DISCLAIMER: I OWN NOTHING REGARDING THE WALKING DEAD - This includes any material or characters from any of the TV Series/Comics/Games Etc.
The only thing that I own is the characters I have created myself.
"No, we can't go, I won't do it, we can't just leave!" Carol protested to the group as they all stood around the RV.
Dale sighed and leaned his arm against the vehicle, "The group is split Carol, we're scattered and weak...it's the only plan that we have."
"But what if she comes back? What if my daughter comes back and we're not here?!" Carol replied desperately and the group around her glanced back and forth between one another, even though no one said anything it was obvious that they were each now unsure of what to actually do.
"If Sophia found her way back and we were gone that would be awful." Andrea eventually broke the silence.
"She's right." Eilidh added with a nod, unable to not agree with her.
"Okay listen how about this." Daryl said after another silence started to form, "I say wait it out another night and leave in the morning...that'll give us a chance to rig up a big sign and leave her some supplies. I'll stay behind with the RV."
"Well if the RV stays then so do I." Dale replied immediately.
"Thank you both, so much." Carol said with tear filled eyes.
"I'll stay too." Eilidh announced and Carol smiled at her, she then nodded her head and continued with, "Of course I will."
Carol mouthed 'thank you' to her just as Andrea said, "Count me in."
"Well if you're all staying then I-" Glenn began to speak speak but was cut off.
"No, no not you Glenn…you're going, take Carol's Cherokee." Dale told him.
"Why is it always me?" Glenn asked with an irritated sigh.
"You have to find this farm and reconnect with our people, get there and find out what's going on but most of all you need to get T-Dog there...that's not an option." Dale replied, saying the last part to everyone.
Eilidh looked over at T-Dog, he had a blanket around his shoulders and he was leaning heavily on the front of the RV, she turned back to Dale and asked, "He's not okay?"
Dale shook his head with a sigh and said, "No...he's not, that cut on his arm has gone from bad to worse and he has a very serious blood infection...there's nothing more that I can do for him, I don't have any antibiotics or supplies to try and fix it, we need to see if they have any at this farm but if not...T-Dog will die."
"Hold on." Daryl said after Dale had finished speaking then swiftly turned away from the group and headed towards his bike, as he approached it he observed a piece of dirty cloth that was on the seat then looked back over at Dale and shook his head in an irritated way, he then opened up one of the saddle bags to pull out a large bag that was filled with different kinds of pill bottles.
As he walked back towards the group he threw the cloth at Dale who caught it just before he laid the pill bag on the hood of a car, "Keep your oily rags off my brother's motorcycle."
Everyone then headed towards him as he began to look through the bag, he handed Glenn a bottle as he approached the car and said, "Why did you wait till now to say anything? I got my brothers stash here, there's Crystal, X…some kick ass pain killers."
Eilidh picked up a bottle that he laid down and began to examine the label closely until he reached over and took it from her, she looked up at him and he gave her a look that someone would give a child when they were touching something they shouldn't be, she shot him a glare in return which he ignored.
"Doxycycline." He said as he threw Dale a bottle that he'd been searching through the bag for before he finished saying, "That ain't the generic stuff neither, it's first class…Merle got the Clap on occasion."
He glanced at each of them and when his eyes found Eilidh again he gave her a shrug then he walked off, she watched him go then turned her head to look at the other woman where they each shared a look of disgust with her.
O
That night was another restless one for Eilidh, she tossed and turned relentlessly, despite being tired, she couldn't fall over for more than an hour and even then she was plagued by the same nightmares she could never avoid.
Poor Sophia was still out there on her own, notwithstanding the group's best efforts to find her, the news that Carl had been shot was still playing on her mind too, as far as they all knew he was still alive but they were yet to be updated on his condition and she hoped and prayed that he was okay.
Another reason she'd struggled to initially fall sleep was because Carol had been in the back of the RV crying the whole night and she still was, there would be no falling back asleep, she was awake now.
She was by no means bothered by Carol's crying though, who was she to grudge a mother grieving for her missing child?
A moment passed before she decided she was unable to just sit there any longer and she sat up in the passenger seat of the Winnebago then adjusted it so it was back to normal, she then quietly made her way to the door, as she was leaving she noticed Andrea sitting at the small dining table frantically cleaning her best friend since being recently reunited with it, much to Dale's discomfort.
She made sure to be extra quiet as she was passing Daryl who was laying asleep on the floor near the door with his hands behind his head, she didn't bother saying where she was going to Andrea as she opened the door and left.
When she was closing it behind her she made eye contact with Daryl who was now leaning his head back and looking at her, she halted her movements and they stared at one another for a brief moment before she gave him a small smile and closed the door.
Once she was outside she checked her gun to make sure that it was loaded, even though she knew that it was, she then slipped it in her belt next to her flash-light and walked forward so Dale could see her from where he was on the roof of his RV.
"I can't sleep…I'm going to have a walk up the road." She told him.
"Now?" he asked and looked up at the pitch black sky before looking back at her with an eyebrow raised, "Are you sure?"
"Yeah...Carol's-" She began to speak but cut herself off as she looked at the door of the RV briefly then back up at the old man who nodded his head with a look that told her he understood.
"Be careful…I'll keep an eye on you." He told her and tapped his rifle.
She gave him a salute in response and then began walking up the road slowly before stopping briefly to turn her flash-light on.
"Hey." Daryl's voice suddenly came from behind her, she noted that it was slightly softer than his usual gruff tone, a beat then passed before she slowly turned around to face him and he asked, "What are you doing heading up here?"
"I can't sleep, thought I'd take a walk...get some fresh air." She replied after shrugging her shoulders and he nodded.
"I'm gonna go and search some more, Andrea's coming with." He replied and then he muttered, "So if you want to go...you know."
Eilidh thought about it for a second and then said truthfully, "Andrea and I don't really see eye to eye as you already know, the thought of another petty confrontation with her is exhausting...I think I'll just take my walk instead, but thanks."
He seamed to hesitate on what he was about to say before finally said in a cautionary tone, "Take care out here."
She smiled then said before she turned to continue walking up the road, "You too."
O
"This is stupid." Eilidh whispered to herself as she headed through the abandoned traffic towards the car she had come across earlier that day, the one where she'd found the shirt that was identical to Teddy's inside.
As the car came into view she slowed down to a halt and stared, the shirt was hanging out of the suitcase and her eyes had zeroed in on it immediately, she bit her lip and turned her head away briefly before giving it a light shake, she then turned her head back to look at the shirt and walked towards it.
When she reached he car she immediately pulled the shirt from the suitcase but then she hesitated from looking at it, she looked at a distant point on the pitch black highway just feeling the fabric for a moment and when she eventually did look at it she found herself staring.
The shirt was a duplicate to Teddy's, it could BE his, only...it wasn't.
"I'm such, an idiot." she said angrily and slammed her hand into the side of the car, hurting it in the process.
She squeezed her hand into a fist whilst trying not to make a sound at the pain as the thoughts of how if she hadn't mentioned the chain then they might have left it ran through her head.
"Stupid." she whimpered and then a sob escaped her throat but she shook her head and forced herself to regain her composure, she couldn't risk letting her guard down here, it wasn't safe.
Sniffing, she quickly looked around the area then she started to make her way back towards the RV.
After stopping briefly to have a silent debate with herself whether or not to take the shirt back with her she finally decided that she would, she had nothing else of Teddy's and she didn't realise until now how much she needed something, the guilt of breaking the promise that she'd made him was eating away at her.
She continued on her way along the road again, her eyes on the shirt she was holding as she did and then she heard a clatter from behind her.
She gasped at the sound and turned quickly which caused her to trip over because she had tried to step backwards at the same time.
"Shit." She cursed herself for the mistake and jumped back up immediately with her knife drawn.
No walker was in sight or coming toward her so she slowly moved in the direction of where the sound came from, it had come from behind one of the cars she'd passed and it turned out that it had been empty cans that had blown off it in the breeze.
She let out a sigh and rubbed at her forehead with the back of her arm then shook her head and said, "Cans."
She twisted her wrist then and dragged her hand toward her forehead to press it against it and a sharp pain shot through it and caused her to gasp, she pulled her hand away then looked down at it, her palm was bleeding and scratched.
She frowned then pressed her hand firmly against the fabric of her jeans to wipe it which only caused her more pain, "Ah! Bugger."
She used a finger of her other hand to prod her palm and winced, it was tender, she looked around her once more just incase the noise had drawn any walkers but she couldn't see any, she then turned and quick headed back towards the RV and she kept her knife drawn as she did.
O
"You found something?" Dale asked Eilidh as she walked down the road towards the RV, his eyes were on the t-shirt in her hand.
"Just a shirt." She told him with a shrug and his brows furrowed slightly, "I don't have that many...it's more tank tops and vests I have."
She shrugged once she'd spoke then asked if he wanted her to take over the watch for him.
"I can see from here that you're exhausted." He told her with a shake of his head, "Try and get some sleep."
"Thanks." she said after a beat, unable to disagree as she was tired, she probably wouldn't be able to sleep still but she'd definitely try.
"No offence." he added with a smile and she grinned back at him with a wave of her hand to say 'none taken'.
"Are you bleeding?" he asked as his smiled faded.
"Yeah." she said with a sigh then held up her palm for him to see better, he shined his torch on her hand then made a face, "I tripped when I was up there…scraped my hand."
"It looks a bit swollen from here." He replied.
"Does it?" she asked as she looked at her hand closely and sure enough, in comparison to her other one, the palm and wrist were slightly swollen.
Dale had climbed down the ladder as she was looking at it then lead her into the RV.
"We better get it seen to." he said as they stepped inside his vehicle, "Carol?"
Upon hearing her name Carol sat up from where she lay at the back of the RV and wiped at her eyes.
"Eilidh had a small accident, do you think you could sort her out?" Dale said as the heartbroken mother walked towards them both.
"Oh no…what happened?" she asked as she approached.
"I tripped." Eilidh said slightly embarrassed.
"That looks swollen." Carol replied as she felt Eilidh's wrist then pressed around the edge of the scrapes softly causing her to wince ever so slightly at the touch.
"That's a little sensitive." Eilidh said quickly.
"Sorry." Carol said and placed her hand at her side.
"I don't even think I have anything cold for it." Dale said as he scratched his head.
"I'll sort her out Dale, you can go back on watch." Carol said and she smiled a little.
"Are you sure? A change of scenery might...make you feel better." Dale replied.
"I don't think it will, looking out into those trees and not knowing I…no, I think helping Eilidh will keep my mind occupied for a bit." Carol said with a sniff and Eilidh put a hand on her shoulder then squeezed gently.
"We'll find her, Carol." She told the woman, hoping she sounded reassuring.
"Come on, lets get you sorted out." Carol replied sadly and then she led Eilidh to the table and Dale went back on watch.
O
The following morning the group had woken up early and left some supplies on the hood of one the cars with a written message in white paint on the front window for Sophia if she ever found her way back and they were gone.
It was time for them to regroup with the rest of their people.
Eilidh had managed to get some sleep once she'd settled down again, despite the throbbing in her palm that she'd received from her fall, Carol had cleaned the cuts and used a cold-ish bottle of water on the swelling since there was no ice packs, she had then wrapped her wrist in a loose bandage.
She had managed to fall sleep when she knew that Daryl was back with Andrea, unfortunately however they had come back without Sophia but deep down she wasn't entirely confident they would find her in the dark anyway, once she knew he was close by however she had found it much easier to close her eyes.
Once she had woken up she decided to wear the t-shirt she had found, it was too big for her of course but she wanted to wear it anyway.
She had noticed Daryl looking at her a few times when she'd emerged from the RV but he wasn't looking at her face, she had actually thought for a second that he was looking at her chest, the little that she had, she realised though it was in-fact the top she was wearing that he was looking at.
It was obvious to anyone that it was a man's top because the sleeves were three quarter length but on her they were past her hands so she had to roll them up to her elbows, he had looked away from when he saw she had made a point to notice his staring with a questionable eyebrow raise.
When she had woken up she also noticed that her wrist that was still bandaged up from the night before looked as if it had possibly swelled up some more, the cuts on her hand had bled trough the bandage also which was confusing because Carol had cleaned them up thoroughly before she wrapped her hand up.
She decided not to let it bother her though and instead she made sure to focus on getting ready to move on with the others.
"We'd best be heading now guys." Dale said to the small group around the car with supplies for Sophia not a few moments later, the group agreed and began to head to their vehicles.
As Eilidh's fingertips touched the door handle of Shane's SUV which he had fixed up Andrea's hand appeared beside hers.
"I'm driving Shane's car." She told Eilidh firmly then smiled smugly, "Okay?"
Eilidh gave the blonde a hard stare and mentally told her to back off before she asked, "Is that right?"
Andrea glared at her before saying, "Yes, so MOVE away. I got here first."
"You, got here first? Really?" Eilidh asked.
"Really." Andrea said firmly, "So don't think that-"
"God Andrea." Eilidh cut her off to say then let out an irritated sigh, "Take the bloody car."
She didn't wait for a response from Andrea, she just walked away towards the RV.
Daryl was settling onto the seat of his bike as she was marching by him and he stated, "You look like you're ready to tear her head off."
"Trying real hard not to, believe me." she replied without stopping.
"Hold up." he said and she slowed to a stop then turned to see him wave her over, she 'hmm'd' questioningly as she slowly walked his way and his brows furrowed as he said, "You're wearing a bandage."
"Very observant." she said dryly and he rolled his eyes.
"Don't be a smart ass, what happened?" he replied.
"I tripped last night." She told him with a shrug and shook her head at her stupidity, "I'm wearing the bandage because it's a bit swollen, I must have twisted it when I landed."
"There's blood on it." He said and stood up from the bike, he then put a hand on her arm and grabbed her palm with the other so he could look at it.
"Careful Dixon!" she said with a wince, "Do you need to be so rough?"
"Why would it be bleeding if you only twisted it?" he asked before letting her go.
"I don't know, it was scraped and we never had any plasters to put on it…or band aids, whatever you lot call them here." She replied as she rubbed her arm where his hand had been.
"You should get it sorted out properly." He told her in a tone that an adult would use to scold a naughty child before he sat back on his bike.
"Yes, dad." She said sarcastically as she headed for the RV with a sigh, when she was inside the vehicle she moved towards the passenger seat and said, "Room for one more?"
"Of course." Dale replied as she sat down beside him, "I thought you were driving Shane's car?"
She nodded towards the car which Andrea was climbing into, "SHE had different ideas."
"I hope she forgives me soon." He said with a sigh after he'd started the RV a beat later.
"Dale there's nothing to forgive, you saved her life...she should be THANKING you." Eilidh told him firmly but the old man didn't respond, he just followed Daryl and Andrea's vehicles as they began to move along the road.