Chapter Four: It's What We Do

It's What We Do

It took six hours to get Sophia's 102 temperature down to 99 degrees. The first hour of that was by far the most tedious. Carol had arrived and upon seeing her daughter is such a delicate state, she wanted nothing more than to hold Sophia. It took both Hershel and Patricia explaining to frantic mother that even the slightest body heat from her body could delay the process of cooling Sophia's core temperature. Willa and I continued to work diligently, utilizing the evaporation cooling technique, despite Carol's cries, begging us to let her hold her daughter. Carol had truly given up hope on Sophia being found alive, and her shock of finding her and the grief of believing she was dead did a real number on the mother.

"Go get some rest," I told Willa once Sophia's temperature was at the 99 degree mark. "I'll take the first shift watching her."

Willa looked at the clock and groaned. "When's the last time you pulled an all-nighter?"

I leaned against Hershel's desk, my feet welcoming the elevation in pressure. "Wasn't that long ago." I turned to look at Carol, who had fallen asleep in a chair in the corner of the room. "Just put some coffee on for me?"

Willa nodded. "Sure thing," she said as she squeezed my shoulder on her way out of the room.

I plopped down on top of Hershel's desk, letting my legs hang off the edge. Sophia wasn't in the clear yet, but she was looking much better. It didn't appear that she would have any organ damage from the sunstroke and her burns were mainly a mild second degree burn. She would be uncomfortable for seven to ten days, but she should be fine if she woke up soon. Her body was in a state of shock, shutting down to give everything it could to her vital organs. She had come to twice during the six hours, not for long, but long enough to know that she was in there, despite severe dehydration.

Lori, Andrea, Rick, Dale, Glenn, T, and even Shane had come by to check on Sophia and Carol, but Daryl hadn't made an appearance. It was a shame too, Carol could have used the support. I had noticed that the two of them had started to develop a real connection, mainly over the hours Daryl had spent looking for Sophia.

The hours passed slowly, Carol stirring, but going back to sleep when Sophia wasn't awake. I took Sophia's vitals every hour on the hour and while she was improving, she still wasn't awake for more than thirty seconds. This is what not many people know about working in the medical field- you can do everything in your power to ensure a positive outcome for the patient, but sometimes it really is up to the patient. I hoped this little girl was as strong and determined as Carl was.

I took to taking diligent notes on Sophia and even popped my head into Carl's room to see that he was fast asleep, both Lori and Rick asleep next to him.

Leaving Carl's room, I ventured to the kitchen to get my third cup of coffee since my "shift" had started. I yawned wildly, my adrenaline finally gone. When I made it back to the office, there was no change in Sophia.

"How is she?" Willa asked as she stood in the doorway.

I handed her the notepad I was looking over and replied, "she still hasn't woken up for a significant period of time."

Willa looked over my notes and let out a sigh. "Hm… maybe she knows that she's safe now and she can rest."

I raised my eyebrows at her. "What medical book did you read that in?"

Willa pushed my shoulder lightly and rolled her eyes. "Come on, Lottie, you know what I'm talking about."

I smiled back at her because I did. I had seen it dozens of times.

"Jeeze," she said as she looked me over. "You look rough."

I scoffed and took a step back for dramatic effect. "I'm sorry I'm too busy saving lives to put on some blusher."

Willa laughed at the inside joke as I laughed along with her. "That woman was too much," she said, referring to a doctor we both had the displeasure of working with on a night shift. When anyone made any type of comment that pertained to her, she always led with that line.

Carol sat up and rubbed her eyes, immediately focusing on her daughter.

"Sorry to wake you," Willa said. She looked at me. "Go get some sleep. I'll fill her in," she said as she held up my notes.

I wasn't going to argue, I was dead tired. Looking down at my cup of coffee, I decided to step outside to get some fresh air and finish it before heading to bed. It was sort of a ritual of mine from before, after a night shift I'd always get a cup of coffee and head to the pier by the hospital to finish it and to let the night's even wash away.

Breathing in the crisp air, I was thankful that the humidity hadn't yet engulfed the atmosphere. As I looked over the yard at the sun that was starting to rise, I saw Daryl leave his tent with his crossbow in hand. He was no doubt about to go for a hunt, meaning he would probably be gone most of the day. He had no intention of seeing Sophia or Carol, and I couldn't help but to wonder why.

I walked towards him and when he saw me, he changed his direction to meet me in the middle of the yard. "Hey," I greeted when I was only a few feet away from him.

He grunted, gave me a look over, and nodded. "How's she?"

"It's all up to her now," I said. "But she should be fine."

He nodded again.

"She wouldn't have made it out there much longer," I said. "She's lucky you found her when she did."

He scoffed, adjusting his crossbow. "Don't seem like it."

I tilted my head to the side and softened my expression. "What do you mean?"

"If she dies, it ain't on me. I can't help it that ya don't know what ya doin'." He tried to push past me, but I grabbed his arm.

"Everyone has done everything they could for her, and that includes Willa and myself."

He jerked his hand from me. "Shit, ya'd think a couple of nurses would know how to treat a sunburn."

I narrowed my eyes at him. I hadn't seen this side of Daryl before, and I was not a fan. I shook my head, left speechless. I understood the knee jerk reaction, to want to push blame onto someone else when he couldn't blame the victim, he couldn't blame Sophia. It began to make sense though, why he hadn't come by to see Carol or Sophia. He couldn't take the possibility of her not surviving, not when he had done so much to ensure her safe return. He somehow felt rejected, that what he had done wasn't good enough; that he wasn't good enough.

"Stupid bitch," he muttered under his breath.

I stepped in front of him, my tone harsh when I spoke. "You don't get to speak to me that way."

"Why?" He asked. "'Cause ya got a degree?"

I shook my head, frustrated with the situation. "No, because I'm a human being." What an ignorant redneck, but I knew it was coming out a place of fear, so I tried my best to get hold of my temper and not lashing out at him the way he had just done to me. "I get that you're scared-"

"I ain't scared of nothin'," he interrupted stepping closer to me with his chest bowed out, obviously a defense mechanism. I had several myself, so it was easy for me to see through his.

I scoffed. "Really? Because you're acting like a child, and from my experience, kids are always afraid of at least one thing."

He stepped back. "I ain't gotta' listen to ya talk 'bout this."

"Then don't," I said, waving my hand, gesturing for him to leave.

He didn't waste anytime turning on his heels and heading out the gate, muttering under his breath. I shook my head, walking back to the house. I

understood lashing out, really I did; I had done it myself and seen it occur many times. For some reason, it still stung. I supposed one could only lash out at others who gave him or her the opportunity to do so, and I had given that opportunity to Daryl.

"Charlie," Willa greeted me at the front door. "She's awake."

Despite Daryl's mild temper tantrum, a smile spread across my face. By the time Willa and I joined Sophia and Carol, Sophia was talking ninety to nothing, telling her mother how scared she was, but how she was able to take care of herself. She promised over and over again that she wouldn't run away again and she was over the moon to be back with her mother and the rest of the group.

"Hi, Sophia," I smiled as I walked towards her. "I'm Charlie, a friend of your mom's." I paused. "I'm also a doctor. Do you mind if I take a listen to your heart and lungs?" I asked as I held a stethoscope in my hand.

Sophia looked to Carol and then back and me. She nodded. While I performed the exam, I asked questions that we were taught to ask to distract kids, but modified them slightly considering she probably didn't care very much about math class before the world went to shit; now, I'm assuming she cared even less.

"Looks like you got yourself one healthy kid," I said to Carol as we stepped out of the room, leaving Willa to talk to Sophia about the importance of managing her symptoms. "I made a bag of things for her- sunscreen, long sleeve shirts, hat, pedialyte, and Benadryl. Just make sure she stays out of direct sunlight for ten days. When she does go outside, long sleeve shirt, hat, and sunblock."

Carol nodded, taking in the information. "How can I thank you?"

"You don't," I said. "It's what we do."

She pulled me into a hug and thanked me over again. I could feel the gratitude in her embrace, the warmth it carried. She was much stronger than any of the group had yet given her credit for. Maybe Carol was a fighter today, but she was most definitely a survivor; and I'd put my money on her being a warrior sometime soon. When she stepped back, she looked at Sophia through the doorway. "Can I take her to the RV? I have it all set up for her."

"Of course, after tonight. Just want to spend one more night observing her."

"Speaking of overnights," Willa said as she joined us in the hallway. "You need to get some sleep." She was doing it again, mixing her nurse training to the over bearing sister and overprotective mother. She knew Carol would have been another hour talking to me about Sophia and how to ensure a speedy and efficient recovery, but Willa was more than prepared and capable of doing that. Willa, in that moment, was solely focused on my well being now that Sophia was in the clear.

Truth be told, I didn't think I would actually be able to sleep at that point. Seeing Sophia doing well made me want to stay up and keep an extra set of eyes on her, but with Willa being so insistent that I got some sleep, I knew I had no other choice. I guess my body had other plans, because as soon as my head hit the pillow, I was out for a solid six hours.

When I made it downstairs after a much needed shower, Lori, Patricia, Carol, and Beth were preparing lunch- squirrel sloppy joes thanks to Daryl's hunting trip and Patricia's bread maker.

Carl's room was my next stop where I took his vitals, telling Lori and Rick, when they joined me in the room, that I was pleased with how he was doing. He could start incorporating walks six times a day for around five minutes a time into his routine. While Lori and Rick were relieved, Carl was ecstatic to have permission to get out of the bed.

"Does that mean I can go see Sophia and go outside with Addy?" He asked.

"I don't see why not," I said. "But make sure you don't overdo it." I pointed to the board games that he and Addy had been playing. "These are still your go-tos. Got it?"

He nodded, his excitement barely contained.

I smiled at the family, almost feeling their joy radiating from them. Rick followed me out into the hallway. "Charlie," he said.

"Hm?" I turned to face him.

He looked tired, I could tell the events of the last couple of days were starting to get to him. "How much medicine do you have left?"

I had an idea, but Willa was the one who kept track of that. "Why?" I asked.

"Thinking about taking some people out on a run end of the week, into a town about twenty miles over." He paused. "Your family has done so much for our group, for my son. We need to pay you back."

I shook my head. I knew his heart was in the right place, but his group we were helping were children. "I appreciate the gesture, but it isn't necessary. There was no other option other than for us to help Carl and Sophia. It's what we do."

He smiled at me, his eyes lifting from the droopy gaze. "Even so, I'd feel a lot better if we made this right."

I could tell there was no persuading him otherwise, so I nodded. "I'll speak with Willa. We'll get a list." I paused. "I'm quick on my feet and Maggie is good on runs. I can't speak for her, but I'd like to go too." It was difficult for me to simply hand over a list. If something wasn't there, there could be another alternative. I needed to go to check through medications and medical supplies.

"The both of you are always welcome."

I nodded a thank you at him, but before I could check on Sophia and Willa, Maggie came up behind me.

"Do you have a second?"

I nodded, hearing the urgency in her tone and seeing the desperation in her face. I followed the elder Greene sister out the side door and as we stood on the end of the wrap around porch, I watched as she leaned against the railing.

"Dad wants them to leave."

I let out a scoff. "Leave? When?" Honestly, the idea of sending these people away was nothing short of murderous. Hershel had never spent a day out there, because if he had, he would know that not only was he condemning them, but he was also putting us at risk. People were stronger together, now more than ever. The more people you had, you could count on meant the more likely you were to survive.

Maggie bit her lip and looked into the yard. "He told me not to get used to having them around. He didn't give a time frame, but he was serious, Lottie."

I crossed my arms and leaned against the side of the house, the heat radiating off the panel. "Carl won't be fit to travel for weeks. He wouldn't send them out before then."

"So we just give up?"

I shook my head. "No, it just means we have three weeks to convince Hershel to let them stay." I paused. "I thought you said Glenn were a one time thing."

She swirled her head to look at me. Her mouth was slightly opened as she tried to collect herself. "This isn't about him."

I smirked, knowing it wasn't all about Glenn, but he was definitely a factor.

Her cheeks flushed as she looked away. "I don't even know if I like him."

My smirk turned into a full on smile. "Uh-huh." I could tell in that moment that she was genuinely concerned for the well being of Glenn and the rest of the group. "Look," I said, all joking aside as I put my hand on her shoulder. "Between you, Willa, Beth, and I, Hershel will see our side, the right side." I paused. "Just be discreet with Glenn until then. Your dad really hates the idea of his girls… doing adult things."

She rolled her eyes. "I know."

"Walker!" Andrea's voice rang through the yard as she stood on top of the RV. "Walker!"

My hands pulled to my forehead so I could shield the sun from my eyes as I searched the land before us for the walker.

"There!" Maggie shouted.

I could see Rick, Shane, Glenn, and T sprint off in the direction of the undead in question. My heart pounded loudly in my chest as the four men rushed through the yard. The closest a walker had ever come to the farm was about three miles out in any direction. Now, they were literally in our backyard.

"Why are they stopping?" Maggie asked, referring to the group of four that went out to remove the threat.

A shot rang through the air, the bullet gliding to the walker and knocking him on the ground. I looked at Andrea, who was beaming with pride. Hershel wasn't going to be happy about her use of a gun so close to the house. The sound also had the probability of bringing more walkers to us. It was overall a stupid decision.

"No!" Rick yelled and he dropped to his knees. "No!"

My breath was caught in my chest as I realized something was wrong. Rick's reaction wasn't typical for bringing down a walker. Maggie and I shared a worried look before I took off towards the group. I could hear Hershel's voice carry through the yard as I jogged to Rick and the others.

I stopped in my tracks about fifteen feet from them when I realized the alleged walker was really a battered version of Daryl. Blood covered his forehead and stained his shirt and mud and dirt lined his entire body. He was unconscious, being supported by Rick and Shane. I closed the remainder of the distance by sprinting to them.

"Just a graze," I said, more to myself than to anyone else, when I realized the bullet hadn't punctured Daryl's head.

Rick looked only slightly frazzled, undoubtedly keeping a relaxed demeanor for a particular reason. As I glanced at Shane, I could sense the tension between the two friends. "Where can we take him?" Rick asked.

"Hershel's office, as long as Carl won't mind Sophia as a roommate for a night."

Rick nodded.

I ran ahead, telling Patricia and Maggie to help Willa move Sophia to Carl's room. While they helped Sophia to her feet and gathered what she

needed, I put down a fresh sheet on the cot and set up supplies- the suture materials, IV, and antibiotics.

We were already running low on the suture materials, such as Polydioxanone thread that was used in soft tissue, like face, shallow abdominal wounds, and hand lacerations. Surely Willa already has this on the list of supplies we needed.

I was ready for them when Rick and Shane helped Daryl to the cot. Willa stayed with Sophia to get her settled and checked on Carl while Hershel and I prepped to work on Daryl. I started by cleaning his head wound, quickly yet efficiently and found that he not only had been grazed by a bullet along his temple, but he also had a sufficiently sized wound to his forehead, due to blunt force trauma of some kind.

"Daryl," I said when I saw his eyes flutter. "Do you know where we are?" I asked as I pressed the gauze firmly to his forehead after I cleaned both

that wound and the bullet graze.

"Yah," he said as he tried to pull back from me.

"Can you tell me where that is?" I asked as I used my free hand to steady him, preventing him from moving further away from me.

"Christ, woman, we're inside the house. Hershel's house," he clarified before I had to ask.

"Very good," I said soothingly as I kept the pressure to his wound. "Can you tell me my name?"

"Cherry," he said, finally steadying his eyes.

Hershel looked at me, his eyes raised in concern. I shook my head. "I'll take that as an acceptable answer." I looked at Shane and Rick. "I'm okay here."

They looked at each other and stepped outside the door without another word.

"Do you mind if I step out for a moment?" Hershel asked.

I frowned slightly, only because I knew why Hershel wanted to catch up with Rick and Shane; he wanted to scorn them for Daryl taking the horse as well as for the use of firearms on his property. I thought it could wait, but before I could reply, Hershel followed the two ex-cops out the door.

I leaned over Daryl to grab a bandage, my body brushing against his. He used one of his hands to grab onto my side to steady me as I pulled back. Our eyes met, but he looked away quickly. I thought it would be best to ignore the interaction, even though his touch sent a wave of fire through me. Of course it could have been because the lack of physical contact had become very real as of late, but then again, maybe not. There was something about him that I couldn't put my finger on that made me think that we were more similar than either one of us could know at this point.

"I'm going to bandage your head," I said as I unraveled the bandage.

"Don't need it," he said trying to push himself up with his hands, only to slip down slightly against the headboard of the bed. "I ain't a pussy." No one would ever suggest that Daryl Dixon was a "pussy", so I thought it odd that he felt as if he needed to mention it. I wondered what happened to him out there, after the horse, Nelly, was scared away. I wanted to ask him how long he had been alone with these injuries, defending himself. With a head wound like that, it was possible for him to even experience visual and auditorial hallucinations. But I didn't ask. If he wanted to tell me, he would have offered the information. I didn't see a reason to agitate him more than he already was.

I pursed my lips together and forced myself not to roll my eyes. "You do know that you got shot. In the head."

"Grazed," he corrected, his southern drawl harsh.

"Well that still leaves this other wound that I'm not liking on your forehead." I leaned closer to get a better look at it now that it wasn't bleeding

and cleaned. "Doesn't look like you'll need stitches, at least."

"Then I'm outta here," he said, trying to get up from the bed.

"Daryl," I said sternly. "You are at a huge risk for infection. I'm not willing to risk it, and you shouldn't be either."

He sighed, but relaxed slightly when he realized that it was important to me that he was taken care of properly. Had he not had anyone take care of him? Even as a child? "Will ya hurry it up?

"Sure thing," I said, smiling to myself.

"What?" He asked when he noticed the smile as I leaned over to start wrapping the bandage.

I looked down, just to catch his gaze, and focused back on my task at hand. "Nothing, tiger," I said softly. My hands worked diligently, and before I

knew it, his head was bandaged. I stepped back to look it over and let out a deep breath. He made me slightly nervous, and I suddenly wondered if he could tell. I wanted to run my head over his furrowed forehead to let him know that he was safe, that he could relax, but I didn't. After his outburst earlier, I didn't know how he would react. "On a scale of one to ten, how bad is the headache?"

He shrugged. "Ain't bad."

I sat down on the bed next to him and I watched as he shifted his weight, seemingly moderately uncomfortable. "From the looks of you, you're slightly dehydrated which can add to dizziness and severe head pain. Plus, you were shot. Why do I have to keep pointing that out?" I added a smile at the last part, to ensure that he knew I was joking, well partially.

He shrugged, grunting.

I cleared my throat and turned to get the suture kit. "I'm going to take a look at your side, if you can just take off your shirt." I turned back around with the materials in hand to see him biting his thumb nail and avoiding eye contact.

"Nah, don't need it," he said, his tone heavy.

"I thought we were over this 'I'm not a pussy' thing."

He turned to look at me but quickly averted his gaze to the end of the bed. "Don't want ya to."

"We're going on a run later in the week. We'll pick up more supplies." I paused. "Just try not to shoot yourself with your own bolt again," I added

with a smile to try to make him feel more at ease.

"I didn't shoot-," he started to say but stopped.

I sighed, but walked over to his side and leaned forward. While I was sympathetic to his plight, the faster I stitched him up, the likelihood of him getting an infection decreased. He grabbed my arm, not squeezing it, but firmly secured my wrist in his much larger hand.

"I said no," he repeated. "I don't want you patchin' me up. Ya got that?"

I pulled my wrist from him and scoffed. "You do realize that your head wounds are as bad as this, right? I handled those just fine. I also removed twelve shards of a bullet from Carl's abdomen without breaking a sweat." I began to feel flustered as this redneck gave me the impression that he thought I couldn't handle a simple suture.

He sat, not moving a muscle.

"Seriously?" I said. "Fine," I said, exhausted from the situation. "Hershel will be right in." I popped off the surgical gloves in the trash can and walked out without giving him another look.

I found Hershel a few feet down the hall talking with Shane and Rick. "Sorry to interrupt, but my hands are too dainty and delicate to sew up his side," I said in passing to Hershel. "Ignorant hillbilly," I said under my breath as I pushed my way out the front door.

I found myself on the side of the porch, taking in a deep breath when I saw Maggie and Glenn having a conversation in a loud whisper tone. I was about to turn to mind my own business when I saw blood splattered on Maggie's white top.

"Maggie!" I exclaimed, causing both she and Glenn to jump and to look in my direction. I was beside them in a matter of seconds, inspecting her blouse. "What happened?" I was talking to Maggie, but I was looking at Glenn.

"We were attacked on a run into town." His voice was steady, but I could tell he was filled with regret pertaining to putting Maggie's life at risk.

I immediately scanned Maggie, looking for a bite mark or scratches. "Are you hurt?"

She shook her head, but her eyes were still red and puffy from crying. "I've never seen anything like it," she said, her voice low. "Glenn nearly cut his neck off and he still came back for me."

I swallowed hard, kicking myself mentally for not having this conversation with her sooner. Willa and I experienced the dehumanization of human beings first hand, but Maggie has been sheltered from it. "They aren't… people anymore, Maggie. They've been reanimated, but everything that made them who they were are gone."

"How do you know this?"

The image of my favorite surgical nurse, Miranda, ripping out her daughter's throat came to mind. There was no way Miranda was still her as she tore her three year old daughter apart in the gallery above an emergency open heart surgery. She had been scratched by a patient who had turned, but we still didn't know all the signs yet. Miranda had picked up her daughter from the hospital day care just hours before she succumbed to the fever and died without anyone realizing it. Miranda had made a habit of taking her little girl to the galleries while she finished charting, so when we saw her up there, none of us thought it odd. It wasn't until we heard her baby girl's screams that we realized the travesty of the situation.

"Call it a hunch," I said, not having the stomach to rehash the events of Miranda and her little girl. "I know you want to believe they're still people, but…," I paused to gather my thoughts and figure out a way to relay this message as gently as possible. "It imperative that you know there is no hope the ones who had been infected are the people they once were."

Maggie dropped her head, holding back tears. She looked to Glenn and then back at me, her eyes wide. "I need to show you something."

Thirty minutes later, I was standing outside of Hershel's office, waiting for Hershel to walk into the hallway. My hands were still shaking slightly from anger and terror and cold sweat beaded around my hairline. I was fighting off the feeling of nausea as I tried not to think about the dozen of walkers that were in the barn, led there by Hershel and Ottis and being fed by Patricia. We weren't safe here, not with the undead just a football field away from where we slept- where Addy, Carl, Sophia, and my pregnant sister slept. I could barely stop myself from panicking and raging at the same time. How could Hershel be so irresponsible?

"Charlie?" Willa's voice said from my left. I turned and when my eyes met hers, she nearly sprinted towards me. "What is it?"

I let out a shallow breath and opened my mouth, but words didn't come out. How could I tell her? She would be just as terrified and repulsed as I was.

"Oh god, what is it?"

"Not here," I said as I pulled her arm and led her out the back door. I nodded towards the barn, my body still vibrating with anxiety and confusion.

"Lottie, you're scaring me," she said after she looked at the barn, seeing what we all had been seeing for weeks, nothing, just a barn.

"Walkers, about a dozen or so in there."

She stepped back, as if she was going to call for help when she stopped herself. "Why aren't we doing anything about it?"

"Hershel…. he just thinks they're sick. He thinks they're still people, that they can get better." I paused and swallowed hard. "Shawn and Annette are in there."

Willa slapped both of her hands across her mouth and shook her head. "Oh, no…," she said with a soft and distraught voice. She took a few minutes to let it sink in before her feelings of sadness turned into the need to protect her child. "I'll talk to him."

"I'll come with you."

She put her hands into mine and slowly shook her head. "Let me. He'll feel we're ganging up on him if we both talk to him. We need to go about this in a way he'll understand and respect. We can't go in there with guns blazing."

She was right, I knew it. Plus, she and Hershel had always had a bond, similar to the way he is with Maggie. "When are you going to talk to him?"

She bit her lower lip and absentmindedly rubbed her lower belly. "In a few days. I need to figure out exactly how to go about this." She paused.

"Who else knows?"

"Maggie, Glenn, and Dale."

She nodded again. "Can you keep this to yourself?"

I looked to the side and saw Lori and Carol walking back inside the house to finish cooking dinner for the group, Shane and Andrea getting back from target practice, Rick and T looking over a map, Dale on top of the RV on watch, and Beth, Jimmy, and Addy tending to the horse. I let out a deep sigh and nodded as I thought about Sophia, Carl, and Daryl all laying in beds recovering. They were vulnerable enough without the possibility of walkers breaking out and stampeding through our backyard. "Yeah, I can." I paused. "I just need some air."

Willa nodded and as I walked off the porch, she called to me. When I turned to face her, she looked worried. "Trust me, Lottie."

"Always do," I replied. I found my way out by the horses and finally I felt like I could breathe. Willa was a better choice to talk to Hershel than I

was. She could keep her head level, and sometimes when it came to family matters, I struggled.

"Ottis died a hero," I heard Shane's voice say.

I turned to where his voice was coming from and saw Dale and him having a heated discussion. I moved closer behind a tree to listen without being seen.

"So you keep saying," Dale countered. "But I wasn't there and you've been very vague about what happened that night." I had to catch my breath at Dale's statement. I hadn't thought anyone had put two and two together, much less someone from Shane's group.

"I saved a boy that night," Shane spat. "I put my life on the line."

"So did Ottis," Dale said.

"Aunt Lottie!" Addy yelled as she, Beth, and Jimmy exited the fence. They must have been grooming and feeding the horses.

Shane's gaze darted from Dale to me as I took a step back. His eyes narrowed as he looked over me.

I cleared my throat, fighting off the chill that ran down my spine. I put on a fake smile and gave my attention to Addy as she walked closer. "Hey," I said to her. "Let's go see if Lori and Carol need help with dinner." I took her hand into mine and avoided eye contact with Shane. He was dangerous, and not the kind you don't take home to meet your parents, but the kind that you avoid in a dark alley. I should have trusted my instincts about him.

When I finally got out of my head about Shane, I was able to catch up to Addy's one-sided conversation. She wanted to plan a small party for Carl

and Sophia when they were both fully better. She mentioned cupcakes (doable), fireworks (definitely not), slip n slide (possibly), and karaoke (what can I say, she was a Greene). She lit up whilst talking about becoming better friends with them, saying that she needed to know their birthdays and favorite colors for said birthday to know what type of decorations to make. Despite Shane's impending insanity, a barn full of walkers, and a certain redneck that despite all my intentions was still getting under my skin, seeing Addy like her caring and outgoing self made my day.

Carol and Lori insisted they didn't need help with dinner, and when Addy and I tried to sneak upstairs to play Yahtzee, Willa intercepted her daughter and explained that she was still in trouble for following Daryl and I. Addy had another three weeks of folding laundry and writing a research paper on the dangers of sun exposure, courtesy of Hershel's encyclopedias. While Addy went to our room to work on her research paper with Willa, Lori and Carol working diligently in the kitchen, Patricia and Hershel tending to the field, I was left to my own devices. Of course, I hadn't had a hobby since I was in the fifth grade other than studying and running, so I felt a little lost. Both Sophia and Carl were doing well, currently resting, so checking up on them wouldn't be helpful.

I started to walk towards the back of the house where Hershel's office was when Shane approached me. He looked slightly more annoyed than he was earlier when he was speaking to Dale, but not as manic as the night Ottis died.

"You say something to Dale?" He asked me, his eyes narrow and his tone harsh. He scratched the back of his neck as he waited for an answer. "Well?"

I knew what he was pertaining to, and no I hadn't, but he didn't need to know that. "You're going to have to be a bit more specific."

He slammed his hand on the wall, blocking my view from the rest of the house as he leaned into me. "Don't play dumb with me, girl," he spat.

"I don't know who you think you are-,"

"I'm the guy who keeps people alive."

"Except for Ottis," I countered, not falling for his police officer tactics. My eyes narrowed back at him as I stood my ground. I was just hoping he couldn't hear my heart beating rapidly in my chest.

"You weren't with us," he said through gritted teeth.

"I was there long enough to know that it was odd that you had his gun when he was supposedly covering you." I paused. "I'm no cop, Shane, so tell me how does that work?"

He slammed his hand against the wall again and this time, he got into my face. "You don't know a damn thing."

I scoffed at his level of sheer ignorance. I may not have known Shane well, but I knew people like him. He was a psychopath in a uniform. "I know more than you think."

He grabbed the back of my neck and pulled me closer to his face so that our noses were touching. I grabbed onto his wrist and clawed at the skin with both of my hands, but he wasn't phased. "You keep quiet." He yanked my head back and grabbed my face with his other hand. "You're not dumb, you'll know what'll happen if you tell Hershel what you think you know. He'll send us away and Carl and Sophia will suffer for it."

I could feel my legs start to tremble under his rough grip. This was not the situation I had anticipated. He was more unpredictable than I thought, and that made Shane lethal. I was mind blown that he had the audacity to pull this in Hershel's house. "Let go of me," I hissed.

"Ain't that why you've kept your pretty little mouth shut? For them?" He asked, ignoring my feeble demand.

I hated to admit it, but he had that part figured out. He was smarter than I had given him credit for, and that made me nervous. I began to struggle under his hands, but he was adamant about getting an answer from me.

"Hey," a familiar voice said from our right, out of Hershel's office. "What the hell is goin' on?" I recognized the voice, it was Daryl's. "Get yur hands off her."

With Shane looking in Daryl's direction, I kneed Shane in the groin. He fell forward, on his knees, holding his crotch. "You stupid bitch."

I turned to Daryl, and bit my bottom lip to keep tears from spilling down my face. He looked downright furious as he stepped closer to Shane with his chest bowed out.

"What the fuck, man?" Daryl asked, his tone deadly.

Shane pulled himself up. "Mind your own business, redneck," I heard Shane say as I pushed my way out the side door.

I had to get out of that hallway, out of that house. Daryl and Shane could have their dick measuring contest without me there to witness it. My mind

was being pulled in a million directions as I tried to focus on simpler things. Addy's first time walking came to mind, completing my first marathon, and the way Daryl Dixon calls me 'Cherry'.

I leaned against the side of the house and tried not to swoon any harder over the misogynistic redneck and the way kept Shane in line. I honestly couldn't tell what it was about Daryl; I think it was everything about him. The way his muscular arms glistened with sweat in the sun, his incredibly tough exterior but how he cared deeply for the group, his refusal to do anything that he didn't want to, and his arms. He has really good arms.

"Charlie," Lori called out to me, bringing me back to reality.

I cleared my throat, trying not to blush from my thoughts about Daryl. "Uh, yeah?"

"Can I talk to you?" She asked. "In private."

The look on her face was nothing short of pure fear as she squeezed her hands together tightly. She looked lost, but in a way in which she was trying to find her way. Lori was seen as the unofficial first lady of Rick's group, so to me, this was strange to see her so vulnerable. She made sure that she kept her fears bottled up, away from Carl, from Rick, and from the rest of the group. As she stood before me, she tossed all appearances to the side. I got the feeling that she didn't want to talk about chores, but something else entirely more dire.

...

So I know I kept Sophia alive in this story. I never liked how she died in the show, so this was my way of "fixing" it.

I know a lot happened in this chapter, but I wanted to keep the momentum moving. I'm trying to stay as true to the story line as possible (with Sophia being alive).

This is a true slow burn for Daryl and Charlie, but it's going to pick up soon. You'll see their relationship start to come together, I promise. Please, just stick with me for a little longer!

Let me know if you have any suggestions or questions, please!