Kari was breathing heavily as she rushed into the farmhouse bathroom, slamming the door shut behind her. She staggered toward the sink, glancing up at the mirror above, finding blood splattered on her cheeks, likely a mixture of hers and Dale's. Her eyes dropped to the blood stain on her shirt, as tried to quell the panic coursing through her. Slowly, she held her arm up and started to peel back the shirt which was sticking to her skin. A horrified gasp left her lips when she saw the damage to her arm in the stark lighting of the bathroom. A large chunk of her inner arm was missing, bite marks clear around the skin, still bleeding heavily. She flexed her fingers rapidly, glad to see there didn't seem to be any nerve damage, but regardless of the infection spread from the walker's teeth, she'd be lucky if she didn't end up with sepsis.

"Fuck," She mumbled, attempting to pull off the plaid shirt she was wearing.

Knowing she needed to clean the bite as thoroughly as possible, she turned on the sink taps and placed the fabric of her shirt between her teeth. As soon as the cold water hit the open wound, she couldn't help but let out a cry of pain, muffled somewhat by the gag in her mouth. A few blood clots ran down the sink drain, as the colour turned a grimy red, causing her stomach to turn. Cleaning the bite out with soap and water was enough for her vision to blur from the pain, but she kept going until the water turned a light pink colour. With shaking hands, she ripped off part of the sleeve of her non-injured arm and quickly made it into a tourniquet, wrapping it around the skin under her elbow. She was losing more blood than she had expected.

What the hell had she been expecting?

This was why she hadn't wanted to stay with the group. It was the whole reason she ended up in the mess she found herself in. She had tried to help that kid in the hospital, and she had a chunk taken out of her stomach in thanks. And now? She had re-infected herself and Dale was still dead.

Reaching out for the sink, she leant down for a moment, trying to calm her rapid breathing. She would leave in the morning. She had no choice anymore. Not when there was a chance she could turn. Pulling her shirt over her shoulders, she attempted to clean off the blood on her sleeve, but it was stained deeply. There was no scrubbing it clean.

"Are you okay?" Beth's voice called out from the other side of the door.

"Y-yeah. I'm fine. Be out in a minute," Kari replied, running a wet hand over her face, trying to regain her exposure.

She found Beth standing right outside the door, a look of concern in her big eyes, fidgeting nervously with her hands. She paled a little when she saw the blood on Kari's clothes. Kari attempted to force a smile onto her lips, but it turned into a wince as soon as she felt blood beginning to drip down her hand.

"I'm sorry about your friend," Beth exclaimed, as Kari gave a firm nod.

"I didn't really know him. Don't think he liked me much really," Kari mumbled.

"Dale liked everyone. Everyone butShane," Beth suggested, as Kari huffed out a laugh.

"That's an understatement," Kari retorted, as Beth's lips twitched into a slight smile.

All of a sudden, Beth surged forward, wrapping her arms around Kari's shoulders, and holding onto her tightly for a few seconds. Kari was so taken aback, she could do nothing more than freeze. It wasn't the first time Beth had embraced her, but the blonde wasn't the one who needed comforting this time. She thought Kari did. Almost instinctively, she slung her good arm over Beth's shoulder, loosely hugging her back.

"I'm really glad you're okay," Beth told her, as Kari's brow furrowed, feeling Beth's arms tighten a little around her.

"...That's nice," Kari replied, hearing Beth snort, as she pulled away from the hug.

"You're not used to someone caring, are you?" Beth guessed, as Kari shrugged.

"I'm kind of a bitch. Doesn't exactly help with making friends," Kari stated.

"Are you sure you're okay?" Beth pushed, as Kari pursed her lips, an idea coming to mind.

"I've got a banging headache actually. You think your dad could spare some Tylenol?" Kari questioned.

"Of course. He keeps the medicine in the old larder. You want me to grab you some?" Beth offered, as Kari shook her head instantly.

"No. No, I've got it," Kari replied, shooting her a grateful smile before heading in the direction of the larder.

Her eyes widened as soon as she walked into the room, shocked at how much Hershel had stashed away, before reminding herself he was a veterinarian She would have to make sure got the doses right with the antibiotics she planned to take. A week's course should do as soon as she started it that minute, she theorised. After surveying the rows of medications, she soon found a packet of Flucloxacillin and checked the expiration date. Thankful when she saw 2011 on the packet, she opened it up and dry swallowed two tablets, grimacing at the taste. She jumped out of her skin when she heard the door behind her slam shut. She whipped around to find Shane leaning against the door, his jaw clenched tight.

"You scared the crap out of me," Kari huffed, hiding the packet behind her back.

"What're you doing in here?" Shane inquired.

"Just grabbing some Tylenol," Kari shrugged, as Shane pushed off from the door, fingers looped into his belt.

"You're bleeding again," Shane announced, his eyes flickering down to her arm.

Kari swallowed thickly as she followed his gaze, finding a few lines of blood running down her fingers. She immediately began wiping the substance against her jeans, feigning confusion.

"It's old blood. Dale's," She retorted, as Shane shook his head, coming to stand in front of her.

"You do not want to lie to me right now. I ain't blind. I saw how your sleeve was torn in the field," Shane explained.

"Yeah, from tussling with that walker. It's nothing," Kari shrugged, unable to meet Shane's gaze.

"Show me your arm," Shane exclaimed, as she gave him a look of disbelief.

"No."

Before she had a chance to move away, he had grabbed her wrist and began to tug up her shirt sleeve. Kari wrestled against his grip, but he soon pulled it up high enough to see the skin ripped away from her inner arm, causing his movements to still. Shane let out a sigh, hanging his head low, as Kari ripped her arm away from his hand.

"Fuck, Kari. You should have told me. Hell, you shouldn't have even been out in that field by yourself," Shane muttered, through gritted teeth.

"Look, it's not what you think—" Kari began, as he cut her off with a harsh scoff.

"That ain't a bite?" He retorted.

"It...it's complicated, okay? There's a reason I didn't say anything..." Kari trailed off, not sure how much to divulge.

"I'll help you, yeah?" Shane suggested, reaching out to place his hands on her shoulders, as she looked up at him with a frown. "You don't have to do it. I got enough blood on my hands already, right? You can take your time, say your goodbyes. And when it needs to be done, I'll do it," Shane continued, reaching up to cup her cheek, as Kari's eyes widened when she realised what he planned to do.

"Jesus. You really don't get it," Kari mumbled, shrugging away his touch.

"This ain't gonna' go away. You know that," Shane insisted, as a sad smile spread over her lips.

"Actually...it will," She told him, making Shane's forehead wrinkle.

A moment later, she was pulling up the hem of her shirt, as Shane held his hands up, clearly getting the wrong idea about her intentions. He opened his mouth to question her when his gaze fell on the reddish scars on her abdomen.

The bite marks.

It made no sense. They looked old. His frown deepened, as he took a step forward, reaching out to touch the scars, feeling the grooves of the teeth marks against her skin. His eyes darted up to hers, as she said nothing, simply raising an eyebrow. She then reached down to pull up her trousers, revealing a single bite against her shin, less healed than the others. Shane stumbled back a step, his mind trying to catch up with what he was seeing.

"I was bit on the first day. When the whole world went to shit. I should be one of the dead bastards walking around out there. But...I'm not," Kari informed him, as Shane ran a hand over his head.

"You're immune?" He suggested, as she shook her head.

"No. I get the fever. The chills, confusion, hallucinations...all of it. But it doesn't kill me. I fight it off," She went on.

"How the fuck is that possible?" Shane asked, his suspicions still high.

"I was on shift when...everything happened. The army, they were rolling out these inoculations. Maybe it worked for me. Maybe it was something else entirely. But...here I am," Kari exclaimed.

"So, there's a cure? A way to stop people from turning?" Shane suggested, as Kari let out a long sigh.

"An inoculation is introducing a pathogen to the body to help someone develop immunity to a disease. They made me inject people with the virus, Shane. It made them turn. All of them. Everyone but wasn't the cure they hoped it was."

"What makes you different?" Shane pushed.

"I spent weeks trying to figure that out, trust me. But...I reckon it was just luck. Or maybe being unlucky, depending on how you see it," Kari mumbled.

"But you could...turn, right? I mean, when there were flu outbreaks, they used to say that people were getting too high of the virus load. What happens then?" Shane theorised, as Kari's eyes dropped to the gun on his belt.

"A bullet ought to do the job," Kari stated, as Shane gave her an unamused look.

Kari was surprised to find she felt almost relieved at finally admitting the truth to someone. It was like a weight had been taken off her shoulders. But it also made her situation feel far too real. She couldn't ignore her condition anymore.

"Doesn't matter to you anyway. I'll be out of here by morning," Kari announced, as she went to walk past him, but Shane reached out to grab her wrist.

"You're just gonna' leave?" Shane frowned.

"You really want to wake up in the morning and find me chewing off your hand?" Kari retorted.

"People turn in 48 hours, right? We just wait it out," Shane suggested, his grip still strong on her wrist.

"It's not worth the risk."

"It is," He insisted, firmly.

"Careful, Shane. I'd almost start to think you'd care," Kari smirked, as he gave a half shrug.

"Gotta' if we're gonna' make it out there by ourselves," Shane pointed out, as her eyebrows shot up.

"I just told you that I'm infected and...you still want to run off together?" Kari huffed.

"Hell yeah, I do. You realise you could use this, right? Do the walkers even go after you?" Shane questioned.

She could see a million thoughts running through Shane's mind, always in survivor mode. He was always looking for a way to use people to increase his chances. She couldn't blame him for that. To a degree, she wished she had that mindset herself.

"Sometimes. Usually not if I've been infected recently."

"Then we wait out the 48 hours and get the hell out of dodge. I don't want to spend another minute in this camp with Randall still breathing," Shane muttered, as Kari glanced down at his hand still holding onto her wrist.

"You're not...scared of this?" Kari frowned.

She had always been worried about how people would fear her if they knew the truth. That they would look at her differently. But Shane seemed strangely unaffected by her condition. Hell, he almost seemed pleased.

"I ain't scared of anything anymore," Shane told her.

Daryl wiped at his sweaty brow as he entered the farmhouse, his eyes darting around the crowd of people inside. Carol shot him a soft smile from the back, which he attempted to return. He was quick to notice one person in particular was missing. He hadn't seen Kari since the night before, and decided after Dale's funeral, he'd search her out. He had never seen her the way she was the night before. He was...worried? It was a strange feeling, one he usually only felt for his brother.

"Ready?" Rick questioned, as Daryl gave a quick nod.

As soon as the sun had risen in the sky, he and T-Dog had started digging a grave for their deceased friend. No need for anyone else to have to see him with his guts spilt out. Daryl wished he himself had never had to see that.

"Listen up," Shane announced, having snuck in through the backdoor. He had an odd expression on his face, seeming uncharacteristically nervous. The group all turned their attention on him, as he ran a hand over his head, an old tell that he still hadn't outgrown, Rick mused. "Kari's sick. It's nothing serious, she reckons, but it's best we stay away from her right now. She's up at the outhouse with Randall. She's gonna' stay there till' the infections gone," Shane informed them, as everyone began speaking all at once, confused.

"The hell you talking 'bout? She wasn't sick last night," Daryl argued, marching forward, his hand clutching onto his crossbow strap, itching to use the weapon on the man in front of him.

"She thinks it's some summer flu. And since we're all planning on moving in here, she's isolating herself. Sickness spreads quick in close quarters, right, Hershel?" Shane went on, turning to the veterinarian.

"That it does. But I don't like the thought of her out there with that boy," Hershel pointed out.

"He's right. What if Randall gets loose?" Carol added, concern clear in her tone.

"I'm gonna' be keeping my eye on them both—" Shane started, when Daryl cut him off.

"This is some bullshit, man. You do something to her? Is that it?" Daryl suggested, squaring up to the other man, getting in his personal space.

"You're gonna' want to back the hell up," Shane muttered, tensely.

"Alright, enough. We'll all check in on her today. Both of 'em. We'll keep our distance, make sure we're not close enough to get sick," Rick exclaimed, pushing himself in between the pair.

"Screw that. She should be in here with us, not with that son of a bitch up there," Daryl argued, as Rick held his hand up.

"We have kids in here. My wife's pregnant," Rick pointed out, as Daryl twisted around, with a shake of his head.

"Ya'll do what you want," Daryl huffed, retreating from the farmhouse, making a beeline for the outhouse.

He soon found her sitting in the passenger seat of one of their cars which had been driven up right outside where Randall was being kept. She didn't appear to notice him coming, staring off into the distance, a fine sheen of sweat coating her skin. He had managed to wrench the driver's door open before her eyes finally snapped up to his, flinching a little at the sudden noise.

"You shouldn't be here. I'm sick," She muttered, running a hand through her sweat-soaked hair.

"Since when?" Daryl questioned, ducking his head down to get a better look at her.

"Yesterday. I, uh...woke up with a sore throat. Didn't think too much of it, but this morning...well, as you can see, I look like shit," She sighed, glancing at her reflection in the rearview mirror.

Her skin was clammy and pale, lips turning a slight blue, and her eyes red-rimmed. She could feel the fever starting, chills washing over her every few minutes, despite the way she could feel the sweat soaking her clothes. It was taking effort to even look up at Daryl. The fatigue was hitting her worse than she had remembered.

"Don't see much difference," He replied, as she felt her lips twitching into a slight smile.

"You came up here to mock me or what?" She teased, leaning back against the headrest.

"Just making sure Shane hadn't offed you in the night," Daryl shrugged.

"Think you've got that the wrong way round," Kari suggested, knowing that she was the real threat. After she was bit last time, she had found herself on her own. She wasn't a risk to anyone. As she glanced up at Daryl, she felt her chest tighten with worry. "Daryl. You shouldn't be here. The group needs you strong."

"They don't need me," He responded, as she gave him a look.

"They needed you last night. We all did," Kari insisted, as Daryl looked away from her. She could tell he was uncomfortable about what he had done. Anyone would be, she reckoned. "You did the right thing. You really stepped up," She continued, as he chewed on his bottom lip.

"I feel shit about it. Like, I don't know...I killed him or something," Daryl admitted, as Kari's eyes softened.

"That's bullshit, okay? He was in pain. You ended it, that's all. Don't you dare go thinking anything else," Kari insisted.

"Must be sick if you're being nice to me," Daryl mumbled, as the two shared an amused look. Daryl glanced back at the outhouse, still concerned at her being out there on her own. He had heard what Randall was capable of. "You should come back to the farmhouse. We could just put you in one of the rooms. It's what my Ma' did when I had pox when I was a kid. No one got it," Daryl suggested, as Kari quickly shook her head.

"No. I don't want to get too close to anyone."

"Yeah, ain't that your problem all the time," Daryl scoffed, as she pursed her lips.

"We, uh...still haven't talked about what Shane said yesterday, huh?" Kari stated.

"You still planning on leaving with that prick?" Daryl asked.

"Not like anyone else is gonna' have me," She replied, watching as Daryl's jaw tightened.

"I'm sure you two are gonna' be real happy with each other," He scoffed, straightening up, a scowl now upon his face.

Randall appeared to notice the voices outside now, shouting out, his voice muffled by the gag. With a shake of his head, Daryl stormed toward the outhouse, giving the door a hard kick with his foot, earning silence from the occupant inside. He was then storming off down the hill, clutching tightly at his crossbow until his knuckles turned white. Kari thought about rushing after him, but thought better of it. The further away he was from her, the better it would be for him.

The sun was high in the sky by the time Kari heard someone approaching her. She leaned forward in her seat, half expecting to see Daryl but instead, it was someone far smaller. She frowned as she saw Carl walking toward her, coming to a stop a few metres away. She had opened the passenger seat of the car, now feeling far too hot. Her fever was coming on quick.

"Hey, kid. You shouldn't be out here by yourself. Where's your mum at?" Kari inquired.

"Talking to Shane," Carl replied, as Kari bit down a scoff. Despite stating that it was Rick she wanted to be with, Lori still seemed far too interested in Shane for Kari's liking. Leading both men on wouldn't lead to anything good. "Can I talk to you?"

"As long as you keep your distance," Kari told him.

Her eyes almost popped out of her skull when she watched the boy bring out a gun from behind him, one that she instantly recognised. Instinctively, she gestured for him to pass it to her, despite her own lack of knowledge about guns.

"What the fuck, Carl?" She gaped, as the boy hung his head low, looking more than happy to give her the weapon.

"I took it from Daryl's motorcycle. If he found out I took it, he'd kill me," Carl suggested.

"Probably," Kari huffed, placing the gun on the seat beside her before turning back to him.

"...It's my fault Dale died. The walker that bit him...I saw it. It was stuck in the mud. I was throwing rocks at it and stuff. But I was gonna' do it...shoot it right in the head. But it got free, came after me and...I ran away. If I had killed it, Dale would still be alive," Carl sighed.

"Carl, listen to me. The walker killed Dale. That's it. No one else's fault but that dead bastard. Look, you shouldn't feel guilty but you've got to learn from this. Cause' next time it'll be you that gets bit..." Kari trailed off, thinking of her own situation.

"I don't want to ever touch a gun again," Carl muttered.

"It's not the gun that's the problem. It's that you keep running off, thinking you're grown and you can look after yourself. You're still learning, man, and I know it's hard cause' your folks have a lot going on but...you need to be smarter than this," Kari told him.

"Will you tell my dad?" Carl questioned, as she raised an eyebrow.

"Yeah, I will. But not to get you in trouble, but cause' you two need to talk. This conversation should have been between you two. I don't want to be responsible for saying the wrong thing to you," Kari explained, as Carl gave a slight shrug.

"You haven't done so bad."

"Thanks. I'll get this back to Daryl...if he decides to speak to me again," Kari mumbled, leaning back against her seat.

"He will. You're his best friend," Carl suggested, making her giggle.

"Yeah, maybe don't say that to him. I don't think he'd appreciate the words 'best friend' and him being in the same sentence," She mocked, with an amused smile.

"Hey, what you doing up here, buddy?" Shane called out, as the pair twisted around to see Shane sauntering over to them.

"He was just checking up on me," Kari responded, as Carl shot her a grateful smile, before beginning to walk back to the farmhouse.

Shane ruffled his hair as he passed him, a fond look on his face, before he came over to Kari. She looked worse than before. Her hair was plastered to her forehead, eyes heavy with tiredness. Reaching out to touch her skin, he winced as he found she was burning up. Doubts began to creep in about the truthfulness of her story, but he pushed them down. He didn't have any choice but to trust her.

"You're pretty hot, huh?" Shane suggested, with a broad grin.

"Real cute," Kari snorted, as he brushed some of her hair away from her forehead.

"You need anything?" He questioned.

"Nah. I've just got to rest," She mumbled, as he crouched down beside her.

"What did you say to Daryl when he came up here earlier?" Shane inquired.

"The same bullshit story you told. We're lucky the group are too distracted to put two and two together," Kari explained.

"How's...you know?" Shane questioned, in a hushed voice.

In response, Kari rolled up her sleeve to show her bite wound, now dressed with bandages. There were a few drops of blood that had soaked through the fabric, but nothing that needed addressing yet. She had taken another dose of antibiotics an hour earlier, and could only hope it would keep any other infections at bay.

"You think it's too late to call 911?" She murmured, earning a huff of laughter from Shane.

"Hey, we've got this. You gonna' be fine," Shane told her, reaching out to place his hand on her thigh.

"Not afraid I might get peckish later tonight?" Kari pushed, as he rolled his eyes.

"Even if you do, it's gonna' be that motherfucker you bite first," Shane pointed out, glaring at the outhouse.

"Even if we leave here...he's still gonna' be a threat to this group. To Carl, Lori...the baby," Kari went on, noticing a shift in Shane's eyes.

"Far as Rick's concerned, that ain't my problem."

"Hmm. And you always do what Rick tells you, huh?" Kari scoffed, as his eyes darted up to hers.

"You flirtin' with me again?" Shane teased, as Kari nudged his shoulder.

"In your dreams, asshole," Kari mumbled.

"...The walkers pass it on by bites, saliva and shit, yeah? You could do that?" Shane wondered aloud.

"Nah. Well, at least not once the fever's gone," Kari told him.

"You tried that theory out, huh?" He asked, with a slight grin.

"Not exactly by choice," She confessed, with a grimace.

It didn't take Shane long to put two and two together, all amusement immediately leaving his face. Running a hand over his face, he allowed a small amount of guilt to show on his features.

"Shit. I didn't...sorry," Shane said, after a few moments of tense silence.

"You still got any handcuffs?" Kari suddenly asked, leaving Shane taken aback.

"Come again?"

"I want to make sure that if I turn I'm not gonna' hurt anyone else. Could handcuff myself to the car, you give me the keys. That way I can still get myself free if I need to but if I turn, I'm not gonna' be able to," Kari went on.

"I don't know. It's kind of fucked up," Shane pointed out.

"That's pretty much the definition of our lives now, isn't it?" Kari argued.

Kari was leaning against the passenger door, her wrist now handcuffed to the open window, starting to drift off to sleep. Just keeping her eyes open was exhausting. She reached out for the water bottle by her side, bringing it to her lips, finding only a few drops of water left. With a sigh, she chucked it into the backseat, her mouth feeling so dry she was finding it hard to swallow. Rubbing her eyes, she began drifting off again when she heard a noise. One that had her heart almost beating out of her chest. The sound of the dead. She peered out of the window, her mouth going slack when she saw a walker heading straight for her. With shaking hands, she leaned to the side to grab the gun Carl had given her. She looked at the gun, panic coursing through her as she realised she wasn't sure how to take the safety off. The sound of a twig snapping had her raising the weapon up, ready to shoot at the dead man but instead it was Rick's face she had brought the gun level with.

"Fuck. Fuck, I'm sorry, I...I thought you were..." Kari stuttered, instantly lowering the gun.

She blinked a few times, as Rick's face came more into vision, one hand raised up in defence, the other reaching for his own gun. The pair stayed silent for a moment, breathing heavily, trying to convince their bodies there was no threat.

"Well, I guess I should have announced myself," Rick mumbled, but his hand remained on the handle of his gun.

"No, it's my fault. Jesus, I don't even think I know how to shoot one of these things," Kari admitted, putting the gun back down in the passenger seat.

"What's going on here?" Rick inquired, gesturing to the cuff around her wrist.

"Just a precaution."

"For what?" Rick pushed, still not convinced.

"In case this illness kills me. Rick, there's something you should know—" Kari started, as his eyes widened.

"You know? That we're all infected? No matter how we die..." Rick trailed off, as she nodded.

"We come back," She finished.

"You haven't told anyone," Rick stated, in a curious tone.

"Neither have you."

"Not sure it would help. People are scared enough as it is," Rick answered, as Kari mulled it over.

"There's always more to be scared of. Huh. I guess illness makes me philosophical," Kari huffed, making Rick smile.

"How're you feeling?" He questioned, his hand finally removing itself from his weapon.

She looked deathly pale. Her breathing a little laboured, and her pupils were so dilated they almost covered her irises. It was odd that she had become sick so suddenly, but Rick knew they had bigger problems at hand. The main one being locked up behind her.

"Like shit. You?" She exclaimed.

"Been better," Rick confessed, before taking a step forward, lowering his voice. "I'm taking Daryl with me to cut Randall loose. I want you to keep an eye on Shane while I'm gone," Rick told her, as she raised an eyebrow.

"Not sure if I'm in the state to even keep an eye on myself, mate," She sighed.

"I know. But you two have become close. You have an understanding. It would make me feel better knowing someone was watching him whilst I was gone," Rick continued.

"Can't put a leash on someone like Shane. It'll only make him worse," Kari argued, as Rick nodded, slowly.

"There anything I should know, Kari?" Rick asked.

"He's still thinking of leaving. With me. But...if we don't...things could get bad," Kari admitted.

"I know. But you don't have to leave with him. He's not your responsibility. He's mine," Rick insisted, in a sad tone.

"I doubt you thought that would be something you'd have to say about him before all this," Kari mused.

"He's my brother. That's not gonna' change. Even if he does," Rick explained, before turning around, ready to walk back to the farmhouse. But there was still more to be said. "I can't let anything threaten my family. I won't. I will do whatever I have to, to protect my wife and children," Rick informed her, as she noted he was including Lori's unborn baby.

"Problem is, Rick...Shane's out there thinking the exact same thing."

Lori took slow, cautious steps toward the jeep parked outside the outhouse, one hand clutching her stomach, despite there being no bump. She wasn't sure if she bought Kari's sudden illness, but she had no plan to put her child at risk. She peered inside the vehicle, to find Kari staring up at the sky, her eyes out of focus. A moment of panic hit her, as Kari took too long to let out a breath, leading Lori to worry she had stopped breathing. Suddenly, Kari's eyes darted to hers, and Lori had to hide the way she flinched.

"It's like Piccadilly Circus here today," Kari muttered to herself, as Lori frowned, not understanding the reference. Kari pinched at the bridge of her nose, feeling her vision blur. "How can I help you?" She exclaimed, tone full of sarcasm.

"I wanted to check in on you," Lori suggested, as Kari barked out a laugh.

"Wow, you are a terrible liar. Try again," Kari stated.

"Are you still thinking about leaving with Shane?" Lori questioned, as Kari gave her a look of disbelief.

"Jesus, Lori. Is that it? You're gonna' warn me off your...what, bit on the side? Boyfriend?" Kari mumbled, not in the mood for the conversation.

"He forced himself on me."

Kari's eyes widened, taking a little longer than it should have to register what Lori was saying. Through her feverish haze, she glanced up at the older woman, who looked unbearably uncomfortable.

"It was only once. He was drunk and upset. And I know...I know, I had been leading him on. But he scared me that night. He didn't stop until I had scratched all down his neck. If I hadn't..." Lori trailed off, turning pale herself. She could see the frown that had etched itself over Kari's tired features and knew she had to keep going. "I know you probably don't believe me but—" Lori began, but Kari cut her off.

"I do. Of course, I do. Look, I don't like you, Lori but...people don't lie about shit like that," Kari sighed.

"I just thought you should know before...shit, no, that's not the truth. Cause' you're right. I don't like the thought of him leaving. Especially not with you. That's why I told you," Lori confessed.

"You still have feelings for him after all this?" Kari huffed, as Lori shrugged.

"I can't help it," She cried, looking close to tears.

"Well, you fucking need to. I'm sorry, but this whole situation you, Rick and Shane have going on...it's gonna' end bloody if one of you doesn't put a stop to it. You need to choose, Lori. And I mean, really choose," Kari insisted.

"It's not that easy."

"...Your boy was out there yesterday, throwing rocks at a walker. The same walker that got free and killed Dale. Could have been him. But, uh...you just keep on worrying about your little love triangle," Kari muttered, turning away from her.

"Kari..." Lori trailed off, not sure what else she could say. They both knew Kari hadn't said anything to her that wasn't true. "I hope you feel better soon," She finished, and by the time Kari had twisted back around, there was no sign of her.

Only a few minutes later, she heard footsteps approaching and wondered if it was Lori again. She was surprised to find Daryl making his way to her, some sort of fabric on one arm, and a plate of food in another. She continued watching him as he made his way round to the driver's seat of the car, opened the door and sat down beside her before she could protest.

"You can't be in here with me—" Kari spoke up but was cut off as he placed the clothing on her lap.

"Don't care about getting sick. Sure I've had much worse," Daryl told her, as she picked the brown and red fabric, inspecting it closer.

"Is this a poncho?" Kari grimaced, as he shrugged.

"Thought you'd be cold tonight," He answered, as she shot him a look.

"This is the ugliest fucking thing I've ever seen," She giggled, as he rolled his eyes.

And it really was. A dank brown colour mostly, with a weird pattern of triangles over the back. About two sizes too big for her as well.

"Jesus, I'll take it back then—" Daryl huffed, reaching out for the poncho, which she immediately pulled back.

"No way. Get your own," She smirked, before pulling it over her shoulders, brushing her hair over the top of the fabric. "So, how do I look?" She questioned, putting on an overly dramatic pose.

"Don't think there's a way I can answer that without offending ya'," He mused, as she shook her head, fondly.

"See. You're learning," She grinned.

Her amused expression slowly faded as she remembered their last conversation and the whole reason she was out there in the first place. Her eyes flickered to the cuff around one of her wrists, now thankfully covered up with the poncho. He was too close. If she turned...

"Look, I was a prick, alright? You want to go off with Shane, ain't none of my business," Daryl suggested, as she cocked her head to the side.

"You wouldn't miss me? Not even a little?" She teased, as he let out a scoff.

"Be good to get one pain in the ass out of my way," He retorted, sarcastically.

"And do you get all your 'pain in the asses' dinner?" She asked, putting on a terrible southern accent as she spoke.

"That was awful," He huffed, despite the laugh that left his lips, before he passed her the plate. "Rabbit. You said you liked it," He shrugged, as she looked down at the food on offer.

Her stomach turned at the sight, a wave of nausea hitting her. She remembered this. Last time, when she had the fever she hadn't been able to keep anything down for almost three days. She had been worried she was starting to get an appetite for something else.

"I haven't got much appetite right now," She confessed, as Daryl's face fell a little. He had tried to do something nice, and Kari didn't want him to think it had backfired. "You have it. Wouldn't want you and your muscles wasting away," She replied, with a teasing grin.

"Don't have to tell me twice," He snorted, before grabbing the meat with his fingers and taking a bite.

"How's the group?" Kari asked.

"Tense. Still thinking about...what happened to Dale."

"You ever had to shoot a man before?" Kari inquired, as Daryl shook his head silently. He stopped eating, a far off look on his face. Despite how he was trying to hide it, Kari knew it had affected him. Badly. "I have," She confessed, as Daryl turned to her in shock.

"These daggers, they're not mine. I mean, c'mon, why would a nurse be carrying weapons?" Kari pointed out, as she pulled out one of the sharp daggers.

"Who'd they belong to?" Daryl inquired, as she bit at her inner cheek.

"The man I killed. I was working in the hospital when everyone started to turn. The army was there and uh...this Sergeant I had worked with that day, he took me with him. We were heading to some army base. I thought it was a good idea, you know. There were so many walkers in the city, I would died if it wasn't for him. Things were fine. For a while. And then...I don't know, maybe he realised that things weren't ever gonna' go back to how it was. We hadn't seen anyone alive in a week and...he turned on me," Kari went on, as Daryl's brow furrowed.

"He attacked you?" Daryl pushed.

"He figured I might as well have been the only woman left alive so...he wanted to take what he wanted," Kari admitted, as Daryl tensed from beside her.

"Did he...?" Daryl trailed off, as Kari shook her head.

"He never took these damn daggers off his belt and whilst he was trying to get his hand down my trousers, I was reaching for them. I slit his throat. I'm a nurse, you know, we know where to cut," She muttered, darkly.

"Good. Hope the asshole suffered," Daryl spat out, as Kari pursed her lips.

"Yeah. He definitely did," She murmured, subconsciously rubbing at her lower shin.

"I get it. What you're tryin' to say. We both did what we had to. Doesn't make us bad people," Daryl nodded.

"...I'm not leaving," Kari announced, suddenly.

"You ain't?" Daryl asked, with a slight smile.

"C'mon, I was never really going anywhere was I? Soon as I heal up, I'll stay in the farmhouse with the others if...you come too," Kari offered.

"I ain't a people person," Daryl told her, as she let out a mock gasp.

"I am stunned by this brand-new information," She teased, as he let out a snort.

"Guess it could be nice to sleep somewhere warm," He shrugged a moment later, not noticing the way a grin spread over Kari's lips.

"Alright then. It's a deal. But. I'm staying here alone tonight, okay?" Kari insisted.

"It ain't safe," Daryl retorted.

"Daryl. I'm not putting you, or anyone else back at the house at risk. Please," Kari exclaimed, looking at him with big, pleading eyes.

"Fine. But I'm gonna' be checkin' in. Don't care what you say," He argued, as her grin widened a little.

"Your boyfriend's here," Daryl spoke up, a moment later, as Kari peered through the windshield to find Shane marching over to them.

"Yeah, well...I haven't got anything to say to him right now," Kari huffed, making Daryl frown.

"You two have a fight or something?" Daryl guessed.

"No. But I think we're about to. Give us a minute, yeah?" Kari asked, as he reluctantly nodded.

"I'm gonna' take a piss," He announced, as she rolled her eyes.

"Good to know," She called out, as he opened up the car door, strolling off past the outhouse.

Shane was then leaning on the doorframe, looking down at her, surprised to find the glare she had on her face. It didn't take him long to put two and two together after his conversation with Lori that morning.

"Lori speak to you?" He questioned, as she gave a sharp nod.

"Is it true? Did you force yourself on her?" Kari pushed, as Shane hung his head, with a sigh, debating his next words.

"...Yeah. Yeah, it's true. And I regretted it the second it happened. Always will, okay? But I was—" Shane started, but she cut him off with a wave of her hand.

"Shane. There is no excuse. What you did is beyond fucked up. I mean, if Rick ever found out..." Kari trailed off.

"So, that's it? Plan's off? We ain't leaving together anymore?" Shane suggested, as she ran a hand down her sweaty face.

"You really need me to answer that?" She scoffed, watching as Shane's jaw tensed. And after what Lori had told her, that was enough to put Kari on edge. "It was never gonna' work. Neither of us was really gonna' leave this place. These people. They're...too important," Kari explained.

"I can't stay here with Randall."

"Well, you're just gonna' have to suck it up. Be a fucking adult about it," Kari argued, as Shane shot her a look.

"And us?" Shane asked, as she looked away from him.

"You're in love with your best friend's wife, Shane. What else is there to say?" Kari snapped, as Shane lowered himself down into the passenger seat.

"I care about you," Shane told her, as Kari muttered a curse under her breath, turning away from. "No, it's true. It is. Look, we could be good together. You know it. There is something here," Shane went on, as Kari could feel bile rising in her throat.

"Shane," She murmured, hunching over, clutching at her stomach.

"I know I fucked up. I get it but...just, listen to me, alright? I'm not that guy. I'm not. Kari, look at me," Shane insisted, reaching for her shoulder, and forcing her to turn toward him.

Suddenly, Kari began retching, blood bubbling over her lips, her whole body spasming. Shane jumped back in shock, his instincts kicking in, as for a moment he wondered if she was about to turn. Kari brought her hand to her mouth, vomiting up more blood, her other hand still cuffed to the car.

"Kari?"

Daryl's panicked voice echoed through the night before the passenger door was wrenched open and Kari almost fell out onto the grass below. Daryl's hands were on her in the blink of an eye, as she collapsed against his shoulder, blood splattering over his shirt.

"Hey, hey. Kari, wake up. Wake up!" Daryl insisted, giving her shoulder a shake, but she still didn't stir. "What the fuck did you do?" Daryl snapped at Shane, who had gone silent, his mouth slack.

"I...I didn't do anything. She just collapsed, man. Shit, is she okay?" Shane questioned, as Daryl pulled back to hold Kari's face, seeing her eyes had fluttered shut.

"Need to get her to Hershel. He'll...what the fuck is this?" Daryl gaped, when he finally noticed she was cuffed to the window.

"She was worried that...Jesus, it doesn't matter. I got the key, alright," Shane muttered, jumping out of the car, racing to the other side, the key in his hands by now.

"She was fine when I left," Daryl accused, as Shane attempted to unlock the cuff around her wrist.

"I didn't do anything!" Shane yelled.

"You were arguing with her. She's sick, you idiot, shouldn't be getting her riled up," Daryl grumbled, as Shane pulled the handcuff away from her wrist.

"I...I didn't..." Shane mumbled, as Daryl shot him a cold enough glare that he clamped his mouth shut.

"Stay the fuck away," Daryl warned, before reaching down to place one arm underneath Kari's legs and the other around her back.

He then hauled her up into his arms, as her head lolled against her chest, not stirring. Without another word, Daryl ran back to the farmhouse, glancing down at Kari every few seconds, trying to quell the panic in his chest. Shane watched them go, holding his hands to his head, feeling like everything was crashing down around him. His head pounded with the sound of blood pumping through his veins until another sound caught his attention. Randall had begun shouting again. Shane's hands balled into fists, his lips turning up into a snarl as he headed toward the bound man, his mind made up.