I coughed onto the back of my hand as I turned back, watching T-Dog, Glenn, and Daryl come through the other side facing the road with the fire stuff and some of the gear we managed to save.

'Please tell me that's not all of it.' I watched them set down a couple backpacks, including my own, but I distinctively don't see the ammo bag with all of our guns (aside from the ones each of us are carrying).

Daryl met my eyes and apparently Eve speak is a two way street because that face says exactly what I don't wanna hear.

I licked my lips between my teeth, biting the into a tight line as I forced in a deep breath. It gave my lungs a deep, aching stretch. Reminding me how much of a position I'm not in to deal with this right now.

"What's over there?" Beth looked behind me curiously.

I swallowed the dry lump in my throat — at least attempted to — and hoarsely cracked, "Water."

"Here" Glenn took the cap off a bottle and handed it to me.

'Why'd he give me this?' I took the bottle and drank some of it nonetheless and great googly moogly does that taste good. Water never tasted so great but we don't have a lot of this left — …. I'm dumb. I literally just found more.

So we should probably actually drink what we've got and fill up our supply while we're here.

I felt eyes on me as I lowered it from my lips again and Beth is still looking at me like she's expecting something. Carl too.

I looked at Daryl and even he — oh.

"Water, as in a stream." I jabbed my thumb over my shoulder.

"Oh" Glenn nodded, catching on now.

"That's good right?" Carl took the bottle as I passed it to him. "Means we don't have to go find some?"

I hummed, ruffling his hair with a little less enthusiasm than normal but I could fall asleep on my feet at any moment so give me a break.

"Good. You should go get this crap off ya then." I almost jumped as Daryl swiped his finger down my cheek, looking at it in disgust.

I didn't think there was anything on my skin. I thought I only got it on the gut jacket.

"Yeah, you startin' to smell real ripe there." T-Dog grimaced, and normally where I'd expect to see hints of amusement or a smile, there isn't. Not even from Glenn or the kids.

Jesus help us. If we can't even find the fact I apparently smell like the wrong end of a skunk, we're in serious trouble.

I turned my nose down towards my shoulder and coughed, choking on a gag.

Yeah I'll deal with morale later, they aren't kiddin' about that smell.

"Dig a pit first. It'll be safer." I pointed at the spot on the ground where the fire should be and left it in their hands while I hobble down the slight hill to that stream.

The leaves crunched under my feet even in the darker looking spots where they're a little wet.

That's not so good for moving unnoticed, but at least sneaking up on us will be difficult. So at least we don't have to worry about that.

That puts my mind at ease a little. Now if only everything else would just get in line so I can take a 15 hour nap.

I used a small tree, not even 5 years old I'd guess, to get on my knees and plunge my hand into the water.

I gasped at the immediate assault of icy liquid.

This isn't gonna be fun to put on my face.

My cheeks twisted up, forehead screwing down in a grimace as I drew a deep chilling breathe through my nose.

'Here goes. Prepare to be cold.'

I held my breath as I scooped the frigid flowing h2o into my palm and splashed it straight into my face, slamming my eyes shut.

Shivers wracked down my spine as I rapidly gasped but I did it again and again trying to clean it off as fast as possible but I don't even know where this gunk is.

So I just covered my whole face, trying not to get up and run away because of how cold it is, until my entire face is cold and wet. Like a sad puppy on a rainy day.

I really don't wanna take my jacket off, I'm already shivering but it could use a dip too. The longer this sludge sits on it the worse it'll smell and the harder it'll be to scrub off. Not to mention it isn't just mud, it's decaying cells and those could cause problems all on their own.

Even though there's only stray drips (probably splattered from kills) it's still turning my stomach over now that the smell has been pointed out to me. And I can't afford to lose what little is in my tank at the moment, we don't have a lot to replace it.

I sighed, taking a few successive hyping breaths as I tried to shrug it off. Only it's being stubborn and I flailed, trying to find a way to get it off that doesn't hurt.

It's not going well.

Leaves crunched behind me and I turned faster than I probably should have but what's a little more burning ache in my torso. I almost can't tell what's actually hurting at this point. I just hurt. Everywhere.

"Relax. Not even a pack a wolves would try to eat ya, smellin' like that." Daryl came to my side, swinging my backpack off his shoulder and setting it next to me, along with his crossbow.

"Here"

I turned, letting him help me get this stupid thing off and tried not to hiss or flinch when his cold fingers grazed the top of my shoulders as they hooked under the collar, sliding the leather protection off.

I shivered as the plummeting temperature of the air hit my exposed skin and he helped me work my arms out of the stubborn sleeves.

"What have you got so far?"

I quirked a brow, looking at him as he came around to my side, crouching next to me.

"You've had yer thinkin' face on since ya woke up."

Hm, I didn't know I had a thinkin' face.

"That one." He dipped a faded red cloth into the water and I smiled at his face when he touched it.

Yeah, that's a lot colder than it looks. Could I have warned him? Maybe. Would I have? NoPe.

He rung the cloth out before squishing it straight onto my forehead, almost pushing my head back.

HOoo COLD—!

My eyes slammed shut as I reeled. Don't you think I didn't hear you laugh just now, Dixon.

The cloth scrubbed over my forehead before pulling away and dipping back into the water.

I watched the cloth like a needle, pressing my lips into a tight line.

"So ya gonna share or what."

I blew air out of my mouth, only just realizing I was holding my breath, and licked my lips again. I gotta find some chapstick or something.

"Just thinking ahead." I glanced back at the camp where the fire's already going. It's getting darker by the second.

"Yeah, ya always are, aren't ya." I flinched as the cloth hit my cheek.

"No one else is."

"Yeah" Daryl sighed, his breath making my wet skin even colder.

"Ya never answered my question."

I looked at him, startled by how close the cloth was to my eye and the fact he grabbed my jaw to keep me from reeling back again.

As if the cloth wasn't cold enough, his fingers are like icicles.

"What have you got so far." He finally rung the cloth out and didn't throw it at my face again, just sat back on his heels to listen.

I sighed. I don't feel like talking anymore. Can't I just be silent for awhile again?

Talking makes me winded. I know that's a foreign concept to those who talk every day but I've been doing a lot more of it than I'm used to the last few weeks.

It's exhausting, how do you guys do it?

"You ok?"

I hummed, not even bothering to nod this time. That takes too much energy.

"Just, thinking about what comes next."

"Like… when you die?" he looked at me funny.

"Noo" I returned the funny look. "What we're gonna do next."

"Just keep pushin' on. Like we did before."

"But for how long? Till there's no one left?"

Daryl shook his head. "Till we find somethin' better to do."

Hopefully that involves hot running water and cushie comfortable beds again because I can't feel my face, I'm tired, hungry, freezing my eyelashes off, wet, and there's plenty of penthouse suites out there unoccupied right now.

If the cities weren't crawling with walkers, there's no way in Hell I would stay camping out in the woods.

I'd get me a place with a nice view, plenty of resources, deck it out with plenty of ways to get in and out, traps, you name it. And we could all live there together and you know, maybe get some modern tech working again.

Now that's a dream set up.

I'm gettin' my wisdom teeth yanked on Thursday and they legit gave me prescription opioids for the pain, so next week's chapter is probably gonna be short, weird, and not make a whole lot of sense lol but I'll try my best and maybe go back and edit it once I'm off my meds again XD

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