Curative
By Kaimaler
YAY SOPHIA! But it ain't over yet! A lotta' stuff's going down and Sophia isn't out of hot water yet... well, she is, kinda' but... WHATEVER. You'll see. xD
Now let's move on.
Ain't it funny though that the last two chapters, both centered around Sophia being turned and dying have gotten the most reviews per chapter of ALL the other chapters in this story and got them the fastest?
I mean, wow. I should try and/or actually kill characters more often.
Jeez.
Now remember y'all, S0210, the one where Shane attempts to kill Rick and Randall at that junkyard or whatever it was, is actually a week from when they took Randall in.
Review Replies:
SPEEDIE22:
You got it! ;3
This is a decently long chapter, 9k+ words and a few things happen in it so... yeah. Adventure! :O
Lorem Tenebrae:
Or maybe I did?! :O
Who knows? Half the time I don't know. xD
And yeah, I was kinda' hoping people would actually think that Laura's attempt to save Sophia wouldn't work and ended up just killing her, but then I save her. Oh dear! :3
It'll take a little while 'til things start happening around camp again, but in the meantime we have PLENTY of DarylxLaura and Laura/group time, so let's see how that goes, shall we? ;3
Oh yeah, I don't think Daryl would initiate contact like that unless it was passionate. Like, really down and dirty but still on a level on meaningful passionate. We'll see bit more of that too. :)
LittleMeep:
Yeah, Laura's going through a lot. I mean, coming back from being walkerfied isn't going to be easy and I want reader to see that. It's a daily struggle, to remember the desire to want to eat another human being, some did and those that did, if they came back, would deal with such self loathing and disgust that it would be a constant pain to remember anything at all.
Also, ha ha, a normal human who has a broken femur takes anywhere up to five to six months to heal and we know that Laura heals so much slower then that, so it'll be quite some time before that brace is off. Much to her chagrin. :O
Coldblueeyes987:
Yessss I know right? In the comic she survives and the people who shoot the Walking Dead TV series actually said they shot two of the barn scenes. One where Sophia came back alive, like the group wanted, and another where she was a walker. Clearly they chose to stick with walker-Sophia. Unfortunately. :(
Daeb:
Glad you're enjoying it! I'm having a lot of fun writing this story. Been quite the adventure! :D
Laura came into the room to see Sophia sitting on a bed, her back propped up with piles of pillows, a blanket and sheet over her and Carol sitting on the edge of the bed just smiling at Sophia.
Everyone was smiling and laughing now, they couldn't believe she was alive and yet, there she was, breathing in front of them.
Laura knew that Sophia was in some pain, the medicine could only do so much and while everyone talked to Sophia and Carol, their faces smiling so brightly that if a stranger walked in at this exact moment, she was certain they'd forget about the world gone to hell and just laugh along with the group.
The sight of the group so happy made Laura feel a little better about herself and her condition. She still had her doubts about her situation, the Voice in her head that told her to eat people, the sounds she could make, her sudden viciousness when in any form of danger, and what happens if she did turn.
At the moment though, Laura shrugged those thoughts off and just enjoyed the moment. They didn't have many chances to relish in a happy event, but Sophia's return meant the world to the group and all they wanted to do is experience it.
Daryl was right behind her, leaning against the wall and they both looked on at the scene. Everyone crowded up in the room with such joy that Laura couldn't believe that any being had the ability to smile so hard.
She kept herself to the back of the group, just watching as everyone enjoyed having Sophia back.
Rick was holding Lori and Carl close, Sophia's return making him joyful and he embraced his family. Others like Glenn and T-Dog would shove each other when making a joke or just playing around.
Andrea was shaking her head in disbelief, a wide grin on her face. She didn't speak, but looked on as the group enjoyed the rare moment of absolute happiness.
To Laura's surprise, and for the first time ever, Shane was smiling too. She remembered him from back at the camp in Atlanta, he was kind to her, helped her out, even extended a hand in a kind of friendship. One she never got the chance to expand upon and, looking at Shane now, she wasn't sure she ever wanted to.
Not just because of what he did, but because of how he acted. His sarcastic remarks when they had serious discussions, his snapping at people... When Laura looked at Shane now she couldn't see the man she met at the quarry. The one who helped set up her tent, who offered his help whenever she wanted it, who sat on that RV roof with her and talked about hope and how he was thankful that she arrived because it gave people hope.
Laura never thought about it, she didn't want to after the CDC, after what happened when Shane pointed that gun at her head for the first time. She just refused to consider that Shane was changing, this world was changing him and, to a certain extent, it was changing everyone in the camp.
Rick looked worse then ever, he was angry, stressed, exhausted, and sad all the time now. Laura could still remember when Rick was reunited with his wife and son, how he cried out to them and held them much like Carol held Sophia when Laura brought Sophia to the farmhouse.
There was such a change in the group and Laura hadn't even noticed it, or didn't take the time to, she didn't know which one, but when she saw the group talking and laughing... She actually really looked at them all.
Everyone in the room looked like they'd been through hell in the last few hours and maybe they had, Laura wasn't around to see it.
What had happened to make the group so stressed out? Looking so afraid and worried even while they were smiling?
As Laura speculated on the group she wanted to call friend and family, she hadn't noticed what was happening with Sophia.
Sophia began to cry that the room grew a little tenser. Hershel was beside the bed trying to check her for injuries, Carol was trying to ask her what was wrong and everyone in the room got worried if something was going wrong, that she was hurt bad and needed medical attention.
The group stayed back to let Herschel work, but he wasn't finding anything and Sophia wouldn't answer Carol.
Laura glanced at Daryl behind her and left him on the wall as she pushed passed the group, coming up behind Carol. She put a hand on her shoulder and gestured her to stand aside. Carol complied and stepped back reluctantly, watching as Laura scooted up onto the bed.
She looked around them until Laura concluded what she needed wasn't there. Everyone was talking.
"What's wrong with her? Is she alright?" Carol asked, standing close behind Laura. "Is she alright?" A mixture of voices started asking after Sophia, wondering if she was hurt or healthy.
Even Laura's head started to hurt at the noises. She knew that her senses and Sophia's were alike now, that the little girl who never would've thought about her five senses before more then the usual stuff was forced to deal with them being turned up, the noises, the smells, the lights, it was all too much for Sophia and Laura remembered how it felt.
Laura refused to let Sophia suffer like she had.
"Everyone, shut up!" She yelled over the group, she didn't meant to be forceful with them, but she had to be just to give Sophia enough time to hear her own thoughts again. Laura actually took notice that Dale, the only one she had spoken to about her hearing, was being very quiet. He took their talk into consideration and was using his knowledge to not be part of the problem with Sophia.
Laura would've thanked him for being so thoughtful, but she had to tend to Sophia first, she knew she'd talk to Dale later on.
Immediately the room fell silent, but not without someone speaking up. "Is she okay?" It was Carol and Laura understood motherly concern, especially after just getting her daughter back. "She will be." Laura spoke very quietly, it was almost lost to Carol, but she picked it up barely.
"Someone get me some materiel long and thin, like the sleeve of a long sleeved shirt." Laura turned to see Patricia reaching into the wardrobe and pulling out an well used shirt. She took up scissors from the vanity and cut off the sleeve, handing it to Laura quickly. She wasn't expecting the woman to actually cut the sleeve off a shirt, but she wouldn't complain.
Laura pulled the sleeve over Sophia's eyes and tied it like a blindfold. This confused the group, but thankfully no one spoke against it.
"I need more blankets, small ones if you have 'em." The moment she put the request in, Patricia and Maggie left the room to get what she needed. She could hear them running through the house, away from the room and to a closet before returning.
They had three blankets, plus the one Sophia was wearing from the barn, it was plenty. Laura took one at a time, pulling the blanket and sheet from the bed down to uncover Sophia.
She wrapped up Sophia's legs first with the folded up thin blankets, then her arms, before pulling the main blanket over her and tucking her in. Sophia laid on the bed and had stopped crying for a little while now.
"Talk to me," Laura spoke quietly, making sure the pillows encased Sophia comfortably. "I-I feel... f-funny."
"I know, you will for a little while, but it'll go away. I promise." Laura leaned back, satisfied with her work, before looking up and around the room. The group was staring at Laura's actions, but she didn't care.
She got up from the bed and went to the curtains, closing them to minimize the light in the room. It would relax Sophia more the darker the room was and since the group stopped talking and making noise, Sophia could rest without having to deal with her new senses which were overpowering at first. Laura hated them when she first woke up, but she got used to them as time went on.
Laura came back to Sophia, "We're all leavin' now, but Carol will be here with ya, okay?" She patted Sophia's arm gently, the blankets provided much needed comfort. "Ain't that right?" She looked over her shoulder to see Carol nodding. "I'm right here, sweetie." Carol answered and, as Laura got up from the bed, Carol took her place.
"Everyone, out. Leave Carol with Sophia." Laura urged and they all slowly began to file out of the room, leaving Carol to console Sophia. As it should be. Laura grinned as the last person out, Rick, closed the door carefully, as one would when sneaking around a house with people sleeping.
"What was that?" Rick asked first, but Hershel stopped him. "Let's discuss this in the dinning room. We have a lot to talk about." The group agreed and Laura wondered if Hershel was, to some degree, thinking about the family he had in the barn, but Laura couldn't help them, the damage to their bodies was far too extensive to even consider bringing them back.
Laura followed everyone back down the stairs, Sophia was resting in Maggie's room from what she could tell. Pictures of Maggie and her father around, clothes she had seen Maggie wore before folded up.
She wasn't sure if she really wanted to go into detail about her state and, now, Sophia's too. Laura was concerned that it would only enforce the idea that she is a walker, though she isn't anymore really, Laura felt the same way about herself at times. She would never willingly hurt them, she didn't feel the desire to do so in any fashion.
The Voice did though and it made her want to want to do those things. Laura scoffed at herself, Like that makes any degree of sense.
Her main problem was, after explaining her situation and the one she now shared with Sophia, would the group still look at her as one of them? She had brought Sophia back to them, of course that won her a definite level of respect from the group, but after telling them about herself and what it meant to be revived from a walker state, would they be able to look passed her differences and focus on the good?
Could Laura do it? She'd been worrying so much lately about what she was and what she could or may do that she never really stopped to think about what she felt strongest about.
She supposed it didn't really matter, she would have to explain somethings at least and maybe, just maybe, they would understand, through their understanding accept her.
Laura sucked in a deep breath, she would answer all their questions, give them what they wanted. Like Rick said, give them what they need and refuse to let them down.
She would refuse to allow them to think of her any less then she is. It wasn't much, but she wasn't a bad person and felt that her struggle actually merited something. A solid place within the group is what she wanted most.
They all found a place in the dinning room, some taking a seat while others opted to stand, leaning on the wall or the furniture.
Rick stood nearby, almost as a protective barrier for her against anyone who didn't like her answers. Like Shane, who was standing in the far back.
"Looks like we'll be spending our day in here." T-Dog joked, but Laura didn't get it. She did realize that everyone was inside the farmhouse earlier and that never happened, Laura sent Rick a questioning look, but he just shook his head slightly, gesturing later as people got settled into the room.
"Now, I remember just yesterday Rick and I discussing about a cure for this and last night he spoke so surely that there was not a cure." Hershel began, he stood at the head of the table, Maggie sat at the head, Laura and Rick were right beside Hershel. "Yet here you are and that little girl, who had this illness for lack of a better term, and now she's alive again. Now I want to know if you knew about this, Rick."
Rick shook his head again, "There was talk, we didn't know for certain. We prepared for the worst, but hoped for the best, like always. Laura went into that barn to try, none of us knew if it would work."
"But you knew that there was that possibility. I want to know why you didn't say anything before your man did what he did at my barn." Hershel seemed a little annoyed, but he wanted answers just like the others.
"It isn't a cure." Laura stepped in, defending Rick who knew less about it. Laura didn't know much, but she had more then Rick did. "It doesn't save 'em, it doesn't reverse the virus, it just... gives back memory and self control. We call it a cure because there's no better way of explainin' it. While it can bring back people who haven't been infected for long, it doesn't make them a fully functional normal human bein' again. I don't know if there's a way of doin' that."
"And yet that little girl is up there, right now, breathing again, asking for her mother. That is a cure." Hershel pointed upstairs, Laura knew he had family in that barn and that must be the reason, or mostly the reason, of him being so disturbed by this news. Laura had to approach this carefully.
"Hershel, sir, I went into that barn before Shane cleared it. I went, on Rick's request, to see if I could help the walkers in that barn. I tried, I really did, but I wouldn't bring back any of those walkers." Hershel gave her a very prodding look, "Because they were older walkers, they were wastin' away, most of them too far gone to come back. Sophia was only a walker for a few days, she still had a chance."
"You're saying that if a person is infected for a certain period of time, you cannot cure them?"
"I can, at least, now I know I can, but the pain it would put them in. Imagine fallin' asleep one day then wakin' up the next with your arm off, your jaw removed, an' a giant hole in your side. All injuries completely unattended to." Laura had no better way to put this. "The agonizin' pain you'd be in for the few hours or so you'd die from blood loss or 'cause internal organs were damaged. You can't survive somethin' like that, it would only cause more pain an' I won't put someone through that."
He nodded mindfully, he was thinking on it, but he didn't like it. Laura wished she could've helped his wife and stepson, she really wished she could, but there was nothing she could do for any of those walkers. They had turned a long time ago, the damage was too much.
"I would like to talk more on this later," Hershel closed that part of the conversation. "Right now I think it's important to find out what you were doing with that little girl. I'm sure everyone would like to know."
"Of course, anythin', just ask." Laura was anxious to finally be able to explain to the group what it meant to be cured like she was. To tell them what she dealt with, to make them understand her better. Lessen fear hopefully.
"Let's start with what happened with Sophia just a moment ago, is she alright? Is it anything we should be worried about?" Rick started off with what everyone was wondering. It was a simple question, but it had a long explanation.
She grinned nervously. "All I did was give her some form of comfort. Bein' brought back after gettin' turned is painful, the memories that come back, headaches that feel like the world's shakin', body aches so bad I can't tell ya how bad. So I gave her what I wanted when I woke up after bein' cured."
Lori frowned a little, "You blindfolded her, wrapped her arms and legs up, she can't move like that. Is that really necessary?"
Laura nodded, "When I first woke up all light hurt, it stung pretty bad and my body hurt so bad. So I wrapped her up, I didn't get that kinda' treatment when I came back. I know it feels good 'cause even today it makes me feel better then just layin' in a bed or doin' anythin' really. I'm most comfortable at night, it just feels better."
"You don't seem to have a problem with light anymore though, is Sophia going to get better?" Andrea asked, leaning on the table.
"It'll get easier as time goes on, but as far as I know it'll be always be there to a certain extent. The same goes for sound an', I'm sorry 'bout shoutin' at y'all like that, but y'all's normal voice sounds like really loud talkin' to me an' I suspect it does to her too. Don't even get me started on when y'all shout, 'specially when near me. It does not feel good." Laura rubbed her temples, the few times they had actually hollered and shouted had felt like she was next to a jackhammer. It was always unpleasant.
"It's alright, we understand." Rick rested a hand on the cabinet beside him, leaning on it. "Is there anything we should look out for? Any problems? Anything we shouldn't do with or around her?"
Laura just shrugged, there wasn't anything that set her off as far as she knew. Aside from the Voice, but she would never talk about it. "At first, all I can say is keep her down, let her rest an' get over the worst of it. After that, just keep your voices low around her at first, to let her adjust at her own rate. There's not much else to tell, 'cept that, like me, she heals slower an' when injured loses blood slower. So if she ever gets hurt real bad she won't bleed out half as fast as y'all would."
"Okay, we can work with that." Rick smiled to Laura, "I think, until Sophia gets better, Laura should be close enough so that if anything goes wrong or Sophia needs help, you can help. Is that alright with you?"
Laura was more the happy to do that. "Absolutely. She wasn't turned for very long, so her recovery time shouldn't take near as long as mine. 'Specially with people actually lookin' out for her."
"Now, we've all had a long day, I'm sure everyone has things they have to do." Rick dismisses the group, "Just get some rest everyone."
As the group disperses, Laura stands completely still. She didn't think Rick would give everyone a day off of their duties just because she brought Sophia back. It was a big deal to the group, sure, but they all had important work.
Yet there they went, most of them passing Laura on the way out, some put their hands on her shoulder in comfort or thanks.
Laura didn't really know what to think about all of this, something had happened but she didn't know what and wanted to know. Rick looked exhausted, like there had been a major event she wasn't party to.
In fact, to Laura, they all looked a little older today. It wasn't too late in the day, afternoon, but nothing appeared wrong at the farm. She checked the group, making sure every last one was still there and they were.
No one was missing or hurt, from what she could see, so what was wrong with them all?
She expected the excitement from the group like they all were when they were with Sophia but the moment they left that room, it was like all the good emotions they had when looking at Sophia just disappeared. Vanished into thin air.
She had to know what was going on.
So she spun on her heel and followed after Rick, who had stepped out of the farmhouse with the others, but remained on the porch while everyone else went to tend to their business.
She came up behind Rick and tapped his shoulder, catching his attention.
"Hey, Laura." He had a tired look on his face, but still managed to smile at her. "Is there something I can do for you?"
"Yeah, this may seem like I'm proddin', but I just gotta' know." Laura leaned against the railing of the front porch, "Everyone seems so... glum. They always do on a certain level, but today... they all looked like somethin' big was on their minds. What's goin' on Rick?"
He looked away from her and out over the field to the camp where most people had gathered again, he ran a hand through his hair and sighed exasperatingly. "After Shane and the barn... Hershel wanted us off the farm. I thought we might have to at that moment, I wanted to talk, but Hershel was devastated." He turned to her again, "Then Beth collapsed, went into shock. We looked for Hershel, but he'd left, just up and left. We went out to look for him in town, at the local bar and he was drinking."
"I didn't figure Hershel for a drinker, his religion an' all that." Laura frowned, an alcoholic didn't sound like Hershel at all.
"Neither did I really, but Maggie told us he was a heavy drinker, then she was born and he stopped." Laura grinned at that, Hershel gave up drinking for his daughter. "We talked to Hershel, convinced him to come back to the farm. He understands now, about the walkers and what they are." Rick shook his head, "Right before we left, two men walked in, survivors, said their names were Dave and Tony."
Laura could see where this was going. A struggle had to have broken out for Rick to be this distressed, otherwise, he wouldn't have that look on his face that told Laura he was extremely bothered by something. "What happened, Rick?"
"We talked, they tried to get us to tell them where the farm is, to let them come back with us. I refused, of course, but they kept asking." Rick's expression was hard and thoughtful. "They drew on us, I was able to shoot them first. I killed them to protect the farm, I had to. After that, we tried to leave again, but their friends showed up. They were about to come in the bar, Glenn blocked the door, and they knew we were in there. I told them what happened, that they drew on us first. I had no choice."
Laura stepped closer to Rick, putting her hand on his back, her other hand on his arm. "I believe you, I get it, you know I do."
He glanced to her and smiled sympathetically. "Yeah, I guess you do." With another heavy sigh, Rick leaned against the railing too. "They fired on us, we fought back as best we could. We went to make it to the car, get back to the farm. They tried to cut us off, but there were walkers coming. A lot of them. One of their men was left for dead, he had gotten injured... I couldn't just leave him to bleed out, if he made it that long... I brought him back to the farm."
She closed her eyes for a moment, trying to form a response. It was hard to think of anything with such news, so much had happened in such short time. Laura couldn't believe it, there wasn't anything she could say to make this better. Rick made a choice, another hard choice that landed him in hot water with some of the group and empathy from the other half.
"Rick, I... I don't really know what to say about that. Groups, both good and bad exist out there an' I don't know about the one you found, but they can't be too good if two of theirs were willing to open fire on you. Then the rest of 'em." Laura reasoned as best she could, but she had so little information to go on. "What're you gonna' do with this person?"
"His name is Randall, he's injured, but I figure that when he gets better, we'll give him some water, food, and drive him out far from the farm." Rick half heartedly shrugged, "Just leave him there, give him a chance without risking the farm. That's all I can think to do."
"It's alright Rick, I agree." Laura pulled his arm to her, making him turn completely to her. "I know you only try to do what's best for the group, you try so hard and this world is hard, I think you're doin' all you can really, with everythin' the way it is. Just know I got your back when you need me."
He smirked, "It's starting to seem like whenever I'm making tough decisions that you appear. I'm grateful for you help, I am."
"I figure bein' a leader in this kind of world, these situations we find ourselves in, ain't easy. Everyone needs a little help here or there. All I want is to be there when you need someone to listen to you, or to talk to." Laura gave him a sad smile, "When you do this, I wanna' help you. However I can."
"I guess you're right about that." He nodded solemnly, "It won't be for a while, Randall has to heal up before we take him out. Hershel doesn't know how long it'll be before he can walk, but we're doing what we can. Until then, there's some things to do around camp. Just make sure you're around in case Sophia needs you, that's all I'm asking right now."
"Of course, I'm packin' in with Daryl now, so if you want me an' can't find me, you find him." She gave Rick a wink before leaving him to think about this Randall and their plans.
Laura hated this, everything that had happened and she wasn't around for any of it. She almost felt a little left out, but she had a good reason. Sophia's return meant so much to the group, she was sure they could overlook her disappearance.
With everything that's going on, Laura wasn't sure this group would do so well though. Rick getting shot at by that other group, Randall's arrival, the group looked so torn and Laura didn't know what to do.
Instead of dwelling on the group's troubles, she went to her tent. She was going to collect her things and break down her tent, she was excited about staying with Daryl now. She knew he only did it because he was worried about her, with her past and all the things that had happened that she told him about, he got a little disturbed.
Laura was beyond thrilled that Daryl cared and trusted her enough to let her stay with him. Demanded it really, but Laura felt like that was his way of asking. If she said no, he'd probably take it as rejection and Laura was doing anything but rejecting him.
So she reached her tent and began stuffing all the clothes she scavenged from Atlanta before she had even met the group, all the clothes still clean. Laura picked up her scarf, the one she used when she was in the city and had used to cover up the lower half of her face. She smiled at it, happy that she didn't have to use it anymore.
With her clothes packed, her blankets and sheets folded neatly into her duffle bag, she zipped up the bag and set it down outside the tent.
She had no idea how to break down the tent, but she saw where a few of the thin poles connected at the top and reached up to pull them out. They popped out and the tent collapsed.
Laura jumped back with a little yelp as it fell in on itself until it was flat on the ground. Figured it out. She laughed at herself and began to pull the poles out and rolled up the tent, sticking the poles safely inside the tent like a wrapping.
She turned around to the cars and stuffed the rolled up tent inside the back of the SUV where another spare tent was rolled up inside.
When Laura was done, she went back and picked up her duffle, putting the strap on her shoulder and was content with her work. With a smile, she looked around camp and headed to where Daryl's tent was.
Only to find it not there.
She frowned in thought, she could've sworn it was there.
Laura stood there, in camp, looking around for Daryl's tent which was no where in sight. She was confused, it was there the other day when she had visited Daryl when he was laid up. She could see the grass was dead under where the tent had been, so she wasn't mistaken, but it was not there now.
Turning around, she saw Andrea on top of the RV, a little worry crept up on Laura as she wondered if, by chance one day, she was approaching camp and Andrea mistook her for a walker.
Laura huffed, she may have to work on that later with Rick.
Approaching the RV, Laura knew the last time she spoke with Andrea wasn't exactly left on a good note, but she hoped the woman could look passed that and be able to answer her question.
Laura knocked on the RV to catch her attention. Andrea looked down to see Laura just below her. "Hey, what's up?" It was a little hesitant, but she was showing that she could ignore their last talk.
"I'm lookin' for Daryl's tent, but it ain't where it used to be." Laura made a jokingly tired face, "Would you happen to know where it's at?"
Andrea put a hand over her eyes and looked out over the fields. "Head straight in that direction," She pointed off to the fields on the far side of the house. "Just keep going until you reach the trees. He moved his tent out there last night."
Laura blinked, spying over the fields, it was too far to see. "Thanks Andrea." She sighed, it was a hike to get out there and she wanted to know why Daryl moved his tent so far out. It was dangerous for him to be alone, a walker could get the drop on him and all it took was one bite.
She started up, but Andrea stopped her. "Hey Laura?" Laura gazed up at Andrea, "I'm sorry, about Shane... What happened at the barn, I know why he did it, but it wasn't right. Our talk earlier, when you told me about him and you... I didn't really want to hear it, but I like you, I hope you feel better soon."
Laura ran her hand carefully over her neck, "Thanks Andrea and we're alright, no hard feelin's." Andrea smiled, "Good... Now go on. His tent is a little ways out there."
"See ya' Andrea." Laura waved to her as she restarted her trek to Daryl's tent.
She took Andrea's directions and hiked over the fields. Laura loved looking at them, loved exploring them even though it was mostly just clear fields. Laura paused for a moment to remove her shoes. Her brace would press into her foot, but she didn't care at this point, she just wanted to feel the grass beneath her feet for at least a little while.
It was a little hard to get around the brace on her foot, but when she did she felt like running through the tall grass. She smiled, a city girl born and raised, she never thought about it before, but she had never felt grass like this before. There was grass in pots and planters, but she never left the city and never went to any parks.
Laura frowned, she spent most of her time hiding away. She didn't want to go out of the house, people always made her nervous. She didn't really know why exactly, but the logical part of her brain that paid attention in psychology classes told her it was because the only person she ever really knew was her father.
And she didn't want anyone else in her family like her father or her mother for that matter. Somewhere in her head she was preparing for anyone who she knew to be like them.
Which Laura scoffed at, she wasn't doing it consciously if at all. She didn't except Rick to lash out at her just because she asked for him nor Daryl if she got close to him. She never thought anything like that about the entire group, not counting Shane of course, but everyone else seemed fine to her. Even if they did shun her, and they weren't anymore to her knowledge, she still didn't think they would just attack her or beat her up just because.
She laughed at the thought, it was ridiculous and unreasonable. These people were good people, sans Shane again, and looked after each other. Laura had long since decided that because she could walk with walkers, that she was going to protect them anyway she could.
This, naturally, would prove more difficult then she could ever really expect, but she still chose it even though she knew that there could come a day when she regretted that decision.
It didn't matter really, she cared about them, she could become infatuated very quickly, but she always remained close to anything she cared about until they were removed from her forcibly. She smirked, the only thing that would separate her from this group would be her death, otherwise, she'd stay with them.
Her last breath would be spent fighting for them.
With Laura's absent mindedness, she nearly missed Daryl's tent completely, but the blue of the tent caught the corner of her eye and she stopped.
His tent was nestled just on the edge of the treeline, in between a few far spread trees, there was a collection of wood, a small spot for a fire, and what looked like an old stone fireplace just standing alone, no building or signs of a building that it belonged to anywhere. Laura was interested in it, but ignore it for the time being.
While she looked around, she noticed a string between some trees near the fireplace and tent that had a few squirrels and rabbits hanging off of it. A normal sight when it came to Daryl Dixon.
She went to the tent and opened the flap, dropping her duffle on the far side, but there was no Daryl at the camp or in the tent. She momentarily wondered where he must've wondered off to, but she took another look at the squirrels and figured he went hunting again. Even though he had plenty of meat to sustain himself for another day or two.
Laura didn't feel like leaving to search out people from the group right now, she just got to Daryl's camp and wasn't ready to leave it just yet.
So she went back inside the tent and unzipped her duffle, finding clean clothes to put on while she waited for Daryl to return.
After a little bit of shuffling, she pulled out a plain black tank top and a rather new looking pair of jeans. She gave the jeans a hateful look, but once she glanced around the tent for something to cut jeans with, she found one of Daryl's knives, it wasn't his hunting knife which he no doubt had with him, and it didn't look like one he ever carried around.
She shrugged, if it worked it worked, she didn't care where it came from.
Sticking the blade through the left leg of the jeans, she began tearing it off. When the pant leg came off finally, she packed it back into the duffle and zipped it up.
Removing her shirt first, she slipped on the clean tank top happily, relishing in the feel of new clean clothing. It felt like a luxury now, after so long of running around in dirty, sweaty clothes.
Her jeans came as more of a challenge, she always had an issue putting pants on because of the brace.
Carefully, Laura began to remove the brace, her leg limp and she didn't dare move it while her brace was off. It was difficult getting the contraption on and off, but she didn't want to be in pants that had remnants of the dirt and blood she washed off of Sophia on it.
Slowly, she shimmied out of the pants and into her new jeans, which were a little snug, to be expected, then threw the old pants on top of her duffle.
Laura reached to put her brace back on at the exact moment Daryl opened the tent.
Her eyes shot up to see him leaning in, watching her with interest. "Oh, hey, just changing clothes." She smiled and, sitting on the edge of his cot, went back to putting the brace back on. The metal clinking as she slid it up her bare leg.
"Need help?" He finally spoke, watching her put the brace on her leg. She shook her head, "I got it, thanks though."
He nodded and left the tent, he must've heard the sounds she made from outside the tent and came in to investigate. She was just happy that he didn't feel the need to investigate everything with his crossbow. Sometimes she wondered if one day she'd be mistaken for a walker and end up getting shot.
Again, talk to Rick about it. Laura chided to herself, she had to speak with Rick to see if there was a way to avoid that kind of an accident. Or in Shane's case, attack.
When the brace was back on her leg firmly and she felt comfortable enough to stand, she left the tent, but not before putting Daryl's knife back where she found it. Leaving the tent, Laura saw Daryl stringing up his kill.
She went straight to him, "So, packed my stuff up an' shoved 'em in your tent." She shifted on her feet, kicking up a little bit of dirt as she watched him continue on his work. "I got a question."
He glanced to her for a second, but didn't stop. "What about?"
"You moved your tent. When I got my stuff an' was comin' to your tent, it wasn't there. I looked all around the camp an' it just wasn't there." Laura explained, trying to sound docile, she knew Daryl didn't like people prodding him for answers, she wanted to know why his camp was out here now though. "I asked Andrea an' she pointed me out here... I just wanna' know why it's so far out here, is all."
Daryl stopped this time and turned to face her, "Those people ain't my problem no more, ain't concernin' myself with 'em." He answered, a slight growl. "Figurin' it's best to get away from 'em all. Let 'em deal with their own problems now."
Laura's brow furrowed, she looked back to the farmhouse, she wanted to be close to it. No. She didn't care actually, for herself that is. She wanted him close to it, people to watch his back if she ever missed anything. It was risky out here alone.
"They're good people Daryl, why do you want to pull away from 'em?" She crossed her arms, sending Daryl an uncomfortable and worried look.
"Like I said, they ain't my problem an' I ain't theirs. Get some distance, so they understand I ain't here for 'em." He snarled at the farmhouse, glaring daggers at it. "Don't worry 'bout it, I got you. Not lettin' nothin' happen to you again." He was now looking at her, but not her face, at her neck. There was a very dark and harsh looking bruise forming there.
Laura stepped forward, a hand on Daryl's chest. "It ain't safe out here alone, Daryl, you can't be out here. What if a walker comes by? Or a bunch of walkers? I can't keep 'em all off of ya."
He made an incredulous face at her, "Not me you should be thinkin' about. Keepin' you out of danger up here, they can't get you here."
"Did you really move up here 'cause of what Shane did?" She sighed, it couldn't be his only reason if one at all. "Daryl, is this about Sophia? I mean, I know she was a walker but she's better now. She came back to us."
Daryl turned around, a low rumble coming from him. "This ain't about Sophia. Not anymore." He had the crossbow in his right hand and he clenched his fist around the grip. "Son of a bitch nearly killed ya, couldn't stop 'im neither. Put a gun to your head... Got a few hits on 'im, but they stopped me. Shouldn't have stuck their noses in my business, he could've killed you an' I was just returnin' the favor."
Laura came up behind Daryl, cautiously putting her hands on his sides. He tensed, as usual, but not as much as he had before. So she very slowly slid her arms until they were around his noted how uncomfortable he must be, but, like before, he wasn't pulling away. It was the most encouraging sign she'd ever gotten out of him aside from the kiss he gave her earlier.
She wanted him to be used to her wanting to touch him, because she does want to touch him more. It was magnetic to her, after their starting contact, that which initialized them showing that they wanted each other.
And she did want him, she confessed that maybe it was more then she really should, but she felt like they had so little time to do the normal. To take it slow and easy, to wait on each other, and she didn't think Daryl was that kind of person, to just ease into a relationship like other people did. He either wanted her or he didn't, simple as that, and while he had a hard time showing it, the moments when he did were very clear.
"I don't want you up here without someone to watch your back. I can only do so much." She rested her head on his back. "I can't stop enough walkers, I've never killed one, y'know? Never had a reason 'til y'all showed up. Then I couldn't think of anythin' but keepin' y'all safe as best I can, but I ain't strong, I can't do it alone."
He seemed to just be taking in her words before she felt him shift a little, not away from her, but he set his crossbow to lean against the tree beside them.
"Don't worry 'bout me, I can take care of myself." Daryl stated and she knew he could, but again, there was only so much one person could do, even if that person is him. Daryl grabbed her arms and loosened them to turn around and face her, not taking her arms off from him though.
He brought a hand up to her neck and very carefully touched the sensitive, bruised skin there. She winced slightly and he got just that much angrier. "No one is hurtin' my woman again." He ground out, moving his hand to the back of her head and leaned down to her, kissing her forcefully.
She smiled against him, she loved it when he was a little rougher with her, but he was being cautious about making her move at all because of her neck and jaw. She opened herself to him, just enjoying their kiss while it lasted, Daryl had a tendency to shut down for a little bit after kissing her.
As his arm wrapped around her, crushing her to him, she felt all that better. She didn't mind that her neck throbbed now because of the force, or that her jaw strained at the force of their passionate kiss. Not even the multitudes of bruises that he was grabbing onto hurt enough to want him to stop and she doubted they ever would.
When he began to lean over her, her back arched against him and the kiss grew more heated, her arms were around his neck, and she felt herself growing more and more excited at the amount on contact. His hands both fell from their previous places and trailed down her sides until one was above her hip, gripping her to him and the other on her hip, pressing him against her.
It was thrilling, she never felt this with anyone before, having them grab onto her, hold her to them with bruising force, or to feel their hands all over her. To feel his body against her in such a way that made her feel like tearing his clothes off out in the open.
He moved her to the tree and pressed her against it, giving him more ability for his hands to grab at her, pull her even tighter to him until they were impossibly close and she was thoroughly his to feel freely. He broke the kiss, kissing and sucking from her non-bruised jaw to her neck, the sensitive skin there was sore but his mouth on her neck felt like fire.
Then his hand went to her thigh and began to pull it up around his waist, grinding his bulging masculinity to her and she froze, still as stone.
She had felt someones hands roaming her before, felt someone pressing her to them, kissing her as she struggled, biting her neck, groping her and ground themselves between her legs.
She went rigid and Daryl picked up on it quickly, especially when her hands shot from his back to his chest, separating them.
He looked up at her, seeing her eyes screwed shut and frowning. She fought against her memories, but they kept hitting her one right after the other. With his hands over her, his heat radiating though her, she couldn't take it and her mind went to the darkest places it could find.
A hand came up to her face and she flinched away from it, but it came back and held the side of her face firmly. "Open your eyes." She knew it was him, it was Daryl, the man she cared about but all she could see in her head where those other men.
She pressed her face into his hand, bringing hers up to grab onto it tightly. Her face was contorted in anger, but when she opened her eyes to see him in font of her, she knew she looked sad, but couldn't hold it back.
"There's my girl." He was doing his best to comfort her, he knew about what had happened, and Laura wondered if he expected this kind of reaction from it. "You're alright, come on."
He stepped back and lead her away from the tree, taking her into the tent and shoved off excess blankets and pillows, having her sit on the cot. She shook her head, running her hand through her hair.
"I'm... sorry, I didn't think it would be such a big deal." She gave him a distressed smile. He was crouched in front of her and frowned, "Ya ain't ready for that, I get it. Got nothin' to be sorry for." He bit his thumb again, she found that nervous tick of his endearing.
She nodded, taking a moment to force those memories back into the recesses of her head.
Laura honestly didn't believe that her memories would cause such trouble, she knew she would be a little hesitant, but she assumed that she could handle it, get passed what had happened.
She counted the time between now and when she was taken by those men, it wasn't that long ago. Just a few weeks ago, it was still fresh in her mind and evident on her body. She could feel the marks they left and at first wasn't concerned about it, but her and Daryl just had a very close and heated moment, one she wanted to explore more fully.
But those thoughts, every time she saw herself in that position with Daryl, it excited her, but to actually be put in that situation was completely different. It felt like she was pinned and she couldn't get away.
She felt trapped.
With a sigh, she managed to regain herself, calmed down, and was able to looked at Daryl who stayed dutifully by her. "Hey." Her voice was small, but it was enough to make him look at her. "Think I can learn to skin and gut today? Gotta' eat sometime."
He smirked and nodded at her. "You up to it?" He stood up and Laura followed, a little unsure on her feet.
"Don't worry 'bout it." She waved him off and he lead her out of the tent, he didn't help her out, he wouldn't coddle her, but he was near to make sure she was alright, in the off chance that she wasn't.
Daryl was a little more careful around her, but he wasn't babying her, just checking in on her to make sure she wouldn't lock down again. When he was sure that she wasn't going to, he continued on with her as normal.
He took a squirrel for him and one for her and started showing her what to do.
Laura needed to get her mind off of what just happened. She had enjoyed his advances a lot, but when he crossed a line she didn't even know existed, she wasn't capable of putting her struggles behind her and actually be with him.
She felt weak for it, like she wasn't strong enough to get over it. She knew she was being hard on herself, she had dealt with rape victims before when she was an intern and when she started her first year as a doctor. To see them fight so hard to get passed their trauma, Laura couldn't stand seeing it, the injuries caused and the mental damage, but almost every last one she ever met, the victims, had pulled through.
Laura just assumed it didn't take very long, that it was a crime committed and the victim was able to push it aside shortly thereafter.
It wasn't the case though, she knew it now. She never went home with those women and actually saw how they moved passed the trauma, how they dealt with it. She never was with them long enough to see how their everyday life was effected.
She rationalized that she'd be a better doctor with rape patients now, because she could relate and comfort. To be a bigger help then telling them about pain medications or talk about psychologists that could help.
Laura now realized that made it sound like she was telling them they were messed up in the head and possibly crazy now, so they should seek help.
She sighed, she was here now, with Daryl, near the woods she feared getting lost in all the time, and with a group she cared about. If she wanted comfort, she had plenty of it.
Strangely enough, watching Daryl demonstrate how to skin a squirrel provided a great amount of stress relief.
Watching someone pull the skin of a dead animal was comforting.
I'm fucking crazy. Laura cracked a smile, Daryl noticed, but didn't speak up about it. She was over that bump in the road, she finally put it aside for now and had dealt with a part of her life that was holding her back. She knew it wasn't gone, but it was progress.
And she felt a little better at the sound of that. A lot of progress had been made in the last few days. With the farm, Sophia, and her relationship with Daryl.
Laura actually started to see the brighter side of things. So much good had happened in such short amount of time, but she had been too busy focusing on the bad that had happened or the bad that could possibly happen to pay attention to the little things.
Sophia's return was a big thing and it made Laura smile outright now.
She was so happy to see Sophia back with Carol, the group was troubled, she knew it, with Randall and all, but it was just another trial of this new world. One she was certain that this group could beat.
And that made her happy.