"Put it down!" Shane didn't look like he was messing around anymore. He looked just as ready to shoot Merle as Merle was to shoot Sam.
Merle lowered the gun, but still held it at his side.
"On the ground," Shane gestured to the forest floor with his own gun. Merle tossed his pistol a ways to the side. Shane holstered his gun, hand still raised in an attempt to keep the peace.
"Now, what the hell is going on here?" Shane looked at Sam, Merle, and Lori. There was no point trying to talk to me. I was crying so hard I could barely breathe.
"We found Lydia in the quarry," Lori began with a sigh. She was crouched next to me, rubbing my back. "She wouldn't say anything. Sam and I brought her back to camp and got her some clothes. She started..." Lori trailed off, clearly not knowing how to explain my outburst.
"She started screaming," Sam picked up Lori's slack. "She has a few medical issues and if she isn't treated she can be delusional. On top of that it's possible she could be pregnant. You know that," Sam nodded at Shane. "She's been feeling sick. Don't know if it's withdraw from her prescriptions or morning sickness," He sounded so calm, so truthful.
"No," I groaned and raked up a fistful of dirt.
Not a single word of that was true. I don't have any medical issues. I haven't been on any prescriptions. I haven't been feeling sick. I wasn't pregnant. How was I ever going to get anyone to believe me?
"Bullshit," Merle barked. "Look, she's tellin' ya right now that ain't fuckin' true," He gestured at where I was crumpled on the ground.
"Because she doesn't realize it, you imbecile! She doesn't know what's true and what isn't," Sam shouted at him.
"Lori, take Lydia back to camp. Get her something to eat and put her to bed," Shane ordered.
Lori helped me off the ground and dragged me back to camp. She sat me down in front to the fire and she, along with Amy and Carol, tried to get me to eat something, but I wouldn't. After about half an hour Sam, Shane, and Merle came back from the woods. Merle and I watched each other from across camp with intensity. It was only when Sam reached me that my gaze was torn away.
"Come on. Let's get you to bed," Sam took me to the tent. My legs shook so badly I could barely walk even with him supporting me. He lowered me onto our sleeping bag and zipped the door behind us.
Before I had even realized he turned around his hand connected with my cheek. I pressed a hand to my stinging flesh stared up at him with wide eyes.
"You tell that bastard I hit you?" I was shaking my head vigorously, but that didn't stop him from punching my stomach so hard the breath left my lungs. I doubled over, gasping for air.
"Fine then, I'll hit you if that's what you want. Not too much though, right? Wouldn't want to lose the baby," He chuckled as he pressed his hand to my stomach. I couldn't comprehend the terror I felt in that moment. I was beginning to get my breath back when he started undoing his belt. I tried to crawl away, but he easily dragged me back. He shoved my face into the nearest pillow and yanked down my pants, popping a few seams.
He didn't take long and then I was alone. He threw a blanket over me so no one would see what he'd done when he opened the tent flap. I didn't try to right myself. In fact, when I regained some composure I stripped naked and burrowed into the blanket. My eyes were swollen from crying, my cheek stung, and I must have had bruises all over. To my relief, I was too weak to stay awake.
At dinner time Sam came back and got me dressed. We sat side by side at the fire. I didn't speak or respond in any way. For all anyone knew, I couldn't hear them. They kept talking about me, sounding concerned. I tried not to listen to what they were saying.
A familiar laugh from across camp caught my attention. Everyone was too busy to notice me lifting my eyes. Merle caught my gaze and nodded towards the quarry. I looked in the direction of the quarry and back at him. He nodded again. I got the message and went back to tuning out the world.