Shane wasn't willing to let Rick head into town without proper back up, but he's not dumb. Hershel undoubtedly blames him for the barn, so Rick'll have a better chance talking sense into the old man without Shane hovering over his shoulder.
He always believed that it was better to have and not need than need and not have, so Shane diligently clears out the back room of the pharmacy while he waits. After about twenty minutes, two gunshots crack through the evening air. He'd know that retort anywhere, Rick's impractical but beloved Python. He drops everything he's holding and goes sprinting for the front door, only to throw himself down behind a counter when he spots strangers moving around in the street.
He prefers a shotgun for most situations, but he needs range, so he takes careful aim with his pistol, listening in to the side of the conversation he can hear. Rick's voice is too muffled to make out words, but he knows Rick would try to talk the men down. Shane holds out as long as he can, but when he sees the men shifting with agitation, he makes a call. One of them collapses to the ground, his face exploding forward in a spray of red as Shane's bullet bursts through the back of his skull.
The fight is short and bloody, no survivors amongst their assailants. There was a sniper on the roof that Shane took down by emptying an entire mag, and he tries not to think about how young the kid looked from the brief glance he got. When silence falls on the street, it's Rick who cautiously emerges from the bar. Shane waves to show the all clear.
They grab the bags of supplies Shane packed then have to book it, pausing only to snag the dead men's big white truck. It's gassed up, and a working vehicle ain't something to turn their noses up at. The gunfire drew in walkers though, and there's no guarantee the roads will be clear. Hershel suggests they get more fuel from the gas station if there's any left, and it becomes their temporary home for the night.
It's Shane's turn to keep watch when the man they were sent to retrieve approaches. Shane ducks his head, frowning through the cracked windows. Rick and Glenn are trying to sleep in the back. They all snacked on what little junk food remained on the shelves, and plan to pack up everything left come morning.
"What you did at my farm," Hershel finally says, "I don't know if I can ever forgive that. But I also don't know if I'd have gotten to see my girls again if you weren't there in town today."
The silence drags on, and Shane shifts uncomfortably under the farmer's stern gaze. Still, it was his family.
"I get it," Shane mutters at the ground. "Don't expect no gratitude."
Hershel sighs and shakes his head. "Thank you," he says firmly. "For making sure I'm alive to go back to my girls."
Shane blinks in surprise. He can't see any sarcasm in Hershel's expression, so he slowly nods in acceptance. After a while, the old man heads to the back to lay down, and no one else tries talking until morning.
They're greeted by most of the group as they pull up to the farm. The sun is barely above the trees, the air crisp with morning chill. Shane hasn't slept a minute all night, and the only clear thought in his head past the fog of exhaustion is that of his sleeping bag. As the four of them get out, Maggie comes sprinting down the farmhouse's front steps. She blows past her daddy, wrapping her arms around a startled Glenn.
Hershel looks on with a sad expression before turning for the house. Patricia meets him at the front door, leading him inside and explaining Beth's current condition.
"Dad!" Carl throws himself into Rick's arms.
Lori is close behind, her expression unreadable as she asks, "What happened? Are you alright?"
Shane gives her a once over, frowning when he spots a livid bruise on the side of her face. It's dark purple, vibrant against her pale skin, with scattered scratches and more bruising apparent on her arms.
"We're fine," Rick says as he straightens up, gaze lingering on his son. "Ran into some trouble, but Shane—"
"What happened?" Shane demands, stepping forward and reaching for Lori.
She flinches back, narrowing her eyes at him. "Nothing!" She hisses, expression hardening.
"Lori went after you all," Andrea explains reluctantly.
"Yes," Lori snaps. "And Jenner came after me, so—"
Jenner. Shane's gaze fastens onto those dark bruises, his heart thudding in his throat. He spins away, scanning the yard until he spots the tall outline of that son-of-a-bitch. He's doing laundry with Carol, fucking laundry.
He told Rick he couldn't be part of the group, told him that he had to fucking go. His blood pounds in his ears as he rushes across the yard, his breath coming too fast and not enough. Jenner turns to face him, his expression confused. With a snarl, Shane reels back and punches him straight across the face.
The man goes down, and there's screaming all around them. Before he can get up, Shane straddles him, swinging again. Jenner struggles to shield his face and chest, but he ain't trained for this like Shane is.
Fingers dig into his face, and he shoves a small figure away. The man beneath him yells, but Shane doesn't fucking care. He hurt Lori.
The next thing he knows is a pain unlike anything he's felt before. There are teeth in his hand. Panic tells him walker, and he fumbles for the gun on his belt.
T-Dog tackles him off Jenner, and then Glenn is holding his arm down. Jenner scrambles backwards, pulling that small girl of his close to his chest. She's crying, blood streaming from her mouth, standing out bright on her teeth. She bit him.
"What the hell is wrong with you?!" T-Dog shouts in his face, eyes wide and horrified. "Man calm the hell down!"
"What the hell's the matter with y'all?!" Shane howls, thrashing under them. "He hurt Lori!"
"Shane!" At last, Lori's screaming cuts through the blood rushing behind his ears. "He saved me! I crashed! I was in a car crash, and Jenner came to get me!"
The strength evaporates from Shane's arms. He goes limp, and after a long minute, T-Dog gets up. Glenn stands slower, watching him warily and holding onto Shane's gun. Rick approaches, crouching to offer him a hand. Shane accepts reluctantly, letting his brother pull him up by his good hand.
Carol and Maggie are with Jenner, helping him and Mouse. Maggie guides the pair towards the house, while Carol flutters her hands.
"I—" Shane lifts his hand to his face, only to see deep gouges filling with blood. The pain throbs up his arm and along his spine.
"We need to clean that." Rick starts to guide him towards the house. Before they can go up the first step, Maggie emerges with a med-kit in her grasp.
"You aren't going in there," she hisses at Shane, her eyes narrowed with anger. "My father's busy." She thrusts the kit at Rick. "You've had medical training?"
Rick wilts, nodding quickly. "I have," he assures her. "Thank you."
"Don't," Maggie hisses. "I didn't want to give you anything; my father insisted otherwise." She spins around and slams the door in their faces.
Rick leads the way to his and Lori's tent, forcing Shane to sit down on their cot. He cradles his hand in silence, watching as his brother pulls out the alcohol and wipes. He throws a towel over Shane's knees, taking his bitten hand and pouring small amounts of isopropyl into the wounds. Shane hisses, tensing up as the bite burns. This is important because the risk of infection is severe. Mouths are disgusting.
He keeps expecting Rick to lecture him, but he just tends to the injury. Cleaning it for a long while, then smoothing an antibiotic cream into the still bleeding holes. Lastly, he secures a square of gauze over it all by wrapping his hand in sports bandaging.
"Come on, man," Shane mutters at last. "Just say it, alright?" He wants it over with, wants Rick to lecture him about how badly he's fucked up and be done with it.
Rick sighs, releasing Shane's injured hand and the pretense. "I wanted to leave them at the Old Folk Home, back in Atlanta."
Shane can't follow the non-sequitur, and his expression must show it.
"Guillermo was a good man, I figured his people have experience with mental illness, at least the type older folks deal with. They'd be the best situated to handle him and Mouse…" He shakes his head, staring at the tent wall. "But they were dead when we got there, and no one was willing to just leave them."
After a long moment, Rick shrugs. "We'll just make sure you two don't work together around the farm," He pats Shane's knee. "And you should take the day off, get a little rest."
"I don't know how you were so calm. Thought you'd be holding him down for me when you heard what Lori said."
Rick snorted. "I listened to the end of the sentence, man. Jenner went after her, so he saw she'd crashed the car. Easier to be clear headed when you sleep at night."
Shane nods slowly, unable to meet the other man's gaze. He opens and closes his mouth, trying to find the words to convince him to leave for Fort Benning.
"I slept with Lori."
Rick freezes.
Shane didn't mean to say it, but the words start pouring out. "Thought you'd died man, I…" He shudders, tears blurring his vision. "Was at the hospital when it— They were shooting doctors and nurses in the halls and I—"
He hunches forward, clenching his fist despite how pain flares from his broken skin.
"I put my head down on your chest, and I— I don't know maybe the gunfire—" He covers his face and grits his teeth, then slaps himself twice.
Rick seizes his hand, jerking it down and unwrapping the bandaging. He eases the bloodied gauze away from the wound and sighs. "You're making it worse."
"I slept with Lori!" Shane repeats, tears rolling down his cheeks. "I— I didn't hear a heartbeat, and I thought you'd died and I—"
"I know." Rick's voice trembles, but he squeezes Shane's wrist for emphasis. "I think I always knew. It happened. You thought I'd died, and you kept them alive."
Shane slumps, allowing Rick to press gauze down and re-bandage his hand. He lets it fall to his lap and stares at nothing when the other man finishes, shaking his head. "They kept me alive, man."
It's silent for a long moment. With a muttered curse, Rick shifts forward, pulling Shane into a tight hug.
"You're my brother," he insists, his voice quivering with barely contained grief. "You're my brother, and we're alive. You, me, Lori and Carl, we're all alive. That's what matters."
Shane wraps his uninjured arm loosely around Rick's back, burying his face into his neck. They both cry as quietly as they can, not wanting to draw any more attention. The last thing they need is the rest of the group sticking their noses where they don't belong.
Lori follows Maggie and Carol into the house, ushering Carl in front of her. He's talking a mile a minute, asking what's going on, why did Shane attack Dr. Jenner, he didn't hurt Lori like Shane said, did he?
"No," she makes herself answer that last one, because it's not a misconception she wants to spread. "No, no one hurt me. Was just the crash, that's all."
Carol pushes the doctor down onto the couch, and Mouse throws herself into his lap. His expression flickers with pain, but he wraps his arms around the girl anyway.
"Mom, why did Shane attack him?" Carl demands again as Maggie rushes upstairs. She comes down a moment later with a medical kit in hand, but rather than approach Jenner, she hurries out the front door.
"Carl, could you get the sink in the kitchen running?" Lori pats his shoulder. "We need hot water."
"Yeah!" Carl darts off towards the kitchen as Patricia comes down the stairs and Maggie re-enters the farmhouse. T-Dog is on her heels along with Glenn.
"How is he?" Glenn asks, his expression tight with worry.
"I don't know," Lori mutters, wrapping her arms around herself. Carol continues to hover over him, speaking too quietly for Lori to catch what she's saying. Jenner just sits there clutching Mouse, his eyes unfocused.
Someone should get Mouse changed, so they can wash the blood out of those clothes before it stains. It takes Lori a heartbeat to steel herself and approach.
"Hey sweetie," she reaches out for Mouse's shoulder, freezing when she sees the girl flinch.
Jenner looks up at her, but he doesn't seem to see her. He shudders, tightening his grip on Mouse and shrinking back into the couch. He seems smaller here, curled up around her, bruises blooming across his face.
"I was just thinking I could help Mouse wash her face off," Lori says, offering him a carefully controlled smile. "Mouse honey, what do you say?"
"Edwin," Carol's voice is firm, the weight of her hand barely present on his shoulder. "She's safe, you're safe. T-Dog is at the door; she won't go outside. You're not there."
He turns to Carol, then slowly nods. His grip on Mouse loosens, and when she whimpers and tightens her own grasp, he shakes his head.
"Mouse." He has to stop and clear his throat. "It's okay, baby just— Go with Lori. You need to rinse your mouth out. It's— It's not hygienic."
This seems to get through to Mouse who reluctantly lets go of Jenner. She allows Lori to help her stand and follows her to the kitchen. Lori has to lead the way with a hand on her shoulder because she keeps glancing back towards Jenner fearfully.
"Come on," Lori encourages her to sit on a stool. Carl has the sink running like she asked, and when she tests the water, she finds it's nice and hot.
"Thank you, sweetie," she tells him. "Could you ask Maggie where they keep their mixing bowls?"
"I can get it!" Carl darts to a cupboard and pulls it open, standing on his tiptoes to reach one of the upper shelves. Before Lori can help, he drags a mixing bowl down and eagerly hands it over.
"Thanks," she smiles at him as she fills the bowl up. "How did you know that?"
"Me and Mouse helped Carol and Jenner make dinner last night," Carl says proudly.
"Mouse and I," Lori corrects with a fond smile. "Jenner helped with cooking?"
"Yup," Carl says. His eyes dart to Mouse, and he frowns. "Hey Mouse, are you okay?"
The girl in question doesn't respond. She wraps her arms around herself and hunches forward, letting her long hair hide her face.
The bowl is full, so Lori turns the water off, setting it down by Mouse's feet. She grabs a glass and gets the filtering pitcher out of the fridge, pouring some water for the girl to rinse her mouth out with. Lori has to help her hold the glass because her hands are shaking, but she does as directed without question.
Once she's gotten the blood out of her mouth, Lori directs her to sit and crouches down beside her. She takes one of the softer dish towels and wets it, lightly brushing the drying blood off Mouse's face and neck. The girl sits there silent and swaying, her eyes unfocused. They flutter half shut, and she leans into every touch so hard Lori worries she might fall.
"Let's get you into some clean clothing," Lori suggests, helping Mouse up. She doesn't know where Jenner has been keeping Mouse's outfits, so the closest match in size will actually be Carl. She doesn't want to send him out of the house though, so she figures she'll just put Mouse into some of Beth's pajamas for now.
Carl follows them upstairs and waits outside Beth's bedroom with Mouse when Lori steps inside. Hershel and Otis are both there tending to Beth, but Hershel pauses long enough to inquire after Mouse's well being. When Lori explains what she's looking for, he passes a nightdress and some leggings over.
Mouse emerges from the bathroom in the oversized clothing. Her eyes are red from crying, her gaze distant and unseeing. She hasn't spoken a word since Lori met her, but now she's chewing on her bottom lip hard enough to make the skin raw. Lori reaches up, carefully encouraging her to stop. She does so with a hiccupped whimper, flinching back and lifting her hands to cover her face.
"Oh, sweetie," Lori whispers, her own eyes welling with tears. This girl saw her mother die, Rick mentioned it when they were discussing Jenner. Lori's parents died young, her father of cancer, and her mother of a heart attack two years later. Rick helped her through it all, the death of his own parents allowing him to understand her loss. She can't imagine if she'd actually been there when it happened, let alone for it to have been as violent a death as Rick implied.
"Come here," she says, her voice soft and low. Mouse doesn't respond, but Lori pulls her into a hug. "It's okay."
Mouse whines in the back of her throat, shaking her head hard, but she slumps against Lori's chest with a sob. Lori rocks her in place, stroking a hand down wild curls and soothing her as best she can. Eventually, Mouse's hitched cries ease, and Lori pulls back to cup her chin and catch her gaze. It's difficult, the girl keeps wincing and looking off to the side, but eventually she peeks up at Lori through tear-filled lashes.
"Do you want to go back downstairs?" Lori asks her. Mouse nods, reaching up to scrub at her face. Lori delays only long enough to help her rinse her cheeks, then they head back out, her bloodied clothes folded up for Lori to wash as soon as she can.
Carl has vanished, and Hershel is down in the living room now. He's shining a light into Jenner's eyes, and the man seems much more coherent than he was earlier.
"It's fine, really," Jenner chuckles wryly. "Trust me, I've been hit worse than that before."
"Contrary to your intent," Hershel, murmurs, "I don't find that particularly comforting."
Jenner sighs tiredly. "Look, if it were serious, I'd know. I've had concussions."
"He could have killed you," Carol hisses, pacing beside them. "He's dangerous. If you'd have fallen wrong—"
"I'll be talking to Shane later," Hershel cuts in. "His reaction was unacceptable, but the man didn't sleep last night. He owes you an apology, but if he was in his right mind, I doubt he'd have attacked."
"Since when has Shane ever been in his right mind?" Carol insists. "He put everyone at risk by opening the barn up like he did!"
Hershel tenses, his head dropping as a pained expression crosses his face. Carol's eyes widen, and she covers her mouth.
"Oh," Carol whispers, her eyes welling with tears. "Oh, I'm— I'm so sorry. I shouldn't have—"
"We're all under unimaginable stress these days," Hershel states firmly. "But I'll be talking to him."
Lori keeps her thoughts to herself, clearing her throat as she guides Mouse forward. "I cleaned her up," she says with a smile. "She's not hurt. I'll see to getting her clothes washed. Hopefully they won't stain."
"Thank you," Jenner gives her a pained smile. His lip is split and there's a horrific bruise which stretches from his mouth to just below his left eye.
Mouse darts forward, clambering up onto the couch beside him and throwing her arms around Jenner's chest. He slumps at once, tension draining from his shoulders, as he wraps an arm around her back.
Lori shrugs. "No thanks necessary."
She spends nearly forty minutes soaking and scrubbing Mouse's soiled clothes. The early morning chill has given way to a pleasant warmth. Shane emerges from the tent she shares with Rick, her husband just behind him. Shane's hand has been bandaged. He glances towards her, then moves away, his head down.
Rick stares at her for a longer moment, before heading up to the farmhouse. A flicker of envy curdles in her gut. It feels like ever since they reached the farm, Rick has spent more time with Shane than her or Carl. First searching for Mouse, then chasing after Hershel. Even when he got home, he had to bandage up Shane's hand after the man got himself bit while beating up a little orphaned girl's only guardian. She scrubs the clothing harder, grinding the cloth against the metal sides of the washing basin.
She's hanging the clothes up to dry when Jenner emerges from the house, Mouse clinging to his hip. Carol is at his side, somehow both folded in on herself and protectively hovering, eyes darting nervously,around. Lori sighs, wiping her arm across her forehead. She can't even imagine the bad memories that incident must have brought up.
"Uh, Lori?"
She looks up to find Jenner giving her a hesitant smile. It makes the bruising on his face pull, and he winces visibly. "I wanted to thank you again for— Um," he gestures to the clothesline and shakes his head.
"It's not a bother," Lori gives Mouse a smile, but the girl won't meet her gaze. "Hershel says everything's alright?"
"Everything looks good," Jenner nods. "Maggie said you were trying to get Shane to back off so, thank you for that."
"You've gotta stop thanking me for things any decent person would do," Lori chuckles, folding her arms and glancing away.
"Seems like decency's on short demand these days," Jenner responds.
Lori laughs, surprised by his generous take. Considering his harsh words the night before, she hadn't expected him to be so comfortable around her.
"I actually came out to ask you something," Jenner pats Mouse's shoulder, prompting the girl to peek up. "Carol mentioned to me the other day that you've been giving Carl homework?"
"Yeah," Lori is surprised again. No one seemed to think Carl keeping up on his schooling was important. She was pretty sure that Carol just went along with it to keep Sophia out of Ed's way.
"I was hoping we could get a proper schedule going, for Mouse as well," Jenner smiles. "I may not have a teaching degree, but I know my sciences well enough to manage middle school, I imagine."
Before last night, Lori wouldn't have agreed. She didn't want Carl around Jenner and tried to warn her son away whenever she could. She can't say she's forgiven him, but she also can't deny the adoration in his eyes when he looks at Mouse, or the danger he put himself in to make sure she got home to her son.
"That seems like a good idea," she nods slowly. "I could handle the English portions."
"I was thinking," Carol cuts in cautiously. "They should learn how to cook, maybe sew as well? And we could ask Daryl to take us out on a trip to learn tracking and— and how to—" Her voice hitches, and she drops her head down.
"How to tell directions," Jenner finishes softly, his gaze gentle as he glances at Carol.
Oh. Lori shudders, nodding quickly. "Yeah, actually that— that sounds like a good idea. I'm not sure I'd be any good out there or anything—"
"I was thinking," Jenner chimes in quickly. "If Daryl teaches everyone, Carl and Mouse will understand it isn't a game. That these are skills adults need, too."
She only hesitates one more time before agreeing to the proposal. She won't enjoy wandering around in the woods and listening to Daryl Dixon, but Carol is right. If Sophia had these skills, maybe she'd have survived, and it's a miracle in itself that Mouse did at all. She doesn't want to imagine if it were Carl who had gotten lost. Would he have remembered old Cub Scouts lessons past the panic of running from walkers?
They sit down that afternoon and hammer out a proper schedule for the children's education. There will be Lori's basic math and English lessons naturally, along with Carol's more practical cooking and maintenance skills, and Jenner to cover the sciences. Jenner makes the suggestion that they find a nearby library for additional resources.
Lori is left feeling somehow both unsettled and hopeful. Considering the fact that he wanted to kill himself and the rest of them barely a week ago, Lori can't say she expected Jenner to care about the children's future. Instead, he appears to be the only person as invested as she is in keeping up their education.
She and Carol spend the day discussing various lesson ideas, with Jenner sometimes joining them. Although it's unlikely that he has a concussion, Hershel has ordered him to take it easy, but that might have more to do with how poorly he managed his health during the days Mouse was missing. Once things settle down, Lori plans to inquire after first aid lessons and lessons about the farm animals from the Greenes.
"I think we can even get more help with the chores if we mask them as lessons," Carol laughingly suggests. "Just picture Carl helping out with laundry?"
Lori does laugh then, long and hard. Her son couldn't manage to help out with the laundry when there were two machines and electricity.
She's surprised when Hershel invites everyone inside for dinner that evening, though as usual when they're invited into the main house Daryl volunteers to eat his portion while keeping watch. Lori settles down beside Rick, surprised to find Shane sitting on his other side. Carl sits between her and her husband, and as Carol settles beside her, she notices two of their own are missing.
"Where are Jenner and Mouse?" She asks worriedly.
"I took them something to eat out in the RV," Carol explains.
"Are they okay?" Dale's voice is heavy with concern.
"Mouse was just worn out from all the day's excitement," Carol adds. "Jenner figured since she already has a hard time eating, it'd be better if they tried it somewhere quiet."
"Makes sense," Rick nods.
"Lori and I were thinking we should get them on a schedule," Carol nods to Carl. "To keep up on their math and such."
"You really think that's important right now?" Shane hasn't said a word since he sat down, but he finally looks up with a shake of his head.
Lori tenses, prepared to jump in to defend her views, but to her surprise, Carol snaps right back.
"Yes, Shane, I do. I think it's extremely important to make sure Carl and Mouse grow up able to read, write, and do basic sums. Those skills aren't just so that us women can read magazines."
The silence after Carol's angry words is unbearable. Lori clears her throat, forcing herself to smile at Rick and continue on like everything is normal.
"Jenner offered to teach them science," she sees Shane scoff from the corner of her eye and does her best to ignore it. "Doesn't that sound nice, Carl?"
"I guess," Carl shrugs, and Lori is proud to see him shoveling greens into his mouth. She'd had to fight to get him to eat them before.
"Well, maybe this will be more exciting," Lori grins at Carol. "Carol thought we should ask Daryl to give the kids lessons in tracking and telling directions and such."
"Really?" Carl brightens immediately. "That sounds so cool!"
"I thought you didn't want Carl out there," Rick says.
Lori frowns. "I didn't want him out there looking for Mouse because I thought it was dangerous."
"How's this different?" Rick's voice is strangely cold, and it makes her stiffen with frustration. He's angry with her, but she isn't sure why.
"It's different because instead of slowing down a bunch of adults who have something important to focus on, he'll be learning how to keep himself safe."
Before Rick can reply, Carl protests that he wasn't slowing anyone down, and Lori finds herself placating her offended son. By the time he settles, disgruntled but no longer upset, the subject has shifted.
Carl heads over to the RV after dinner, to check on Mouse he says, but most likely to see if she's up for playing a game of cards. Lori and Carol take down the dry clothes from the line, glad that most of the blood had come out.
She brings the laundry over to the RV and calls a reluctant Carl to bed. Jenner thanks her for the clothes, and Mouse gives her a hug before darting back to Jenner's side.
"I can't wait to go hunting with Daryl!" Carl gushes as they head for their tent. "It's gonna be so cool! Do you think he'll let me hold his crossbow?"
"We still need to ask him," Lori points out, trying to temper Carl's enthusiasm. "And I think Mr. Dixon should hang onto his crossbow, he needs it in case of walkers."
"That's true, I guess," Carl agrees. "But I'll get a knife right? What about a gun?"
"We'll talk about the knife," Lori concedes. "But I think while we're all learning, the guns should stick with the adults."
As they lay down, she wonders where Rick is. She's barely seen him all day. She peeks out of the tent, but when she can't spot him, she settles onto their cot alone. She doesn't want to leave to search, no doubt Carl would sneak back to the RV.
As she struggles to fall asleep, an insidious thought teases at the back of her mind. Shane wouldn't have told him, right?
END NOTE: As always any and all feedback is welcome, including critique as long as it is politely worded!