The Places We Hide
Chapter 6
Pairing: Daryl x OC
Rating: M
Location: On the Road
"Are we going to talk about what happened back there?" Harper had waited almost half an hour before she decided to bring it up. The caravan had stopped a little ways away from the CDC to decide on a new plan. They decided to give Shane's idea a try and were now going south of Atlanta to see if Fort Benning was still standing.
"Which part?" Daryl asked, biting his thumb nail, keeping his eyes trained on the station wagon in front of him.
"The part where I went to your room and you were drunk."
Daryl grunted and let his hand fall away from him mouth.
"Nothin' ta talk about."
"Really? Because you were acting really weird at breakfast, and I don't want you stewing about something and it coming between us." Harper crossed her arms and shifted her body in her seat so she was almost facing him.
"I's drunk. Like I said, nothin' ta talk about."
"Fine. I'm not going to make you talk about it. I wasn't mad; I just didn't want you to regret anything once you were sober." Having said her peace, Harper turned back in her seat to face toward. Daryl glanced at her from the corner of his eye and looked like he wanted to say something, but up ahead, the RV started honking and slowing down.
Everyone pulled over and got out to see what was going on.
"I don't think we're going to make it to Fort Benning with all the cars we have. It's time to siphon the gas and leave a couple behind. Maybe the truck and Jeep; they aren't as fuel efficient," Rick announced once everyone was gathered.
Harper saw Daryl shrug and nod. "I can ride Merle's bike." Harper felt a pang in her chest; he was putting distance between them now. She thought about riding with the others and it just didn't feel right to her.
"I can leave the Jeep behind. There's maybe half a tank in it we can take," Shane offered, giving Rick a quick smile. Slimy bastard.
While some of the guys got to siphoning gas from the cars they were leaving and from a few that were littered around, Harper grabbed her things from the truck and hauled them to the RV.
"Need a hand?" Dale popped up next to her and grabbed one of the bags.
"I'm pretty mad at you now that I've gotten over almost losing you," Harper said, voice soft so no one would overhear her.
"I'm sorry, Harper, but I couldn't leave them, especially Andrea behind. She was grieving and making a decision when her head wasn't level."
"So you were going to die with her then?" Harper asked, tossing her things inside and facing Dale again.
"I was hoping it wouldn't come to that and it didn't," Dale said in a calm voice.
"But it could have. And then I would have been left here without you." Her words were coming out like word vomit, this being the first time they've been able to talk to each other since leaving the CDC.
"You're strong, Harper. You'll survive long after I'm gone, and you have Daryl with you. Andrea doesn't have anyone else now," Dale mumbled, "I see you girls like my own. I only want to see you succeed out here."
Harper huffed but knew she couldn't stay mad at him. What he said was true, but looking over at Daryl, she didn't know exactly where they stood with each other. Dale noticed where she was looking and sighed.
"Trouble in paradise?" Snapping back to face him, Harper tensed.
"What'd you mean? There's nothing going on between us." Dale held his hands up in surrender.
"I didn't mean anything by it. You two are usually attached at the hip so I'm a little curious why you're not over there with him, talking his ear off." Harper leaned against the RV with a soft sigh.
"Things are a little awkward right now. That's all."
"Really? Because it looks like he's trying to get your attention," Dale told her, nodding his head in Daryl's direction. Harper glanced up and saw said man quickly look away and bite his thumb nail.
"I need to get him to stop doing that. Dead giveaway that something's bothering him," Harper mumbled and pushed herself off the RV to walk over to him. She told Dale a quick goodbye and joined Daryl by the bed of the truck. He'd managed to get Merle's bike down and loaded the side bags with some supplies.
"What's up, Dixon?" His eyes were shifting from her to the RV then to the bike and back.
"Ya not gonna ride with me?" He asked, almost a whisper like he didn't really want her to hear his question. It floored Harper.
"I uh didn't think you wanted me to."
"What?" Daryl actually looked confused by her answer and Harper laughed, all her insecurities washing away. She patted Daryl's arm and nodded.
"Yeah, I'm riding with you." Daryl nodded and watched her pull her long hair up in a messy bun, blonde strands falling loose around her face.
"I haven't been on the back of a motorcycle since I dated a bad boy in college. My brother lost his mind when he found out," Harper added causing Daryl to smirk. He grabbed his crossbow and put it on Harper.
"Too hard ta keep it on with ya behind me." That was all he said and swung his leg over the bike to get settled and start it. Harper lightly fingered the strap running across her chest, realizing again how much he trusted her to be able to handle one of his prized possessions. Following his lead, she threw her leg over the bike and settled down behind him.
She was flush against him; this was the closest they'd ever been to each other. Eyeing his clothed back, she thought back to the scars she'd seen back at the quarry but pushed those memories away. If Daryl wanted her to know, he'd tell her in his own time.
She let her hands rest on his sides and saw his ears pink up at her touch. It was endearing to see him get embarrassed over little things like that.
"Are you sad about leaving your truck behind?" Harper asked as he drove them over to Rick's station wagon.
"Nah, jus' a truck."
"Bet you lost your virginity in it," Harper teased, wanting to get him worked up. She liked seeing his ears turn red. Which they did. Even more than they already were.
"Oh my God. You did!" She laughed with an easy smile on her lips.
"Shaddup."
Harper quieted down and listened to Rick explain the route he and Glenn decided on. The straightest shot with the least amount of mileage.
"Daryl, will you and Harper lead? You'll be able to see ahead if there are any hazards," Rick said. Daryl nodded and looked at the map again so he could remember the highways they were wanting to take.
"Hey, D?" Daryl turned his head so he could look back at his blonde companion. "You'd tell me if you were planning on going off on your own, right?" Harper didn't want to go to Fort Benning; her last experience with the military wasn't the greatest, but Daryl hadn't objected to the group's new plan.
"Don' worry, Princess. I ain't leavin' ya," He mumbled and watched everyone start piling into the two cars left. Harper nodded and let her cheek rest against his shoulder. Rick gave him a thumbs up when they were ready and Daryl picked his feet up as he started accelerating. Harper wrapped her arms around him and left her head where it was resting and closed her eyes, trusting Daryl to keep them safe.
Harper didn't know how long had passed before she felt Daryl start to slow down. She peeked over his shoulder and saw the car pile up ahead; a semi was even on its side, blocking a good section of the interstate.
"Is the RV going to fit?" Harper asked.
"Let's see." Harper looked behind them and saw the others stop while they went on ahead. Daryl carefully weaved through the wreckage and turned back to tell them it was okay to pass through.
"Did you find a way through?" Dale asked from the RV. Daryl nodded and turned again to lead them. They'd only made it a little ways in when Harper heard the sputtering and air hissing behind her.
"Daryl, hold up. There's something wrong with the RV again." Daryl stopped the bike and glanced back at the white smoke billowing from somewhere under the hood. He cut the engine and helped Harper get off, lifting his crossbow off her at the same time. Her legs were tingling from sitting for so long. She attempted to rub some feeling back into them as Daryl started looking in nearby cars for supplies while the others argued about what to do.
Eventually everyone was spread out, siphoning gas and gathering what they needed. Harper was going through a trunk, looking for anything useful and grabbed what she thought was a cloth. Her hands gently unfolded the baby onesie; the white cotton covered with soft pink flowers.
Looking into the backseat, she saw the handle of a car seat and suddenly felt sick to her stomach. Flies buzzed inside the car and the smell of rot filled her nose. She dropped the onesie and took several steps back, taking deep breaths as she went.
She'd never thought about the children and babies that passed when all this happened. The only walkers she'd seen so far were adults. Her stomach lurched again and she felt like gagging.
Daryl appeared at her side having seen her from a few cars away. He didn't have to say anything, but Harper just shook her head and took a few more breaths.
"I'm fine. I was just caught off guard." Daryl squinted his eyes at her and looked back at the car. It took a second for him to see the onesie that she'd dropped on the ground. Daryl looked back down at her, the question still showing on his face.
"I'm fine. Promise. I just had to take a second."
"Get under the cars!" Rick spoke quickly, jogging down the highway. Harper and Daryl saw him pushing Lori and the kids under a few cars up ahead of them. They quickly heard the snarls and groans of several walkers getting closer.
Daryl reacted first. Like usual. He grabbed Harper by the elbow and shoved her under the car next to them, quickly following after her. He was practically on top of her so that neither of them could be seen from the outside.
Harper must have made a noise without realizing it when the first foot appeared by them because Daryl's hand came out and clamped over her mouth, silencing her. Her heart was in her throat as they watched the amount of walkers ambling past them; it was never ending.
Daryl's eyes were narrowed, his head constantly swiveling to check all the corners, making sure none of the walkers were sneaking up on them. Harper's hand came up to cover Daryl's that was still cupped over her mouth, needing his stability.
Her blue eyes darted around, trying to find their group members. Her breath caught in her throat when she saw T-Dog bleeding profusely and stumbling away from the walkers. Squeezing Daryl's hand, she got his attention and pointed over to T-Dog.
"Shit," Daryl hissed in her ear. "Don't move." He waited for a break in the shuffling feet around him and rolled away from her and ran over to T-Dog. They disappeared behind another set of cars, and Harper suddenly felt chillingly alone. She couldn't see anyone else, only the endless parade of undead feet.
Inching her fingers down, she let them rest on the hilt of her knife, making sure it was still there in case she needed to use it now that Daryl was gone. There was a banging sound next to her and she turned just in time to see a walker falling down after tripping over a piece of debris in the road.
The walker groaned and moved to push itself back up, but its milky eyes found Harper under the car and started inching towards her, its jaw snapping in hunger. Harper's eyes widened, but she forced herself to remain silent. Her fumbling fingers undid the snap on the knife holster and she brought the knife up close to her face.
The walker kept dragging itself closer to her, snarling and reaching its grimy fingers out for her. Its putrid smell filled her nose, but she kept waiting until it was close enough for her to strike out. Plunging the knife forward, Harper imbedded the blade into the walker's eye, watching the body still and lay motionless on the concrete.
Harper pulled the knife free and checked all four corners like Daryl had done. None of the other walkers seemed to noticed this one crawling under the car and kept walking past it.
She waited several more minutes, waiting to see if any walkers were falling behind the main group. The walker she killed was suddenly yanked back and out from under the car, startling Harper enough to make her gasp.
Daryl's anxious face appeared and he let out the breath he was holding. He reached under the car and helped Harper crawl out.
"Ya good?"
"Yeah. I had to take care of an uninvited guest. Where's T-Dog?"
"Over here. Not lookin' so good," Daryl said and led her over to the half conscious man propped up against the RV. Jacqui was already next to him with the first aid kit in her hands. Harper took one look at him and grabbed her kit and started treating his arm.
"Sophia!" They all looked up and over to see Rick running into the trees and disappearing. Daryl hesitated, looking down at Harper and T-Dog.
"Go! We'll be fine here," Harper said, holding pressure on T-Dog's arm, making him wince in pain. Daryl nodded and took off after Rick, jumping over the guardrail and disappearing into the foliage.
"T-Dog, wake up. Hold pressure on your arm; I'm getting the needle ready." T-Dog blinked and grabbed the shirt wrapped around his forearm and held it as tightly as he could. Jacqui tried to help him and kept speaking softly, attempting to keep him coherent.
"Glenn! I need you!" The boy turned and ran over to them when he saw all the blood covering T-Dog's shirt.
"Did he get bit?!"
"No, he cut his arm open on a car. Help him hold pressure." Glenn grabbed T-Dog's arm as the other man finally passed out from blood loss. Jacqui kept a hold on his other hand and rubbed it soothingly even though he was no longer conscious. Harper unwrapped his arm and threw the sutures in as quickly as possible to slow the bleeding.
Glenn grew pale but stayed by her side, handing things she asked for. Harper finally wrapped T-Dog's arm with a clean bandage and looked around. Daryl and Rick were still gone. Clenching her teeth, she sucked down her pride.
"Shane! Will you help us move T-Dog into the RV?" Shane eyed her suspiciously but kept quiet and helped Glenn move their friend inside and down on the bed in the back so he could sleep it off.
"Glenn, come with me. We're gonna see if they're on their way back with Sophia." Shane took Glenn and headed in the direction the other two men had gone. Carol was a mess, standing at the guardrail, never taking her eyes away from the trees, keeping her arms wrapped around herself.
Seeing Jacqui stay inside the RV to watch over T-Dog, Harper joined Carol, reaching out to squeeze her shoulder. Carol glanced at her from the side of her eye and forced a teary smile. Harper let her hand fall back down and didn't promise that Sophia would be found, but she stayed next to her, giving her silent support.
Shane and Glenn came back a few minutes later with an update.
"Rick killed the walkers that were after Sophia, but he and Daryl are still trying to find her. Daryl found some tracks and they're following them. In the meantime, we need to be getting ready to leave once they do find her."
Harper watched the panic set in for Carol, but the older woman remained silent and stood her ground by the guardrail. Everyone slowly walked away to start going through the cars to look for more supplies.
Eventually, Harper left Carol too. She grabbed an empty bag and started combing through cars, looking for medications and supplies the group may not think are important right now. She found things like sunscreen, vitamins - no telling if they're going to have enough food to fulfill how much they really need - different painkillers and antibiotics.
It wasn't until the sun was beginning to set that Harper looked up from the trunk of a car and realized how much time had passed. She glanced to the treeline, but there still wasn't any sight of their missing campers. Carol was still standing along the guardrail, a distant look in her eyes.
Sighing, Harper heaved her bag over her shoulder and carried it back to the RV. She let it drop in front of Glenn and smiled.
"I found a lot of medical supplies in a car over there. I think the driver was a doctor of some kind. There's even some antibiotics." Glenn crouched down and rummaged through her bag, smiling a little more.
"Yeah, this is awesome. I couldn't find some of these things when I went of my runs." Glenn picked the bag up and took it inside the RV.
"How's the hose coming, Dale?" The old man peeked around the front of the RV. He wiped his sweaty brow and moved so Harper could join him, looking at the engine.
"I think we've finally found a match. This one will at least last and doesn't need all the duct tape like the last one."
"They're back!" Harper and Dale turned to the trees, seeing Rick and Daryl emerge. Her heart sank not seeing Sophia with them. Harper jogged to the edge of the highway and immediately wrapped an arm around Carol's shoulders, seeing her swaying on her feet.
"Her trail went cold. We'll pick up again in the morning," Rick said softly, his face full of emotion. Carol shook her head and leaned into Harper a little more.
"We can't leave my baby out there in the dark," She sobbed. Daryl made eye contact with Harper before settling back on Carol.
"Out in the dark's no good. We'd jus' be trippin' over ourselves, more people gettin' lost." Carol stepped away from Harper, clearly getting more agitated.
"She's a child! She's only twelve-" Her voice cracked on a sob.
"Carol, I know this is hard, but please try not to panic. Daryl is better in the woods than any of us; he's going to be overseeing this. We know she's out there, and none of the walkers we took down had been near her," Rick tried to comfort her.
"How can you be sure?" Andrea's voice grated on Harper's nerves and she saw how tense Carol got when she asked that question. The men were silent for a minute.
"We cut the sumbitches open. Made sure," Daryl's deep voice filled the quiet highway. Carol sobbed again, starting to breathe a little faster. Harper stepped forward again and directed her to the guardrail.
"Sit down, Carol." Harper crouched down in front of her, "Look at me. Take some deep breaths. It won't do any good to have you passing out on us." Carol nodded, tears streaking down her face, attempting to slow her breathing. Lori came over and helped Carol up and walked her to the RV to get her to rest.
Harper stood and faced Rick, but he shook his head and took a step back. Turning, he stalked away without another word. The group dispersed and left only Harper and Daryl.
"You okay?" Daryl nodded and thumbed the string of his crossbow. He looked lost and it tugged at her chest. Reaching out slowly, she grabbed his free hand and gently tugged him along. This wasn't the first time she'd grabbed his hand, and she was still surprised that he never pulled away from her touch.
"Let's go figure out where we're sleeping tonight. There's not enough room in the RV for everyone."
The sun was low on horizon when she and Daryl decided on a pick up truck near the RV. They laid a couple of blankets down in the bed of the pick up and settled against the cab so that they were still able to sit and see the quiet highway.
"You wanna talk about it?" Daryl refused to look at her and just crossed his arms over his chest.
"Shouldn't of run off like that." Harper assumed he was referring to Sophia, and it didn't look like he was open to saying much of anything else. She knew Daryl cared about the group, especially the kids, even if he tried not to show it.
"Gonna sleep tonight?" She asked instead of the other questions buzzing in her head. Daryl just shrugged and gestured towards the RV where they could both hear Carol mourning Sophia. Her cries had grown louder in the past hour, and Harper was worried it may draw in more walkers to them.
They sat there. Listening to Carol and the crickets.
"I'm goin' back out there," Daryl announced, standing and grabbing his bow. Harper was up in two seconds, climbing out of the truck behind him.
"I'm going with you this time. No more leaving me behind." Daryl paused and looked down at her, but he relented and jerked his head in the direction of the trees.
"Where're you two going?" Dale asked from his perch atop the RV.
"For a walk. Getting some air and gonna look around a little more," Harper called and scurried after Daryl before Dale could say anything else. Daryl tossed an industrial flashlight to Harper and let her be the one to lead the way into the dark. He was close to her, eyes alert and taking in their surroundings.
"This reminds me of hunting with my older brother," Harper said softly as they walked, swinging the light around to check for walkers or Sophia.
"Ya never talk about yer family," Daryl commented.
"Neither do you."
Silence. Harper chanced a glance and saw his angular face tense. "His name is Lucas." Daryl's eyes shot to her and back to the path they were making.
"He's a few years older than me; probably thirty by now… He was my best friend growing up, always looking out for me, chasing boys off. Typical protective older brother. He taught me to hunt, shoot a gun. He even snuck me out on Friday nights and let me drive his truck before I had a license."
"Sounds like a good guy."
"The best…" Harper trailed off, seeing Lucas' wide smile in her mind. She'd hadn't stopped before now to really think about her family and what could have happened to them. "He was my hero growing up; he protected me from some pretty bad stuff." Harper grew quiet and wrapped her arms around herself, getting lost in bad memories.
"Yer dad?" Harper was surprised that Daryl was actually continuing the conversation, but she couldn't blame him. She was equally curious about his past.
Clearing her throat she finally replied, "No. My uncle when I was younger and later an ex that wouldn't take no for an answer. He was always there for me, but he lived further north. When I tried calling after the hospital was raided, the call kept dropping. I couldn't get ahold of him or our parents. I don't know what happened to them."
She didn't think that Daryl would say anything else, but he continued to surprise her. "Merle's an ass, but he tried his best ta look after me. My ma died in a house fire; left her cig lit next ta her bed. My pa was a mean drunk." Daryl's eyes glazed over a bit as they walked before he came back to the present.
"Took his anger out on us. When Merle left fer the military, it was jus' me and Pa. Left me the marks ta remember 'im by. Merle came back and I never saw the man again."
"Guess I need to give Merle a little more credit when we see him again," Harper said, trying to lighten the mood.
"Nah, he'll deny bein' a nice guy," Daryl snorted.
"How far did you and Rick go today?" She asked, looking at the unfamiliar area around them.
"Little east of here. It's quiet now."
"What are the chances of us finding her?"
"Not likely, but I ain't stoppin' 'til we have proof she's gone," Daryl said firmly. Harper nodded and move the light again to check their sides.
"I just can't imagine a child out here on their own."
"Hell I was a lot younger than her and got lost in the woods. Nine days, nothin' but berries and wipin' my ass with poison oak. Made my way back home 'ventually. Kids can survive out here; I did but my ass itched somethin' awful when I got home."
Harper bust out laughing, looking at Daryl's lips twitching up on one side.
They combed through the trees for another hour before making their way back to the camp. By the time they reached the guardrail, Shane had taken up watch on top of the RV and Carol was silent inside. Shane watched the pair walk back but kept his eyes mostly on the road.
"C'mon, Princess. Get in the truck, no time for fightin' tonight." Harper wanted to shoved Daryl away but his reflexes were too fast and he was already a few steps out of her reach when she tried.
She settled down on the blankets in the bed of the pickup and waited for Daryl to do the same, but he remained sitting above her on the roof of the cab. His boot clad feet dangled near where she lay, but she didn't say anything and let him stay up to keep watch over them. He'd sleep when he was ready to.
The next day, they'd split into a couple of groups to keep looking for Sophia with Dale staying back with T-Dog, who he recovering from his injury, and Jacqui stayed to help the men out. Rick and Shane took Carl off in one direction; Harper wasn't sure why Lori was okay with her husband and ex-lover being alone with her son, but it was Lori's choice, not hers.
Daryl was leading their group which consisted of Andrea, Lori, Glenn and Carol. They'd only been separated for a few hours and they heard a gunshot ring through the air. Everyone paused and looked in the direction it sounded like it came from.
"Do you think that was Rick and Shane?" Carol asked, softly.
"They wouldn't have used a gun to put a walker down," Lori said, eyes wide, looking into the trees like they would suddenly get an answer. Harper and Daryl made eye contact and moved to keep walking.
"Need ta keep movin'." The rest slowly turned and followed behind Daryl again, but a new tension filled the air due to the unknown gunshot.
It wasn't more than thirty minutes when they heard what sounded like a horse galloping. They all stopped again and saw a woman riding up to them.
"Lori Grimes?!"
"I'm Lori."
"Rick sent me. You need to come with me. There's been an accident; Carl was shot." Lori almost fell over at the news.
"He was shot?" Harper asked, joining Lori in front of the new woman.
"He's still alive, but you need to come now!" Lori was already ripping her backpack off to climb onto the horse behind the woman.
"Woah! Ya can't get on that horse. We don't even know her!" Daryl yelled, but Lori ignored him.
"Rick also said to make sure Harper came. Backtrack to Fairburn road from the highway. Two miles down is the our farm. Mailbox says Greene." Just like that, the woman took off with Lori behind her.
"Daryl," Harper whispered. He nodded and they began running back to the highway, the others trying to keep up behind them. They made it back in record time; Dale almost had a heart attack when they burst through the foliage. Glenn and Andrea filled him in as Harper grabbed her backpack filled with medications and supplies and jumped on Daryl's motorcycle behind him.
"You guys come whenever you get the chance!" Harper called over the roar of the bike's engine. Daryl kicked off the asphalt and sped down the highway like they were told. Harper held on for dear life and hoped they made it there in time to help.
They spotted the mailbox and turned down the dirt road. A large, white farmhouse came into view. Harper could see Lori and Rick standing on the porch.
Rick heard the motorcycle before he saw it; relief flooding his body when he saw Harper sitting behind Daryl. Daryl slowed the bike to a stop and let Harper leap off it, running up the stairs to Rick.
Rick's emotions spilled over and he pulled her into his arms. Carl was stable, but knowing that Harper was there to help too calmed more of his fears. Harper wrapped her arms around him in return and held him tightly.
"Is he okay?" Rick nodded mutely into her neck. He finally released her and ushered her into the room where Carl was laid up in the bed.
Harper quickly assessed him, taking in his pale, sweaty form. She took her backpack off and opened it, going through a few supplies they may need.
"Harper this is Hershel. He's a vet and treated Carl when we got here. Hershel, this is Harper; she's an ER nurse." The old man shook her hand and wished they were meeting under different circumstances. Harper quickly asked what all he'd done so far.
"Good. Good. We need to treat his fever then. I found some antibiotics that could help. He might need a blood transfusion too; his lips are too pale." Harper reached out and pushed Carl's lower lip down, seeing that his gums were also a pale pink.
"Rick has the same blood type and we did a transfusion a little while ago," Hershel told her.
"Let's wait another hour and see if he improves. If not, I'm O-negative and can give him some of mine too."
Rick stood in the doorway, watching the two talk about what to do for Carl and felt a hand on his shoulder; Daryl finally joined them inside. The hunter frowned when he saw the state Carl was in. His eyes followed Harper's movements as she went from looking over Carl to grabbing things from her bag; things Daryl had no idea what to do with.
"So when Shane and Otis come back, they'll have the extra supplies for surgery? I was oriented to our trauma OR so I can assist you. I've been present for several operations for internal bleeding."
"Patricia usually helps me, but it would do well to have someone who knows human anatomy as well. Animals tend to be built slightly different," Hershel tried to say lightly. Harper nodded and finally stood up and walked outside with the rest of the group.
"Can uh can this be fixed. Realistically?" Rick finally asked. Lori hiccuped and turned to a window to avoid looking at the rest of them.
"If we were in a sterile OR with the proper medical team and equipment, I would say yes. But in a bedroom that we will make as sterile as possible with a veterinarian and a sometimes OR nurse, I would still say his odds are better than most. The fact that he's stable is a good sign; we just need Shane to hurry up and get back before his abdomen gets anymore distended."
Rick nodded and thanked her again before ushering Lori back into the room with Carl. Daryl leaned against a wall and rubbed the toe of his boot against the wood floor of the sitting room.
"Ya think he'll make it?"
"I hope he will. I didn't lie about his odds being better, but they still aren't the best. The chance of him developing an infection from all this is pretty high too." Harper leaned against the wall, letting her arm brush Daryl's.
"The kid don't deserve it."
"No. He doesn't." Harper looked at the closed door and frowned further. Carl held a soft spot in her heart, and seeing him helpless in that bed destroyed her. He sought her out when they were still at the quarry, he confided in her, he trusted her. She would do everything she could to make sure he pulled through.
Note: This chapter is longer than the others; it ran away from me and I couldn't decide where to end it. But you got a peek into Harper's past. That's just the tip of the iceberg, and there will be more to come later.
Leave a review and tell me what you think! I like the idea of Harper becoming a confidant for Rick. We'll see (:
~LL