After reading 2 chapters with Sam in his 'Tales of a fourth grade nothing' book Matt had finished redoing his English pronouns questions and was ready for me to check it again. i notice that this time instead of almost all of the being wrong almost all of the were right. There must have only 5 out of the 50 questions that were wrong now so he did good. I smiled at him and nodded towards his book. Sam got up and to play a couple of the other kids that were playing tag near by. I simled and waved Carol over when I saw she was sitting down by herself.
I could see faint bruises on her arms that she covered up with her shirts and jacket today. I knew that her husband abused her but It wasn't my place to intervene I of course would let her know that there was space for her and Sophia with me and Dean if she did leave and that she could always come to me for help with injures but other than it wasn't my place to get between them as much as I wanted to it wasn't my marriage. Dean knew I would have his balls if he ever did that to me.
"Hello Carol how are you today." I asked her as she sat down next to where Matt was sitting before he moved to beside me so he could read his book aloud for me to hear.
"Good how are you." She asked shyly back trying to be polite.
"Matt you have been doing enough work for how we can read you Chapter in you book later why don't you go play with some of the older kids." I told him giving him a look that told to go now.
"Okay mom do you want me to take any of this back to the house first." He asked me as he got up.
"Sure honey you can put yours and Sam's school supplies away please and leave the books that your both ready on the counter for now." I told him kissing him on the on check as he picked up the school books.
"Carol I'm just going to come right out and say it for I'm not one for beating around the bush. If you want to get away from your abusive husband you can come to me and Dean for help we would be happy to take you and Sophia in. I also will help you with any injures you get until then all you have to do is ask." I told her softly so only she heard.
"Thank you but i'm okay really." She said nervously back looking around to make sure no one heard as she made sure her bruises were covered.
"Now that that's out of the way how is Sophia in school." I ask her.
"Good she is very shy but smart and likes Math and reading." Carol told me smiling.
"Really Matt and Sam both hate Math but love reading we have many books in the trailer if you want to borrow a couple after the boys read them for Sophia before passing them on to the other moms. Matt is a lot like me though he prefers Art and History to English, Math, and Science. While Sam likes Art and Science the most." I told her laughing at how much they were different.
"Sophia likes just about anything that Ed and I let her do." Carol told me smiling as she watched Sam chase Sophia, Matt, Carl, and the other kids around the small dirt play area.
"Well me and the boys are going to be working on school work here everyday if you want to join us when we are working you can. I will usually have Ethan during the day so you might not but you always can." I told her as Ethan started to cry so Dean brought him to me.
"Hey there little man did you have a good nap." I asked him as I sat him on my lap and listen to him talk to me by make a lot of different noises and words that didn't make any sense.
"Really you did." I answered him causing him to answer back.
"Wow sounds like you had a good nap. Now how about we get you that bottle." I asked him.
I opened the diaper bag that brought to me with Ethan to get his formula and bottle so I could make his bottle. I added the water before shaking the whole thing up and handing it to him so he could feed himself. He had gotten better at it over the last couple days since we have been here at least. We gathered water every couple days along with fire wood. We always boiled the water we got from the lake before either putting it in one of water heaters in the Rv or using it to fill up the empty water bottles we had that we kept full so we had water on hand at all times. Fire wood got stacked inside one of those blue moving tubs that sat by the door to the Rv we kept it full of chopped up wood. We also kept a shoe box full of kindle, pine needles, and small sticks to start the fie with.
I watched the boys play with the other kids for about 2 hours before I called them back to go wash up for dinner while I helped Carol today making a chili with the deer meat that Daryl had brought back. It was clearly a baby deer but I wasn't going to say anything I eyed Daryl and he looked me for a minuet before walking off all together. I hated that Daryl had killed a baby deer but he must of had a reason for it because Daryl was like me when it came to that kind of thing. He didn't kill anything in cold blood especially a baby animal or at least I hoped he didn't. I was telling Carol how to cook the deer meat with Ethan standing up between my legs with out support but my hands were there to catch him if he fell.
"Okay Carol so treat the deer meat like hamburger meat just salt it a lot more. Here come sit with Ethan and I will show you on part of it." I cold her waiting until she had come over to get Ethan before getting up.
"No momma" Ethan cried making me freeze mid step.
"What was that honey." I asked him
"NO momma, No momma" Ethan cried as tears ran down his face getting Dean and Matt's attention who were cleaning our handguns on the picnic table.
"Was that Ethan i heard talking." Dean asks me as he reached me.
"Ethan tell daddy what you told momma." I asked.
"NO momma, No momma, No momma." He cried repeating it as he held his hands in the air to be picked up.
"O my God that is so your son neither Matt or Sam were this way." I told him laughing as I picked him up and put him on my hip.
"Are momma's or dada dada's" I asked him as I petted his head.
"Momma, Momma" He told me as he leaned in and kissed me on the check before he started to say a whole bunch of words that i didn't understand.
"Ethan will you go to daddy while Momma cooks supper so we eat." I asked him as I tried to pass him to Dean.
"NO Momma." He cried again.
"Dean will you show Carol how much salt that pot of Deer meat needs we are making chili to eat tonight with Shane's group. I'm going to go get Carol the chili powder and onion powder she is going to need to flavor it." I told him kissing him on the cheek.
"Dean be nice and encourage her she is not use to being told how well something is from men." I whispered in his ear as I passed by.
I walked over to Rv and went to the storage room and got the spices that Carol was going to need to eat with the chili. I decided to be nice and grabbed a small bag taco blend cheese and box of Saltines crackers before exiting the Rv. I reached Carol she looked surprisingly comfortable around Dean and didn't seemed as scared as she was towards some of the other men Dean's age in the group. I think it all had to do with how they treated and talked to her and Dean talked to her like she was his sister or best friend not treating her any different. I smiled as I approached them with my hands full balancing the spices, cheese, and crackers along with Ethan in my arms.
I could feel that I was being watched so I turned to find both Lori and Shane exiting the woods with their clothes looking messy and it was clear what they had been up to. I at lest knew and I also knew that Dean would pick up on it to. I talked to Carol as she added the spices to the pot along with the cheese for extra flavor. I notice that she was using 6 cans of beans instead of just 3 so she was trying to feed the whole group more than once with this and it plain and simply wasn't going to happen. I went over to the beans and other canned goods and picked out another 3 cans of beans before going to wash them off and add them to the chili pot that was cooking.
"What the hell are you doing." Lori demanded as she stood there with her hands on her hips as watched me wash the beans off.
"What does it look like Lori, I helping Carol with supper because your sure the hell not." I told her giving her a big enough push to make her take a step back and I could now walk past her.
"You can't just take our food." Lori screeched getting Shane's attention and he came over to find me adding the 3 new cans of beans to big chili pot.
"What's going on over here." Shane demanded as he arrived.
"Shane help she stealing out food." Lori cried going over to him.
"O yeah sure stealing food to put in your supper yep that's me alright." I told her rudely as I went back to helping Carol who was cowering off to the side.
"I ask a question." Shane demanded louder making Carol cower even more in fear.
"I helping make deer chili since Carol wasn't sure how to cook deer meat so she came and asked me to help and I agreed as long as my family could also eat some and in return I would give her all the spices and ingredients that she didn't have over here which was almost a fourth of the ingredients. Lori was doing what she does best which is sitting on her ass complaining about what others are doing or how they are doing it but won't raise a finger to help. When she started freaking out since I grabbed a couple extra cans of beans so we would have enough food to feed the whole group." I told Shane explaining what happen.
"O and Lori you might want to go get your son Carl he wondering into the woods for the third time to day. Dean stopped him once and so did Daryl but he is now trying to go in them again." I said pointing out Carl who was about to enter the trees and disappear from sight.
"Shit Lori help the women finish up supper while I go get Carl." Shane told her as he took off running to find Carl who disappeared into the trees.
"Shane wait Let me come help I can get Lady to track him all I need is an old shirt that hasn't been washed." i told him.
"No it's okay I can get him just finish up supper and yes as long as you start helping out the group more you and your family are welcome to eat with us." Shane told as he went to find Carl.
I walked off back over to where Dean was holding Ethan while Matt finished cleaning our handguns before handing me mine so I could put it in it's holster on my hip. I could feel Lori's eyes on me the whole time. I notice that Matt had also started on the next days section of the Top Secret Puzzle book. I handed it to him and told him to put it up for now and to play with the dogs to get rid of some of their energy before we went to bed later. I also wanted River moving around more on that foot so that it would heal right otherwise the skin would heal to tight and she wouldn't be able to walk without hurting in the future.
I was now making Ethan a bottle to eat for supper along with mixing up his baby food in it's jar for later before I feed it to him. I had notice that neither Shane or Carl had came out of the woods yet but Lori didn't seem aware of the problem yet. I was going to keep it quite until it did become one. I walked over to Dean whispered in his ear what happened and he to seemed worried and it was about that time that Shane came out of the woods with out Carl he was looking around for him like he was expecting to find him. i could see the frantic look on Shane's face as he saw Lori coming towards him and he didn't have her son. After talking to Lori he looked even more upset.
When he looked around again and still didn't see Carl he turned to head back into the woods but I step forward grabbing my bow and bug out bag that i had taken off and laid by the picnic table that Matt and Dean were using. I called Lady to my side and walked over to where he was about to enter the woods again but stopped when I called him name and started his way. I was hoping that I would be able to find him because even though i didn't like Lori I still didn't want her to lose her son over something so small as going into the woods plus I knew what it was like losing a child and it was the worst pain in the world and wouldn't wish it on any one.
"Shane hold up. Have Lori go get one of Carl's clothing or cover that hasn't been washed in a few days and let's let Lady pick up the sent and she will be able find him by his sent trail it will be faster this way." I told him and he agreed as he went to talk to Lori.
She seemed reluctant to let me help but it was pretty clear after Shane talking to her that she did agree that she wanted to find Carl. Right now time wasn't on our side he had been missing almost an hour now and if he was wondering in the wrong direction he could end up really far from the quarry which could lead to him being hurt or worst him being killed. I saw Shane now heading my way with a small blue shirt that Carl had wore two days before in one hand and his shot gun in the other. He must have got it out of his gun bag incase we ran into any trouble out there. I also saw Matt heading my way with his bag and hunting riffle and bow on him ready to go and help us find him Hunter was trailing behind him while River stayed with Ethan.
"Lady, Hunter track and find." I commanded them letting the both get a good sent off the shirt and they both took off not even 2 seconds later following the trail.
I followed first after the dogs with Matt right on my heels. Shane paused and gave Lori a comforting look before following us into the woods. It came to a point where the dogs were doing circles around the same big areas before darting off the the right which was towards the road and that worried me since a lot of the walkers wondered along the highway. I saw at one point Hunter went right while Lady when straight. I paused and motion for Matt to follow Hunter while I went after Lady leaving Shane to pick who he wanted to follow he picked me of course. I found Lady pause at a small stream and was sitting be side it which meant she found what she was looking but Carl wasn't here. It was clear at one point base on the small foot prints that he had been recently but Lady lost the trail in the stream.
It was about that time that farther up stream I heard Hunter giving off the bark that he had found what he was tracking. Carl must have used the stream to mask his trail without realizing it. That was both a good and bad thing, the good was he kept other survivors from finding him but the bad was it made us finding him harder. By now it was starting to get dark so I clipped Lady's leash on her so that I could keep her with in a certain distance from me. I also switched on her harness small light that helped us see her in the dark. I walked up stream towards where I heard Matt talking to a scared and lost Carl who wanted Shane or his mom before he went anywhere with Matt.
I could tell that Matt was trying to quiet Carl down but he wouldn't listen and this was attracting to much attention. I reached them quickly grabbing Carl's arm and dragged him away from the highway but about half way back we ran into Shane who was hiding behind a tree and motion us back as we heard the groaning I put my hand over Carl's mouth to keep him from making to much noise. Hunter and Lady started to growl but I shook my finger at them and they stopped and lowered to the ground to keep watch. As the walkers got closer to us I pushed Carl and Matt behind me as I ready my bow to kill them if they came to close.
I saw that there was only four of them I looked Matt before looking the walkers and motion my head towards them before stepping out from behind the tree calling out as I started to shoot them as soon as the first four fell three more replaced them I killed them to and Shane looked shocked at how fast and well I worked the bow. I saw Hunter and Lady relax so that meat it was all of them and I walked over taking out my hunting knife and knifed each of them through the brain for extra precaution as I drew my arrows out of their heads. I was lucky and didn't break any as I pulled them out of the dead walker's brains and wiped them on a rag that I took from my bag before putting them back in the quiver.
"Shane all clear and we got Carl." I called and he came running and pulled Carl into a hug.
"Carl why did you wonder off into the woods we have talked about this." Shane asked him as he was hugging him.
"I didn't mean to I had to pee and before I know it didn't know which way was back to camp so I tried to find my way." Carl said as he cried into Shane shoulder.
"Lady take me home." I told her and she started to walk and Hunter followed her.
"Come on guys we need to get back before it get's much darker here Shane." I told him tossing him a jacket to put on Carl since the weather was cooling off some and Carl was cold and shaking in his short sleeves and shorts he had on.
"Matt head lamp only." I called out as i took out my head lamp out also turning it on before passing Shane and Carl a green glow stick.
It took us about 10 minuets to get back to camp and as we approached me and Matt let out a loud wolf call and we stopped on the edged of the woods and waited for Sam and Dean's wolf call back before we emerged through the trees into camp. Once he heard the responding wolf calls we passed threw the trees. Hunter was first followed by Lady, Shane and Carl who took off running to his mom when he saw her dropping the jacket he borrowed on the ground. I picked it up and the glow stick before switching it off at the bottom and put it and the jacket back in my bag for another time. I was rushed by Sam calling my name as I enter the camp.
"Momma, Momma, Momma." He cried running over to me but stopped when he saw I had some blood on me.
"Don't worry Sam i'm fine it was walkers from the highway had heard Carl crying and came to look for him but we got to him in time before they even got close to him." I told him knowing the rest of the group could hear.
I sat down beside Dean and took off my boots before taking off my bloodied pair of pants which left me boxers and socks I put my shoes back on and took of my shirt leaving me in a tank top as I headed to the Rv leaving my weapons there as I took Matt's bag and hunting riffle back to the Rv. I put on another pair of pants and long sleeve shirt putting the dirty clothes in the washer and started them. After putting Matt's gun in the safe and putting his bug out bag up along with mine I went and joined the others again. Carol and Miranda were passing out chili to us who hadn't ate yet Ethan was sleeping in Dean's jacket against his chest.
I smiled as I sat down next to him leaning against his arm as Matt sat down on the other side of me and was eating his food as well. I was eating my chili as the grouped talked and we had some how gotten on the topic of what we did before all this happened and since a lot of us never really shared anything with each other I was surprised by some of the answers we got and so was Dean judging by the look on his face. Dale didn't have a job just traveled, T-Dog worked for a church driving the old around to places. Lori was a teacher. Then some were more obvious like Shane a cop, Daryl a hunter and mechanic, Ed a business man. Andrea a lawyer and Glenn a pizza guy was the most surprising to me.
"So Katie what did you do before this." I was asked by Andrea.
"I used to be in the Army as a soldier for 5 years and Army medic for another 5 years so for 10 years. They paid for my med school. I was a children's surgeon." I told them eating more of my chili.
"Dean what about you." Glenn asked.
"Hate break it to you men but I what was called a domesticated house husband I stayed home and raised the kids. I had a part time job at the Military base as a weapons specialist but that only happened two or three times a week." He told us laughing at the term 'House husband'.
"Awww babe you make it sound like a you were the only one in the Army their is plenty of husbands especially in the military that stay at home and watch the kids." I teased him gently bumping his shoulder as I said this making everyone giggle.
"Here let me take him you been holding him all night." I told as I took Ethan's furry blanket out of his bag and wrapping him in it as Dean took him out of his warm jacket.
"Shane can we talk about the coming winter we can't stay here or everyone would freeze during winter." I commented which got a glare from Lori.
"No, No Lori, she is right we are going to have to leave here later on but we are still trying to give the government time to send aid to the US." Shane said to everyone.
"I have an idea but A lot of you aren't going to like it and it's dangerous. There is hundreds of cars on the highway full of supplies just waiting for someone to find we should start sending teams down with the dogs and Me or Dean and we can start searching them." I told the group putting Ethan's head in the nook of my arm.
"She right though why would we take the dogs." Andrea asked.
"They are an early warning system they start growling when walkers or humans try getting to close so you know they are coming several hundred feet off. Plus they will guard the supplies we put in the van while search for more supplies." I told her petting Lady on the head.
"But all the walkers seem to be on that road." Glenn said.
"Yeah but is it really any more dangerous than going in the city." I asked him which got him thinking.
"Besides we need to start storing supplies for winter otherwise when winter gets here we won't have any food and food is already running out around here we need to start rationing. I have been doing it with the boys and Dean from the very start. Yes we lost a little weight but we eat about a third as much so that is almost 2 whole meals a week." I told them and watched how shocked they were.
"But we are barley eating now." Lori complained.
"If I was leader of the group you would be getting a third of what you got tonight because you do a third of everyone around camp. Hell even Merle dose more work than you do." I told her standing up and walking over to the chili pot.
"On normal days Dean being the male in family doesn't mean anything Me and Dean weigh the same always have maybe while I was pregnant I weighed more than him, but we get the same amount of food this much." I told everyone scooping a bowl of chili that was a little over half filled and then put 5 crackers in it.
"But that won't even fill Carl up." Lori said rudely.
"Carl should only be getting this amount which is the same for Matt since they are the same age." I told them taking out two crackers and one big spoon full of chili making it move to under half way full.
"Yes you are hungry afterwards for the first week but after that your body adjusts and get use to only getting that amount and soon you will start to fill up on that amount. And just because Ed is bigger and an asshole doesn't mean he get two servings like he has been he get the same as everyone else." I told them looking Ed in the eye which made him angry and start yelling.
"You Stupid Cunt how dare you talk to me that way." Ed yelled at me standing up.
"You ever call my wife that again and you will be waking up as walker bait Ed." Dean said rudely but dead serious.
"Whoa Whoa calm down." Glenn standing up.
"No it is clear that my conversation with Shane wasn't take seriously. Shane i meant every word that came out of my mouth so deal with the problem before I do." I told him staring him in the eyes as I stood up and grabbed Ethan's diaper bag.
"Boy's Rv now." I told them and got up as fast as they could which surprised everyone and Dean followed calling the dogs to.
"Wait Katie lets talk about this." Shane called.
"No Shane there is nothing to talk about. I told you what happened and you brushed it off because you don't like how Me and Dean raise our kids and what we teach them or maybe it's just because you don't like that I stand up to you but the simple fact is if that happened to Carl you would have dealt with it as soon as you left my Rv after talking. So i'm going to tell you again deal with Ed or I will and you won't like having to get rid a dead body" I told him slamming the Rv door behind everyone.
Inside the Rv I went and put a sleeping Ethan in his crib before covering him up and putting a pacifier in his mouth. I shut the door as i left the room and picked up an x-box controller along with Everyone else and we play 7 Days to Die together we did everything in teams I only wished they would let us us cars or trucks in this game other than that we were doing really well. After we got killed we twice we were responded in a small city that was just full of walkers and was hard to find things in but we managed to find an underground bunker that we used to ride out Day & in which was a good thing,
After playing for about 3 hours before I called it a night and turned off the game. I was putting everything up while Dean got Matt and Sam a snack before bed. I put the x-box and it's controllers back up in the cabinet of the entertainment center before closing the door and getting up I grabbed Ethan's bottle that was in fridge and grabbed Ethan who was now crying in his crib for his snack for the middle of the night. It was almost 9:00 by now and Dean was getting the other boys ready and in bed while I dealt with Ethan. I changed his diaper before giving him his bottle which he held by his self as he drank the whole thing. I of course stopped and burped him half way through and at the end.
I then put him back to bed with his pacifier before going to turn off the lights and check that everything was locked up tight for the night. I then changed clothes and went to bed myself.