Chapter 15
We drive for almost half an hour before we turn up a driveway that leads to a farmhouse, one that looks a lot like the Greene's. Except this house doesn't look like it has seen a living person since before the beginning of the apocalypse.
Rick and Shane instruct everyone to stay in the cars while they set up some cans and bottles as targets. While they are doing that, Jackson and Carl are immersed in a conversation about a superhero and Beth is staring out the car window.
"So, how long have you and Jimmy been together?" I ask, pulling her attention to me
"A few months. We hadn't been together long when the illness hit"
"How old are you, exactly?" I ask "Not to sound rude I'm just curious" I laugh
"I'm 16" she says with a smile and I quickly nod and change the subject to the different fruit trees on the farm, hoping to avoid her asking me how old I am.
Rick interrupts our conversation a few minutes later by opening my car door.
"We got it all set up y'all can join us now" he informs us before gesturing for me to get out and I do after staring at him for a second.
"Alright if y'all could form a line right about here, we'll begin" Shane instructs and while my instinct is to do immediately the opposite of what he says, I join the others in a rough line with Carl and Jackson on either side of me.
Shane and Rick go through the basic movements of how to hold a gun, how to stand while shooting and all of the safety information. At some point I tuned them out in favor of watching a blue bird fly around behind them.
"Alright those of you that have guns please take them out and get into the stance we just showed you. If you don't have a gun, we will give you one in a second, but you should also stand the way we showed you and we'll help you make sure your stance and grip are correct." Rick says pulling my focus back to him and I notice him staring at me, meaning he had seen that I was not paying attention. Feeling my cheeks begin to burn I pull my gun from my waistband and stand the way I was taught a few years ago at the gun range.
Shane starts at one end of the line helping Andrea, while Rick starts at our end with Jackson. I watch as he helps Jackson position his feet and his hands, and as he hands him a gun – a Beretta – to be exact.
"When you are holding a gun never point it at yourself or anyone else. Whether it is loaded or not. Okay?" Rick instructs and Jackson nods
"The safety is still on but make sure you point it away. Alright?" he prompts
"Yeah" is Jackson's short answer and Rick nods before moving over to me.
"Your stance is good Gen, but your feet should be a little bit farther apart" he instructs, and I move my feet apart a tad. "Little bit more Gen" he says nudging my right foot with his own.
"Your grip is good, who taught you to shoot?" he asks
"My high school boyfriend took me to a shooting range, and I learned there" I answer
"They taught you well" I smile at him as he moves to help Carl
Within 10 minutes everyone is standing correctly and anyone who didn't have a gun now has one.
"Alright so we have lined up cans and bottles as targets. When we say you can, we want you to hit as many targets as you can. If we say your name point your gun to the ground and turn the safety on" Shane instructs "Ready? Go!" he calls out after a few seconds
The sheer amount of noise from 8 guns going off at once is headache inducing but I don't let it distract me as I hit can after can. On my 5th can I hear Rick call my name, so I lower my gun and flick the safety back on. I step back out of line so I'm next to Rick.
"You're good. Gonna hold you back here and have you help Carl and Jackson and next round have you try a different gun" he tells me, and I nod before I start helping the kids with their aim.
A short while later Rick and Shane has everyone stop and then they reset the targets.
"Here Gen. Try this one" Rick says trading my gun for a slightly bigger handgun "This is a Sig Sauer, it's a little bit bigger and heavier than your Beretta" he tells me
"Okay thanks" I smile at him and realize as soon as I pull the trigger that not only is it bigger and heavier the recoil is a lot worse. I take a second and shake my arms out before lifting them again.
"Here you're gonna want to position your arms a little differently to handle the recoil better" Rick tells me stepping up behind me and reaching around my arms with his own to move me how he thinks I should be standing. "There you go" he says softly, and I smile at him briefly, trying to ignore the awkwardness I feel at having Rick pressed so close to me.
As he steps back, I pull the trigger again and the recoil is absorbed better, but this gun is definitely more than I'm used to.
After the second round of shooting Rick asks me what I thought of the gun.
"It's nice, but it's not my gun. I think I'll stick to what I'm used to" I laugh
"That's fair" he smiles giving me my gun back.
"How much longer do you think we'll go?" I ask
"One or two more rounds" he answers, and I nod
Two rounds later Carl and Jackson's aim has improved greatly, and Rick and Shane are collecting back the guns.
"I think Gen and Andrea are ready for the advanced course, what do you think Shane?" Rick speaks up
"I agree"
"Alright well you three stay here and we'll head back to the farm" Rick says
"Actually, I'd also like to head back to the farm" I speak up and Rick meets my eyes for a moment before nodding.
"Alright we'll stay here for a little while and then we'll head up the road to some properties and see if there's any sign of Sophia" Shane says and Rick nods before leading the way to the SUV
"Alright it's gonna be tight with 3 extra riders" Rick says as we come to a stop, we all stand there for a second thinking before I voice my thoughts
"Carl, Jackson and I could ride in the back-trunk area and everyone else can have the back and passenger seats" I offer, and Rick thinks for a moment
"Or if they're willing of course Beth and Jimmy can ride in the back with you that way Carl and Jackson can have seatbelts." He says and I nod hoping he's not judging my "parenting" skills
"Sounds good to me" Jimmy says and Rick nods before opening the trunk for us.
Jimmy and Beth climb in first and just as I'm about to climb in Rick grabs my arm
"Look I'm not undermining you. I just don't want Lori to bite my head off for letting Carl ride in the back" he whispers
"It's okay. I get it" I tell him before climbing into the back. I can see he's frowning as he shuts the trunk, but I don't focus on it.
After Rick starts the SUV it's a quick and relatively painless ride back to the farm, minus the moment where Rick hit a bump and Beth got knocked into me.
When I get out of the SUV, I notice that Glenn is sitting on the porch with Maggie, Dale is on the top of his RV, T-Dog is sitting at the fire pit cleaning his gun and Lori is nowhere in sight.
Patricia, Beth and Jimmy thank Rick before heading towards the house while the rest of us head towards the fire pit.
"Hey T! Did y'all have lunch?" Rick asks
"Yeah Lori made a small lunch for us here, I don't know bout Daryl he's been over at his camp with your girls all morning" He says directing the last part at me and I nod my thanks
"I'll go check in with Daryl and then I can whip up lunch for the rest of us" I say, seeing as how Carol has brushed passed us all and has gone into the RV.
"Jack stay here with Carl and Rick I'll be right back" once he nods, I head off towards Daryl's camp
As soon as I round the large oak tree, I can see that Daryl is inside his tent with the girls.
"Knock Knock" I say peeking around the tent flap and smile at the sight that greets me.
Daryl is relaxed on his cot, a sleeping Anneliese cradled in his left arm while Penny sits on his right "reading" a book to him
"Hi Mama!" Penny squeals abandoning the book and Daryl to run and give me a hug
"Hi darlin'. Were you good for Mr. Daryl?" I ask and she nods
I look at Daryl over her head and raise an eyebrow
"She was good. Kept herself occupied for a while. And this little one didn't do more than whine when she got hungry" Daryl tells me
"Good, thanks for watching them. I really appreciate it." I tell him and he nods "What're your plans for the rest of the day?" I ask
"Gonna head out and look for Sophia some"
"Alright, well be safe. Did y'all eat?"
"Mr. Daryl made us rice and green beans" Penny speaks up
"Thanks Daryl, grab your things Pen I gotta go make lunch for everyone else" I instruct her, and she nods although she looks a little sad to be leaving
"Why're you makin' lunch?" Daryl asks as I pick Anneliese up from his arms.
"Cause it's something I can do for the group while taking care of the kids" I tell him not seeing why the question was important
"Takin' care of the kids is enough" he grumbles, and I just raise my brow before picking up the diaper bag
"Tell Mr. Daryl bye and thank you" I tell Penny
"Bye Mr. Daryl thanks for watchin me today" she says before slipping her thumb into her mouth
"Just Daryl is fine" Daryl corrects with a slight grimace
"Well thanks 'just Daryl' for watching the today" I say with a laugh
It's a quick walk back to the fire pit where I quickly grab the baby sling from the RV and secure Anneliese in it and settle Penny down with a coloring book. I make the quickest meal possible, canned vegetables with crackers, and serve it to everyone.
Lunch is short and sweet and before long I'm left cleaning up the dishes while T-Dog, Glenn and Rick head out to look for Sophia some more, Carol hasn't left the RV and I'm assuming that Lori is in her tent. Deciding not to waste any energy on wondering where Lori is, I instruct the kids to go get their workbooks from the RV and start where they left off. Penny sits with me next to the washing bucket and we work on her letters and numbers.
After an hour or so of schoolwork we are joined by Beth.
"Hey Beth! What's up?" I greet
"Hi Gen. I was just wonderin if Carl, Jackson and Penny would like to join me collecting vegetables and fruits that are ready" She offers, and I look to the kids to see all 3 of them staring at me eagerly
"That sounds great" I say and almost laugh at how quick Carl and Jackson are to close their books and stand up "Now hold up y'all have to put your books away and while you are with Beth you act respectful and you do as she says alright?" I state before they can escape
"Yes Gen" Carl sighs and is shortly echoed by Jackson "Yes Mom" Jackson looks slightly startled at his use of the term, but I smile at him quickly before shooing them to put their books away.
"Thanks for that Beth, if they give you any trouble just send them back to me" I tell her, and she nods
"I'm sure they won't be any trouble they're some of the best-behaved kids I've ever seen"
"Thanks, but they kind of have to be with the way the world is now" I smile sadly at her and a look of confusion crosses her face as she tilts her head as if wanting to ask what I mean. But before she can Carl and Jackson are back and eagerly waiting to garden
"Be good!" I tell them as they depart, Penny grasping Beth's hand and talking animatedly about something. Shaking my head to myself I take Anneliese out of the sling and let her stretch out in my arms.
"How's it going up there?" I call up to Dale upon approaching the RV
"Quiet, hot." He laughs and I nod
"Do you have water?" I ask
"Yeah I'm good" We're quiet for a moment before I ask a question
"Any suggestions for what I could do around camp?"
"Uh, is there any laundry that needs to be done" he suggests, and I sigh
"I guess I'll go see if there is. If Lori ever emerges tell her she's free to join me doing laundry" I huff, and he laughs
Before I gather the laundry, I change Anneliese's diaper and grab a receiving blanket to lay next to the washing tub to avoid a stiff back from wearing her.
No one joins me while I'm doing laundry not even while I had to take a break in order to feed Anneliese. Rick, T-Dog and Glenn got back about an hour and a half after I started laundry but now it's almost dinner time and Shane and Andrea haven't come back yet.
I can sense that the group is becoming anxious about their return but before I can approach the fire pit, where everyone including Lori and Carol are seated my attention is pulled to the back of the house where I can see the kids approaching with Beth, all of them carrying a basket.
"How'd it go?" I ask
"Pretty good we got loads of veggies, y'all are more than welcome to take some for your dinner." Beth offers and I nod my thanks as she begins to help the kids sort the veggies and place some into a basket for us.
"You still have the oil Patricia gave you?" she asks, and I nod
"Alright well you're all set then." She says handing me a basket full of potatoes, string beans and carrots.
"Thank you, Beth it means a lot," I tell her honestly and she nods sending me a smile
"Let Carl and Jackson help you get those other baskets into the house" I tell her while sending the 2 boys a look telling them to help her
"Thanks, they were great kids by the way" she says before leading the way into the house
"C'mon Pen lets go start some dinner" I say, and she nods jogging a little in front of me
"Did you have fun with Ms. Beth?" I ask
"Yeah, there's was worms in with the potatoes" she says making a face
"There was? Did you hold any?" I ask
"Ew! No Mama that's gross!" she giggles, and I laugh a little at her expression before a voice cuts in
"What's gross?" Rick asks as we come to a stop just outside the circle of chairs
"Penny was just telling me that there were worms with the potatoes" I tell him, and he nods raising an eyebrow
"The kids helped Beth harvest today and she graciously gave us some vegetables for dinner" I say holding up the basket full
"Looks like Daryl's got some meat to go with it" Glenn says, and I can just make out Daryl taking a seat on his log and beginning to skin what looks like a rabbit.
"Penny! Can you go grab Anneliese's binky" I hastily request, and she looks at me like I have two heads before trotting off to do as I ask. Turning my attention back to the group I notice many amused expressions
"What? She sees walkers almost everyday of her life she doesn't need to see a bunny being skinned, especially not if I want her to eat it" I say, mumbling the last part under my breath and setting the basket down next to our makeshift dishwashing station and beginning the process of strapping Anneliese back into the sling.
"I can take her" Glenn speaks up and it takes me a second to realize that he's talking to me
"Huh?"
"The baby, I can hold her so you can cook" he offers and while in the back of my mind I'm trying to figure out why no one else can cook dinner, I am grateful for his offer. So, I swaddle Anneliese in the receiving blanket to ward of the slight chill that's in the air and set about cleaning and cutting the vegetables. Not to long after I've put it all in a pot and gotten a small pot of rice going does Daryl approach with a tupperware bowl filled with raw strips of meat.
"Here ya go" he says handing it to me
"Thanks Daryl" I tell him before setting up a separate pan to cook the meat.
Just as I'm about to start serving dinner Shane and Andrea pull up, they're not even all the way out of the car before most of the group is approaching them and asking them what took so long
I can faintly hear Shane say that they checked out some houses and that they ran into some walkers but nothing out of the ordinary. I don't believe them completely, not with the way that Andrea's hair is messed up and her shirt is crooked. It looks more like Andrea jumped into bed with Shane.
Shaking my head to myself I'm very thankful I didn't stay for the extra training.
Once everyone settles back into their seats, I have Carl and Jackson pass a bowl out to everyone, I take Anneliese back from Gen and strap her into the baby sling so I can eat with both hands, a rare occurrence with a baby.
Dinner as always is silent, at least until Rick asks what everyone's plans are for the next day. Aside from Dale and T-Dog who are going to gather water and Daryl who is going to go look for Sophia it seems like the group is going to be doing a whole lot of nothing.
"What about you Gen?" Rick asks and I turn my head to meet his gaze
Shrugging I tell him the first thing that pops into my head "Probably more laundry, it's taking longer since I'm the only one doing it. Oh! And watching the kids of course, probably have them work through their books some more"
"Sounds good, is it okay if Carl joins y'all?" he asks, and I smile at him as he obviously recalls me going off on Lori for never asking
"Of course, it is" I laugh ruffling Carl's hair, even as he tries to scoot away
"The rest of us should probably take the time to plan out some runs for things we need and maybe gather some fire wood" Shane voices and unsurprisingly almost everyone agrees, that is except for Lori who is too busy glaring at him and Andrea, who are sitting next to each other.
"Sounds like we all have some pretty good plans tomorrow. Remember no guns on Herschel's property and always let whoever is on the RV know if you're going off anywhere on your own." Rick instructs
"Alright Gen cooked so who's got dishes?" Dale asks causing me to laugh – damn straight I'm not doing the dishes.