Two days after the CDC went up in flames the group had decided to drop vehicles to conserve fuel. First was the beat up old ford that Daryl and Zoey rode around in, giving Daryl an excuse to ride Merle's bike. That forced Zoey to find another ride. Originally she was going to ride with Rick and Lori so she could continue to talk with Carl and Sofia but with all the supplies and the four people there wasn't enough room, so she ended up riding along with Shane. It started off fine he didn't talk and neither did she. But after about twelve hours Shane attempted a conversation, "So, how exactly does a girl like you end up with brothers as dumb as Merle and Daryl?" Zoey looked over, pieces of her hair flying out of her braid, a blank looked covered her face with just a hint of fury burned in her eyes. Shane backed down with a "ok I am sorry." With that settled she looked back out into the road listening to the familiar roar of her brother's bike in the distance over the other vehicles.
The next day they abandoned the van and the jeep that Shane was driving. Siphoning out the gas from those cars and the extra parts. So Zoey went to Daryl with a pleading face. When Daryl looked over from his bike he saw his little sister hair stung out in every direction and her lower lip sticking out like she use to do when she was five. He smirked, "what's the matter lil shit, can't handle the rest of the group." Zoey glared and responded with 'only one.'
Daryl looked up from her hands to gage her face. She didn't look traumatized, just irate. The sleeves of her shirt stopped right at her elbows and from what he could see she wasn't hurt. Looking back into her face he saw that she had returned to pouting and hanging her head to the side, looking even younger than her 20 years of age. "Fine," he grumbled. "Get on and no bitchin' bout the wind in your face." Zoey jump up in excitement and ran over throwing her arms around her brother and squeezed, causing him to grunt out a complaint. Turning over the bike as she swung her leg over the bike and adjusting her feet so they wouldn't drag and grabbed hold of a good chunk of his shirt so as to not fall off.
Off in the distance Rick watched with Lori and smiled a little. "She really does love her brother doesn't she?" Lori asked. Rick reached over and wrapped his arm around his wife. "Yeah she does." He kissed her head right as Shane walked past and threw a joke out at his pal. "Either that or Shane scared the girl to bits." The only response was Shane's middle finger as he rounded the corner and loaded himself into the R.V.
Miles down the road they hit the freeway, and the horrific traffic jam that blocked their path. Riding along with Daryl, Zoey looked around apprehensive of the wreckages. A blocked lane forces Daryl to turn around and head back to the convoy and inform them of what he saw. When he pulled up to the R.V window Dale stuck his head out, "is there any way around?" Zoey shielded her eyes from the sun and watched as her brother nodded his head and turned around. Just as he began to weave through the abandoned cars a squeal erupted from behind them.
Both Zoey and Daryl jumped and turned to see what the issue was. Dale exited the beaten up camper and Rick came up from behind, a stern expression plastered on his face. At this point Daryl tapped her hands singling for her to get off and let him up. Slinging her legs back over the bike, she strolled in the direction of the group just as the monstrous bike behind her shuttered to a stop.
When they both reached the open hood Zoey heard dale state that the radiator hose was totally shot and they weren't going anywhere till it was fixed. So Zoey turned and began peering into windows looking for anything of use. Turning back to see what everyone else was up to she saw Carl jogging up to her with a smile on his face. Zoey frowned and signed 'did you ask your mom.' Hoping he had remembered at least half that sentence. With a smile Carl stopped and nodded before saying, "she said it would be fine as long as she could see me, or you." Zoey smiled and looked over his head towards Lori who was watching with a tight smile. Giving a small nod Zoey consented with a quick rub on Carl's head.
Within a few minutes Daryl had decided that it was worth a look in the cars considering Zoey was already digging through the grave yard of metal. So hefting his crossbow onto his shoulder he walked off towards his baby sister. As he got closer he noticed that the kid that Rick had asked about being around his sister the night they went to go get Merle was there talking to her. He wasn't using his mouth either and from what Daryl could tell he was getting the basics of signing sentences. They were choppy ones but it was still understandable. When he was with in ear shot he called out. "hey." His sister's head bobbed back and forth between the kids and his. "Looks like the squirt caught on pretty quick." He said as he passed them up before turning in a circle as he walk backwards. "Stay near the cars don't need you wondering off." And with a sharp turned he continued walking away from them.
Carl's eyes widened a moment before he turned by to Zoey and asked. "Did I just get a compliment?" she shrugged her shoulders and smiled before giving the sign for so so. They continued going through the cars near where the convoy had stopped. Zoey happen to be going through a suit case she found in the back of an older Honda when she came across a .09 millimeter with a holster. As she smiled she placed the belt of the holster around her waist and concealed the weapon in the back of her pants with her button up shirt covering the metal. Looking around to make sure no one saw her conceal the new weapon she had found. Finding Carl waste deep in the trunk of another car and everyone else was occupied with one thing or another.
She watched as Carl climb out of the trunk he was investigating, dusting off any dirt that he may have acquired. Without saying a thing she guided Carl in the direction of the mobile camper getting within only a few feet when Lori and Carol dropped down under a vehicle motioning Zoey and Carl to do the same. A look of confusion crossed both of their faced before Zoey spotted the first of the walkers round the corner. With a sharp gasp she pushed Carl down and followed him under a SUV. Once she was under with him she looked around. Sofia was under the vehicle to her left and Lori and Carol laid huddled under another, Lori's hand covering Carol's mouth just to make sure.
Carl was being very brave not making so much as a sound as the first decaying foot passed within inches of their faces. One by one bloody and swollen feet passed by seemingly unaware of a food source hiding under their noses. Once the last foot passed by everyone took a collective breath of release but continued to wait a moment longer just in case. Sofia was the first to move, a small hand reaching out against the pavement as she began to wiggle loose of where she was. Zoey was waving a silently trying to get the girl to stay put so that one of the adults could be the first ones out. To no avail once the girl was half way out a walker surprised her a hungry growl ripping through its rotting mouth. A screech escaped the girl's mouth as she squirmed away and back under the car and away from the predator.
With speed Zoey did not know she possessed she pulled herself out from beside Carl motioning him to stay put. She bolted to the front of the car in attempt to reach her bow before Daryl grabbed her, having to lift her off the ground to keep her from fighting free. Just as she was set down, she caught a glimpse of Rick jumping over the guard rail and rolling out of sight after the two walkers and the little girl. With a frustrated sigh she glared at her brother.
"You are going to stay here there is no way in hell you're going out there." He growled getting right up in her face. Angrily Zoey snapped back. 'I could have gotten them before she got too far. Now we have to wait and see if he brings her back. Much less if he comes back himself!' in frustration Zoey tossed her bow down and walked away as everyone gathered at the railing to keep watch.
In her pacing she got slightly further away than the last car that she searched. Glancing down into the dash of a car she noticed a pack of Marlboros sitting there, and from the looks of it, it was unopened. Smirking at her luck she opened the door carefully and reach around the steering wheal to grasp the pack. Snorting she packed down the cigarettes and opened the cellophane and pulled out one placing it between her teeth. Shoving the opened pack into her back pocket she patted down her others in search of her lighter but finding none. Silently groaning she turned back towards the R.V and watched as her annoyingly over protective brother was talking with Dale and someone else she couldn't quite tell who.
"Mind I if I have one of those?'' a voice said from behind her startling her to the point of dropping the smoke right out of her mouth. Reaching down she picked her cigarette back up and scraped any unseen particle off the filter before reaching in her back pocket, grabbing the pack and handing over a single smoke before replacing the pack in her pocket. Lifting her hand she made a motion of lighting a lighter signaling that she needed one. Tdog lit his and handed over the zippo he had pulled out. Once she lit hers as well she noticed that he was babying his right arm.
Without asking she grabbed it causing the man to gasp out like a child. Manipulating his arm and examining the half ass bandage she grabbed his other arm and drug him back to the R.V and grabbed ahold of Dale's arm. When he looked over Zoey's eyes held exasperation as she grabbed Tdog's wounded arm and thrusting it towards him. Dale's eyes shot up into his hat, "what happened?"
"Geesh this girl don't know how to be gentle! Ah man, just cut it on some broken glass." Zoey rolled her eyes and flopped against the giant home on wheels and took a long drag from the smoke she had acquired. Daryl walked up with his hand outstretched in silent demand for a cigarette. 'You're so demanding' she signed as she threw one at her brother, still silently fuming.
Once he had his smoke lit Rick came stumbling back threw the bush, wet and worn looking. Carol ran up and began asking multiple questions, mainly where was Sofia. Rick only shook his head and explained what had happened, how he left her in some underbrush and when he returned she had already left. Rick also explained to the group that if she was to head back without him to keep the sun on her left shoulder. With that knowledge he hoped she would have made it back already.
Within moments they were organizing a quick search party to go look for her before sunset. Zoey seeing her chance to help gathered her bow and went to stand next to the group that was going. Keeping her head down she hoped they would over look her as they started out. "Nice try lil shit." A voice from behind her as her shirt collar and pulling her back over the guard rail. "You aint going out there." He growled at her letting go of her shirt as he stepped over the railing himself. When he turned his back she made to step over it again to follow, in her own stubborn Dixon fashion. Daryl sensing her disobedience turn around and pointed and before she could argue Rick sounded off from the bottom of the hill "you should probably stay here. We need someone with a silent weapon to stand watch just in case."
Zoey frowned again and folded her arms into her chest. "You heard the man. Now move your ass." Daryl pretty much snarled as he pointed again. Huffing and stomping her feet much like a two year old she stormed off towards the halted convoy once again in a very irate mood. She climbed up in a hurry to the top of the R.V. stomping over she threw herself into a sitting position, her feet hanging over the edge with her arms crossed. Dale chuckled behind her as she settled into her pouting.
Hours passed by of nothing but silent contemplation as Zoey watched out over the crowd of cars. Smoke curling up from a cigarette she had lit not long ago. Nothing moved, except Tdog and Dale as they searched nearby vehicles for useful equipment. Taking a lasting drag off of the smoke before snuffing it out and flicking the remains into the silent roadway. Pushing herself up she moved towards the latter to climb down.
When Zoey reached the bottom of the latter she observed Tdog sitting against the R.V shivering slightly. With a frown she moseyed in his direction combing her fingers through her hair detangling any knots that were still left. She stood in front of the man eyeing him with suspicion. Rolling her hair tie onto her wrist she let her wavy long crimson hair fall over her shoulders for a moment, as her cerulean eyes took stock of the man who was sitting there looking very nervous at her staring. Rolling her eyes, Zoey turned her head away flinging the hair upward into a pony tail and tying it up.
She took one more moment to look over the clearly sick man, enjoying that it was making him feel uncomfortable. Smiling she headed for Merle's nearly abandoned bike reaching into the saddle bag making sure to not pull the baggy all the way. Kneeling down to get a better look she pulled out a bottle of medicine reading the label finding it to be the correct bottle. Tossing the bottle once before catching it she moved back towards Tdog who was now accompanied by Dale. Once within hearing distance the two men seamed to quiet. When Dale's eyes met hers she tossed him the bottle, in which the older man fumbled to catch. Zoey placed her hand next to her mouth and moved her fingers out ward signaling for Tdog to take one of the pills she had handed him.
Dale smiled and popped open the bottle, seeming to understand what she was telling him. Once one of the pills landed in his hand he handed it to the other man. Tdog eyed the pill suspiciously before turning his suspicious gaze to the women with the fire halo. She smiled encouragingly and made the motion again before walking to the back of the R.V and climbing back into to her spot. Flopping back folding one leg underneath her and dangling her other one she place her head in her chin and watched from above. Tdog placed the pill into his mouth and taking a swallow from the fruity bottle of water that Dale had found.
Another hour or so passed without incident. The sun was beginning to set and in the distance Zoey spotted movement. Standing slowly to her feet she raised her bow preparing for the worst. The first person she recognized was Daryl, he appeared to be talking. His crossbow over his shoulder and his other hand moving about erratically like he was trying to explain something. Walking next to him, or as next to him as the terrain would allow, was Rick looking off into the woods nodding. Then Glenn behind them listening intently to what was being said, and behind him was Shane completely in his own world looking down into the ground as he walked.
Lowering her bow and releasing tension, slowly. Zoey let out a whistle to those below to alert them to the arrival of the search team. Dale and Tdog looked up to her before looking out towards where the women was pointing. Placing her bow to her back she backed towards the latter and began her decent down to the ground, jumping from the last three steps landing gracefully on her feet. She took off at a jog towards her brother in hopes of tackling him, her anger with him totally abated. Before she could reach him though he spotted her and turned sideways with a light smirk, totally preventing her from jumping on him like she was hoping.
Zoey slowed to a walk and crossed her arms and stuck her tongue out at him like a child. Daryl returned her gesture by pulling his nose up like a pig. Snorting she unfolded her arms and walked up next to the group with a questioning look on her face. "We found 'er trail but 's too dark to see much more tonight." Daryl spoke clearly not just to Zoey but to everyone else who was listening. Carol spoke up." But she is only twelve. We can't just leave her out there all alone." A worried look crossed her face as she twirled her necklace between her fingers, tears slowly dripping down her face.
Without thinking and to the surprise of everyone, Zoey reached out and halfheartedly rubbed her hand down the older ladies back. It was a small gesture of comfort but it seemed to calm Carol even just a little even as she returned the gesture. Zoey smiled awkwardly before turning around and heading back to the back of what was their train of vehicles.
That night went without problems. A watch was place and sleeping arrangements made giving everyone something to eat was slightly different. Rick had ordered no fire that night just in case there was another heard around that would see them. So they opened cans of vegetables and soup and ate it cold. Not very satisfying but it still filled their bellies, stalling off hungry for a while longer.