to herself, to be the girl they all knew. Caroline would only curse at them and go off by herself. The only company Caroline tolerated was Daryl's or Raylan's.
Rick comes to Caroline one evening, the winter wind cutting through them like tiny ice daggers. "We've all lost someone, some more than most. You need to suck it up and get your head back in the game."
"My head is in the game. Have I not killed and bled for you, for them. How I choose to be is none of your concern. I don't need this bonding shit, it ain't like you've been Mr. Roger's yourself. I'm here because this is all I have left. All I still care about is finding Dean and Samuel." Caroline pulls the collar of her jacket up over her ears.
"You owe it to Daryl and to Raylan to stay focused Caroline. You almost got Raylan killed yesterday. Katie's dead and that's how things work now. Your brother and his boys took off like cowards but you stayed. So, put your big girl panties on and stop your whining." Rick gives her a stern look before walking off.
Daryl notices his Caroline coming back slowly but she still has a bitterness about her that he's sure will never fade. Carol tries to bond with her, getting Caroline to show her how to shoot. The lessons take Caroline's mind off her sorrows and give Carol a sense of security.
The two ladies start to get closer over the lessons, Daryl helping out from time to time. Caroline had never considered herself the jealous type but the closeness Daryl and Carol was sharing and Carol's reaction to it did not go unnoticed.
During one of the shooting lessons Caroline over hears Carol getting frisky with Daryl. She bolts around the corner of the building, heading straight towards Carol.
"That's cute, can I use that line?" Carol looks at Daryl then back to Caroline.
"We're just having a little fun Caroline, lighten up." Carol giggles as she looks at Daryl.
Caroline takes her Glock out of its holster. After clearing the wall of all the bottles and cans she slides in another clip. Daryl gives Caroline a curious look, his crossbow hanging at his side. "What the hell was that for? You're wasting ammo we don't have to waste."
"Let me see, Carol said she wanted to squeeze your trigger. Don't get me wrong, I don't blame her for trying to get a little action but I thought we are together." Caroline slides the gun back in her holster, her fingers gripping the leather.
"And I said nothin to her. I even told her to knock it off. You need to get a grip gurl…Carol was only kiddin around." Daryl throws his crossbow over his shoulder, taking Caroline's hand.
Carol slowly walks way, her joking mood all but gone. Caroline watches her leave; her hand tightens around Daryl's. "Joking is all that best be going on or so help me God I'll cut both of your hearts out."
Daryl grins at her, kissing her on the cheek. "Redheads, what the hell was I thinkin? You got a nasty temper gurl…you know I wouldn't."
From that day forward Caroline was never friendly with Carol again. Their group was small but they were family, as much as they could be. Caroline was sure Raylan had a thing with Carol but it would seem that Carol wasn't as interested in Raylan as he was in her.
The winter ends with a coldness between members of the group and gives way to a heat that can only be from Georgia returning like a blast from an oven.
Putting the long hard winter behind them, they move on trying to find shelter and a place for Lori to have the baby.