Chapter 19
"What happened?" I ask Rick joining him on the porch as the rest of the group heads into the house, kids included
"We ran into a few guys at the bar. They were going to kill us or at least hurt us and come back here. The rest of their group showed up and started shooting and when we shot back, they ran and left Randall to die when he fell on a fence spire" he says in a whispered tone running a hand down his face
"Oh my god" I murmur
"That's an understatement" he says with a humorless laugh
"Why don't you go shower or at least change; you have blood on your shirt" I tell him giving him a gentle nudge towards the screen door
Following him through the door, I head towards the dining room where everyone, even the kids are gathered while he heads upstairs to change
Once Rick joins us Shane almost instantly starts questioning him but surprisingly Lori cuts him off and says we should wait for Herschel and Patricia and I'm inclined to agree as I lean back in the slightly uncomfortable chair I've chosen for myself and close my eyes for a second
Only for them to fly open a minute later when I feel Anneliese being lifted from my arms, my eyes connect with Rick's and he just nods at me before moving back to his spot at the head of the table but before I can even close my eyes again Penny is crawling into my lap and curling herself around me like a koala.
It's probably a good hour of everyone sitting in somewhat awkward silence or having little conversations before Patricia joins us and tells us that Herschel is just washing up
"Okay so you gon' explain yourself now?" Shane snaps
"We couldn't just leave him behind. He would've bled out, if he lived that long."
"It's gotten bad in town" Glenn adds softly
"What do we do with him?" Andrea oh so helpfully asks
"I repaired his calf muscle as best I can, but he'll probably have nerve damage. Won't be on his feet for at least a week." Herschel says coming into the dining room wiping his hands on a towel
"When he is, we give him a canteen, take him out to the main road, send him on his way" Rick says rising to his feet and adjusting his hold on Anneliese
"Isn't that the same as leaving him for the walkers?" Andrea asks at the same time the screen squeaks open and my eyes dart over to see Daryl walking in
After he scans the room quickly, he walks over leans against the wall just behind me and Penny
"He'll have a fighting chance" Rick says answering Andrea
"Just gonna let him go?" Shane asks gruffly "He knows where we are"
"He was blindfolded the whole way here. He's not a threat" Rick protests looking around the table seemingly trying to meet everyone's eyes and make them believe him. He sighs briefly before moving over to me and placing Anneliese in my offered arm.
"Not a threat? How many of them were there? You killed 3 of their men, you took 1 of them hostage, but they just ain't gonna come looking?" I hate to admit it, but Shane does have a point – not that I'll ever tell him that.
"They left him for dead. No one is looking!" Rick says his voice rising slightly
"We should still post a guard" T-Dog pipes up
"He's out cold right now, will be for hours" Herschel tells us
"You know what? I'm gonna go get him some flowers and candy." Shane says pushing off from the wall
"Look at this, folks – we're back in fantasyland" he scoffs walking out of the dining room
"You know, we haven't even dealt with what you did at my barn yet. Let me make this perfectly clear, once and for all. This is my farm. Now I wanted you gone. Rick talked me out of it, but that doesn't mean I have to like it. So, do us both a favor and keep your mouth shut." Herschel lays out for Shane, who surprisingly does nothing but storm out the front door slamming it behind him
"Look we're not gonna do anything about it today. Let's just cool off" Rick tells Herschel grasping his shoulder
Andrea apparently takes this as the signal that the meeting is over and heads out the door presumably after Shane and the rest of the group follows suit. I watch as they all stand and file out the door, Carol tries to talk to Daryl, but he just walks away with her following. Carl and Jackson remain on the little chaise beneath one of the windows quietly talking about … something
And then Maggie stops Glenn
"Can I talk to you?" she asks before heading into the kitchen, I can't hear what they're saying I can just hear the murmur of their voices; that is until I hear Maggie start to cry
Raising my eyebrows, I glance over at a still talking Rick and Herschel before looking down at the two girls asleep on my lap
"If you want you can move her to the couch in the living room" Herschel says startling me and making my eyes fly back to him and Rick who are both looking at me now
"I'd appreciate it" I murmur as to not disturb them and look down at them again contemplating how to stand with them both – but before I can even attempt Rick comes over and picks Penny up off my lap, cradling her to his chest and carrying her into the living room
"If you don't mind, I'll just sit in here with her and the baby for a little while" I tell Herschel as I go to move past him
"That won't be a problem" he tells me with a slight smile, and I nod my thanks turning my attention to the two boys following behind me
"Why don't y'all head out to the RV and get some reading in." I suggest
"That's a good idea I'll come with" Rick says rejoining us
Once Rick and the boys leave, I sit down at the other end of the couch where Penny is laying and settle Anneliese on my chest and close my eyes myself, as Herschel joins Maggie in the kitchen. I open my eyes to peek when I hear them move upstairs, I'm assuming to check on Beth but close them just as quickly.
Not unlike any other time I'm attempting to sleep, the sound of Anneliese's whimpers pulls me from my doze.
Forcing myself awake I glance down at her and then to Penny and just as I'm about to stand and locate the diaper bag I take note of the other presence in the room – Herschel.
He's sitting in one of the arms chairs a book open in his lap, although he's not reading it. Instead he's looking at me or I guess Anneliese whose slight whimpers are growing to cries of frustration.
Shifting her in my arms I stand from the sofa and make my way into the dining room and then the kitchen looking for the diaper bag – I should just keep it on me at all times so I'm not in this situation. Moving back through the living room I glance at Herschel before moving out the door and towards the camp set up; where I can see that I left the diaper bag next to the dish bin.
Anneliese is full on wailing by the time I have a bottle mixed up and it seems to have gathered Rick's attention from inside the RV
"Everything okay?" he asks as I slip the bottle into her mouth and her cries disappear in favor of hungrily drinking the bottle
"Yeah, I dozed off and couldn't remember where the diaper bag was, and it pissed her off" I sigh rising from where I crouched on the ground
"Awe we can't have that, can we?" He coos smoothing a hand over Anneliese's hair as she stares at us rather unimpressed
"Gonna have to make sure mommy has the diaper bag attached to her hip" he tells her, offering me a raised brow
"Too true – any idea how long I slept?"
"No more than an hour, that's about as long as we've been out here"
"Okay good, I'll go wake Penny and then start on lunch" I tell him and without waiting for a response walk back into the house
"Ah, someone was hungry I see" Herschel says as I close the screen door behind me softly
"Yeah, I didn't wake up quick enough for her apparently" I say with a slight laugh
"Babies are always on their own schedule; they don't care what you have or had planned" he tells me with a laugh of his own
"Don't I know it" I joke back settling onto the sofa next to Penny and begin to wake her
"Genevieve?" Herschel asks after a second
"Yes?"
"If you and the kids ever have reason, you all are more than welcome to stay in the house"
Okay that's slightly random I think before answering him
"Thank you, Herschel. We seem pretty okay for right now but if something comes up, I might take you up on that offer"
I try not to dwell on the fact that he was only offering me and the children more shelter instead of the whole group as I go about waking Penny and then making a quick lunch consisting of pasta and canned vegetables
By the time everyone is eating, lunch has practically become an early dinner – a very tense and awkward early dinner.
Most everyone goes off to do separate things as soon as they're finished eating. Rick retreats to his tent with Lori following, Shane and Andrea go off somewhere – and I try not to think to hard about THAT – Dale retreats to the top of the RV, Carl, Jack, Penny and Glenn all retreat inside of it, I have no clue where Carol or T-Dog have gotten to and Daryl is sitting idly in his chair fiddling with his crossbow while I kneel in front of the dish bin and attempt to settle a fussy Anneliese who has no desire to be in her carrier.
"Darlin' I'm gonna need you to work with me here, I gotta wash these dishes" I tell her smoothing down her hair and trying to adjust her to a position that will be comfortable for the both of us – I mean I'm pretty close to just taking her out of the carrier and letting the dishes sit until someone else washes them but at the same time I doubt anyone else will wash them and then I'll just be stuck doing them before I can even make breakfast tomorrow.
"I can take her" Daryl speaks up
"Hm?" I hum, I heard him perfectly clear I just wanted to give him a chance to change his mind
"Give her here, I can hold her while you get stuff done" he offers again, this time placing his bow on the ground and holding out his hands
I gently transfer Anneliese out of the carrier and into Daryl's arms and pass him her pacifier before returning to the bin of dishes
"What do you think about Randall?" I ask after a few minutes
"Right now, knocked out he's harmless. I don't know bout when he's awake" he answers
"Do you think we should just let him go? Like what Rick seems to want to do?" I ask
"I don't know. On one hand he could be harmless but on the other he could go and bring back his group"
"Mm that wouldn't be good"
"No, it would put everyone in danger"
"I think we've had enough danger for this week" I mumble not thinking he'd hear me
"that's the damn truth" he says back
Its silent for a few minutes except for the noise of sloshing water as I wash the dishes and Anneliese's light suckles as she starts to doze in Daryl's arms
"What did you do before" I pause trying to word it right "well before the world went to shit, I suppose?"
"Construction mostly, sometimes some odd jobs fixing cars for extra cash" He answers
"Really? I would've pegged you as a motorcycle shop guy, ya know the ones that go for rides on weekends and spend all week working on 'em" I laugh and he snorts
"Yeah? What did you do?"
"I was a waitress"
"Not what I would've thought" he tells me
"No? then what did you think I did?"
"Never really thought about it, probably a teacher or a nurse"
"Definitely not a nurse, I don't like needles or blood and I think I have my hands full with my own kids" I laugh
"That's true but you do a good job" he tells me, and I turn my head to give him a small smile in thanks before resuming washing the dishes- there's only a handful of silverware and a plate left
"What happened to their dad?" he asks and instantly my body tenses, panic seizing control of everything
"You don't have to tell me" he continues obviously noticing my subconscious reaction "y'all just don't mention him is all"
"He wasn't the best person, and he hasn't been in their lives for a long time and I hope he never is again" I whisper and that's the end of the conversation until I finish washing the dishes and after drying my hands pluck the completely knocked out infant from his arms
"Thanks for holding her so I could get that done"
"Its no problem. You shouldn't be the only one doing stuff 'round here"
And while I can't help but agree with him I just shake my head "If I don't do it then no one will" I tell him and he tips his head in agreement before picking up his bow and walking in the direction of his tent.
Shaking my head to myself I head into the RV and set about getting the kids to do some schoolwork.