Italics = Speaking in German
Everyone ate quietly the next morning. And slowly. Except Carol. She had been going through their small storage of food, setting things aside to leave behind for Sophia. The pile would grow and then dwindle down as she took things out then put them back. The only thing that stayed constant was the candy bar she had accepted from Alana.
Alana and Wilhelm sat outside, legs dangling off the end of the old truck. They shared half a bag of jerky. Though it looked like they sat there in silence they were just waiting till lifting a piece of meat to their mouths to speak.
"It'll be best to get close to whoever lives on the farm," Wilhelm told her. "If it was ours, we wouldn't be too keen on newcomers showing up, would we?"
"Who's to say the two of us will have a better chance of getting an invitation to stay?"
"No one. Any one. If we're lucky everyone in this group will have a good head on their shoulders and we won't have anything to worry about. But the moment something goes wrong we need to be ready for it."
Alana looked up as Daryl exited the RV; Carol, Andrea, and Dale behind him. They went to the car that Sophia had hidden under and placed the supplies on top the hood; food, water, blanket. Dale, having everything you wouldn't imagine in the RV uncapped a paint stick meant for cars. Alana and Wilhelm walked over as he was finishing up.
Sophia stay here, we'll come back every day.
Carol headed back to the RV without a word. It wasn't till she was inside that Wilhelm spoke up.
"Have you searched all the cars for supplies?"
"Yeah," Dale said, "First day here we looked around."
Wilhelm nodded, looking at the cars, doors ajar. "What about the trunks of the tipped over ones? Alana and I would do that, if we had to stop for something, we'd tip the car over, stuff everything in the trunk. We could go off for a couple days, come back, everything still in place."
Dale looked at him with shock, astonishment. He quickly remembered who Alana and Wilhelm were. Their training. "We started tipping them at the start. Everyone was running round, looking through the cars, but no one seemed to have the time for cars that were tipped over. Too much work."
Checking his watch Dale nodded. It was almost 8AM. "Don't wander too far. We'll leave in ten minutes." Wilhelm smiled, patting Alana on the shoulder as he walked off towards the cars. He took the left side, she took the right. Andrea went to stand atop the RV. She clung to a gun. Alana had no idea where it had come from. Then she recalled her talk with Dale and thought perhaps he had taken it from her but had chosen to give it back. Didn't matter. Alana was uncomfortable with the way she gripped the gun.
A car door slammed behind her and she saw Daryl, stalking off from a green Jeep. She looked over the tops of the cars for Wilhelm and saw him, a backpack already slung over his shoulder. She took her time picking through the cars. Most had already been picked through and only so many were actually tipped over. She looked to the Honda from time to time as she got closer. At the right moment she slowed down so that Daryl would ultimately choose the next tipped car. That left her with no choice but to move on to the Honda.
She took her time looking through the compartments, tossing a food wrapper or empty bottle over her shoulder. When they had tipped the car the front end tipped down the to ground, being heavier. Walking to the back she pulled at the trunk handle. When she felt the heaviness grow she called out to Daryl.
He looked up to see her nodding her head to the trunk, her arms strained as she attempted to keep it closed. He reached around to grab his crossbow but she shook her head. Once he got closer she spoke.
"Something is…sloshing in there." Without a word he slid his hand over the handle as Alana stepped back. She peeked in as he lowered the trunk slowly. She struggled to hold up the red containers that threatened to fall out. Using their legs to support the trunk they both were able to pull the containers out. Alana unscrewed the cap from one and smiled up wickedly at Daryl when the gasoline hit her nostrils.
The sloshing was like music to their ears as they walked back to the RV. Wilhelm whistled as he met up with them. Dale and Andrea joined in their small victory, going to RV and wagon's gas tanks and pouring some of the gasoline in. Daryl took the third container over to his motorbike. Wilhelm waited for them to return before showing off what he had found. Andrea had gone into the RV. To sit with Carol. She never said anything, but felt that at least sitting there was somehow helping Carol.
It was mainly just small things. Sunglasses, sun block, lotion, gum, cans of soda, likely flat. His smile widened when from the bottom of the backpack he pulled out packets of vitamins and two large containers of powdered protein. Alana let out an unflattering groan.
"Your favorite!" Wilhelm said to her. He waved the container in his hand. "Ah, strawberry flavor! We drank, so many of these, every meal of the day. Didn't risk trying to go into too many public places looking for food. So we survived on nothing but shakes for…a month? A month."
"What's wrong with ya? Don't know how to hunt?" Daryl asked. His questions were directed at both of them.
"It's been a long time since training. Besides, the only thing in abundance are squirrels and those bastards are too fast." Daryl looked at Alana smugly after her comment, a smirk and raised brow.
"Whatever," he muttered. "Are we leaving or what?" Without waiting for Dale to answer Daryl walked over to his motorbike.
Dale chuckled. "Daryl is our resident hunter. We've been feasting on squirrels for quite some time now."
"Ah! Maybe he will teach us to hunt," Wilhelm said enthusiastically. Dale made no comment, only smiled forcibly.
"Should we take our own car?" Alana asked as Wilhelm began to follow Dale back to the RV. Wilhelm looked around, eyes falling on the truck. It was perhaps ten years old. Just a bit beat up. He had checked the night before if the keys were anywhere to be found. They were. Leaning in he pulled the keys out from behind the brake. He rattled them in his hand. The gas cap was opened and so Dale brought over one of the gasoline containers to fill the tank up. All this time Daryl sat impatiently on his bike, hands wringing the handles. If not that they were pulling at his vest or adjusting the crossbow on his back.
Their packs were quickly transferred over to the truck and Alana and Wilhelm had the vehicle turned around in a matter of seconds. Daryl led the way out, followed by the RV, Carol's wagon (driven by Andrea), and finally the truck.
They hadn't discussed what would happen once they reached the farm. Wilhelm reassured her that at that moment they had nothing to worry about. With the boy Carl wounded, all attention would be on him. And also on Sophia, if the shooting of Carl hadn't pushed her from the minds of those on the farm. He said again how he did not doubt that Dale would come to their defense. There was also the great possibility that even the man Alana had helped, T-Dog, would vouch for them as well. Surely by now, even with the current events, the others had heard about Wilhelm and Alana. The young man Glenn appeared fidgety to Wilhelm and he would be surprised if he had kept his mouth shut about them.
Any worries they did have concerned those of the group that they had yet to meet; Rick, Carl, Lori, and Shane. They would also have to worry about those who lived on the farm. But the fact that someone from that farm had come to take Lori to her son and husband was enough to keep Wilhelm from worrying too much. If these people were hardened by this new world they would have never offered their aid to Carl.
The brakes lit up on the wagon and Wilhelm slowed down. He saw Daryl turn down a dirt road. The caravan followed behind, slowly. Wilhelm was thankful they knew better than to speed down the road, kicking up dust. They drove on for two miles, the road turning left then right, before the land cleared up.
Ahead they could see fences sectioning bits of land off. A couple of cows were grazing in the field. A farmhouse, surrounded by a couple of large trees sat a ways back. To its left was an old barn. To the right there was what looked to be a chicken coup and also stables. Three old farm vehicles were parked round back the house; an old blue truck, an old station wagon, the wooden panels faded, and another truck, looking to only be a few years newer than the blue one.
As they got closer they could see people standing outside on the steps of the house. A tall man with dark hair and paled skin. A woman with wavy hair stood by him. There was another man standing off to the side, wearing oversized overalls. His head was shaved and he looked out of place. Glenn came out from the house, T-Dog close behind.
Pulling up to the house, Wilhelm and Alana waited till the others had left their vehicles before stepping out themselves. All eyes were on them. Alana looked up as an old man with white hair stepped out from the house, wiping his hands with a cloth.
The siblings remained in the back as the group reunited.
"How is he?" Dale asked Rick.
The man looked as if he was about to fall over but somehow remained upright.
"He'll be alright. He just needs some rest. Time to heal. It was…it was just an accident. A silly accident. But Shane got what we needed to save him."
At his name Shane looked down at the ground, hands in his pockets. He looked like he was trying to think of what to do next, how to act.
Rick looked past the heads of everyone to see Wilhelm and Alana. Dale stepped aside and waved them to come forward.
"This is Wilhelm and Alana. Found them on the road, I told them they could come with us."
Rick nodded at both, putting his hand out to shake. "Glenn and T-Dog told us about you two. Thank you for stopping. For helping T-Dog. You were right, he needed stitches. Thankfully Hershel's people here were able to see to that." Alana looked up to T-Dog who smiled slightly and nodded her way. "Thank you for being so giving. Much as I wish it wasn't true, I don't think that's a trait seen very often nowadays."
"It has just been nice seeing other people," Wilhelm said, looking around to the others. Rick took the moment to introduce the others, Lori and Shane. Hershel came forward for a short moment before excusing himself to head back inside to check on Carl. He hadn't woken up yet.
"You should go," Wilhelm said, motioning to the house. "Hate to not be there when he wakes up."
The group stood together sans Rick and Lori who had both gone back inside the house. They stayed close to the cars, talking in low voices. It became obvious to Wilhelm and Alana that they had no idea what exactly they were on the farm. Guests? Were they staying? For how long? Should they even bother to unpack? Set up tents?
It seemed Rick was reading their minds for soon after he came outside again. He waited on the steps of the house, still weak from giving so much blood to Carl. Wilhelm and Alana waited back from the group. Alana had to pay close attention; they were standing further back than expected because Daryl had secluded himself from the group as well and they were stuck behind him.
"Hershel said we can set up our tents out front here."
"Did he say we can stay here?" Andrea asked, quick to get to the point.
"I'm working on that. He's been more than generous letting us on his land in the first place and helping Carl. This is his land, he has every right to do whatever he wants. We need to respect that. If we're going to stay here, we need to pull our own weight. Let's not abuse this. We are guests."
With that Rick headed back inside. The group broke up, heading to the vehicles and pulling out packs. The vehicles were pulled round to the back of the house. While everyone was busy setting up their tents Wilhelm took the opportunity to go into the house. Alana sat out on the porch in a rocking chair, testing out the rocking-ness of it.
He knocked before peeking his head in. "Mr. Greene?" he called out. A moment later Hershel came out from a room, likely the one Carl was being kept in. He was wiping his hands on the same towel.
"Can I help you?" he asked, walking into the kitchen.
"My name is Wilhelm. My sister, Alana is with me. I just wanted to thank you for allowing us on your land."
"Not like I had much of a choice, now did I? One of my men accidentally shot that boy and that's why you're here. He's dead, Otis. Man that shot him. Died trying to get the equipment needed to save that boy's life."
"I apologize for that. I just wanted to tell you that my sister and I are grateful for your hospitality and if you need anything to let us know. Need any work done around the farm, we'll be the first in line to offer assistance."
Hershel eyed him while he fixed himself a sandwich. "Well, just keep that group of yours in check. We haven't had any problems on this farm and I intend to keep it that way. Soon as that boy is well enough to get up and moving I expect you'll be on your way again. Fort Benning I hear, that's where Rick said you were heading."
Wilhelm nodded, not bothering to tell Hershel they weren't with the group. He likely knew that, but it didn't matter to him. They were all on his land and that made them the same.
"I'll leave you to your lunch."
The group moved fast setting up camp; perhaps they thought if they could beat Hershel in kicking them off his land by getting the tents up first they'd be okay. It looked like a space had been set aside for Lori and Rick's tent. Andrea had her tent only halfway up; from the looks of it she and T-Dog had been helping Carol set up her tent. T-Dog's tent was next to Glenn's. Even Dale had pulled out a tent and had it set up, another folding chair sitting outside the entrance flap.
Everyone had set their tents up on one side of a large tree. Some 15 feet away Daryl had his tent up, the motorbike pulled up next to it.
Wilhelm looked over to Alana who was too busy focusing on rocking the chair back and forth. He whistled at her and she snapped her head up. She followed him down the steps as they walked round back to get the packs out from the bed of the truck.
"He isn't happy we're on his land. He expects us to leave once the boy is healed," he told her as they were pulling the packs out. "Best we pick this group apart, figure out who to associate with and who not to."
Walking back to the front of the house Wilhelm's step didn't falter as he headed past the group with lax. He nodded to Daryl as he dropped the packs in front of his tent, bridging the gap between him and the group.
Wilhelm walked over to Daryl who was sitting inside his tent, cleaning his crossbow. Wilhelm chuckled. Daryl looked out to see what was so funny and why the German had decided he needed to walk over. Wilhelm pointed up to the tree.
"Guess we're all fucked if lightning strikes." He tossed a bottle of Gatorade at Daryl before going back over to his and Alana's tent. Daryl set the bottle down beside him and went back to cleaning his bolts.