She woke with a start, sitting upright almost as soon as her eyes were open. Clutching at the sleeping bag she was using as a cushion against the ground, Carol looked around their small tent nervously. She hoped that she hadn't made any noise to wake anyone else. Sighing she lay back down, but her hands still clutched the material beneath her.
It wasn't really 'their' tent anymore because she didn't have anyone to share it with. The tent that she shared with Ed and Sophia was left behind at the quarry, a bloody mess from the attack that killed her husband. She would have been sharing this one with Sophia, and the girl had helped her find it when they were scavenging from abandoned vehicles as they left Atlanta, but Sophia was gone as well. Missing in the woods, taken by something unknown, or worse she may have been turned into one of those shambling monsters.
Carol covered her mouth with one hand, biting her fingers to prevent herself from letting any noise escape. She didn't want more of Lori's pity, or Andrea's concern, or even Rick's absent-minded guilt. She didn't care for the way any of them looked at her; as though she were burdening them or that she was a silly woman they were placating with false hopes. As much as she appreciated Daryl's constant efforts to find Sophia, Carol knew that this story wasn't going to end well for any of them and she didn't want Daryl to be hurt too. She had to get up and do something, anything to take her mind off of her nightmare.
The camp was silent, and only Dale was on watch in the early dawn hours. He waved to her as she passed the RV on the way to the small spot they had chosen for their prep work. She found a small pot and went to fill it with water from the pump closest to the house. It was still dark and quiet, and she let herself think about Sophia and what her daughter might be doing if she were alone in the woods. It was hard not to think about that, she did it almost constantly during her waking hours.
Carol paused on the way back, kneeling in the clump of trees that was near their camp, and she made herself take several deep breaths before giving in to her feelings. She cried silently, letting her grief coil in her belly until it had to be released. There wasn't much to vomit up, so she covered it with dirt and dead leaves, and then made her way back to her tent. She had to get the water boiled so they could start breakfast soon, and there was no time for tears when there was work to be done.