I went to post this chapter and half of it was missing from my Doc Manager! So I had to rewrite it. Hope you enjoy it. Thank you for reading and reviewing! I know I say that a lot but I do live for the feedback ;)
Chapter Thirty Three
Daryl eased himself off the horse and cradled his aching side as he approached the papers littering the ground. He picked up a small teddy bear and stuffed it through his belt. This was Sophia's stuff. So why was it dumped out all over the ground in the middle of the woods? But the trail was newer and easier to follow. She made it this far. He'd find her.
"What's the matter?" Maggie asked as she hopped off her own horse and trotted over to his side. "This stuff is Sophia's."
"Nuts." Maggie said with a smile.
Daryl scanned the ground. He had been so panicked when he saw the stuff strewn about that he hadn't taken much notice to anything else. But sure enough the ground was littered with walnuts from a huge tree. "She must have dumped out the stuff so she could fill up the bag and take some food with them." He flashed Maggie a proud smile. He knew that girl was too damn smart to get herself killed out here.
Daryl and Maggie climbed back onto their horses. T-dog had had enough trouble getting on his the first time so he didn't want to get off when the other two did.
"I can't believe how far them kids made it." T-dog mused. "They just kept moving."
"Cause Sophia's smart. You stay still to long out here and it'll get your ass killed. I told Carol that she'd be alright." Daryl gave him a smirk. "Rick probably owes her Carl's life. She's probably the only reason he ain't dead."
"Look at you grinnin' like a proud poppa." T-dog laughed.
Daryl scowled at him. "Shut up." He grumbled.
"Nah, I mean it Dixon. You stepped up. That girl needs a man like you in her life. She's a lucky kid." He frowned. "I can't believe I really just said that about your redneck ass." He shook his head in disgust and Maggie actually laughed.
Daryl just shook his head and kept his eyes on the ground. And here he had been worried about Maggie running her mouth the whole time. He should have known it would be T-dog.
T-dog blew out a frustrated breath. "You didn't even have to wake me up this mornin', you know that? You can find them without me."
Daryl sighed. "And miss out on all this commentary. I guess every man needs a bitchy sidekick. Ain't that right, Tonto?"
"Sidekick?" T-dog snorted. "Man, you'd be my sidekick. My grouchy, scowlin' faced, rude ass sidekick. You just think that the black guy's gotta be the sidekick. In the real world that ain't how it works."
"Is that right?" Daryl grinned.
"Hell yeah." T-dog said as he kept his eyes in front of him.
"How bout next time we stop you hop off that horse then? Since I'm your sidekick I'll help you back on it... Again."
Maggie laughed again as T-dog glared ahead.
"Ya'll have gotta be the most interesting bunch I've ever laid my eyes on." Maggie mused with a grin.
Daryl and T-dog both laughed at that because they knew how true it was.
"Oh, you should have met Daryl before he became so domesticated. You know, he got so pissed off one day that he actually threw dead squirrels at Rick. You shoulda seen Ricks face." T-dog shook his head but Maggie had to cover her mouth to keep from laughing out loud.
Daryl couldn't help but laugh along with them. "You just make it sound stupid."
"You threw dead animals at a cop, Daryl. That's the most redneck thing I think I ever seen. That's some shit you see on them hidden video shows that come on T.V."
"Do you ever shut up?" Daryl growled.
~H~
Carol was hanging up the laundry she had done when Andrea came strolling towards her. She smiled. "Hey, stranger."
Andrea flashed her a grin, her blonde hair whipping around her face from the wind that had picked up a little while ago. "Hey yourself. I've barely seen you around."
"I've been busy." Carol said dryly. "I've been trying to keep Daryl in bed but you see how good that worked out."
Andrea arched an eyebrow at her and Carol laughed. "That didn't come out right."
"No, it didn't." She laughed. "I heard that he had gone off to round up them kids. I didn't think he would be well enough for that yet."
She gave Andrea a look and then shook her head. "He's not but try telling him that."
"No thanks. I heard all about some of the stuff coming out of his mouth while our host was trying to patch him up. I don't need that aimed at me. I'm fragile." She grinned.
Carol shook out one of Daryl's shirts and hung it up.
"Doesn't that man believe in sleeves?" Andrea asked as she eyed the laundry.
Carol shrugged. "I like it. It's like getting to look at arm porn. That man is hard in all the right places. Almost makes me feel dirty."
Andrea's jaw dropped and her eyes widened at Carol's brazen banter and then she threw her head back and laughed. Carol just giggled, her eyes shining and a blush creeping up on her cheeks.
"I can not believe you just said that!"
"Me neither." Carol sighed.
"So?" Andrea eyed her.
"So what?"
"How is he?"
"Fine I guess. Still sore but good enough to be up and around obviously."
Andrea rolled her eyes dramatically. "That isn't what I meant, Carol. You're so innocent." She laughed.
"What? Oh!" She laughed again. "I have no idea."
"You're kidding?"
Carol smiled and shook out another shirt. "Nope."
Andrea shook her head and started hanging clothes alongside her. It didn't look like anyone had bothered with the laundry since they had been there.
"So, I saw you talking to Shane while I was on watch. What the hell happened to his face? And was it just me or did it look like he was packing for an extended trip?"
Carol sighed as she hung up the last pair of jeans. "He's leaving. Or thinking about leaving anyway. I tried to talk him out of it but I don't know if it worked.
"Why would you even try? After how he acted at the CDC I think him leaving is a good thing."
Carol shook his head. "The man is in pain, Andrea."
She barked out a humorless laugh. "I saw that. What happened to him. Rick finally catch him sleeping with his wife?"
Carol's head snapped up. All she could do was look at her but then she shook her head quickly. "Not that I know of." She lied. She had never been good at lying.
"You're a really crappy liar, Carol. What happened? Did he tell Rick? Did Lori tell Rick?"
Carol shook her head. "I don't know."
Andrea put her hands on her hips and gave Carol that disapproving look that she hated.
"Daryl and I may have overheard Shane and Lori talking last night in one of the sheds. She was being cruel. Just mean to him and then I be damned if she didn't turn right around and tell him she missed him and how they could still have one another. She's got his head all screwed up and the man's heart is in knots."
"Well did he fall for it?" Andrea asked as her face softened in pity.
"I suppose so since they started having sex right there." Carol grimaced.
"You're kidding?" Andrea said with a shake of her head. "So how did Rick... Oh my God! He caught them actually doing it?"
"I could have killed Daryl for that." Carol grumbled.
"Daryl? What did he do?"
"When Rick came out and asked if we'd seen them he pointed the man right to that building and told him that he thought he saw Lori go inside. Sent him right over there to catch them himself. I hate to even try to imagine what he saw."
Andrea was quiet for a little while but then her next words surprised Carol. "Well, good for Daryl. Someone needed to tell him."
"Andrea, he didn't tell him. He caused the man to walk in and see them! There is a big difference."
Andrea shrugged. "That's just Daryl. I'm glad Rick finally knows. But thanks to you I feel pretty bad for Shane."
"Me too. And if Daryl knew that I talked him out of leaving, if I actually did talk him out of leaving, then he would be so mad."
"The wrath of Daryl Dixon wont be too bad. He'll stomp around and throw one of his fits and then you'll kiss and make up."
Carol just laughed. She hoped so.
~H~
Sophia wished there was more she could do for the man but right now there wasn't much that could be done. She picked up her bag and the water bottle and went outside. Carl was sitting next to the step with his knees pulled up, his arms draped across them.
"How is he?" He asked.
Sophia rolled her eyes. "Like you care." She grumbled as she took the rocks out of her bag and started cracking walnuts.
"I never said I didn't care. I just didn't think it was worth the risk. I don't care who his brother is. He isn't Daryl. He's a lot worse than Daryl."
"I don't care. He's someone that needs help and I be damned if I'm going to let you talk me out of helping him."
Carl just shook his head and looked away angrily. "What's with the nuts. We already ate."
"He hasn't." She snapped.
"So now we waste our food on him? That's smart. What did you do, give him the last of our water too?"
She stood up and put her hands on her hips. "You know what? It wasn't our water, you jerk. It was my water that came from my bag. And yes I gave it to him. He's dehydrated."
"Are you crazy?" He stood up and stared at her in disbelief. "Sophia, we don't know when we'll find more water and you wasted it on someone like Merle Dixon?"
Sophia couldn't believe what she was hearing. Usually Carl was pretty cool. They were always together and there was always something to do with him around. But now he was acting like the type of person that would just walk away and let a man die. Just because his dad didn't like him much. And who was he to think he could tell her what to do with her own stuff? She felt herself getting angry. And she sort of liked it. She had spent so much time only being scared and powerless. But this new emotion made her feel like she was in control.
"I swear to God Carl if you don't shut up..." She said harshly.
"No. All I've done since we've been lost is listen to you. We could have been back by now if you weren't suck a chicken! Those people could have helped us but you're afraid of everything. So here we are, still lost and now we're lost with nothing to even drink because you have to go and give it to that crazy..."
Sophia clenched her fist and swung. It connected with Carl's jaw and he cried out and stepped back a few feet. "Shut. Up." She spat as she glared at him. "And you need to remember something Carl Grimes. It was me that's kept your ass alive out here. Not the other way around and you best not forget that. I'm gonna do what I can for Merle until Daryl shows up. And if you have a problem with that then you can go find the road your damn self."
Carl kept his hand pressed against his jaw and stared at her with wide blue eyes. She couldn't believe she had just done that but she wasn't going to tell him she was sorry. Truthfully she wasn't sorry at all. She was mad. And one of the reason's she was so mad was because he was right and she hated that he was right. She was a chicken. She was always scared of everything. She was scared of Ed and she was even scared of Merle. She was always too scared to be too far away from her mom and she was afraid of the Walkers. She was afraid she wouldn't be able to help Merle and now she was afraid that Carl would take her up on her offer and leave. She was learning how to put on a brave face and act like she wasn't scared but that's all it was. An act.
She stalked past him and went back to work cracking the walnuts for Merle. It would keep her hands busy and maybe for once Carl would just shut his stupid mouth. She worked silently as Carl returned to his place by the wall. He watched her but he didn't say anything. She could see him staring at her from the corner of her eye but she didn't acknowledge him.
There was a zippered pocket on the front of her bag and that's where she stored the shelled nuts. It was nearly full by the time she heard Merle's mumbling voice once more. She stood up, picked up the bag and marched wordlessly back into the shack.
He raised his head up when she came in. He didn't look much better but he didn't look much worse either so she thought that was a good sign.
"Figured you'da took off on ol' Merle, girl. The hell ya still doin' here?" His voice wasn't so raspy anymore.
She gave him a tight smile and came to his side to kneel down and give him a drink. The back of his head still felt hot.
When he laid his head back down he watched her warily. "Ya gonna answer my question?"
"I'm still here cause I don't have anywhere else to be at the moment. And I'm not leaving you alone here."
He rolled his eyes. "Shoulda took you with me to Atlanta then. Maybe I wouldn't be in this shape."
She glanced at his stump and then away again. "You hungry, Mr. Dixon?"
He gave her a sarcastic smile and then pulled himself up into a sitting position, turning his legs so he could lean against the wall while his feet were planted firmly on the floor next to her. "Fuckin' starved lil Miss. You cook ol' Merle up some steaks or somethin'?"
She smiled sheepishly. "All I got is walnuts. But they aren't bad. I'm kinda sick of them though."
"Whatever works, girl. Hand'em over." he held out one large hand and the hand full that she poured into his palm didn't look like much. He popped them in his mouth and chewed slowly as he looked at her with a quizzical expression on his face. "How long you been out here?" He asked.
"Three days."
He stopped chewing and pulled his head up away from the wall. "And my brother ain't found you yet?" He asked.
She shook her head.
"Huh. And you sure he's lookin'?
She nodded. "He wouldn't leave me out here." She said quietly.
"Girl, I hate to be the bearer of bad news but if my baby brother was lookin' for ya, you'da been found by now."
She shook her head. If what Merle said was true then that meant that he was dead. She knew if he was breathing he would be scouring the woods until he found her. "It's just taking him longer because me and Carl keep moving. That's all." She sat the bag up next to him so he could eat as much as he wanted without her having to hand them to him.
"Ain't never met a man that can track like my brother. He's like a goddamn bloodhound kid. I'm tellin' ya, he ain't lookin' or your asses woulda been found."
"Then he's dead. Those Walkers must have got him." She whispered. She felt the tears fill her eyes and then overflow but she kept her face expressionless.
He froze mid chew. "What Walkers?"
"The ones me and Carl were running from. It's how we got here. They were all over the road and one of them got into the R.V."
"And you're sure he'd look for ya? You ain't his kid. He wouldn't risk his neck for ya. I know I wouldn't if I was in his place. You ain't gonna start ballin' now are ya? I don't know how to deal with squallin' kids."
"Go to hell, Merle." She hissed as she stood up.
His eyes widened.
"You don't know him as good as you think you do."
"Now calm your ass girl. I didn't mean nothin' by it. God damn. I did miss some shit since I been gone ain't I? You'd never have said a word to me before, let alone curse my poor pitiful ass to the pits. Sit back down now. Talk to me."
He popped some more walnuts into his mouth and she sat back down on the floor and pulled her knees up to her chest.
"You say he killed your daddy?"
She nodded, not trusting her voice anymore.
"How?"
She sighed. "I heard the others talking about it." She made a face. "They said he stabbed him in the stomach with a tent stake about twenty times."
Merle choked and she hurriedly handed him the rest of the water. He drank it quickly and then stared at her. "Are you sure?" He asked when he could finally speak again.
She nodded.
"What the hell would he go and do somethin' fucked up like that for?"
"Ed was trying to kill my mom." She said deadpan.
Merle continued to stare at her for a while before he said anything else. "So Ed was offin' your momma and my baby brother gutted him for it?"
She nodded.
"I suppose that sounds about like him. To protect your momma, I mean. But I never pegged him for a mutilator."
Sophia pulled the bag off the bed and stood up.
"Don't go off and leave me, girl." He mumbled as his eyes closed.
"I wont. Even though I think you're a real ass, Merle Dixon." She muttered.
He smiled. "I think you and me is gonna get along just fine, Darlin. You got spunk. I like that shit."
Sophia frowned at him and then walked towards the door. She stopped when Carl ran in, eyes wild.
"Walkers!" He panted.
Sophia rushed around him and sure enough there were two approaching the shack. From the looks of them they either seen Carl or smelled the blood from Merle's stump. "Shit." She slammed the door shut and glanced over her shoulder to scan the wall with the tools.
"Get the fuck outta here, girl." Merle hissed as he tried to sit up. It was a wasted effort. He had spent all his energy and now he couldn't even raise himself off the bed.
Carl looked like he was about to crap his pants. "Let's go, Sophia. If we make a run for it we can get away."
"Shut up!" She growled. Her eyes scanned the wall of tools. There were a lot of things she could use but she needed something that wouldn't take much strength. She ran to the wall and dismissed most of the items quickly. She couldn't used a hammer because she wasn't strong enough and the ax on the floor was out of the question. And then she had it. A ten inch bowie knife was hanging from a nail above the narrow counter. She yanked it down.
"Get out!" Merle nearly yelled, his eyes wild. "You stupid ass kid! You gonna die in here with me? Go!"
"No!" She turned on him, knife in hand and his hard angry eyes bore into hers. "I'm not letting you die in here." She turned to Carl, "Open the door." She growled. The knife felt slick in her hand but she held onto it. She wanted to run screaming into the woods and never look back. She wanted to be safe in the truck next to Daryl knowing everything was fine as long as he was there.
She took and deep breath and Carl opened the door. The first one was actually on the step and she threw caution to the wind and ran forward. The knife went in easily enough since her aim was off and she hit it in the mouth instead of the eye the way she had seen Carl do in the camper. But the blade was long enough that it went cleanly through the base of it's skull on the other side. She pulled the knife free and scurried back just as the thing fell forwards.
She wasn't sure if it was Carl or Merle who cried out because the blood pounding in her ears was deafening. She looked up in time to see the other one wasn't far behind. Fortunately for her it was so focused on her that it stumbled right over the corpse of it's companion and fell over the body. Sophia let out a strangled yell, brought the knife up with both hands and plunged it as hard as she could into it's head. She left the knife in it's head and stumbled back a few feet, right into Carl. His arm came around her waist to steady her. She turned to look at Merle and he was staring at her with wide feverish eyes.
"You shoulda gotten your ass outta here." He wheezed. He didn't look like he was going to stay awake much longer.
"I said I wasn't going to let you die." She said in a voice that cracked and wavered and then she felt tears sliding down her cheeks. She could have just died. All three of them could have. Merle's eyes slid closed and then she turned and buried her face in Carl's shoulder and felt a loud sob try to escape her throat.
He hugged her back for a long time until it stopped feeling comfortable and started feeling awkward. She pulled away and wiped her eyes.
Carl's blue eyes were huge as they met hers. "Are you okay?"
She took a deep breath and then nodded. "We gotta get these bodies out. I'll keep watch with you."
He nodded and then the two of them both grabbed a foot and struggled with the body. They both cringed as they touched it but they heaved and pulled it down the step and towards the trees so they wouldn't have to look at it anymore.