Three days ago Carol had cut off Shiloh's hand. He had lost consciousness quickly and hadn't gained it back. On top of this he had developed a fever. Carol had been telling the group it was completely normal, but no one wanted to listen. Gerald had actually told Carol, as they moved Shiloh to a bed, that he would kill her if Shiloh died. She had barely managed to not to roll her eyes.
Everyone was giving her the cold shoulder, even Pam who was so welcoming in the beginning. It stung but she guessed, under the circumstances she would react the same.
She was sitting on the side of Shiloh's bed when he started to moan and thrash. Without missing a beat Carol took her knife out, ready to do what had to be done.
The episode was over quickly however, and when Carol felt his forehead she knew that his fever had broken. The relief she felt made her head swim.
Carol wasn't sure if the group knew or even cared, she could hear them. She could hear every word though, as they talked about what to do when Shiloh died. Carol sat and listened until she was distracted by a quiet "You saved me again."
Carol gave Shiloh a soft smile. "You really should work on that," Carol teased, running her fingers gently through his hair.
"How do you feel?" she questioned after a bit.
"It hurts so much," Shiloh answered looking where his hand used to be. "I don't really remember you doing it though," he continued quietly "I remember you raising your hatchet and me screaming and then seeing you standing over me a couple of times," he finally finished.
They sat in a companionable silence while Carol let things settle in for the younger man. "I found you some painkillers, and by found I do mean stole from someone's bag."
Shiloh smirked "I won't tell if you don't," he said laughing a little.
"I'm going to tell the others you're awake," Carol said moving to stand. Shiloh grabbed her hand with his.
"Thank you," he said quietly, with a gentle squeeze.
Carol smiled and gave him a squeeze back, going to the curtain dividing the sleeping area and the common area. She pulled it aside startling the group inside.
"He's awake," she stated simply.
She had to step to the side quickly to keep from getting knocked down. She went in the opposite direction of the group and headed outside. She needed the fresh air.
As she stepped outside she made a mental note to talk to the others about putting people on watch, when she saw that there was no one outside. They were behind a fence, but she had seen people carelessly leaving the gate open several times in the short time she had been there. The group seemed to do very little to protect themselves.
She was sitting outside in a chair with her feet propped on a crate, when she heard the sound of multiple feet shuffling in her direction. She had just put her hand on her knife when she saw Gerald round the corner, followed by Pam and Hank. They all looked a little guilty.
Carol relaxed back into her chair and watched them approach. Pam was carrying a bowl and her stomach growled. Since the incident they hadn't offered her any food. She had been munching on the leftover jerky she had in her bag, but that had run out early yesterday.
The trio stopped beside her and Pam wordlessly passed her the bowl of food. She took it and dug in immediately.
"We're sorry," Hank was the first to speak. "We were all more than a little freaked out," he continued "we haven't dealt with anything like that before. We thought for sure he couldn't survive that," he finished, actually kicking the dirt like a small child.
Carol decided not to point out the fact that Gerald had been about to shoot Shiloh. She decided it was best not to push her luck, definitely when good food was involved.
Gerald was the next to speak up "I think we've been a little sheltered here. I think maybe it's making us too soft," he looked at the ground "you've saved four of our own. One of em' twice," he finished shoulders slumped.
When it was evident he wasn't going to say anything else Pam took her turn. "We had no right to judge you, not after you saved the idiots in the woods."
Hank opened his mouth to defend himself, but was cut off by what Carol could only describe as the "mom" look from Pam. He just ended up crossing his arm and muttering under his breath, pouting impressively.
Carol actually laughed at the man, causing him to pout even more. Carol had finished her meal while the others had been talking. "Well I'm not one to hold a grudge, so if you promise not to string me to a tree and let the deadies get me," she paused letting the group know she had heard them talking, "then I have some ideas on how to help."
The others were all looking at the ground, all properly put in their place.
Daryl watched people in the yard from his perch on the tower. The woman who had given him the information on Carol was playing a game of chase with her daughter. The two were giggling and dancing around each other. He couldn't help the smile that pulled at his lips.
Since getting back from his failed search for Carol, he had mostly been keeping to himself, spending most of his time on watch. He knew it was wrong to avoid the group, he just didn't deserve to be happy right now.
He couldn't help feeling like a failure when it came to Carol. He failed in keeping her with the family and he failed in bringing her back.
He thought of her often. He missed her more than he thought possible. When they had found each other in the woods after Terminus, he had never been so happy. He had acted on pure instinct when he ran to her. Knowing he needed to be as close to her as possible. He had been shocked when she had held him just as hard.
He was often confused by their relationship, but knew he was happiest when she was near him. Now without her, again, he just felt lost.
One Month Later/ 8 Months after Carol Left
It had taken Carol a couple of weeks to get into the swing of things with the new group. Cutting off someone's arm wasn't always the best way to start a new relationship. It had saved Shiloh's life, so as soon as everyone calmed down she was a full-fledged member of the group.
She had taught the group ways to be safer on runs. Gotten them all used to being armed at all times, even just walking around the building. She taught them all the things that had become so second nature to her. She had even talked them into putting up guards outside.
Now she was sitting in the truck waiting for the others to finish their goodbyes. Leaving took forever, with everyone having a five minute goodbye. She was used to just a quick be safe and being on your way.
When everyone was packed in they set off. Everyone was nervous because this was the first overnight trip for the group. They were traveling out further than they ever had. The group consisted of Misty, Hank, Dawn, and a man Carol was unfamiliar with, but his name was Dusty. He was young and Cocky, but seemed OK enough.
Carol watched the landscape fly past the window. She could hear the others in the truck bed laughing and joking. Hank was quiet beside her. She knew he was still slightly uncomfortable around her from how the Shiloh situation had been handled.
Sometime later he finally spoke. "I actually had to talk Shiloh out of coming. He's biting at the bit to be more helpful."
Carol chuckled, "He's a tough kid."
"Oh lord, don't let him hear you call him a kid," Hank said dramatically. "He'll make you set down for a thirty minute presentation on why he's not a child."
"How old is he actually?" Carol asked curious now.
Hank thought for a minute. "He's barely nineteen at this point I guess. I was friends with his brother. Shiloh used to be the tag along. Shiloh watched his whole family literally be ripped apart. He was still covered in their blood when he saved me from the same fate. We've been surviving together since then," his story was cut short by the sight in front of them.
Across the road in front of them was four bodies. They had obviously been meticulously laid out as they were head to feet in a grotesque roadblock. The truck was close enough that Carol could see the gunshot wounds to the forehead that had caused the deaths.
She heard Hanks door open, but grabbed his arm before he stepped out. "Wait."
In the woods beyond the bodies she could see movement. It looked as if the wind was blowing the leaves but there was no wind today. "Have you ever shot anyone with that gun?" Carol asked in a voice much calmer than what she was feeling.
Hank gave her a questioning look, but shook his head no. He was about to ask why when gun shots rang out causing him to jump.
"Give me the gun," Carol said quickly.
He immediately passed it to her, watching as she opened the door and stepped out. "Get down. I'm about to do something stupid," she said as she moved to take cover by the truck, crouching in front of the tire.
Just before getting out Carol had seen the two gunmen, both were wearing ghillie suits. Laying down on the ground Carol moved to where she could aim around the front of the truck. She hoped by staying low she could take them by surprise. It was a bad idea but all she had at the moment.
She fired off her first shot and yanked her arm back as the dirt in front of her exploded with bullets. She jumped again when she heard gun shots from behind her, but then remembered she had seen a gun on Dusty's waist. She took the diversion of Dusty firing to move further out of her cover to see where her targets were. They both seemed distracted by Dusty for the moment so she took a shot. She managed to hit the closest suited man in the shoulder, causing him to grunt in pain and turn in her direction. She had just enough time to let off another round hitting him in the cheek, immediately she pulled the trigger again and this time hit her mark. He fell immediately.
His companion let out an enraged cry, which was cut short from one of Dusty's bullets. He fell to the ground but was still moving. Carol could hear his gasping breaths. Carol stood and watched as Dusty moved to the suited man's side. He pointed his gun at the man's forehead and pulled the trigger.
When everything was silent again, Carol became aware of sobs coming from the truck. She moved quickly to the back. The tailgate was down and she could see Hank in the back holding his blood stained hands over a wound in Mistys chest. The woman was breathing heavily and staring at the sky. Dawn was kneeling beside her hold her hand and sobbing. Carol turned her back, giving the family some privacy. She knew it would be over quickly.
Carol had been surprised when the group had decided to move on. They had taken Mistys body to a large field that she had loved and buried her there. It had been a surprisingly beautiful moment.
As they drove now, Carol's mind kept wandering to the family she left. She thought of them often, wondering what they were doing, if they had found a new home. Wondering if they missed her as much as she did them.
Daryl's face flashed in her mind. Him hugging her after Terminus, the complete shock of feeling him in her arms. Feeling him holding onto her for dear life, it had been amazing. She craved to feel that again, but knew that this was easier.
